Week 6: I am the Lord your God...

This week...

This week I was teaching Math, Science, Macmillan, and guided reading groups. The guided reading groups are groups Green and Blue. Green consists of seven students and Blue consists of four students who need decoding intervention to help with their reading. I am learning how to plan more appropriately for my lessons and am realizing that, unlike speaking opportunities where you rehearse again and again, there is no way that you can rehearse for four or five lessons with the same intensity. You really have to get the "big picture" and teach from there. God is good and I am learning a lot. Thank you for all your prayers!

Top 10 of the week:

1. Started the Decoding Intervention group for struggling readers. It is very scripted and moves quickly.
   
2. Valentine's Day- I received 15 valentine cards
   
3. For my Green guided reading group we are reading How News Travels and we sent an email to the elementary principal to see how quickly it was received...it took 2 minutes!
   
4. Smart clickers
5. Glasses ordeal- I misplaced my glasses on Valentine's Day and I had to wear contacts. One of my students told me, "Mr. Eby you look much better with your glasses."
   
6. Fighting Saints- A ice hockey team came to visit and talk with Carver Elementary kids
   
7. Finished The Mysterious Benedict Society
8. Mimio training- I helped professors become more accustomed to how to use the Mimio interactive whiteboard
   
9. 1st sickness this year! I had a slight fever with chills and achiness. Thankfully I got it Friday evening and I have time to get some rest.
   
10. Wednesday night small group discussion about Philippians
    

Top Quotes:
Mrs. B: "I need some chap stick before my lips fall off."
S: "Will they really do that?!"

“I think I have that short term loss memory thing” –Amelia

Week in Pictures:

Dale's invention. He is creating a chair that uses stretch cords for physical therapy.

Dale's house.

Snow in Dubuque.

My friendly car named "Humphrey"

Dale's kitchen

Teacher Thoughts:

1. If you are using graphic organizers for a lesson make sure all the students create one as well because the whole point is to give them a strategy to process their thoughts.
2. When you have a bad start to the day...sing a song of praise to the Lord and smile LOTS. It brightens up your entire day no matter what happens.
3. Smart clickers or any form of new technology in the classroom requires time for both the students and the teacher to get used to in order to use it at its fullest potential.
4. While students are doing their summative assessment (i.e. Math) do a formative assessment by walking around and checking student work.
5. Put on classical music when students are taking a big test.
6. If you want to have a calming effect on your students during a wild day try speaking gently and do not raise your voice. If the students can't hear you then they are being too loud.
7. Mrs. B doesn't give the entire test all at once but takes a lesson and breaks it into parts then administers part of the test so that the final lesson and the test are intermixed and it is not as intimidating for the students. It takes about two days to do both.
8. Give real-life examples when teaching multiplication. It helps tremendously!
9. Consider your transitions so that you can make the most of instructional time. For example, if you are doing an outdoor activity have the students put on their PE shoes after the outdoor activity so that they don't have to change in and out several times.
10. For outdoor activities be sure your instructions are clear and model what students will be doing if you can. Be sure to remind students to keep quiet voices. To get their attention it may be helpful to have a whistle.
    

Please pray that I will...

1. Get better from the slight fever that I came down with Friday evening. I am still very weak today (Saturday) and need to get back to full-energy.
2. Continue in my study of God's word
3. Teach well as I take on the opening and closing responsibilities for my classroom as well as cursive handwriting.
4. Get LOTS of rest!
5. Be a light to the many unsaved at Carver Elementary
6. For the one boy in my guided reading group who is a Jehovah's Witness