Ending out another year!

So the end of the year is not far off....eight days I might add left with the students for the HCPS ladies.  I imagine the rest of you are not far behind.  The last eight days should be a breeze...but its far from it.  I feel like I am in survivial mode to make it to the last day.  The kids are ready for summer just as I am.  All of our testing has been completed, we have no encore classes, no breaks for the teacher, its really hot outside...... 
There are still discussions I wish to have with my students and activities I'd still like to do with them but I feel I lack the energy I once had before Memorial Day Weekend. 

I feel very uncertain about beginning another year....in just a few months (or less) I might add.  With all the changes that are happening (Pre-K, instructional partners, and not knowing when we will return - early or late Aug.) its makes it hard to think about the newness of a new year.  I hope after closing out this year, cleaning up the classroom, and ending summer school, I will find that new refined energy I am missing right now. 

Good luck ladies.  I know I am not alone in how I feel.  We can do this - afterall we are amazing!

Memorial Day Reflection

When I think about Memorial Day I often think about a day off work, cookouts, time with family and friends, and summer time is coming.  Memorial Day is a day off for me however its meaning is much more important than that.  I think that Memorial Day is day to remind us about why we live in the USA.  I live here to have all the freedoms I can, but I wouldn’t be here without the help of others.   I think it is important to remember all the men and women who stand up for us around the world.  It is important to remember those who are still alive and those who aren’t.  I don’t come from a big military family background but I married a ten year veteran of the Navy.  Being married to a veteran has changed my views of the military and I am very proud to call him my husband, but more so one who has fought for our freedoms and life here. 

I do try to address the importance of Memorial Day with my students.  As we discuss its importance we also read books about our flag and our country.  Some students are open to talking about their family members who have served in such branches as the Coast Guard, National Guard, and Army.  In the past we have collected items to send overseas for the troops there.  Sometimes it is hard for six and seven year olds to make such a connection to a very adult topic.  Through class discussions sometimes the students will realize they want to be in the military when they get older. 

Reflection: Reading as Thinking

Reading Chapter 2, Reading as Thinking, encouraged me to think about reading in a different way.  I think reading can be a complex subject area to teach at times.  I enjoyed reading about these strategies and thinking about what I do in my classroom.  I think it's important to ask questions before, during, and after reading a text.  Sometimes before reading a story we will make a word web or circle map about a topic we are going to discuss/read about.  This enables me to see what prior knowledge my students might have.  It's helpful to revisit our web or map as we read or even after.  Sometimes students will read stories aloud to their class and they will get upset when their reader doesn't show them the pictures, in which I encourage them to paint a picture in their mind.  We also use a highlighter as a way to find specific words with phonics patterns or parts of a story before and after we read.

WELCOME

Welcome to my blog.  This blog will record my ideas about integration.

1st time here!

This is very new to me....hopefully I did everything right if I made it this far!