Transcript Welcome to Second Grade!

“There is only one important time,
and that time is now. The most important
one is always the one you are with. And
the most important thing is to do good for
the one who is standing at your side.”
Taken from children’s book
The Three Questions by Jon Muth
Questions
 Sticky
notes for questions at the end
or you can email me your questions
Subject line: “Parent”
 Time
to browse the room
 1st conferences to start in a few
weeks
If time runs out…
About your child’s new teacher,
Mrs. Fairless
BS degree in Elementary Education
Minor in Child Development
Reading Certification k-12.
 Teaching for 10 years. 7 at AWE.
 Teaching is my hobby!
Two boys, Girl on the way (November)- maternity leave
 Live in New Bern
 Husband works at Cherry Point
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Schedule
Your Second Grader:
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Has better large muscle that small muscle coordination
Rides bicycle
Favors competition
Has better eye hand coordination
May ask questions about life, death, and the human body
Loves teeth
Is getting better about putting negative feelings with words
May blame others for their mistake
Boys and girls play together though BEST friend is usually the same gender
Shows some concern over being popular
Seeks approval of peers and adults
Takes it upon self to enforce rules
Tattles and is critical of others, sometimes self
Looking for role model- very impressionable age
Wants to be perfect, first, best and correct in everything
Greatly concerned in right and wrong
Has trouble with honesty and dishonesty
Uses more logic in solving problems
Enjoys dramatic play
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The social curriculum is as important as the academic curriculum.
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How children learn is as important as what they learn: Process and content go hand
in hand.
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The greatest cognitive growth occurs through social interaction.
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To be successful academically and socially, children need a set of social skills:
cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy, and self-control.
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Knowing the children we teach–individually, culturally, and developmentally–is as
important as knowing the content we teach.
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Knowing the families of the children we teach and working with them as partners is
essential to children's education.
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How the adults at school work together is as important as individual competence:
Lasting change begins with the adult community.
Morning Meeting
builds community – teaches and reinforces good social skills builds on academic skills - helps children feel welcome, safe,
and needed - helps children prepare for the day in a
positive way
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Greeting
Sharing
Group Activity
News and Announcements
Creating Rules
1)
Hopes (Goal for their 2nd grade
year.)
“I hope I learn how to read a chapter book.”
2)
3)
4)
First Draft Rules
Condensing Rules (3-5)- Globalbroad goals
Publishing the Rules
Teaching Procedures
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REINFORCE “I noticed that you put your
materials away very quickly and they are
organized.”
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REMIND THEM “This is how we hand the
scissors to our friend safely.”
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REDIRECT “Stop running. The rules say to
walk.”
Logical Consequences
So what happens when a child breaks a rule?
Logical Consequences are not punishments. Everyone makes
mistakes. Children Will push the limits- this is normal.
They are trying to figure the rules out- as well as to see if
we’ll follow through. My goal is to help our children learn
self control.
 You break it, you fix it! Action of Apology
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Loss of privilege (for a limited time)
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Time Out in classroom or another classroom
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Office Referral (only after everything else fails or for
serious conduct problems such as fighting)
Time Out
“I use time out when a child is just beginning to
lose it. This is before the child has lost face in
the group. It’s at this point that time out is
more effective. Like those grooves on the side
of the highway, it’s a gentle nudge to get us
back on track before we barrel off the road.”
Deborah Porter
Rules in School
How You Can Help with Your Child’s
Responsive Classroom
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Be supportive of teacher consequences. HW example
Review and talk about promises (rules) often
Talk with your child about school (website)
Help problem solve with your child. How can we work this out?
Use I language often (I notice that you _______. I am sure _____
was hurt when you ______.)
Be a part of the school community (volunteer in class, keep in
touch with me, etc.)
The purpose of Room 20 being a
Responsive Classroom
To help children become better thinkers and
problem solvers.
To help children gain self control.
To show children there are consequences for
every action- positive vs. negative.
To improve self esteem.
Reading & Writing Workshop
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Explanation of Workshop model
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Lesson, independent, conferring/group, partner, share
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student needs drive what I teach
Less worksheets, more work!
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Conference to see work which is mostly kept at school
Grading- writing pieces, DRA levels, CONFERRING with the children is
the main form of grading.
Assessment notebook
Conferring (one-on-one time)
Small group (3-5 children needing same skill)
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DRA (reading level) 24 by the end of second grade. Writing level 6 or 7.
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AR is used as a comprehension tool, but is not a huge emphasis in this
classroom.
Writing
Reading
Figuring out words
 Making connections
 Parts of a story
 Fluency
 Comprehension
 Schema
 Envisioning
 Inferring
 Synthesizing
 Different Genres
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Spelling the best we can
 Writing focused small
moments
 Adding details
 Creating multi page
stories
 editing and revising
 Writing non fiction
 Writing poetry
 Writing about learning
 Friendly letter
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Will post what we learn on website.
Working with Words Time
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Partner Reading
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Word Study (phonics, making words, etc)
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Shared Reading and Writing
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Interactive Reading and Writing
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Read aloud
Math Instruction
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4 quarterly math assessments. Parents notified
of the grade on the report card.
Skills taught based on county’s pacing guide.
Mastery teaching- we don’t move on until we
have it.
Cooperative Learning
Start with basic, but move to application.
Science, Social Studies, and
Healthful Living
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These subjects are integrated with our
core subjects as much as possible.
Enriching activities
Inquiry based/ experiments
In class projects
Nonfiction reading
Technology
Homework and Agenda
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10 spelling words based on 2nd grade national standards
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4 page packet, one sheet each night, turned in on Friday
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Occasional math sheet
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Nightly reading 20 + minutes (encourage- don’t force
and don’t time them)
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Checkout from school and local library
Using classroom library
IMPORTANT!!! Agenda- please sign and check nightly.
Snacks/ Recess
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30 minutes of daily physical activity;
recess
Snacks for recess (healthy choices)
Please no soft drinks (Coke, Pepsi, etc)
Parent and Teacher Communication
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Parents + Teachers= Successful Children
Agenda
Weekly Folders
Website
Email!!! [email protected]
Call me after school
Visit anytime to observe, participate, or volunteer. Please set up
time.
Conference (teacher calls conferences several times a year.)
Beginning, Middle, End
Parents may call a conference.
Parent volunteer form in manila envelopes (just for this class)
Other Important Information
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Scholastic Book Orders (monthly)
Email addresses needed on information form- please press
hard enough to go through all of the pages because I get the
last copy.
Extended Planning Sessions (volunteers needed)
Don’t forget to ask for a HUG volunteer form
Extended Learning and REI (Title 1)
PTO
Medications
Bumpy Day Note
When school starts and ends -Tardies 8:05am
First “Listening” Conferences
DONATIONS
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Red and Blue Kindermats for independent
work time
Fat and Skinny Crayola type markers
AA batteries for our personal CD and tape
players
“Education is the most powerful weapon which
you can use to change the world.”
Nelson Mandela