Mrs. Baker's Class
Wayne Cox Elementary
All About Mds. Baker
This will be my fourth year at Clara Love. I taught first grade for two years and am ecstatic to be second grade again! I have also worked in Special Education in Burleson ISD and completed my student teaching in Mansfield ISD. I graduated from Texas Tech University. Go Red Raiders!
My mission is to help every student grow personally and academically. It is my goal to engage my students in learning and help them achieve success in their academic growth and social development. This year my goal is to empower my students in their learning and to not be afraid to take risks!
Fun Facts:
I married my high school sweetheart.
Our two babies are our dogs, Nash (Border Collie mix) and Rocky (Terrier mix).
I love to eat! There is rarely a kind of food that I do not like.
I love to dance and teach dance.
I love to travel. My favorite trip was when I studied abroad in Spain.
I love to teach. It brings me great joy and it is fulfilling to watch my students grow and achieve success!
I live life to the fullest and make every moment count!
Science at Home
What kind of animal?
- Watch each video about different kinds of animals.
- Then, post 3 interesting facts you learned and any wonders you have using the link.
- Don't forget to put your name on your post!
- Additional activity: Identify, draw, and describe the unique parts of different kinds of animals. What is that animal most known for that is unlike other animals? Form: Animal Parts.
Video: Birds
Post Facts and wonders: Click here. Double-click on area to post your findings.
Video: Fish, Amphibians, Reptiles and If I Were a Reptile
Post Facts and wonders: Click here.
Video: Mammals and If I Were a Mammal
Post Facts and wonders: Click here.
**Take your learning a step further! Compare the different animals. Go to your GoogleDrive account - Create a document and answer the questions:
How are Birds and Mammals similar and different?
How are Fish, Amphibians, Reptiles similar and different from Mammals?
How are Mammals and Birds similar and different?
**Creative Writing, also in your GoogleDrive: What kind of animal would you want to be? Imagine you woke up as that animal. Write a story if you were that animal for a day. What would you do? What would you see? Where would you live?
Don't forget to share your documents with your teacher! In your GoogleDoc, click share and type your teacher's email.
Second Grade Class Schedule
7:15-7:45 Arrival – Morning Work
7:45-8:00 Morning Meeting
8:00-9:00 Reader's Workshop
9:00-9:50 Writer’s Workshop
9:50-10:45 Specials (Conference Time)
10:50-11:50 Math Workshop
11:50-12:20 Lunch
12:20-12:50 Recess
1:00-1:30 Problem Solving Block
1:30-2:30 Science Workshop
2:45 Dismissal
*Monday - Library Day*
Writer's Workshop
What is Writers Workshop?
Writers Workshop is a format that provides the structure to support children learning to write. The workshop is designed for use with grades K-5 and is designed for 60 minutes a day. Activities are designed to teach youngsters what good writers do, how to generate writing using self-selected topics, work with others to revise and refine their writing, as well as practice authors craft, skills, grammar, and conventions. Predictable rituals and routines structure the workshop to provide consistent expectations. There are four genres of writing taught within the Writers Workshop: Informational/ Report, Narrative, Procedural, and Response to Literature.
What does the class period look like during Writer Workshop?
The Writers Workshop contains three parts: Opening, Work Period, and Closing.
During the Opening, I will teach a 10-15 minute mini-lesson that brings the entire class together as a whole group for a single writing focus. I will model the standards and the expecations of writing.
During the 40-45 minute Work Session the students go through the writing process: plan, draft, confer, revise, edit, and publish.
The 5-10 minute Closing brings the students back together to share in the "Share Chair" what they have learned as writers. We will celebrate how the author met the standard and offer tips to improve our writing! This is our favorite part of Writers Workshop!
What is a mini-lesson that occurs in the Opening?
A The mini-lesson focuses on a single concept such as a procedure (ritual or routine), a writers craft (such as noticing an authors technique orstyle), or a skill (such as a lesson on language use and conventions). A mini-lesson has four parts: the connection (connecting to what good writers do, the standard, and what the class has been doing in previous lessons), the teach (the single focus of the lesson), the active involvement (the students practicing the focus), and the link (linking to what the student will be doing during the Work Session and what they will do as writers today and always). This is also the time as a class we generate the Anchor Charts! These charts will be hung in the classroom where students may refernce them at any point to help with their learning!
What is independent writing that occurs during the Work Period?
Students write daily on self-selected topics during the Work Period of Writers Workshop.
What are the stages of writing?
Plan Students must first have a plan for writing by drawing a picture of the story in sequence, using a thinking map, or conferring with a friend or teacher.
Draft-Students are responsible for generating their own topics, knowing that a first draft is rarely a final draft.
Confer- Students receive feedback through peer and teacher conferences and response groups.
Revise-Students revisit the content of their writing to determine if the purpose is clearly communicated, if their paper is well-organized, and if the writing meets the elements of the standard using a rubric.
Edit Only students wishing to publish a portfolio piece go through the editing process.-Not all writing gets a final edit.Students are responsible for addressing concerns with spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and language usage.
Publish-Students should polish 10 pieces representing each of the genres each year representing their best effort
What happens in a writing conference?
Conferring is a powerful way to provide individualized, purposeful, focused and specific instruction. Conferring teaches the writer and not necessarily just a single piece of writing. The goal is to teach the writer is such a way that s/he uses the lesson for all pieces of writing to come.
What is a response group?
Response groups typically are composed of three to four students and might be thought of as small, on-going, collaborative groups who assist each other with various tasks of writing.
H What is the "Share Chair" ?
At the Closing of Writers Workshop, students have a chance to share with their classmates what they learned as a writer sitting in the Famous fancy "Share Chair"! Students that share also have the opportunity to read their writing and then receive appropriate feedback in the form of compliments and suggestions. Sometimes they share an authors craft they have tried. Sometimes they share just the beginning or ending of their writing, and sometimes they share an entire piece. Often the teacher has requested that specific students bring specific pieces to the Share Chair to reinforce the mini-lesson or to point out something she noticed during the Work Period that she thinks has implications for the entire class.
Readers Workshop
Reader's Workshop
What is Readers Workshop?
Readers Workshop is a format that provides the structure to support children learning to read. The workshop is designed for use with grades K-5 and is designed for 60 minutes a day. Activities are designed to teach youngsters what good readers do. Predictable rituals and routines structure the workshop to provide consistent expectations.
What does Reader's Workshop Look Like?
The Readers Workshop contains three parts: Opening, Work Period, and Closing.
During the Opening, I teach a 10-15 minute mini-lesson that brings the entire class together as a whole group for a single reading focus.
During the 35-40 minute Work Period the students read (independently in their just right books, with partners, small group, or one on one with me). The teacher confers with individual students, conducts guided reading or strategy groups, or assesses students.
The 5-10 minute Closing brings the students back together to share what they learned as a reader, often reinforcing the mini-lesson. Sometimes the Closing is used to clear up misconceptions that the teacher has observed during the Work Period.
What is a mini-lesson?
A A mini-lesson focuses on a single concept such as a procedure (ritual or a routine ),
reading strategy ( such as inferring, questioning, synthesizing) or a skill (such as a lesson on how to read an unknown word). A mini-lesson has four parts: the connection (connecting to what good readers do, the standard, and what the class has been doing in previous lessons), the teach (the single focus of the lesson), the active involvement (the students practicing the focus), and the link (linking to what the student will be doing during the Work Session and what they will do as readers today and always).
W What is independent reading?
Independent reading is students independently reading material that is just right for them books that the child can read with 95% accuracy. In order to meet the standard, books must be a variety of fiction and nonfiction. The only way to become a better reader is to read.
W What is partner reading?
Pa Partner reading is pairing students at similar reading levels to read and discuss books. Each reader takes a turn reading, listening, and helping. Both partners become more excited about reading and learn from the others strengths.
W What happens in a reading conference?
Conferring is one of the most powerful ways to communicate with students about their goals, skills, and choices in reading. Through one-on-one conferring the teacher offers precise, individualized coaching, and direct instruction. The teacher offers a piece of advice, demonstrates a strategy, or asks that one question that can start to make all the difference in a students reading.
W What are guided reading groups?
Te The goal of guided reading is to help children learn to use independent reading strategies successfully. Both types of instruction are for small groups (4-6 students) facilitated by the teacher. In guided reading groups students are selected who are reading at the same level and the teacher selects material at their instructional level (text that can be read at 90-94% accuracy). The goal is to enable students to acquire, use, and develop reading strategies that translate to high levels of fluency and comprehension.
What is shared reading?
Sh Shared reading is used most commonly in the primary grades where students are still focusing on learning to read rather than solely on reading to learn. It is sometimes used during the mini-lesson. The text in a shared reading is read with the class instead of to the class. Shared reading is used to teach skills and strategies and to practice fluency.
W What is a read aloud?
I a In a read-aloud the teacher reads aloud a book, poem, or article to the whole group. Sometimes this is part of the mini-lesson but it can also be in addition to the Readers Workshop block and may be related to the content areas of Science and Social Studies. During the reading the teacher models proficient reading, fluency and the joy of reading. The goal is to read aloud at least three times a day.
Kid's Websites
Here are fun websites to do at home to continue the learning:
Number Line Practice:
http://www.adaptedmind.com/Math-Worksheets.html?gclid=CP72oPzMqsECFQiEaQod_BEAbQ
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/mathgames/earlymath/fruit_shoot_NumberLine.htm
http://www.funbrain.com/linejump/index.html
http://www.brainpop.com/games/battleshipnumberline/
http://www.spellingcity.com/cbaker01/
http://www.abcya.com/first_grade_computers.htm
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/foodchain/foodchain.htm
Phonogram Page
Help Your Child Learn to Read
http://www.nifl.gov/partnershipforreading/publications/html/parent_broch/
PBS Kids
Starfall
National Geographic Kids
Kerpoof
American Heroes Project
American Heroes Research Assignment
For the next two weeks, our 2nd graders will be learning how historical figures have influenced our nation's history. Each student will be assigned a historical figure by their teacher to research 3-5 facts about that person. They may use any type of resource to find facts - books, websites, etc. They will use their facts to work in groups and create a poster teaching the class about their historical figure.
*If you do not have internet access at home, we are happy to assist. Your child is welcome to do their research in the classroom. They must arrive at 7:15AM to have time to research.
Due Date: Monday, April 18th
They will need their facts to work in their groups that week.
Guiding Questions when researching:
- When were they born?
- Why are they important?
- Were they an innovator?
- How did they show individualism?
- What was their inspiration?
- How did they affect people around them and our nation?
How to record facts: You child can write them on paper, use a circle map/tree map, fill out GoogleForm. Then, turn in to your teacher. To use the GoogleForm- your child will use their nisd email address as their username (First.lastname@nisdtx.org) and their student ID# as password.
Here is a link to various databases that the students have used in library. The students mostly used Britannica and Gale: Kids InfoBits.
Username/Password: love
Historical Figures:
John Adams
Benjamin Franklin
Dolley Madison
Sojourner Truth
W.E.B. De Bois
Sequoyah
Irma Rangel
Thurgood Marshall
WASPs (Women Airforce Service Pilots)