Giving up to gain

I realize I started this blog about teaching but as I sit in a small coffee shop in far west Texas, I realize that as the teacher, I am the most important tool. That being said, it is time to be self reflective and selfish.

2011 was a crazy year in our world and I feel a little out of place and confused, so I've begun seeking help and wisdom from others. I bought a book called "Give It Up" that talks about giving something you feel is necessary and important up each month to really examine what you need and want in life. I'm only on chapter three but I can already feel the wheels turning on how to change and simplify my life.

My goal as a teacher is to change the world for my students, but I feel I've lost the art of changing the world for myself. I rarely sit down and write a story for myself or take an entire weekend to read a book any longer. Those may seem simple but in reality they help change my perspectives and focus. I no longer seek ways to help those less fortunate than I and I hate that. In 2012, not only will I need to work harder to find the positive in life but I will also work to simplify my life and make a difference in the world, no matter how small that difference may seem.

As teachers and people, I encourage you to do the same thing. Find your joy if it has gotten away from you. Write a poem or a song, sing and dance with the dogs or the kids, clean out your closets and bookshelves and donate those to people who need them more than you. Make 2012 a year to really be proud of yourselves!

Above all else, remember that you the teacher are the biggest and best tool on the classroom. With all the politics in the world we cannot afford to take ourselves for granted any longer.

Exercise

I realize this is sort of an evil word, especially this time of year when we all eat too much and the stress of the past year shows up in all sorts of places. I for one, have been trying to make myself exercise on a nightly basis - mostly because I feel like a tub of lard and I know exercise makes me feel better about myself and how I do things. Getting back into it however is super hard but I do love the way my muscles feel the day after. I also realize that my eating habits have got to change. The past few months I have not been eating as well as I should because I've been having a tough time adjusting to my new surroundings and position. Adjustment is just what it is, an adjustment and some take us longer to work through than others.

I hope you don't feel like this is me complaining, it really is not - it is a reminder, for me and possibly you, that adjustments are an exercise in life. For me, I need the physical exercise as well as the mental exercise in order to be at my best in my home and my classroom. I know I am a better teacher when I exercise my body at home. Perhaps that is because I sleep better, perhaps it is because I feel more confident in my own skin, perhaps it is because I don't have a nagging feeling in the back of my head during the day that my pants are too tight or I feel uncomfortable in the clothing I've got on. No matter what, exercise yourself, it will help you as a person and ultimately as a teacher.

Thank you for changing the world one kid at a time. Remember that changes are not bad things but they do take time.

Giving Thanks

It has been a while since I posted, but I want to give thanks to you and those who support us on a daily basis. Have a great Thanksgiving and enjoy family time and some time off. If you must work, don't work too much. Look forward to the joys of the week, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade and of course laughter.

Thanks for all you do to change the world.

A Downfall

Today was the last day of our second six weeks and when grading six weeks exams I felt like I wanted to cry. To be fair, this six weeks was poetry which is not my strong suit in any way shape or form, but I know I taught my kids something - or did I? After running the exams and double checking to make sure I had the correct key I began to focus on next six weeks.

As teachers, we have to take the good with the bad but we can never let the bad keep us down for long. On my drive home I started to think of ways to help my students better keep track of the information I need them to learn. I don't want my kids to just take notes, I want them to make those notes mean something to them, I want their notes to easily turn into a study guide for the end of the six weeks and quizzes throughout the six weeks and semester. I was so excited about creating this that I called a colleague to see if she thought it made sense and might work, then when I got home I started building. The idea is that four days of each week I teach (or reteach) a concept and the students complete a graphic organizer and then some practice.

My idea may not work, but I plan to try and if it causes another downfall then I'll just learn from that one too. Teaching is an art, it is also ever changing. If you feel like one six weeks is a total bomb then use that downfall and create something better. To be great teachers we've got to change how we teach to fit the needs of our kids - so what if it takes extra time to create, if it ultimately makes our lives easier and our kids smarter.

Enjoy your weekend and be sure to thank a veteran or two - because of the veterans throughout time we are able to try out new teaching styles and plans to help our kids learn and grow into successful people.

Thanks for changing the world one kid at a time!

Venting

I want you to be sure to say that venting is a super important part of teaching. Don't vent to your kids, but vent to someone who loves you and will say what you need to hear. I know that our significant others don't always fully understand our frustrations from school, especially if he or she doesn't work in the same field.

I'm keeping it short, but venting is important. You'll feel better and the negative energy will escape from your mouth and disperse into the universe - let it!

Have a great evening and be ready for a more positive day tomorrow.

Me time

This has taken me way too long to really figure out, if you ask my husband I always spread myself too thin. In the past at least, he has been totally correct. "Me time" is something I am trying to remedy in my life and it doesn't take much to accomplish some quality time with myself.

Lately I've been hanging out with my dogs, and trying to get my husband to go on walks with us. Tomorrow I will "run", yes that is is quotes for a reason, a 5K with a friend of mine and I am very excited. It doesn't take much for me to get the break and release I need from work, a movie will often do the trick and a walk with the dogs before sunset.

I do NOT grade every night, and yes I ultimately end up with a stack of stuff to grade, but if I were to grade every night I'd never have a chance to just be home. That one has taken me a LONG time to figure out.

The biggest thing I've learned is to make some time for myself, it keeps my work life healthy and my home life healthy.

Find some time for yourself this weekend, I promise the world will not fall down around your ankles and your kids will not forget everything you've taught them if you don't spend all weekend grading or planning. Enjoy the fall weather (at least here it is fall weather) and watch the sunset this weekend.

Parents - we need you!

I left school this evening at about 6PM. That is actually fairly normal for me at least once a week, but don't worry I try to leave before 5 the other days. To be fair, our kids don't get out of school until about 4PM, so the time sorta flies by if I'm staying late. I spent my evening with a colleague calling parents. She is the Spanish teacher and was kind enough to speak to my Spanish speaking parents for me - for that I am totally thankful.

As teachers, we need our parents and we've got to stay in contact with them. Every time I speak with parents I have so many that thank me for calling because they know I don't call just about the "bad" stuff. I call for the good, I call if I see a change in the kid that troubles or confuses me, I call for missing work, and I call to find out what is going on if I see something change that is out of character.

I know how time consuming it is to call parents, believe me, I called almost every one of my parents the first two weeks of school and it makes a huge difference. Our parents are the second line of offense (we are the first really), and we need to utilize them. If your parents have email addresses, set up an email group and send out group messages on occasion so the parents know what is going on (blind copy your Admin as well, it is a great way to show yourself off and to let them know the kind of communication you are doing). Many of my parents love the fact that they have an inside scoop on what is going on and can ask their kids about the assignment. The kids seem to be shocked that their parents know what is going on in classes. It also builds a great report with the parents and they are more willing to help if I need help and ready to listen if there is a problem.

Contact your parents for the good and bad - don't be afraid of them, they really are on our side, assuming your side is the side trying to help the kids learn.

Thanks for changing the world one kid at a time.

Timing is everything

I want to take a quick moment to mention time, or in many of our cases lack-there-of (and no I'm not even sure if that is how to spell that correctly). We all know it takes a lot of time to plan a really good, solid lesson. It also takes time to train ourselves as teacher and to train our kids as students, especially if they've had little training on how to learn from their past instructors.

I live about an hour from my job and we have long days, so when I get home I really just want to play with the dogs and hang with my husband. Alas, that is not always the case. For instance, this evening I am enjoying some 90's "B" movies while putting together a foldable flip book for my 8th grade students. For me this is actually a time saver - if my kids don't have to build it the first time they use it we are able to spend more time on them actually doing the assignment and learning with the foldable. I've even set up three different spots in my room where I put handouts for the kids to pick up when they come into class. This way they are responsible for picking up their handouts when they see me at the door with my "One handout" sign, and I don't have to spend time passing papers out and waiting for them all to get their papers and start. They know the expectation is to already have the paper and be ready when I begin. Granted there are those select few who still don't pay complete attention, but they are responsible for catching up - I very rarely give simple instructions more than once.

Time is something we all need more of in our days, but we need to learn to use our time to our advantage. I do miss having a student aid and if you have one, treat him/her well and use them wisely.

Enjoy the rest of your time this evening.

Earning your cape

With Halloween here I've been thinking about super heroes, of course I actually think about super heroes all the time and I'm pretty sure I know some pretty well.

As teachers, we are super heroes although we do not all fit into the same category. Here is my theory, (and there is absolutely no research to back this up except my love of pop culture), some of us are like Superman, some like Batman and some like Captain America. True it would be awesome to be any one of them, in shape, lovely to behold and with amazing strength.

Who is to say we aren't already like that? Sure we may not physically be in shape but our minds are sharp. To those we teach well we are the loveliest people on the planet. Our amazing strength? Shouldn't that be obvious?

Those teachers who seem to have been born for the classroom are like Superman. They cannot do anything about it, it is their destiny. Some teachers are like Batman, they know they want to teach but have to train a lot to get good at it. They spend hours and hours doing their job and someone still manage to maintain a standing position in front of their classes. Others are like Captain America, they weren't really sure what they were getting into when they signed up for the job but knew it was the right choice. The Captain America teachers have needed lots of help from those around them to become who they want to be (if you are a huge Captain America fan and I got something wrong please forgive me).

Even though we are not all the same type of super hero we are all working for the greater good. We do however have to earn our capes and I for one want to work for that cape, I don't want someone to just hand it to me and let me get tangled in it.

Happy Halloween and keep working towards those capes!

Creativity

I want to take a moment to mention creativity. This has got the be the ultimate secret weapon in my toolbox, without it my kids would probably never learn anything. The more creative a teacher is the more fun his/her classroom will be and the more learning will occur. I like to think of myself as a pretty creative teacher and for the most part it helps my kids a ton.

A few weeks ago my students wrote personal narratives where I asked them to focus on one small moment. I wanted to help them keep focus and add details to make their writing stronger. To introduce the focus of the writing I made shadowboxes. The students also received a handout with three boxes on it, one was for anticipation - how did they feel after being told they were going to stick their hands in the boxes without looking; "in the moment" - for the thoughts and feelings they had while they were interacting with the shadowboxes; "afterward" - for when they knew what was in the boxes. This activity was great fun for me, many of the students had so freaked themselves out that they were squealing and one was near tears. Not only was it amusing for all of us, it also helped them to focus their writing and use details. My shadowboxes were nothing crazy good, but they were something different and the kids responded to that. Several of my department members have asked to use the shadowboxes and I of course have said "yes".

I've also been writing grammar songs for my kids and it is awesome when they sing along. I take current songs that are popular or just catchy and I change the words. Then I sing the songs and record them to the karaoke versions and create a type of music video. I feel like a superstar teacher and the kids love the creativity and different take on learning I try to provide for them.

If you get stuck on something, get creative. Ask your kids to create a lesson idea or make a song (mine loved making grammar songs), do anything but give up.

Enjoy your weekend and thanks for changing the world one kid at a time!

Positivity

I've been thinking a lot about being positive and it is something a friend and I have been discussing quite regularly. A positive attitude and outlook on the day makes a huge amount of difference in the classroom - trust me.

My first year of teaching the school district I was in sent me to a week long workshop called "Capturing Kids' Hearts" and I still use a lot of their teachings. I shake my kids' hands each day when they come in the door, I try not to call them out in a negative way, and I use please and thank you on a regular basis. Now don't get me wrong, there are days when negativity takes over and those days I leave work exhausted and often frustrated. Being negative takes way too much energy out of me - so why not be positive!

For those of you struggling with positivity in your classroom life, don't give up. It is work to refocus yourself on the positive way of doing things. It is something I still have to work on, especially if I am struggling with something - be it a lesson plan, a family issue, or just lack of sleep. Being positive does not mean letting the kids get away with stuff, or not raising your voice if necessary. Being positive means avoiding the word "don't" and "can't". Our kids hear those words all too often at home, why should we say them? Why not ask them to please stop talking, or "are you with me?". I find that calling a kid out seamlessly while giving instruction catches him/her off guard and often the issue is solved right then and there.
Example: "An independent clause can be a sentence on its own. Sonia you with me? And a dependent clause is not a complete thought."

Staying positive in the classroom not only helps me as a teacher (so yes it is a little selfish), it also helps the kids to feel valued. It tends to cut down on the need to repeat warnings and even if you have a kid or two who refuses to do any work, he or she is not a behavior problem. I know it sounds like a lazy teacher thing, but I'd prefer to have no behavior problems to every kid "working" while having behavior problems any day.

I try to extend my positive activities outside of the classroom as well. I mail home "good job" notes on a regular basis to kids who have made a positive change in class, or who have been working hard consistently. One of my kids told me today that her mom "freaked out" about it and she told her mom "Gee, Mom, calm down, it is just a note." I want parents to "freak out" when they get a good note in the mail - not many of them get those things. As I see it, it is our job to not only teach kids, but to help change their worlds.

Be positive, it'll change your life!

Thanks for changing the world one kid at a time. Enjoy your Friday.

Working together for the greater good

I've always felt that the best teachers are the ones who put themselves out in front and are wiling to make huge mistakes. Don't we encourage our kids to make mistakes and learn from them? Shouldn't we as teachers be willing to do the same?

Today we had an in service on learning communities in school. The goal of learning communities is to help an entire school work together and I fully support that goal. I found myself sitting with a different group of folks and it was so nice. As the newbie at such a large school I feel like there are tons of faces I don't yet know and for me that totally sucks. I want to know the folks with whom I work daily, I want to be able to talk with them about our students, help them with ideas or struggles they may have and I want to be able to go to them for help.

In thinking about helping each other I can't help but think of how we help our kids to learn and how we help ourselves teach. I'm not talking easy stuff either, I'm talking the tough concepts that even we have to look up before we teach. I have to do that all the time and I let my kids know I do it too.

Lately, my kids have been struggling with clauses of the independent and dependent type. For those of you nonELA teachers, an independent can be a sentence by itself and a dependent can't. Seems pretty simple right? Wrong!

I taught it once and many of them had a hard time on the quiz so to teach it again I had to go searching for a new way. I found a PowerPoint, one of my favorite tools, called "Sentences with the Simpsons" online. Perfect! The kids know those characters and can connect.

After going through the PPT I asked them to make sentences and "label" which was a Marge (independent) clause and which was a Homer (dependent) clause. They loved it and many of them were able to identify the parts more effectively. I'm hoping this time it sticks!

Without the chance to search and find what others are willing to share I'd till be trying to figure out how to reteach this concept so they get it. I love sharing! My mom would be so proud :)

See a picture of one group's sentences.

Beginnings

I've moved to a new school district this year and life is very different in the classroom. I've come from a small 1A school in rural Texas where I did just about everything and moved to a large 5A school where my focus is much more specialized. I feel like I've never worked so hard as a teacher and after seven years of teaching at a variety of different schools and in different school populations that is saying something.

I feel like some of the best things in my toolbox are being stretched and I've got to rethink some of them. My goal with this blog is to help me remain positive and keep my freshness, I also plan to write about some of my favorite tools in the classroom. I look forward to sharing this year with you!

Tomorrow - I'll post some ideas on teaching independent and dependent clauses - something with which my kids are currently struggling.

Enjoy your evening and THANK YOU FOR CHANGING THE WORLD ONE KID AT A TIME!