Welcome!
Welcome to Fourth Grade, Fabulous Families!
Hello everyone! I am so incredibly excited to be your child's fourth-grade teacher this year at Cottage Hill! We are going to embark on an amazing learning adventure together, and I can't wait to get to know each and every one of your wonderful children.
To help you get to know me a little better, here's a peek into who I am!
My Journey to Teaching: I've always loved helping others learn. That passion led me to getting a Child Development degree from Sacramento State, and my Masters Degree from Western Governors University. Fourth grade is a truly special year, and I adore the engaging topics we cover and watching them grow.
My Classroom Philosophy:
My goal this year is to create a positive, engaging, supportive, and collaborative learning environment where every student feels excited to learn. I believe in fostering a growth mindset, encouraging critical thinking, celebrating every small success, a balance of challenging academics and creative expression. We'll be working hard, but we'll also be having a lot of fun along the way!
Fourth grade is often a year where students really hit their stride and start to enjoy school in new ways! Here's how students will likely enjoy fourth grade:
1. A Deeper Dive into Interesting Topics:
- Reading to Learn: Instead of just learning to read, fourth graders really start "reading to learn." This means more exciting non-fiction texts about history, science, and cultures. They'll read longer chapter books and delve into different genres, which can be really captivating in their 95% lessons.
- Math: While learning a variety of methods to solve problems can be challenging, mastering them gives students a huge sense of accomplishment. They'll also tackle multi-digit multiplication and division, decimals, and more complex problem-solving, which can feel like solving fun puzzles.
- Engaging Science: Fourth-grade science often includes topics like the solar system, different forms of energy (electricity, light, sound), and geology (earthquakes, erosion), our school incorporates hands-on experiments and projects, making these subjects come alive.
- Social Studies: Students explore their home state's history, American history (like the American Revolution and early presidents), and world geography. Learning about different places and times can spark curiosity and a sense of wonder.
2. Growing Independence and Responsibility:
- More Challenging Work: The curriculum ramps up, requiring more critical thinking and problem-solving. This can be very satisfying for students as they realize they're capable of tackling more complex tasks.
- Developing Study Skills: They'll learn to take notes, research information, and manage projects. This growing independence in their learning can be empowering.
- Increased Responsibility: Fourth graders are often given more responsibility for their schoolwork and personal organization, which builds confidence and a sense of maturity.
3. Social Growth and Collaboration:
- Group Projects and Teamwork: Many fourth-grade activities involve collaborative group projects, which help students develop important social skills like communication, empathy, and problem-solving.
- Interactive Learning: Teachers often incorporate engaging activities like role-playing, charades, and team-building exercises to make learning fun and interactive.
- Sharing and Discussion: Storytelling and discussion circles provide opportunities for students to share their thoughts, listen to others, and respectfully communicate.
4. Creativity and Expression:
- Advanced Writing: Students will refine their writing skills, learning to structure essays, use proper grammar, and write for different purposes (informational reports, descriptive and persuasive texts). This allows them to express their ideas more clearly and creatively.
- Art and Hands-on Projects: In fourth grade we offer art projects, and science often involves hands-on activities and experiments, allowing students to learn by doing and express their creativity.
- Digital Skills: With increasing access to technology, students may get to use digital tools for research, presentations, and even creative projects like designing their own planets or creating stop-motion animations.
In summary, fourth grade is a year of significant growth where students become more independent learners, dive into fascinating subjects, develop crucial social skills, and have plenty of opportunities to be creative. This combination often leads to a highly enjoyable and rewarding school year.
