"Ouch! My Brain Hurts!": Rigor in the Classroom

I watched this video, and cracked up! I was trying to find articles about rigor and bumped into this video. It's a bit long in making its point, but I get it. This poor teacher is being hounded by her principal, to "perform" , so that her students can learn the parts of speech. I don't have a problem with rigor in the classroom, I embrace it.

I love how a contributor to the article, Rigor:What Does It Mean to You?, described rigor. She said,"Rigor makes you want to get up in the morning and learn something new!" However, I can understand the consternation and frustration of the teacher in the video.  Her principal is dead set on making her use "rigor" in her classroom, this magical thing that can make students learn.

It seems as if the principal is looking for "rigor",  as if it's a word that can be checked off on an evaluation form, and it is so far from that.  The teacher explains repeatedly, that she's jumped through hoops to teach the concept, (I'm laughing while I write, thinking about the video). The principal and the teacher, however, continues to equate rigor with  "fun".

 Rigor to me means that my students are challenged.  Rigor is not always fun, not the way we usually think of fun.  A teacher in my school described it the same way one of the authors in the article described it, she said, "It makes your brain hurt."And I believe our students want that. Not all, at first. But they become used to it, used to the challenges offered every day. 


 Why give out a worksheet with 10 figures and ask them to find the perimeter and area, when you can give them a real world Math problem that requires them to, not only determine which they need, but also calculate how much money they will need? Which one will make their brain hurt? 


 Why ask them to read p.456 in the SS textbook about the U.S bombing Japan during WWII, when you can break them up into two teams, who use their notes to debate whether or not the U.S should have used the atomic bomb on Japan. And you know what? They had fun doing it!And even more, they cared! 


 They cared about figuring out the answer to that Math problem, and they cared about making their point during the debate. (Boy, did they care!)  After each of these lessons were taught in my room, my students were hyped!  No, they didn't stick their fingers in pudding, or make up a song( which is a cool thing to do), but they had a great time challenging themselves, and being satisfied, whether they knew it or not. 


 When I was nominated for Teacher of the Year, a teacher that used to push into my class for writing, noted on the nomination form, that rigor was present in my classroom every day. I hope so, because I want my students to care,  and I want their brains to hurt!:)

Digital Educators Needed For 21st Century Digital Learners!

I am not a digital native by any means. I am 52 years old and have been teaching for 27 years. I am the teacher people assume is scared to touch a computer for fear of contracting a virus. I am the teacher they assume has dust gathering on the classroom computers like moss on a stone.I am the teacher they assume says playfully, "I have to get my grandson, nephew, niece, to open my email." I am the teacher people assume still uses the overhead. I am none of these, and young or old, no teacher should be. This is the 21st century and our students are 21st century digital learners!

 About ten years ago, I took a course in instructional technology and fell in love. There is absolutely no way I could go back to teaching the way I used to. I realize I am fortunate. I teach in a school with laptops, (even though I would love Ipads), we have two computer labs, and approximately 4-5 classroom computers in each room. But, we didn't always have these resources, and I still found a way, to not only educate, but to engage my students, digitally.

What is digital learning? Here is the definition from the Digital Learning Day webpage: "Digital learning is any instructional practice that is effectively using technology to strengthen the student learning experience. Digital learning encompasses a wide spectrum of tools and practice, including using online and formative assessment, increasing focus and quality of teaching resources and time, online content and courses, applications of technology in the classroom and school building, adaptive software for students with special needs, learning platforms, participating in professional communities of practice, providing access to high level and challenging content and instruction, and many other advancements technology provides to teaching and learning. In particular, blended learning is any time a student learns, at least in part, at a supervised brick-and-mortar location away from home and, at least in part, through online delivery with some element of student control over time, place, path, and/or pace."

 That's a mouthful! Here is what digital learning means to me. It means allowing students to take control of their learning using technology as a guide. It means creating comic strips to depict a situation where the Bill of Rights is being violated. Having discussions about shared books with students across the world on Edmodo. Completing research projects with Qwiki and then posting them to a worldwide audience using Kidblog. Reading a story and creating a word poster about it using Wordle or Tagxedo. Implementing QR codes as a classroom tool. Sharing a Black History project using an avatar from Voki. Using your IWB (I have a Smartboard) to make your lessons interactive. Skyping with a marine biologist in another state to bring a story to life. It means so many things, but most of all, it means using technology as a tool to engage and challenge our 21st century learners!

 Looking at the list above could make digital learning a scary prospect. Time is not something that a teacher has a lot of, either at work or home. But you don't have to do everything at once. It took me a while, and every day I still learn something new. Take baby steps, try one new thing a month. Let the students show you, or give you suggestions, on what you can do with the myriad of tech resources that are available. Grow your PLN!(Professional Learning Network). Join Twitter, and then drop in on some of the Teacher Chats that are available. It's amazing how much you can learn from your peers!

 Dip your toe into the 21st century, it may be cold at first, but it warms up very quickly. You'll find that technology is a tool that not only engages and challenges the student, but the teacher as well! "If we teach today's students as we did yesterday's, we are robbing them of tomorrow." — John Dewey

What's Love Got to Do With It? Ask Your Students!

     Once upon a time there was a little 2nd grade boy. He was new to a school, and he brought with him, all his problems and issues.  Sent to live with dad after mom "couldn't take it any more", a pre-primer reading level, an evil stepmother, and siblings who did not like him, he didn't stand a chance.

 After a couple of weeks, it became apparent that this child was a "problem". Inappropriate language, bullying, no work, etc...His teacher (not me) knew this, but she also realized that he came from a place of trouble. So, instead of scolding him constantly, she decided to love him. Instead of throwing up her hands in despair, she found ways to get him the help he needed. And most of all, she loved him, and he knew it. He was disciplined, and he had consequences, but, she loved him nonetheless.

 While she struggled to help him, "they" began to plan how they would get him out of their school. They had his teacher attend meetings, and asked her about his aggressive nature. She refused to go along with their program, and forced them to help him, instead of making him "someone else's problem." And he changed. Little by little, he changed. By the end of the year, he wasn't a brand new child, but he wasn't the child that had entered that school. And as difficult as it was,  his teacher made a decision to retain him because he wasn't ready.

  Fast forward. His dad is in jail for a while, so he has no buffer between himself, stepmom, and siblings. But  saddest of all, he has no place to be loved. His new teacher sees him as a problem. She recounts stories of how she disciplines his every little transgression to his former teacher with relish. Where is her humanity? She resents the fact that every morning, yes, every morning, he visits his former teacher. Where else can he get love? Where else can he  have someone listen to his stories of a  life that would be difficult for most adults? Unfortunately, I have no idea how this story ends, maybe his former teacher is enough to buffer the negativity in his life, and allow him to change for the better, maybe not.

 I think of those two words Angela Maiers promotes, "You Matter."  I am blessed, I know I matter. I have many people in my lives who let me know that. Others are not so fortunate, especially our students.  We have to remember that we may be the only good thing that happens to them all day. We have to care. Sometimes we have to overlook their negatives and try to find a positive.  We have to let them know they matter.

Update: He moved so I really don't know how his story ends. But, I know in his next grade, with a different  teacher, he thrived.

HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU'RE A TEACHER? By Jeff Foxworthy

I walked into the copy room and this was sitting on a table with the words: "This is a must READ :)". I agree, and I think it is also a "Must SHARE!" I Googled it and realized it has been around for years, but I got a laugh out of most of them!:)

1. You get a secret thrill out of laminating things.
2. You can hear 25 voices behind you and know exactly which one belongs to the child out of line.
3. You walk into a store and hear the words, "It's Ms./Mr. ____________ and know you have been spotted.
4. You have 25 people who  accidentally call you Mom/Dad at one time or another.
5. You can eat a multi-course meal in under 25 minutes.
6. You've trained yourself to go to the bathroom at two distinct times of the day, lunch and planning period.
7. You start saving other people's trash, because most likely, you can use that toilet paper tube or plastic butter tub for something in the classroom.
8. You believe the Teacher's Lounge should be equipped with a margarita machine.
9. You want to slap the next person who says, "Must be nice to work 7 to 3 and have summers off".
10. You believe chocolate is a food group.
11. You can tell if it's a full moon without ever looking outside.
12. You believe that unspeakable evils will befall you if anyone says, "Boy, the kids are sure mellow today."
13. You feel the urge to talk to strange children and correct their behavior when you are out in public.
14. You believe in aerial spraying of Ritalin.
15. You think caffeine should be available in intravenous form.
16. You spend more money on school stuff than you do on your own children.
17. You can't pass the school supply aisle without getting at least 5 items!
18. You ask your friends to use their words and explain if the left hand turn he made was a "good choice" or "bad choice."
19. You find true beauty in a can full of perfectly sharpened pencils.
20. You are secretly addicted to hand sanitizer.
21. You understand, instantaneously, why a child behaves in a certain way after meeting his/her parents.

Write On! Why I Love Kidblog!

A friend of mine was observed the other day.  Her students were creating mini-books about the selection they read in the anthology. Little stapled books, a square for the picture, and lines for the journal entry they were creating, based on the story they read. However, the principal left a note on her observation sheet,"When do you incorporate writing in your classroom?"

 I have a "writing block", and sometimes my kids write during the block, and sometimes they don't. But, my students write all day. A "writing block" is not required to teach writing, writing is required.  I am sure we are all in agreement, our students have to write!

 There are so many ways to incorporate writing into the curriculum, but my favorite tool is blogging. I use Kidblog because it is simple to set up, kid and teacher friendly, and safe. My students love the ability to have an audience on Kidblog. What better way to motivate students to write well, then to know other people, all over the world, will read what you have posted? An authentic audience creates an authentic writer!(Quadblogging , Comments4Kids, and my TwitterPLN provide an excellent audience)

 Of course, this doesn't happen automatically.  But as time goes on, and they receive more comments, they begin to take ownership of what they post on their page. I sent the link to their parents in order to allow them to become invested in their child's writing. I have a student who edits over the weekend, the weekend! She edited 5 of her posts in one weekend.

 Every day, during at least one subject, my students write. They write in their notebooks first, this gives me a chance to have a conference, if necessary. It gives them a chance to edit and proofread. They might write to explain how to solve a Math problem, tell a story using their Word Sort words, research a topic, give their opinion on an article from Tweentribune, there are numerous opportunities.

 But what I love the most, is the question, "Can I post this on my blog?"  My blog. They can post wherever they have Internet access. Our PLVRoom8 is my writer's motivator! Every student in my class has at least one post so far, but the school year has just begun. I'm looking forward to finding the author in all of them.

Write on,  kids, write on! :)