Our nonfiction unit is underway. We kicked it off on Monday by discussing the differences between fiction and nonfiction. We then began practicing some nonfiction reading strategies, like previewing the text and asking questions before, during, and after we read. A giant difference between nonfiction and fiction is the fact that nonfiction has text features. We spent Wednesday and Thursday exploring various nonfiction books and magazines. We ended up using the magazines to make posters displaying several text features and their definitions. The kids worked in groups and did a fabulous job!

On Wednesday we spent our afternoon playing board games! This was the reward the students voted on for filling the Transition Jar. I put a marble in the Transition Jar every time students transition quietly and calmly in the hallway, as well as positive reports from specialist teachers. I honestly had so much fun playing games with the kids. Some of them joined me in playing one of my favorite games of all time: Scrabble. I may or may not have gotten pretty into it...

Wednesday was also parent/teacher conferences. Although it was quite a long day, all the parents I met with made it fly by. I really enjoyed getting the chance to chat with so many parents and share how the kiddos are doing. If any parents were unable to make conferences that night, feel free to get in touch with me and we can try to schedule a brief meeting before or after school.

Our Bucket Fillers this week were Marco and Andrew. It's crazy that this is only the first time Marco has gotten Bucket Filler this school year; he fills my bucket constantly! He works so hard in class, is kind to his classmates, and always has a smile on his face. Andrew had a great week, particularly on Friday. He did an awesome job on our nonfiction questioning exercise. I have a feeling he's going to rock this unit!