Still Growing

     It's comforting to know that I'm a work in progress, but so is every other teacher.  No matter how much experience we have, we have to continue to evolve with our students, our communities, our resources.  We're never done with the process of becoming great teachers. 

     That said, I've certainly learned a lot this quarter in both my college classes and in my elementary main placement.  I take in all I can from my mentors, my classmates, my textbooks, my administrators, and my students.  I mix it all up with everything I already knew (or thought I knew) and the result is likely to be some new way of thinking about something or doing something.

     I've come to see the tedious writing of lesson plans to be a good way to find flaws in my plan.  While I certainly don't stand in front of the class and read from a script, I've written one because it helps me develop the flow and pace of my lesson.  I have found the result to be the development of a natural clock inside my head that keeps lessons within time limits and keeps kids engaged. 

    Thinking about modifications to fit student needs is also laying out a framework of having lessons designed to meet a range of abilities yet still cover the required content.  My future students will have varied reading levels, understandings of math concepts, language skills, social skills, family units, physical abilities and attention spans.  I have to be prepared with something for everyone.  Taking the time to chart out individual student needs across subject areas is a good way for me to help them reach their potential.

     There's nothing like the real thing when it comes to experience.  These past months have put me in front of 27 students, their eyes fixed on me, waiting for me to say something profound.  My mouth absolutely goes dry. I've seen the looks on their faces that say "She doesn't know what she's talking about" and I never want to see that look again.  I've also seen them engaged and eager to get to work and that's a much more pleasant experience for all of us.

     I know the chaos of getting in all the fine points of the day - pledge of allegiance, straight lines, sharpened pencils available, flipcharts ready, lunch count, permission forms, soothing hurt feelings, phone calls to parents, fielding interruptions, Just Right Books, homework distributed, planners filled in, and who rides which bus.  On top of it all, there are so many expectations to meet.  My students and I are together trying to please parents, principals, school boards, government agencies, and future employers.  My goal is to take the pressure off students to make everyone else proud and just make themselves proud.  

More Than One Way to Go

   The opportunity to visit a variety of classrooms served as a scale I can use to find my balance in the classroom.  For almost every classroom decision a teacher makes, there is a broad range of options from which to choose, especially when it comes to expectations of student behavior.  This is an area I am still vague about.  I know my methods will be influenced by my school, the district, the principal, my co-workers and the student population, but I also need to establish my own course to follow because my students will look to me for cues. 
   One of the first ideas that came up in my course work at UWB is that learning is noisy.  I liked this quote "A silent classroom is not necessarily one where learning is taking place." Not sure who said it but I agree.  My CT certainly does not have a silent 5th grade classroom, but she does have times where she expects no noise from students.  One of those is when they are seated on the rug and she's giving a mini-lesson.  As the lesson progresses, so do the opportunities for students to contribute.  When the lesson is over, the transition back to their seats is expected to be done QCQ - quickly, calmly, quietly.  If not, "FREEZE!  Come back, Let's try that again."
    My CT does not use a microphone so it was interesting to observe a first grade classroom where the teacher used a mike.  Despite the magnification of her voice, students still talked out of turn.  She did not choose to correct behavior every time but she did send out reminders that when she's talking they're listening or when one of them is talking, everyone else is quiet.  If she stopped every time someone blurted or wiggled or whispered, she'd be stopped all the time because the energy these kids are trying to harness is turned up to high.    I liked the way she used a quiet voice and didn't raise her voice above conversational volume. 
    The teacher I worked with for science class in Lake Washington School District had a very soft voice and used the microphone in fun ways.  When students were working and she wanted their attention, she would say quietly and in a sing-song manner, "Oh, Students?", and they would reply "Oh, Yes?".  She also used the student mike which sparked interest in participating and made it so even the quietest student could be heard. 
    As I take on more responsibilities at my main placement, I'm finding that by the end of the day, my throat burns.  The students test my limits and I say "FREEZE" more than I'd like.  I want to use the microphones during my weeks as teacher because I think it "clicks" that the teacher is talking in a more obvious way and prevents him/her from being drowned up by the ebb and flow of student wiggling. 
     Another issue I ponder is the use of the rug for mini-lessons.  Yes, it's great to have students at your feet with their eyes looking upward at you, engaged in the lesson.  The problem comes when students aren't as little as they used to be, nor as comfortable with their legs crossed as they used to be.  It's difficult for me to sit cross-legged for 20 minutes so I can relate to their wiggling as the lesson gets longer. 
    On the other hand, I've experimented with letting them remain at their desks to hear the lesson but there are many distractions available to them.   I hope to be able to work with the classroom set-up and seating arrangement to allow students to easily move their chairs into "auditorium rows" for mini-lessons without the risk of hitting people on the head with chairs or taking away from learning time.  I might also try out "Girls on the rug, Boys in chairs", taking care to switch off, or "Front row, criss-cross, back rows legs tucked under", letting students decide which method is more comfortable for them. 
    If I expect to keep my students' attention, I know I've got to have expecations in place for when they are to be quiet and when noise is expected.  There's got to be some of both.  I think it's important to consider my students' needs so that they will see I'm wanting them to have as much success as possible and there's more than one way to get there.
   

Myself as Teacher

  My first official observation is done and I feel one step closer to this goal!  My Field Instructor did an excellent job of calming my nerves as she let me know this was a learning experience and I was to have fun in the lesson, first and foremost.  This thinking allowed me to prepare a read aloud lesson that opened the door for kids to enjoy the beauty of the book while thinking about the meaning of the text.  I've been reading to my daughters their whole lives and I've always enjoyed the drama of reading aloud.  It's impossible for me to deliver a story in a flat way!  There must be voice!  There must be pause!  There must be emotion!  My FI commented on this aspect of my lesson - it was obvious to her that my students enjoyed the reading and were engaged fully in the lesson.  Yea!

  For the most part, I'm happy with how the lesson went but I do wish I had a video to watch so I could see what my students saw.  Was I clear?  Talking too fast?  Repetitive?  Making eye contact?  Like any movie star, I'm sure there would be moments when I would cringe at my delivery, but there's a lot of value in seeing one's self from the outside.  Sitting in front of 26 kids, fumbling with trying to read a page while showing an illustration and reading a cue card to remember what my point was can be nerve-wracking!  I had considered using the document camera to show the pictures but there would have been some fumbling there, too.  It's about experience.  My FI pointed out that my face was hidden at times by the large picture book (Just a Dream by Van Allsburg) and students were unable to see my expression.  One group of students saw more of the book than me due to their location on the rug at my feet.  My Cooperating Teacher moves around a lot as she reads - standing, walking, scooting around on her stool with wheels.  For this first lesson, I was most comfortable seated near the chart that contained my teaching point. 

  The teaching point I had was excellent, according to my FI.  The learning targets fit and the path I'd laid out was good.  So, why did I deviate?  In the middle of my lesson, crazy ideas were popping into my head and rather than holding them back, I started throwing them into the lesson.  Yes, the story had irony but that wasn't part of this lesson.  My FI pointed out that there will be opportunities in the future to say to my students, "Remember in Just a Dream when the smog-producing manufacturing plant was in the business of making medicine for sore and itchy eyes?"  I can't do it all in one lesson.  Note to self: Make a plan for driving home the point of the lesson and stick to it.

  This first observation and the feedback I received from my FI gave me a huge shot of confidence.  The skills I know I already have showed through and the skills I need to improve upon give me attainable goals to work toward.  The challenge of taking constructive feedback and applying it to my next lesson is helping me to zero in on teaching traits that I will need every day in my classroom.

"Go Ahead, Make Your Day"

     When I first heard about the discipline program used in the Everett School District secondary schools, I thought it sounded a bit harsh. Students sitting facing the wall for minutes, hours or even days?  I wondered how this could possibly be used in a way that doesn't result in angry students refusing to conform or even seeking revenge against teachers or staff.  What I discovered is that when it's used consistantly, it's like a magic pill.  When it's used poorly, students continue to test limits in the classroom and interrupt the flow of lessons and student learning.
     The five step program is designed to provide students with specific expectations for behavior at school.  One very important school rule sets the theme:  No one has the right to interfere with the learning, safety, or well-being of others.  This rule can be found posted in every classroom, the lunchroom,  in the hallways and in the principal's office.  Going into steps is not the choice of the teacher.  The student chooses to go to Step One by making poor behavior choices.  He or she is responsible for the consequence and it's the responsibility of the student to reflect on the behavior that led to sitting in a corner facing the wall. 
     When the teacher has a natural break in teaching, he/she goes over to the student to review what happened before releasing the student back to his/her desk.  The conversation starts with, "Why did you choose Step One?"  The student responds by relating the behaviors that were interfering with class learning.  Usually, Step One is all it takes to get the student back on track.  If the student continues to "choose" behaviors that show disrespect for classroom expectations, the result will be Step Two, Three, Four or Five.
 Step Two - student is standing facing the wall.
 Step Three - Student is standing facing the wall directly in front of the Make Your Day Rule.
 Step Four - Student is sent to the office, parents called and a conference scheduled.  Until that conference is held, student will be in Step One for the remainder of the day or days.  Kind of an "in-school" suspension.
 Step Five means the student will be suspended from school for a week. 
     The Cooperating Teacher I spent most of my DYAD time with used this classroom management tool with great efficiency.  The students knew exactly what behaviors were expected and what would happen if they didn't follow the rules.  No delay.  No special consideration. No surprises.  Blurting?  Didn't do homework?  Talking inappropriately?  Unprepared for class?  Disrespectful?  Inattentive?  These behaviors led to Step One.  Without fanfare, anyone choosing Step One is sent to a chair in the back of the room to contemplate how they fell short of expectations.
     My opinion is that following the Make Your Day program consistantly means that the teacher is providing a safe classroom where a whole bunch of learning is taking place.  Very little time is wasted on repeating instruction, getting students' attention, or intervening in student squabbles.  When students are given an assignment, they don't grumble.  When the teacher is talking, no one else is.  Students remain seated unless they're given permission to stand.  When the classroom is engaged in an activity that allows for student interaction, partnering or discussion, they conduct themselves appropriately.  There's no teasing, no bullying, no bull. 
     My daughters often complain about classrooms where the teacher has lost control.  They're frustrated with the waste of time and the difficulty of hearing what the teacher has to offer when the room is abuzz with chatter. Hillary expressed, "Hey, if I'm going to spend a year taking Spanish, I'd like to be able to speak Spanish when I'm done." Yes, that would be ideal! I've made a point of teaching them that they can have an influence on their peers by being model students and I've heard from their teachers that they are respectful and helpful (My little angels!). After all, the teacher is expected to teach and the student is expected to learn and if these things don't happen, we are failing to provide quality education. 
     The final component of the Make Your Day program is that students self-evaluate at the end of every period and award themselves "points".  Points are based on minutes in the period so if there are 45 minutes and a student spent 5 minutes in Step One, he should only give himself 40 points.  These points are entered into a spreadsheet and total points are noted on report cards.  This allows students and parents to discuss daily behaviors and relate them to marks the students are receiving for their work in class. 
     I feel like I have the tendency to be somewhat mushy in my classroom management so I see a real benefit to working in a school where all students know expectations and all teachers follow the same discipline procedures.  No one teacher is any "meaner" than any other.  There are no "teacher's pets" and no frustrated students feeling like their time and effort was wasted.  I visited many classrooms in the DYAD to see how different teachers used (or didn't use) the program effectively.  I can say without a doubt that the most productive and comfortable classrooms were the ones where the teacher took full advantage of the benefits Make Your Day can bring to a middle school.  I predict a further advantage is that we're instilling in students a sturdy sense of responsibility for themselves and consideration for others.

Teaching Middle School

     Today I had the opportunity to teach a reading lesson to a room full of 6th graders.  It was evidence to me that no matter how well planned, rehearsed, edited and re-hashed, there is likely to be the need to change direction, shorten, re-think, and maybe even scrap the whole thing!  I worked really hard on this read aloud and was very confident going into it. 
     For some reason, BOTH of my watches had dead batteries this morning and I considered that to either be a bad omen or a sign that I needn't worry about the clock.  As it turned out, I needed to worry about the clock.  Though I'd read through the story several times, it seemed to get longer and longer as I read.  Fortunately, it was a story that gripped the students' attention and inspired them to raise their hands, but I was very short on the time that I had planned for an assignment for them to show what they'd learned.
     So now I'm editing.  I'm giving the same lesson again tomorrow but it will be better, cleaner, smoother, and . . . shorter.

The Gap

     I'm lucky enough to know the complete exhaustion of Friday just after school is out.  It's a mind-numbing kind of tired but the kind where you know your efforts mattered.  I was an assistant teacher at the time so I'm assuming the classroom teacher was as tired as I was, if not more tired.  But here I am in school preparing to take on the job of teacher.  I'm here because I know that feeling, not in spite of it.
     Teachers have been in the news a lot lately due to budget cuts, contract negotiations, and statistics that make it seem like our kids are becoming less educated rather than more.  Some people want teachers to do more with less and resent that teachers get summers off and still have the nerve to complain.  A recent story in the Seattle Times discusses the high expectations people have of teachers yet still don't value them as professionals.  I think it's because every adult in the country has, at one time, had a "bad teacher", someone who probably hated their job, was burned out, or resented being scrutinized by administrators and parents. This experience causes some people to be merciless about what teachers should be capable of doing and ought to do without complaining and just be thankful they have a job.
     My favorite part of this piece is when a teacher being interviewed expresses that he's fighting an uphill battle and the reporter summarizes this viewpoint with "he knows he has two choices: throw up his hands or try like crazy". Good teachers are going to try like crazy, but let's hope they aren't completely burned out from their efforts to fill the gap.
     What can we as individual teachers do in our classrooms to connect students to enriching learning experiences when schools are operating on budgets that are stretched thin?  What resources remain untapped? How can we involve families in educational activities to a greater extent?

Makeal

     Makeal inspires me, not only because he has given school a second chance but also because he sees potential in himself that he didn't see before.  I have met many kids this year who have much in common with the "old Makeal" who didn't want to go to school, didn't care how he did and couldn't think of any way to connect what he'd rather be doing to school.  I saw a NSD Community Schools booth yesterday at the campus career fair and I'm wondering if there were classes available there that would connect to kids as the skateboarding one did with Makeal?  Plan to look into that.  I know they have classes like quilting, ESL, karate, dance.  I also wonder if there are scholarships available for these classes?
     I have a student who says he hates school.  Yet, I see him doing things that indicate otherwise like taking leadership roles in the classroom and attending optional events.  He strikes me as a kid who would burn like crazy if someone put a spark to him.  There are so many positive ways to allow kids to write what they want, where they want and to an audience who can appreciate what they have to share.  I do see how Makeal needed this connection to get him motivated to learn.  No surprise that he missed school a lot - he didn't feel like he had anything to contribute that would be appreciated.  Now he sees that he can share what he knows about something he cares about.  Love it.

Technologically Challenged

     I admit, I'm one of those people who just doesn't get technology.  I still call keyboarding "typing" and I play solitaire with cards that can actually be shuffled.  When I run into a computer glitch, I get a panicked feeling inside because my efforts to resolve issues are hit and miss. My teenage daughters are far more capable than I am of putting our internet connection to good use.  I recently gave up my flip phone and got a fancy phone with apps, internet and "Angry Birds". I still haven't played, but it's there in case I ever want to.  Frankly, I'd like to have my flip phone back. 
     It's not that I don't see the value of the technology we have.  I do.  I also see the value of going for a walk with  my friend as opposed to sending her a message on facebook. I enjoy going to the library and looking at staff recommendations, new magazines, and the books on the carts that others have picked up but not checked out.  I have had trouble with spending too much time at the computer and it's been difficult for me to break myself of these habits.  I've spent far too many hours of my life playing freecell, poker, and scrabble, shopping on zappos, ebay, craigslist, and Amazon and I can't ever get them back.
     I know our kids have to be computer savvy to be employable in the future, but I worry that they will also be overweight, anti-social, and unable to stay focused on every day activities that don't come with all the bells and whistles that can be found on a computer.  I agree with Cathy Davidson that our society has become overly paranoid about child molesters lurking around every corner and on every website.  And because I agree, I say let's unplug the computer and send our kids out to play for a few hours everyday rather than allowing them to sit transfixed in front of a screen from 4pm to bedtime.
     As with anything we give our kids, moderation is key.  It's so easy to let them spend hours playing games or watching videos on youtube because they're so content and quiet. We have to monitor what kids see and for how long and for me, that's difficult because I struggle to keep up with the skills they've already mastered.  So, I must bravely go out on a limb and try new things like blogging, photostory3, wikis, online courses, itouch, and a whole bunch of other techno-thing-a-ma-jigs because I want to be there to witness, help and learn when my students and my daughters are using technology to be the best they can be.