I am currently a fifth grade teacher. I love teaching and put a lot of time and dedication in it. I have had many wonderful students in my past 9 years teaching. However, this year has been an exceptional year. I began the year with a student who had a very difficult past. The past 2 years he spent the majority of his time in trouble. I was warned ...See MoreI am currently a fifth grade teacher. I love teaching and put a lot of time and dedication in it. I have had many wonderful students in my past 9 years teaching. However, this year has been an exceptional year. I began the year with a student who had a very difficult past. The past 2 years he spent the majority of his time in trouble. I was warned about his negative and volatile attitude. He had the attitude that he did not care about school or what teachers thought. He had spent almost as much time home in the past 2 years as he had at school, due to suspensions. The first week of school I set in my mind that he was going to be successful this year. He is an intelligent boy, has excelled academically and behaviorally, is very positive, asks to stay after school to work more, etc. His attitude for the future has also been altered. He is the most dependable and dedicated student that I have this year. He is also among the top with his behavior, completely the opposite from his past years. His mom and him have both been very complimentary for helping him realize how smart he is and showing him how much he can achieve. She has been amazed at the turn around that he has made, even made a comment about how she wished that I could teach him in future years as well.He now has a future dream to attend college and become a DOCTOR in the future. I have so much faith in him, but am worried about the change to middle school next year. His mom is raising him by herself and due to her work schedule she does not see him as often as he would like. He basically just needs to see and know that someone cares about him and believes in him. What can I do to continue having a positive impact on his future after he leaves my class?
I have been quietly experimenting with something in my fifth-grade class all year, and I wonder whether anyone else has has the same experience. I work at a school where "differentiation" is the buzzword. I am supposed to group students for reading, writing, and math, and meet with each group in each subject at least 3 times a week. I struggled wit...See MoreI have been quietly experimenting with something in my fifth-grade class all year, and I wonder whether anyone else has has the same experience. I work at a school where "differentiation" is the buzzword. I am supposed to group students for reading, writing, and math, and meet with each group in each subject at least 3 times a week. I struggled with this last year. I have wondered for a long time about whether small teacher-led groups are the best way to teach fifth graders. I've noticed that they worry so much about making mistakes in front of their friends, and they are more concerned with looking cool than actually learning. The ones who are not with the teacher, who are supposed to be engaged in "cooperative learning", are in reality just inventing new ways to goof off.
So this year I decided to ignore the rules. I have been teaching whole-group all year, all subjects (even reading). Instead of meeting with small groups, I meet with each individual student one-on-one at least once a week, to address any problem areas. My findings: Benchmark test scores are through the roof, and effort and behavior have very noticeably improved. Granted, I don't know how this particular group of kids would have done if I had been teaching them in small groups; maybe they would have achieved even more. I wondered, though, whether anyone else might have been doing the same kind of experimenting with whole group teaching. Am I wrong, or does this "old- fashioned" style actually work better---with fifth graders, at least?
How do you use a multiplication chart in your classroom? I am looking for ways to make it a valuable tool, rather than a crutch for students who do not know their facts.
We have been talking about this situation across our grade levels at our school. It is becoming a huge issue.
We introduce the lesson, discuss it, work sample problems, analyze the ideas, organize our thoughts on graphic organizers, write about the situations/problems, use projects to investigate more deeply, construct models for greater u...See MoreWe have been talking about this situation across our grade levels at our school. It is becoming a huge issue.
We introduce the lesson, discuss it, work sample problems, analyze the ideas, organize our thoughts on graphic organizers, write about the situations/problems, use projects to investigate more deeply, construct models for greater understanding, develop games based on the concepts, and then the district's calendar tells us to move on to the next topic.
A month later, we go back to touch on the idea we drilled into earlier and many of the kids are like blank slates. They don't recall what a "theme" is, how to multiply fractions, or how to organize cause and effect essays. Basically, they recall practically nothing about whatever we covered.
We veered away from using workbooks, worksheets, and similar tools for rote practice. From what we are seeing, that was a bad idea. The kids seem to NEED repeated rote practice in order to retain a memory of what we did. Ten of us are considering breaking away from the "richer/deeper" methods and trying some drill and kill mixed in to see if this improves retention.
We're curious about your experiences with this situation.
Hi, If you as professional techers for young children had a chance to write a book (or mini tv series) - what would be the most important elements that you think would have to be inlcuded? To narrow it down a bit, lets say the story would be a family adventure with an ecological red line.
thanks in advance!
The girls in my 4th grade class are just horrible. They are always picking on someone. Many even make threats to others. Does anyone know of a good speaker, assembly, program etc that might get through to these girls.
lease I need help with multi subject 002 test
I need tutoring... please help me...
next page »
« prev page
Teacher Chatboards
