of a Fourth Grade Student at Great Falls
What a gift to spend Valentine’s Day with the sweetest student. Colton was kind enough to allow me to shadow him throughout his school day. He was full of happiness and pure joy! Seeing school through his eyes was an incredible experience.
We started off the day by taking a moment to share a new read-aloud with our school community. I was fortunate to meet Village School parent and author, Ornella Ngabire. Ornella wrote the book "Smiley Girl" which delivers a call to action for kindness. To celebrate this special week and refocus on what it means to give back to others, Colton and I delivered a copy of her book to each classroom and the school library.
It is no secret that our students are being introduced to technology at an early age. There is research that shows that by the time a student reaches fourth grade, they may be more tech-savvy than their parents. Fourth graders are familiar and comfortable with the use of devices and are able to easily adapt to new learning. On this day, I was able to attend Colton’s technology class with Mrs. Mason. He and his classmates were rock stars as they developed “book snaps” to promote and share a current book with others. Fourth graders love to express themselves in creative ways and this was a great way to keep students engaged.
It was interesting to discover that most fourth-graders pack their own snacks for school. The favorite snacks appeared to be fruit (Colton loves his apples), granola bars, applesauce, yogurt pouches, chips, and crackers.
Joining Colton throughout the day reinforced how important it is to engage a fourth-grader in their own learning. Tapping into student interest and curiosity increases the level of motivation and progress. This was true during Colton’s time to advance along with the Iditarod Challenge. Mrs. Stanley annually introduces her students to the legendary dog sled race and facilitates this exciting project. Colton and his peers were eager to solve problems and make decisions regarding their sled dogs. What a fun way to encourage problem-solving and real-world math and mapping skills.
Developing a growth mindset is essential as a fourth-grader. Throughout the day, Colton was given opportunities to acknowledge and embrace mistakes as part of the learning process. He was able to take risks when he felt safe and knew that making mistakes and learning from them as normal. Because of the growth mindset culture, it was interesting to see when fourth-graders would use grit and perseverance even when faced with academic challenges.
Fourth grade is the year when students really start to enjoy reading for pleasure. Whether it is historical fiction, fantasy, mysteries, or realistic fiction, when fourth-graders find books that are “just right” they are engaged and their reading stamina increases drastically. Colton loves graphic novels that include fantasy and science fiction. Finding the perfect genre for a fourth-grader may be tricky but once it happens, it’s like magic! Luckily Mrs. Sedenka is an invaluable resource and makes book recommendations part of her classroom culture. Fourth graders also enjoy being read to. The students were captivated at any point in the day when their teacher read aloud. …and I enjoyed it as well!
Lunch and recess is a great opportunity for the students to be social with peers and share their favorite video games, activities, and plans for their free time. Colton highly recommends the chicken sandwich and fries. Unfortunately, the outdoor “feels like” temperature was below 10 degrees on this particular school day so recess was held indoors. The choices for indoor recess in Colton’s classroom included computer time, board games, reading, and drawing. Most fourth-graders chose computer time.
Here’s a fun fact about me… I was first hired in Gorham in 1999 as a fourth-grade teacher! It is an amazing grade and the students at this age are so alive. They have big feelings about most things. Whether it is joy, excitement, anxiety, or disappointment, fourth graders are very animated. They do best in school when their teachers respond to their intensity with a consistent, relaxed, and light-hearted approach. The most important thing for a fourth-grader is that they feel safe, loved, and comfortable. The environment must make them feel secure so they are able to take academic risks.
I absolutely enjoyed my day Colton! I was reminded of what a tremendous amount of social, academic, and physical growth occurs during this particular academic year. Students in this grade tend to be curious, sensitive, and serious about fairness and justice. They work hard during the school day and are being asked to do more things on their own than in earlier grades. Colton was a hard worker and a perfect companion for my “day in the life of a fourth grader”. Special thank you to Mrs. Sedenka, Mrs. Stanley, Mrs. Bryant, Mrs. Mason, and Mrs. Beaulieu for letting me visit their learning environments. Huge appreciation to Colton, who inspires me to never lose focus of the perspective of our students.
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