OMG! Science Kits Are So Much Fun

Just broke out a new science kit...Force and Motion.  It was amazing.  The best part is we completed a week long unit with all projects and only one worksheet, the assessment.  It included activities for literacy, math, art, science, and social studies connections.  We completed an activity across almost every content area.  We also made a class book (and you know how I love those!!).  Here is a picture of one of our marble runs that we did as we discussed push, pull, friction, gravity, and acceleration.

 Students learned vocabulary, we did classroom experiments with ramps marbles and cars, then they created their own marble run using various materials available.  It was amazing watching them make turns, bumps, and tunnels for the marbles.  They also had to decide how much of an incline their ramp needed to be to keep the marble on the track.  Very proud of them!!

Update on New Year's Goals:

• Increase sight word recognition--improving...I made sight word Bingo cards specific to each child; leveled so they can move up when mastered
• Increase fluency--still working on this, too early to tell
• Increase number sense--we have worked super hard this week...been using centers to count objects to 10, add single digit numbers to 10 with manipulatives, and focusing on reading number 11-30
• Increase FUN--Absolutely!!!

Remember my book that I am reading to keep focused on why I do what I do (and how to do it)?  Still referencing Todd Whitaker's What Great Teachers Do Differently.  

1. Why Look Great?
2. It's People, Not Programs
3. The Power of Expectations
4. Prevention Versus Revenge
5. High Expectations--for Whom?
6. Who Is the Variable?
7. Ten Days out of Ten
8. The Teacher Is the Filter
9. Don't Need to Repair--Always Do Repair
10. Ability to Ignore
11. Random or Plandom?
12. Base Every Decision of the Best People
13. In Every Situation, Ask Who Is Most Comfortable and Who Is Least Comfortable
14. What About Those Darn Standardized Tests?
15. Make It Cool to Care
16. Clarifying Your Core

Looking at Chapter 2--we are constantly getting new programs, discarding old ones, etc, etc, etc.  How come great teachers have success with whatever program they are teaching and ineffective teachers struggle with whatever program they are teaching?  According to the book it's because its about the people not the programs.  Great teachers find success in whatever classroom they teach in, whatever students are on their roster, and with whatever resources they have.  Another key phrase in the chapter is:  It's not what you do, it's how you do it.  Classroom management and relationships are very important.  Praise and rewards work well, but it's how appropriately and effectively you do it.  

Just food for thought!!  Loving my job this week!!