Teacher Talk Tuesday
Out with the old and in with the new.
Fifth graders are a trip. In many ways, they are mature and responsible and make you think they can handle anything, but before you know it, one of them can't write anything because their pencil broke (even though we have a pencil sharpener and drawer full of sharpened pencils at an arms reach), one of them is bawling because they forgot their homework (monster size tears and gasping for breath), and one of them wants to know what time it is because their parent is coming to pick them up at 2:45 (it's 10:30 and they know how to tell time).
Regardless, back to the independence... one thing every fifth grader can do with the talent of a well oiled machine is navigate themselves through any computer program. This is so exciting to me. I have created a safe environment for them to work with and they just go, its fascinating to me and very exciting for them.
With this in mind, I was a bit nervous to assign our first big project of the year... a diorama. Yes, the scene inside a shoe-box. I realize this doesn't coincide with the high tech gadgets and machines but I do feel it provides an opportunity to show a different type of talent. My students are replicating a scene of their choice from a Native American colony for our First Americans unit.
*Sidenote: I am loving fifth grade social studies. I teach American history from the Ice Age to the Civil War (just a small blip of time) and am loving every minute. Our next unit is the Middle Ages and the age of Exploration... too cool. =)
Much to my surprise, my students are totally digging this assignment. It looks as though the fifth grade teachers have wised up over the years since my days of making dioramas... students bring their supplies in their backpacks because our dioramas are made entirely at school. Yes, this takes a lot of time, but it's worth it.
*Mrs. Penteks Fifth Grade flashback: "Yes Mr. Ross, I mixed the plaster of Paris myself to depict the actual texture of Plymouth Rock"... the dioramamy dad I made showing a ship sailing to Plymouth Rock was dynamite!
Fifth graders are a trip. In many ways, they are mature and responsible and make you think they can handle anything, but before you know it, one of them can't write anything because their pencil broke (even though we have a pencil sharpener and drawer full of sharpened pencils at an arms reach), one of them is bawling because they forgot their homework (monster size tears and gasping for breath), and one of them wants to know what time it is because their parent is coming to pick them up at 2:45 (it's 10:30 and they know how to tell time).
Regardless, back to the independence... one thing every fifth grader can do with the talent of a well oiled machine is navigate themselves through any computer program. This is so exciting to me. I have created a safe environment for them to work with and they just go, its fascinating to me and very exciting for them.
With this in mind, I was a bit nervous to assign our first big project of the year... a diorama. Yes, the scene inside a shoe-box. I realize this doesn't coincide with the high tech gadgets and machines but I do feel it provides an opportunity to show a different type of talent. My students are replicating a scene of their choice from a Native American colony for our First Americans unit.
*Sidenote: I am loving fifth grade social studies. I teach American history from the Ice Age to the Civil War (just a small blip of time) and am loving every minute. Our next unit is the Middle Ages and the age of Exploration... too cool. =)
Much to my surprise, my students are totally digging this assignment. It looks as though the fifth grade teachers have wised up over the years since my days of making dioramas... students bring their supplies in their backpacks because our dioramas are made entirely at school. Yes, this takes a lot of time, but it's worth it.
*Mrs. Penteks Fifth Grade flashback: "Yes Mr. Ross, I mixed the plaster of Paris myself to depict the actual texture of Plymouth Rock"... the diorama
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