4th Grade Finesse

  Although Flocabulary's platform is behind a paywall, a subscription is well worth the cost for their Week in Rap alone. New videos are posted weekly that keep students up to date with current events in an engaging and memorable way. There are two viewing option posted every Friday, a clip intended for 3-5th grades and one more suitable for 6-12th.  Tips from personal experience: -Preview the videos before watching with your class. Sensitive topics frequent even the 3-5th grade level. -Encourage your students to bring in current events throughout the week and see if they are featured in Friday's clip. -Ask your admin or PTA for funds to purchase an individual or grade level license.  Click here for a link to Flocabulary!

The start of the school year is brimming with opportunity in so many different areas. Building a solid bridge between home and school can be difficult to establish due to the busy lives that many parents and guardians lead. The Family Survey my team and I have sent the past few years is a wonderful way to solicit parent input on their timeline. Feel free to click below to make a personal copy and alter it to your liking. Tips from personal experience: -Send to both sets of parents if they are divorced. -Use the information at goal setting conference. -See if parent perception matches the information provided from the previous year's teacher. Any discrepancies may communicate a lot. -Use this data, rather than the emails listed in your school's database, to compile your email list as it is often more current. Click here for a copy of the survey!

Have you ever wanted to spark curiosity via thoughtful and simple tech integration? Augmented Reality might be for you! Bring digital artifacts into your classroom via a cell phone or tablet to deepen understanding and generate thoughtful conversations. Tips from experience: -Starting with a non-academic subject might be a fun way to get used to this tool before tying to essential standards. -Not everyone needs a device! Using AR in small groups, where turn taking can take place is a wonderful first step. -Let your students drive the discussion and explore as freely as possible. Remember, they are tech natives and will be able to problem solve with ease! Click below to learn more!

  I am a fourth grade teacher based in Southern California. Although my main focus is to share and explore resources that can be applied to the fourth grade curriculum, I have experience teaching first and fifth grade as well. My hope is that all of the material explored here can be altered to fit the needs of kids at all grade levels. I am by no means an expert in any one particular area but am always happy to add new items to my toolbox and share my thoughts along the way. Thanks for joining me! A.