IPS/Butler University Laboratory School

With Mr. Nored fully phased into teaching right now and really taking the lead with the lessons, etc., it has really given me the opportunity to work with small groups and individuals a lot more which has been WONDERFUL and MEANINGFUL!! To be able to take the time and not rush our meaningful conversations has been rewarding and I think the children have enjoyed the time too.

Today I worked with two groups, Saturn and Uranus, on their representations for their planet research, and just like yesterday the two groups I worked with today worked so collaboratively, and I cannot even tell you how excited they were to share their knowledge with their friends! I have really enjoyed this time working closely with the friends, and I am excited to see more of what they do!

Today and tomorrow I will be working with the planet groups to discuss and support their representations of their knowledge. This afternoon I worked with Mercury (Heaven, Madeline P., and Cha’kyra), and I was really blown away by their collaboration,hard work,and knowledge for their planet. Last week with the Block A Butler students, they worked on a poster with facts about Mercury. Today we revisited that poster and discussed as a group what they liked, what needed to be done to make it more of what they desire. They really did an amazing job of working cohesively to add gems to make their Greek symbol, to paint the word Mercury on their poster, to add a sun and Mercury in orbit out of collage materials. After they were finished,they presented their poster to their friends, and wow…the friends watching were such good listeners and the girls presenting did a wonderful job sharing their work. Tomorrow I will be working with some of the other groups on their posters so I am excited for you all to see it on the Space Presentation Night!

Today we started making story stones at school. Story stones were developed by the preschool team in our building. After they showed us what they were, it made so much sense to have a set in our room! What we did today and what we will continue to do this week is prepare them. We cut out a picture from a child’s dictionary first. Then we select a smooth stone to mod podge the picture onto. After they dry and we are done making them, the children will be able to use them during story workshop to create stories or if they get writer’s block they can say grab three stones and create a story with those three stones. We are so excited about this process!

This afternoon Mr. Nored led an engaging experience for the children when he brought in various objects to represent the size of the planets. This was wonderful for the children to see because they got a better picture of the whole solar system. It was fun too to hear the children share more of their knowledge like that the inner planets are called “rocky midgets” and the outer planets are called “the gas giants.” There was so much thinking, comparing, and contrasting which was so much fun to do with the children!

This morning when the children were coming in I noticed that many of them were talking about how excited they were for math workshop and going shopping for their telescopes! It was so much fun to see them so excited to shop for their telescopes and then see them so engaged in making them.

They are excited to bring them home and then use them when we go to Butler on Saturday night!