I teach fifth grade students in a high poverty school. Many of them are having to take on responsibilities earlier in life than many of us had to. They are truly a family, and despite many of them lacking support, they connect quickly. They love to work together to solve problems, and every single student in my class is an expert on something. They find their place and become a peer mentor to help others. Also, every student I have taught has learned throughout their year with me, to become aware of their own needs, through reflection on how they best learn.
These kiddos learn from their mistakes and show what it really means to have a growth mindset.
They embrace the idea of "yet." Even if they struggle, they just don't know the concept YET. They work through their problems and push themselves farther each day.
My Project
In my school, fifth graders are the oldest students on campus. Because of this, we can tend to forget that they are kids too. I have found that when I stop and read aloud to these kids, they are captivated. They absolutely love being read to and connect to the characters quickly and this allows me to bring life skills into discussion through the events and characters in the stories.
"You're never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child." ~Dr. Seuss
I will use these books throughout the year to add some spice to our day and curriculum. Many of these books will be used as mentor texts and examples of good writing. Students will use them as a model when working through the writing process.
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