About My Classroom
Newberry Elementary School
Newberry is a unique town, located in the heart of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It is home to approximately 1,400 people and is home to the Newberry Indians. Our school is also unique, as it houses the high school, middle school and elementary all in one building. This definitely brings a whole new meaning to "feeling like family".
Room 109
Room 109 is a second home to 27 second graders. My classroom is comprised of 15 boys and 12 girls, all of whom bring a unique and important piece to our classroom puzzle. Each year, my goal is to develop positive relationships with all of my students. This is important to me because it allows me the opportunity to meet the very different needs that each one of them brings to school; whether that is supporting them academically or creating a safe and welcoming environment in the classroom.
Before entering my classroom you'll find a display of classroom work hanging in the hallway. I rotate the work frequently and hang pieces that students have put a lot of effort into. My students are proud when their work in put on display and are beaming with pride when other teachers stop to compliment them on their work.
Upon entering my room you'll find that it is laid out in an orderly fashion. There is a library/carpet area, where books are leveled according to the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) levels to make it easy for students to find books on their reading level. The kidney shaped table is used frequently throughout the day for small group instruction. Student's desks are arranged into three groups due to limited space within the room. While this is not the ideal way that I would like to group my students, it still allows for collaborative learning which is an important aspect in my classroom. If you were to walk into my classroom, you would more than likely see my students working in pairs throughout the classroom, they spend a limited amount of time sitting at their desks.
Students are working with play-dough to create land forms.
Students are "cracking eggs" and determining the amount of money in each.
Wonderful Work
Having my students complete work that is meaningful is important to me. I want them to master the standards but I also want them to enjoy the work that they are doing while making important connections. Below you'll find a few examples of work that my students have done. Clicking on the "Gallery of Student Work" button will provide more information about the assignments listed below.
Rainbow Prefixes
Opinion Writing
Valentine Book Box Reports