Wherefore Art Thou?

Sweet Potato
Scarlett
Lucy
Ginger
Button
Ruby
Finch
Pepper
Jelly Bean
Cricket
Mabel
Jo

Lately the conversation frequently turns to the same topic whenever Heidi and I walk.

What should we name our next dog?

Like Minds

"What are we going to do next?" a student asked me today as he finished his literary essay.

"Oh, you guys are going to get to apply what you've learned about argument to a topic you really care about personally," I told him.

He frowned. "Like what?"

"Well," I said, "say you think the Affordable Healthcare Act should be repealed." I gave the first example that came into my mind.

His eyebrows shot straight up. "What??" he gasped. "Who thinks that??" He looked at me suspiciously. "Do you really think we should get rid of it?"

A little taken aback by his passionate reaction, I shook my head in an of-course-not no, but then recovered somewhat. "I'm really not supposed to discuss my personal political opinions," I laughed, because it was already too late, "so, no comment, but..."

His wide eyes met mine, and I continued to shake my head.

He nodded, both in conspiracy and relief.

"Maybe you should write about that one," I suggested.

Get On Your Feet

Movement opportunities are essential in middle school, and I use an activity where, after working on their own to answer questions or gather ideas, students circulate through the room as music plays. Then, in musical chairs fashion, when the tune stops they must put a hand up, find a partner, and share their thinking.

We used this method at the end of reading class this morning, and with my new bluetooth speaker and iPhone, I was able to switch the song with alacrity in between sharing sessions. I started with a little Miles Davis Quintet, which the kids are used to, since I frequently use jazz to get them on their feet. My next choice? An early 70s pop song by the Cufflinks, called Tracy.

"What's my name?" I called as they shimmied through the room.

"Tracey!" they chorused.

Next up? Redemption Song by Bob Marley. It was obviously unfamiliar to most. "Yeah! Country music!" cried one student.

And finally we heard My Prerogative, which provided both an energetic groove and a vocabulary teaching moment.

When the bell rang the students left chattering happily after sharing several essay ideas with four other kids, but it might have been my intern who was most impressed.

"Wow!" he said, "Nice. Choice. Of music!"

Buy Stock in Apple

The intern working in my classroom designed a mini-lesson on counter-arguments for our essay unit today. To illustrate the concept he composed a short paragraph in praise of his mobile phone, and to engage the students he posed a quick question: How many of you guys have iPhones?

At least 4 out of 5 kids raised a hand in each class.

And while I was impressed by his ability to hit that particular target with his audience... 

Folks! 

We're talking 11 and 12-year-olds here!

Not So Bad

"Don't worry, Dude, we're off on Friday! Teacher workday!" I overheard one student telling another this morning as his pal complained about being tired.

I could almost understand where the second guy was coming from. After winter break and two long weekends in a row, even on a Tuesday, the thought of a full, five day week seemed a bit onerous: the breaks are welcome, but the transition back to work can be a challenge.

Still, it's my job to correct misconceptions. "That's not until next Friday," I informed them.

They slumped in their seats, deflated, but a second later? They were chattering excitedly about the illustrated timeline they were collaborating on. 

Who's that Guy?

"Who's that?" the first student entering my room this morning asked sotto voce pointing at the guy sitting by my desk. "Are you going somewhere?"

I am hosting a teacher-in-training in my classroom for the next two weeks. Brandon is young and enthusiastic, and he came in today prepared with a colorful visual slide to introduce himself to the students.

After they examined the images and made inferences as to why he had included them in the presentation, he explained the significance of each-- the Miami Heat and Philadelphia Eagles logos represented his love of sports and especially those teams. The stack of books and headphones next to it stood for his double major, English and music, at George Mason University whose green and gold emblem was also present.

The front-and-center drawing of a tree with the word FAMILY scrolled within its leaves was easy for the kids to decode, but the picture of a the sun rising over a long pier jutting out into the ocean had them guessing a bit. "You like long walks on the beach?" one girl suggested without a trace of irony. Maybe, but he was trying to show that he was born and raised in Virginia Beach.

Finally, he told them he was going to be my intern for a couple of weeks and asked them if they knew what that was. Most kids had a vague understanding of the concept, but one boy was certain he knew. His hand shot straight up and he wiggled his fingers as he strained to catch Brandon's eye. "It's someone who wants someone else's job!" he burst out.

Brandon and I laughed and made eye contact. "Sort of," I shrugged.

Raindrops Keep Falling

It seemed like a good plan. We walked down to the nearest bike share, grabbed a couple of bikes, and pedaled over to a nearby shopping district. Sure, it was drizzling as we clicked our bikes into the station there, and yes, it was predicted to rain all day, but we walked through the damp afternoon undaunted. And I think I was genuinely surprised when we came out of the grocery store to discover that it was raining in earnest. Even so, we dashed down a few blocks and darted inside another shopping center, optimistic that we still might make our way home under our own power. Alas, it wasn’t to be; the nor’easter that had been forecast had arrived. Then it was a choice of bus or uber, until a friend happened to text wondering if we were interested in shopping. Turns out she was headed our way in a nice warm, dry car.