Our First Week as Fourth Graders

During our first week together, we focused on creating a positive learning environment, where learners are encouraged to think outside of the box, feel safe to take risks and most of all love learning! 

Together we created our class social contract based on how we wish to be treated and how others should treat us.  We started as writing down what we thought was important as individuals, shared with our table groups and then came together as a class to write our social contract. 

With building a positive classroom, comes working together as a team.  As I worked with the learners of Room 304, I realized that our 4^th graders are beginning to come into their own, learning how to express their ideas and work together as a team.  We completed several cup challenges, discussing after each challenge, what went well and areas where we can improve.  As a teacher, I quickly learned who the leaders were in each group and who worked well together.  After the first day of cup challenges, our learners were frustrated but determined to make it work.  I love how they didn’t give up but came back the next day ready to try again.  Conversations about listening to each other and how we talk to one another evolved into successfully completing the cup challenges.

A major highlight of our first week together was chromebook rollout!  You would have thought it was Christmas with how excited our Bears were to get their chromebooks.

As I left school on Friday afternoon, I felt at peace about becoming a 4^th grade teacher and know exactly why God brought me here!