4/13/2009

Sequences


Hello everybody,

Last week my students and I had a lot of fun establishing sequences and following patterns. As always, we started first with our bodies.

They followed the order: one boy and one girl first, then we continue thinking and creating new patterns to follow. For example: two boys and one girl, two girls and one boy, or three boys and one girl.

Each time my students were reaching new goals as the task was getting harder and harder.

When we finished working with our bodies, we started working with concrete material. We used some things we have in the classroom and started establishing sequences and following patterns.

As you can see in the pictures, my students worked in groups. At the beginning it was kind of difficult for them to work together at the same time, but after talking they got to an agreement and made group decisions. They organized their work and did a great job.

After working in groups, there was a new challenge... a sequence of four colours in the patio!! Let me tell you that I was really surprised when I saw them organizing the material in the order I established: red, blue, yellow, and green.

I am really proud of my students!! They learnt how to work in groups respecting others and they liked it :)

4/12/2009

Working with shapes!

Hello everybody!

My class is working with shapes. My children have already worked with circles and squares but it was the turn for the triangle and this is what we did:

It is important for us to let children explore and find answers by themselves. So, that's what we did! after checking the previous knowledge and the shapes we have learnt, I made a triangle on the floor using masking tape.

First I asked them: "Do you know what shape is this?" "It's a triangle", they said. OK! but... How do we know it's a triangle? "Miss Tatiana, look! we only need three of us to get one". "It's a triangle because it has only three sides", they said. Can you see that?

Knowing that a triangle has three sides then came the next step. How can we draw a triangle? Is there a correct way to do that? Let's see...

You start on the left side and GO UP.


Then, you GO DOWN.


Finally, you CLOSE the triangle.

It was very funny!! All my students were really happy to participate in groups of three and then one by one to get the same result: a triangle.

At the end of the class, my students draw a triangle on a piece of card board using pencils. They followed the correct order to make one: starting on the left, going up, then down, and finally closing the triangle. When they finished doing that, they put yellow play dough on their drawings.


Look at the results!! Good job Deer!!

Shape friends!


I'm a circle

look at me!

I'm as round

as round can be.





I have four sides

they are the same.

I'm a square

yes, that's my name.






I'm a triangle

look at me!

Count my sides

1, 2, 3.

4/01/2009

School, school

Hello everybody!!

My students are learning new songs this week and "School, school" is one of their favourites. Here you have the lyrics:


School, school, we like school.

What do you like best at school?

School, school, we like school.

What do you like best at school?

When I asked that question to my students they answered me different things: They like to read, to color, to paint, to play, to eat, and to work.

What about your students? What about you? What do you like best at school? is a good question to answer even if you are a teacher. I invite you to answer and share it with us.

Here you have the link to download this song:

http://www.divshare.com/download/6987596-4c3

I love you, too!!


Last week I was standing near my desk checking journals and writing notes, when suddenly appeared one of my little girls so excited shouting: "Miss Tatiana, Miss Tatiana I have something to tell you".


Then, I turned around and look at her waiting for her special news. "I love you Miss Tatiana" she said, and opened her arms to hugh me. Of course I opened mine as fast as I could!! "I love you, too" I said and hughed her with all the emotions that I was feeling in that moment.


But this is not all... She said: "Miss, you don´t understand... I love you far beyond the aliens' planet" Do you understand now? It was one of the most important and wonderful moments I have ever lived as a teacher.


I always said to myself that children are the perfect thermometers beause they are always telling you in any way, how things are going on in the classroom.


I wanted to share this with you because it is really amazing for me to know that children feel your love. Remember that if there is a good rapport between you and your students I can truly assure you that everything is going to be perfect!!


Little Deer: I love you!! Thanks for being always authentic.


With love,


Miss Tatiana.