On Friday, I wasn’t in school because I attended the Massachusetts Teachers Association’s Just for New Teachers Conference. The conference sponsored by the MTA’s New Member Committee, which I was appointed to this fall. It is comprised of teachers from around our state who are in their first 10 years of teaching. We had 200 new teachers within their first four years attend this year. At the conference, I helped to facilitate some of the courses. One course I helped out in was called, “Keep them Engaged….all of the time!” This is certainly a tall order at this time of year, when so much is going on in a child’s life – whether it’s family gatherings, special outings, or just the mention of the man in the red suit. As adults we are trying to get everything done, and it can be a joyful but stressful time. I am planning many fun learning experiences for our class over the next three weeks that I think will keep them engaged!
This week, we will begin our study of The Gingerbread Man. I use this story to teach important comprehension skills such as retelling, and how to compare and contrast different versions of this beloved story. Of course, there will be some art and writing components as well.
Other plans include going to the Jesmond Nursing Home to sing holiday songs to the residents (date TBA) and the Tanglewood Marionettes will be coming to do a show for the lower grades on Dec. 21.
See you at conferences on Tuesday and Wednesday!
