Social Studies Journals

I am so excited for Social Studies this year. Usually Social Studies is way down on my list of subjects but this year I am going at it a different way and I can't wait to see how it turns out. In our curriculum we learn about countries around the world: Peru, India, Tunisia, and Ukraine. The students really enjoy learning about new cultures and trying to picture how people in different countries live. I think I get an added bonus at our school because we live in an incredibly diverse community (my last class had 23 students from 11 different countries) so students already get to hear about different places and cultures.

Last year I used the classic textbook, discussion, worksheet/posters approach that seems to fit with Social Studies. However I noticed that my students, especially the boys, lost interest in what we were learning after about 15 minutes or so. This year I want to avoid that. It means a little more work on my part but I am excited to try my take on a Social Studies learning journal.

The students all have a journal which they will use to record what we learn. Rather than give them pages of information we will focus on 1-2 key ideas per lesson. I hope to use a bunch of pictures, videos, and stories to bring these different cultures to life. Basically the idea is more experience, less research. We will use different foldables, diagrams, and reflection questions to record what we have learned throughout the year. As well I have at least one big project planned for each unit. Our first country is India so we will be making paper lanterns for the Diwali festival of lights! Anyway we haven't actually started this part of our curriculum yet since we just finished up our Mapping unit to help us understand a little more about the world and its geography. I will keep you posted on how it goes though!

So why am I writing about these journals when I haven't even tried them yet? Because we decorated the covers today last week (it just took me this long to take pictures of them) and I love how they turned out! I gave the students clip art relating to the different countries and the overall themes of our curriculum so they could colour and decorate their journals. Students then got a chance to organize the pieces in whatever way they wanted so their journals could still reflect who they are as individuals. They are so colourful and the kids did such a great job that I just had to share them with you.

Here they are:

Stay tuned to see what happens on the inside!

Oh Yeah, I Forgot... Teaching Isn't Easy

It has definitely been an interesting start to my school year. My first two years of teaching I had the same group of students- with a few minor changes of course - since I moved from teaching grade 2 to grade 3. I was extremely fortunate because they were such a wonderful group to start out with.Of course every group has its quirks, difficulties, and is amazing in their own way but with this particular group of students I really clicked. We got along great which made classroom management much simpler. They were all happy to work with each other which was awesome when it came to seating arrangements and group work, and they generally were a very positive group of kids. Now I realize I may be remembering things going much smoother than they actually did but that's not the point. The point is that after two years with them I figured I was on my way with teaching. I knew what I was about, how to manage and organize my classroom, and how to deal with problems and difficulties along the way.

SCREECH... That is the sound of my ego coming to a grinding halt. After four weeks with a new group of students I have been reminded and am very aware that each group of students is different and requires different approaches to teaching. While my first class had some pretty big academic needs my new group of kiddos requires much more social, emotional, and behavioural support. Definitely not what I am used to. Needless to say I have not been the super-confident teacher I thought I was going to be this year. Now please don't get me wrong, I am not bashing my abilities as a teacher or saying I don't think I can do it. I am simply saying this first month of school has been a humbling reminder of how different every group of students is and how previous years are not necessarily indicators of what will happen this year. I need to be ready to change and adapt fro year to year.

All that being said, I am excited to push forward through the next few weeks and continue my search for what works and doesn't work for this particular group of kids. Looking through all these other teacher blogs I am encouraged and humbled by the experiences of other teachers. We have an amazing job and I can't imagine doing anything else. I think my new group of students is an awesome reminder for me that teaching is not easy, that students bring challenges with them to the classroom, and they all deserve to be loved for the unique people they are. I have heard that you never forget your first class, and I know I will forever hold them close in my heart, but more than ever I am excited for the challenges and changes that come with new groups of students. Bring on the rest of the year! I am ready.... I think.