Here's my son's 4th grade class schedule. I'm interested in comments on the lengths of time devoted to each subject, and in seeing other schools' schedules--especially the German school, 5wahls!
9:15-9:30 Check-in and homework check
9:30-11:00 Math
11:00-11:15 Recess
11:15-11:30 Read Aloud and healthy snack (teacher reads, kids eat)
11:30-1:05 Language Arts/spelling
1:05-1:45 Lunch
1:45-3:00 Social Studies/Science
3:00-3:35 Various Activities
3:35-3:40 Closing and homework
Monday alterations: 11:45-12:25 Music
Tuesday alterations: 2:10-2:40 Library/computers
Friday alterations: 10:15-10:55 Music
2:15-2:55 Art
8 comments:
Wow those are some long class periods. An hour and a half of math on a non-block day? Thats insane, haha. Actually math isnt as bad as I thought it was... For six hours of school I think that schedule works. Lunch seems a little late though.
Those are long periods, but it's nice to see regular time actualy scheduled for science and social studies. I wonder what "various activities" is. AND does the parent get in trouble if they don't bring a healthy snack?
On an unrelated note, my dad, who has the same first name, just got a call from a local PBS show called California Connected. The producer talked to me because I'm a teacher, but wanted a teacher who supports Prop 74, which I don't. SO if anyone knows a teacher in Southern CA who supports 74, I guess they call email me simbass16 at yahoo.com.
I do like Props 75 and 76. I'm sick of the unions throwing money at political causes I vehemently disagree with.
I also disapprove of 74 but support 75 and 76.
Last night at Back To School Night the teacher explained what "various activities" might entail. I don't recall now, but I recall that I was neither overly impressed nor overly enraged. In other words, it was fine, whatever it was.
As for the "healthy snack", that's just there because school, and hence lunch, start so late. I don't know if the teacher is going to be the Food Police or not, but I would like to think that *parents* would follow the "spirit of the law" and not make her have to be the Food Police.
This schedule seems like what we have at the school at which I teach--a different schedule for every day of the week, which prevents getting into any set pattern. Routines are good for education, IMHO.
I don't recall my daughter's fourth grade schedule last year, I do know the reading block was pretty long, and my biggest complaint was that they didn't incorporate much science into the curriculum.
My son is in 3rd grade this year, his schedule is:
8:40 Morning work (a few math problems, and correct the sentence type language arts skills)
9:00-9:40 specials (gym, art, music, library and guidance)
9:40-10:00 snack
10:00-11:30 reading/language arts
11:30-12:00 math
12:00-1:00 lunch and reccess
1:00-1:30 math
1:30-3:00 some mix of reading, science and social studies (the kids who are weak in reading, usually get pulled during this time for additional reading instruction).
I work title 1 in a 2 grade classroom, and the majority of the day is spent on reading and grammar, with about an hour for math. There isn't really any science or social studies in the curriculum unless the teacher incorporates it. Something I am not too keen on.
Maybe I'm biased as a math teacher, but an hour of math, interrupted by lunch, doesn't sound ideal to me....
Let's try this. What would the *ideal* schedule be?
In elementary school, we combined english and social studies. With that schedule, I'd wonder how much science he'd get to do.
Also -- no art? Music? Gym?
Not that I'm obsessed with the idea of gym. But in elementary school, I did join the jogging club, which met during a gym period. I ran my first (and only!) 5K. :D
Art and music are listed in the schedules I see. My son says they do PE with the art and/or music teacher (huh?) but can't really articulate when it's done.
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