I believe my role as a teacher is to be a partner in the learning process with my students and their parents. I use a variety of formative assessments to continually guide my instruction. I provide students with multiple pathways for learning in a safe, respectful, and engaging environment. I believe it is important to help children develop the ability to learn how to learn, learn how to collaborate, and learn how to persevere, using mistakes as opportunities to find success. My goal is to nurture children toward becoming life-long learners. I love learning. I love celebrating the children as they learn.

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support In the past, school-wide discipline has focused mainly on reacting to specific student misbehavior by implementing punishment-based strategies including reprimands, loss of privileges, office referrals, suspensions, and expulsions. Research has shown that the implementation of punishment, especially when it is used inconsistently and in the absence of other positive strategies, is ineffective. Introducing, modeling, and reinforcing positive social behavior is an important step of a student's educational experience. Teaching behavioral expectations and rewarding students for following them is a much more positive approach than waiting for misbehavior to occur before responding. The purpose of school-wide PBIS is to establish a climate in which appropriate behavior is the norm.

 7:45 TARDY BELL RINGS  7:55-8:40 Literacy (Reading Workshop)  8:45-9:30 Literacy (Writing Workshop)  9:35-10:20 Connections  10:30-11:40 Sci/SS  11:55-12:50 LUNCH/RECESS  12:55-2:05 Math  2:10 Dismissal/ASP Begins

 I will sign it every morning.  Please sign it every evening.  Explaining the learning that’s happening.  Providing questions to ask your child to support the learning that’s happening.

“You have to take time to dream before you can make your dreams come true.” Students have created learning goals in reading, writing, and math that we will monitor and reflect on every nine weeks. Reading goals were focused on the student’s desire to do more reading (variety and pace). To promote this admirable goal, when books are completed, students will be writing or video recording a summary of the book. These written or video summaries will be posted on my teacher web page as book recommendations so that we can use them to create a “buzz” about reading.

 Student’s choose a “just right” book to read.  Reading strategies are taught to all students in a 10-minute mini-lesson.  Students spend the majority of reading class reading while the teacher holds one-on-one or small group conferences with students addressing their individual reading needs.  Fifth grade reading involves writing about reading. Students will maintain a reading journal and are encouraged to write about their reading.  Homework Suggestion: Students should read 15 minutes each evening and write 5 minutes about their reading using strategies discussed in class..

 Student’s choose the topic they want to write about.  Writing strategies are taught to all students in a 10-minute mini-lesson.  Students spend the majority of writing class writing while the teacher holds one-on-one or small group conferences with students addressing their individual writing needs.  Fifth grade writing involves opinion essays, informational essays, and narrative stories.  Homework Suggestion: Students have writing journals and they are encouraged to practice the writing strategies we discuss.

 Pre-assessments drive the instruction and guide flexible groupings.  Class Format: Lesson with Teacher 2x/week (M/W or Tu/Fri) Catch-up Lesson if needed 1x/week (Thursday) On Non-Lesson Day, students choose their activity: STEM, Critical Thinking, Special Interest Contract, Homework/Extra Skills Practice Work  Mathematical Practices Standards  Students will receive a study guide before tests.  Students can preview/review video lessons on teacher web page.  Homework is intended to be meaningful practice. Please communicate adjustments as needed to serve this purpose. It will always be a Tic-tack-toe board due on Mondays. A hardcopy will be sent home and it is posted on my teacher webpage.  Teacher web page is a great resource.

 Mrs. Nelson _nelson/site/default.aspx