The weekend has passed in a holiday blur, but I am pleased to report that the tree is fully decorated, and the cookies are baked, and the gifts that are here are wrapped, and those that are not here are on their way. There is also a fire burning, a little soft Christmas music playing, and I am wearing red and green, feeling pretty darn good.
Sunday, December 16, 2018
Saturday, December 15, 2018
No Tech Friday
The wifi was down for most of the day at school yesterday, posing quite a dilemma for teachers who have been encouraged to integrate technology into every lesson. To be honest, it took me a minute, but I finally came up with an activity that would allow my students to apply what we have been learning to their self-selected reading. It also incorporated movement, collaboration, and competition.
Here's how I started: I'm going to give you a 3 x 5 card and a popsicle stick...
Here's how I started: I'm going to give you a 3 x 5 card and a popsicle stick...
Friday, December 14, 2018
No Experience Necessary
"Do you have any children?" a student asked yesterday as she worked on some missing assignments after school.
"No," I answered.
She looked shocked. "So you don't have any experience with kids?" she said.
"Not unless you count the 25 years of teaching," I told her dryly.
"Oh, yeah! I didn't think of that!" she replied, and continued working.
"No," I answered.
She looked shocked. "So you don't have any experience with kids?" she said.
"Not unless you count the 25 years of teaching," I told her dryly.
"Oh, yeah! I didn't think of that!" she replied, and continued working.
Thursday, December 13, 2018
Emotional
The movie we showed the students for the early release day yesterday was Coco. We had some curriculum connection activities for them to do as they watched, which my group did dutifully and well. When they were finished, they could make themselves comfortable and simply enjoy the show, and so the last 15 minutes of the film found a group of three 11-year-old boys lying on the floor in front of the interactive whiteboard, riveted to the climax and resolution of the story.
As the credits rolled, they sat up and began punching each other on the shoulders.
"Who's cutting onions in here?" one of them asked.
"Dude, are you crying?" his friend replied, wiping his own eyes.
"I'm not crying, you're crying!" said the third.
As the credits rolled, they sat up and began punching each other on the shoulders.
"Who's cutting onions in here?" one of them asked.
"Dude, are you crying?" his friend replied, wiping his own eyes.
"I'm not crying, you're crying!" said the third.
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
E Pluribus Unum
Today was an early release for students so that teachers might spend the afternoon in professional learning sessions. This year, our system has changed the structure of our PD by centrally offering dozens of opportunities so that educators can select topics that meet our needs at the moment.
In the morning, we took our students to the music assembly, where the band, orchestra, and chorus performed abbreviated versions of their winter concerts. Later, Heidi and I attended a showing of the first episode of the documentary series America to Me, which follows several students of color for a year at Oak Park River Forest High School, one of the Chicago suburbs most progressive schools. The demographics of OPRF are notably similar to our own system, and so the experience of these kids was pretty close to home.
Following the film, the group split into small discussion groups. The first question was What is the difference between desegregation and integration? Our group agreed that desegregation is simply removing a separation between two factions, but integration should entail creating a new whole.
The follow-up question was Where is OPRF and where are we in that pursuit? and we all agreed there is still a lot of work to be done in both places before people of all races share collective ownership of our country and all its opportunities.
I know we have a long way to go, but this morning, at the concert, I sat with a lump in my throat marveling at the miracle of 100 kids from 6 continents raising their voices as one in incredibly moving renditions of A Million Dreams from The Greatest Showman and One Day from MLK.
In the morning, we took our students to the music assembly, where the band, orchestra, and chorus performed abbreviated versions of their winter concerts. Later, Heidi and I attended a showing of the first episode of the documentary series America to Me, which follows several students of color for a year at Oak Park River Forest High School, one of the Chicago suburbs most progressive schools. The demographics of OPRF are notably similar to our own system, and so the experience of these kids was pretty close to home.
Following the film, the group split into small discussion groups. The first question was What is the difference between desegregation and integration? Our group agreed that desegregation is simply removing a separation between two factions, but integration should entail creating a new whole.
The follow-up question was Where is OPRF and where are we in that pursuit? and we all agreed there is still a lot of work to be done in both places before people of all races share collective ownership of our country and all its opportunities.
I know we have a long way to go, but this morning, at the concert, I sat with a lump in my throat marveling at the miracle of 100 kids from 6 continents raising their voices as one in incredibly moving renditions of A Million Dreams from The Greatest Showman and One Day from MLK.
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
Guessing Game
Yet another iPad lost and found story:
Student: Hey Ms. S! I found my iPad!
Me: I'm so glad!
Student: You know where it was?
Me: Tell me!
Student: What's that thing? It's tall and white. [He put his palms about 4 inches apart and moved them up and down from his shoulders to his waist.] They have them in every house. Sometimes it's hot, sometimes it's cold?
Me: Uhhhh... the radiator?
Student: Yeah! That's it! It was under there. Thank goodness it didn't get too hot.
Do I know the sixth grade mind, or what?
Student: Hey Ms. S! I found my iPad!
Me: I'm so glad!
Student: You know where it was?
Me: Tell me!
Student: What's that thing? It's tall and white. [He put his palms about 4 inches apart and moved them up and down from his shoulders to his waist.] They have them in every house. Sometimes it's hot, sometimes it's cold?
Me: Uhhhh... the radiator?
Student: Yeah! That's it! It was under there. Thank goodness it didn't get too hot.
Do I know the sixth grade mind, or what?
Monday, December 10, 2018
Wisdom of the Dove
I did my best.
We all did, in the parent-student-teacher conference we held this afternoon. We started off positive: You're not in trouble. We just want you to be more successful. How can we help you? But the child shrugged us off. Mm Hmm. Sure. Whatever.
The parent in this case was a great aunt, someone who clearly cared for him, but was not his mom. She's been away somewhere that he asked the counselor not to share with the team. And he is not only oppositional, but also defiant and ever-so detached. He is really good at being hateful and unlikable, but that's how he controls the uncontrollable terrain of authority and relationships.
We tried, listing his strengths, asking about his goals, offering all manner of assistance, keeping even and even positive for 40 minutes, but his final words were "I won't promise anything."
When the last person left my room, I did something I rarely do: I reached for the chocolate. Someone had recently added a big bag of Doves to the common candy can we keep in my room since I am not usually tempted. I unwrapped a square of milk chocolate truffle and let it melt in my mouth as I flipped over the foil wrapper to see my fortune. Be the rainbow in someone else's storm cloud, it read.
I'll keep trying.
We all did, in the parent-student-teacher conference we held this afternoon. We started off positive: You're not in trouble. We just want you to be more successful. How can we help you? But the child shrugged us off. Mm Hmm. Sure. Whatever.
The parent in this case was a great aunt, someone who clearly cared for him, but was not his mom. She's been away somewhere that he asked the counselor not to share with the team. And he is not only oppositional, but also defiant and ever-so detached. He is really good at being hateful and unlikable, but that's how he controls the uncontrollable terrain of authority and relationships.
We tried, listing his strengths, asking about his goals, offering all manner of assistance, keeping even and even positive for 40 minutes, but his final words were "I won't promise anything."
When the last person left my room, I did something I rarely do: I reached for the chocolate. Someone had recently added a big bag of Doves to the common candy can we keep in my room since I am not usually tempted. I unwrapped a square of milk chocolate truffle and let it melt in my mouth as I flipped over the foil wrapper to see my fortune. Be the rainbow in someone else's storm cloud, it read.
I'll keep trying.
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