Yes, it is true...this former New Yorker loves Fall, especially here in Florida! Not only is football season in full swing (Go Bulls!), but the holiday season is upon us. The cooler weather, the sights and sounds and smells of the season, the opportunity to open up the house and feel the cool breezes at night, and the pleasure of being outdoors for the next several months is the best part of this time of year in the Sunshine State!
The Fall also brings upon us in the education profession an opportunity to dig deeper into our instructional practices and provide our students in-depth understanding of content which enriches the mind and draws out the best in our children. We are now past the "getting-to-know-you" stage and delving into the "how-can-we-grow-together" arena. This is the time for our best practices to shine through by providing content-rich, hands-on activities across all subject areas. Despite public opinion, this is not the time of year when we spend our time having student color pictures/worksheets of pumpkins, ghosts, turkeys, and snowflakes. Instead, we "decorate" the classroom with anchor charts, word walls, and inspirational quotes. We "read to achieve", "investigate to discover", and "search for answers".
This time of year is designed for students to learn multiple ways in which to problem solve, understand the concepts of sequencing and story re-telling, and expand their use of vocabulary from basic (Tier 1) words to content-rich (Tier 2 and 3) words. Our students get exposure to classic literature - to better appreciate author's purpose and how a plot is developed, as well as learning how to identify text features using nonfiction text. Students get to explore force and motion and pushes and pulls. They get the chance to work together to solve real-world problems through the use of a variety of math skills and strategies designed to elicit higher order thinking and to prove the notion that there are many ways to solve a problem. All of this, and yet we still provide our students with a rich understanding of the traditions of Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Kwanza, Chanukah, and the celebration of a New Year (through a historical lens) - tied into the Social Studies curriculum.
For my own students, going through these final five weeks of coursework is a daunting task - but the light at the end of the tunnel gets brighter with each passing day. They are so close that they might not even realize it! This is my favorite time of year - to share in the possibilities of tomorrow with the here and now of the Fall season.
...And really, who could blame me?
The Fall also brings upon us in the education profession an opportunity to dig deeper into our instructional practices and provide our students in-depth understanding of content which enriches the mind and draws out the best in our children. We are now past the "getting-to-know-you" stage and delving into the "how-can-we-grow-together" arena. This is the time for our best practices to shine through by providing content-rich, hands-on activities across all subject areas. Despite public opinion, this is not the time of year when we spend our time having student color pictures/worksheets of pumpkins, ghosts, turkeys, and snowflakes. Instead, we "decorate" the classroom with anchor charts, word walls, and inspirational quotes. We "read to achieve", "investigate to discover", and "search for answers".
This time of year is designed for students to learn multiple ways in which to problem solve, understand the concepts of sequencing and story re-telling, and expand their use of vocabulary from basic (Tier 1) words to content-rich (Tier 2 and 3) words. Our students get exposure to classic literature - to better appreciate author's purpose and how a plot is developed, as well as learning how to identify text features using nonfiction text. Students get to explore force and motion and pushes and pulls. They get the chance to work together to solve real-world problems through the use of a variety of math skills and strategies designed to elicit higher order thinking and to prove the notion that there are many ways to solve a problem. All of this, and yet we still provide our students with a rich understanding of the traditions of Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Kwanza, Chanukah, and the celebration of a New Year (through a historical lens) - tied into the Social Studies curriculum.
For my own students, going through these final five weeks of coursework is a daunting task - but the light at the end of the tunnel gets brighter with each passing day. They are so close that they might not even realize it! This is my favorite time of year - to share in the possibilities of tomorrow with the here and now of the Fall season.
...And really, who could blame me?