Recent Pictures :
Okay, so where are we at in room 9? Crazy is where we are at! We are wrapping up quarter 2, which means we are starting to wind down and prepare for Galileo benchmark testing. Scary stuff, but I think we are making progress.
In math, we are working on rules, and sequencing numbers, with in and out tables, skip counting, and missing numbers. Crazy stuff that is very overwhelming but we are making progress. Hopefully, we are learning the skills necessary to really hit this one.
In reading, we have been focusing on fact and opinion which is a much tougher concept than I originally had planned for. We are using what we know about fact and opinion to move into persuasive text, and how to find the opinion of the author. Phew! Lots of stuff going on there.
We finished Indian in the Cupboard and completed the concept by watching the movie. It ended up tying in great with our unit on comparing and contrasting. We were able to compare and contrast characters, but we were also able to compare and contrast the movie and the book. It was refreshing to hear third graders talk about how they liked the book better because the movie missed important details! :) Music to my ears and makes my heart happy to know how much they truly enjoyed that book.
Thanks to suggestions from our new friends in Oklahoma, we have started a new book, which is the first in a new series called Olivia Brophie. The kiddos LOVE it so far. We can't wait to see what happens, and they are already excited to know that there is a second book coming soon! :)
We completed our first Mystery Number Skype this week. We had so much fun! What a great experience that was. We were able to skype for two days with Mr. Gogol's sixth grade technology class back in Grass Lake, Michigan. This was very special experience for me because I was able to see some kiddos that I worked with back home, and Mr. Gogol and I have worked together, and he was a teacher for 5 of my siblings. What a fun two days. We made it super personal, and my kids LOVE those 6th graders. We can't wait to continue our adventures in Mystery Skyping.
We were able to make a page for a Global Thanksgiving book this week also. I found the idea on twitter, and thought it was fantastic! We shared our thanks with the 2nd graders putting the book together, and can't wait to see the final product when it is completed! Following this theme, we were able to tweet about some things we are thankful for. I have included screen shots of our twitter feed. I just love these kids so much!!
Please feel free to follow our classroom twitter page: @ThirdGradeRoom9
With that said, I want to end with a few things I am thankful for. Really, truly, I am so blessed. I could go on for days about all the things I have to be thankful for. Instead, I want to keep it as relevant as I can to the last 4 months of my life.
I am thankful for my impulse. I moved 2,000 miles away from home, by myself, with only what would fit in my Nissan Sentra on an impulse. I had no idea what I was getting into, and no idea where my life was taking me. But here I am, surviving on my impulse.
I am thankful for my compassion. I found friends, we clicked, we save each other, keep each other sane, and entertain each other. We are all so different, and come from such different backgrounds, and cultures, but we all know how it feels to be in the positions we are in, and we can relate in ways that no one else outside of our circle could even begin to understand.
I am thankful for my heart. It has been full my whole life, even when I feel empty. It is sometimes, the only thing that gets me through the days in this classroom, my love for these kids and their hearts. I am able to see the good in others, the intentions of good people, the souls of those who love, and the pain in my students' eyes. My heart and my compassion make this job both painful and joyous.
I am thankful for Grass Lake, Michigan. My hometown. The best place on Earth. The people in my life from Grass Lake have been overwhelmingly and extraordinarily supportive and helpful along this journey of mine. I am so forever blessed and grateful for every single person who has touched my life.
I am thankful for Twitter. Twitter has been a place for me to share, vent, collaborate, find, and explore. I can share what we are doing in room 9, find ideas for what we can do, or should be doing, ask questions when I don't understand, make friends, make connections, find happiness, read articles, share pictures, and just read.
Happy Thanksgiving. I hope you all have a great long weekend with your families and truly are able to reflect on what it is that you are thankful for this year. <3
~Ms. Niehaus
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