Today was the first day back from winter break. It was freezing cold, but what my kids had to say today warmed my heart something serious!
First, one of my kids told the class that there are times when her baby sister just jumps up and yells "FICTION!! FICTION!!" whenever she hears something that is untrue. Smiling, I asked, "And how does she know to yell 'fiction'?" "Because I taught her what the difference is," replied my student. Teacher smiles.
We have extensive conversations about genres and the types of books and articles they choose to read during SSR. We also keep a genre tracker, where they write the date, title, and genre of what they chose to read that day. As I expose them to different genres, their options for identifying the genre of their book increases.
The second thing to warm my heart came during social studies. I gathered them on the carpet to interact with them. Change of pace. We were discussing the Boston Massacre. This is one stop on our journey through American history. (By the way, I don't teach the 'pretty' and whimsical version. I teach the ugly truth.) We already learned about the events leading up to it, so today we discussed the event itself and figures like Crispus Attucks and later John Adams, I told them that I would ask them some questions tomorrow, many of which we already discussed and they were able to answer today.
To hear a kid say, "I'm going to go home and teach my mom this stuff" made me grin from ear to ear!
THIS is what it's all about!! It can't be tested, neither do I want it to be!
Some call me "Flem"
- Dr. Stephen R. Flemming
- I'm an elementary school teacher turned high school English teacher, School-Based Teacher Leader (SBTL), and adjunct professor here in Philly. These posts are the views, as I see them, from room 105, my first classroom number. Enjoy, engage, and share!
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