Unity 4th grade: 5 hours
It is such a different vibe in 4th grade compared to Kindergarten. In 4th grade, it feels more relaxed and seem to move at a pace that is set by the students. The give them an "extra" recess time before lunch if they feel they are being worked in the classes. I think the reason it's so different than Kindergarten is because well you know the famous saying "give someone an inch and they'll take a mile." I think the Kindergarteners need to stay on task, because if they get off task it is SO hard to get them back! It's much easier for them to check completely out where the older kids have the ability to bounce back from it easier.
This week I got to do a lot of one on one time with a handful of students. I helped them with reading, math and science.
I also got to go the HUGE closet of books! It is a room full of books that is the teacher's stash. The kids don't check these out like they do in the library; they just borrow them to read in school. They don't get to bring them home either. There are multiple copies of the same book so the kids can read the same book in groups if they want. It was fun to see them "argue" as a group on what book to pick. I got to teach a couple girls what the word compromise means...it was a lot more challenging than I thought it would be.