Buffalo Wild Wings and Teaching!

Buffalo Wild Wings introduced a 15 minute lunch guarantee:

"Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. (NASDAQ: BWLD) today introduced a limited-time, 15-minute lunch guarantee across nearly 900 U.S. restaurants, designed to show time-strapped Guests that they don't have to sacrifice quality, value or variety for speed at lunch time.

"We want to prove to our Guests that they can get the Buffalo Wild Wings experience they have come to know and love within the limited time they have for a traditional lunch break," said Todd Kronebusch, vice president of food and beverage for Buffalo Wild Wings. "Our standard was already to deliver Fast Break meals within 15 minutes, but the new guarantee adds a promise to our Guests, and some fun, friendly competition."

"Servers will start a timer when they leave the table and stop the timer when the food is delivered. Any Guest who doesn't get their meal in 15 minutes gets their entire meal and any fountain soda for free."

Every time I hear this commercial I cringe. It reminds me  of the way teaching is handled today, top down. Orders, or "suggestions" from someone who is not actually in the field. A  "great idea", that those  in the field are forced to carry out.

Those poor servers. Our poor teachers. 
Our guests are our students. I worry that every time we teach to tests or switch to the latest tend teachers are sacrificing quality, value, and/or variety. If a teacher is juggling all the latest and greatest ideas handed down from above, can they really do their best? Can they get it done in "15  minutes", and get it done well? If they are constantly rushing to pick up the next order, where is the time to connect? 

Fun, friendly, competition? Is it really fun to know that if you don't get the food to a table in 15 minutes, the guest gets a free meal? I wonder who is penalized for that meal? How many times are the servers allowed to "fail" before they lose their  job? The pressure on those servers must be intense. How about the cooks? Are they taking shortcuts in order to make sure the food is served on time? 

Apply to education.

How many times are teachers forced to deliver instruction in a way that is not conducive for our students? How many times are they handed a book focused on the latest trend, written by someone who has not been in the classroom for years, and told to use it, knowing it is not best  for their students? How many times are the buzzwords of education (server timer), limiting what teachers could  accomplish in the classroom?

Teachers always say they wish politicians, reformers, etc.. would spend a day in our classrooms. I wonder if Todd Kronebusch ever delivered  a meal in 15 minutes? 

Disclaimer: I don't know any Buffalo Wild Wing servers.

An Introvert Travels to #ISTE2016!

I am an introvert.
Those who know me, wouldn't believe it.
But it's true, I  have always been an introvert.
Since I was a kid, others have always mistaken my introversion for arrogance, or exhibiting anti-social behavior.
I am just extremely shy.

And yet, here I am, a teacher.
Not only am I a teacher, but I am also a workshop presenter.
How could I be introverted? Is that possible?

Um, yeah. Put me in a room full of strangers.

Unlike my hubby, who will talk to just about anyone, I freeze.
I have tried, as I have aged, to become better at striking up a conversation, but it is very difficult for me. I usually wait for someone to speak to me. I sit by myself,  busy on my phone, eating, or people watching. All the while, watching, envious of  those around me, engrossed in conversation,

I am not traveling with a team, so I will be forced to seek out others.
So, what do I do?
I've decided that I am going to take advantage of all the connections I have made via social media.
My Twitter, Twitterchat, Voxer, and FB "friends.", those connections that can ease into "real life" connections.
I will go to Meetups, visit the booths, attend sessions, and yes, talk to people.(My stomach does flips as I say these words.)

This is scary for me, but I will face my fears, and I will be okay. An introvert at #ISTE2016! :)

You Should Want to Know What They Think: End of Year Surveys!

I always want to know what my students think of me.
Not in a "shower me with praises because I am so great" kind of way, but just knowing how they felt about being in our classroom.
I usually do a survey each quarter, but for some reason, probably new grade, curriculum, etc... I didn't get to it.
Therefore, I wanted to make sure the students completed an end of year survey.

I used Google Forms to create the survey, and then I posted the link on Schoology.
This year I used a survey I found on TeachersPayTeachers for FREE, and I tweaked it a little.
I liked this one because I teach 4th grade and it was pretty basic.
After giving it to them, I realized I should have tweaked my options a little more, but there's always next year.:)
I made it anonymous because I wanted the kids to be honest.

Here's are some of the ones that stood out:

• 100% of my students think that I am good at my job. LOVE it!
• Only 52% of my students think I am available to answer their questions,32% said most of the time, and 16% said no. Hmmm, I will have to ask my class what I can do to fix this next year.
• I was happy to see that many kids did not choose, "No", when they didn't choose "Yes", instead they chose "Most of the time."

In the comment section, it was great to see that I am the best teacher ever.:) I have to admit it does make me feel good about the community we built all year.

However, this one had me cracking up, "I think you need to work on your attitude." LOL Another one I will discuss with my class. Maybe this student sees something I don't.

Good or bad feedback, end of year surveys are a learning experience to prepare me for the next year!

If You Give a Child a Packet...

If You Give a Child a Packet...Or Sometimes a Worksheet.

Packets come in all shapes, sizes, and subjects.
I have used packets on occasion, less and less with more and more years of teaching..

Packets can be cute, fun, and/or adorable, but it doesn't disguise its intent. Time spent on, usually, meaningless work, busy work.

Packets of math create students who are either bored out of their mind , work through, numb, or those who struggle to the point of tears.Some have dashes on the bottom, where you solve the puzzle if you solve the problem. Pssst...between you and me, the puzzle can be solved without doing the math. Some have row upon row of the same types of problems written horizontally, and then to change it up, (gasp) vertically!

Packets for reading, or Book Study, as they are sometime referred to, can kill the joy of reading. I've used them, I know. Assigned Vocabulary words (What if they already know these words, or what if they have no clue?) Mundane questions that ask for explicit answers, and maybe one that might require critical thinking. Read a few chapters, Define the vocabulary words. Answer the questions. Read a few chapters, Define the Vocabulary words. Answer the questions. Arrrgh! Kill the story.

What if they just want to read? But you need to know they are actually reading, I get it.

Homework packets. Uggh! Homework given out on Monday, collected on Friday. I can't even begin to wrap my brain around this one. The "bright" kids are finished on Monday evening, the struggling students miss Recess so they can finish something they couldn't do in an entire week. So many things wrong here.

Summer/Spring/Winter Break packets. How much paper is wasted sending these home. Cmon, let's be honest, which kids end up completing the summer packets? Try something different.

Ditch the packets. Spice up the worksheets or don't use it at all. Require thinking. Make the worksheets interactive. Integrate technology.

If you give a child a packet...

Personalized Learning Via Tedx-Like Talks...The Joy of Being a Facilitator!

My 4th graders are working on TEDx-LikeTalks.
Yep, they are creating TEDx Like Talks.
I posted this assignment in the "ALL DONE" folder on our Schoology page, and they all gravitated towards it like moths to a light.

I posted a few TEDx-Like Talks by kids, asked them to watch at least one, choose a topic, and then create their own.

It has been amazing watching them work.
I have watched them create speeches.
Edit speeches.
Add images.
Add video.
Collaborate.
Research.
Discuss.
Add speeches to the teleprompter.
Practice.
Did I say collaborate?
Take this thing seriously, "working on it at home", seriously.
Come to me for a little help and apply what they take away from me.
Go back and work some more on topics like: "Why We Should Have Music Programs in School.", and "Youth Tackle Football is Dangerous."

"Mrs.Mims, can we work on our TEDx-LikeTalk during... ?" I willingly give whatever time they can squeeze in after testing.

At one point, I suggested to one group that they create a survey, using Google forms, so they could see how others feel about their topic
I showed them how to set it up and moved out the way.

They created the questions.
Used the "Go to this section"(with a little facilitating from me.)
Everyone has a survey now.:)
(Shout out to my colleagues and Twitter PLN!)

Can anyone say Common Core Standards? Oh yeah, they are being met!!


They will practice using the Swivl I won during Teacher Appreciation Week2016,(Shout out to Recap!)

I have to let them present on stage before school ends. Can't wait to see the finished product. The journey in itself has been great.

I am excited! They are excited! They are learning! And I? I am just the facilitator.:)