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Fall Break is Coming 10/14/2002 | 7:31 pm Fall Break is Coming Today the little squirrels weren't very nutty. We were finishing up all the art projects and literature tid-bits on Columbus. It was quite a calm, even day. Since the weather has cooled down, the little munchkins have cooled down too. It is always fun to take a peek in all the rooms as you walk through the school during fall. Mrs.G., down the hall has the funniest witches hanging from her ceiling. They have accordian arms and legs, and the bodies are made from black balloons. Her whole room looks like a withches convention! I have one child who, because of religious reasons, does not celebrate holidays. This always presents an interesting challenge. So much of our daily curriculum is done up so festively with the theme of that particular month. For instance, in September, we start addition, and many of the practice sheets I have are apple addition, or school house addition. October is such a terrific month for many themes. Not only is there all the Halloween math, Halloween writing, Halloween phonics, Halloween social studies, and Hallooween art projects, but oodles of bat, spider, harvest and fall things. My file drawer for October is brimming to overflowing with activities and ideas. I love to do a variety of things, but this year it will just be bats, spiders, harvest and fall. Bye-Bye ghosties, withches and goblins till next year. The kids are really starting to take off with their reading. To me it is always a miracle to watch reading happen in my little kids. They come to me in August, some ready, some, very unready to read. I feel fortunate to have been trained in many different and effective methods of language and reading acquisition so that I can teach effectivly.Ten years of experience helps too. We are finally starting to grasp place value and number sense in first grade. That too, is a miracle. I only wish subtraction wasn't pushed so hard in first grade. I feel, developmentally, most first graders aren't ready for subtraction until late in their first grade year. Joy of joys, we must begin to learn measuring. Or,"sword-fighting 101, as it is sometimes known in first grade. It is a battle to keep the boys from using their rulers as lethal weapons. Yes, there are a few that never learn measuring from me, for I have confiscated their "weapons" early on in the unit, and alas, they leave my class uneducated in the art of measuring. It is quiet tonight around the campfire. We will be going north, to our ranch near Flagstaff for the two days I have off for fall break. It will be a nice change. No phones, radios, and no computer for a few days. Since I have started writitng, I find I think more deeply about many things, not thought of in that way before. Hmmmm... catsnapples~in first grade and at life ___________________________________________
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