Students were welcomed aboard Space Station Alpha this year. Our classroom has been set-up to resemble a space station and all of the areas of the classroom have been renamed according to space station protocol. The children will spend their year in this setting, taking an active part in their second grade education. We will employ a constructivist approach to most learning experiences, using a hands-on approach with direct instruction as necessary. All themes and concepts will be integrated throughout the curriculum.
Our word this year in room 22 is RESPECT. Each child in room 22 is learning to live as a family member of the class. Everyone is expected to treat others as they wish to be treated and to understand the feelings of others. When a family member disregards the classroom rules, we discuss the situation as a family and discuss consequences. The students are very fair and honest with each other and are expected to be an active and respectful member of this family. They are "living" aboard a space station and are learning the difficulties one might encounter in living and working together in this type of setting. They are also learning to respect one another and understanding how this respect allows the station to function as a family.
Our reading experiences will center around the Four Blocks mode, with each child reading in chapter books at his/her success level. Mini-lessons involving both readers and writers workshop will be utilized on a daily basis. Students will write and process pieces in various styles and shares their successes. Prompt, poetry, self-chosen, fantasies, factual, biographical, persuasive, and descriptive writings are but a few of the styles the children will study. We will also read as a whole group and spend time with phonics and word-making activities.
Once a month our classroom rockets back to
earth
where, with passports in hand, we board a jet airplane bound for each
of
the continents. We will fly around the world with Tiny Tim the Touring
Turtle, and experience life in each continent. We will study the
customs of various cultures and employ mapping skills to understand the
climate and animal life as well.
Each marking period we will shop at the classroom Math Store where we will join the world of economics in understanding banking skills, budgeting, interest, and supply and demand skills. The students will have the job of completing and returning assignments to earn their pay. With their check and bank book in hand, they will explore the world of shopping and saving, investing and spending.
Science and Social Studies will center around the state standards with studies in Insects, Soil, Magnets, Space, Habitats, Health and Nutrition, Drug Awareness, Colonial Living, Map Skills, Biographical sketches of famous Americans, and Communities. All topics will involve a hands-on approach and will allow the students to be actively involved as they explore each topic. Students will also be given the opportunity to research these topics utilizing various books, computer sites, encyclopedias, and magazines.
Math will cover all state standard areas with a strong emphasis on problem solving. A hands-on- constructivist approach will offer all students the opportunity to understand and utilize a style of understanding mathematics concepts.
Centers are an important part of our daily routine. Each child rotates through a series of 5 centers on a weekly basis. Centers often center on the science, social studies, or math concept of the week. Computers, games, listening center and art activities are a core element of the centers.
We hope to take several trips this year and bring in sources to help us understand the concepts of Colonial Living, Habitats, Insects, Literature studies, and Animal life.
A Glance at a Day in Room 22
"Welcome aboard! Don't forget to sharpen those pencils, sign up for lunch, do Guessing Jar and Math Board. "Of course you may work with a partner for solving the problems". Typical words spoken every morning as the children arrive and prepare for the day. After completing morning tasks we are ready for everyone's favorite CENTERS! Here we rotate on a daily basis through five centers. Of course the centers are named after space station terms as we are on board Space Station ALPHA. Center one is Communications (Listening Center with tapes and books), center two is Engineering (Computers), center three is Science (Exploring activities), center four is Security (Tubs exploration) and center five is Command ( art center). This is also a time to help those stragglers who might not have finished with morning activities and to explain corrections and instructions. Once we have settled at seats and the children have lead the pledge, discussed the date and weather, taken attendance and lunch count ,we're ready for action!
Routine, routine, routine! Respect, respect, respect! Two concepts that are an ever present part of our classroom. The children know the routine by heart and don't welcome change unless it's in the form of a visitor or assembly!
We begin each morning with a 20 minute station and math meeting. Here we spend 10 minutes greeting each other and learning about our stationmates. The daily agenda is discussed and changes noted. We then discuss dates, days of the week, months of the year, weather, charting activities, number of the day, fact family members, thermometer activities, money and time activities, and answers to the math question of the day.
We're prepped for the morning activities and now we move on to reading and writing time. The children at seats will be working on Reader's Workshop, reading with me, buddy reading and doing spelling and writing activities. There's much to cover and little time so we work quietly and co-operatively until that big hand reaches the eight and the little hand is between ten and eleven. What time is it? "LUNCH TIME!". "No, it's ten forty! Now we may line up by ready tables. If you're ready I'll know because I'll see your desk cleared and heads down and no talking! Not bad! Every group is ready and gets a point for being ready in thirty seconds!"
Lined up by tables, we "walk on the third square with hands at our sides and looking straight ahead". We can repeat it by heart because it's part of the routine! Stopping at corners and by signs gets us quickly to the lunchroom and into the food lines. Another round with Mrs. Bloom on manners! "Yes, you must ask by using the words, "May I have platter two please?" "No thank you " for vegetables! "Thank you " for anything handed to us! " Smile and say good morning to the cashier too!" After ninety days of this almost everyone has the routine down and the ladies in the cafeteria are complementing us on our manners and thanking the children for their friendly smiles. Best to learn now that manners never hurt and will usually make both parties feel better!
Lunch is followed by recess with another round of problem solving! Tattling isn't an acceptable form of problem solving and so both parties must find a solution that makes everyone happy or at least less angry!
Recess is quickly followed by Special. After the daily Special, we march back into the room and immediately solve the Guessing Jar and Problem-of the Day. Yesterday's winner gets to group the jar contents (usually by tens and ones) and the rest of us are going over solutions to the daily problem. About ten minutes later we have solutions given and explained, the guessing jar contents explained and compared to yesterday's results, and now we move on to the math concept for the day. We usually use manipulatives or group discussions to solve problems and understand concepts and occasionally we do a page in the math book for homework or classroom group activities.
Science and social studies follow ready tables and more points for those tables ready on time. Not bad when we can be ready in less than thirty seconds! We usually have a story and activity or group discussion during science and social studies and, if possible, hands-on activities. Guest speakers and videos are helpful and welcomed while presenting concepts and ideas, especially during social studies.
Now it's time to ready desks, pack by rows and line up according to Shuttle numbers! One last time it's"Face forward, hands at your sides, and walking on the third square", as we exit the building and board our Shuttles to depart for home! Time for them to go have fun and me to go get ready for tomorrow or next week's activities and to skip off to a meeting or home. Better make that walk instead of skip! Not as much energy as I had in my early days!