Teaching Fourth Grade: A Day in the Life

By fourth grade, students are preparing for state writing tests, learning to differentiate between narrative and expository journaling, and expressing themselves through the written word.

It is the juncture just before middle school that determines a student's ability to succeed as a scholar, which presents a slew of challenges for instructors.

"Dealing with students' organization skills can be perilous because the students are expected to meet deadlines for journalism class at our school, complete projects at home, and write down what they owe in their agendas," says fourth grade teacher Victoria Jasztal. "They are expected to know on their own whether they have work that needs to be turned in, and sometimes, it's a great challenge."

Jasztal is in her sixth year of teaching fourth grade at Moton Elementary School in Brooksville, Florida, and runs a personal Web site for educators. She is an advisor to students in grades three to five at Scholastic.com and has been a member of the School Advisory Council for the past two years.

In Jasztal's Florida school district, third-graders are tested on their reading and math skills. When students enter fourth grade, they shift their focus to the verbal and literary sphere and are trained to become sophisticated, descriptive writers. Teachers often find assistance with these intricate lesson plans at the U.S. National Park Services resource.

One method Jasztal employs to further her students' grasp on reading and writing, as well as cultural affairs, is instituting a pen pal program.

"The program has thrived for five years, and my students' excitement grew when they were able to meet their pen pals on a field trip to St. Augustine," Jasztal says. "The greatest thing though was knowing my students were able to ask thought-provoking questions to their tour guides at the lighthouse and on the trolley, because they were interested in what they'd studied in class."

Jasztal organizes family tree projects to stimulate her students' interest in genealogy and uses podcasts to deepen their understanding of science and social studies. She keeps a classroom library of 1,500 books on-hand and stages afternoon literary circles.

Katie Jensen, an elementary educator who is currently based at St. Timothy School in Los Angeles, California, believes that fourth grade is a major turning point in a student's academic life. Jensen regularly shares her perspective on her award-wining Web site.

"Students at this age are just beginning to come into their own. Their personalities are developing and they are beginning to become more aware of people around them," Jensen says. "In the beginning of the year, it tends to be more difficult for parents to release their control and allow their kids to make their own mistakes. But by the end of the year, students are ready for the responsibility of middle school and beyond."

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