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How do we do it all in fifth grade?

November in fifth grade has felt full.  The good kind of full.  If you stop by our classroom at any given time, you’ll see students deep in thought, wrestling with big ideas connected to freedom or responsibility.  You might hear students engaged in a discussion about tolerance or individuality.  They might be reading and interacting with ideas in a text, or they might be solving complex word problems with a partner.  They might be doing peer or group critique, trying hard to complete their personal narratives.  After our sojourn into the woods, we seem to have become immersed in our unit studies.  Fifth graders have worked hard to create work that helps make sense of what we’re learning. I learn so much about my students and their thinking from their work!  It also seems this deep level of productivity has left my camera devoid of captivating photos of the children at work.  I will, however, share some of their thoughtful work:

Groups presented research about Colonial America
Groups presented research about Colonial America
Students depict the 1st boatload of Jewish immigrant to New Amsterdam in 1654
Students depict the 1st boatload of Jewish immigrants to New Amsterdam in 1654

 

Some wrote letters to the Dutch West India Company, while most chose comics
Some wrote letters to the Dutch West India Company, while most chose to create comics

 

If you had a business during Colonial times, what would it have been, and why?  Students created sign boards for their businesses
If you had a business during Colonial times, what would it have been, why, and where? Students created sign boards for their businesses

You might be wondering how we have time to do so much, especially given our dual curriculum.  Fifth graders have noted lately how many more assignments they seem to have.  From end of book projects to unit tests to creative artistic work, figuring out how to “do it all” has been a challenge indeed.

Time management, in fact, has been an important topic of conversation (and will continue to be a big focus) in fifth grade.  In class, students have been reflecting on what they have learned about managing their time.  There are an increasing number of long-term assignments in fifth grade.  Next year, when students are at middle school they will be expected to manage their time well.

Fifth graders: Could you post a comment about one strategy that has helped you with time management?  Perhaps you want to share a challenge or a lesson you’ve recently learned (like: don’t wait until the night before it’s due to start it).

Parents & Grandparents: Could you post a comment with sage advice for these fifth graders?  Share how time management is a pertinent “real-world” skill.

School-wide, we’ve been focusing on gratitude.  I would be personally grateful to those who make a comment that might enhance the depth of our thinking about time management.  All comments are welcome and encouraged!

This week's mirror message
This week’s mirror message

One helpful time-saving tool is to type faster.  Here is a link to a fun and helpful keyboarding activity.  I highly recommend fifth graders spend 30 minutes a week practicing: http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/z3c6tfr                                     Note to Parents: Many of you asked about this at our recent parent-teacher conferences

This might be screen time that parents approve!