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PNA BLOGS

Turning Dreams into Reality

2/24/2018
As we prepared for conferences this week, each student chose something of which they were proud, something at which they wanted to get better, and something at which they had already gotten better.  I refer to these as a smile and a wish when I first introduce them.  After reflecting on their learning, each student transformed their wish into a goal, with two to three actionable steps.

"A goal without a dream is just a wish."
                    -Antoine de Saint-Exupery

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This was challenging for some of our little learners at first.  We have made reading goals before, in which they choose something they could do better, close their eyes, and visualize doing it better.  However, this is the first time I asked them to write down their goal and the steps they can take to achieve it.  Setting, making a plan for, and working towards goals is a complex task, but an important one.

"A dream is just a dream.  A goal is a dream with a plan and a deadline."
​                                     -Harvey MacKay

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Achieving a goal takes discipline and perseverance.  When they make goals, students become vested in their education, begin to take responsibility for their learning, and learn an important tool for becoming lifelong, reflective learners and accomplishing their dreams.  I hope my students never stop dreaming big, and I am glad that I can provide them with tools and mindsets to help make those dreams into reality. ​​

"Most of our obstacles would melt away if, instead of cowering before them, we should make up our minds to walk boldly through them."
                            -Orison Swett Marden

Why do you love PNA?

2/17/2018
This week, we challenged the PNA community to articulate what they love about PNA.  I became a teacher because I value learning for learning's sake, because reading opens up entire worlds to us, because our world is full of interesting things to be explored and explained.  I chose to teach at PNA because it allows me to help my students become creative, stay curious, explore their interests, and discover their place in our world. 
   
When asked to write what he loves about PNA, one of our sweet kindergartners said, "Well, I don't know.  Sometimes I have to work really hard and it's tough."  I love that, even though we strive to make learning fun and engaging, we also challenge our students.  Students are not simply given answers or encouraged to conform, follow one path, or give the "right" or expected answer.  Instead, students are encouraged to persevere through challenges, to try new things, to look at things from multiple perspectives, to take risks, struggle, and even fail at times.  Students, teachers, and parents work together to learn, to embrace the journey, and to grow.  As a result, students bounce into school, eager to learn and experience whatever the day holds, not because it will be on a test or because they have to, but because we capitalize on their natural curiosity and eagerness to explore the world in which we live, because we provide interesting, authentic, and engaging learning contexts, because we build a community where mistakes are okay and where risks and growth are expected and encouraged.   
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For the past few weeks, I have had a classroom full of mushers, dog trainers, actors, and movie directors.  Students, engaged in projects, have had the opportunity to learn using real word tools and authentic contexts.  They have been challenged, had fun, and learned new skills.  PNA allows me to help my students learn in an amazing way, and I love that. 

Thoughts on 100... from 5, 6, and 7 year olds

2/10/2018
As you know, we celebrated our 100th day of school this week.  As students pretended to be 100 and shared about what they picture themselves doing at 100 years old, I was struck by a few things, the first being their sense of humor and love of fun.  ​
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Students had us laughing all day as they pretended to be 100, calling each other "sonny boy," asking if I'd seen their teeth, pretending to walk on canes and have cricks in their backs, and informing me that they can wear what they want because they are old and retired.  ​​
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The second thing that stood out to me is how much vision and ambition our sweet little ones have.  At 100, they plan to be building trains, surfing, traveling the world, playing whatever they want, and visiting family, among other things... like eating all the bacon and ice cream they want.
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On the same note, I loved seeing their outside interests and passion projects this week.  I have no doubt that they will all accomplish great things in their lives.  
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I love that I get to be part of helping them figure out who they are, their place in this world, and how they can contribute to it.  Thank you for sharing that great privilege with me.  ​​​
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An Arctic Expedition

2/3/2018
This week in math, the first graders and I embarked on a pretend expedition to Antarctica.  We encountered penguins, learning number stories about them (which included their height, weight, and the number of eggs they lay) and comparing our heights to theirs.
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It was a highly engaging unit.  Students asked me throughout the day, "When are we going to work on our penguin project again?"  
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Students were surprised by how small a rockhopper penguin is.
I do not know about you, but I do not remember math being particularly fun or engaging when I was in elementary school.  In fact, it was not until I learned how to teach math when I was in college that I truly began to enjoy math.  Now I see how interesting and engaging it can be, providing yet another way to explore, understand, and explain our world. 
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 Through our math instruction, we do not just encourage students to memorize facts, formulas, and algorithms.  Instead, we encourage students to become mathematicians: to look for and articulate patterns, explain their mathematical thinking, look at scenarios from additional angles, and solve math problems in new ways.
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Photo Credit: Kathy Heinlein
With Bridges, we invite them to engage in mathematical thinking, support them as they learn new skills and strategies, and provide continued exposure to and practice with learned skills and strategies through work stations.  
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King penguins are quite a bit taller than rockhoppers!
The whole experience is age-appropriate, fun, and engaging.  Students look forward to math and exploring the world through the lens of a mathematician, and it is a joy to be part of that experience with them.  ​
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    Hali Tuomi

    Ms. Tuomi has over five years experience in ASD, where she taught first and fifth grade classrooms. An avid skier, Ms. Tuomi is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Alaska Pacific University’s Bachelor of Arts in K-8 Education.

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