Friday, Day Twenty-four

Today was very strange. We (my ST and I) have had to adjust our schedule so many times, because others were still working out theirs. It is sometimes hard to keep up. We had only a short time for math today but the students did very well. We began to create a schedule from the challenge workbook. I have a very large dry erase schedule board that we are using. The students must enter an activity, the digital time (displaying a.m. or p.m.) and also the analog time. The story simply gives a rundown of a typical students day. My students must choose the activity and enter the information when it is appropriate. Part of the exercise is getting everything in the correct order. I had an online activity for them but we will finish that on Monday.

I did not get a chance to work with my student on the TOUCH math. He is still trying to catch up from where he missed so many days. My other missing student is supposed to be returning Monday. It will take him a long while to catch up. But he is a very quick study so he will probably be alright.

My 2nd formal evaluation was completed today by my ST. He is an ever encouraging teacher to all of his students including me. I am blessed with encouragement from my family and friends. My ST and I talked about my hesitance in taking over the third grade language arts Monday. I am very excited but like I told him, he has built a routine with the students and it is evident that they are learning. I don't want to throw them off that track. I have some ideas that I am going to try. This is the class that has the very intelligent boy who hates to write. This is how intelligent this child is. They were given a test over the multiplication facts of 7. They were permitted to ask for help one time. When they ask me I always tell them the same thing. This boy had not asked me before I don't think. Today he did. I told him "if you know that 7 *1 = 7, then 7 * 2 is 7 more". He tried that and liked it. So he put 7 tally marks on his paper and every time he came to the next one he would count his tally marks. I was so impressed that he came up with that strategy by himself, when he finally got his name and date on his paper I asked the ST if he could tell the class what he did. The student was so proud, and so was I. By the way he made 100%.