Co-Teaching in 5th Grade
VOLUME 2- January 2015
Quarter 2
Hello! It's hard to believe we are halfway through the year! We have been constantly evolving around here. We've rearranged seating again (we like to mix things up). We've added some fun new seats to help us spread out when needed (and who doesn't like a cozy seat in which to read). We are always looking for ways to improve our space in here. We have found we really like to have 3 meeting areas so we can break into smaller groups for a more active and engaging learning environment.
Math
The students have been working hard on their multiplication and division fact fluency.
79% of our math students have passed multiplication and 57% have passed division. We have been pushing them hard to master their facts. We know that this is a foundation skill that we will continue to need as we advance in other topics moving forward. We will finish Unit 5 on fractions this week.
Reading
93% of our classroom showed valid growth on NWEA Reading. The average fifth grader's RTI score is 209.8. Our classroom RIT average was 214.96.
We continue to move in the right direction and are happy with the results we are seeing.
In writing, we just finished up our informational unit on Explorers. Students started the unit with an on-demand writing prompt about any topic they have studied or know a lot about. Throughout the unit students picked a more clear topic, developed the topic with facts, concrete details, quotations, and other facts, provided a general focus, grouped related information logically, and finished with a concluding statement related to the information presented. Students enjoyed conducting short research projects that used several sources to build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of their topic. We ended the unit this week with a fun writing celebration! Be sure to check out your child's informational writing score on the report card. The goal is for your child to receive a 4, meaning they have exceeded expectations on writing an informative text to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly at grade level.
Other
A representative from a furniture company has come to observe our classroom setup and offer suggestions or possibilities for classroom setups. Because our unique classroom allows the students to move around to work in small groups throughout the day we would love to offer a variety of seating options. There is a possibility that we will try out a desk option that is smaller and easier to rearrange. We will keep you posted!
Included are some fun photos of our students working with their kindergarten buddies, testing their robots for Project Lead the Way, along with pictures from the Red Stocking week, which allowed the students(and teachers!) to dress as twins one day and future possible career another day. We often post pictures on our classroom Instagram page. Please follow us at https://www.instagram.com/hopehavuffer/.
As we finish out this week and head into Christmas break we wish you all a wonderful 2 weeks home with your families. We are looking forward to the second half of our school year. Hello, 2016!