Mrs. Szynskie's Class @ Campbellsport Middle School
ABOUT
The 2016-2017 school year marks our first year together as a middle school class!
My name is Mrs. Samantha Szynskie, the lead teacher, and I have been at the elementary school for the past seven years as a cross-categorical teacher for grades 4K-6. I have always wanted to teach in a middle school and I am so grateful to be able to do it now in the community that I have grown to love! Nancy Flood and Stephanie Rohlfs are the paraprofessionals assisting us in our classroom and out in the general education settings. These women are caring, compassionate, and hard-working individuals that help me be a better teacher.
Together we strive to create positive learning environments and promote social thinking, independence, and teamwork as we support our students in succeeding.
Each section below summarizes important aspects of daily life here in room #24:
Money Math
Earning Incentives through Meeting Expectations
Students have a daily sheet where they can be paid for meeting expectations. At the end of the day students count up their total and then I pay them each on Friday. They practice sorting and counting bills and coins and can buy items such as candy, a prize box, sit in the teacher chair for a day, lunch with me, catch with a teacher and more! It is incredibly motivating!
Writing/Technology
Cursive/Computer Skills
Each afternoon students work on their cursive handwriting skills and it is wonderful to see their excitement and pride when they see how great it looks! Many students have even began writing in cursive on their own during other daily writing tasks! We also have been working hard on learning necessary typing and computer skills through Google and Microsoft programs.
Centers
Independent Work
Students work independently at 3 centers each day, rotating through nine each week. Each center concentrates on a literacy or math skill and can include social studies and science topics. They also have silent reading opportunities mixed in every day. Centers teach students to focus and complete their tasks because once they finish, they get to choose a free-time choice. Students also learn to ask for help and advocate for themselves.
Engaging Literacy Units
Meaningful Learning
I believe that learning is more meaningful when students are fully involved in their topics. One of my favorite literacy units is the invention/inventor unit! We read texts about two children who are friends and invent cool gadgets, then students get to invent their own invention from my kits "aka - my junk box" and make a slideshow advertising it, finally they research an inventor of their choice and present their finding to the class.