Welcome Fellow Third Grade Teachers!
I'm stealing this idea from fourth grade. I know a lot of us have Facebook, but we can't access it at school. We have a great group of third grade teachers and this could be a fun way to share ideas. It seems that we are all a little overwhelmed with the new science and social studies, maybe collaborating accross the district will help. Maybe we can share some planning and projects...divide and conquer!
I AM IN!!! I agree, Teri, we do have a phenomenal group of third grade teachers willing to do what it takes to get the job done well!
ReplyDeleteCurrently, Christine & I have been teacm teaching Science & Social Studies. She teaches Science, I teach S.S. It is working out wonderfully. As for S.S., has everyone just been following the pace of the textbook? Any fun projects/activities you have done that could pick up the interest in the subject? Let me know.
ReplyDeleteI have been teaching animal and plant adaptations. I am going to write a test for the unit, and I will share. Social Studies has been hard. I think that Michigan book sucks, and so so the tests and worksheets. I am still in unit 2...it's been slow. How about everyone else? Our School Improvement team is requiring us to give two tests in each subject this year, so we have to come up with something. Anyone willing to share a quiz or test they have made for social studies (or science)?
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of test-writing, what is everyone's opinion about the common assessment writing schedule? I would prefer to get subs and work during the day. I'm not really interested in after school or summer work.
ReplyDeleteI would love to get together with anyone who teaches science to discuss some ideas for interesting lessons. We could also share some ideas for common assessments. I agree with Laura that we should inquire about 1/2 day subs.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone spent any of the money that has been provided for books or materials yet?
ReplyDeleteIs Cheryl Bolz teaching your third graders Three Fires and early settlers? She's been doing it with mine. I'm going to give them an assessment and see if they grasped the GLCEs. I was working on map skills and I want to go back to the book but I don't want to waste my time teaching the things they are learning already. Hopefully, we will pick a new book for next year. Hillsdale Press has one available for 3rd and MacMillan McGraw has one coming out this month. I think I will be picking Michigan up at statehood.
ReplyDeleteThank you for starting this blog Teri. What a great idea. Yes, Cheryl is teaching the Three Fires at Kinloch as well. Also, Jen Deprez is making a Michigan Alphabet book in computer class. Each child has to research a particular topic relating to Michigan. I cannot wait to teach Michigan History from a third grade book next year by the way.
ReplyDeleteSteve---has anyone talked to you about summer school yet? Running it?
So, Deana, are you skipping over the content that Cheryl is teaching? It seems weird to skip to statehood while she is still teaching early settlers, but she is planning on teaching through pioneer life. I don't think I can wait for her to finish to continue. Have you been using the textbook assessments? I have been creating my own as I go along. I've been trying to vary the type. I had the kids write compare contrast essays for the Upper and Lower Peninsulas as a take home project for the geography unit. That went pretty well and killed an ELA GLCE too. What are the other schools doing with writing? Are you sticking to HM, using another program....?? Steve and I looked at the GLCEs and found that there are really only about 6 writing genres that we need to teach, so a lot of the HM projects are fluff. We are going to pick the writing ones that match the GLCEs, teach the grammar mini-lessons from HM, and spend more time on each writing project.
ReplyDeleteI found out if you log in on www.blogger.com and put in your id and password and enter this blog from there it takes less steps.
ReplyDeleteCheryl did the three fires stuff with my class as well. I have a bunch of PowerPoint stuff I made for Social studies. If anyone wants them I would be happy to send them over. I also have a web scavenger hunt on Michigan's Native Groups at http://people.emich.edu/khill16/threefires.htm if anyone wants to use it. It took my kids a few lab sessions. I have a bunch of other online resources as well but not saved on this computer. Email me if anyone would like them.
ReplyDeletekaitlyn@nyu.edu
-Kaitlyn Hill
Teri, I think the HM writing lessons suck, for lack of a better word. I don't use them, unless there are good organizers or lessons for a genre I'm working on. We started the year writing paragraphs, worked on personal narratives last card marking, and are currently working on writing fiction. Six-traits writing lessons are inter-woven, and I also use many of the HM grammar lessons, but I think a lot of the practice book pages are junk. I am plotting some kind of research report for later in the spring -- Michigan lighthouses, perhaps? And, of course, poetry for April. My kids did the Michigan A-Z book last year -- that's my project that I made last year, and I gave it to Jen so she could do it with all of the third grades.
ReplyDeleteThe social studies is a mystery to me. I, too, can't wait for a book,and told Dr. Klee that I would gladly pilot one if he could get samples.
I had no idea that Cheryl was teaching that stuff -- she doesn't talk to me. Kaitlyn, I would love to see your activities.
Teri, thanks for setting this blog up -- I think it's great!
Kaitlyn I would love anything you can send me. I'm going to do a little "quiz" to see how much my kids absorbed of social studies instruction in the media center and then touch on the rough spots.
ReplyDeleteD, I have not heard anything about summer school.
ReplyDeleteTeri---Veronica, Dina and I skipped Chapter 3 and picked up with Chapter 4 when the Europeans arrive. We are using some of the textbook assessment and some of our own creativity. We are fortunate enough to have Linda Pratt to assist in creating the tests.
ReplyDeleteAs far as HM goes, I assign the reading for homework on Monday, we listen to the CD in class on Tues, Wed we do the questions in class or for HW. I give the PB pages for morning work. I do a lot of Debbie Miller in my classroom and students read from book bins with Debbie Miller books. Veronica introduced me to a book entitled Mentor Texts which I've been using in both reading and writing.
Laura, thanks for sharing the A-Z book with us.
I agree that HM writing sucks, as well as many of the workbook pages. I pick & choose throughout the workbook. Currently, I do simialr to the schedule that Deana described. On Thursday & Friday, my class does literature circles. My classroom follows the philosophy of Debbie Miller, however I am not partial to any one program. As Deana mentioned, I have been working on writing by using this prof book called Mento Texts. It really is awesome! If anyone wants to take a looksie, let me know. It has been well worth the 25 bucks I paid. I have noticed my kids' writing to improve drastically. Laura, I wrote you an email about the common assessments. Is anyone else interested in getting a full day sub and helping us create common math assessments? Let Dr. Klee know soon, if you are interested.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to talk to Steve about giving your reading plan a try. I just started doing some guided reading from the mini HM books, and as much as I dislike them, they just make me long for guided reading. We are definitely moving off of the HM course for writing. I would love to know more about the Mento Texts. Cheryl is currently teaching fur trading, so I think I will review with some of the things Kaitlyn sent me and maybe work on an early Michigan history timeline to take me to statehood, then hit the book again.
ReplyDeleteHello all! Did you all decide that life is just too busy to kep in touch with me? I miss reading your blogs. So, anything new in your classes? In writing next week, I am beginning to teach author's purpose to my class. How about all of you?
ReplyDeleteOh Yeah, by the way Kaitlyn, do you think you could email me those social studies ideas you said you had. I would more than appreciative of your sharing. If you are interested in any ideas, I am more than willing to share. My email is vmgreenlaw@gmail.com. Thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteSorry,I kind of lost track of this. I have jumped to chapter ten and Michigan's economy. Then I'm moving to government. I'll finish the year picking up history where Cheryl stops which is after statehood. Anyone have any cool ideas for economy and government?
ReplyDeleteI went to a WRESA Michigan studies workshop on Wednesday. I got two extras sets of the materials. I will send one to each building. The presenter was good and she's working with a consortium to write lessons and assessments to go with the units they have created. She had a lot of great children's literature that can be used to teach much of our content. Their district bought 1/2 sets of Hillsdale texts for each class to supplement instruction. She gave suggested pacing and focus. What does everyone think?
ReplyDeleteDo you mean instead of a Michigan text? I would really like to have a Michigan text at the third grade level.
ReplyDeleteI tried to reply to you on the blog, but after typing out my whole response, it didn't post, and I didn't have time to start all over at that point. I am very interested in seeing the materials you got at the conference, and appreciate you sharing them and sending them over. Are those materials a "curriculum" or would we still need a text book to supplement it? What do you think of the new Michigan book that Dr. Klee sent over? I like it.
ReplyDeleteI am also wondering what assessments you have been using for social studies. Have you created any tests for the chapters in the 4th grade book that we have been using this year, or are you just using the ones from the book? I think they are too hard for 3rd graders and need to be altered, but I don't want to reinvent the wheel if someone else has already modified them and is willing to share.
Thanks,
Laura
At the workshop, they were saying that they purchased 15 textbooks per class for students to share. The textbook is one of many resources used to teach the curriculum. The units, lessons, and resources developed by the consortium provide structure and variety to instruction. I really loved all the Michigan based literature that was recommended. It provides opportunities from cross curricular reading and writing activities. I liked the Hillsdale text, but would really like to add variety. I think we need to take Michigan history back from Cheryl. I would like to see her doing a multi-source basic research project with students that supports our classroom instruction.
ReplyDeleteSteve, my kids are DYING to receive a penpal letter. What's up?
ReplyDeleteMacMillan-McGraw is coming out with a 3rd grade book. I have two sample sections. I haven't looked at them yet but Mary Ann says they look like the fourth grade layout which she really likes. The full text should be out soon. They usually have a lot more resources than Hillsdale.
ReplyDeleteI thought I would just say hello to everyone. Also, is it just me or are all third graders acting like complete inattentive morons these past few days? (probably just me!)
ReplyDeleteSeemed like it until today. It's like the rain last night cleansed away the evil spirits or we are out of the full moon! Things were kind of golden today. I had some excellent guided reading groups (some of my mid range readers LOVING Esio Trot). They kind of sucked on their Michigan Gov't test, but I think I rushed them. I'll give them another brush up and a second chance tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteLaura, when do you want to finish up the Class A tests? We need to do this very soon! Let me know...
ReplyDeleteWhat are you guys working on????? Did you hear that our textbooks were approved by Curriculum Council for social studies?
ReplyDeleteWe worked on the Class A Math quarterly assessments. I did not hear about the Social Studies texts being approved. How exciting!!!! So, have they been ordered, do you know?
ReplyDeleteI think they will be ordered soon. They were supposed to deliver a student copy to each building. They went with the MacMillan/McGraw. It wss really nicely done for third grade. It's organized like the 4th grade. We didn't get to see the support materials (not available until June) but they are much more extensive than Hillsdale. Mary Ann and I taught the government and economic sections from some samples we were given and they really match nicely to the GLCEs. So, hopefully we will have them in the fall.
ReplyDeleteThat is so exciting about the texts being ordered soon! I have a copy in our building and as I looked through it, I was super happy with the decision to order them! On another note, what the heck is going on with our financial situation here at Crestwood? The staff meeting really shook me up today. I am so concerned about health insurance since I am the provider in my family. Ahhhhhh.... this is all so frightening! What do you all think about everything? Any switcheroos going on amongst teachers that you are all aware of yet? I hope everything works out for us all :0(
ReplyDeleteI won't get freaked out by the financials. It's contract time and I believe school will go on. I'm the provider of our insurance too, but I'm more concerned that we don't give up our steps. That financial loss adds up to a much bigger number than a possible change in insurance. The only changes in our building so far are that Bonnie and Alice were told that their jobs were being eliminated and that they will have to reapply for the newly named position. We were supposed to get the Title 2 classroom reduction teacher, but they didn't realize it couldn't be initiated in third grade. I'm not convinced that our district is doing everything they can to get appropriate grants and funding. Other districts have committees that work on this. I would be happy to work on a committee and help the district get extra funds rather than take a personal financial hit.
ReplyDeleteI am with you, Teri, regarding more staff members and admin working on trying to receive grants that fit more of our needs. There has to be more money out there somewhere. When you look at things like Smartboards, etc. I truly believe they were completely unnecessary in a time like this where people are being layed off. It was so very sad yesterday at work when friends were handed "the note" and asked to go into Dianne's office for a "meeting". Things feel really scary right now, but I am staying positive that everything will work oout. By the way, I spoke with Dr. Klee regarding the rest of the quarterly Class A assessments. I am going to be helping work on them during the summer. If you are interested in helping too, let Dr. Klee know. Enjoy your last week of school!
ReplyDeleteHello to my fellow third grade teachers! So, any new news that anyone knows of regarding contract, teacher placement changes, etc.? I will be looping 3rd this year to 4th the following. Also, just a heads up that the Staples teacher apprecition day is August 22nd and I heard they are giving possibly flash drives. My final gift to you all is a great website I fell upon yesterday and I must share with you guys. Search Mrs. Pancake and you will find a wealth of WONDERFULresources for your classroom!!!!!!! Come on! Let's get some more blogging going on here!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI've heard nothing. The CSDM website says we don't have a calendar yet. I'll check Staples out on the 22nd. I like free stuff! I will check out Mrs. Pancake. I'm attempting to make a website through the district on Front Page and I'm putting some effort into the Smart Board thing, although I'm seriously starting to wonder if they will ever be installed. I'm having a student teacher for fall semester and hope this gives me an opportunity to master the Smart Board. I am also going to propose a Culture Club for the winter. I want to use the Smart Board and a book called Letters from Felix with Google Earth to introduce students to different cultures around the world. I did a little bit of Lucy Calkins at summer school and really liked the little bit I tried. I am going to use detectives as my classroom theme for the year (fingerprints, magnifying glasses...) to tie into Lucy Calkins' "focusing in on a moment" idea. There are a lot of books and series that I can use for read aloud and guided reading that will tie in. Blah Blah Blah...and I'm still making a massive effort to have some fun with my summer!
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