Monday, March 30, 2009

A Fourth Grader's Reasoning Skills

Today I was teaching my class how to fold and cut paper to make a book that does not require staples. While I was in the middle of explaining the instructions one of my students called out (with an attitude):

"Mrs. Thornal! Can't you please just be quiet so I can think!"

WHOA! If I had been quick on my feet I could have responded to the usually chatty girl with, "Can't you please just be quiet while I try to teach?" Good grief! When I talked to her about this later, she responded with, "Well at least I said please."

Looking back on the situation I can laugh, but at the time I didn't find it so funny.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

My Kids Made the News

Today my fourth graders participated in a video conference with a local weatherman. In their eyes he's a celebrity. One of my students told me how nervous he was about meeting someone so famous. :)

The video conference went surprisingly well and the kids seemed to really enjoy it. After all, who doesn't like to learn about tornadoes and thunderstorms? The weatherman even spent 20 minutes answering questions that the students had prepared for him. One of the questions that the kids thought was most important to ask was "What do you do if a tornado is coming towards the news station?"

About ten minutes into the conference, the weatherman asked us to wait just a second while he listened to the information that was coming to him through his earpiece. He then announced that our county was just put under a tornado watch. It was serious, not just a part of his show, and the wide-eyed look on some of the kids' faces was priceless. How appropriate for a conference named Project Tornado!

At the end of the video conference a group picture was taken so it could be aired on the evening news tonight. Let me tell you, that's a pretty cool thing when you're in elementary school.

Here's a picture of the group, all 60 of them, holding up their weather booklets during the conference. Below the picture is a statement the weatherman put on his website in regards to our group. I must say that I am quite proud of them!

Super job! This was a well-prepared group of 4th graders. I am always impressed with students who come to the session so well prepared. Thank you so much for sharing these students with me. I have to get to the studio now and check on the latest updates on the weather system that is moving into our area. Kudos!

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Uh-oh

I'm experiencing buyer's remorse :( This is normal, right? I'm so used to being able to take things back if I'm even the slightest bit doubtful. Returning a house isn't so easy. . . .