Friday Afternoon Post (August 31, 2018)

Howdy Folks!

Math

This week we’ve been focusing in on multiplication strategies! We worked on doubling numbers beyond the range of basic number facts, as well as used a range of strategies that include splitting the numbers into tens and ones, using a known fact, or treating the number as a whole quantity. Booyah!

We also reviewed doubling strategies to multiply by four or eight. We utilized diagrams that show the associative property of multiplication to model the strategy.

We then extended the doubles strategies to multiply two-digit factors by four or eight (for example, 97 x 8)! Yea, buddy!

Reader's Workshop

One of our main focus this week was to work on reading intensely so that we may improve our reading stamina, but to also work on the skill of stop in the middle of our reading to retell/summarize in order to synthesize (combing previous parts in the story thus far to comprehend and form opinion/conclusions/ideas/connections with the current chapter)

Writing down her summary of the chapter before she shares out!
Booyah!

We also discussed how to know when a new book that we're hoping to enjoy might be too challenging:

Writer's Workshop

This week for writing, we used a think-on-the-page strategy to brainstorm the inner and outer traits of our main character. This strategy can be used before writing a story (which is probably the best time to use this, as the story hasn't been written yet!), but one can also use this in the middle of writing a story, or when the first draft of the story is done, and needs revision. So...this is less on planning what will happen in the story, and more on bringing to life the characters who will make things happen in the story. 

We had a long math assessment near the end of the week, but managed to power through it with the best of our abilities!

But we chilled out afterwards by listening to a handful of student council speeches, partook in Pokemon Friday, and hung out with our kinder buddies!

And that's a wrap folks! Cheers, and have a good one!

Friday Afternoon Post (August 24, 2018)

Happy Friday Y’all

Today we focused on practicing our non-fiction reading skills, and through collaboration and discussion, determined the main idea and details of a Social Studies article!

During Writer’s Workshop today we read a few examples of small moments, and focused on the descriptive details that the author used to bring his narrative to life! We took a page from this author, Roald Dahl, and tried to make our small moments come to life by adding descriptive details that show feelings, thoughts, and emotions, as well as adding some dialogue!

For reader’s workshop, we discussed the importance of including details from the text as a way to support our ideas, inferences, and answers.

And of course, we had Pokémon Friday!

And that's a wrap folks! Cheers, and have a good one!

Wednesday Evening Post (August 22, 2018)

Howdy Folks!

Let's see what we worked on today....

Today for Reader’s Workshop, we read Too Many Tamales and practiced Noticing and Noting the signpost, A-ha Moment, and then making an inference using that signpost! We focused on including details from the text as a way to explain and “prove” our inference.

Today for math, we practiced saying 5- and 6-digit numbers, as well explore ways to record 5- and 6-digit numbers using expanded form! We also brought up how parenthesis in math makes it more clear for us to know which operations to solve first in the equation!

For Writer’s Workshop today, we collected ideas for realistic fiction stories by paying attention  to the small moments that we’re writing about!

And that's a wrap folks! Cheers!

Monday Afternoon Post! (August 20, 2018)

Howdy Folks!

Just wanted to let you folks in on what we worked on today!

Today we did some Reader’s Workshop and practiced some close reading skills! We read part of Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress, and noticed & noted a Contrast and Contradiction in the book! We discussed it, and recorded it down in our notebooks. We'll be continuing with our discussion on the themes of identity and the acceptance of others who are different than we are tomorrow, as we wrap up this book, and move on to the next, in order to practice more close reading skills!

In math today, we worked in collaborative groups and practiced composing five-digit numbers in a variety of ways. We then worked our way up to composing six-digit numbers using various tools (abacus, expander, etc.) and in various ways (e.g words and numerals)

We also spent some time discussing expected behavior vs. unexpected behaviors in the classroom, and how they tie in with our class expectations (Respect people, time, and property), with P.R.I.D.E, and with social norms and expectations! Gotta work on those life skills, you know?

And that's a wrap-up folks! Cheers, and have a good one!

Saturday Morning Post (August 11, 2018)

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's Mr. Dinh!

Howdy y'all! I'm stoked about the 2018-2019 school year! My name is Andrew Dinh, and if you're reading this, it's most likely that you're going to be in my classroom, or you're a parent, and you're keen on knowing more about me!

What's my reason for teaching? Simply put, my objective is to provide students with a safe and positive learning environment, in which we'll be practicing the skills of :

• Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
• Creative Thinking Skills
• Communication Skills
• Collaboration Skills
• Global Citizenship (a.k.a. Empathy and Perspective Taking)

Here's a little more a little bit about myself:

• I went to San Jose State (repping the blue and gold!) for my undergrad (B.A. in English) and teaching credential.

There's me in the back with the glasses!

• I have a super-phresh family! My wife, Molly, is also an educator, and my daughter Maisie just turned two this past July! Booyah!

At the Women's March!

• Hobbies that I have? Hmmm...

• I love to run (done a bunch of half-marathons and one whole marathon)! Running allows me to eat all sorts of food that I love! By the way, I'm also a foodie! I love food from all corners of the world, and am willing to try anything out!

About to go on jog with the fam!

Doing Bay-to-Breakers for the umpteenth time with my cousins!

This was right before my father-in-law, his girlfriend, and I tackled a 26-miler!

• I love sneakers (ever since Jordan was on the court trying for his six rings!)

Maisie's trying on some LeBron 15s

The shoe wall.

• I love comics and reading (I learned how to read thanks to the X-Men, Spider-Man, and the Justice League!)

• I love binge watching a wide variety of shows! Since having Maisie, our movie-watching has declined because going to a theater with a two-year old can...challenging. So Molly and I usually relegate our screen time to watching shows like Game of Thrones, West World, Orange is the New Black, etc. Of course, you can't forget the oldies The Office, Parks and Rec, The Wire, Full House, Family Matters etc. Like I said, I LOVE binge watching!

• I LOVE music! I listen to a lot of different sounds, genres, and artists. I guess that makes my musical taste eclectic. Here's a sample:

And that's a wrap up folks! Cheers to an awesome school year!