Layers of the Earth (through cake)

A multilayer cake was cored for samples to measure and study the various layers of the cake. Many, many thanks to the science fellow working with our school (in the pi shirt).

Updated Teachers' Lounge

I, along with five other teachers, have been out of the classroom for four weeks while interns completed their independent teaching. We've had a lot of freedom to work on projects of our own interests around the school during this time. One thing we decided was important to us was making our teachers' lounge more comfortable and a better place for relaxing.

We didn't do much (not a lot of money available). We got a couple of couches off of freecycle, tables donated from teachers, some plants (fake, because really, who would take care of them), new curtains and fabric for the bulletin board, and paint. Our principal found money for the paint, fabric, and some plants. It's not a luxury lounge by any means, but it is an improvement.

































We also painted the two bathrooms attached to our lounge. We had chosen three possible colors for the lounge and painted quick swatches on the walls so that teachers could vote on their choice. We used the rest of the two losing paints for the bathrooms so that we did not waste any paint. (The colors look shockingly similar in these pictures, but there is a wide range of greens here.)

State Alternative Assessment

I have issues with standardized tests. Not a shocking fact, but true. So, my state's alternative assessment should fill me with joy. It doesn't have the issues that bother me about multiple choice tests:

• A multiple choice test shows a student's ability in one, brief period. If his best friend is mad at him, her parent lost a job, she didn't get enough sleep last night, or he hasn't had a good meal in days, a student will not likely perform well regardless of how much they know and are able to do.
• Some people naturally do well on multiple choice tests and some struggle. I've watched brilliant students have trouble with multiple choice because they are able to justify more than one answer. They can talk themselves out of correct answers.
  
• It's very stressful to be tested on an entire year (or multiple years) of learning at once. Some students get sick because they are so concerned about the test.

So, a portfolio assessment should be a great improvement. In theory, it is. I create portfolios for my students throughout the year to help illustrate all they have learned. (I have to admit that mine don't address every single standard, but they do show progress.)

However, the reality of these portfolios has been absurd. We use this alternative assessment for our limited English speakers in place of taking the reading test. We have to document each and every part of every reading standard. For example, standard 5.4 reads, "The student will read fiction and nonfiction with fluency and accuracy. Use context to clarify meaning of unfamiliar words. Use knowledge of root words, prefixes, and suffixes. Use dictionary, glossary, thesaurus, and other word-reference materials."

I think it's a good standard. I teach my students all of those things. To prove it for the portfolio, we must have documentation for each piece:

1. "Use context to clarify meaning of unfamiliar words."
2. "Use knowledge of root words,
3. prefixes,
4. and suffixes."
5. "Use dictionary,
6. glossary,
7. thesaurus,
8. and other word-reference materials."

For that one standard we need eight pieces of documentation. Fifth grade has four different reading standards, each of which requires about this many pieces of documentation. (Third grade has to document third grade standards and second grade standards.)

The sheer amount of documentation is daunting. That's my first frustration. I think it should be reasonable to think that we could prove a student's mastery of that standard with only three or four pieces of documentation (a multiple choice test would not hit every single one of those eight aspects).

My second frustration is on us. Instead of documenting students' learning in authentic ways; anecdotal records from reading groups and conferences, response letters students have written about their reading, literature discussion notes, etc., we're documenting mostly with worksheets. We rarely, rarely use worksheets at this school. I know this sort of documentation is a result of our inexperience with this. As we continue to use these portfolios we'll get better at using what we are naturally doing in the classroom for our documentation. Of course, that also assumes that the state will accept more authentic documentation.

Maybe I'm overreacting. Maybe I should be grateful the state allows us the option of an alternative assessment that is a portfolio. Maybe...but I think I'll still strive for an assessment that is authentic to the teaching and learning going on in our school.

Best Day of the Year

We have a New Teacher Shower every year. It's a surprise placed on the calendar as a staff meeting - which makes it doubly nice for the new teachers. We bring in goodies to eat and everyone brings various small gifts that teachers can use. The principals talk with the new teachers while we get ready. They enter the library where the rest of the staff is lined up cheering for them. New teachers take turns choosing gifts. Teammates share briefly about the new teachers and they again are applauded. This is my tenth year at the school and this remains my favorite day of the year.

I will never forget walking into the library my first year. It took a bit before the reality registered. I felt so incredibly lucky to work with such a caring, giving staff. Now, on the other side, I still feel the same way.

Title 1

Last week I had lunch with some colleagues, including a woman who was our parent coordinator a couple of years ago. She now works full time in our district's Title 1 office. We've been waiting with bated breath for our Title 1 budget in order to plan staffing for next year. We have several people whose salaries are paid through Title 1 in order to have more Reading Recovery support.

This woman mentioned that she was concerned that our budgets would be smaller this year. She expected that the district would get the same amount as last year (which already means less in buying power), but more of it would have to got to support outside tutoring programs for schools that did not make AYP last year.

So, rather than have funding for staff, professional development, training, etc. we will be funneling money to for profit business that offer tutoring. These programs are not affiliated with the schools and there is no communication. This means that the work they do with children is completely unrelated to the work that is happening in the classroom.

I find this to be incredibly sad and exceptionally maddening.

Joy of Learning

Last night my girls and I went for a walk (we went for ice cream and I figured if we walked I could eat ice cream without guilt). On the way, my four year old discovered dandelions. She was fascinated by them as we noticed them along the way. I finally stopped and picked one to show her the seeds and how you can blow them. She had some trouble blowing the seeds at first, but eventually figured it out. We talked about what was happening to the seeds when she blew them and what would happen next. She was so excited about them that she carried two home to show her dad. She also wanted to keep them but we convinced her that we could always get more.

This whole experience struck me because of how much she was learning and how much fun she was having. She asked question after question. She learned a lot about seeds and plants through our discussion. She explored the dandelions in many ways, blowing the seeds, touching the different parts, smelling them. When she finally managed to blow the seeds on her own she was so proud of herself.

I want her learning to always be this way. I want her to continue to ask questions and get excited about new things. Will that continue once she starts school in the fall? How long will it take before she looks at learning in a totally different light?

Do children naturally outgrow this joy in learning or do schools push it out of them?

Love That School

I've got three more weeks out of the classroom while an intern completes student teaching. There are five of us in this position and we're keeping ourselves busy. This is just another reminder to me of why I love my school.

Here's our to do list for these four weeks:

• reorganize and clean up the upstairs workroom (completed beautifully by a couple of teachers in the first two days)
• make a welcome video for new students and their families - narrated by students
• reorganize all of the math manipulatives in our math trailer (this may involve some reorganizing in another room in the building too so that we can move materials there)
• decorate and make our teachers' lounge more welcoming and warm
• help gather evidence and organize information for our state alternative assessment

Only one of those chores was assigned to us by the administration. We have principals that respect us as professionals and allow us to set our own agendas, knowing that what we do will benefit the staff.

In previous years we have reorganized our book room, pulled small groups for remediation, created book lists for teaching different strategies in reading and writing, and many other activities. Again, none required by our administration. I often forget that this is not the norm.

Pentominoes

Reading The Wright 3 by Blue Balliett led to much fun with pentominoes.

Depression

I'm happiest to live in complete ignorance about my students' personal lives. Teaching where I do, I often learn things that tear me up inside.

I'm out of my classroom for a few weeks while an intern student teaches. I walked back in the vicinity of my room this afternoon, something I've avoided doing, and saw one of my students in the hall crying, waiting to talk with our counselor. I pulled the student into the empty workroom and asked what was wrong. The story I got could have been a soap opera.

The father left the mother for her sister, the child's aunt. This happened some time ago. The father has been lying to the mother and child. Now the aunt is claiming that the student is calling and cursing at her. She is telling the father this is happening and doing all she can to turn him against his child. The aunt is also calling this student and cursing. Finally, the student says to me, "And I'm not doing well in school."

It was all I could do to not cry. I told the child that school is not always the most important thing (is that a cardinal sin for a teacher) and that taking care of oneself is critical. I just sat with the student until the counselor was finished with her previous group (two of my other students, no less). School counselors are saints.

I'm amazed at the strength and perseverance shown by my students. I learn so much from them.

Meme: Passion Quilt

I am terrible about memes, so this has taken me forever. It took a long time to get to it even though the idea has been there in my head all along. I spent a ridiculous amount of time searching flickr for images, before deciding that I have photos that work perfectly for me.

Megan and Woody both tagged me for this.

Passion Quilt Meme Rules:

• Think about what you are passionate about teaching your students.
• Post a picture from a source like FlickrCC or Flickr Creative Commons or make/take your own that captures what YOU are most passionate about for kids to learn about…and give your picture a short title.
• Title your blog post “Meme: Passion Quilt” and link back to this blog entry.
• Include links to 5 folks in your professional learning network or whom you follow on Twitter/Pownce

Exposing children to new experiences encourages their learning.

Exposing students to new experiences engages them.




Whether those new experiences happen in the classroom, on field trips, online, or with their families doesn't matter. What is important is that they are gaining knowledge and becoming more engaged and excited about learning.

These two pictures are my daughter, playing with rocks by the Pacific Ocean and playing with a safe in a hotel room. Two experiences that excited her beyond our expectations.

I'm tagging (if they haven't yet been tagged & have the time):

• Blink
• Organized Chaos
• ArtTchrJan
• Michaele
• Unlimited
• Silly Corn

(I know that's six, but I couldn't help it!)

Teaching in an Election Year (Wordless Wednesday)

(I can take no credit for these. They were created and are maintained by the phenomenal first-year teacher across the hall.)

Tangram Joy

We've been working on perimeter and area lately and I usually find it to be fairly dull. This year has been a pleasant switch. I gave each student a set of tangrams (punched out from a file folder so that they hold up pretty well). Using the medium sized triangle and the two little triangles they had to create five regular polygons. This step alone made for a pretty good discussion.



















Once they had created various polygons (triangle, square, rectangle, parallelogram, and trapezoid) they were to find the area and perimeter of each of them. I was surprised at how difficult it was for them to realize that all five shapes had the same area. They worked really hard to calculate the area for each one based on their measurements. It was fascinating.

After giving them some time to struggle with this we came back together as a group. We shared the different shapes because some students hadn't been able to figure out all five. Then we moved into looking at all of this algebraically. We compared the sides of each triangle and figured out that there are only 3 different lengths, the base of the larger triangle, the sides of the larger triangle or base of the smaller ones, and the sides of the smaller triangles. Using that knowledge we wrote one shape's perimeter as an algebraic expression. It was a challenge for them to write the rest that way, but they worked through it. This also helped them see that all five areas are the same. Then we finally had a discussion of the relationship between perimeter and are (the main goal, initially). Most students firmly believed that no shape could have a larger area than perimeter. This activity had shown them that the perimeter and area aren't always the same (shapes with the same perimeter can have different areas and vice versa). As a result, I immediately opened up a grid on our smartboard and had students try some different shapes and calculate the area and perimeter. They quickly found shapes that disproved their theory. Off they went, back to their seats with grid paper to see what else they could discover. They loved exploring this way (both with the tangrams and with the grid paper) and, I think, have a much better understanding of area and perimeter than my students have had in the past.

Testing Classroom

This may not look awful to an outsider, but it is painful to me. All of our hard work and learning throughout the year has to be covered up for the state test.

Meeting the Needs of ALL Students

Members of our special education team and our gifted and talented team presented at our school's faculty meeting today. The topic was twice exceptional students (kids who are gifted but also have a learning disability, social challenge, or some other such exceptionality). The main focus of the presentation was a video, Ennis' Gift, from the Ennis William Cosby Foundation. The video is beautifully done and tells the story of numerous people who were not successful in school because their teachers did not recognize their gifts. Parts will make you cry. We showed snippets of it and gave everyone chances to talk about it. We had thoughtful questions linked to the video to guide discussions. We had collected children's books with twice exceptional main characters and had them on display. We shared some Calvin and Hobbes cartoons to get things started. It was a brilliantly planned presentation (I had little to do with the planning).

The message we really wanted to convey was: students should not be denied services because of social, emotional, or behavioral issues. The great majority of our staff already know this. However, we still hear teachers saying things like, "That child doesn't deserve to be in the GT class." The belief that a seven year old should be excluded from a classroom that will best meet his/her learning needs because of laziness, defiance, or social awkwardness is sad.

I think the presentation inspired members of our faculty who already understood the concept of twice exceptional students. Hopefully they will be more willing and able to advocate for those students in the future. Those staff members who don't yet buy into the idea were not likely swayed by the meeting. I can only hope that it sowed seeds of possibilities for the future.

Technology in Math

This lesson didn't begin with technology. Initially the students were working with three triangles from tangrams and creating polygons. Five regular polygons can be made with those triangles. They then had to find the area and perimeter of the shapes. The goal is for them to realize that shapes can have the same area but different perimeters (or the other way around). It was harder for them than I had anticipated, but they enjoyed it.




















We ended up writing the perimeters of the shapes as algebraic expressions based on the sides of the triangles. Actually measuring was not working well and this was good practice for them writing expressions. Plus, that pushed some of them to finally realize that the areas of the shapes were all the same. Once they recognized that the sides of the triangles remained the same no matter what shape they created, they were able to realize that the areas of each triangle did so as well.


As we neared the end of the lesson we realized that we needed to look at some of it a bit more deeply. I gave each student some fresh graph paper and asked them to try and create shapes with areas greater than perimeters, perimeters greater than areas, and equal perimeters and areas. (I know we are comparing apples and oranges to an extent here because we are comparing units with units squared, but they had a lot of preconceived notions that needed to be questioned.)

Then I wanted to be able to look at some of what they found together. So I pulled up grid paper on my smartboard.

They drew several different shapes to show how each of the possibilities might look. Some students were just amazed that you could have equal perimeter and area or that the perimeter could ever be a larger number than the area. It was interesting to hear their discussion. Then Mr. B opened up Geometer's Sketchpad with a shape that he could manipulate so they could watch the perimeter and area change. This allowed them to test some theories quickly without having to do a lot of tedious computation (which would have caused them to not test their theories). They were enthralled.

This was the best on-the-fly use of technology I've done all year. I was so glad to have the smartboard and Geometer's Sketchpad at my fingertips. The one depressing piece was that I hadn't originally thought to do these things as a part of the lesson.

Weekly Visit to the Library

Equality of Subject Areas

I teach 5th grade in an area where my students head off to middle school next year. Their middle school treats 6th grade as a sort of bridge between elementary and middle school. They switch teachers, but have limited options about courses. They are still pulled out of core classes for band, strings, chorus, and gifted and talented services. They have lockers and dress out for gym. It's a good transition year for them, in many ways.

In other ways I feel like they lose out because they aren't in elementary school for one more year. At my school (and I know this isn't true for all, or even most, elementary schools) our students have two and a half hours four days a week for language arts instruction (reading, writing, word study). They probably have an hour and a half on the fifth day. They have an hour, at least, for math instruction five days a week. Science and social studies get less time. My students have thirty minutes four days a week for each of those, at best. Occasionally we'll spend more time on science or social studies when we are really engaged in something. I feel that my students have to be able to read, write, and do math in order to be able to truly understand social studies or science. So I don't have any concerns about how we spend our time (although I love science and social studies and would enjoy spending more time with them).

However, next year they'll have the same amount of time for math class, social studies class, science class, and English class (which will include reading, writing, and word study). What a switch for them! If they remained in elementary school they would still have a greater focus on language arts and math.

This is yet another time where I think tradition and convenience determine how we handle instructional issues. I wonder if one of the reasons we see so many concerns about young people and reading is because of the small amount of attention we give it after elementary school. Does it truly make sense to value every discipline equally? And equally for all students?

Traffic Jam

A couple of people have expressed interest in the activity in the Wordless Wednesday pictures. The activity is called Traffic Jam and I found it on a website for team building activities.

Use the duct tape (or masking tape) to make a starting pattern on the floor.

Have the participants stand in the boxes of the pattern: half of the group faces right, half of the group faces left.

Explain the task: Using only legal rules, people on the left side must end up on the right side and the people on the right must end up on the left.

Legal Moves

A person may move into an empty space in front of them.

A person may move around a person who is facing them into an empty space.

You CANNOT:

Move backwards.

Move around someone facing the same way you are.

Make any move which involves two people moving at once.

I didn't use duct tape, but we put the pieces of construction paper on the floor. That allowed us to try it first with just half the class (both halves tried it in different parts of the room). Once they were able to do it several times we took it out to the hall to have the entire class do it. That was at the beginning of the year. I do team building activities all through the first week to emphasize cooperation and to foster community. We've done it again now as a part of math. We've looked at how the pattern works and how to explain it mathematically.

It's my favorite of the team building activities that I do and I was thrilled to be able to come back to it.

Wordless Wednesday

Traffic Jam - attempting to move students from one end to the other. They can only jump past one person at a time and can only move the direction they are facing. Very challenging!

Marshmallow Madness

For details of the story, check this out.

Authorities on Education

Every school day I receive an email from ASCD (Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development) with a collection of newspaper and magazine articles. The email includes links and brief summaries of the articles. A year ago it was something I looked forward to in order to keep up with what was happening in education around the country and around the world.

In the past few months I've noticed that I haven't kept up with reading these emails. I finally realized that I would rather spend time with all of the feeds to my reader than to skim through that email. (Of course, the amount of time for those two activities is nowhere near equal.) The authorities on education I turn to now are classroom teachers, like Dan, Doug, Woody, Ruth and Stacey, Tree, Organized Chaos, and Christian, or administrators, specialists and consultants, like, Tim, John, Wes, Chris, and Alice, as well as some big names in the field like Deborah Meier and Diane Ravitch.

The people I read now aren't journalists, they are educators. They know that of which they speak. Who better to be reading to keep up to date with the state of my profession?

100th Day of School

Creating time lines of 100 years in U.S. history.















Things that measured 100 of some unit (centimeter, pounds, etc.)
















Number sentences that equal 100 in a variety of ways (with 2, 3, or 4 operations or using 3, 4, or 5 digits).


Wordless Wednesday (mostly)

Good Nutrition, Good Economics

A study recently found that good nutrition for young children (infants and toddlers) affects their future earning potential. The study began in the 1970's looking at children in Guatemala. Researchers looked at these groups twenty and thirty years later as adults to determine the effects of a nutritional supplement program.

They found that the adult males in the group who had been given the supplement were earning 46% higher hourly wages than the others.

Surprisingly, however,

But surprisingly there was no similar divide in school performance or cognitive test scores.

Does this mean that good nutrition promotes physical strength which helped these men make more money and does nothing for intellectual ability? That seems highly unlikely, but why these results? Was there a reliable way of assessing school performance? What sort of cognitive testing was used?

On a final note, the researchers asserted that their study suggests that societies need to ensure that children are well fed for economic reasons.

"Improving nutrition in early childhood led to substantial increases in wage rates for men, which suggests that investments in early childhood nutrition can be long-term drivers of economic growth," they conclude.

It always comes down to money.

Super Bowl - Quite a Test

The New England Patriots lost their first game all season last night. I know, that's not news to anyone. But it's got me thinking. After an almost perfect season, losing one game has meant that people have called the Patriots' performance disappointing or a failure. This one game, just a few hours, has changed many people's impressions of the team. Is that reasonable?

We seem to do the same thing to our students with standardized tests. One bad day, a few hours of sub-par performance, and a child can be labeled negatively for some time. Their scores on a test often are viewed as more accurate, exact, and important than anything their teachers might know about them. All the anecdotal notes, classroom tests, and other assessments carry less weight.

Our students, at their young ages, aren't ready for a Super Bowl of standardized tests.

Looking for Advice

I posted today on This Must Be Thursday, a blog I co-author with a close friend and colleague. I wrote the post for the cathartic qualities involved in getting emotions out on the page. However, in the process and since I've been mulling the big questions in it. And I'd love to know what others think.

The main questions were

So, what is my responsibility? Should my students be completely unaware of issues I face? Should they know if I'm having a bad day? Does their age matter, older students being more able to deal with understanding their teacher's mood swings or such? Is it my job to teach my students well regardless?

I haven't really been able to figure out where I stand on this and I'm hoping for some thought-provoking ideas.