Too many assessments

Welcome to December! I can not believe it's December already! I am trying not to get stressed but I just don't understand why teacher's have to give so many assessments. I mean I understand why we have to, but the time to have 26 children to do them is very limited. Before the December vacation, the teachers in my school have to do formal running records for each student as well as another assessment which is also through Teacher's College. We are only really suppose to do them during reading workshop, but hello, that's only a fraction of a period a day. I was thinking of taking some of my prep periods to test these kids! I know I don't have to but I don't like being late with handing things in that is due at work. Administration needs to better work with teachers in order for these assessments to be accurately completed in a realistic time period. For you who are not teaching, these are just some things that you must deal with yearly. Overall, don't worry, you can do it! See you all in class.

December- 12th month of the year
vacation- having a limited of time off to relax
assessments- tests that illustrates a child's academic level
Teacher's College- a literacy program used to enhance reading and writing skills
administration- a group of people who lead a school
running records- a reading assessment that tests a child's reading level

1. I love the month of ______, it is festive for the holidays.
2. Everyone needs a ________, a time to set free from everyday life.
3. Students must take a variety of _______. These will demonstrate what they know and what they need assistance with.
4. The school I work at uses the literacy program called _____ ______.
5. The ________ of schools make critical decisions for their teachers and students.
6. Every 3 months, _______ _______ are administered to determine students' reading levels.

There are 2 types of clauses. One is called the non-defining clause which is part of a sentence that contains "extra" information that can be taken out and still make sense. The second clause is called a defining clause which is a sentence that does not have "extra" information and can stand alone. Look at the above paragraph and determine if each sentence is a non-defining or defining clause.

2nd grade Thanksgiving Feast

I have so much to be thankful for. As I write this blog I am making a turkey for the entire 2nd grade. Tomorrow we are having a grade Thanksgiving Feast. It is so exciting but at the same time it is so sad. I work in a very poor socioeconomic neighborhood and many of the children I teach don't have the opportunity to celebrate holidays. I love my job not only because I am teaching but because these children not only want me as their teacher, but need me as their teacher. I wake up everyday knowing that I will put smiles on their faces with my silly jokes or the things I do in the classroom. They have been so excited about the turkey and the stuffing that I am making for them . I am bringing aluminum foil because many of the kids need extra food, and I'll be the one giving it to them. I have never thought my profession in teaching would give me the joy I experience everyday of my life. Happy Thanksgiving and remember what you have, not what you don't have!! -Lanna

turkey- large bird that can be cooked
neighborhood- a place where people live and work
excited- past tense to be very happy
extra- to have more
profession- a career
teacher- a person who educates people in many areas

During Thanksgiving, many people eat _________.
The __________ had a feast, all the people came together to celebrate Thanksgiving.
The students were ________ when they saw the turkey and stuffing, their eyes brightened up with joy.
The teacher will give _______ turkey to the children who want to take some home.
I love my _______, or career as a _________, or educator.

Holidays are proper nouns that begin with an uppercase letter. Think of 5 more holidays and put each holiday in complete sentences.

thesis

I look at my thesis daily and can not believe the master piece that I have created! It is a lot of work! My poster board is finally done and I'm excited because I envisioned it a certain way and all my hard work came to my board looking like I exactly wanted it. It is so crazy to think that I am graduating next month. I have known nothing but school and have never stopped my studies. It's challenging to have a child, husband, full time job and go to school. At one point in my life I went to graduate school full time at night. I am really proud of my accomplishments, especially with this thesis, because I am the first person in my family to not only graduate college but a masters degree as well. As I reflect on this thesis project, I think about the long sleepless nights and thoughts and effect that went into this project. It is mentally draining- nevertheless to take another class with it. I am excited to present it December 9th. After this, I have not a clue what I am going to do with my "extra" time. Actually, maybe I'll read for leisure, that should be fun! Well, please be aware of the dedication that is required for this thesis project. If I can do it, so can you!

daily- everyday
believe- to have a thought
create- to make
sleepless- not to sleep
exited- feeling of joy
extra- to have more

We all have _______ routines like brushing our teeth and sleeping.
The teacher said, "I can not _______ how well you all did on your math test!"
For my thesis project, I had to _______ a poster board to display my action research.
The parents had many _______ night, their baby would not sleep.
The students were ______ for their end of the year reading party.
The student did ________ work to get more points on the project.

Adjectives are words that describe nouns. Circle all the adjectives in the paragraph above and create ten sentences using at least two adjectives in each sentence.

Thanksgiving

I love Thanksgiving so much! I love the weather, the scenery, and most of all getting together with family. When I was much younger, my favorite holiday was Christmas. I guess it changed as I got older because of the concept of Thanksgiving. In other words, we give thanks to many things we have in our lives. As a child growing up, I did not have much. My mother and I were poor and the only thing that had us keeping going was the love we had for each other and knowing that it could be worse. I've always been thankful, but reflecting on my childhood, as an adult I am thankful for so much more. I am thankful for my friends, family, education, my career, my apartment, the fact that I can provide for my family financially and emotionally, and lastly my family's and my health. Thanksgiving is a time for all to come together and be thankful for what they have, instead of focusing on what they don't have! See you all next week.

thanks- to appreciate something
poor- not being able to afford to live
provide- to give
apartment- units of living space
financial- has to do with money
education- learning information from an institute

We saw _______ people laying on the street, they didn't have a house.
After I gave my friend a present, she said "________."
The mother and father work to ______ the for their children.
My friend lives in a house, but I live in an ________.
My mother was in _______ stress, she needed money to pay the bills.
I have had a long _________, I have been in school for many years.

Holidays are proper nouns. Anytime writing a holiday, you must use an uppercase at the beginning of the word. Think of other holidays you know, write at least 4 other holidays correctly by using an uppercase letter at the beginning of the word.

why? why? why?

Okay, so why is it that it take administration so long to return important emails, notes, and so on? Yes, I know they're busy, but guess what? If it wasn't for their teachers, the students wouldn't learn! I'm ranting and raving because for about two months now I have been pulling teeth to get one of my beginner Ell's referred because of her hearing impairment. She is a bright girl and was a new students in my class at the end of last year. My goal with her last year was to break her out of her shell because she was new to our country and was scared. This year, I have reached my goal and she participates, communicates with her peers, and comes to me. The problem now is, she came into my class this year with hearing aides in each ear and still can not hear! Since her language proficiency level is so low, I have to start with the letters and sounds. Since she can not fully hear the sounds, she is not saying the sounds the way they should be said. In addition, her math skills are very limited. She can not compute 2+2. I have done everything I possibly could do at this point. I have tried to get in touch with her mother, but she's not available. I've had the office call as well. I left 3 notes in my A.P.'s mailbox, and of course nothing was done. Finally, I emailed my principal because she would actually do something! Although she mentioned her concern to my AP... guess what? Nothing has been done! Why does this happen? How can people sleep at night knowing a child is "falling through the cracks?" I know I am doing all I can but it bothers me that they are having a nice, restful sleep, while I'm laying in bed trying to figure out what to do next! Why? I say WHY? Anyway, see you in class have a great weekend.

mentioned- to quickly tell somebody something
compute- figure out
principal- a person in charge of a school
email- a way for people to communicate through the computer
class- a group of people who meet and learn together
student- someone who learns

As I ran through the hallway, I ______ that I was going to be late to the meeting.
In math, students ______, or figure out the answer to a number problem.
The _________ makes an announcement over the loud speaker every morning before school begins.
I like to ______ my professors. It is a quick and easy way to communicate through the computer.
The fifth grade ______ studied the solar system in Science.
I will always be a _________; I will continue to learn.

Idioms are sayings that people use to express their feelings. Many idioms sound very funny (ex. it's raining cats and dogs) and should not be taken literally. Read the paragraph above and locate the idioms. Write down what you think the writer meant to say in other words. Have a ball!!

What's going on?

Hi all! Last weekend we finally celebrated my mom's wedding. It took place at the Manor East in Massapequa. Although it was a good time, I am happy it is over because it took up a lot of my time, being the maid of honor and all. I can not believe how fast this semester is going. I am almost completly finished writing up my thesis paper. For all of you who also have to create a thesis, don't worry, it sounds worse than it is! My advice is to really study something that you are extremely interested in. This makes life a lot easier! The first half of the thesis is the "most difficult." They say this only because of the research that is required. It really is not bad as long as you pace yourself and keep everything organized. I color coded everything which made it easier for me to differientiate the journal articles and all. The following semester gets more exciting because your actually implementing your study with your students. It is so interesting to observe their reactions and notice how they progress through the study. Don't worry, see the entire thesis as a work of art, because believe me when your done with it, your going to want to frame it! See you all in class:)

1.over- something that is completed
2. believe- a thought that someone has
3. thesis- a study that requires research and hands on expereinces
4. difficult- something that is hard to do
5. research- findings of others results
6. frame- something that protects and creates a nice display

1. After the long semester was _________ or completed, I decided to take a vacation.
2. The scientist said, "I _________ these are the results to the test."
3. I will complete my ________, or my study very soon!
4. A student was not answering the teachers questions. He was being very __________.
5. The scientist did ___________ to see if she can clone a cow.
6. The artist put is painting in a _________ so it would not get destroyed.

Different types of punctuation gives the reader a clue how to read the sentence. A period illustrates a complete thought, an exclamation mark shows exitment, and a question mark illustrates a question. Choose three sentences from the paragraph above and rewrite the sentences using a different type of punctuation.

This weekend

This weekend was very eventful! We celebrated my mother's wedding. Although it has been a very long process in order to get to this point, I was happy that the wedding was this past weekend. We had a great time. The food was amazing, the music was great, and the all the guests looked gorgeous! My mother looked like a princess. I will see you all in class! Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

process- something that takes many steps to complete
wedding- a celebration in which 2 people make a life long commitment to one another
guests- people who come to a party
music- different beats that come together to make nice sounds
weekend- two consecutive days in which most people are off from school/work
enjoy- to like to do something

1. To plan a party is a long _________.
2. The groom and bride looked beautiful at their __________.
3. All the _______ brought gifts for the bride and groom.
4. Their was a variety of ______ at the wedding; all the guests were dancing.
5. I get to rest on the upcoming _________.
6. I hope you ________ yourselves at the wedding!

Most letters in a sentence are lower case unless they are proper nouns. For example, my name Lanna or the White House. Study the paragraph above and put all the uppercase letters and/or proper nouns lowercase and let someone else revise your writing to make it grammatically correct.

party time

Although this weekend is going to be hectic, it's going to be fun! My mother is getting married on the 18th of this month and on Saturday I am throwing her a bridal shower and bachelorette party. It seems to be a lot in one day, but it's okay considering it worked out for everyone. I'm not big into the "girly" bridal shower parties and all but I'm actually really excited because I am the host! I researched a lot of fun games we can play. Although I am a good cook, I asked that each guest bring a dish of food because god only knows I don't have time to make a feast for 15 women! I hope you all have a great weekend! -Lanna

Vocabulary:
1. married- a committed ceremony for two people
2. bridal shower- a party celebrating a bride's marriage
3. researched- looked up something; past tense
4. cook- to make edible dishes
5. party- a type of celebration
6. host- a person who gave a party

Cloze exercise:
1. The bride and groom got ________ in a church.
2. The bride wanted to have a ________ ________ to celebrate her upcoming marriage.
3. I ________ different bridal shower games on the computer.
4. The ________ made the most delicious dinner I have ever had!
5. My brother wanted to plan a _______ for my graduation.
6. My brother will be the _______ of my graduation party.

Read the paragraph above and change the entire paragraph to the past tense.

grammar practice

I forgot to post an assignment... Think of 6 proper nouns and put each one in a complete sentence.

This week

This week has been a crazy one! We had Tuesday and Wednesday off and today I had an ESL conference I attended all day long. Although it was a great conference and I have to attend two more sessions, it was overwhelming. A colleague and myself were chosen for this conference because it is a pilot program which means it is new and therefore we must try the strategies in our classes. What is so overwhelming is the time involved. Don't get me wrong, I am up for anything and love trying new practices but I feel that at times administration wants too much. They need to understand and remember how time is very limited and it can be a challenging task for teachers. I know my principal relies on me for many things, and I will try my very best, but we, the educators, need a little break at times. I will share these new practices in class which focus on vocabulary.

Vocabulary:
1. Conference- meeting
2. overwhelming- too much at once
3. challenging- hard
4. educators- people who teach
5. principal- a person in charge of a school
6. vocabulary- unknown words

1. The class learned new ___________ to improve their reading comprehension.
2. The ___________ told her staff that there was going to be a dress code in the school.
3. Another word for hard is ________________.
4. I have had many ______________ in my life who have taught me many things.
5. The meeting was very ____________, there was too much information to learn at once.
6. The ____________ was interesting, new ESL strategies were presented.

Proper nouns are nouns that must contain an uppercase letter, even in the middle of a sentence. For example, the words Tuesday and Wednesday are proper nouns.

My week

As an educator, I try to take each day one at a time. I feel successful and accomplished like that! Last Thursday my students took their first math unit test. I like giving a test like this on a Thursday so that I can grade them, review with them, and have them get it signed over the weekend. I wasn't surprised to see the results of the test. The scores ranged drastically from a 4% to a 98%. I was trying to figure out how I can motivate the students to get higher grades. I wrote down all the grades and I haven't done so yet but I will get the average math score of the entire class. I was thinking a lot about the motivation when it clicked! I shared with my students that I was going to create a line graph of the average grades for each month. We discussed what line graphs are, what average means and what we would like to see happen to the graph (line constantly moving upward= higher grades). The kids loved this idea and are excited to begin the next unit in math. It's amazing what a small idea can do for students.

Vocabulary Words:
1. educator
2. successful
3. accomplished
4. motivate
5. excited
6. discussed

Cloze Exercise:

1. We __________ her grades in school and thought she should study more.
2. To be _________ means to feel a type of great emotion.
3. The teacher decided to _________ her students by creating a line graph.
4. Donal Trump is a __________ man. He has many businesses and takes pride in what he does.
5. My brother felt __________ when he graduated High School.
6. A teacher is also an ___________.

I chose to write in the past tense because the events that occured already happened. One can assume that things have already happened just by reading my blog. Choose 6 past tense verbs and change them to present tense verbs.

grammar

Hi all! I finally figured this out! Better late than never. Here are my 6 vocabulary words:
1. verbs- things someone can do
2. tense- when something is done
3. comprehension- understanding a concept
4. multiword verbs- is more than one verb and more than one particles.
5. formality- the context in which something is said
6. avoid- not doing something

Directions: Read each sentence below. Use the 6 vocabulary words above to fill in the blanks below.

1. She wanted to ________ the boy because they did not like each other.

2. Running is called a _______ in grammar.

3. Lanna's ___________ was low because she did not understand the story.

4. The _________ in which she said that was inappropriate!

5. What is the past _____ of "to do?"

6. The teacher explained that __________ ________ is more than one verb with more than one particle.

I have been having a great week so far. My students are great and are eager to learn. We had professional development in Math today and I found it to be helpful considering there is a lot to choose from the teacher's manual. I hope everyone is well. See you in class.

The sentence "I have been having a great week so far" can be somewhat confusing. The words have and having together may confuse an ELL. I would teach them that to have is something that I possess and the word having means that so far my week has been going well.

Excerise: Read the above paragraph and rewrite a sentence that you think needs revision.

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