Just as Able

We have a student with low vision on the team this year, and of course he has several accommodations to make sure that he can see the instructional materials we are using. He needs bigger print and enlarged images, so the vision specialist laid in a supply of 11 x 17 paper to use in the copy machine. That's double the standard size, however, and there's nothing like a ginormous piece of paper to make you stand out in a group, which is the very last thing this student wants to do. For the majority of kids, sixth grade and the transition to middle school is all about fitting in, and developmentally, that is quite appropriate.

Maybe it's my own worsening presbyopia, but last week when I was reviewing the documents that I would need for the first days of school, I made a decision that rather than enlarging the handouts I had, I would reformat them so that he could read them, and then I would use that version for everyone. Not knowing him, it just seemed the safest thing to do to begin with, and it's worked out fine so far. So today, when I mentioned that to the other teachers on the team, they jumped at the idea.

Our social studies teacher told us how he had pushed a larger copy of the map aside, unwilling to use a different worksheet than the other kids. "It's too bad," she said sympathetically, "but I LOVE the bigger maps-- they look so much better, and they're a lot easier to work with."

"Why don't you use the 11 by 17 paper to make big maps for everyone?" someone suggested, and our strategy was sealed.

I feel good about it-- a larger format is certainly not going to hurt anyone, and who knows how many kids a bigger font and a simpler design might benefit?

Cross Your Heart

Another thing I like about having taught in the same school for so long is the number of siblings of former students I get to have in my class. This year is a bumper crop. I have a number of kids whose brothers and sisters are in 7th grade, 8th grade, or high school, and it's fun to use the inside knowledge I remember of their families to build relationships today. A friendly face and a familiar word go a long way when you're a stranger in a strange place.

I think the farthest the family ties go back is to 2001. I have the brother of a student who was actually sitting in my classroom during the attacks on September 11, 2001. Our school is about two miles from the Pentagon, and we all heard the explosions when the plane made impact. Obviously, it's a day I will never forget.

But the kids we have now were infants then. They have no memory of a pre-9-11 world, but nor do they have any memory of that day. To them, the events of that day will be history that they must make sense of in the context of what they hear, what they read, and what they learn.

That day was one of the dividing lines in history. Like President Kennedy's assassination, WW II, the Great Depression, there are events that shape and separate us, sometimes by century, and sometimes by generation, and as a long-time teacher, that well-earned truth, like the events of 9-11, is something that I'll keep with me.

Trending

One thing I always have enjoyed about teaching is finding out what kids like and dislike; I get a kick out of knowing what's in and what's out and what's cool and what's lame. Being in the know with 11- and 12-year-olds may not seem that important, but it can definitely be a revealing lens on our society. Kids that age are forming their opinions based on so many factors: parents, siblings, peers, media, etc., and in some ways they are the canaries in the coal mine when it comes to trends, both superficial and important. Of course, that's one of the reasons why critical thinking is such an important component of education.

But I digress. What I really wanted to report this evening is a surprising movement I detected in today's first-day-of-school-getting-to-know-you conversations. I was shocked, shocked, by the number of kids who hate soccer. They are not merely neutral or disinterested; no, friends, at least 10 students independently reported that they actually detest the game itself.

What this means for our civilization is for others to decide, until then, I will continue reporting from the front lines.

Secret Lives of Students

Don't let them tell you that they dislike school. Here's a little evidence from the summer bloggers:

12 hours until school starts again!!!!!!!! OMG! So happy for tomorrow.

tick tock tick tock I can’t wait to go to school. I can’ wait to go to school. Feels so close and feels so far away.

Anyway we officially have less than 20 hours until school starts!! I’m going to be counting down every second of this whole day. But right now I’m taking pictures and deciding which outfit I should wear tomorrow. 21 HOURS AND 2 MINUTES REMAININGG!! AHAHAHAHAHAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

And there's plenty more enthusiasm where that came from.

Now, if only I could muster some!

PS Check back with me tomorrow, odds are good I'll be much more optimistic. Transitions are not my strength.

Who's Your Daddy?

Fans of the Dog Whisperer, Cesar Milan, are no doubt familiar with his sidekick, Daddy. A rescued pit bull, Daddy became the lynchpin of Cesar's pack, and because of his even temperament, he often helped show the unbalanced dogs just how it ought it be by modeling the desired behavior and energy.

Heidi and Isabel spent the last couple of days with a dog named Lucky. "She can't do any tricks!" her owners assured them. "She's even afraid to pee in the dark!" They underestimated the power of the pack, however, (and of course, treats). It wasn't long before Lucky was sitting and shaking and downing and upping and yes, even peeing in the dark. That Heidi is pretty darn good with dogs.

"Isabel was a huge help!" Heidi told me when she was recounting the events of the weekend. "You should have seen how she guided Lucky just by doing the right thing."

I nodded. "You know what that makes her, right?"

Queen of the Dolphins

The name of my sixth grade team is the Dolphins. Upon entering my classroom and seeing all the dolphin swag, people often conclude that I am a big fan of those sea mammals , but the truth is, that while I like them fine, they're not really my favorite animals. Still, I've been immersed in things dolphin for the last ten years or so, and I guess a bit of affection for those friendly, intelligent critters has rubbed off on me, not to mention knowledge of them. I know a lot about dolphins. So I was a little taken aback the other night when a student's dad approached me at the open house. "So you're the Dolphin leader," he said. "I was trying to figure out what that might be."

I smiled. "Well, a team leader..." I started helpfully, but he interrupted me.

"Oh,I know what a team leader is," he told me, "but what do they call the leader of a dolphin pod?"

I was stumped. "Good one!" I said. "I'll have to look that up and add it to my resume."

Too bad there is no such title.

My Work May Be Done Here

I spent some time this evening catching up with the summer blog I set up for my former students in June. I've been struggling a bit trying to decide when I should cut it off, if ever. Their interest will naturally evolve to other writing pursuits, and so I wonder if I should just allow that arc to play out over time.

I'll have to change the name of the blog, of course. "Summer Bloggers" won't be accurate for much longer. But what title will? "Tracey's Former Students" sounds a little awkward, although "Dolphins Ten Eleven" is kind of dashing, especially with its fuzzy cinematic allusion and all. (And now I'm imagining George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Julia Roberts in my class.)

Anyway, I'll wrestle with this dilemma a few more days or even weeks. It seems cruel to cut the kids off before they have immersed themselves in their new seventh grade reality. Plus, I'll confess to some personal pleasure at having kept up with these folks over the last few months. It's been nice to know of their vacations, summer camps, triumphs and injuries all.

Just tonight, a guy posted the big news that his parents are expecting a baby in January. That event has rocked the world of their 12-year-old formerly only child, but as consolation they're letting him name the baby. (!) (I try not to judge.) So, he did what many others of his generation might-- he put out a call for suggestions on the blog, and let me tell you friends, he got a lot of replies. Heck, I was tempted to respond myself, and then I thought about it. A child may actually be named as a direct result of one of my class projects.

I think I've done enough.