Day 69: Symmetry, Snowflakes, and Other Geometry Stuff

We are finishing up our lessons in our geometry unit.  We did a project today that focused on symmetry.  I came up with the idea for a symmetry snowman.  The kids are partnered up to design their snowmen.  Each child draws one half of the snowman.  Then they switch papers and their partner has to copy the design and make it symmetrical.  I have a pic of the blank sheet I gave them; I will post one of the student pages after I have them up.



Snowman project

Two other projects I have done in the past are coffee-filter snowflakes and pipe cleaner snowflakes.  The coffee filter snowflakes are made the way we made snowflakes when we were little: fold the filter into a triangular shape and cut designs along the folds.  The second project is a pipe cleaner snowflake.  I give each student three pipe cleaners. (I like the iridescent ones, but you can use white or silver.)  We twist the pipe cleaners together and spread them out so that the arms are spread out evenly.  Then we thread beads along the arms to make a design/pattern. (I use blue, clear, and iridescent beads.)  Finally, we bend one of the ends over to make a loop and attach a ribbon.



This is the model I show my students.

 For both of the snowflake projects, I like to read the story Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin.  The students really like learning about the snowflakes and are eager to try and make their own designs.

Other books I like to use for my geometry unit are Shape Up by David A. Adler and The Greedy Triangle by Marilyn Burns.  Snowflakes in Photographs by W. A. Bentley is also a good one to look through.  (FYI: You can also use this one when talking about snow during your weather unit in science.)

I hope you can use some of these ideas.  And as always, if you have a neat idea, please share with the rest of us! Leave them in the comment box and I'll post them for you.

Until then, just think ahead to the holidays.  They (and Winter Break) are almost here!

Day 68: Transitions

We are all at the time of year when the students aren't quite as with us as we would like them to be.  Holiday breaks, school programs, cold weather and snow (if you are in a climate that has these), and who knows what else are all over the minds of our kiddos.

I have found that I am losing my students during transition times lately because something we have talked about or something they read or something someone said to them at recess or lunch has them wanting to talk and share at the wrong time.  So I have had to pull some old tricks out of my teacher hat.  Here are some tricks I have been using over the past week or so:
1. Math fact drills. I use this while we are lining up for special, lunch, or recess.  They have to answer a math fact to get in line and they cannot talk while in line or they have to sit back down and answer another fact.
2. Part of speech review.  I have flashcards with parts of speech on them.  We have been reviewing nouns.  I hold up a card with a picture of an object (or say the name of the object aloud to them) and they have to tell me if the object is a person, place, or thing.  I also have verb, adjective, and conjunction cards to add into the deck as we learn those.
3. Stretches.  I have them follow me through a set of stretches to wake them up and get them focused.  I have also used a quick game of Simon Says.
4. Riddle of the day.  While I was cleaning off my shelves during the two-hour delay, I found a book that has daily riddles in it.  Before we begin science each day, I ask them a riddle and they have a few minutes to think about and give an answer.  (This is especially helpful because my students have lunch and special right before science.)  The riddles aren't hard, but they make you think.  One of the ones we had last week was "What are some ways to melt an ice cube?"  (The answers ranged from stick it in the oven to send it to the Sun. You have to appreciate the imagination of little ones!) 
5. Clapping.  I clap a pattern out to make a little song and they repeat it back to me.
6. Music. I play classical and jazz during different parts of the day, but lately I have been playing all kinds of Christmas music (with parental permission, of course).  Today I played one by The Muppets and the students begged me to play during our transition to lunch and during our preparation for special.  (We have about 10 minutes between lunch and special each day, so we read during that time.)
7. One I'm going to try this week (after a brainstorm I had over the weekend) is something I call "stampede."  (My classroom has a safari theme, so this fits right in.)  I'm going to turn my head as if I'm listening for something and ask them if they hear it, too.  Then I'm going to yell, "Stampede!" and let the students drum their feet on the floor for a short time.  (There are no classes under mine, so I don't disturb anyone below me.)  I'll let you know how it goes.

How about you?  Do you have any creative transition ideas? Send them in a comment and I'll post them!

Day 67: Architects and Engineers

Friday, December 10 was day 67.  I decided to use the math period of that day to do some building with my students.  (The kids LOVED this activity!) 

We are in our geometry unit, and we were studying 2D and 3D shapes.  It's sometimes hard for little ones to distinguish between the two.  A few years ago I started having my students build their shapes.  While there are all sorts of K'Nex-type materials or magnetic building sets, I can't always afford a class set of materials for the projects.

I decided to use toothpicks and marshmallows to create the shapes.  After the first year, I realized that marshmallows are a little too soft and they fall apart after a few pokes with the toothpick.  So then I started using gumdrops.  This year, with food allergies in the room, I went with a snack that was safe for both of my kiddos: Welch's Fruit Snacks.  The kids loved it and had a good time being architects for the period.  Check out some of the designs below:




My models made with marshmallows a few years back.  The marhsmallows tend to get sticky and fall apart with the kids manipulating them.  The result is a hard-to-clean mess!



One of my student's models.  He was so proud!

I have the kids start with the 2D shape.  Then I ask them what the 3D equivalent would be.  (For example, a square would turn into a cube.)  I let them build squares, triangles, and rectangles.  We then turn those into cubes, square pyramids, three-sided pyramids, and rectangular prisms.  We also build prisms.  (By the way, I only help with the first shape to show them how to attach the snacks to the toothpicks.  After that, they have to work it out.  They are allowed to converse with a neighbor.) 

If you can use this idea, please go right ahead.  Send me a comment and let me know how it turned out!

Day 64: Me? Teacher Advisor?

I can say that today has been one of the most surreal days in my life.  One of those "I-can't-believe-this-is-really-happening-to-ME" days.  One of those days where you need to keep pinching yourself to make sure you aren't dreaming. 

What has me so worked up? 

Read on.

A few months ago, I applied to be on the Scholastic Teacher Advisor board.  For those of you who may not be aware of what this is, it is a board of 22 teachers who have been selected from a NATIONWIDE pool to work in conjunction with Scholastic to give feedback on materials, book selections used in classrooms, and suggestions for topics/genres to be added to Scholastic's offerings.
I am pretty psyched because I was called by the woman in charge of the program.  She shared that while the board has 22 members, they only selected five new teachers this year to join.  AND I WAS ONE OF THOSE TEACHERS!

So in February, I will be traveling to New York to attend a conference and meet the other board members.  We'll have some workshops to attend and...I'm not sure what else at this point. (The packet of info hasn't come yet.)  I can honestly say that I am really looking forward to the whole process!   Except for maybe the Visit.  I was told today that my classroom will be visited and observed by two Scholastic staff members at some point prior to my workshop in New York.  (I may be a bit of a ball of nerves the day before.  You know that feeling you get when you have your formal observation done?)

I was also told that Scholastic will cover my travel, lodging, and meals.  The company has us staying in SoHo at the SoHo Grand Hotel.  I've been to different parts of the Big Apple, but never there.  I would like to check out a few places while I'm in the area, but I have no idea of where to begin. 

Do you know of any eclectic/authentic/interesting eateries I should try out?  Or shops?  Or bookstores?  Or museums? Or anything that doesn't involve drinking or clubs?  (Sorry, those just aren't my thing.)  Don't be afraid to share a comment!

Day 62: Time to Celebrate!

I am bursting at the seams with excitement.  I simply cannot BELIEVE it!  If I weren't sitting down right now, I'd be doing a little happy dance all over my living room floor.  And who knows?  I just might cut a little rug after I finish this post!

What, you ask, am I SO DELIRIOUSLY HAPPY about?

Well...

Come closer...

Closer...

Lean in...

Good.  Listen...

MY PROJECT THAT WAS POSTED ON DONORS CHOOSE HAS BEEN FULLY FUNDED! HOORAY! 

I cannot tell you how excited I was to open the e-mail tonight and find out that my class set of Whisperphones is no longer a wish, but a dream come true!  One of the donors has children who formerly attended the school where I currently teach.  (I didn't have her children, though.)  She called it an early Christmas present.  That, I think, is the understatement of the year!

If you've never tried Donors Choose, I urge you to give it go. You may be pleasantly surprised!

Have a great weekend everybody!

Day 61: I Wish I Could Be a Fly on His Wall...

A few posts back, I told you all about a book I was reading by Rafe Esquith.  I have about a quarter of the book to go before I finish it, and I tell you, I will be reading more by this teacher/author.  You can find out more about him and his teaching at http://www.hobartshakespeareans.org/.

Simply put, I like the way this guy operates. Granted, I may not have all of the resources and time needed to do all of the things with my second graders that he does with his fifth graders (and some of them are not appropriate for children that young), but there are some really good ideas.

Mr. Esquith (or Rafe, as his students call him.  I don't know him so I'll call him Mr. Esquith.) does what all teachers are expected to do: he teaches skills with practical application to life.  Not just the "required-by-the-curriculum-and-used-by-such-and-such-method-because-administration-says-you-have-to" sort of teaching, but the teaching that adds in the "this-is-how-to-apply-what-you've-learned-to-other-areas-of-your-life-in-order-to-SURVIVE" kind of teaching. 

Even with my second graders, I always relate how what they are learning will be useful to them in the future.  Not in the sense of knowing it for a quiz or test, but for the practical application to things.  From math skills to science, from social studies to writing in a complete sentence (that actually has a subject and predicate and makes sense!), my students know why and how these skills will help them in their everyday lives.  I challenge my students to challenge their parents through homework assignments from time to time, especially if we've had a particularly interesting (and sometimes animated!) discussion on a topic.  I see it as a growing experience for everyone.

One thing I can say I am a bit envious of is Mr. Esquith's permission(?) to teach for teaching's sake.  Not that he doesn't have requirements through his district like we all do, but for the way he is permitted to meet and exceed those requirements.  Let me explain:

In my current district, there is this idea to "teach the basics" and "Stick with the quarterly guidelines!  You MUST cover this and that in THIS time period!  Stay away from things that detract from learning."  (In some buildings, this includes informative academic assemblies!)  "Focus on math and language arts, and, if you find the time, cover science and social studies.  But-! If you don't get to science and social studies, that's okay; the kids will get it later." WHAT?????  My students cover every subject, every day.  There's no excuse not to cover them.  Yes, it may be a little harried some days, but we do it.  Yet I know I work with others in my district who don't get to those subjects on a regular basis, if at all.  And this is education?

In my former district/school, we really tried to have the children experience as much as possible through their learning.  We had the flexibility to move around units to mirror skills.  (Ex.: We had a unit in our science series that covered dinosaurs.  We also had a unit in our language arts series that covered dinosaurs.  We moved the science unit (by a whole quarter) so we could teach it during the dinosaur unit in language arts.  For math, we had measurement around that time, so we took dinosaur lengths from our science text and other supporting texts and measured them in the main hallway.  We wrote reports.  We made fossils.  We made models.  We learned and had FUN while doing it!)  My second graders (yes, even there!) learned so much about dinosaurs.  But they also learned processes, how to gather and organize data, teamwork, planning and organization, and a host of other skills.  My colleagues and I did this type of thing for every skill/unit we taught.  This kind of teaching was encouraged. 

Even if you may be faced with beaurocratic with roadblocks, there are ways to be creative with your students and help them along.  I use a lot of examples, projects, video clips, stories...basically anything I can get my hands on to help my students grasp the information I am sharing with them.  I know you all do, too.

So to you, I say, "Go on with your bad self and teach those children!" 

Be creative! Have fun! Be brilliant!

Day 60: Hanukkah/Chanukah

Happy Hanukkah to those of you who celebrate the holiday!  If you were not aware, Hanukkah began at sundown tonight. 

As part of my goal to introduce my students to as many cultures as possible, December is a big month for me in the realm of studying holidays from other cultures.  We learn about Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Las Posadas. 

During the eight days in which Hanukkah is celebrated, I try to mirror the holiday by reading part of a story that focuses on each day.  I like to read the story Pearl's Eight Days of Chanukah by Jane Breskin Zalben.  The book focuses on a family that gets together over the holiday.  Through the reading of the story, the history, traditions, and symbols of Hanukkah are explained.  There are craft projects, recipes, and songs listed throughout the book as the characters in the story celebrate each night.  There is also a glossary of terms in the back of the book.

My classes have always loved the story and the activities.  (I don't get a chance to do all of the activities, but we do some of the simpler ones.  I also send home all of the recipes from the book.  My students always get excited over the one for jelly doughnuts!)

To further explain Hanukkah, my grade level does a "Hanukkah rotation."  It was started by a former colleague who is Jewish and thought it would be a good way to expose the children to another culture.  It's a busy sort of time slot, but it's a lot of fun.

We condense our six second grades into five classes (one class gets split among the others) and do a sort of walking tour from class to class.  Each second grade teacher is responsible for a "stop" on this tour.  One teacher will read a story about Hanukkah, another will have a craft, another will have a tasting of latkes and apple juice while viewing a short video on Hanukkah, another will have the dreidel game, and another is a room where the students can be part of a discussion about the holiday, complete with a menorah and other materials.  Each station is about 15 minutes long.  When the children get back to their homerooms, they are given a plastic dreidel to keep.  The children really enjoy the rotation and are able to "experience" a holiday they may not have had access to.

Our rotation is this Friday afternoon.  I don't cook the latkes; I buy them frozen from the store and heat them through the night before.  Then they just get reheated in the microwave in the afternoon and they're ready to go.  The juice is served in Dixie cups to cut down on spills and wasted juice.  Most children like to eat the latkes with their fingers, so napkins are usually a good way to go.

How do you share the holiday of Hanukkah with your class?  Feel free to add your ideas in the comment section and I'll post them to share with the rest of us!

Day 54: Scholastic

I just want to say that I love the Scholastic Book Fair.  Every year, my school's PTA puts one on during American Education Week, and another during our annual May Fair in the spring. 

I like going through and seeing all of the shelves full of new books; the possibilities waiting to be explored and put into use.  My husband will tell you, if we are anywhere near a place that sells books (Borders, Barnes and Noble, library book sales, flea markets, etc.), the best thing is just to leave me there and come back later.  And bring something to haul off my finds.

My wallet caved to some books today after I "perused" for a bit while my students were in special.  I bought several for my children (one each to read now, and several more for Christmas--shh, don't tell!).  I also bought one for myself, titled Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire: The Methods and Madness Inside Room 56 by Rafe Esquith.  Looks interesting; I can't wait to read it!

Aside from the book fairs, I rely on Scholastic book orders (as you remember from Day 16).  I use the points accumulated from the student book orders to order books for my class library.  I also like the fact that Scholastic gives teacher coupons and will send free books if your order totals a certain amount each month.  I am guilty of buying a few items to help my class reach that dollar threshold just so I can get the points and the free books.  (Don't seem so shocked; I know some of you do it, too!  Wink, wink!)  Really, it's one of the few ways I can get books without going broke.  Teachers spend enough of their own money as it is.

I am always looking for good deals on books for my class and for myself.  I would love to hear of any sites or stores that have good deals in your area.  Leave a note in the comment box with your favorite link or store and I'll list them in a Reader Resource post.  In the meantime, happy reading!

Day 53: Insects!

Today was a fun day.  We began our day with our insect speaker who shared with us the interesting world of aquatic insects.  He is the parent of one of the students in another class and is a biologist by profession.  He talked to the children about the life cycles of the insects, the difference between complete and incomplete metamorphosis, camouflage, and where to find them in the water. 

He also brought samples(!) of the different types of insects in various stages of their life cycles.  The students observed dragonflies, damselflies, mayflies, and various other types of water beetles and crustaceans (like crayfish).  The students loved it and were full of questions.  They especially were impressed (and sort of grossed out) by a giant water beetle.

These are stages in the life cycle of an aquatic insect.  I think it's a type of beetle.

This is the water beetle the kids were fascinated yet somewhat repulsed by, mainly because of it's size.  It's about 2.5 to 3 inches long and is about 1.5 inches across at its widest point.  Sort of looks like a cockroach close up.  I'm not afraid of insects, but this is not something I'd want to find in my shoe!

After our speaker left, we continued with science and observed our own mealworm colony in the classroom.  We watched one adult beetle crawl around while another molted out of its pupa-skin covering.  I swear my students all want to become little entomologists now!  

That is, as long as they don't have to study the giant water beetle...

Day 51: More Cool Ideas

We've been working on some projects in class.  Last week we read the story Owl Moon and compared it with a story called Owls.  As part of a fact-finding assessment, I had the children find 10 facts about owls in the selection and create a poster.  They turned out pretty neat.

An owl fact poster.

We have also been working on our Weather unit in science.  As part of our study on clouds, we created cloud flap books.  Each book highlights four types of clouds: stratus, cumulus, cirrus, and cumulonimbus.  The students were given a packet of cloud information to read through.  After reading through, they wrote down two facts they learned about clouds under each flap.




This is the cover of the book. We used cotton balls to create the clouds.  The children thought this was great fun.

 

This is the inside of the book.  Two facts are listed for each type of cloud.

 Another project we started this week to go along with Thanksgiving is reading the Pilgrim children set.  (A colleague has been using this project for quite a number of years and passed it on to me when I joined the team four years ago.)  I use the set as a "work smarter, not harder" project.  The books are read during Language Arts, but can be combined into Social Studies for a thematic unit.  I spend two days one one book, two days on the other, and about two to three days on a writing workshop project.

I have the Samuel Eaton book and the Sarah Morton book.  (I plan to get the Tapenum book to use in the future.)  What I currently have the children listen for is: how the children dressed, what chores they had to do, and what they did in their free time.  (We do this in a four-square.)  We then use the four-square to create a writing piece where the children write what their lives would be like if they were a Pilgrim child.  The boys write about the boy's life and the girls write about the girl's life. 

The children really enjoy learning about what life was like several hundred years ago.  They have a lot of questions and we have some lively discussions about the two books, especially when I remind the children that there were no electronics (and therefore, no TV or video games) back then!

I hope you can use some of these ideas for your classrooms.  If you try any out, leave a note and let me know how they turned out.  I can't wait to see them!

Conferences

Yesterday was report card conferences.  I was here from 8:00 until 4:15.  (Some of my conferences went over, despite the fact that I use a timer to try and stay on track.  Really, 10 minutes to give the report card--which parents are seeing for the first time--and go over all of your concerns, parents concerns, and any additional questions?!?!)  I stayed on track as best I could. 

Suggestion to all of you who may not already do this:  Bring a drink!  Preferably a warm one to keep your throat from getting scratchy (or at least lesson the effect!).  Here's my tea in one of those cups I posted about a few weeks back when I was battling my cold.


Vanilla Caramel tea.  My favorite!

Once I had the beverage situation taken care of, I set up my table with the report cards, my schedule, a timer, a pen and note card for jotting down things, and my newsletter.  (Couldn't get this one to attach to anything, so I took a pic of it.)  The newsletter just tells parents what we will be working on throughout the quarter so they can have a heads up.  As a parent myself, I like these because if I know my child has problems with fractions, and fractions are going to be covered, I can at least preview some material with him. Under Language Arts, I include subcategories for grammar, comprehension, phonics, and writing skills.

Second quarter newsletter

While parents are waiting, I have a space outside in the hallway where they can sit in adult-sized chairs.  The plastic green basket is holding note cards and markers so parents can write a little note to their child while they wait.  On the table are more of my donation cards with requests for foaming hand soap, paper towels, and tissue with lotion.  The dark green wire basket has candy in it, while the light green basket on the floor had children's books in it.  (Sometimes parents bring along their children, so the books keep the kiddos occupied while the parents are in meeting with me.) 

A comfy space to wait

Overall, the day went well.  I was just tired from talking all day long.  And by bedtime, my throat was feeling a little scratchy.  It felt much better this morning.

If you haven't had your conferences yet, you might want to try a few of these ideas.  Or if you've already had your conferences, you might want to try a few for next time around.  AND, if you have any neat additions I can post for others to see, please send them in via the comment link below. 

Looking forward to your ideas! 

Day 49: Preparation for Conferences

Tomorrow my day begins with my first conference at 8:15 a.m.  Conferences are done in 10-minute increments, with five minutes between each conference.  For example, my 8:15 will go until 8:25, then I will have five minutes until the next one.  Hypothetically. I usually just go straight through.  I will finish sometime around 3:30, with an hour lunch break in the middle of the day. (And some strategically placed restroom breaks!  It's hard to give a report if your bladder's full, you know?)

To prepare for conferences, I have the report card ready (of course), but I take some extra measures as well.

I always have a newsletter available for the parents to have for reference.  The newsletter lists the skills we will be covering by subject for the upcoming quarter.  That way, if parents see something they know their child may have trouble with (like fractions), they can preview the skill with their child before we get to that lesson or unit.

I also have the following outside my door in the hallway: (I forgot to take a picture in the rush to leave today; I will post it tomorrow.)
**A student-sized desk or table to use for display.
**Two adult-sized chairs for waiting parents.
**A basket of note cards and markers so parents can leave a little note for their child while they wait.  I then put those notes on the desks of the children before they come in the next school day.
**A basket of treats.  Usually this is chocolates; tomorrow will be butterscotch or Jolly Ranchers.  (My room is nut free, remember?)  Tip: Put in a bit at a time and replenish throughout the day.  I learned that one the hard way my first conference.  Seems that while I was talking with Mom and Dad, little ones were filling their pockets!
**A basket under the desk or table filled with books for children to read while they wait.  Clearly labeled with my name, of course!
**A spread of "donation" reminders.  (Remember my giraffe cards from Parent Night?)
**An art portfolio of student artwork from the art teacher.  (At the beginning of the year, some of the projects get ruined because the students aren't careful with them.  I put them in a little folder and hand them off to the parents during conferences so they make it home in one piece.

Well, off to prepare my clothes and myself for tomorrow.  See you on the other side.

Day 48: Light at the End of the Tunnel

I'm almost there!  Just a few more entries on a sheet and I will be finished with report cards!  This weekend saw me getting some work done, but with my husband away for a church conference from Friday morning to Sunday evening, I didn't finish quite as much as I wanted. 

Grades are in, comments are finished, math checklists are done.  All I need to do is fill in the actual letter grades and attendance sections. 

Life is looking good.

Day 47: LOVE this site!

If you're not already familiar with it, check out http://www.readinga-z.com/.  I use it quite a bit for worksheets, booklets, lesson plan ideas, etc.  The site also has several sister sites that focus on vocabulary, writing, science, and other subjects/skills. 

What about you?  Any sites you just can't teach without?  Enter them into the comments section below and I'll post them as a "Best of..." for fellow educators.

Happy commenting!

Day 42: Parties and Parades

I made it in to school today.  Still froggy-sounding and a little wheezy yet, but feeling more energetic and breathing clearly through my nose.  Five hours of sleep during the day and an extra nine at night sure helped a lot.

The morning was easy because we showed our reward movie for good behavior.  (Any student who stays within the parameters of our behavior plan gets a reward at the end of the month.  Sometimes its extra recess or a special project; sometimes it is a movie.)  Those who don't earn it have to sit out in another classroom.  

Since I wasn't hosting this time, I had a bit of time to set my appointment times for report card conferences, organize my room, plan, get copies made, and catch up on e-mails and correspondence from the day before. 

After the movie, the day followed the usual routine until 1:45, when parents started showing up to set up  for the party and help children get ready for the costume parade.  At 2:15, the children paraded out of the building by grade level.  They traveled down the main hall, out and around the bus loop, and back into the building to line the hallways and watch the other grades pass.  It's a neat thing, because we start with kindergarten and end with fifth grade.  Having the children line the hallways allowed the younger kids to see the older kids as they walk through and vice versa.  The kids are excited to see their siblings and friends, and you get a chance to see a lot of interesting costumes.  From fairies to the cast of the Wizard of Oz (our first-grade team), from cartoon characters and superheroes, from cowboys to Star Wars stormtroopers, we saw it all.  One of my favorites, however, was a student who dressed as the character Phineas from the Disney series Phineas and Ferb, complete with the giant triangular head and orange pipe-cleaner hair on top. 

When the parade was over, it was time for the party.  The children had a great time making little tissue ghosts, guessing the number of candy corn in a jar (to be raffled off), bowling with baby pumpkins, searching for treasure in a jewel toss game, eating, posing for pictures, and dancing.  I didn't have much to do regarding crafts or games, but I was exhausted by dismissal time.  In all, however, it was a fun day.

On to the weekend...to sleep!

Day 38: A Trip to Africa

Today my class went to Africa.  Via a speaker who has been to the continent 28 times on goodwill missions to bring schools, safe drinking water, and other supplies to people in several countries.  He has visited Kenya, Sierra Leone, Ghana, and others, and shares his experiences with schoolchildren of all ages to help raise awareness of the issues being faced by the people who live there.

The presentation started out with a slideshow that showed the children how large Africa is (China, the U.S. and several other countries can fit inside its boundaries with room to spare), the various countries, different tribal groups, animals, and some of the challenges the children face (malnutrition, inadequate diet, poor healthcare, and very limited access to schooling and education). 

We had quite a discussion about how the lives of American children are different from most African children and the things people in more developed countries take for granted (like running water, electricity, and having more than one or two outfits to wear).

The second part of the presentation was a hands-on exploration.  Our guest brought along items from his travels, including a sleeping mat and wooden neck holder that several students tried out, musical instruments made from seed pods and shells, jewelry made of bone and wood, toys made from tin cans, grass mats, and wooden sculpture.  Some of the children modeled the things that could be worn while others made an impromptu band.  It was noisy, but fun! Once the pictures are downloaded, I'll post a few.

I think it's important for children to realize that there are others less fortunate than themselves. We read for organizations like Scholastic cares, and donate items through our school's many drives for the needy.  I'm always trying to set an example of goodwill toward others because we never know when we may be on the receiving end of someone else's goodwill.  With programs like the one we had today, we can also raise awareness of world need.

Like our visitor said today, "Someone in this room may the person who cures malaria or thinks of ways to help end hunger." 

We can only plant the seeds.

Day 37: Red Ribbon Week

Next week is Red Ribbon Week.  For those of you unaware of what this is, it is a week set aside each year to honor a fallen DEA agent in his quest to rid our country of drugs and drug violence.  Sadly, the agent was killed during this quest and the week has sprouted out of his efforts to keep our children drug-free and safe in their own neighborhoods.

In my school, we do a theme week.  Each day the students are to wear a specific color or item of clothing to signify that they will aim to live drug-free lives.  Monday is "Red"-y to Be Drug Free.  All students are to wear red.  Tuesday is picture day, so it's I "Look My Best" When I Am Drug Free.  Wednesday is crazy sock day, you know, "Sock" It to Drugs.  (Got my candy corn socks all ready!) Thursday is the day we are to wear our favorite T-shirts--I Am Drug Free and I Feel "T-riffic."  Friday is School Spirit Day and the day of Halloween parties and costume parades. 

In addition to the theme days, we have a Red Ribbon Packet we go through during Social Studies time.  I use the packet to show my students other things they can do, and the difference between "good" drugs (like allergy medicine or antibiotics to kill germs), and ''bad" drugs like alcohol, nicotine, and street drugs.  I'm also sure to tell them that they should never take anything without an adult, be careful of things they see lying around since so many pills look like candy, and other safety precautions.  I know my kiddos are only second graders, but I think it's important to get them thinking about things like this.  The packets we have are grade-level appropriate and the children seem to enjoy them a lot.

If you want extra activities or are interested in sharing this information with your class (if you are not participating already), check out the link above or any of the following: 
http://www.redribbonweek.com/,  http://www.imdrugfree.com/, or  http://www.drugsrdumb.com/.

Day 33: Project Addition

Here is the display of the projects posted in the hallway.  We do not have bulletin boards in our hallways, only those little cork board strips where the tile meets the plaster.  The space above the shape poems will be used for this week's projects that go along with the nonfiction story Exploring Parks With Ranger Dockett.  I'm going to have the children create park rules as part of our lesson on commands.  The rules are often pretty imaginative!  I'll post those after they are finished and displayed. 

As an aside, quite a few of the children expressed interest in writing letters to Ranger Dockett to ask him about his job and if he always liked nature.  I've contacted the park bureau where he worked when the story was written to see if he still works there and if my class would be permitted to send him letters.  We'll see how that goes.  Hopefully we'll be able to proceed; it would make my students' day!



Shape poems above.  Letters from story characters below, along with "photos."  The children really enjoyed this project.



Day 32: Projects

I was thinking about the blog today and I realized that I haven't put up any projects that my students have worked on.  We have two that we recently finished and have displayed in the hallway, so I thought I'd share them with you (in case you want any ideas!).

The first project is a shape poem. About a week ago we finished our first reading theme.  At the end of each theme, there is a genre focus.  The focus for this particular theme was poetry.  We read poetry with rhyming patterns, without rhyming patterns, sensory poems, silly word poems, and shape poems.  The students really liked the idea of the shape poems, so we wrote some! 

I decided to combine two projects into one.  We used to write a sensory poem about our yearly fall field trip to a nearby nature center.  With budget cutbacks, we are allowed only one field trip this year, and that was the one cut.  So I had the children write sensory poems about fall.  (We used to write fall acrostics, but the acrostics are going to have to be done another time.)  Anyhoo, I had the children brainstorm some ideas about fall, keeping in mind that the shapes of the ideas would have to be recreated on the paper with words.  We came up with football, baseball, apples, leaves, Halloween candy, and pumpkins.  I had the children brainstorm sensory words for their chosen topics, then we turned those words into sentences.  After proofreading, I helped them create their shapes and we published the poems.  They really turned out pretty neat.  I took a picture of one of the more unusual ones--a football helmet.  There are also apples, taffy, a Kit Kat, several pumpkins, several jack-o-lanterns, a baseball, and a lollipop hanging.



This is the football helmet poem of one of my football fans.   Hope you can read it!

The other project goes along with the first story of our second theme, which is titled "Nature Walk."  The story we did the project on was Henry and Mudge and the Starry Night.  If you're not familiar with the story, it's about the experiences of a boy named Henry, his big drooly dog Mudge, and Henry's parents while they are on a camping trip.  I had the children pretend they were a character in the story; they could choose any one they wanted.  (A lot of them chose Mudge this year.  Go figure!)  Anyhow, they were to write a letter to a friend and tell that friend all about their camping trip as experienced through the character they chose.  After that, they were to include a "picture" of something they saw or did while camping. 

The projects came out pretty cute.  Some of the children drew the campsite, one drew a fish jumping out of the stream, several drew the log Mudge was chewing on, one drew the stars at night, and a few even drew the ham sandwich Mudge unpacked at the campsite.  I took a picture of one of the projects, but the photo was a little blurry.  I'll have to retake and post on Monday.

We have some other projects we'll be doing in the next few weeks; I'll try to post as we do them.  Until then, enjoy!

Day 31: Dads and Doughnuts

My school's PTA sponsors a program each fall called Dads and Doughnuts.  It's a day set aside where dads, grandpas, uncles, etc. can come in before school with their children and socialize with other male figures while enjoying doughnuts, juice, and coffee.  (Actually, because of our large student population, we have to split the program over two mornings, with last names beginning with A-M one day and N-Z the next.)  It's a pretty cool thing to see all of these dads and other male figures hanging out with their children.

For the children who may not have a male figure in their lives, moms, aunts, and grandmas are allowed to attend if they so choose.  It's not uncommon to see several women mixed in the crowd.  And still, there are a few families where both parents come in, and that's okay, too.

The PTA also does something in the spring called Moms and Muffins, which follows the same format.  The kids really enjoy both programs, and the parents enjoy the extra time looking at the student work hanging in the halls and informally talking with the teachers. 

Today was the first day.  Tomorrow is the other. 

I think I'll try a treat with sprinkles.

Day 30: Current Events

I'm thinking of adding in a Current Events feature to social studies each week.  With all of the news events going on in our community, state, and world, I think it would be a valuable learning tool for my students.  It always surprises me when I refer to something that I saw on the news and only a handful of children have a clue as to what I'm talking about.

I'm thinking I could break things down in a format similar to my local newspaper.  You know, with sections not only for local, state, and world news, but subcategories for sports, human interest, culture, and even comics.  I'm just trying to figure out how to assign projects (maybe on a rotating basis) AND where in the world I have the space to display the items and will have access to change them weekly.  My available board space is filled with LFS focus boards and vocabulary and things like the calendar, daily schedule, and routine posters.  I might cover a shelf and use that space.  I just need to take a look at my room.

Do any of you do current event projects?  How do you display them?  Where do you display them?  How do you manage the entire thing? 

Day 29: Bullying

Today's post is more about a program I saw over the weekend.  There isn't much to report from the classroom front, either, unless you count sluggishness.  What is it about long weekends that makes everyone slow down (adults and children alike)?  Just seems like it took a loooong time to get anything accomplished today.  Anyhow, back to the topic at hand.

Over the weekend, I watched the Anderson Cooper Town Hall special on bullying.  As a parent of a child who was bullied and as an educator, I think the topic is a very valid subject for discussion.  I think the show was a good start, but that it could have easily been broken up into a series to address the topic accurately.  The speakers seemed to be rushed along in their answers; it just felt like the writers/producers/whoever of the show tried to address everything in too short of a time frame.

One thing I had a problem with was (my perception of the implied) notion that teachers don't know how to address bullying.  Now before anyone gets offended, let me explain.  I know sometimes teachers find themselves in situations where they may seem overwhelmed and not know how to handle a particular child or situation.  I also know sometimes teachers aren't always aware of bullying going on in the classroom because students don't always speak up (as was the case for my child.  She would tell us but not her teacher.)  More on this in a second.

The second thing I had a problem with was the repeated idea that we MUST teach teachers to handle this problem.  I don't have a problem with the idea of training on bullying, building community, and handling difficult students and situations.  I had a problem with the fact that not all school districts have the resources to implement these programs for their students.  It's one thing to say it "MUST" happen, but another to have the funding to do so. 

When I worked in my previous district, which was a large urban area, schools were funded differently.  They were broken into Areas according to scores on standardized testing, with Area 1 having the highest scores.  There were 4 areas.  Schools that weren't in an Area had gotten into partnerships with businesses.  These latter schools received some extra training and funding via the business partnerships, not the district itself.  Yet no school that I'm aware of had any sort of training or curriculum for anti-bullying.  Most of the elementaries didn't have counselors. But we had students from all walks of life, different socioeconomic situations, varying levels of English-speaking ability, various situations in home life.  When these children came in, as all children do, they brought their experiences with them.

So what do you do in a situation like that? I can tell you what I did despite of a lack of an anti-bullying program or school counselor. In my room I spent (and still spend) the first two to three weeks working on building community because it's a lot harder to pick on someone if you have something in common with them.  I also set my classroom expectations.  Simply put: I don't put up with any nonsense in my room. I don't allow name calling, touching others (except to help), abuse of other's property, or disrespect.  (That last one takes some work, but it can be done.) I'm not a tyrant about it, nor do I scream and yell at my students.  I simply state the facts of the situation and go from there.  From the first day of school I call my students ladies and gentlemen and I tell them that I expect them to behave as such.  We talk about what that can look like and how we can implement that in our room.  I don't act like I am better than my students and I allow them to hold me accountable for adherence to our classroom expectations. (Don't misunderstand me; I don't make it out like I am their "friend" but I am cordial and interested in them as people.  I firmly believe you need to model the behavior you want; sometimes you're the only model some of these children get.)  Holding me accountable seems to surprise some of the students, but it works.  I really try to get them to see that our room is a team or a family, and that we will only succeed if everyone works together.  We revisit the ideas periodically and during class meetings.  I've had some really tough students, and I've had students other teachers have warned me about.  You know, "Oh, wait until you get so and so!"  I've also had those same teachers come to me later about those same students and ask what I've done with them.  Nothing.  I raised my expectation and challenged them to meet it.  I have had these same students move onto other grades and I still got visits to my room when there were challenges in their lives, or if they just wanted to work/help me at the end of the day.

One of my tough students took until nearly Christmas to get on board.  I didn't lower my expectations and stayed on him about being accountable.  He came from a home where he was being raised by his mom and aunt; mom and dad had divorced.  No one held him accountable for his actions prior to my room; there were always excuses as to why he behaved the way he did.  I don't accept excuses.  When you enter the room, there are basic human courtesies that I expect you to follow.  Be honest.  Treat others the way you want to be treated.  Do your own work.  Be accountable.  Admit if you are wrong.  Accept the consequences.  I held him accountable for these through the tantrums, the kicking, the throwing of objects, the destruction of other people's property, and the yelling.  I spent many hours explaining to my class how to avoid behavior like that.  I moved seats, I kept notes, I called home--often, I praised when I could, I used reward charts...anything I could think of to help bring this child around.  It took a while, but I did it.  After I left the district I followed up with him the following year and he was doing a great job.

My toughest student came to me when a colleague went out on maternity leave.  He was moved to my room after he threatened to wrap a chair around the substitute's face.  A real charmer.  (He actually could be very charming if he wanted something, but he was also cocky and smart-mouthed.  Conversely, he was SO CAPABLE and was good in math and science, but he didn't always apply himself. ) He started with his array of tactics and I stayed on top of his behavior, too, even calling his mother at work in the middle of class so she could talk to him about his behavior.  He behaved fairly well in my room after a while and worked hard, especially if he was working toward a good behavior reward, but recess was a different story.  Come to find out through the recess monitors that he was bothering people at recess and threatening them with "snitches get stitches." He ended up in a fistfight with another student because the other student stood up to his bullying.  This fight began a larger fight that was brought to the principal's--and my team's--attention.  We had a grade-wide meeting, class by class, and determined that he had been covertly bullying about three people, boys from the other classroom.  We arranged a meeting with his mother and stepfather, the principal, and my team.  Mom basically blew us off, told us there was nothing wrong with her son (despite the anecdotal notes from the teachers and the recess monitors, despite the numerous calls to her from myself and the office, and despite his admission to the behaviors), and transferred him to another school within two weeks.  I'm not sure what message that sends to the child.  I just pray he straightened himself out.

In my current district we follow the Olweus Anti-Bullying program.  I think it has it's good points, especially the emphasis on class meetings.  Our counselor is good at giving lessons and being available to talk to, but I think those two pieces are only part of the overall method of preventing bullying.  I truly believe that you have to have specific expectations for your class, you should be open with your students, and you should build a structured community within your room.  I also think you should be aware; get to know your students and their habits.  Also, encourage them to speak up, either to their parents, guardians, you, or in anonymously in a comment box.

So how did this last notion apply to my daughter?  She was new to the school that year and had a hard time fitting in with the others.  She made a friend or two but wasn't was easily accepted as some of the other students because she can be a bit shy.  We had her meet with the counselor, met with her teacher, and she came out of her shell. By the end of the year, she was being invited to parties, joined Girl Scouts, and was on her way.  The bullying came two years later in to the form of a former classmate.  The two hadn't gotten along during her first year and weren't in class that following year.  But then things changed.  The bullying of my daughter took the form of nasty looks, comments about her clothes, rumors, exclusion, etc.  We knew there was something going on at school, but she never said anything because she didn't want to get anyone into trouble. (We later had a discussion about the difference of tattling and standing up for yourself.)  I finally cornered her after I saw her walking through the school hallway crying.  She told me this particular girl had been picking with her despite all of the things we taught her to do at home and what she learned through the anti-bullying program.  (She had tried to remove herself from the situation, asked to be moved to a new seat, requested that she and this girl not be partners on projects, avoided the other as best she could, and tried to surround herself with other people and friends.  All to no avail.  The bully isolated people from her and the teacher told her she would have to work it out.)

Trying to allow my child the space to be the then fourth grader that she was, we suggested she have a meeting with her teacher and the counselor to try and work things out.  We also told her to write down what happened as well as any witnesses.  In the meantime, my husband and I told her not to stoop to the bully's level, but to show the person she had more important things to worry about...even if what the bully did bothered her (but don't let it show!).  It got to the point that when the bully saw she wasn't getting a rise out of my daughter anymore, she stopped.  If the girl said she didn't like my daughter's outfit, the response was something like a nonchalant, "I'm sorry you feel that way."  or "That's okay, you're not wearing it." or "So? I like my clothes."  Sort of like the Bill Cosby book The Meanest Thing to Say.  Once there was no reaction, there was no more bullying.  The girl did get reprimanded for her behavior; she had been bullying other girls as well.  I haven't heard of any situations with her for nearly a year and a half.

I'm saying all this to say that while anti-bullying training for teachers has its merits, setting high behavior expectations and modeling community cohesiveness in your classroom also has merit.  Being a good role model for children is also a vital piece of this puzzle. I truly believe you need all four pieces for success.

Day 28: Math Night

Day 28, which was Thursday, was Math Night at my school.  Math Night is a big deal because the children have the opportunity to come to school with their parents or guardians and show off their math skills through math games and other activities in a nonthreatening environment.  Because our school is so large, we have to alternate by grade levels.  Last night was K-2.  Grades 3-5 will have another night.

Each grade level is given a specific area of the building to host their activities.  Kindergarten hosted in their classrooms and had an open rotation of games.  First grade hosted in the cafeteria, and second grade hosted in the gym.  The games and activities varied, but our grade level had quite a few: tangrams, pattern blocks, attribute blocks, dominoes, flashcards, geoboards, countdown, Top-It, the Number Grid game, Three Addends, Basketball Addition, 3-2-1, and clock games. The kids loved showing their parents all of the games they've learned in class and the skills they have learned. (I think it also helped that most of the kids were winning the games they challenged their parents to play!)

While the kids and parents were playing for the hour, the PTA supplied refreshments and door prizes.  There were games, smiles, laughter, and snacks.  What else could you need?

Day 27: Daily Edits and Other Work

I know I've said I would share the topic of Daily Edit with you.  I figured now is as good a time as ever to explain what they are since I just gave a stack to my new student to work through at home.

Our daily edit is actually a group of four pages that the students complete as the first part of their morning work each day.  The first two cover proofreading, sentences, parts of speech, analogies, and vocabulary.  There is always a short passage the students are required to read through and correct for errors.  (This passage we do together until the students are able to do it on their own.) The last two cover basic math skills, and logic/problem solving problems where the students are required to draw a diagram or model of some sort in order to figure out the answers to the math problems below.  A former teacher used materials from several different books to create a daily edit that supplemented the regular curriculum.
  
With our reading program, Houghton Mifflin 'Reading,' we come back and visit topics again.  The nice thing about our daily edits is that they cover a lot of the skills we are doing in our reading series.  When the binder work was put together, the teacher who created them put the skills in the order we would come across them in the curriculum.  She even laid it out so that there was some preview of work to come and review of work we did.  So already my second graders have been exposed to and reviewed homophones, homonyms (multiple-meaning words), synonyms, antonyms, compound words, punctuation, capitalization, word families, sentence structure, analogies, nouns, verbs, adjectives, genre, proofreading, and singular and plural nouns.  

I have chosen to give my new student the daily edits she has missed as sort of a foundation for the writing, grammar, and math skills she has missed.  We are beginning a new unit in Language Arts on Tuesday.  During this unit, there will be several writing projects, a revisiting of comprehension skills that were learned in first grade as well as some new skills for this year, and vocabulary exercises. 

In math, we are still working through different strategies to add (13 in all according to our Everyday Math curriculum), and strategies for subtraction in order to help the children recognize and retain their basic facts.  Math is a universal language, and she has been doing well so far.  I have decided to pick out the pages in her math book that are related to the skills we are working on now.  Since Everyday Math is a spiraling curriculum, she will be exposed to those skills over and over throughout the quarter.

In social studies we finished our first unit, which was on communities, and the second unit is more of a continuation of that idea.  I have decided that I am going to take a break from social studies and teach science in its place since, a) our daily schedule does not permit both being taught at the same time (We have one block of time during the day to teach either science or social studies.), and, b) I already did a unit in social studies.  So this week we are going to start our Foss science curriculum. That way, when we go back to social studies, the review of communities will be a review for everyone and my new student will benefit from that review.  (Besides, trying to teach science one day or week at a time and then social studies the alternating week or day has shown to be too confusing for the students.  So now I alternate by unit.)

It's a fine balancing act, trying to get her caught up without overwhelming her and her parents.  On one hand, she needs those most vital skills for her foundation.  On the other hand, she would be buried under work if I gave her every single assignment she missed for those 25 days. 

Bit by bit, I'll get her there. 

Day 26: "New" Student

Today I welcomed a "new" student to my class.  I say "new" because she is not new to the school, just to my class.  Let me explain.

My school has a group of students who travel to their countries of origin over the summer.  Sometimes they do not return until after the school year begins.  This particular student was on my roster for the beginning of the year, but she could not be dropped from my class roll until she missed so many days.  At that point, she was withdrawn with the understanding that when she returned she would be registered as a re-entry and added back to my roll.  She was added yesterday and joined my class today.

So where to begin?  The parents would like me to send home all of the missed work (for a month's time).  A family friend was supposed to pick up the work on a weekly basis to send, but never came.  This child has missed 25 days of school work.  In those 25 days, she has missed 25 daily edits, 40-plus pages of the math workbook, 30-plus pages of the reading workbook, six weeks of spelling activities and tests, four comprehension quizzes, one reading unit test, four writing projects, one math unit test, half of unit two in math, one unit of social studies, 10-plus writing journals, and numerous hands-on activities.  Now I need to figure out what the most vital pieces of information are so she can be somewhat caught up with the rest of the class.  I started with the daily edits today.  The rest will just have to trickle through in the next few weeks.

Even though she is not new to the school, she is new to my class, which means the routines have to start all over again.  My class was really helpful today in trying to get her acclimated to everything, but you know how little kids are.  They don't quite understand the term "overkill."  I tried to warn them yesterday before dismissal by telling them to remember that today was her first day and she will already be overwhelmed with all of the things that come with a typical first day of school.  Some of them got it.  Some of them didn't in their eagerness to help.

Tomorrow's another day.  Hopefully we didn't scare her off!

Day 24: Test Folders

There are a few schools of thought regarding school work being sent home.  I have colleagues who show student work like tests, quizzes, and projects to parents twice a year (at conference times).  I personally think this is wrong.  As a parent, I want to know how my children are doing.  I want to see their quizzes, test, classwork, etc. so I can see what areas need to be practiced more.

The reasoning some of my colleagues give is that they want to have work samples and data* for meetings and referrals for Special Education or Gifted Education available and waiting.  They feel that they will not get work back if it is sent home.  I get that.  However, I think parents have a right to know how their children are doing in school.
(*Data is another post for another day.  Let's just say it is a four-letter word to me.)

How do I get around the problem?  I explain to parents at Back to School Night that test folders will come home every two to three weeks (depending on the number of assignments and how quickly I get things graded).  I also explain why it is important to review and sign off on the materials before sending them back.
This way, parents see the work and can keep certain assignments while I keep the more important pieces for data purposes.  I've done this for several years now and have not had a problem arise yet.

So what do the folders look like?  I take plain manila folders and label them with the child's name and classroom number (makes organization easier).  On the front of the folder, I have a list of things that parents are to keep (drawings, spelling quizzes, workbook pages,etc.).  There is also a list of things they are to return (unit tests, reading theme tests, science and social studies quizzes).  Inside the folder I staple a chart with four columns (date, parent signature, comments for me, and questions for me regarding the work viewed).  If there are any questions, I respond via e-mail or note in student planner that same day.  The system has worked for me.

When I send folders home (usually on a Friday), they are to be returned no later than Wednesday of the following week.  I do this because I know kids have weekend activities and such, so I don't want to cut into that time.  I also give the extra few days for the students whose parents are separated or divorced; that time is allotted so that both parents can view the work (if both parties are interested).   I tell the children that unsigned folders will be sent back home for signature so I know parents saw the work, and that any folder not returned on time will be followed up by a phone call, e-mail, or note home to be sure parents did see the work and that the folder isn't hiding in someone's backpack.  After Wednesday, any student who has not returned the folder owes me recess.  Seems harsh, but folders are back 99% of the time so I can begin filing again.  That 1% of students usually does not forget after owing the first time.

I sent home my first test folder last week; it took that long to get some quality work in since the first two weeks were filled with routines, beginning-of-the-year testing, and actually getting into the work.  I had nearly three-quarters of the students return their folders today...with signatures!  I reminded the remaining few; hopefully they will have their folders tomorrow.

Time will tell.

Day 23: We've Got Spirit, Yes We Do!

Sorry for the delay; I was out of town over the weekend and didn't have time to catch up on my blog.

Thursday was Spirit Day.  It's celebrated the last school day of each month. The students wear our school colors (blue and white) as a show of pride in our school.  They come in decked out in shirts, bottoms (skirts, pants, or shorts), bracelets, hairbows and headbands, socks, etc.  Some of them really go all out!

The teachers wear school colors or our school T-shirts (we ordered them last year as a staff).  We also get to wear blue jeans and sneakers on those days.  (Yes!)

There is a monthly competition between classrooms for the class with the most spirit.  The office determines this by sending a little sheet in our attendance folders for us to write the percentage of students in school spirit gear.  The prize is a banner to be posted outside of the winning classroom's door, sort of like bragging rights for a month.  To make it fair because we have so many classrooms, the winners are announced by grade level at the end of the day.  It's funny because you can hear the groans and cheers resonating through the hallways throughout the announcements.

My class didn't win this month, but maybe next time...

Day 22: Superpowers

How is it that small children think they can get away with things or get over on us "unsuspecting" adults?  You know, sort of like when you send your child up to take a shower only to have the same child emerge from the bathroom in five minutes claiming to be clean?  Only you know they're not really clean because on closer inspection you notice:
a.  There is no scent of soap in the air.
b.  The washcloth is in the same spot it was in before--and it isn't even wet!
c.  The mirrors are not steamy.
d.  The towel, floor, and bath mat are still bone dry.

And when you confront said child, they deny the fact that there was any wrongdoing or untruths told.  But when the evidence is pointed out, the child seems so surprised that s/he has been found out!  This never ceases to amaze me.

The same can be said for the lovely little darlings you teach all day long.  Rest assured, there are going to be times when you will look at the child and think, "How on earth did you think you were going to get away with THAT?"

Two examples come to mind as I write this post:
Example 1:
Our school has adopted a daily Independent Reading Time.  For about 20 minutes, the class is to read a book on his/her guided reading and interest level.  After reading, students are to fill in a section in a journal about the book.  Some days I ask the students to write about a favorite part, what a character does or looks like, the setting, etc.  It's a good exercise in literature study and a way to practice the reading strategies we are learning in class.  Other days I ask the students to conference with me about their books.  This is what we've been doing this week.

On Monday I assigned a book to a student.  On Tuesday, this same student came to me and said the book was read.  I looked at where the bookmark was--page 86.  I knew good and well this child did not read 86 pages in 20 minutes' time.  (The books are only read during that block of time each day; students have other books for silent reading.)  So I called him on it by asking him to give me a summary of what he'd read so far.  He immediately begins flipping through the pages and fumbling through his explanation.  About a minute in, I stopped him and politely told him that I knew he didn't read the book.  (Insert surprised look here.) I also told him that reading the text is not the same as looking at the pictures because there are no details to support what the pictures are showing.  I then told him I don't appreciate dishonesty and if it happened again there would be consequences.  (Insert gulp here.) The conversation ended with me telling him to go back to the first page of the book and begin reading because he would be my first conference the next morning. (Insert shock and more surprise here.)  Lesson learned.

Example 2:
Today, I was working with some of my students who need extra help during a quiz.  The students who finished were to complete their morning work (a math exercise, daily edit pages, and journal) before moving onto silent reading.  One student turns in her quiz and promptly brings out her silent reading book.  I asked her if she was finished with her morning work (I knew she wasn't.).  Her response, quick as a wink, "Yes." (Insert look of innocence here.)  Hmmm.  So I asked her if I could check it over real quick.  (Insert panicked look here.) Then something amazing happened.  She miraculously remembered that she still had part of her daily edit pages to finish, as well as a few math problems.  (Insert motion of hitting head with palm of hand.) Right. I politely told her the same speech about lying and consequences.  (Insert guilty look.) She got right to work.

The funny thing is, as I was talking to her, there were a few others who weren't quite finished either and I could see them "nonchalantly" following our conversation.  (Insert furtive glances here.) When I asked if I could check over her work, they got to theirs, all the while peeking over their shoulders to see if I was coming to look at theirs.  Because I was in the middle of helping two folks with a quiz, I didn't, but usually I do.  You gotta keep them on their toes.

It's also funny because little children haven't quite figured out how to whisper, so I sometimes overhear them asking each other how I knew such and such.

How indeed?  Superpowers, children.  Superpowers.

Day 15: Somebody Wants to Interview...Me?

No, the header isn't a typo.  I really can't believe it myself.  Not that it's a national newspaper or anything, it's for the local newspaper, but it's still sort of exciting.

Here's the deal. Over the summer I signed up for a class set of Whisper Phones on the website Donors Choose.  If you're not familiar, DonorsChoose.org is an organization that helps supply classroom teachers with materials for their classrooms through donations by the general public.  This is the first time I've used it, so I'm pretty excited to see how things come together.

Anyhow, the local newspaper is doing a series on teachers and how much we spend out of pocket for classroom materials.  She found my name on the Donors Choose site (you can search by area) and contacted me through e-mail for an interview.

Any teacher can tell you (unless you are blessed to work in an unbelievably wealthy district/school) that we spend a ton of money on school supplies.  I remember when I started teaching (in an urban school district; see earlier posts!), I was given a box of office supplies: a stapler, a staple remover, a tape dispenser, masking tape, scissors, some thumbtacks, and some extra stapler strips.  That's it.  I had to use whatever furniture was there to arrange my room (which isn't uncommon), but I literally had nothing else, aside from the curriculum books and teaching guides.  No paper.  No class library books.  No computer games.  No games at all (learning or otherwise).

In addition to my classroom decorations and necessities like a calendar and alphabet line, I bought my plan book, my gradebook, writing paper, construction paper, craft materials, games for learning, number lines, games for indoor recess, computer games, a tape player to listen to stories, mailboxes, desk organizers, chalk, chalkboard erasers, extra office supplies, books for the class library, flashcards, math and language arts manipulatives, science models, learning posters, and at one point, my own copy paper for the copy machine because the district couldn't afford it.  Oh, and did I mention that most of my materials had to be bilingual or I had to buy two sets (one in English and one in Spanish) because my school had a very high ESL population?   Listen closely.  That's the sound of money sprinting out of my pocket. 

My husband and I tallied up my expenses, and I was averaging $200 a month in extras for the class.  Most of it was books and paper, but it was still a lot.  And even then, thanks to good old Uncle Sam, I didn't spend enough to get more than a few hundred back.  And the years I did spend enough to get more than that small sum back, it still wasn't enough to get back all of what I'd spent; only a fraction.

The students brought in items from a list given on the last day of school the previous year.  They had to bring most of their learning materials, and if they didn't have them, couldn't afford them or get them from somewhere else, guess who was responsible?  The list wasn't just pencils and a notebook.  They had to bring their own pencils, crayons, markers/colored pencils, rulers, calculators, notebooks, folders, glue, scissors, pencil boxes/pouches, erasers, pencil sharpeners, and binders.  They were also expected to bring paper towels, tissues, and wipes.   

Now I work in a school with an actual supply closet (!).  I don't go crazy with it; I just get what my students need because I know what it's like when you need something to do your job and it isn't available.  That's more stress than necessary.  I still spend quite a bit, but not nearly as much as I used to spend.

It cracks me up to hear some of the teachers complaining about how there aren't any materials or that the brands aren't what they would have bought.  I think they should just be happy it's there.  Let them go to my former district and try it for a bit.  Puts things in a whole new perspective.

So I'm curious to see what this reporter asks me.  She may just get an earful.

Day 14: Food Allergies and Sensitivities

At one point in time or another, you are going to come across a child with medical concerns.  I've taught children with diabetes, Crohn's disease, bladder issues, digestive ailments, and asthma.  While I've been teaching for a long time, I've embarked on a new adventure this year with food allergies.

My school is not a nut-free school, but does take precautions with those students with nut allergies.  Teachers of students with nut allergies are given placards for their doors to remind people that the room is a "Peanut/Tree Nut-free zone"; you can see the note in one of the pics on an earlier post.  Our cafeteria meals provider uses nut-free products and no peanut butter is served as a lunch choice.  However, students who pack are allowed to bring nut products in their lunches.  To combat this issue, each long set of tables in the lunch room has a designated "allergy table," a safe zone where students with food allergies can sit with their friends and enjoy their lunch (as long as the friend isn't a packer that day, as packers are NOT allowed at these tables).

This has been the practice for several years now and the children are used to it.  I, however, have had to think of my classroom in a whole new way in order to make sure it is truly a safe zone for my student with allergies.

Every morning around 10:15 we have a snack. Students bring their own snacks; I don't provide them.  Prior to the beginning of school, I met with the mom of my student with allergies to ask what was safe and what wasn't so I could add it to my back-to-school letter for parents.  The mom was nice enough to have a list of things her daughter could eat and be exposed to in class, as her daughter is deathly allergic to nuts of any kind.  (The mom actually went through the grocery aisles and wrote down the items and brands her child can eat.)  I sent home the Safe Snack List in my parent letter and posted it on the class website, but still had parents send in things that weren't labeled or were questionable.  In those instances, I had the children save their snacks for lunch, and if they were packers, choose something safe to eat.  Then I followed up with a letter home to explain about the Safe Snack List and why the child couldn't have a particular snack that day.  That was a bit of a headache until Back to School Night, when I re-explained the necessity of sticking to the Safe Snack List on the class website.  I still check snacks everyday to be sure, but I haven't had to send any notes in over a week now.

My own personal snacks have had to be altered as well. I love almonds and granola, but I save those for home.  Those types of items don't even touch my lunchbox.  The plus of adjusting my snack is that I'm eating a bit healthier, with lots of fruits, plain pretzels, and cheeses.

The other thing I've had to look at as far as routines go, is when to get hands washed.  I've always had my students wash their hands before lunch and after snack or lunch if there was something messy/sticky/powdery (like Cheetos),  but now all students have to wash their hands after lunch as well.  Nearly all of the students use the wall pump, but the student with allergies uses a Dial liquid soap pump so the others don't accidentally contaminate her if she touches the pump surface.  It's been working out pretty well.

I also don't let the children open the classroom door after lunch (one of the few times the door is closed when no one is in the room); I open the door with the aid of Clorox wipes. (Even though I wash my hands before I pick them up, I'd rather err on the side of caution.)

In addition to my student with food allergies, I also have a student with a gluten sensitivity.  His mom has been pretty good about sending in gluten-free foods for him to have while in school.  She has also given me a list of foods he can safely eat.  He's not so sensitive that he can't touch things with gluten in them; he just can't eat them.

So between the two lists, I've pared down to common items to keep parents from being overwhelmed when sending in snacks or birthday treats.  Although I have tweaked my birthday treat list to include things such as pencils, stickers, small party favors, etc.  We've only had one birthday so far this year, and I am pleased to say that the parent stuck to the list!

I know it may seem like I'm going a bit overboard, but I have close family whose children also have these types of allergies and sensitivities.  I'm also the parent of a child with severe allergies (to insects, not food), and getting her ready just to go out and play is a process, not to mention needing to have an Epipens in every location she will be throughout the day: school, home, one for transport from place to place.  I also have mild food allergies and know what to avoid.  My worst reaction has been hives, but I know that's nothing compared to what my students would have to go through if they were accidentally exposed on my watch.

I believe we will make it through the school year with no incidents or accidental exposure/ingestion.  Pray with me on that one.

Day 13: Desk Fairy

On the first day of school, I go over all of the books with my class.  We also go over folders, and because I'm slightly neurotic, how to organize our desks.  The students keep the hard-backed books and their daily edit binder in one side of their desks, and all of their soft-sided items (folders, journals, workbooks) in the the other side of their desks.  Keeping track of things this way makes it easier for me to find items if I need to get them together for an absent student, but it also cuts down on transition time.  You're not stuck waiting for the student who is trying to locate the folder or journal that has been swallowed up by the abyss within.

In order to keep the desks and students organized, I call on the "Desk Fairy."  The Desk Fairy randomly appears (when the students are out of the room, of course) and does a desk check.  If the desk is clean and organized, the fairy leaves a little note on the desk and a prize of some sort.  If the desk is not neat and organized, then the fairy leaves a little reminder note that she knows the student can do better for next time.

I've not had much of a problem with students not getting prizes.  The ones that don't always try a bit harder for next time and end up earning their prize.  It's pretty funny because the kids can't wait until the next desk check.  I keep it interesting by changing the times the fairy comes.  Sometimes she will come after school, sometimes she will come during special, and sometimes she will come during recess.

The other thing that keeps it interesting is the fact that she never announces exactly when she is coming.  I'll tell the class something vague, like "She'll be in next week."  That's it. When she comes, she comes.

Today was the first visit from the desk fairy.  The prize today was a trading card from one of the local university football teams.  You would have thought the students were given gold!  Next time, the prize may be a new pencil, stickers, squishy pencil grips, or any little thing that catches me eye.  The kids appreciate it and work toward the next time.  They learn to be more responsible for their things and you have neat desks.

Not a bad deal at all.