WHO I AM AS A TEACHER

Is it Possible to Reach All Middle School Students?

          The more time I spend observing and teaching in the middle school classroom, the more I wonder if it is possible for teachers to reach all of their students. This question has been on my mind for the past two months straight.  It seems nearly impossible to make a connection with each student every school day, when educators have less than an hour per class to connect with any given student, and that student is one of 130+ students in five different classes.  Teachers seem to understand that getting to know their students is a priory and is a crucial element to building a positive classroom community. Knowing each student is more than remembering their name and where they sit in the classroom.  Knowing each student means being aware of how they learn best, what their interests are, and understanding their culture and community.  If truly connecting with students is a priority as teachers, how then can this be accomplished with so many students and so little time?   What are your thoughts?

~ Christy

Making Creativity and Expression a Priority.

 

         

                                              

     I have always loved Pablo Picasso's quote "Every child is an artist." These famous words are everywhere... on mugs, calendars, art rooms, posters, Facebook profiles, and even preschool walls. For me, this quote speaks to the creativity inherent in children and their desire for expression. What I had forgotten until recently, was the remainder of the quote. Picasso follows his statement that every child is an artist, buy adding "The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up."

      Now that I am becoming a teacher, these words speak volumes to me. If we truly believe every child is an artist, why are we not looking at EVERY child as if they are each brilliant individuals in their own right.  Since children are capable of immense creativity and learning, we as educators must make art a priority, by providing space, tools, opportunity, and encouragement to our students.  Allowing students time and access to appreciate and create art sends a strong message to the child.  It says that individuality, creativity, and expression are important. 

     As a preschool teacher and mother of two, I constantly and happily celebrate the efforts of pink crayon unicorns, macaroni necklaces, misspelled poems, and painted handprint turkeys.  I love children's art and I am always encouraging my children and students to explore different ways to be creative and expressive.  We show that we value something when we make it a priority in our lives.  As someone who has always been a lover of art, but a minimal producer or art, I am guilty of not making nearly enough time for my own creative expression.  I enjoy photography,  love to write poetry, and even dabble in sketching once in a while.  If I truly understand that art is valuable and meaningful, why am I not practicing what I preach, by making time for art in my daily life?  This is a problem I plan to remedy immediately.  I have already begun by setting aside time to create art and enjoy and reflect upon the artistic talents of others.  So far, I'm off to a promising start!

  "The creative adult is the child who has survived."   - Ursula K. LeGuin (American poet and author)

 

  ~  Christy

 

(photo credit: pic.twitter.com/LQUVJ9wErG)

To Ignore or not to Ignore?

            

              Last week I had the privilege of spending time observing an 8^th grade social studies teacher.  This smart and seasoned educator invited me to sit in on two of his eight grade US history classes.  Since my dyad placement is in 8^th grade social studies, I thought it would be wonderful to see a different method for teaching the same curriculum I had been helping to  teach.   This was a wonderful experience for me because I was not only able to observe how another teacher teaches, but since I was so familiar with their lesson plans, I could easy see the seminaries and differences in teaching styles between this teacher and my cooperating teacher.  Both are seasoned male teachers who have been teaching in the same school together for over fifteen years.  Both teachers are extremely passionate about US history and both are also outgoing, a bit sarcastic and quirky (which students love).  Both are considered to be among the most favorite faculty members by students.

            While there were many similarities between the classroom layout, teacher demeanor and dynamic teaching styles, there was one main difference that caught my eye.   The  difference was in the way that this observed teacher handled students who acted out in class.  My Cooperating Teacher always addressed inappropriate student behavior quickly and firmly.  Because he corrected this behavior out loud in front of the class, it seemed to discourage students from acting out.  While the behavior correction was done in a manner as to not shame the student, it was no doubt a bit embarrassing for the student, and therefore actually works as a deterrent for future misbehavior.

            The opposite approach is used in the classroom I observed.  In this class, the teacher chooses to ignore bad behavior completely.  I find this approach to classroom management very interesting and a bit uncomfortable for me to watch.  During the two class periods I observed, I watched a different male student in each class display very inappropriate classroom behavior.  (Neither of the students were on an IEP and neither had documented behavioral problems)  Throughout both of these classes, these male students talked out many times and threw items (pencils and paperclips) across the room.  I also observed one of the students loudly and sarcastically mimicking another student as they answered a question out loud in front of the class. The student was clearly making fun of his classmate, and did so to several snickers of laughter from students sitting next to him.  His disrespectful outburst was met with a stern look from the teacher, but no further action was taken.  He then continued to make such comments every few minutes for the duration of the class period.  I was hoping that proximity would be a deterrent for this students, so I casually walked over near where he was sitting.  He noticed me and quieted for a moment or two, but then continued to act out.   Other students clearly were used to this students bad behavior and would either ignore it or roll their eyes in frustration.  Neither the students or the teacher said anything to either of the disruptive students. As it was not my classroom and I was invited there to observe, I felt awkward and very uncomfortable with the situation. It took every ounce of self control I had to NOT say something to this student about his inappropriate and hurtful behavior in class.  

             When class ended, I had only a few moments to connect with the teacher.  I complimented him on his creativity activities and thoughtful lesson planning that was evident in his teaching.  I then asked about the two students that were choosing to disturb the class with their behavior.  The teacher shook his head from side to side and said that there are a few of those types of students in every class and as a teacher, "what are you gonna do?" He told me the best way to deal with these students is to ignore their behavior completely.  This response surprised me, as I had viewed this educator as a seasoned teacher with years of experience in classroom management.   Thinking about my observations later, I found that I had more questions than answers.  What are the benefits of ignoring hurtful and disruptive behavior?  Why do teachers with such similar teaching styles have such different views on classroom management?  What message does addressing or ignoring bad classroom behavior send to the student acting out and the classroom as a whole? What is the Principal's feeling on this subject? What kind of classroom management style will I utilize when I am a teacher, and will it be different if I teach primary grades as opposed to Middle School?

~ Christy

 

           

Great Teaching Observed!

           Through my classroom observations, I have come to notice that thoughtful teachers are always looking for new and engaging reading strategies to try on their students.  They understand the value in techniques that boost comprehension and keep students’ attention focused on the text.  Today I had the pleasure of helping facilitate one such reading strategy in an 8^th grade social studies class.  The class has been learning about the thirteen American Colonies and about events that led up to the Revolutionary War.  In today’s class, the students were preparing for a town hall meeting that will be held in class next week.  To prepare students for this activity, Students were put into pairs and were assigned a colonist to represent.  For example, There were four Loyalists ,five Neautralists, and four Patriots represented at the meeting.  Students were given background information on their famous Colonist but were challenged to think critically about how their Colonist would feel about various issues of their time. 

            Instead of simply instructing students to read their assigned section of the textbook and then answer their corresponding questions on a work sheet, the students were asked to whisper read to each other in their pairs.   When students “whisper read” to each other, the teacher intends that they take turns reading a paragraph at a time.   In this strategy, both students share a textbook and one student reads the first section of text while the other student reads the same section quietly, by “whispering” the words out loud.  Students and teachers like this strategy because it shares the workload between students and the other student remains engaged because they are whispering along with the reading.  After the students whisper read about three important British laws that were passed (The Proclamation of 1763, The Stamp Act, and the Quartering Act) students were asked to pick the law that they understood the best.  We then gave the students a small piece of scratch paper and challenged them to draw a cartoon sketch depicting the law that they chose.  They were told that they would only have three minutes to complete their drawing and that they should use as few words as possible.  While the teacher set his timer to three minutes, the students were almost bursting with excitement over the task.  In fact, many of the students sat pencil poised, anxiously waiting to hear the words “You may begin!” As the student sketched quickly, I walked around the room to observe their progress.  I was delighted to see how engaged they all were in this process.  Every student was on task and seemed to be trying their best.  Even the students, who proclaimed their inability to draw, put their insecurity aside and completed the task.  When the three minutes ended with a collective sign and groan of disappointment, the students were asked to turn an talk to their partner and take turns sharing about their drawing and explaining their thinking.  They were again timed and they had to talk for the full thirty seconds each.  Turn and talk techniques are wonderful because they allow each student the opportunity to share their ideas and their thinking out loud with a peer. 

 

 

                  Once students were finished with their partner sharing, The teacher asked two students for each of the three taxes to come to the front of the class to show and explain their drawings under the document camera.  Many students volunteered and the six that I noticed were chosen were picked because the teacher felt that they had struggled in other areas of learning and this was an opportunity to have them show off their skills and feel successful.  The class ended with a whole group discussion of the three imposed taxes, in which the students were asked to put themselves in the position of both Patriot and Loyalist.  This was a perfect ending to the lesson as it encouraged students to put themselves in the shoes of others.  What I will take away from this experience is the teacher’s thoughtful planning of this lesson and the student’s engagement and positive response to the reading strategy.       

~ Christy

 

 

           

The Dark Heart - Yoda to the Rescue

Last week I had the privilege of observing a wonderful teacher who was teaching her 9^th grade English class.  Her class consisted of nine students whose goal is to enter the general education English class next semester.  According to the seasoned teacher, who has unending patience and a Masters degree in Special Education, about half of these students are expected to advance and the rest will stay in her class for the remainder of the school year. 

The class has been reading the novel The Lord of the Flies.   Surveying  the room at the start of class, I noticed that all but two of the students were daydreaming and looking around the room sleepily.  As soon as the teacher asked her students to get their books out however, the mood in the room changed instantly.  There was an excitement in the student’s faces, as they sat up straighter and gave their teacher their full and undivided attention.  The teacher then facilitated a group discussion which focused on clarifying some of the more difficult details in the story.

One such detail was the concept of a “dark heart.”  In the novel, one of the characters has a dark heart which affects the characters actions and motivations.   The students seemed to struggle with this concept, thinking that perhaps the dark heart meant a physically darker or “sicker” heart than normal.  After a lengthy discussion on the topic produced only more confusion for the students and a bit of noticeable frustration from the teacher, to my surprise, the teacher went to her computer and pulled up a Star Wars clip.  The clip was short and featured Yoda talking about this exact concept.  The students instantly reacted to the movie in a positive way.  I was stunned.  I grew up on Star Wars movies and I never would have thought to use them to allow students to make deeper connections in their learning.  The students watched the short video clip while their teacher and myself watched them with anxious hope.  When the clip was over, the teacher asked again about the meaning of a “dark heart.”  This time around, all nine of the students raised their hands to share their own interpretation.  This lead to a very moving whole class discussion, in which students opened up and shared personal experiences of people in their lives (and sometimes themselves) who have exhibited a dark heart at one time or another.

It was clear to me from their whole class discussion regarding this topic and several of the main themes of the book, that these students were highly engrossed in this story and have found ways to personally connect to the strong emotions that run like a current throughout the text.  The class session ended with the students still wanting to share more of their ideas and feelings about fear, hope, and having a dark heart.  The teacher told me after they were dismissed that she hadn’t anticipated that they would struggle with that concept.  She said the Star Wars clip was a last second idea.  Last second idea or not, it was a great way for her students to understand a challenging concept by relating it to images and ideas that students are already familiar with.  I think it was genius.

~ Christy

When Do We Step In (And What Message Does This Send To Students?)

A week ago, I had the privilege of watching a spirit assembly at my Jr. High dyad school.  I became aware that there was an assembly scheduled when I heard the excited 8^th graders in our 1^st period history class talking about it.  There seemed to be a buzz or energy in the room that morning and the students couldn’t stop talking about how pleased they were that the assembly had shortened every class period throughout the day.  This made me remember when I was in Jr. High, and how my friends and I loved any school event (fire drills included) that took up class time and allowed us to goof around. When I inquired about the purpose for the day’s assembly, I was told that it was a spirit assembly and that they occur a few times per year.  It was obvious that the students enjoy these assemblies and it was fun to listen to them reminisce about past assemblies and make predictions about what silly antics would be planned for them.  There were rumors that teachers were going to be playing some sort of funny competition game against students.  This had the students guessing as to which teachers would participate and how well they would fare.  The students thought the idea of students vs. teachers was hilarious.  

The school wisely chose to have the assembly at the end of the day.  When it was time to dismiss for the assembly, I was pleased to see that they did so by class, excusing a few at a time via the intercom.  This is smart, as it prevents a stampede of excited teenagers that I experienced when I was that age.  In fact, when I was in Jr. High, they held their assemblies during the middle of the day and dismissed us all at once.  As a student, it was with exciting chaos that you dodged the throngs of other teenagers to find your friends, race down crowded hallways, and squeeze your way into the gym while there was still room on the bleachers. Ah, the good old days! In our school, the students sat in the claustrophobic bleachers while the teachers stood on the perimeter of the gym.  This meant that there was virtually no supervision happening in the bleachers, which my classmates always took full advantage of.  In my dyad school, the assembly was very well planned and monitored.  For the most part, teachers sat in the stands with their students.

 For this assembly, the talented student government members planned and facilitated the event. They began by challenging the students to see which grade could yell the loudest and could learn and perform silly dances best.  From my vantage point at the top of the bleachers looking down at the last row of students, I saw a typical mix of engaged seventh graders, competitive eighth graders, and a somewhat bored ninth grade class.  When the goofy dancing was over, all the students noticeably perked up when they were told that the next activity was a minute to win it game of students from the three grades and teachers all competing against each other.  Halfway through the game, a situation happening three bleachers directly below me caught my attention.  I observed a very large male student repeatedly punch a significantly smaller male student sitting next to him in the arm.  The larger student was laughing and the smaller student was visibly upset.  While I couldn’t hear what the smaller student was saying over the noise from the crowd, I could read his lips and saw that he was repeating the words “STOP!”  The more the one student yelled stop, the bigger the smile on the face of the other student became. From where I was standing, I could tell that the one student was hitting the other fairly hard because with each blow to the upper arm, the smaller student was cringing and was being pushed into the student of the other side of him. 

My first instinct upon witnessing this was to pull the one student away from the other.  What stopped me was that there was an older woman teacher sitting directly behind them.  In fact, her knees were touching the backs of both of the students in front of her.  I knew she could see what was happening inches from her face, but she seemed to ignore it completely.  I was shocked.  I waited a moment to see if she would step in and reprimand the one student for his hurtful behavior towards the other.  She didn’t.  In fact, the student doing the hitting kept looking back at her smirking, as he was punching.  Looking around, I could see that the staff members around me were all engrossed in the game below and hadn’t noticed this incident.  When It didn’t look like the student would cease hitting or that the teacher would step in, I felt that I needed to do something.  I decided walk down the bleachers and confront the students.   When I reached the students, I crouched down next to them.  I tapped the student getting hit on the shoulder and asked if he was ok.  He turned to me and with tears starting to well up, shook his head “no.”  I then leaned over him and tapped on the other student and motioned him to lean into me.   With my “dead serious mom face” I firmly asked him if he could control himself.  The student looked at me shocked.  He repeated “control myself?”  I nodded “yes.”  I then told him that his behavior is unacceptable and hurtful and if he couldn’t apologize and control himself he will need to stand up in the back with me for the duration of the assembly.  He looked horrified and embarrassed at the thought.  A moment later, he responded by saying that he could control himself and I watched him quickly apologize to the other student and then slide about a foot away from the boy he was hitting.  I was glad to see the other boy give me a half smile as he mouthed “thank you” to me.  As I turned to go back to my spot, I looked the teacher in the face and was surprised to see her sitting there, staring at me with an open mouth (probably wondering who I was and why I was stepping in).  Happily, the rest of the assembly was fun and fairly uneventful. 

After school that day, I explained to my cooperating teacher (who had been busy as one of the teachers chosen by students to play in the game) what I had observed.  I described the teacher and the students to him.  He knew the teacher as a full time physical therapy teacher and he knew the student doing the hitting, explaining that he was a student who tends to be physically aggressive.  I told him that I was surprised the teacher didn’t step in and I think that she may have been upset with me for doing so.  My cooperating teacher was also very surprised at her lack of action.  He told me that he would have done the same thing I did if he were in my shoes.  He also reassured me that regardless of what that other teacher had thought, I had made the right choice.   The next day, my cooperating teacher told me that he just happened to run into that PT teacher in the hallway.  He said he asked her about the incident and that she was surprised to hear that I was his intern.  He said she was quick to explain that both teens were students of hers and both had behavioral issues.  He said that she “implied” that was the reason why she didn’t get involved, saying that the one student hits and bothers other students all the time. 

While both teens may have behavioral challenges, I don’t think that should be used as an excuse to allow one student to hit another student.  Just because the student getting hit has behavior challenges also, doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be protected from getting hit by a peer.  I don’t regret the decision I made to step in, and I still feel it was the right choice for me to make.  In all, the assembly was great, but it did leave me wondering about the responsibilities of teachers and the ways that they deal with students’ behavior issues in and outside the classroom.   

 ~ Christy