Mrs. Graham's 5th grade

Today I went on my last visit to TZ intermediate school. I was kinda sad to be done, but really learned a lot through my 3 visits to TZ. I have decided that I really like the concept of an intermediate school and I think it adds a different vibe to the "elementary school" setting.

Today I went to Mrs. Graham's 5th grade class. I was surprised to find out that at TZ each grade has its own special ed teacher who has their own classroom. Mrs. Graham is TZ's 5th grade special ed teacher. Because TZ is an inclusion school, I got to travel with Mrs. Graham from classroom to classroom. It was really neat to look at inclusion in practice with proper special ed support.

Below is a picture of one of Mrs. Graham's students using an alpha smart. I think alpha smarts are so cool and allow students to get typing experience without being on an "actual" computer.


On of the neat things that Mrs. Graham and the other fifth grade teachers do is a classroom economic system. The kids in the 5th grade are "paid " to do their classroom jobs, "paid" for accomplishments and "paid" for good behavior. You can see the money below. Not only do these 5th graders make money, but they also have to pay up!! The students are charged taxes, insurance and are fined for talking during quite time, forgetting to push in their chairs etc. I thought this was a really unique way to get kids thinking and understanding economics!


As you can see below, this is the jar that students deposited their "insurance payments". Students could also spend money on special treats like a lunch out with the teacher ($100) or for convenient things ($50) to turn in a late paper for full credit!

During my visit I was also able to sit down and help struggling students. It was a fun day and I really enjoyed getting a peak into Mrs. Graham's life as a special ed teacher!

Mrs. Ames' 4th Grade Class

Today I got to go back to TZ and visit Mrs. Ames' 4th grade class! It was a very interactive and fun day!!

I arrived at TZ at 10:00 and entered the "4th grade pod". TZ is set up in a pod design. 4 classrooms share 1 pod. The pod is a common area that has 6 computers, sinks, bathrooms & sinks. The 4th grade pod was decorated with work from all of the different 4th grade classes. Below you you will see the animal fact reports that were made by Mrs. Ames' students.

I love to see teachers combine education and technology. Although adding a technology component takes extra time, I really think it's an important skill that often is missed in Elementary schools.

I was very impressed with the work that these 4th graders did. Not only were their posters impressive looking, but the content was also very impressive!


When I entered Mrs. Ames' classroom, I instantly noticed her attention to detail. Below is a "race track" with student's names and pictures on them. Her students try to "stay on track" the whole day! I thought this was a very cute way of making students feel apart of the classroom community.


Shortly after arriving, the students broke up into small groups throughout the classroom. It was fun to see how they built their ideas off each other and worked as a team. This 4th grade class definitely worked well as a group! They had great classroom dynamic and really seamed to get along!

During lunch I helped Mrs. Ames' set up science stations. In 4th grade, teachers rotate students from teacher to teacher for one hour a day. It was fun to help set up and execute the science lesson for the 3 different classes that day!

Above is a station we created to have students test magnetic attraction.

At the station above, students were able to transfer magnetic current and "make their own magnets"

This last station (above) let students experiment how "negatives attract".

Below you will see the students traveling from station to station! The activities were great and I was so happy that I could be apart of this lesson!





When we got back to the classroom, the students showed me the "animal alliterations" that they just had created! They were so proud of these little animals and I thought it was a great way to have students apply their knowledge of alliteration.








One of my favorite things about TZ is all the amazing artwork all throughout the school. The art teacher there is really good about combining art with other learning. Below you will see the robots that this 4th grade class is working on. The robots are made of all recycled materials and the students are learning about "going green" and being Eco-friendly.



The students also had to create fliers (as seen below) to market and sell their robot. Again, the art teacher really made the scope of the project extend to much more than just "art".


Another fun activity that the class got to do (as seen below) was to create a color wheel out of cookies and frosting!! I loved this idea and thought it was very cute and interactive. I'm sure that the kids in this 4th grade class will remember this activity always!

The hallways of TZ was lined with these wind charms (as seen below) created by the 4th graders. I loved how the halways of TZ were lined with these fun and cheery projects. I think that displaying childrens work helps to create a sence of community.





Below is another art project that the 4th graders have done this year!



I ended my day at 2pm, tired, but very fufilled. I really enjoyed shadowing Mrs. Ames and really learned alot from her!