Mr.G and the Super 3's: June 2013

Monday 24 June 2013

First Day with the new recruits :)

Awesome group, tons of fun and we even watched a video of Alvin from Alvin and the Chipmunks riding elevators. :) Have a great summer.

-Mr.G

Friday 21 June 2013

Blink and you missed it

Another year is gone. Time seems to fly so quickly. Looking at the bare walls and empty desks I focus on all the fantastic things we did this year. Trips to the museum, pool, butterfly releases, mountain hikes, all wonderful things. I feel however what I will remember the most fondly are the moments when you see a student "get it". One of our first math lessons one student displayed this number sense that was beyond his years and in that moment he became our first of many Mathamagicians. Another student struggling with numbers all year and finally with the help of the most fantastic aid a teacher could ask for developed his own strategy and was solving problems he never even would dare attempt without his new found confidence. That day he declared himself the "SMARTEST KID IN THE CLASS!" Where other times kids would have to help him in partnerships he was teaching them "his way" and the pride he had in his own work was amazing. Another student putting on her glasses that were purchased at the drug store so she could be like her friends with glasses and discovering it was all she needed to become a confident reader. These memories will stay with teachers a lot longer than the field trips and play days. I look forward to another year, another journey, with another group of amazing talented unique little people. I am grateful for the opportunity I have to be a part of their adventures. Thanks for reading.

Check out the Super Summer Journal Project and a few words from this years grade 3's if you have a moment.

Have a great summer,

Mr.G and the Super 3's

Wednesday 5 June 2013

Butterflies, Poetry and a Nice Surprise

Dusting of the web page since it has been a while. These last few months have been go go go. I am so excited to be teaching grade 3 next year and looking back at the year I could not have asked for a more fun, interesting and talented group of kids to work with. We have written stories, built towers, examined fossilized dinosaur poo, learned to multiply and divide, ran a functioning government and built 3d maps along with a million other things that helped add to an excellent year.

These last few weeks we have been working on poetry and created an anthology of our work. Today the students hosted a poetry cafe complete with snacks and a very large audience. The phrase "if you build it they will come" came to mind. Before recess was over the first of many awesome supportive parents showed up to listen to their 8 and 9 year olds recite their original poems complete with farting frogs, swearing Santas and an uncle that apparently sings and dances to "I'm sexy and I know it". Fantastic imagery was created with lines detailing the colours they see in their garden or of the bright yellows of the grand star in Super Mario Galaxy. We were informed about Ants and Peru and made hungry by the many mentions of candy and chocolate. The most amazing part of the day however came with the most shy student walking up to the microphone and clearly and proudly reading out her wonderful poetry in front of a large audience. Prior to our poetry cafe the students took a walk with a large collection of hand raised butterflies to a teachers flower filled yard and released them as part of our life cycles unit. As I write this I cannot help but think of the journey the kids have been on this year. The growth that has occurred and will continue to occur with these kids has been extraordinary. Our little caterpillars and their change into beautiful butterflies, as corny as it sounds, was such a fitting activity as we come to the end of the year. I am so proud of the work that they have done. Below are a few pictures I took today. Thanks for reading.

Mr.G