The Christian Chronicle: December 2019

Friday, December 20, 2019

We had a great last school day of 2019.

We listened to another Christmas story that a friend of mine wrote. She also recorded herself reading it for me one year. She has since died, so The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree is a very special story for me.

Have a very merry Christmas with your family!

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Christmas is around the corner, and energy and anticipation are rising

We had a great day. The energy and anticipation is definitely rising.

I signed our class up in Epic Reading. Tomorrow I will send the information, as it is something they may use at home. It is free. There are great books on this site for them to read. There are some they read alone. There are also some that the computer reads to them.

We wrote an acrostic poem today, using the word "Christmas." They could copy the class one, or write their own.

We also did a grid puzzle again today.

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Students contrast book and movie

We had a great day again! Our elf, Snowflake, is watching us closely. She has been impressed with us the past couple of days.

We started with some math practice in addition and grids. We had to color given squares, such as B1 with black. When we were finished we had made a picture.

We finished our centers, as a couple didn't get to all six. Then each child rated them in order from 1 (liking the most) to 6 (liking the least).

We also compared/contrasted the Cranberry Christmas book and short movie.

Then we wrote our favorite, funniest, and saddest parts from Polar Express. We also wrote or drew our favorite character from the story.

We worked on winter murals, as well.

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Students learn about charts, introduction to multiplication

We had another great day!

We started with some practice of reading different types of charts. We have also started an introduction to multiplication. They aren't aware of it, but I have been doing games/activities to get them thinking in a way that will make multiplication easier. It will also allow them to see the importance of it.

We finished our centers today. They did a great job of staying on task, and working with a partner.

We also read a book today, and then watched the movie version. We started our compare/contrast. We will finish it tomorrow.

A note came home about Friday's party.

About Mrs. Christian

This fall, I started my 35th year in the classroom, my 27th year in third grade. I graduated from East Central University in the summer of 1984 and began my teaching career four days later as an all-day kindergarten teacher.

After six years of teaching in my home town of Wetumka, I moved to Enid, then to Moore, and finally to Shawnee.

I had thought I would retire from Moore Public Schools, at some point. But then, life happened. I got married, after thinking I would never go down that road ever again. I commuted the full second semester from Shawnee. The drive was way too hard on this old lady. Fortunately, Mrs. Noble and I found each other. I truly believe Will Rogers will be my last school. I have many years of teaching ahead of me, and am excited to spend them in Shawnee.

I have been fortunate to win a number of awards in my years as a teacher, including being honored twice in Enid as Teacher of the Year at Glenwood School. I also received the Enid Air Force Association's Teacher of the Year for two years, and have been nominated for its state and national awards. I have presented at state and national conferences and have been designated as a Master Teacher by the Oklahoma Energy Resource Board and work as a teacher-trainer for science curricula throughout the state. I also co-authored OERB's second elementary curriculum, and I am the co-author of a new picture book, O is for Oil.

I am a faculty member for one of the nation's most prestigious professional development organizations for teachers, Pathways to Literacy, and I am also active as a trainer of teachers for several statewide organizations.