I've had an ongoing relationship with a parent this year based on focusing issues, aggression and the effort he's putting into work. Yesterday was quite rough. Elliot was yelling at kids on the playground that they "sucked" and also threw his homework on the floor and said the custodian could pick it up. It was one of his roughest days at school this year. I had a two meetings after school and did not have time to e-mail until I got home and remembered around 6pm. I tried to start with positives and remind the dad how proud I am of Elliot and then mention the day. I wasn't sure what kind of response I would receive. This is an excerpt that made me smile and remember why I do this.
"I understand your problems, Elliot and I greatly appreciate you taking the time to send a late message. This dedication to the education of my son is greatly appreciated, but due to district regulations, I'm not at liberty to reward your behavior. If there's a recommendation letter that I can send to the principal or the school district based on this effort, let me know who I should notify."
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Ice Skating in Texas
In Texas, we don't get much ice/snow/real winter. If we want to go ice skating, we have to go to a mall that has an ice rink around Christmas time.When I arrived to school this morning, the ramp to my portable was completely iced over. There was not a single spot of wood ramp exposed. The railing was also covered in ice, as were the steps at my apartment and my car this morning. I almost ate it walking up and down the ramp before I had the kids this morning. I was a bit concerned that they would make fun with it and end up hurt. As we walked up the ramp, I demanded they hold the railing. This was probably one of the funniest things I've ever seen. They were all pulling themselves up the ramp one railing section at a time. (It was not until 9:30 that an announcement was made to hold the railings when walking on the portable ramps.) They even attempted a bit of sliding around and playing...too bad I was being super strict about it. I did not want any kids to fall and bust their heads open. I already was missing half of my class (due to tardies and absences), I didn't need the rest of them in the nurse's office.
Every other time we walked up and down the ramp, the ice was slowly melting. Most of the kiddos thought this meant it was okay for them to slide around on the ice a bit. This meant that there was a bit of safety room they could slide into if the ice skating didn't work. I just got annoyed. I know we don't see ice very often, but I was that teacher who doesn't let them enjoy it. In my defense, if the ice hadn't been under their feet, they could have enjoyed it all they wanted.
Today's Bonus Science Lesson: The ice began to melt from the roofs of the portables. We got to talk about changing states of matter and what causes it. (I also believe that was something they had trouble with on their benchmark, so it was double bonus.)
I'm sensitive!
William is well known in this blog as one of my biggest criers. Today was no different. I thought I got off well after the morning awards ceremony and we were tear free. Recess was a different story.
William was playing soccer and one kid kicked the ball straight towards him. It was a bulls eye! (just think about it) He immediately dropped to the ground crying. (**I played soccer for many years on a boy's team, I am familiar with this injury.**) If I tried adding up all the tears I'd seen in my soccer years and compare them to today, they wouldn't have a chance. I could not believe the screaming and tears I was seeing. I knew that he would survive, so I did not rush over. I gave him a few minutes to cool down. He didn't.
I walked over and sat next to him on the ground. I began to remind him of a story where a boy cried wolf when there wasn't a wolf and when the wolf really came, people didn't believe him. I related this story to the crying he does on a weekly basis. I mentioned the crying that happened when someone bumped him last week (it was less than a bump actually) and the crying that was caused by getting hit by a clipboard on the arm (by another student, not myself). I will admit that I was less than supportive of the fit he was throwing. I explained, "William, I am never sure when you are really hurt because there are tears for everything. I don't know what to do for you." (And this type of injury doesn't have a "cure".) As I ended the sentence, he informed me, "IT'S BECAUSE I'M SENSITIVE!"
William was playing soccer and one kid kicked the ball straight towards him. It was a bulls eye! (just think about it) He immediately dropped to the ground crying. (**I played soccer for many years on a boy's team, I am familiar with this injury.**) If I tried adding up all the tears I'd seen in my soccer years and compare them to today, they wouldn't have a chance. I could not believe the screaming and tears I was seeing. I knew that he would survive, so I did not rush over. I gave him a few minutes to cool down. He didn't.
I walked over and sat next to him on the ground. I began to remind him of a story where a boy cried wolf when there wasn't a wolf and when the wolf really came, people didn't believe him. I related this story to the crying he does on a weekly basis. I mentioned the crying that happened when someone bumped him last week (it was less than a bump actually) and the crying that was caused by getting hit by a clipboard on the arm (by another student, not myself). I will admit that I was less than supportive of the fit he was throwing. I explained, "William, I am never sure when you are really hurt because there are tears for everything. I don't know what to do for you." (And this type of injury doesn't have a "cure".) As I ended the sentence, he informed me, "IT'S BECAUSE I'M SENSITIVE!"
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
24 Years Ago...
Somebody very important was born...ME! I've had better birthdays, but it wasn't for lack of trying. My friends had dinner planned, but the weather changed those. My class wanted to have a fun day, but the practice TAKS day kept that from happening. And dinner was supposed to be fun, but something that wasn't supposed to be in the food ruined the mood and the rest of dinner. The bright side...we got free food and dessert! One of the highlights of my day was a gift I received from one of my students. It has no monetary value, but the thought is worth $9,000,001.
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Queen L was the queen of L-topia. She had silky hair, beautiful eyes, a pearl necklace, and a gown that would please all.
One day Queen L got up and called one of her maids. She yelled, "Pearl, get up here!" Maid Pearl quickly got up and replied back, "Here is your breakfast Queen L."
While Queen L was eating breakfast peacefully in her room, she thought to herself, "It is fun being queen, but what is it like being a normal person?"
A little while later, her assistant, Sasha burst through the door and shouted, "Britney quit!" Britney was her favorite cook. Sasha ran to the kitchen as fast as she could, but it was too late. Britney was gone, probably houses away!
When it was lunchtime, Queen L packed her things. Then her butler, Ross, noticed her packing. She explained to him how she wanted to experience life as a normal person. Queen L was gone with her old clothes (to match the people of the town), bread, cantaloupe, and $9,000,001!
She stayed at Clint's hotel for the night. She met a lot of people, like baker Hillson. She met everyone in town and learned how everyone contributed to making the town work. She realized how hard being a normal person was. She really began to appreciate everyone. Then she snuck back into the palace and began to see everything in a new light.
She had a party that night and saw all her friends from the town, like....(lists all of my students' names)..... and she saw her best friend Ashley.
Happy Birthday Ms. L. Have a great one and eat lots of cake!!!!!
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Queen L's Adventure!!! by Ashley
Queen L was the queen of L-topia. She had silky hair, beautiful eyes, a pearl necklace, and a gown that would please all.
One day Queen L got up and called one of her maids. She yelled, "Pearl, get up here!" Maid Pearl quickly got up and replied back, "Here is your breakfast Queen L."
While Queen L was eating breakfast peacefully in her room, she thought to herself, "It is fun being queen, but what is it like being a normal person?"
A little while later, her assistant, Sasha burst through the door and shouted, "Britney quit!" Britney was her favorite cook. Sasha ran to the kitchen as fast as she could, but it was too late. Britney was gone, probably houses away!
When it was lunchtime, Queen L packed her things. Then her butler, Ross, noticed her packing. She explained to him how she wanted to experience life as a normal person. Queen L was gone with her old clothes (to match the people of the town), bread, cantaloupe, and $9,000,001!
She stayed at Clint's hotel for the night. She met a lot of people, like baker Hillson. She met everyone in town and learned how everyone contributed to making the town work. She realized how hard being a normal person was. She really began to appreciate everyone. Then she snuck back into the palace and began to see everything in a new light.
She had a party that night and saw all her friends from the town, like....(lists all of my students' names)..... and she saw her best friend Ashley.
Happy Birthday Ms. L. Have a great one and eat lots of cake!!!!!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Boo Hoo!
Last week when I went to pick up my kids from music, the teacher came out to greet me first. He usually gives me a hard time about being late, so I thought he was coming out to do that before I saw them. I was wrong. He came to tell me about how they were all crying. WHAT? Crying? Isn't it my job to make them cry? He explained that he taught them a blues song about a dog named Blue who dies (think Marley and Me). I thought he meant that a few of them had sad eyes and might have started a slight cry.
Boy was I surprised when my class began walking out of his classroom. I saw puffy red eyes and puffy faces on seven kids. They were crying audibly and their tissues were soaked with tears. I could not believe it. Because I though the teacher had been exaggerating, when I really saw them, all I could do was laugh. I wanted to roll on the floor laughing. Some of them would go, "I remember when my dog died booo hooo hoooo!" What do I say to them? "I am sorry your dog died and you related the song, get over it and stop crying?" Even I wouldn't do that.
We walked down the hall in a buddy-type line. All the criers had a friend rubbing their backs trying to make them feel better. Again, do I act completely insensitive and just tell them to get in line? Nope. Luckily, we had a bus evacuation drill and didn't have to get back to learning right away. But, as they were sitting on the bus, one would still be crying and look at another who had wiped away most of their tears, and then that one began to boo hoo again. It was quite ridiculous.
This was one of the hardest teaching moments in my life. I wanted to laugh or tell them to get over it, but knew those were both inappropriate responses. For once in my life, I didn't know what to say.
Boy was I surprised when my class began walking out of his classroom. I saw puffy red eyes and puffy faces on seven kids. They were crying audibly and their tissues were soaked with tears. I could not believe it. Because I though the teacher had been exaggerating, when I really saw them, all I could do was laugh. I wanted to roll on the floor laughing. Some of them would go, "I remember when my dog died booo hooo hoooo!" What do I say to them? "I am sorry your dog died and you related the song, get over it and stop crying?" Even I wouldn't do that.
We walked down the hall in a buddy-type line. All the criers had a friend rubbing their backs trying to make them feel better. Again, do I act completely insensitive and just tell them to get in line? Nope. Luckily, we had a bus evacuation drill and didn't have to get back to learning right away. But, as they were sitting on the bus, one would still be crying and look at another who had wiped away most of their tears, and then that one began to boo hoo again. It was quite ridiculous.
This was one of the hardest teaching moments in my life. I wanted to laugh or tell them to get over it, but knew those were both inappropriate responses. For once in my life, I didn't know what to say.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
I didn't know that!
It's Science Fair time! Science projects were due today so that students could present them in class and then at the Science Fair tomorrow if they chose to enter. I saw/heard many types of experiments and even some demonstrations (which are not allowed).
Some experiments remind me of information I learned when I was in school. Some experiments confuse me because they were done incorrectly. Some experiments are not really experiments. And some experiments teach me something new.
My personal favorite are the experiments that teach me something. Especially the ones that teach me one product is better than another. For example, I had a student compare the strengths of paper towels. I found out the store brand paper towel was not as strong as the one with the lumberjack on the package, or any others. I also found out that the store brand multipurpose kitchen cleaner worked much better killing bacteria than the other brands. The only product that worked better than the cleaners was Clorox diluted with water. In this same experiment category, I learned that cheese left out of the refrigerator in a dark place gets very moldy! I mean disgusting with mold. EWWWW! If skydiving is in your future, you should use the largest parachute possible. The bigger the parachute, the slower it falls.
And don't get me started on plant growing-type experiments. Don't we all know (in 4th grade) that a plant needs air, water, and nutrients (soil) to grow? Do I need multiple experiments about this every year? NO! Am I allowed to outlaw this experiment next year?
The other category is demonstrations. In our guidelines for our science projects, demonstrations are not allowed in 4th grade. I made this very clear to my students. I made this clear to my students MANY times. In the science project process, they had to turn in a proposal and sketch weeks before their project was due at school. I had to approve their proposals before they could begin. I made comments about their projects and suggestions on how to change them into true experiments...this would make one think that I would not received any demonstrations. WRONG! I now know how to make electricity with a lemon, measure my lung capacity, measure my heart rate after activity, and how to produce static electricity. I really wish these could count...but like I've repeated a thousand times...you may not turn in a demonstration!
Some experiments remind me of information I learned when I was in school. Some experiments confuse me because they were done incorrectly. Some experiments are not really experiments. And some experiments teach me something new.
My personal favorite are the experiments that teach me something. Especially the ones that teach me one product is better than another. For example, I had a student compare the strengths of paper towels. I found out the store brand paper towel was not as strong as the one with the lumberjack on the package, or any others. I also found out that the store brand multipurpose kitchen cleaner worked much better killing bacteria than the other brands. The only product that worked better than the cleaners was Clorox diluted with water. In this same experiment category, I learned that cheese left out of the refrigerator in a dark place gets very moldy! I mean disgusting with mold. EWWWW! If skydiving is in your future, you should use the largest parachute possible. The bigger the parachute, the slower it falls.
And don't get me started on plant growing-type experiments. Don't we all know (in 4th grade) that a plant needs air, water, and nutrients (soil) to grow? Do I need multiple experiments about this every year? NO! Am I allowed to outlaw this experiment next year?
The other category is demonstrations. In our guidelines for our science projects, demonstrations are not allowed in 4th grade. I made this very clear to my students. I made this clear to my students MANY times. In the science project process, they had to turn in a proposal and sketch weeks before their project was due at school. I had to approve their proposals before they could begin. I made comments about their projects and suggestions on how to change them into true experiments...this would make one think that I would not received any demonstrations. WRONG! I now know how to make electricity with a lemon, measure my lung capacity, measure my heart rate after activity, and how to produce static electricity. I really wish these could count...but like I've repeated a thousand times...you may not turn in a demonstration!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
History has been made!
We now have a whole class of 4th graders who have been sworn in as President of the United States! My class, of course, watched the inauguration today. I was super excited about it and transferred that energy onto my students. They sat and listened very respectfully to the entire inauguration. They also stood when they were asked to and raised their right hands to be sworn in. What can I say? They were only following the directions of the announcer!I don't have much else to say except that I was very proud to share this moment in history with my students. I know, in 20 years, they will remember sitting in my classroom and watching the inauguration on TV (similar to how I remember sitting in my high school anatomy class watching the events of 9/11).
My closing anecdote:
J: "Ms. L, why aren't his children at school today?"
Me: "When your daddy becomes president, you get the day off!"
Others: "Who made that rule?"
Me: "He did! He's the president! I think it will definitely be an excused absence."
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King, Jr.!
One responsibility I feel I have as a teacher is to take advantage of every teachable moment. There are a few of importance currently: MLK Day and Inauguration Day.Because we were off school on Friday and will be off on Monday and Tuesday is Inauguration Day, we "celebrated" MLK Day on Thursday. We watched MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech on You Tube and wrote our own dream speeches. The kids got very into it. There was even some crying when kids were making jokes about their dreams and others were taking it very seriously.
(I meant to take a picture and write down some of their speeches, but just plain forgot.)
Because my portable mate and I teach social studies together, we were trying to decide how to display our students' speeches. Being in a portable doesn't give us much space to put anything, never mind student work. We scoped out empty walls within the school looking for a place that no other teacher was using. We found it! Plenty of wall space where we could focus on our students' work. And then the idea came to us.
"The Dream Quilt"
We put each child's speech on colored construction paper and attached them together to form a quilt. It looked amazing. Teachers were stopping to read a speech every time they passed by. My teaching mate and I were so proud of our kids! (and ourselves for thinking of this fabulous idea)
Update: My kids saw the quilt for the first time in the hallway today and they loved it! They took time to find their square and also read the dreams of their classmates. Here are a few of the dreams I would like to share:* I have a dream that one day the kids of America will have a say in national decisions.
* I have a dream that one day we will give the homeless a home.
* I have a dream that one day no one will make fun of what we do or wear.
* I have a dream that one day we will throw the people who make bad choices out of this country.
* I have a dream that one day soccer will be played all day and I get to play too.
* I have a dream that one day no one will be racist.
* I have a dream that one day people will be who they want to be.
* I have a dream that one day everybody can go to college.
* I have a dream that one day police officers can stay in banks to protect the money.
* I have a dream that one day all bandits will be sent to jail.
* I have a dream that one day people will notice the good life, the good life of peace and harmony.
* I have a dream that one day animals will be allowed at school.
* I have a dream that one day people won't starve from hunger.
* I have a dream that one day all families will be required to have chapter books.
* I have a dream that one day the economy will be alright.
* I have a dream that one day trails won't derail.
* I have a dream that one day there won't be anymore beer joints.
* I have a dream that one day people will make good choices and don't go to jail.
Remember that these are the dreams of 4th graders!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Grossed Out!
I don't know how I get through my days. I have so many things I'm having to worry about with my kids in order to make sure they learn what they need to AND I have to be constantly aware of situations that make good blogs. Today I was thinking that I hadn't written about Victor in a while. Well, it was perfect timing because he created a blog situation today!
We were standing outside for recess while Victor was bothering my aide. She finally told me, "Ms. L, Victor is not following my directions. Please help." I don't remember ever hearing her ask for help, so I immediately stepped in. "What's going on Victor?" As he turns to me, I see food in his mouth. When I say food in his mouth, imagine chewed up chicken nuggets that cannot be hidden in his mouth because they were overflowing from his mouth and caught in every part of his braces. His lips were also very chapped and he had small pieces of food stuck to the dry parts of his lips. I was witnessing one of the top five grossest things I've ever seen/done. (This ranks with trying to eat cow tongue in Paraguay and also seeing my host mom butcher a cow head for every last piece of meat on it.) I had to turn away when he began speaking to me.
We went around in a circle with questions about why he had to sit out and how he needed to swallow his food. His sitting out had to do with how gross he was being with his food. He just didn't understand. Through all of his questioning, he became unable to swallow the chicken nuggets. He started to gag. I took him to the grass and told him to spit it all out. He acted like he was trying to, but nothing was coming out of his mouth. His face began to turn purple and I began to worry. My voice was now getting tense, "Just spit it all on the ground!" He gagged a few more times before finally spitting it out.
When the food was out of his mouth, he was now about to ask a gazillion more questions about eating his lunch and having to sit out. Even when he was asking questions with an empty mouth, I couldn't take it. I needed him to accept the answers I was giving and leave. He didn't. I was then reminded that my aide sits with him at lunch every day and sees his eating like that every day. In my defense, she also has children and has seen much worse. It was still gross!!
We were standing outside for recess while Victor was bothering my aide. She finally told me, "Ms. L, Victor is not following my directions. Please help." I don't remember ever hearing her ask for help, so I immediately stepped in. "What's going on Victor?" As he turns to me, I see food in his mouth. When I say food in his mouth, imagine chewed up chicken nuggets that cannot be hidden in his mouth because they were overflowing from his mouth and caught in every part of his braces. His lips were also very chapped and he had small pieces of food stuck to the dry parts of his lips. I was witnessing one of the top five grossest things I've ever seen/done. (This ranks with trying to eat cow tongue in Paraguay and also seeing my host mom butcher a cow head for every last piece of meat on it.) I had to turn away when he began speaking to me.
We went around in a circle with questions about why he had to sit out and how he needed to swallow his food. His sitting out had to do with how gross he was being with his food. He just didn't understand. Through all of his questioning, he became unable to swallow the chicken nuggets. He started to gag. I took him to the grass and told him to spit it all out. He acted like he was trying to, but nothing was coming out of his mouth. His face began to turn purple and I began to worry. My voice was now getting tense, "Just spit it all on the ground!" He gagged a few more times before finally spitting it out.
When the food was out of his mouth, he was now about to ask a gazillion more questions about eating his lunch and having to sit out. Even when he was asking questions with an empty mouth, I couldn't take it. I needed him to accept the answers I was giving and leave. He didn't. I was then reminded that my aide sits with him at lunch every day and sees his eating like that every day. In my defense, she also has children and has seen much worse. It was still gross!!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
This makes my job easier!
Today was day one of fractions greater than one. I was hesitant to begin mixed and improper fractions because my class last year had a lot of difficulty with the concept. Please keep in mind that I was not the person who introduced mixed and improper fractions. That was done before my arrival.
I put up the transparency with pictures of fractions greater than one using improper fractions. I had the kids remind me what the numerator and denominator meant in the fractions we have been working with. I explained how these fractions were similar and what the numerator and denominator mean when dealing with these fractions. The room was completely silent. I was worried. I continued to tell myself that if they don't get it on the first example, continue. I reminded myself that I was the kid and still am the person who learns best by seeing many examples. I persevered. I explained the next example. All of a sudden I heard many shouts, "I get it!!!!" I breathed a sigh of relief. Before I could reveal the next examples, almost every kid was jumping out of their seat ready to answer. There were a few kids who didn't quite get it, but because the were so few, I had plenty of time to explain it to them and have their friends explain it to them.
I couldn't give them enough problems. I reached the bottom of the page and they wanted more. I pulled out the next transparency to move on to mixed fractions. I received a very similar response to the first example of improper fractions. And again, I received a very similar response after the second example. "I GET IT!" This is when I could breath easy, well, easier. Again, they wanted more problems when we were finished.
They have told me that they would love to do math all day. Sometimes when I feel a time crunch, I do teach another math lesson the last 30 minutes of the day (during our allotted intervention time). They love it. They eat up math problems faster than I can give them. Even today we packed up faster than usual and I got out the transparencies again and they cheered. I love this. I love seeing my class so excited about learning. Seeing them so excited about learning makes my job of trying to make school fun much easier.
I put up the transparency with pictures of fractions greater than one using improper fractions. I had the kids remind me what the numerator and denominator meant in the fractions we have been working with. I explained how these fractions were similar and what the numerator and denominator mean when dealing with these fractions. The room was completely silent. I was worried. I continued to tell myself that if they don't get it on the first example, continue. I reminded myself that I was the kid and still am the person who learns best by seeing many examples. I persevered. I explained the next example. All of a sudden I heard many shouts, "I get it!!!!" I breathed a sigh of relief. Before I could reveal the next examples, almost every kid was jumping out of their seat ready to answer. There were a few kids who didn't quite get it, but because the were so few, I had plenty of time to explain it to them and have their friends explain it to them.
I couldn't give them enough problems. I reached the bottom of the page and they wanted more. I pulled out the next transparency to move on to mixed fractions. I received a very similar response to the first example of improper fractions. And again, I received a very similar response after the second example. "I GET IT!" This is when I could breath easy, well, easier. Again, they wanted more problems when we were finished.
They have told me that they would love to do math all day. Sometimes when I feel a time crunch, I do teach another math lesson the last 30 minutes of the day (during our allotted intervention time). They love it. They eat up math problems faster than I can give them. Even today we packed up faster than usual and I got out the transparencies again and they cheered. I love this. I love seeing my class so excited about learning. Seeing them so excited about learning makes my job of trying to make school fun much easier.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
They make me proud!
The main idea of our writing lesson today was "Show, Don't Tell!" My kiddos are having a hard time understanding what that means and today's lesson was created to address that issue.
I made a chart with emotions on one side: surprised, sad/depressed, nervous, love, and proud. On the other side of the chart, we were listing things that you feel and look like when you are feeling that emotion. For example, if you are surprised, you might see: wide eyes, open mouthed, hands over mouth, screeching/squealing, etc. We did this for each emotion. Love was quite funny. You would have thought the kids would shy away from sharing how this looked/sounded. Yeah right!! Their hands shot up faster than anything we've done before.
- "Hearts shoot from your eyes!" (think cartoons)
- "You stutter!"
- "No, you become speechless!"
- "Your cheeks turn red...blushing."
- "Your heart starts pounding."
- "You become breathless."
- "Your eyes get really big."
And so many others. They could have gone on for days telling me what it looks/sounds like to be in love. Another one that stood out was being proud. As we were describing what it looks/sounds like, we started talking about when you are proud. I told them, "When you guys do something well, I feel proud. When you guys don't do well, I feel bad about not preparing you." They responded with, "If we don't do something well, it's not because you didn't teach us, it's because we didn't do what we were supposed to. Don't blame it on yourself." REALLY?!?! Do I have them brainwashed this much? I was impressed.
I made a chart with emotions on one side: surprised, sad/depressed, nervous, love, and proud. On the other side of the chart, we were listing things that you feel and look like when you are feeling that emotion. For example, if you are surprised, you might see: wide eyes, open mouthed, hands over mouth, screeching/squealing, etc. We did this for each emotion. Love was quite funny. You would have thought the kids would shy away from sharing how this looked/sounded. Yeah right!! Their hands shot up faster than anything we've done before.
- "Hearts shoot from your eyes!" (think cartoons)
- "You stutter!"
- "No, you become speechless!"
- "Your cheeks turn red...blushing."
- "Your heart starts pounding."
- "You become breathless."
- "Your eyes get really big."
And so many others. They could have gone on for days telling me what it looks/sounds like to be in love. Another one that stood out was being proud. As we were describing what it looks/sounds like, we started talking about when you are proud. I told them, "When you guys do something well, I feel proud. When you guys don't do well, I feel bad about not preparing you." They responded with, "If we don't do something well, it's not because you didn't teach us, it's because we didn't do what we were supposed to. Don't blame it on yourself." REALLY?!?! Do I have them brainwashed this much? I was impressed.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Queen for a Day
I just realized that I haven't yet written my daily blog...Nothing much happened today. It was just a normal Monday with no big moments. All the usual blog suspects were low key and didn't do anything memorable.
One thing I did find out today is that many of my kids are writing stories about Queen L. Hmmm, I wonder who that could be??? They were cute and funny stories that I will share when they are complete. Here's a preview...
"It was a nice day in the kingdom. Queen L was sitting in her royal chair with her beautiful, silky brown hair and a dress you could die for. She ordered her servant to get her water. Her servant did as she was told."
This story sounds great so far!!!
One thing I did find out today is that many of my kids are writing stories about Queen L. Hmmm, I wonder who that could be??? They were cute and funny stories that I will share when they are complete. Here's a preview...
"It was a nice day in the kingdom. Queen L was sitting in her royal chair with her beautiful, silky brown hair and a dress you could die for. She ordered her servant to get her water. Her servant did as she was told."
This story sounds great so far!!!
Thursday, January 8, 2009
The Mystery Present
Rattle! Rattle! I heard from the box as I shook it. I was determined to figure out what could be inside the wrapped box. It was not very heavy or big, but did make a lot of noise. I listened to the rattling every chance I could, hoping to figure out what could possibly be inside. "I don't remember asking for anything that matched this description," I uttered to my mom. "I know," she replied with no exaggeration. "Come on Momma, give me a hint!" "No," she responded and walked out of the room.
Christmas Day finally arrived. I was more than excited to open my presents, especially that mystery box. It felt like slow motion as my sister handed me each of my presents. "Is she ever going to pass me that noisy box?" I wondered. "Here you go, Katie," she said as she handed over the box I had been so curious about and known I didn't ask for. I shook it one last time before quickly ripping the ribbon and wrapping paper from the box. "Oh, thanks Mom," I said as I discovered the answer to my mystery. What I saw in the box was a bunch of sticks.
"Fire starts for your fire place. I thought you might need them so it won't be so difficult to start your fires. I just saw them at the store and though of you," my mom explained. I wasn't quite sure how I felt about this gift, but I was relieved to finally know what rattled inside that box.
Christmas Day finally arrived. I was more than excited to open my presents, especially that mystery box. It felt like slow motion as my sister handed me each of my presents. "Is she ever going to pass me that noisy box?" I wondered. "Here you go, Katie," she said as she handed over the box I had been so curious about and known I didn't ask for. I shook it one last time before quickly ripping the ribbon and wrapping paper from the box. "Oh, thanks Mom," I said as I discovered the answer to my mystery. What I saw in the box was a bunch of sticks.
"Fire starts for your fire place. I thought you might need them so it won't be so difficult to start your fires. I just saw them at the store and though of you," my mom explained. I wasn't quite sure how I felt about this gift, but I was relieved to finally know what rattled inside that box.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
I feel blessed!
PREFACE
Last year I was the teacher who got EVERY new kid. It seemed like I got a new kid every 2 weeks. I wouldn't have such disdain for parents who move their kids in the middle of the year if it weren't for each 'shining' example that stepped into my classroom. 100% of the kids that arrived late last year were either major behavior problems, very low in academics, or both. I learned how to adjust for the new kids and knew that some of them needed me as their stability because there was none at home. Last year taught me more lessons than I ever learned in college. Needless to say, I was traumatized at the thought of new students.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Today I had a new student enroll. I was told about her yesterday and was prepared for her arrival, with folders, spirals, and parent information ready on her desk. I was hopeful for her arrival since I was told that she was all smiles when she registered the day before.
She came in very shy. She shook my hand but didn't make eye contact. (not unusual) Her mother did make eye contact and introduced herself. She was very friendly and polite. (unusual) I got her settled in and had another student tell her what we were doing and how we start our days. She was very polite and asked if she had any questions. As the day went on, I fell in love with her. You know, the kind when a teacher adores her students because they have great personalities, want to learn, and they smile when you talk to them. She was so polite and responsible. She was happy to be in our class and fit in perfectly. By lunch time, she didn't look or act like the new kid any longer. (I mean the way that new kids settle in and then start making bad choices.) She followed directions better than some of my students who have been listening to my expectations since day one. She was ready to learn at every moment, was contributing to the lessons and helping her classmates. I was impressed!
Near the end of the day, she remembered I had given her a homework folder with lots of information for her and her parents. She came to me to clarify what needed to be signed, returned, and when. This was very responsible of her. I don't know how many of my other students would have taken the initiative to ask me everything she thought she needed to know.
She impressed me so much today that I am very strongly considering making her the same Christmas present I made for everyone else for Christmas. She saw the other kids' personalized clipboards and was sad that she missed receiving one. I'll work on hers now and give it to her on her birthday in two weeks, because she definitely won me over.
She left the classroom smiling and I left thanking my lucky stars that I got such a great new student.
Teacher to the Rescue
Before we left the classroom for lunch today, I reminded some kiddos that they had work to do before recess and they should probably take it to lunch. Instead of carrying themselves, they put their work (loose-leaf paper) in our lunch basket that we take to the cafeteria.
We were walking to lunch just fine when a strong gust of wind came. It blew all of the papers out of the lunch basket. We all stood there watching the papers fly away, as if it weren't really happening. A kid wanted to run and get them, but they were now flying through the driveway. I told him not to, that I would go get them. Then another strong gust of wind came and blew them even further away. At this point I was beginning to tell the kids that they will just have to get paper after lunch and work on it during recess. As I was saying this, I felt bad. I didn't want these kids to sit out at recess for something they were willing to spend their lunch doing. While I am debating whether or not I want to go get the papers, they are now blown into the street and begin flying down the street. I quickly hand my kids my clipboard, lunch bag, and water bottle. The kids start cheering, "Go Ms. L! Go Ms. L!"
I take off down the sidewalk and then look both ways before crossing the driveway. I then again look both ways 4 times before I go into the street in search of the papers that I can no longer see. I yell to the kids asking for directions of where to look. "Under the car!" And what do I see, but one of the paper caught up under the car. I get on the ground to get it out and hear a loud cheer, "YAYYYYYYY!!!!!" and clapping.
"Okay, where is the other one?" "Over there!!!!" And I run over to the second flying paper. The kids cheered with excitement and gratefulness that they didn't have to start their work over. It was quite funny and I did get some cool teacher points for chasing down the papers they should have been carrying in their own hands!
This is also a great way to impress a new student...see next blog.
We were walking to lunch just fine when a strong gust of wind came. It blew all of the papers out of the lunch basket. We all stood there watching the papers fly away, as if it weren't really happening. A kid wanted to run and get them, but they were now flying through the driveway. I told him not to, that I would go get them. Then another strong gust of wind came and blew them even further away. At this point I was beginning to tell the kids that they will just have to get paper after lunch and work on it during recess. As I was saying this, I felt bad. I didn't want these kids to sit out at recess for something they were willing to spend their lunch doing. While I am debating whether or not I want to go get the papers, they are now blown into the street and begin flying down the street. I quickly hand my kids my clipboard, lunch bag, and water bottle. The kids start cheering, "Go Ms. L! Go Ms. L!"
I take off down the sidewalk and then look both ways before crossing the driveway. I then again look both ways 4 times before I go into the street in search of the papers that I can no longer see. I yell to the kids asking for directions of where to look. "Under the car!" And what do I see, but one of the paper caught up under the car. I get on the ground to get it out and hear a loud cheer, "YAYYYYYYY!!!!!" and clapping.
"Okay, where is the other one?" "Over there!!!!" And I run over to the second flying paper. The kids cheered with excitement and gratefulness that they didn't have to start their work over. It was quite funny and I did get some cool teacher points for chasing down the papers they should have been carrying in their own hands!
This is also a great way to impress a new student...see next blog.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Are we really expected to do everything?
I don't know if I've written a blog on this topic before, but I was having a discussion about test scores with 2 other teachers today and it led to how much responsibility we really have.
As teachers, we are expected to do a lot: teach academics, be mothers, be the all-great problem solvers, teach social skills, and develop background information that our kids just don't know and should about life.
One example I have from my own teaching experience is when we were reading a context clues passage. As a class, we were trying to determine the meaning of a word and in order to answer, the students should have known some common etiquette. They needed to know that when you leave some one's house after they had you over for dinner, regardless of how terrible the food might have been, you don't tell the host. They had no idea what to say. They didn't know they should be polite even though they didn't enjoy it. We had to rehearse what it might sound like thanking the host for a bad dinner. "Thanks for having me over and cooking dinner."
How are my kiddos supposed to use their context clues to understand words when they don't even know what the context clues are telling them? I am seeing this a lot in their Book Clubs as well. They are very fluent readers, but don't understand what the book is saying because the ideas are foreign to them. They don't know what it's like to fly on a plane or play in the snow. Their life experiences are more limited than other children their age because of their socioeconomic statuses, and that is very difficult to teach. I can talk about my experiences and tell them what it is like all year long, but it doesn't mean the same thing unless they've done it themselves.
Now, don't get me wrong...I try time and time again to explain what certain things feel like. They are curious! I tell them about what it felt like to stand at the top of a mountain and not be able to see anything around me because I was inside the clouds. I tell them what it is like to live in a country that doesn't even have running water and how I couldn't shower all summer. One thing I feel I can do is teach them social cues. I can teach them how they should respond to people when they say particular things or use particular tones. I can teach them how to be a friend and what it really means. And I can be a role model. I can show them what being an adult means and the responsibility it comes with. I can show them how an adult should behave.
And along with all of this, I have to teach them that the moon affects tides and a bunch of other nonsense that you can use the Internet to look up when you're older, if it even matters that you know it then.
Why did I become a teacher??? Oh, I remember every day when I go pick my kids up from the gym and they are so excited to see me. I remember when they write messages on the chalkboard when I'm absent for a day. I remember when they come to my desk just to give me a hug. I remember when even if I've made them cry the day before, they hug me the next day on their way in the door. I remember when they write in their journals about how they want to become a 4th grade teacher just like me. I never forget the reasons I became a teacher.
As teachers, we are expected to do a lot: teach academics, be mothers, be the all-great problem solvers, teach social skills, and develop background information that our kids just don't know and should about life.
One example I have from my own teaching experience is when we were reading a context clues passage. As a class, we were trying to determine the meaning of a word and in order to answer, the students should have known some common etiquette. They needed to know that when you leave some one's house after they had you over for dinner, regardless of how terrible the food might have been, you don't tell the host. They had no idea what to say. They didn't know they should be polite even though they didn't enjoy it. We had to rehearse what it might sound like thanking the host for a bad dinner. "Thanks for having me over and cooking dinner."
How are my kiddos supposed to use their context clues to understand words when they don't even know what the context clues are telling them? I am seeing this a lot in their Book Clubs as well. They are very fluent readers, but don't understand what the book is saying because the ideas are foreign to them. They don't know what it's like to fly on a plane or play in the snow. Their life experiences are more limited than other children their age because of their socioeconomic statuses, and that is very difficult to teach. I can talk about my experiences and tell them what it is like all year long, but it doesn't mean the same thing unless they've done it themselves.
Now, don't get me wrong...I try time and time again to explain what certain things feel like. They are curious! I tell them about what it felt like to stand at the top of a mountain and not be able to see anything around me because I was inside the clouds. I tell them what it is like to live in a country that doesn't even have running water and how I couldn't shower all summer. One thing I feel I can do is teach them social cues. I can teach them how they should respond to people when they say particular things or use particular tones. I can teach them how to be a friend and what it really means. And I can be a role model. I can show them what being an adult means and the responsibility it comes with. I can show them how an adult should behave.
And along with all of this, I have to teach them that the moon affects tides and a bunch of other nonsense that you can use the Internet to look up when you're older, if it even matters that you know it then.
Why did I become a teacher??? Oh, I remember every day when I go pick my kids up from the gym and they are so excited to see me. I remember when they write messages on the chalkboard when I'm absent for a day. I remember when they come to my desk just to give me a hug. I remember when even if I've made them cry the day before, they hug me the next day on their way in the door. I remember when they write in their journals about how they want to become a 4th grade teacher just like me. I never forget the reasons I became a teacher.
Monday, January 5, 2009
It had to come to an end...too soon!
Today was the first day back from Christmas Break. I have always and will always believe that we should not start back with kids on a Monday from our long breaks (summer and Christmas). There are school around mine that only had staff development today...that would have been nice.
But, we didn't. The kids came with smiles on, happy to be back, and I was happy to see them again as well. I wasn't ready to jump right back into our normal schedule quite yet, so I planned something else. I knew each child would be very eager to tell me about something that happened over their break. Instead of sitting and listening to each child's story, they would write about it. This wasn't just a journal entry, their assignment was to brainstorm ideas, do a picture plan, a rough draft and finally publish their story.
As they were working on their stories, I was working on one of my own that the kids chose for me to write based on titles. Mine was "My Mystery Present". They chose that over "The Surprise Present" and "Golfing". I think they chose the best. They thought the present was going to be something amazing. (I'll try to my story tomorrow.) They asked for clues throughout the day, and knowing they would never guess the present, I gave the clues they asked for. It starts with a F and ends with an S. Some guesses were, "fine watches" (after they saw my new watch), "fire hoses", "fierce snakes", and some other very ridiculous things that didn't start with f or end with s.
Overall, I was very pleased with today's behavior and work ethic. Not everyone finished their writing pieces, but everyone worked very hard. I was able to conference with every kiddo and see where they thought they were struggling and also see where they were really struggling. This was also a good checkpoint to see their writing stamina that will be tested in less than 2 months. It's nice to know that writing is coming along okay, especially after receiving our Science Benchmark scores today and seeing how poorly we did. Did I say poorly, I meant terribly, atrocious, embarrassing! But, that's a whole other blog!
But, we didn't. The kids came with smiles on, happy to be back, and I was happy to see them again as well. I wasn't ready to jump right back into our normal schedule quite yet, so I planned something else. I knew each child would be very eager to tell me about something that happened over their break. Instead of sitting and listening to each child's story, they would write about it. This wasn't just a journal entry, their assignment was to brainstorm ideas, do a picture plan, a rough draft and finally publish their story.
As they were working on their stories, I was working on one of my own that the kids chose for me to write based on titles. Mine was "My Mystery Present". They chose that over "The Surprise Present" and "Golfing". I think they chose the best. They thought the present was going to be something amazing. (I'll try to my story tomorrow.) They asked for clues throughout the day, and knowing they would never guess the present, I gave the clues they asked for. It starts with a F and ends with an S. Some guesses were, "fine watches" (after they saw my new watch), "fire hoses", "fierce snakes", and some other very ridiculous things that didn't start with f or end with s.
Overall, I was very pleased with today's behavior and work ethic. Not everyone finished their writing pieces, but everyone worked very hard. I was able to conference with every kiddo and see where they thought they were struggling and also see where they were really struggling. This was also a good checkpoint to see their writing stamina that will be tested in less than 2 months. It's nice to know that writing is coming along okay, especially after receiving our Science Benchmark scores today and seeing how poorly we did. Did I say poorly, I meant terribly, atrocious, embarrassing! But, that's a whole other blog!
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