Re: 4/5 Combination in California

On 9/10/06, Julita wrote:
> On 9/02/06, Emily wrote:
>> I've been teaching for nine years, but I'm just beginning a
>> new assignment in a 4/5 class. I start on Thursday!! Anyone
>> out there in a simillar situation? I'd love to keep in
>> contact with you to swap advice and ideas....
>
>
> Well, well, well....I started the year teaching 4th and our
> principal gave us the "enrollment news blues" which meant we
> had to combine the overflow 5th grade with half of my 4th
> grade class and fill up the other 4th classes with ther rest
> of my students....ANYWAY, all the changes will be made next
> week and we should have our new 4/5 combo soon. It's kind of
> exciting yet I'm still apprehensive about meeting ALL
> curricular needs, etc. Yes, let's keep in touch!!! By the
> way, how's it going so far???!!

I'm in the same boat - only I had a week's warning and began
the year knowing that I was teaching a 4 / 5 Combo. My problem
was that my finger prints took 3 weeks to clear in the new
district, and the kids had subs as I was not allowed on campus
(not to mention, I subbed in another district so that I would
have some income for September). Anyway, I feel as though my
kids have lost 3 weeks of instruction and I am still scrambling
to implement systems that I had planned to do the 1st week of
school! I am finding that Math and Language Arts aren't too
hard, but Social Studies is a challenge - California vs.
Nation. We've been working on geography and reading maps, but
now I've got to come up with a balanced system. Any ideas?

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