Mindfulness

As I was creating this post my 12 year old exclaimed, "Mom you  have nap time in third grade!" 

"No!" I replied,  "This is mindfulness."

         

        

        

During our last teacher professional development day we read and discussed an article about mindfulness.  One suggestion to improve mindfulness in the classroom was to have kids notice when they are distracted and then refocus. During this activity students focused on their breathing. Each time they thought about something other then their breathing they raised one hand.  As they raised a hand they then reminded themselves to focus on their breathing again.  It was amazing to watch all the kids raise and lower their hands.  In one minute almost everyone raised their hand at least once.  

As an educator I am always looking for new ways to help my students gain strategies for learning.  We all get distracted, yet we can  refocus when necessary. Once students notice that they are distracted it is much easier for them to refocus.  As we all know, when we are mindful we are more likely to learn new things, be more creative, and make fewer mistakes both socially and academically.  

"If I Were the Teacher" by Alex

I'm here and I'm the teacher (in a way) sharing my "If I Were the Teacher" enrichment work. I chose to do "If I Were the Teacher" because I thought it would be fun to do extra credit. One of the things I said was to have gym once a day.  I know what your thinking what if another class was already there? Well, I would just let my class join in.

Sincerely your junior blogger,

Alex

Thank you Alex for being the first member of our team to complete an enrichment homework activity.  By sharing your thinking you demonstrated your ability to speak, listen and respond.  

I look forward to many more presentations by our team members!

Speaking & Listening

Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas

6. Speak in complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification.

Corresponding College and Career Readiness (CCR) Anchor Standard

6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.

Math Workshop

The Math Workshop at Work!

Here are some photos of us engaged during our Math Workshop. As you can see the children are learning through a variety of activities in small groups, with partners, and independently.

Working with base ten pieces to make and add numbers into the thousands.

You be the teacher- here children are identifying mistakes in order to discuss and think more deeply about regrouping and place value.

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Here we are working as a team to add many three and four digit numbers.

What should third graders be able to do?  Below is the Common Core Math Standard that we are focusing on.

Number & Operations in Base Ten

Use place value understanding and properties of operations to perform multi-digit arithmetic. 1


2. Fluently add and subtract within 1000 using strategies and algorithms based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction.


1 A range of algorithms may be used.

Team Jordan did a great job on their addition tests.  They will be sent home today for you to look over and sign.  We have begun our chapter on subtraction.

In an effort to go "more paperless" here is the letter from our math program.

Subtraction in Third Grade

The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes a Global Read Aloud

Let's see how many people we can get to make predictions and connections about the first chapter of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes.

Please add to our Padlet.  Double click, write your first name and where you are from.  Then, add a connection or a prediction. Remember we only read the first chapter so please don't be a spoiler!

We look forward to sharing our thinking! We hope to connect with people from all over the country and beyond.

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Framing Our Writing

How do writer's organize their ideas?

Mrs. Zargaj enjoyed teaching us how to use a sequencing brain frame.  A brain frame is a strategy for learners to use to organize their thinking.  We are going to be using brain frames this year.  The sequencing frame helps us to put our thoughts in order and then add details.  We like brain frames as an alternative to a teacher made graphic organizer because students make them to fit their need's and they will be able to use frames long after third grade.
Here Mrs. Zargaj is using the sequencing frame to review the writing process.


W3.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

Here we are using the sequencing brain frame to organize our personal narratives.

Author visit

Today, we had a wonderful guest stop in to read to us.  Dr. O'Mara is not only an instructor at Endicott College, he is also a published author.

Visualizing  as Dr. O'Mara reads an excerpt from his book.

We are learning what good authors do so that we can become better writers.

Creating pictures with words in the readers' minds is the writer's ultimate goal.

This visit ties in perfectly with our writing standards. 

Our essential question is, what do good writer's do to paint pictures in the reader's mind?

 We use mentor texts to help students experience quality writing.

W3.3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
Establish a situation and introduce a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.

Reflecting on Native American Culture

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