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!
Monday, October 31, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
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!
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!
Thursday, October 27, 2011
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.
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.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
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.
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.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
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!
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!
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