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Week 32


 Week 32

Happy Easter! This week began on Tuesday because after a long weekend with my family, I needed a day to rest.

Tuesday kicked off the FAST Writing test for 4th–6th grade students. When I entered my room, it was 60 degrees—and the students definitely felt it! With support from administration, we relocated downstairs to a warmer room. Since students with extended time could test throughout the day, I supported testing during both lunch and the afternoon. After school, I tutored a student using the Wonders Tier 3 Phonics program.

While I truly value the SIPPS program our district supports, I’ve seen noticeable growth using the McGraw Hill digital phonics lessons. The structured “I do, We do, You do” model, combined with phonemic awareness and connected decoding texts, has been incredibly effective. As I work through skills like identifying initial, medial, and final sounds—and prepare to move into phoneme manipulation—I’m reminded that explicit, 1:1 instruction is one of the most powerful ways to close learning gaps.

On Wednesday, I enjoyed seeing creative vocabulary instruction in action. One fifth grade teacher used a song to the tune of “Hey Diddle Diddle” to teach median, mode, and range:

“Hey diddle diddle, let's solve in the middle,
The median shows us the way!
Line up the numbers from least to the biggest,
The middle one's here to stay!
The mode is the number that shows up the most,
It pops up again and again!
The range is the difference from high to low,
Subtract and you'll get it, my friend!
Hey diddle diddle, math's just a riddle,
With numbers we learn as we play!”

It was such a great reminder that learning sticks when it’s engaging. I also saw one of the best April Fools lessons I’ve ever witnessed—students learned about a fictional penguin that could fly, followed by a partner activity. It was creative, memorable, and fun.

More importantly, I learned to be brave—stepping in to support both teachers and students where needed, even when I don’t have all the answers. Sometimes, it’s about focusing on the moment and doing what you can right in front of you.

Thursday centered around proactive behavior strategies. Through collaboration with our behavior specialist and my mentee, I was reminded that effective behavior support starts with understanding the why. Identifying the function of a behavior and teaching a replacement behavior is key. I also created Minecraft-themed token boards for two teachers—small supports that can make a big difference. It truly takes a village.

On Friday, I completed FAST Writing testing with my final student. In classrooms, students continued working with median, mode, and range, and an ELA teacher shared a great resource—wewillwrite.com—to spark student creativity.

I ended the day administering a phonics and spelling assessment using the CORE Phonics Survey. When I needed help interpreting the results, I reached out for guidance—but was also encouraged to dig into the student’s psychological report and analyze the data independently. That moment reminded me to trust myself, build my confidence, and continue advocating for student needs.

Even though this was a full and demanding week, it ended on a hopeful note:

“Christ Jesus came to save us from our sins, of whom I am the least. I have hope because He lives. Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.”

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