"Falling" into a Groove

     Get it...ha so "punny'!  Anyway we are over two months into the year and finally I feel like I have gotten established a rhythm in my classroom.  Albeit I did create a new schedule last week, sooooo it was a slight change.  But I have found through research and experience that students are more ready to learn math in the morning.  So, even though the master schedule handed down had it reversed with literacy in the afternoon, I don't have any kids being pulled out of my room that I would need to worry about messing up their schedule.  I have to tell you that behaviors have improved since doing this switch.  I mean lets be honest who wants to come in first thing and start reading and writing?  No way I would fall asleep!

      We've spent the past month in whole group literature discussion learning how to flag and respond to the text.  I used two GREAT mentor texts for this, Wringer by Jerry Spinelli and Goblins in the Castle by Bruce Coville.  Two totally different genres, but wow what great literature.  I pulled a lot of lesson ideas on launching the reader's notebook form Aimee Bruckner's Notebook Know How. Such a great resource and ties in perfectly with Notebook Connections which discusses using the writer's notebook. 
These have been invaluable resources in effectively launching and using the notebooks.  I have seen a dramatic increase in the quality of responses I have gotten from my students through the launch of literature discussion groups.  

     As I've said before I am in a multi-age classroom which has a whole other lot of challenges that I hadn't really thought of.  Just little things like making sure each grade level gets appropriate level of interaction with their grade level.  They do great in my room and honestly you could not tell who is 4th and who is 5th.  But, I do worry that they are missing out from social interaction such as lunch and recess being left with just 4th grade.  How do you provide this with such a restricted and full schedule?  Any other multi-age teachers please let me know!!

     I have decided to focus soley on the 5th grade curriculum in math and science.  Science is a no brainer since it is a spiral curriculum and my specialty favorite. As for math I have several 4th grade TAG students so it makes sense to keep their level of engagement high and then pull out small groups for my other 4th graders who need extra help with 4th grade skills.  Honestly I was not able to efficiently teach each curriculum in an hours time each day, and that was not fair to either.  At least now I can go deep and really pull out those that need it instead of just covering the necessities and hoping they got it before pulling the other grade level. 

Whew well I will have to be posting more, the classroom has gone through a complete transformation over the past weeks.  My walls are covered in anchor charts!!!