Growing

We finally got our vegetable garden in this weekend. What with the weird cold weather, then the weird warm weather, and other personal and professional commitments and demands, we're a bit late this year. Still, I'm hopeful that those little tomato, pepper, and squash plants that were just a few months ago only tiny seeds in the palm of my hand will thrive, despite how fragile they looked all spread out, mulched, and caged.

Before we left tonight, I was weeding out the perennial garden. We put our annual herbs in there, too, and as I pulled to clear a space for them, a little plant with fringed leaves caught my eye. It was cilantro that had reseeded itself from last year. Choked by this weed and that, it was four inches tall and looking good.

I'll take that as a positive sign.

Centurions

Today is the 100th day of the writing challenge I posed to my students on March 1. There are 8 kids left standing, and without exception, their final posts have been tributes to the experience. They have made me proud.

Here are a few of their unprompted reflections on completing the challenge:

I am a Centurion. With a capital C! I am disappointed that I have to end this challenge; it has taught me so much and I will never forget it. I doubted it at first, but I have no doubt in my mind now. I feel like a better writer; but there is something else I learned about myself too. I might take longer, but I can write just as well as anyone. If I try I can.

And

Today I have written for 100 days straight without missing a single day. I remember in the beginning I thought I was going to fail, but I never gave up, I at least tried. Well at the end, to my surprise I did it, I just needed some courage and confidence. This taught me a really good lesson, to give it a try instead of deciding from the beginning if I could do it or couldn't do it. This challenge was really helpful for me, because now I am a better writer which is the number one prize I wanted to earn this year. It was the first goal I wrote in TA in September. THANK YOU MS. S. FOR MAKING THESE CHALLENGES. This has really inspired me, to keep writing every day and thank god there are 2 more bonus days. This isn't the end I will keep writing until Ms. S. stops posting. THANK YOU AGAIN!!!!!!!! IT HAS BEEN A GREAT EXPERIENCE WITH YOU THIS YEAR, WE WILL TRULY MISS YOU. I WISH YOU COULD MOVE WITH US TO 7TH GRADE!

And

Today, as we know is the last day of the challenge. Many have failed, but others (like me) have triumphed and become centurion. This end is supposed to be happy, but it is not.I am glad that it is over, but am also so so sad to see the challenge go because you can write about whatever you want (within reason). Take the words from Robert Frost:

"I shall be telling this with a sigh, somewhere, ages hence. Two roads diverged in a yellow wood and I - I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all of the difference."

And now, I want everyone to have a beautiful flash back of the times of the challenge as we say farewell to it.

Puddle Jumping

It was a stormy day here today. The remnants of Tropical Storm Andrea pushed up the eastern seaboard spreading gray skies and warm wind and rain. In between classes and meetings I watched the weather through my window: birds beat through sheets of rain to land on swaying targets of bent branches. By the time I left the building, the worst of it was over-- the unrelenting flat iron sky had given way to huge leaden clouds and there was little more than a spatter falling. On my way home, though, I witnessed the aftermath of two head-on collisions, and the streets were still treacherous, rainbow-slick in the center and deep puddles in the gutters. Stopped at a light, a bright movement caught my eye and I turned to see red boots, bare legs, and a silver splash as a little boy of perhaps six made the best of this dreary day.

Consultation

A parent scheduled a meeting with me today to discuss her daughter's reading progress. Before we sat down, I reviewed all the test scores we had and considered them in terms of Piaget's stages of development and the Institute of Reading Development's stages, too. I compared that information to my own observations of this student since September, both academic and social.

All the data fit together to create a profile of that particular student which answered her mom's questions, and after the meeting I actually felt like the professional I am-- someone with expertise in her field called upon to provide insight and guidance.

Opposite Extremes

Our students took one of their state standardized tests today. In a group of 21, one kid finished all 60 questions in 20 minutes without using his scrap paper once, submitted his online work without permission, and then laid his head on the desk and went to sleep, and one kid took an hour on question number one.

Can we agree that neither of these strategies represents a healthy approach to demonstrating learning?

Certificates of Achievement

The counselors at our school cycle through with the kids, so we sixth grade teachers only get to work with each counselor every three years. This year we've had the most experienced of the three, and also someone who happens to be a personal friend. I always like working with her, because I know she does a great job.

This is the fourth time around for the two of us, and today we did an activity that we came up with six years ago. Because students are forever getting (or not getting) certificates of achievement in this or that area that they may or may not appreciate, today we let the kids give out the awards. Students can have as many blank certificates as they'd like to fill out in recognition of some accomplishment of one of their peers.

We met with 100 kids today, but guess how many certificates we gave out in the awards ceremonies at the end of each class?

Over 500.

Usually whenever papers are distributed in school there are a few left behind in the classroom or the hallways. Today?

Not one.

How Sweet the Sound

Today was prize day in my class. As a small token and incentive, I provide little gadgets, school supplies, or candy, and then any student who successfully completes the monthly writing challenge gets to sign up for a prize. It's fun, but I always make them repeat our mantra: "The real prize is having written so much."

Today one of the rewards was a little compass carabiner, and Grace seemed delighted when she won it. "Did you know I'm always getting lost?" she asked. "This is really going to help."

I couldn't resist. "That's amazing, Grace. You once were lost, but now you're found!"