It's Getting Hot in Herre...

Hey everyone! Hope you are having a wonderful week!! We are having a GREAT week of learning!

This week in science we are talking about heat and how heat can change things..ohhh ahhhh so exciting! The students broke into groups and had to come up with an idea on how to melt an ice cube using things from the classroom. They had to apply heat...they did a great job. One group however..forgot to put their materials on their paper and when it was time for them to do the project..this is what they looked like! Two little boys staring into a red solo cup! I really don't know how MANY times I told them..make sure you have ALL your materials listed, please list all the things you need, hey guys don't forget to put your materials...I even told them they were SOL if they forgot..not even thinking about what the words to that mean and of course someone asked "what does that mean" My reply- sure out of luck! That was a close one!! You ever have those teaching moments and you are like crap I just said or did that! That was mine for the week! Oh well!

Here are the rest of the kiddos and their ideas. We had kids who thought paper would melt it fast. We had kids who thought putting it under the lamp would work. We had kids who thought their hands were super hot like fire and would melt it (they were weenies and could only hold it for 2 seconds). We had one group who thought water would work..they were very excited to see their idea was the fastest!!!

Back to this picture...CRACKED US ALL UP!! Poor boys..really should have listened..one boy said "man well this is gonna take for ever!! Yes Yes it is!!!

Have a great week!!

Tessa

Anybody there!?

So...we have been in school for 2 weeks now...and I can't get a blog post up to save my life!! We have been running in circles now for two weeks. AND to top it all off I got a NASTY and I mean NASTY sinus infection! I have never had one and I really don't ever want one again. 

Anyway...so this is what I have learned..fourth grade is NO joke. It's good, but the content for me is a new adventure. I can rock blends, letter sounds, and how to read. I feel like I am learning right along with the kids. I feel like somedays I have NO IDEA WHAT THE HECK I AM DOING! It's ok, next year I will look back at this a laugh!!

 

Here are some math games we have been working on to help learn our decimals

I MISS small groups. This was one of my favorite times when I taught Kinder and second, so I am trying to figure out how to fit in into our day. Last Friday we played decimal games for extra practice and the kids LOVED it! They are begging me to fit this into our daily routine..might have to take out recess again...hahaha not really.

We played a card game where the kids drew two cards and created a decimal. The first set was to the tenths place and the second set was to the hundredths place.

The next game was "Go Fish". For the kids to have a match they had to have a decimal and the word form. They loved the classic bingo..decimal style. The caller read the decimal in word form and they had to find it in digits. The last game was old fashion matching game. Like I said they loved it!!

Look at this..minds were blown this week

This was ONE of the models we used to show the value of a decimal...I have never seen it this way but it was a great tool!! Plus as I was teaching this lesson..guess who strolls in..my principal. Ok confession time...I HATE people in my classroom! It's a long story why i don't ..but I don't. And this was one of those days where it could either go good or the kids would look at me like I was a freaking alien and they have no idea what I was talking about. GREAT!! So I hear my door open and my kids look and stare at the door. My heart starts racing cause all my kids are in the room so I knew who it was...I nearly pooped my pants..and I started sweating in places I didn't know I could. She stays..comes up to me when we are done...and y'all not kidding..pats my back and says WOW! Ok I nearly pooped my pants again!! It was all good..my first time as a 4th grade teacher and it was a WOW!! 

AND GUESS WHAT ELSE... our futon came in!!!

 The kids {LOVE} it! We have time to read and sometimes we turn off the main light and flip on  all of our lamps  and they push, walk their way to it!! 90% of the time it's my boys sitting down to read!

One last thing! Our Donor's Choose Project was FULLY FUNDED!! I am beyond BLESSED for people donating to us. The kids are over the moon excited and I can't wait to have all those NEW books in our classroom. Man, just so so grateful!!

Thanks for reading and I hope I can better than once every two weeks for a post!!

Tessa