Can We Bring Back Manners?

I wrote this post in 2011, but this week our character trait is manners and t made me think of this post.

Has anyone seen,  "Please", "Thank you", or "Excuse me," ?    I've also put out a Missing Persons for, "I'm sorry" because I think  "My bad" put out a hit on it!

At the beginning of  every school year, I have to teach my students to say "Good Morning" when they walk into the room. If I'm at the door, I have to teach them not to wave or grunt at me, but to actually say, "Good Morning."  The sad part is that it is not just the students who seem to be lacking in this department, but a number of adults as well.

I believe I have enough on my plate that I shouldn't have to teach manners, yet, and still, I do. Throughout the day, behavior I view as common courtesy has to be reinforced, over and over.  When you want something, ask.  If someone is speaking, say excuse me. If you do something accidentally, tell them you're sorry.  Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze.  If you sneeze into the air, you are not, "sneezing on the ground."  You can't interrupt others because you think what you have to say is so much more important.  The list is endless. 

 I'm not blaming  all parents for  this one,  I'm sure there are many parents who have taught their kids manners, but once they leave the house, they shed them like a snake's skin. Some students are content to go through the school day wrapped in layers of  "it's all about me."  I believe that is where it stems.  We have become a society so enthralled with ourselves, that courtesy is a throw-a-way.  How many times do you watch a television show where the characters are courteous and treat each other with respect? (And don't get me started on what some of my 5th graders are watching!)

As I was about to write this post, a friend of mine posted this link on Facebook,   "25 Manners Every Kid Should Know By Age 9"   She must have been reading my mind! :) Here's another article, "Social Skills Kids Need to Succeed."

I know it's not my job, but I do it. My students say thank you to the bus driver when departing from the bus after a field trip.  They say excuse me, when they need to get in front of someone on the line.  They answer, "Yes", and not "What?" when spoken to. And most of all, they say, "I'm sorry". Most of the time they mean it. I witness evidence of my handiwork everyday, and I just hope it ventures beyond my classroom doors.  Manners, so simple, but they make the environment a better place to be for 6 1/2 hours.

I think this was made by a student! We need to remind him calling  people knuckleheads is rude, but otherwise , it works!:)

I'm Going to DisneyWorld!: Vacationing During School!

"Mrs.M, I'm going to Disney World!"

"Fantastic, have a wonderful time! When are you leaving?"

"The week before Spring Break,we are going for a week!"

My mouth opens, and closes, because I can not say what I want to say. One of my students reminded me years ago, "It's not my fault.", and he was right. I've learned to keep my mouth shut.

Believe me. I would love to take a vacation in the middle of the school year. There was the cruise to Panama in November years ago. I wanted to go, but I didn't. Just didn't feel right blowing off a whole week of work. Did not feel right.

This is why I am annoyed, or "pet peeved" by this trend.

• The child knows they are going 3 weeks in advance. That whole "focus" thing I attempt to get everyone in my room to do ? Gone! From the time they were told, their minds have been in Disney.  They have also told everyone in the class, so how are their peers feeling?

• How important is their education? Apparently, not very. The message sent is that it is more important to go to Disney when it's cheaper, the cousins are going, or whatever the reason the child is being  pulled from school and into Disney, for a week.

• I do not teach from worksheets. Do not ask me for a "packet." I actually teach through direct, guided, and independent instruction. Therefore, I will not do "packets". I stopped doing "packets" for vacations a long time ago. (If Internet access is available, parents can take advantage of that)

• How would you feel if you missed a week of work? I have one word, "overwhelmed"! This is true especially if the child is already struggling. Just think, you go away the week before your week off. Two weeks straight, no school. Think how difficult it is going to be to get that child back on track.

No, I'm not going anywhere until it's time for a break. My kids didn't go anywhere until it was time for a break. Am I being unreasonable?  Isn't that what Winter, Spring, and Summer break are for? 

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The Myth About Digital Natives!

"Mom, can I borrow your camcorder?"

His next question, "Mom,do you have a flash drive?"

A what? :)

My son's Senior Project was due in three days.  My son hates letting me see his work because I automatically shift into teacher mode. My expectations for him are higher than what is expected of him in school. Therefore, he doesn't let me see anything that is required.

So, I was thrilled when he decided to share his PowerPoint presentation about women in combat.  I guess part of it was because he was using my camcorder, and part of it was that he felt, maybe, just maybe, this would be a good time to get my input, being a Senior Project and all.

After he informed me that he was going to interview a few people to gather opinions on his topic, I suggested he use Google forms to create a survey.  He could post the survey using social media and get lots of feedback from hs peers. I told him I would be willing to post it as well, so that he would get a variety of views. (Thanks to all who helped out!).

His initial reaction, "What's Google Forms?"

He has a Gmail account. They can access Google at school, but he didn't know what it was. He had never heard of it. I gave him a quick tutorial on how to create and post. Of course, he caught on quickly, and spent the next hour counting how many people answered, their gender, country ,etc.... He enjoyed using it, and was happy with the results he was able to obtain. I loved watching him interpret the data, ("Mom, you are the only female who said  no"), and make inferences.

I tried to convince him to use Sliderocket, instead of Powerpoint, but to no avail.  Even when I told him I could show him how to upload his powerpoint, he still wouldn't budge. I did manage to get him to upload his presentation and video onto Drive, but he held on to that flash drive with a death grip.

He presented, using the flash drive. Started with his survey, went into his Powerpoint, and ended with the videotaped interviews. Apparently, they were impressed because he passed one of the panelists in the hallway the next day, was told how great it was, and that he had passed. (Yeah!)

My point is we can't assume that our students are adept at using and integrating technology. Yes, they can figure out how to use a Smartphone, can text at the speed of light, download an app in the blink of an eye.

But I think it is our duty to do more than that.  They have to be able to research, investigate, and create using these tools, not just post a status and watch a video.  And more importantly, I believe it is our duty as educators, to provide these opportunites.

If my 5th graders know about Google forms, why shouldn't my 12th grader?

Digital? Definitely! Natives? Not even close!



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Math WorkSheets Land:A Different Kind of Worksheet!

This morning I noticed I was being followed, (on Twitter), by Julia Leonard of MathWorksheetsLand.

I cringed. I am not a fan of worksheets. I especially detest Math worksheets with 20 or more problems written in nice, neat descending rows, daring you to complete them all. Of course, if you know what you are doing, piece of cake. If you don't, it's a jumble of meaningless numbers. My motto is, if you can't do one, you can't do 20!

I decided to check out the site anyway, and I am glad I did. (I think what got me were the corny kid jokes in  her Twitter feed, my kids and I love jokes.:)) I was pleasantly surprised. As you can see in the image above,the site is divided so that the material you are looking for can be easily accessed. The one that caught my eye was "Core Aligned" because that's the big push in my district.

I checked out a few worksheets(PDF),on decimals. There are worksheets for each standard. Look at the image below and see what you get when you click on a standard. I love the guided lesson worksheets. I can easily use the worksheet as an Exit or Entrance ticket. Oh, and there are also answer keys.

You can subscribe to the newsletter so you know when new sheets come out. And, she takes requests!The best thing of all, this is FREE! Even if you have an aversion to worksheets as I do, I think you will like what Ms. Leonard has to offer!

Do I Do That? Teachers in Public!

At the end of the day, one of my students approached me.

"Mrs.M, my mom and I went to a restaurant last night,and we were sitting by three teachers.  They were talking about their students and saying mean things.  They were calling them stupid, weird, and ugly."

I told her that it's unfortunate that she had to hear that. I told her that I talk to my husband about them, but never using those words. And I would certainly not talk about them in public in that manner.

But, on the drive home, I started thinking, "Do I do that?"

Am I guilty of talking about my students in public in a negative way?  When my colleague and I head out to Happy Hour after a trying week, am I conscious of what I am saying?  Am I conscious of the woman with her 8 year old child sitting next to us, as we let off steam?

Did that little girl approach her teacher on Monday and repeat our conversation?

This really made me stop and think. Yes, we are off. But, is a teacher ever really off? When your kids run into you after school, or on the weekend, you know you are still their teacher.

It just gave me pause.  And I promised myself I will be a lot more careful of what I say around others. And If I really feel the need to vent, I'll whisper. :)

photo credit: Maga Soto via photopin cc