Cooperative Learning

At the beginning of the year, I made it quite clear to my students that we were a FAMILY in spite of our race, ethnicity, religious or cultural beliefs. The idea of establishing a classroom community in which everyone is working towards the success of another is vital in creating a climate that is supportive, caring and respectful. My students now refer to each other as their brother or sister and of course I am Mama Bear :-)

Here are some priceless pics - students tutoring their peers in Math during the lunch break (yes,lunch break!) I am encouraged by the dedication of not only the tutors who give their time but also by the students that recognise the need to get extra tutoring and responsibly staying in to get that support at lunch time. BRAVO :-)   #proudteacher

Supporting our peers. Great job guys!

Peer Tutoring - a teacher's priceless moments!

Canadian Rights and Freedoms

Social Studies continues to be a favourite and no wonder -  my students are extremely animated, opinionated kids that are always enthusiastic to share their ideas on a wide range of issues. They love to engage in talks about topical and social issues and quite seriously their level of maturity still impresses me. Their rich, diverse personal experiences contribute to vibrant discussions that are informative, insightful and sometimes highly analytical. I am blessed to have these students. Canada, watch out! There are a few budding politicians in this class! They are aware of their rights and freedoms and the responsibilities that comes with each. Good job everyone!

Close up of some of the students' rights!

Diwali Assembly

My super dynamic students are always looking for new opportunities to get involved in class and school activities. With their spirited personalities, this comes as no surprise! Therefore, it is not surprising that most of my students are active members of the school's choir.

Here are a few of them after their lovely performance at the Diwali Assembly! Well done guys!

One student from another class volunteered to give me a mehndi design for Diwali. It was her first attempt and she did an AMAZING job. Thanks a lot Janant!

Municipal Elections and ...

Hello Blogsophere!!!!!

It has been a while and sooooo much has happened in our classroom! It will be difficult to capture the last three or so weeks in pictures and words but I'll try to highlight some of the wonderful work my students have done.

One exciting collaboration was working with another Grade 5 class to  simulate the election process  - campaign speeches by prospective candidates, campaign posters and to top it off marking an actual ballot in a voting booth!!! This exercise coincided with the October 27th Municipal Elections so it was a real-life, authentic learning experience. The students enjoyed seeing democracy at work! Thanks for the opportunity Ms Villa!

 Student voting!

Happy Diwali! Shubh Dipawali!

Shubh Dipawali to everyone celebrating the Festival of Lights! In light of today's tragic events in Ottawa let us all reflect on the significance of this festival as a reminder that light will always be victorious over darkness. Knowledge, goodness and hope will forever triumph over ignorance, evil and despair.

 On a more positive note, please view some pictures of the Diwali celebrations that my AMAZING students independently organised and coordinated. Thanks to everyone that participated and made today a success! You have not ceased to amaze me!
# celebratingdiversity

Diwali PPT

Informative Diwali Poster 

Even food was brought in!

Thanks for the samosas and sweets!

Bhangra dance - Good job!

Bharatanatyam dance! - Good job!

Another Bharatanatyam dance - good job !

Subtraction Anchor Chart

Subtraction anchor chart for learners who have a hard time grasping the concept. Nice visual to display in class. Got the idea on Pinterest! Love the catchy lines!

Subtraction made easy!

Oops! One of my students caught a mistake on the chart today. Thanks Kuwardeep! 597-121 equals 476 not 478. I knew that! Lol!

Boostergrams!!!!

Have you ever felt like you could use a 'boost' in your self-esteem every once in a while? Well, that's the idea behind BOOSTERGRAMS!!!

Starting tomorrow, my class and I will be acknowledging the good we see in others by writing a note of gratitude. These boostergrams will be read every morning in the homeroom period. A great way to start the day - feeling valued,being recognized for a kind act or gesture and a nice boost to the spirit to last the entire day! #community building , #climateiskey