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Rocking to the End of the Semester

I have made it through to the end of my Fall Semester and my kids are approaching the end of their first semester.  Since I last wrote, my teacher returned from maternity leave and I now find myself teaching 5th grade students in Science while their teacher is out on maternity leave.  WHAT A DIFFERENCE!  This is a positively eye opening experience to be with so many different grade levels and getting the opportunity to teach two different subjects.

I will be the first to admit that Science is not my best subject.  I am having to work much harder to deliver the kind of education these students deserve and along the way I am learning so much as well.  For starters, there is a HUGE difference between a 5th grade brain and a 7th grade brain.  There is a HUGE difference between a 5th grade brain and a 6th grade brain.  I think Mrs. Ryan's brain is going to explode!

Science was always the subject I had to study for.  I was the student who didn't have to try to get A's and B's, but I REALLY had to try with Science.  Now I can say I'm getting really good at it.  I have made it my mission to do as many hands on activities and labs for this group of students to give them a better understanding and me as well.  I realize as an adult that as a child in school I lacked getting those hands-on experiences in science.  I don't recall doing anything hands on in a science room until I was in high school.  All my other school years were spent with my nose in a text book or watching science movies, but we never did experiments.  My current students are doing experiments.  They are getting dirty, writing hypotheses, and asking questions that I can't answer and that we have to research together.  And it has been phenomenal! 

While I've only been with this group of students a short while, I have really learned a lot.  We missed a week together for the Thanksgiving holiday and now we will miss 2 weeks together for the Christmas Holiday.  In January sometime, their teacher will come back so I may only have a couple of more weeks with them at most.  But I intend to make it fun, educational, and hands on.

This week we are making a collage about the weather in the area that we live in.  In the center of that collage is a paragraph about the weather and what it represents.  Tomorrow we are headed on a FIELD TRIP!  I'm so excited myself to get to go.  We are going to Medieval Times in Dallas, TX.  Thursday and Friday are days for students that need that extra one on one help, and then it is holiday time.  Time for a break from school, and the Master's program too.  Spring semester starts in January, but until them I plan on taking some time off for me and my own kids.

If you haven't visited my portfolio in a while, I've added some new things.  Most recently I've added several lesson plans written in formats specifically for different teaching methodologies and different subjects.  There is also a basic pencast up in my leadership area.  You can visit my portfolio HERE.

Have a blessed and wonderful Christmas!

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