MrsWteaches

🪶 Words hold stories — and our PYP5 students are uncovering them!

This week in word work, our learners explored not just how to spell and use words, but where they come from and what they truly mean. Through inquiry, they investigated word origins, meanings, and connections, discovering that language is alive — shaped by history, culture, and human experience.

From analyzing prefixes and suffixes to tracing etymology and using words in context, students are developing a deeper understanding of how language shapes thinking and communication. They’re not just memorizing — they’re making meaning.

Every conversation, question, and “aha!” moment adds another layer to their growing love for words. Watching them connect curiosity with literacy reminds us that word work is not about rules — it’s about discovery.

📚 Here’s to nurturing thinkers, readers, and writers who understand that every word has a story to tell.

🌿 PYP5 Open Day Highlights! 🌿

Our PYP5 learners proudly showcased their inquiry-based learning during Open Day! Families and visitors experienced firsthand how our classroom fosters flexible seating, collaboration, and curiosity.

Through real-world problem-solving, constructionist approaches, and play-based exploration, students demonstrated how learning can be both deep and joyful. From brainstorming solutions to presenting their projects with confidence, our young thinkers reminded us that authentic learning happens when students take ownership of their ideas.

💡 Learning through inquiry. Learning through doing. Learning through play.

Cutest Christmas present from the gorgeous Angus! He was very proud to tell me he picked them out! Gotta love teaching grade 1!

Nothing to see here!!! After 4 weeks of teaching grade 1 we are all feeling a little worse for wear!!! My team and I are going to order these tshirts just put a giggle into our long and chaotic days...let me know if you want to know where we are purchasing these tshirts from.

Sharing resources and ideas is what we do as teachers!

To the media: If you want to hear about schooling right now and potential solutions for some of the problems we are in, talk to teachers. They are the professionals on the ground.

To administrators: You hired your staff based on qualifications, skill, and expertise. Keep that in mind with every decision you make and communications you send.

To parents: Work with your child's teachers in the same way you'd work with your doctor, lawyer, plumber, and accountant, trusting that they have knowledge and skill you don’t. Their knowledge isn’t necessarily the end-all-be-all, but recognizing it is a great place to start.

To teachers: Know your value and worth.

My next teacher cup!!! 🍎

I just finished a 4-week course on "Formative assessment in a Differentiated Classroom" with Carol Ann Tomlinson. My biggest takeaway is that there is no evidence anywhere to suggest that grading a pre-assessment test benefits student learning or outcomes. Instead, research says feedback that guides, improves and elevates a student's skills, understanding and knowledge is fundamental to improving performance, progress and process. In fact, Carol Ann suggested we ditch grades altogether and use the 3 Ps for reporting. I have long believed that over-assessment (preassessment, mid-way assessment, post-assessment), obsession with grades and teaching to a test or a standard suffocates creativity, demoralises and defeats student confidence and causes long term resistance and lethargy to learning. We need to rethink assessment and realise that we are 21st-century teachers living in a world that is different to the one we went to school in and by that definition, our teaching needs to be innovative, flexible and varied so we are able to meet the needs of our 21st-century learners.