Five Things I’ll Miss About Teaching

With June 27, 2019 being my last teaching day after 30 some years, I've been reflecting on what I will miss. 

1.  I'll miss the joy of discovering and learning something new!  This video was taken the day I brought my  Alexa to the classroom.  As I was watching the kids rattle off questions and wait for her reply, I sincerely hoped I was not witnessing the future of education being relegated to Google and devices! 

2.  I'll miss the way it never ceased to amaze me how each child was a unique being. I taught siblings, identical twins and even children of former students but no two were alike. Given a quick lesson on panorama pictures, yellow paper and paint, each one put their own personality and twist on these pictures that will brighten the classroom for Ms. Henuset, the new Grade Two teacher!

3.  I will certainly miss reading a chapter book to my class from my chair with the students at my feet on the carpet.  You could always feel the tension in the air when I ended for the day at a cliff hanger.  One more chapter, PLEASE! I can hear the complete silence when the book is closed when we all want it to keep going.  Students have told me they wonder what the characters are doing now and I would admit to them I have the same feeling.  But wait - it's just a book!

4.  I will miss all the little things- a child losing a tooth right in the middle of a great lesson, being called Mom or Grandma, the first day of cursive handwriting, being there when they "get" adding with regrouping for the first time, hearing about their pets, sports teams, trips and so much more. Childhood is such a magical time and especially Grade Two.  Learning to read is such hard work and the payoff starts when you can read about things that interest you all by yourself!

5.  I will miss being a part of a great team of teachers who always were there to support each other through thick and thin. The good news is now our visits will end when we choose, not when the end of recess bell rings calling us back to class. 

As I close the door to Room 21 for the last time, I want to remember to thank my blog readers (especially my Mom and Dad!).  Your page views kept me motivated to keep recording our day to day adventures. Now all I have to do is open up the blog to step back into my classroom any time I want.  I might take the summer off first though! 

Signing off,

Ms. Simms

Science Design Process

The last Science unit of the 2018-19 school year included an element of design.  Students were tasked to create a Wind Detection Device from materials that met three criteria.

 

#1 - The device needed to make noise from 3 meters away. We had to wait for a day when there was enough wind and today we noted the wind speed was 22 kilometers an hour. That would be perfect to set off our detectors but not destroy them!  

#2 - A minimum of 3 materials needed to be used to build the device. 

#3 - The device needed to hold together during testing while hanging from a hook in our gazebo.

The design process works best when students have a chance to re-work their first idea and time was given for those who needed it.

It was another successful Science design process in Grade Two!

Surprise Celebration!

When the class arrived on this morning of May 31, 2019, they were greeted with this message on a mysterious box. There were many guesses as to what might be inside - a class pet? a new book to read? a book order from Scholastic?

After gym class, the helper of the day opened the box and found this note along with cupcakes! 

A Go Noodle dance party was a great way to celebrate together,  After that, the class wrote their T.W.A.S. Journal entry (This Week At School).  Many students wrote their longest and best entry so far this year.  Was it the cupcakes?  the dancing? the excitement?  We may never know....