12 Days of Christmas: Teacher's Edition!

This is sung to the tune of " The Twelve Days of Christmas."

On the first day of Christmas

My principal gave to me

A classroom and my very own key

On the second day of Christmas

My principal gave to me

2 lesson planners

And a classroom with my very own key

On the third day of Christmas

My principal gave to me

3 dry erasers

2 lesson planners

And a classroom with my very own key

On the fourth day of Christmas

My principal gave to me

4 desks to choose from

3 dry erasers

2 lesson planners

And a classroom with my very own key

On the fifth day of Christmas

My principal gave to me

5 desktop PC’s

4 desks to choose from

3 dry erasers

2 lesson planners

And a classroom with my very own key

On the sixth day of Christmas

My principal gave to me

6 versions of Bloom’s

5 desktop PC’s

4 desks to choose from

3 dry erasers

2 lesson planners

And a classroom with my very own key

On the seventh day of Christmas

My principal gave to me

7 days of PD

6 versions of Bloom’s

5 desktop PC’s

4 desks to choose from

3 dry erasers

2 lesson planners

And a classroom with my very own key

On the eighth day of Christmas

My principal gave to me

8 days of testing

7 days of PD

6 versions of Bloom’s

5 desktop PC’s

4 desks to choose from

3 dry erasers

2 lesson planners

And a classroom with my very own key

On the ninth day of Christmas

My principal gave to me

9 Teacher’s Editions

8 books on Common Core

7 days of PD

6 versions of Bloom’s

5 desktop PC’s

4 desks to choose from

3 dry erasers

2 lesson planners

And a classroom with my very own key

On the tenth day of Christmas

My principal gave to me

10 Common Core websites

9 Teacher’s Editions

8 days of testing

7 days of PD

6 versions of Bloom’s

5 desktop PC’s

4 desks to choose from

3 dry erasers

2 lesson planners

And a classroom with my very own key

On the eleventh day of Christmas

My principal gave to me

11 pats on the back

10 Common Core websites

9 Teacher’s Editions

8 days of testing

7 days of PD

6 versions of Bloom’s

5 desktop PC’s

4 desks to choose from

3 dry erasers

2 lesson planners

And a classroom with my very own key

On the twelfth day of Christmas

My principal gave to me

12(x2) rowdy students

11 pats on the back

10 Common Core websites

9 Teacher’s Editions

8 days of testing

7 days of PD

6 versions of Bloom’s

5 desktop PC’s

4 desks to choose from

3 dry erasers

2 lesson planners

And a classroom with my very own key

photo credit: HikingArtist.com via photopin cc

I Cried for Connecticut

I wanted to cry. When the teacher across the hall told me, I wanted to cry.  I couldn't. I had 23 kids in my room, immersed in trying to build a container that would keep an ice cube frozen. They were working. Full of life, joy, and curiosity. Something a crazed gunman had just taken from 20 children. Something he had taken from 7 adults.

When someone says, "How are your kids?" I tend to say, "Which ones?" Meaning my kids I gave birth to or my kids in my class. I am sure I am not the only teacher who feels this way. They are our kids. And no matter what they take us through, just like our kids, we want to keep them safe. We want them in an environment where they, and their loved ones, know they are loved and cared for. But he took that away from them yesterday. Just as others have done before.

It's obvious from reading the articles each time this happens, that teachers are Mama and Papa bears when it comes to protecting their students.  The school took the proper precautions to keep the school safe, no one can blame the school. I hope no one does. How do we protect our students from a gun? How do we protect our students from a crazy with a thirst for his or her perceived vengeance? How do we stop the senselessness of it all?

I continued through the day with a heavy heart. I did not discuss what had happened with my students, I know Morning Meeting will be filled with questions. I know my students will wonder if I can keep them safe.  They will wonder if it can happen here, at our school. What do I tell them?

I cried for Connecticut. For the children and adults who had their lives stolen. For the parents and loved ones who have lost their child. For the survivors, who will be traumatized for a very long time. My prayers and my thoughts are with them. We have to find a way to keep our kids safe. To make school a place they can go, and you know they will come back.

What's the Point of Being "Smarter" Than a 5th Grader?

I used to play the game, "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?", on my Iphone. But than I realized that I really didn't have enough hours in the day, and quickly gave it up.

However, I do know how it works. And if you provide me with any device that can grant me access to the Internet, than I can defiantly state that, "Yes, I am smarter than a 5th grader!"

And therein lies my point.  If to be smarter means that I have the ability to regurgitate information that a 5th grader is supposed to know, then that doesn't make me smart. If the premise is that a 5th grader is smarter than me, because he or she can upchuck information at any given moment, than it's a ridiculous premise! 

What is smart? Who decides who is "smart", and who isn't? 

Every Tuesday, I drive across the street to the daycare , and read to 4 and 5 year olds. I had a new student the other day. Before she could sit down, she began to inform me about how smart she was. She knew everything.(Her words, not mine)

 I don't blame her for this perception of herself.   I am sure there are a number of people in her life who tell her this. What makes her smart? Judging from our conversation as we read the book, I am sure this little girl has been exposed to more experiences than most of her peers. Does that make them dumb?

I always tell my students that none of them is smarter than the other. I tell them that none of them are dumb, slow, or stupid. Those words are thrown around so carelessly. I tell my students, "You have to put the work in."

I reiterate this concept repeatedly to all my students, and it has amazing results. I let them know that some things come easy to some, and to others it doesn't. But, if it doesn't, than you have to work at reaching your goal, whether it's solving a multi step problem, answering questions on a comprehension test, or writing legibly. And just because it takes you longer, it doesn't make you dumb.

I have a student who struggles with math. I know she thinks of herself as dumb when it comes to math. It does not come easy to her. I told her that she had to put the work in. And she did. She takes notes, she watches videos, and her mom helps at home. Her mom and I have both noticed how her level of confidence has risen, which has allowed her to shed the "I am dumb in math" image of herself.

During parent-teacher conferences, I was showing a parent her child's grades. A slip of my hand, allowed a parent to catch a glimpse of another child's grades. She asked me why her son didn't have grades like that. I explained to her that we couldn't compare her child to another child, (politely of course), and that the only person I wanted to focus on was her child. Unfortunately, she  felt that her child wasn't smart, because he didn't have the same grades as the other student. What an unfair misconception!

When we classify our students as smart we tend to give them access to many more opportunities than we do our "not smart" kids. I wonder why that new Chinese immersion program for kindergartners was not offered to our school? I wonder if our school was not considered because our "population" doesn't come to mind as being "smart" enough. How many times have I, and I'm sure you've heard it too, teachers decide beforehand, what their students can or can not do, because they feel their kids are not "smart" enough.

If you place those children who are not considered smart in challenging situations, you would be surprised at how well they excel. Maybe they aren't the top reader in the class, maybe they struggle to solve math problems that others can do in less than a minute, does this make them dumb? Do they always have to be unsuccessful?

We need to give our students a chance to feel successful. Let's get away from handing out worksheets. Move away from multiple choice, and the filling in of bubbles. Create opportunities for our students to learn, not regurgitate information that could easily be accessed on Google or Bing.

My job is not to make my students smarter than a 5th grader. My job is to teach my students that, if they put the work in,  they can be successful as well, even if it does take a little longer.

photo credit: TZA via photopin cc

Mystery Skype!:Connecting Our Classrooms One Skype at a Time!

Update: Classroom Spotlight of my class doing a 2016 Mystery Skype.

My students and I had our first Mystery Skype with Ms.Young's, (@flourishingkids), class from the state of ____________________. I can't tell you, that's the mystery. :)

The Mystery Skype project is when each class tries to determine where the other class is located. The benefits of this activity are endless, global connections, geography, integrating tech, communicating effectively, the list is endless!

I participated in Mystery Skype last year, but this one was different.  I decided to take advantage of the links Ms.Young emailed, and let my students choose Skype jobs. What a difference in the quality of the Skype! My students worked so hard, and I was extremely proud of them.

I incorporated the following jobs. The Inquirers, who came up with the questions in advance. A photgrapher, a videographer, a Tweeter, and a couple of students on Today's Meet (backchanneling).  The researchers, who took their job very seriously, on Google Earth, and using actual atlases. They did an excellent job of passing on information to the Answerers. 

Did everything go smoothly? Of course not! :) My class decided to answer altogether, instead of letting the Answerers answer. They got some of the geographical information wrong, but quickly corrected themselves.My photgrapher took about a million pictures, some of them of the same thing. And two of my more "outspoken" students attempted to argue with each other in the middle of the Skype. (A 5 minute time out in a buddy teacher's room took care of that situation). At one point we asked questions when it wasn't our turn. But you know what, it was all good! We had a great time and learned a lot.

When we had guessed each others state, which by the way is an amazing feeling for our kids, Ms.Young suggested our kids ask questions about each other(i.e. What do you like to do for fun?) I readily agreed, and the kids enjoyed this part of our interaction as well.

After viewing a tutorial on Google Maps, I set up a Mystery Skype map that we will use whenever we Skype with another class.I then embedded the map on a page of our Class Weebly page.

There are many ways to participate in a Mystery Skype:

• Go on Twitter , search #mysteryskype and let others know you are interested in participating. 
• Skype in the Classroom
• Mystery Skype List 1
• What's the Hype With Mystery Skype?

We are preparing for our 2nd Mystery Skype on Thursday with Mr. Yetter's class (@coachyetter), and my students are hyped! Try it and you will see, there's no mystery as to why this is a wonderful learning experience for all!

Who Doesn't Love Shopping? Adding and Subtracting Large Numbers!

Adding and Subtracting Large Numbers
Hmmmm...How can I make adding and subtracting large numbers fun? What do I love almost as much as new technology? Shopping of course! And my students loved it as well!

A Document, Computer, and a Calculator
I told my students I was giving them $10,000 to spend on the students in our school.  They could buy them anything they wanted.  I gave them a blank shopping list, and let them go! I let them use a calculator because they are proficient in adding and subtracting large numbers. I only asked that they find the difference between $10,000, and their remaining money, without a calculator.

The Conversation
It was interesting to listen to my students as they worked. Many different concepts came into play. The first was about what they should purchase, and which websites to go to to get it. They also discussed how many of each item to buy, sales, discounts, and whether the item was something kids would want. They discussed shipping costs, not only the amount it would cost, but also which method they should use. They played with the numbers, figuring out what to do if they went over $10,000. One team went over and looked over the sheet and made a decision on which item to eliminate.

This lesson was  a lot of fun, it fit right in with the spirit of giving, and gave my students the opportunity to learn more than how to add and subtract large numbers.