Fun in First Grade

One of the big projects we did in the four hours we had together today was self-portraits. I'm fascinated by what the students chose to focus on in their pictures. Just looking at these pictures makes me smile.

Leap of Faith

I should be in bed asleep, but I can't figure out how to do it. Tomorrow is the first day of school at my school (we're on a 'modified calendar') and I'll be teaching first grade for the first time. I am feeling wholly unprepared and full of anxiety about helping these small people through their first day back. I'm wondering how to do things that have seemed so simple to me for years now; how should I post the schedule for our day, how can I prepare them for recess, how do I get them all through the lunch line, how do we learn all of each others' names, etc. I had all of this down in the upper grades. I have no clue for first grade.

To add to the fit of nerves, my older daughter is starting kindergarten tomorrow. She'll go to my school, which mostly makes the whole process easier for us both. However, it seems crazy that we're both jumping off a cliff together and hoping for the best.

Things That Surprise Me About First Grade...

(After 10 years of teaching 4th or 5th grades)

• the tables are shockingly low
• the rooms are much more student-centered in set-up and organization than most upper grade rooms
  
• the stories of the kids are just as funny, if not funnier
• the instructional debates and decisions are astoundingly difficult (do we use paper or journals for independent writing, should these books remain at school or should they take them home, can we model two or three ways to do that math problem or should we only show one, etc.) *
  
• the bathroom (at least in my classroom) is huge and I can't come up with any sanitary way to use that space instructionally
• there is significantly less planning time for some reason
• I'm just as nervous as I was on my first day of teaching fourth grade

* I'm actually completely serious about the difficulty of these decisions. Everything seems critical at this young age and it seems so easy to mess them up for years to come.

FBs - Who are they?

Scott McLeod had a recent post, NECC 2009 - Who wins? that prompted quite a bit of interesting discussion around the blogosphere. In this post he muses on the idea of FBs (famous bloggers) and their possible obligations to NYFBs (not yet famous bloggers) and LRs (loyal readers). The question is only of mild interest to me, but it got me thinking about the blogs I read and which are by FBs and which are by NYFBs.

I've tried to keep some balance between the two. I think that one of the reasons I feel a need for this balance is that most of the FBs I read are not currently in a classroom. They are consultants, technology specialists, or college professors (in a classroom, yes, but with completely different time demands). Full time classroom teachers have little time to devote to blogging. And yet they are voices I would like to hear a lot more. I have huge amounts of respect for a variety of classroom teachers who blog thoughtfully and make me think. Doug, Dan, Lisa, Clarence, Christian, and Stacey & Ruth all write blogs I think are fantastic. I'm not sure how they manage to do it.

My big question here, I guess, is does it really matter? Does the imbalance between widely read blogs by actual classroom teachers versus those by others in the educational field make a difference? Should we be concerned by who dominates the discussion? I'm honestly not sure how I feel about it.

Post on In Practice

I've got a new post up on In Practice and it's something that's been bouncing around in my head for quite some time. I'm trying to figure out where we draw the line in regards to how much and what sort of things a school does for a student. I'd love to hear thoughts on it.

Rube Goldberg Machines

My students created Rube Goldberg machines during the last few weeks of the year. I used the projects as a chance to try out some technology and I'll be posting my thoughts on that soon. First, however, I want to focus on the project. The inspiration came from a dy/dan post in which he shared some You Tube videos of wonderful Rube Goldberg machines. I thought my students would enjoy watching them and that led to my thinking that they would also enjoy creating some.

It seemed like the perfect project for the chaos of the final weeks of the year. This video is photos of the project as well as short videos of their machines. The audio in it is taken from their thoughts about the project; what they enjoyed, challenges they faced, how they felt about working in groups.

If you want to see their machines in action with their explanations, check out the video on You Tube.

Poem in Two Voices

I had intended to have the two boys who co-authored this poem record it for me to post, but the end of the year got in the way. The fabulous intern who worked with my students this spring introduced them to poems in two voices and a few of them tried writing some. I thought this one was fabulous.

More information on poems for two voices

End of the Year Gifts

I received several lovely gifts on the last day of school yesterday. However, two of them amused me greatly. Not because the gifts themselves are amusing (something that is frequently true) but because of the stories that go with them.

I walked into my classroom today ready to tackle the chaos in the hopes of having it packed and well organized by the end of the week. I noticed a large bag in the coat closet area. I asked the intern I've worked with if he knew what it was. His response was that it appeared to be a gift someone had forgotten to give me. I had to agree that was how it appeared, but found the idea highly unlikely. Picking up the gift I was hoping there would be a tag with a name. Luckily there was and I should have guessed the name that would be there. It was from a young man who never ceased to make me smile and think, but who can't remained focused on the majority of tasks for longer than a moment or two. It is not hard to imagine him walking in yesterday morning, putting his backpack and the gift in the coat closet and getting involved in conversations with his friends about the upcoming promotion ceremony and other last day activities. It was a fitting final image of him.

Another child arrived on Monday telling me that he would be bringing me a gift on Tuesday from him and his parents. I told him that was so kind and unnecessary. He said, "I paid for most of it with my allowance." This was not said with joy. The next morning he arrived with some beautiful flowers. As I took them I thanked him and told him how beautiful they were. His response? "Good, they cost like $50." He clearly had better things to do with his allowance money (and really, who can blame him).

Saying Goodbye

At the end of the last day of school all of the teachers rush outside to line the street near the building. We wave to all the cars and buses as they head out for the final time for the year. Parents wave enthusiastically back and children practically hang out the windows of the buses screaming goodbyes. It's the most wonderful tradition.

I have no idea how I managed to look this happy in this picture. I was weepier today than I have been on any other last day of school in my ten years of teaching. I don't know if it is because I am moving to the primary grades so this feels more final or if there is some other factor. I loved this group of students, but I've loved them all. I worry for some of these students, but that's also true every year. I am so proud of the work we've done this year and so frustrated by the things we didn't do. But, yet again, always true. We had a wonderful year together.

More to Come...

What 'first' would you like to see?

After Obama claimed the nomination yesterday I felt this was a moment in history to discuss with my students. My morning message explained the details and then asked, "What 'first' would you like to see happen?"

They struggled a bit with the question, but once they got going they were on a roll. Some of their answers were quite serious:

• a president who cares about global warning
• all weapons destroyed
• a law that requires all endangered animals have reserved areas to live on
• an NFL for women

Others were absurd:

• a house made out of marshmallows that could bounce all over
• kids getting paid to go to school or for doing nothing

Some were serious, but highly unlikely:

• a time machine
• cloning endangered animals to save the species

It made for a fascinating morning meeting.

"Playing" in our Strategies Lab

Playing alone, with a partner, or in a small group - honing problem solving skills through games.

Mazlow's Hierarchy of Needs

Our last state standardized test was this morning. One of my students will be taking it as a make-up test because she broke her arm at recess on Friday (I was out!) and is getting a new cast this morning. She is not alone, however.

Another student came up to me first thing this morning to say that she will be picked up every afternoon for the rest of the year rather than walking home. I didn't think too much about it, just thanked her for letting me know.

She went on to tell me that her home had been broken into yesterday. I immediately dropped what I was doing and gave her my full attention. She's been having some significant family problems all year and I have been amazed with her resilience. Very little was taken during the break-in, only some important papers and a ring. The computer, XBox, PS2, and such were all left behind. As a result, she is terrified that her family was the target, not their things.

Because today is a test, one of my first reactions was to call our assistant principal for advice. I did also email our counselor so that she could talk to this student sometime today. I'm so lucky to have an administration that is understanding and proactive. Our AP came right down and talked with my student. They jointly decided that she should take the time to talk to the counselor, we would call her family to touch base and see if there is anything more we could do, and she will take the test another day. Everyone seemed comfortable with these decisions.

It just saddens me that one of my first reactions had to be to think about this test. I'm glad she doesn't have to sit down and take it right now, after all of this, but how different will things be tomorrow or the next day. How meaningful will this test score be? And how many other students have issues distracting them that they are not willing to share publicly?

Writing Beyond Pencil and Paper

Our fifth graders have a new, county-wide required project. Last year my class was one to beta test it and this year my school is one of sixteen to pilot it. Last year I felt rushed and had another huge year end project we did as a school. As a result, I was disappointed in their projects (not that they didn't work hard). The project involves looking at different cultures (we study ancient cultures in fifth grade) to better understand global interdependence and to use technology.

This year we got started earlier, did a lot of prep work ahead of time, and I had a better big picture vision. So far, I have high hopes for how this will turn out next week when they are due.

My kids have found a new search engine they really like: boolify. They have almost all been using it frequently. My favorite thing about it is that it has them thinking more critically about their search terms. They are using the 'and' term and the 'not' term well to narrow their searches. I think that is a difficult thing for kids to do.

Another big improvement this year is that my students are really trying a variety of new technology. Last year they all either created web pages through an awful site or created powerpoints. This year, thanks to their push and my growing knowledge, we have a lot more going on. Many of them are using their own wikis in Blackboard to organize their research, especially if they are working with a partner.

One student is creating a blog using blogger. She wants to put a powerpoint slideshow on it as well as several other options, if she has time to create them. She's using the blog as a place for some text and a home spot for other aspects of her project.

Another student is creating a webpage using googlepages. Her site has inspired kids in my class and in other classes and she will not be alone in using this tool.


Several groups are using Movie Maker or Photo Story to create movies using images they've found (we're still struggling with some copyright issues, especially for those who want to include their movies on a website).

They're pushing themselves as learners with technology, which I find exciting. However, the biggest thing I think they're learning from this project is a broader picture of 'writing'. They are finding that they can use other ways of sharing information than simply writing a paper. And that they still need to do some planning, drafting, revising, and editing of their work, regardless of the medium. I hope that as they head off to other schools next year they will take that knowledge and their skills and continue to push themselves and their teachers (as they have done with me!).

Warning: Not Education Related - Personal Post - Feel Free to Ignore!

Yesterday morning my sister and I participated in a sprint triathlon. That means it is shorter than a more traditional triathlon. We swam one quarter mile, biked twelve miles, and ran three miles. I have been training, at least a little bit, for a while now. However, I was still terrified when we showed up at the pool. I thought we had to be insane to think we could do this. However, less than two hours after we started we crossed the finish line and I felt fantastic. It was a great experience and I can't wait to do it again next year. (And I am so grateful to my sister for agreeing to do this with me because I would never have attempted it on my own.)

In addition to updating our teachers' lounge, a couple of us worked on organizing the school's math resources while our student teachers did their independent teaching time. For the past few years those resources have been in a trailer along with the office space for our math specialists, meaning they were rarely used. Our principal has been trying to find a way to get the office for the math teachers into the building so that they are in the midst rather than removed. She found a small space for them so we moved the materials to our AV room off the library. In the process we did a few really smart things (thanks to the brilliance of various people):

• We moved a lot of materials back into classrooms. We did so by marketing the items and putting them out in the teachers' lounge. Even things we thought no one could possibly want disappeared quickly. That cleared out a lot.
• Our next step was organizing what was left. We purchased new containers so that things would stack neatly. When we moved things into the new home, we labeled everything, including listing instructional ideas for the materials.
  
• Finally, we wanted teachers to be able to determine what to use when they need materials. So, we created a group on flickr with pictures of all of the resources. Each picture is tagged with possible uses and more detailed instructional uses are listed with the picture. This way teachers can search for fractions or addition to find useful resources. As teachers find new uses for the materials they can add tags or comment on the picture.

This is all very new for us, so it remains to be seen how well it will work. We have high hopes however.

Bragging on my school

Family from Spain are visiting for a couple of weeks. Chatting with my uncle and cousin I found myself answering many questions about my school. They were curious about the diversity and how I felt about it. Having taught here for ten years, it is clear that I think it's wonderful or I would have moved on.

However, my uncle always wants to dig a little deeper. He asked if I would prefer that my daughters go to a school this diverse or a more typical elementary school. I told him that my oldest would be starting kindergarten at my school in a couple of months. They both seemed impressed by this. My uncle then asked what I would do if I won a million dollars. Would I still send her to my school? Without hesitation I said yes. They were floored.

Later I recounted this conversation to my husband, wondering if he would think I was crazy. He didn't bat an eye. He completely agreed with me.

I am frequently amazed at how lucky I am to teach here. As a colleague/friend said, "My job adds to my quality of life."

Wading into the Ocean

Building models of the ocean floor.

Pacing

This weekend our Girls on the Run team ran the final 5K of the year. I ran as a buddy with one of my current students. Buddy runners are along to encourage and push the girls during the race. Looking back and reflecting on the race I realized that my buddy did great when I set goals she could see and felt she could achieve. Telling her that we would stop and walk when we got to the halfway mark did not do much to motivate her, even if the halfway mark was only a short distance away. She couldn't see anything significant marking that point so she couldn't really tell how much farther it would be. However, if I said we could walk once we got to the bottom of the hill, she kept up a good, steady pace down the hill. At the very end, when we came around the corner and could see the finish line she full out sprinted. It was impressive.

This got me thinking about teaching (of course). Right now we are working on a huge, end of the year, social studies and technology project. I'm really excited about it and as a result, so are the students. I've worked hard in my thinking to be sure I can see the big picture and the final goal. It's important that I can see this. But I don't know that they need to at this point. I think that one of my jobs is to set smaller, achievable goals for them throughout the project. The project, as I see it, is massive. It involves a lot of research, plenty of synthesizing what they learn, some tough decision making about technology tools to use, and serious work with those tools. I've set it up for them in those four parts, and we're currently working on the first and second. However, I'm thinking it needed to be broken down even more, at least for some students. The massive amount of research they are doing intimidates some and they want to give up. They can't see an end in sight so it doesn't feel worth the effort.

Anytime something is new and difficult, one needs to see success fairly regularly. A project of this scale is not something these students have done before. I've got to help them set a pace they can continue, hopefully with a burst of energy at the end.

Differientation in Test Prep

It's state standardized test time at my school. It's kicks off tomorrow and will run for at least the next three weeks. Longer if we have a lot of make ups. As you can imagine, that means the past week, few weeks, month, whatever have been test prep time.

I refuse to do a lot of prep. Either I've taught these students well and prepared them as we've gone along, or it's too late to worry over it now. However, tests are their own genre of text and students need to know how to approach them. So, I've spent a bit of time working with them in the last week.

Tomorrow we take the math test, so that has been our focus. We've explored it by strand. For example, one day we looked at released questions from last year in the measurement and geometry section. I put each question up on the smartboard with the answers covered. I don't want their attention to be on which answer is correct. We sorted those twelve questions in a couple of different ways. First we determined if each question was focused on measurement or geometry. Then we tried to analyze it a bit more deeply. We found some area and perimeter questions, some questions about two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes. We found a couple of questions that could need protractors. I just wanted the students to see the different sort of topics they would find on the test and recognize how much they already know about those topics.

After we did this as a class I gave them each a copy of those questions. I asked them to look over them (they didn't need to answer them but they could if they wanted to) and mark three or more questions they thought were a bit challenging for them and three or more questions they found to be really easy.

The next day I pulled small groups based on who found each question challenging and we brainstormed strategies for answering that sort of question. Sometimes I pulled the entire class because they all seemed to feel somewhat uncomfortable with the question, but that was rare. Typically I would have three or four students looking at a question. Some concepts (especially fractions and decimals) give more kids trouble and I might have nine or ten gathered to talk about it. Today I made sure there was a little bit of time for students to bring any final concerns to me after we had discussed the final bits. I had four students with some different areas in which they still did not feel completely confident.

This way our test prep is differentiated. When they weren't meeting in small groups with me they were playing math games. Some kids would come up for questions they didn't mark as challenging because they just wanted to double check their thinking. I don't think I overloaded them or made them more stressed about the test. Hopefully, our time on this increased their confidence and answered some last minute questions they may not even have realized they had.

I don't expect them all to earn perfect scores on tomorrow's test. I do expect that they walk in feeling comfortable with the questions they will see and feeling capable of doing their best. What more could I possibly ask?

Failure, according to fifth graders

My students spent nearly twenty minutes this morning debating the meaning of failure. They were discussing a quote from Michael Eisner, "Failure is good as long as it doesn't become a habit." (For homework each week they write their thoughts about a couple of quotes I give them and we discuss them on Friday mornings.)

As soon as I read the quote to them about half the class jumped in. I had to stop and remind them about how we have discussions. After a few reminders, they were rolling. All but a couple of students spoke up during the discussion and more than half the class was very active in it.

They started off debating whether or not they agreed with the quote. Pretty quickly a couple of students realized that the reason they disagreed was because they viewed failure differently. From there it became a discussion of the meaning of failure. Some feel that failure is an end and there is nowhere to go. Others feel that failure can be a bump in the road from which one can recover. They debated the differences between mistakes and failure. One student went to get a dictionary to compare definitions of the two words. That led to a brief side debate about the usefulness and/or accuracy of dictionaries.

After about twenty minutes three or four kids were beginning to look dazed and checked out. So, I stopped them, to great protests, to move on and discuss our next quote. I did promise that if anyone wanted to continue the discussion later I would make sure they had an opportunity. I also tried to make them understand that it was wonderful that they didn't all agree. We couldn't have had such an interesting discussion if they all felt the same way.

I was so impressed with how well they listened to one another, built on or argued against each others' ideas, and really thought seriously about the topic. I will admit that by the end I was beginning to feel a bit dazed, but mostly I was wishing I had recorded the discussion.

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.