Oh, that week in between these two has made this past week FLY again! I, like many of your children, was a bit hesitant to come back to school this Monday. I was really enjoying full-time family time. When your children came into the room, however, my attitude was ALL IN once again. Your children's smiles and fun attitudes (and even other types of attitudes) remind me of why I'll be in 7th grade for the rest of my life... ;)
The week prior to break, we finished our book club books! We ended the week sharing our "mock picture books" we created that could extend the learning from their book choices. They were so creative! This past week, we had the classroom spelling bee, and then we dug into two (in-class) projects at once. The first is "12 Days of Stories," where we listen or watch a small, personal story, and then we write in response to it (or write ANYthing). At the end of these twelve days, we'll choose one of our pieces, make sure it's a certain length, and then work on our grammar for our "polished piece." The other is interactive stories. Students choose a partner or work alone, and create their own interactive story - you may know them as "choose your own adventure" story. During this time, I'll be helping students with their grammar, so they can use this feedback on their polished piece.
As mentioned in the email home, your child's midterm reflection sheet should be coming home this week with your child. Check HERE to see what it will look like. Your child reflected, and then I wrote on the back my thoughts if I disagreed. If your child does not bring this home, check PowerSchool for the assignment "Midterm 'Grade,'" then ask your child what he or she wrote about their effort, focus, and reading at home.
To see our FULL plans for the last two weeks, check HERE.
Further Reading: “Sorry, Parents: Middle School Is Scientifically the Worst”
The week prior to break, we finished our book club books! We ended the week sharing our "mock picture books" we created that could extend the learning from their book choices. They were so creative! This past week, we had the classroom spelling bee, and then we dug into two (in-class) projects at once. The first is "12 Days of Stories," where we listen or watch a small, personal story, and then we write in response to it (or write ANYthing). At the end of these twelve days, we'll choose one of our pieces, make sure it's a certain length, and then work on our grammar for our "polished piece." The other is interactive stories. Students choose a partner or work alone, and create their own interactive story - you may know them as "choose your own adventure" story. During this time, I'll be helping students with their grammar, so they can use this feedback on their polished piece.
As mentioned in the email home, your child's midterm reflection sheet should be coming home this week with your child. Check HERE to see what it will look like. Your child reflected, and then I wrote on the back my thoughts if I disagreed. If your child does not bring this home, check PowerSchool for the assignment "Midterm 'Grade,'" then ask your child what he or she wrote about their effort, focus, and reading at home.
To see our FULL plans for the last two weeks, check HERE.
Further Reading: “Sorry, Parents: Middle School Is Scientifically the Worst”