Each student has a pocket ("bank account") in which they accrue money to use towards prizes. A few parents have asked me about how the money system in Room 17 works, and I am happy to explain it.
Room 17's money system allows students to earn "dollars" for good behavior, good scores on quizzes and tests, and any positive things I notice from them. Students also can be fined for not following directions, missing homework assignments, using the restroom during instructional time, etc. Every two weeks, the kids also get paid for monitor jobs that they have (jobs change every two weeks). So far this year I have introduced dollar increments of $1, $5, $10, $20, and $50. I will be letting the students use $100 soon. Dollars earned at the end of each month (give or take a week or two) can be used towards prizes I give away in an auction. I give away anywhere between 3-5 prizes during an auction that range from books to small science kits and educational toys. The more money a child has in their bank account, the more likely they are to win a prize. Starting bids for each prize will vary--I always have a prize that I try to make affordable for most students ($50), but with the kids' eagerness to win they will bid higher and the final bid can amount to as much as a few thousand dollars. (Staggering, isn't it?) The money system has so many advantages. In my experience, it has been a powerful way to monitor and manage student behavior in the classroom. It teaches children to add and subtract money, a valuable life skill. When it's time for an auction and they make their bids, they have to figure out if they have enough money to pay for the prize they want. Many students have learned not only how to earn money but also how to save. They learn to think ahead, especially when I hint at the next month's prizes and they want to save their money for something "bigger and better." The auction and money are not the only ways students can be rewarded. I award table points that go toward a weekly "grab bag" on Fridays. The grab bag is free--no money necessary. Whichever table group earns the most points at the end of the week gets something out of the grab bag (contains prizes that are smaller than the auction ones--erasers, stickers, small knickknacks, etc). This means each group as a whole has to work together responsibly and focus on learning.
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New! To help keep track of paperwork, the class and I now use the Homework Black Book. If students come to school with incomplete or missing homework assignments, they must record the date, the missing assignment, and their reason for not completing it. The record is kept in the classroom and can be shown to parents during conferences. Each student has their own recording sheet. Hopefully, students won't need to make a note in the Black Book very often (in this case, a blank page is a good thing!). Parents, you are welcome to come in and look at the Black Book to check on your child's homework habits.
Early Dismissal and Unassigned Day: Students will be dismissed on Tuesday, 9/25 at 1:24pm. School will be closed on Wednesday, 9/26.
Book Talk: Students are to read a chapter book and do a project. They should come to school with the book title they have chosen by Monday, October 8. Instructions and options for how to do the project will be sent home on Monday, 9/24. You may read the instructions for the Book Talk here. The due date for the final project is Friday, November 2. The Book Talk is not to be confused with book chat assignments, which are optional homework. It is our first project of the year and is required for a grade. Spelling City: To study and review spelling and vocabulary words covered in class, students can go to the Spelling City website for games and activities. Simply sign up for a free account. To access Ms. Long's word lists, click the tab "Find a List," then search under "Teacher Name." Why???: A huge part of learning the material in 2nd grade (or any grade, for that matter) is knowing why we are learning it. Before we dive into our Read to Self Time (independent reading time), I review with the class why we do it. They should be able to tell me two reasons: "We read to self because it is the single best way to become better readers," or, "We read to self to build up our reading stamina." Please ask your child about Read to Self time and what the necessary behaviors need to be. Today we were able to read for six minutes with remarkable focus and silent concentration and hope to build our stamina to at least 25-30 minutes in the next several weeks. I have also been teaching three main ways to read a book: 1) read the pictures, 2) read the words, and 3) retell the story.
I ask my students "Why?" in regard to so much of what we do in class. Why is it useful to think addition in order to subtract? Why do we review those sound-spelling cards on the wall during our phonemic awareness warm-up before getting into our weekly story? Knowing the "Why" behind everything we do is key to becoming a better learner. Book Orders: Due Friday, 9/28. When ordering online, the class activation code is DY72V. Unassigned Day: No school on Monday, 9/17. School resumes on Tuesday, 9/18 with regular dismissal at 2:24pm.
Homework from other 2nd grade teachers: If Mrs. Guthrie, Ms. Lessner, or Mrs. Chen assign homework for their respective subject areas, students are responsible for turning it in to that specific teacher. While I do communicate with the other teachers to get an idea of what they are teaching, I do not have full details. I am pleased to see that my students are doing the work, but I will not be collecting assignments for health, social studies, or science. Red Writing Journal: Remember that each week students must write in their journals in response to a writing prompt I assign at the back of the homework packet coversheet. The journal is due on Friday morning. Students can complete the journal any day of the week as long as it is completed by Friday. The journal entry usually ties in with the current unit theme in Treasures that we are covering. Art: Our first art lesson went well. We discussed, took brief notes, and drew examples of the seven elements of art (i.e., line, shape, color, texture, form, value, and space) and made a foldable. All the 2nd graders were very keen on learning the essentials, following directions in the art room, and trying their best as artists. Last day for Scholastic Book Orders is today. You may use the class activation code DY72V to place your order online.
DIBELS: Our first major district-wide assessment, DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) was completed as of today. Students in Room 17 did very well! What will I do with the data? A thoughtful analysis will allow me to group the students in such a way that I can focus small group lessons based on their specific learning needs. Book Chats: This coming Monday, be on the look out for a letter about a new reading program I am starting called the Book Chat. Essentially, Book Chats are responses to literature. They are an optional reading component I am adding to the required homework I assign each week. Keeping in mind that students are already asked to read 20 minutes each day at home, the book chat is a piece of writing that can be done as a way to reflect on a story or informational book they have read. One book is considered to be 30 pages long. If, however, your child reads a chapter book that is 90 pages, it will count as 3 books, but they will only need to complete one book chat form. The form needs to be completed carefully and brought to class when the book is finished. You can download and print out three types of book chat forms from my Documents page. You and your child may choose which form is appropriate to go with the book. Lastly, thank you for helping to cover your child's Treasures textbook. Planet Bravo: Room 17 will be going to the computer lab for the first time this coming Thursday, 9/6, immediately following the morning fitness program. Click here to check out Planet Bravo's 2nd grade lessons.
2nd Grade Team Collaboration: The second grade teachers have determined a weekly rotation schedule for teaching health, art, science, and social studies. We will begin the rotation on Monday, 9/10. There will usually be no rotation on Tuesdays, except when there is a holiday or district unassigned day (e.g., the week of 9/17 and 9/24) See the schedule below for Ms. Long's class: |
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