One Teacher's Adventures

This is my third year at my current school, and my third different classroom!  I feel cautiously optimistic that this will be my last move, so I'm making the room my own. This is my Grade 7 classroom: I asked for tables instead of desks to encourage collaboration and team work . Since my students don't have desks, they each have a drawer in the drawer carts to hold their supplies. Drawers in use. The pages next to my homework board are cover sheets that list all assignments and due dates for the term. If students are absent, they can check the cover sheets to see what they missed.   Extra assignments are kept by subject folder in the crate. The red baskets are my hand-in baskets. Students are not allowed to hand in assignments to me directly, it all has to go into the bin. Extra assignments crate.     My classroom library is organized by genre. Each different genre has a different coloured sticker on the spine so the kids ...

I don't know about your students, but mine don't especially love taking down notes!  I don't love notes, either, but they can be a great tool for studying and review if they are set up in a user-friendly way.   For French vocabulary review, I like to set up the notes as a French-English dictionary.  The students use a notebook and dedicate one page for each letter of the alphabet.  I like Hilroy 32-page exercise books because I can pick them up at Walmart the week before school starts for only $0.05 each!  To jazz up the booklets, you can glue on a simple cover. I spend the first class setting up the book with my students.  I use three columns:  ENGLISH WORD   I set the alphabet by English word, as it makes it easier for the students to find what they are looking for. FRENCH WORD I have my students include an article for all nouns to help them remember the gender of the noun. WORD TYPE  I ask my students...

I'm excited to share two free Core French projects that align with the new BC Curriculum for Grade 6-8! Francophone Communities Across Canada Project The first fits in with Grade 6 and Grade 7.  It is a Francophone Communities Across Canada Research Project.   Grade 6 BC Curriculum Connections: Big Idea Learning about Francophone communities helps us develop cultural awareness. Content Students are expected to know the following: There are many Francophone and Francophone Métis communities across Canada Basic information about a Francophone or Francophone Métis community in Canada Curricular Competencies Students  are expected to be able to do the following: Demonstrate awareness of Francophone and Francophone Métis communities across Canada Recognize that some Francophone communities are connected to First Peoples communities Identify and share information about a Francophone community in Canada Grad...

I've created a new clip art set all about hobbies!  In the set, I've included: fishing playing cards reading gardening odd jobs shopping sewing cooking hiking playing on a computer Click on the picture to see how you can download the images. What do you think?  What other hobbies would you like to see?  Let me know in the comments below!

This past Spring Break, I was fortunate enough to travel to Italy with my friend, Megan.  We booked a Contiki tour and spent 11 days in Italy, seeing Rome, Vatican City, Verona, Florence, San Gimignano, Pisa, Venice, Naples, and Pompeii.  It was an amazing trip! Here are some photos. The Spanish Steps in Rome The Pantheon in Rome. We were wandering through the narrow Roman streets looking for the Pantheon, and turned a corner which opened up into this square. It was amazing and certainly took my breath away! Inside the Pantheon, looking up at the opening in the roof. Trevi Fountain in Rome Me at the Trevi Fountain :) St. Peter's Basillica in Vatican City Looking down on the ruins of the Roman Forum with the Colosseum in the background Roman Forum The Colosseum in Rome Michelangelo's David in Florence. This took my breath away! I could have stood in that gallery all day just admiring the artistry. The vein details in the hands ...

Today, I'd like to share two new Beginner French resources with you. 1. Les Passe-Temps Unit This unit is all about hobbies!  It includes vocabulary lists, vocabulary puzzles and games, verb conjugation notes for pouvoir (to be able to) and vouloir (to want to), speaking and listening activities, reading and writing activities, and a section to talk about frequency (time)!  It's perfect for Grades 4-7!                     2. La Nourriture Unit This includes a huge vocabulary list with 50 basic food words! It is full of fruits, vegetables, meats, and other staple vocabulary terms.   The unit also includes vocabulary games and puzzles, presentations, a grocery flyer reading activity, verb notes for the verbs manger (to eat) and boire (to drink), an interview activity, and a survey!            ...