Word It Out

I am currently trying to get my head around both a new curriculum and a new grade level. 

I *may* be a little cross-eyed and repeating words like "range", "variety", "purposes", "opinion" and "effective" in my sleep. 

Don't get me wrong, I love a good curriculum document - it gives great structure for my classroom program and makes sure I cover a variety of learning outcomes not just the ones I am confident teaching. 

But.

Ohmyword. Actually, I should say "ohmywords". Too many words. 

I read that thing cover to cover six times and it still sounded like gooblygook. 

I decided a few nights ago that I needed to face what has been making me a little nervous, and attack this new curriculum head on. I wanted to understand it. And I mean, UNDERSTAND it. 

Sounds dramatic, but for me there is nothing worse than not being able to explain something in a few short sentences. I could not explain this new curriculum at all, let alone in a few short sentences. 

I pulled those pages to pieces. I highlighted. I stripped back all the language and looked at the guts of each and every sentence. 

I'm not sure I am fully there yet - complete understanding - but I am well on the way. 

I started a fresh page in a brand new notebook and wrote words that stood out to me. Not airy-fairy words, but practical, observable things my students and I need to achieve in 2016. 

Then, I put them into the Word It Out website. There may be other sites like this, I just googled 'word cloud' and found this one easily. 

Can this pretty little picture help me teach my lessons this year? No. But it is a great little tool for helping to develop understanding and begin a journey. I think it would be a great tool for our students too.    



I am starting with the mathematics document now. Good times.


Have a wonderful day my friends - thanks so much for stopping by!