Five for Friday - March 3rd

It's Friday already and I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday.  Our first week back from winter break and it flew by!  Here are some of the highlights from our week.   

ONE: Flexible Seating
Our first week with true flexible seating and I would not go back.  The kiddos we teach are changing and we as teachers need to adapt.  It's not what we want or are comfortable with... it's what's best for the kids.  Choice and different options to meet all their needs is what's best for kids.

  

The standing table and this short round table were probably the biggest hits this week, but I think more than anything the kids respond to choice.  Giving that responsibility and freedom in the classroom is so exciting and motivating for them!

TWO: Matter
We're about to wrap up a unit on solids, liquids, and gases.  I had a ton of left over candy hearts from Valentine's Day so we used them to model the atoms in all three states of matter.  The kids loved this idea and we had some great discussions around how the layout of the atoms impacts the shape and properties of each of the three states of matter.  Sometimes the best science lessons center around a short activity followed by some great discussion!

 

THREE: Break Apart to Subtract Strategy

I'm not gonna lie... when I first looked at this strategy I was confused!  But now that I've taught it and I've seen my kiddos flourish while using it, I love it!  This week we did some extensive practice on the break apart to subtract strategy, using this work mat primarily and manipulatives for some groups.  Some of my kiddos were struggling to count back to subtract and this strategy just changed the game for them.  They can quickly subtract using this and the best part is they can explain their math thinking to their peers!  

FOUR: Empty Bin

Most of the time an empty bin is an amazing thing.  It means I actually accomplished all I set out to accomplish in a given week.  This is a good thing!  It can also mean that all the papers I needed to grade have been graded.  This too is a good thing! 

However, this empty bin this morning was not a good thing!  Two weeks ago I copied assessments I'll be using for our March report cards.  I wanted to get ahead of the game and sprinkle in the assessments when I have a few free minutes here or there so I copied them early.  I gave a few this week, including a missing part assessment yesterday afternoon.  

All was well with the world until this morning.  I put away all the work I copied for next week, also housed in this bin, and I misplaced the pile of copied assessments.  I searched high and low this morning for AN HOUR... I did not find them! 

It's now Friday night and the assessments have not been located.  So Monday morning I will go in early to copy said assessments again.  I know the minute I finish copying will be the minute I find the previous assessments!  Perhaps I can save them for next year!!  Probably not! 

FIVE:  Weekly Instagram "Post"

I'm loving the chance my kiddos get each week to "post" something to our weekly Instagram page.  This week I had the kiddos highlight something they learned this week!  Here's small sampling of a few "posts".

Have a great weekend... Don't forget to check out Doodle Bugs Teaching for more Five for Friday posts!