The end is finally here. All the hard work has hopefully paid off and you are happy with your growth as a professional teacher and as a student. Have you been counting down the days? Did you ever think this day would come? Do you find yourself counting down in your regular classroom?
The end of the school year always seems to be so far away as you approach your room late in August. When the end finally does arrive, you wonder where all the time has gone and start to reminisce about the good old days with your current class. Vicki Blackwell has a personal webpage with tons of activities to celebrate the end of the school year. She also has activities to make the last days more meaningful. I especially enjoyed the tip of making t-shirts with your class. I currently make t-shirts the last week of school with my students and I love seeing them the following years.
But as the year winds down you find yourself on the celebrated last day of school. What do you do with those final hours? Beth Lewis offers many neat ideas that can be modified for any grade level to take up those final hours of school. Writing a letter to next year’s students, making a memory book, have a spelling bee, focus on next year and my favorite, clean, clean, clean are just a few she offers.
As those students walk out your door, you only can hope everything you have worked so hard to teach them will stay in their little minds. You pray they will at least pick up a book or two over summer vacation or try and practice a little math. Sometimes parents don’t realize how much their child can regress over the summer and then start the next year far behind. As students start school again in the fall, they have lost one to three months of learning. Brain Drain can happen and probably will, happen to all our students. Some tips you can offer parents are: keep math in mind, keep lots of books around and encourage reading, consider summer school and look into educational programs or camps.
When it quiets down and you begin to reflect upon your year and your empty classroom, many thoughts may rush to your mind. You may be so satisfied with how the year turned out and cry tears of happiness. You may be so happy the year is over and rejoicing you will start all over with a new class next year. You may be waiting for the end of contract time to meet up with friends to have a few celebration drinks.
But then… you may think, Why am I doing this? You may feel you have no desire to return next year. Many teachers get the blues and some never return to teaching again. If you do ever run into this situation, just remember why you became a teacher in the first place and use several motivational techniques. Also find comfort in other teachers and get support. But most important always remember… You Are Fantastic!
Good Luck in your many years to come! Jenna
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Thursday, December 3, 2009
You mean you want me to talk to myself?
Have you ever found yourself talking out loud as you work? Did it make you seem like you were losing your mind? Have you ever felt as if you think better when doing it out loud? Did you ever think it could be a good thing?
Thinking aloud is a great way for students to gain a higher understanding of the skills taught. But what is it? Thinking aloud is a way to get students to slow down and think about their thought processes. It helps students to understand what type of thinking is needed for a specific task.
Thinking aloud can be used in many areas of education. Specifically it can be used in math. Thinking aloud in math allows students to be engaged and walk through the problem step by step. Math think-alouds allow students to crawl into your brain and bring invisible mental processes visible. Scholastic offers several different examples of think-alouds in math. One I like to use is elapsed time. I always talk out loud when I think about how much time I have left or how much time is in a day. Scholastic also gives many examples of using math think-alouds at home, such as estimating the cost of groceries while shopping.
HotChalk, an online lesson plan page, offers a fantastic lesson plan to introduce and teach how to use math think-alouds. It can be adapted for any age although the lesson is set up for grades 6-9. One thing I found very useful is the math think-aloud prompts. It gives examples of prompts to use in order to get students to think aloud during math. Some examples of the prompts are:
· The problem says…
· What am I trying to solve?
· The important information is…
· The strategy I will use to solve this problem is…
Here is an online printable version to use with all the math think-aloud prompts.
Focus on Effectiveness has an article from a first grade teacher explaining how she incorporated math think-alouds into her classroom. She first taught them problem solving strategies in a very systematic way in order to get her students into a routine of thinking “math”. The first step is to make a picture, then act it out, make a systematic list, guess, check and revise, look for a pattern and eliminate possibilities. As they grew throughout the year, her students were taught to summarize what they were doing as they were in the process. She also had her students use the math think-aloud prompts when working through a problem. This first grade teacher shows no matter what grade you teach, math think-alouds can be effective.
In my school, we have had a huge push for think-alouds during reading. I had no idea there was think-alouds in math. I am currently working with a math interventionist to come up with activities for low math achievers to work on. I plan on using the math think-alouds not only with them but with my class.
The goal, I am finding, is create math thinkers, not just a group of bodies who can produce an answer.
They need to be asking why and how.
Thinking aloud is a great way for students to gain a higher understanding of the skills taught. But what is it? Thinking aloud is a way to get students to slow down and think about their thought processes. It helps students to understand what type of thinking is needed for a specific task.
Thinking aloud can be used in many areas of education. Specifically it can be used in math. Thinking aloud in math allows students to be engaged and walk through the problem step by step. Math think-alouds allow students to crawl into your brain and bring invisible mental processes visible. Scholastic offers several different examples of think-alouds in math. One I like to use is elapsed time. I always talk out loud when I think about how much time I have left or how much time is in a day. Scholastic also gives many examples of using math think-alouds at home, such as estimating the cost of groceries while shopping.
HotChalk, an online lesson plan page, offers a fantastic lesson plan to introduce and teach how to use math think-alouds. It can be adapted for any age although the lesson is set up for grades 6-9. One thing I found very useful is the math think-aloud prompts. It gives examples of prompts to use in order to get students to think aloud during math. Some examples of the prompts are:
· The problem says…
· What am I trying to solve?
· The important information is…
· The strategy I will use to solve this problem is…
Here is an online printable version to use with all the math think-aloud prompts.
Focus on Effectiveness has an article from a first grade teacher explaining how she incorporated math think-alouds into her classroom. She first taught them problem solving strategies in a very systematic way in order to get her students into a routine of thinking “math”. The first step is to make a picture, then act it out, make a systematic list, guess, check and revise, look for a pattern and eliminate possibilities. As they grew throughout the year, her students were taught to summarize what they were doing as they were in the process. She also had her students use the math think-aloud prompts when working through a problem. This first grade teacher shows no matter what grade you teach, math think-alouds can be effective.
In my school, we have had a huge push for think-alouds during reading. I had no idea there was think-alouds in math. I am currently working with a math interventionist to come up with activities for low math achievers to work on. I plan on using the math think-alouds not only with them but with my class.
The goal, I am finding, is create math thinkers, not just a group of bodies who can produce an answer.
They need to be asking why and how.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Does size really matter?
Does size really matter? According to research, you bet it does. And according to my personal opinion, it should be one of the biggest issues in education.
Research has been conducted on the academic effects of small class sizes. It has been proven small class sizes are effective in helping struggling students. The problem the education system is running into is the research does not justify the extra cost of additional teachers and classrooms. Two main points are highlighted about class sizes: reduced class sizes can expect to increase student scores and benefits of a reduced class size occur when there are 20 or fewer students.
The Center for Education Reform provides information on two studies conducted to promote small schools not necessarily small classes. Although flaws from the studies are outlined, the benefits are also noted. Specifically in California, small schools have been a mission of theirs. But the research has shown it isn’t the small school that makes a difference. It is the small class sizes that make the difference in a child’s education and their success.
But are there any long-term effects from small class sizes? According to an article on Disney Family Parenting, it has been researched how small class sizes lead to an increase in graduation rates. The study highlighted how not just one year of small class sizes makes the difference. It states 3-4 years of small class sizes leads to higher graduation rates, an increase of almost 12%. The study also shows how the importance of small class sizes occurs early on. The most benefits happen when students are in small class sizes in grades K-3.
Finally, the National Teachers Council of English provides guidelines for class sizes and teacher workloads. Some guidelines I found were similar to those I currently follow. Such as keeping class sizes fewer than 25 students, 30 minutes of planning time each day, the availability of clerical assistance and access to a computer. One guideline I found very interesting stated a half-day each month should be devoted to long term planning. I think this would benefit all teachers if they had a half-day off each month just to plan long term.
So what needs to happen to get smaller class sizes? Does more research need to be conducted? Does there need to be more funds devoted to promoting smaller class sizes?
What would you do with fewer students? Would it make a difference in your teaching if you didn’t have as many students in your classroom as you do now? What could you accomplish if you cut your class in half or maybe by thirds?
I will wait for the day when I start the year with fewer than 20 students, until then I can only dream what it would be like…
Research has been conducted on the academic effects of small class sizes. It has been proven small class sizes are effective in helping struggling students. The problem the education system is running into is the research does not justify the extra cost of additional teachers and classrooms. Two main points are highlighted about class sizes: reduced class sizes can expect to increase student scores and benefits of a reduced class size occur when there are 20 or fewer students.
The Center for Education Reform provides information on two studies conducted to promote small schools not necessarily small classes. Although flaws from the studies are outlined, the benefits are also noted. Specifically in California, small schools have been a mission of theirs. But the research has shown it isn’t the small school that makes a difference. It is the small class sizes that make the difference in a child’s education and their success.
But are there any long-term effects from small class sizes? According to an article on Disney Family Parenting, it has been researched how small class sizes lead to an increase in graduation rates. The study highlighted how not just one year of small class sizes makes the difference. It states 3-4 years of small class sizes leads to higher graduation rates, an increase of almost 12%. The study also shows how the importance of small class sizes occurs early on. The most benefits happen when students are in small class sizes in grades K-3.
Finally, the National Teachers Council of English provides guidelines for class sizes and teacher workloads. Some guidelines I found were similar to those I currently follow. Such as keeping class sizes fewer than 25 students, 30 minutes of planning time each day, the availability of clerical assistance and access to a computer. One guideline I found very interesting stated a half-day each month should be devoted to long term planning. I think this would benefit all teachers if they had a half-day off each month just to plan long term.
So what needs to happen to get smaller class sizes? Does more research need to be conducted? Does there need to be more funds devoted to promoting smaller class sizes?
What would you do with fewer students? Would it make a difference in your teaching if you didn’t have as many students in your classroom as you do now? What could you accomplish if you cut your class in half or maybe by thirds?
I will wait for the day when I start the year with fewer than 20 students, until then I can only dream what it would be like…
Thursday, November 19, 2009
PTC: Stressful or Not?: Blog 13
The time of the year approaches when everything in my room is exactly where it should be. All my student’s desks should be cleaned. Student work is neatly hung all over my walls. No papers linger in my hand in basket. Everything is ready… everything is clean… I walk in wearing my best looking suit and prepare myself for the road ahead. Parent teacher conferences. Do they have to be so stressful?
Every year as conferences approach, there seems to be stress in the air. Teachers are at the top of their game. They are more organized than usual. They are working on report cards, and pulling out their hair. They are administering assessments and correcting like crazy. But does it always have to be this way? What can I do to be more relaxed when this time comes?
Teachervision has an extensive list of tips to help prepare you for parent teacher conferences. Not only does it offer tips to prepare you before conferences, it offers tips to help you through your conferences and then to follow up after your conferences are finished. One tip I found especially useful was keeping a note card on each student with topics you want to discuss, this way I won’t forget to mention anything, whether it is good or not so good.
I have found no matter how prepared you are and how much you have communicated with a parent, you still can have a not so friendly conference. I remember my very first conference I had a parent begin firing accusations of me not doing my job correctly even before the previous parents were out my door. Since it was my first year teaching and only my fourth conference, I was totally caught off guard. I wish I would have come across Handle with Care before now. The article offers more tips for conferences, but focuses on handling difficult situations. First, before the conference, document, document, document. It is important to document any difficulties you are having in the classroom. Some of the tips they offer for during the conference include, taking notes, having support present, and allowing for anger. After the conference, don’t forget to follow up, and continue to communicate with the parent.
Finally, Education World offers tips and strategies for both teachers and administrators to help get the most out of conferences. Sometimes I think teachers get so wrapped up in just making it through their conferences, they forget the real reason they are there meeting with the parents, to keep them involved in their child’s education. For the administrator, prepare the teachers, let the parents know what the goals are from the conference and make it easy for every parent to attend. For the teacher, notify parents of the conferences, plan for a successful conference, and allow for parents to get the most from their child’s conference.
Hopefully these sites will help prepare some of you for successful conferences. Maybe you don’t need any help. But it never hurts to be extra prepared, especially for those unexpected conferences that catch you off guard.
Every year as conferences approach, there seems to be stress in the air. Teachers are at the top of their game. They are more organized than usual. They are working on report cards, and pulling out their hair. They are administering assessments and correcting like crazy. But does it always have to be this way? What can I do to be more relaxed when this time comes?
Teachervision has an extensive list of tips to help prepare you for parent teacher conferences. Not only does it offer tips to prepare you before conferences, it offers tips to help you through your conferences and then to follow up after your conferences are finished. One tip I found especially useful was keeping a note card on each student with topics you want to discuss, this way I won’t forget to mention anything, whether it is good or not so good.
I have found no matter how prepared you are and how much you have communicated with a parent, you still can have a not so friendly conference. I remember my very first conference I had a parent begin firing accusations of me not doing my job correctly even before the previous parents were out my door. Since it was my first year teaching and only my fourth conference, I was totally caught off guard. I wish I would have come across Handle with Care before now. The article offers more tips for conferences, but focuses on handling difficult situations. First, before the conference, document, document, document. It is important to document any difficulties you are having in the classroom. Some of the tips they offer for during the conference include, taking notes, having support present, and allowing for anger. After the conference, don’t forget to follow up, and continue to communicate with the parent.
Finally, Education World offers tips and strategies for both teachers and administrators to help get the most out of conferences. Sometimes I think teachers get so wrapped up in just making it through their conferences, they forget the real reason they are there meeting with the parents, to keep them involved in their child’s education. For the administrator, prepare the teachers, let the parents know what the goals are from the conference and make it easy for every parent to attend. For the teacher, notify parents of the conferences, plan for a successful conference, and allow for parents to get the most from their child’s conference.
Hopefully these sites will help prepare some of you for successful conferences. Maybe you don’t need any help. But it never hurts to be extra prepared, especially for those unexpected conferences that catch you off guard.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Did you read the newsletter? How about my blog?
Hello??? Is anybody even reading this?
Do you ever feel like this when you send out parent emails or newsletter?
How do I reach all my parents? How do I keep them involved in their child’s education? How much is too much information? What will my parents take out of my communication? Is technology the answer? Am I ready to try classroom blogging?
First things first, what types of parents are out there? How much involvement do they want in their child’s lives? There are three main parenting styles. First you could have a “cop” for a parent. They demand their children obey and accomplish all goals with perfection. When communicating with this type of parent, they will want to know everything that is expected so their child can achieve perfect results. Second, you could have a “social worker” for a parent. They minimize consequences and try and protect their children. When communicating with this type of parent, they will make excuses for their child and try and cover for their child. Finally, you could have a “coach” for a parent. When communicating with this parent, they will be active but allow the child to take responsibility. They will not cover for their child and will respect you as the teacher. Now, how do you reach all types of parents in a reasonable yet effective way?
Scholastic offers several different ideas for communication with parents. Ideas like phoning home, writing a note or email, or sending out a newsletter, are great ways to keep your parents involved. The site also offers tips for writing a great newsletter. Keep the tone the way you want to convey your room, keep the length short and to the point, and decide how frequently you want to send a newsletter. But what can be done to showcase the technology generation z is so used to? Is classroom blogging an answer?
Education World describes blogging as “elementary. Students as young as kindergarten are blogging daily. Research has shown students become better writers when they have an authentic audience over the internet. So what does this mean for my classroom? Students can blog along with their teacher, or contribute their own information for a blog. Education World offers tips in getting started with blogging whether you are a primary or an intermediate teacher. You can also find advice for safety tips.
Since research shows students become better writers when they have an authentic audience, ThinkQuest is a tool you can use to not only keep parents active in their child’s learning, but you can allow your students to publish more than just their writing on the internet. It has tons to offer for all ages of students and is a free program. Blogging would only be the beginning.
Whether you choose to communicate through blogging with your students or not, I think all students need to learn to be Cybersmart. They will not only benefit from it in the classroom but at home as well. There are so many resources in technology to use for communication, take the plunge and try one out. Your generation z students might thank you and it might rub off on your parents too.
Do you ever feel like this when you send out parent emails or newsletter?
How do I reach all my parents? How do I keep them involved in their child’s education? How much is too much information? What will my parents take out of my communication? Is technology the answer? Am I ready to try classroom blogging?
First things first, what types of parents are out there? How much involvement do they want in their child’s lives? There are three main parenting styles. First you could have a “cop” for a parent. They demand their children obey and accomplish all goals with perfection. When communicating with this type of parent, they will want to know everything that is expected so their child can achieve perfect results. Second, you could have a “social worker” for a parent. They minimize consequences and try and protect their children. When communicating with this type of parent, they will make excuses for their child and try and cover for their child. Finally, you could have a “coach” for a parent. When communicating with this parent, they will be active but allow the child to take responsibility. They will not cover for their child and will respect you as the teacher. Now, how do you reach all types of parents in a reasonable yet effective way?
Scholastic offers several different ideas for communication with parents. Ideas like phoning home, writing a note or email, or sending out a newsletter, are great ways to keep your parents involved. The site also offers tips for writing a great newsletter. Keep the tone the way you want to convey your room, keep the length short and to the point, and decide how frequently you want to send a newsletter. But what can be done to showcase the technology generation z is so used to? Is classroom blogging an answer?
Education World describes blogging as “elementary. Students as young as kindergarten are blogging daily. Research has shown students become better writers when they have an authentic audience over the internet. So what does this mean for my classroom? Students can blog along with their teacher, or contribute their own information for a blog. Education World offers tips in getting started with blogging whether you are a primary or an intermediate teacher. You can also find advice for safety tips.
Since research shows students become better writers when they have an authentic audience, ThinkQuest is a tool you can use to not only keep parents active in their child’s learning, but you can allow your students to publish more than just their writing on the internet. It has tons to offer for all ages of students and is a free program. Blogging would only be the beginning.
Whether you choose to communicate through blogging with your students or not, I think all students need to learn to be Cybersmart. They will not only benefit from it in the classroom but at home as well. There are so many resources in technology to use for communication, take the plunge and try one out. Your generation z students might thank you and it might rub off on your parents too.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
When will the correcting stop? Blog 11
How many days does it take for a teacher to have had enough?
An article posted by TimesDaily.com states nearly half of teachers quit within the first five years of teaching. When people think of dropout rates, they usually think of students who don’t make it through high school. But actually the dropout or burnout rate for teachers is even higher. The teachers who dropout first are usually the most qualified teacher and leave because they have an easier time finding work somewhere else because of their qualifications. Why are teachers leaving? Due to budget cut backs, NCLB, and increased paperwork teachers are finding they can be of service in some other career.
What is causing such a fast burnout rate? Teacher burnout is caused by several reasons and may vary from teacher to teacher. A new teacher soon finds out the day does not stop when the last bell rings and also finds out the work does not stop even on the weekends. Correcting papers, planning lessons, evaluating test scores, and other resource gathering takes time, lots of time. State and Federal guidelines also put burden and stress on a teacher to meet goals in student growth which sometimes seem unattainable. Finally the lack of funding and support can cause missing materials, textbooks and a substandard workplace, which can push a teacher to find work someplace else.
So what can be done to prevent teacher burnout? First things first, THINK POSITIVE! Make to do lists that are attainable and detailed. If you make a list with huge expectations, you are more likely to fail. But setting goals which are easy to attain quickly will give you a sense of satisfaction and pride. Accept there are some things in teaching you cannot change. Relax, watch a movie that makes you laugh, and try something new. Don’t bring your work home with you, leave the teaching at school. Get plenty of sleep every night. Talk with positive people, especially teachers. Finally, celebrate what it means to be a teacher and be thankful for what you have.
Still struggling to continue teaching? Check out the Top 10 Reasons to Become a Teacher, from student potential and success and daily humor, this list sums up some great reasons to become a teacher. Not only will you stay younger when you are teacher, but will have your summers off (which they listed as number 10). But I think the most important reason is the impact a teacher has on the future. They have their hands on so many lives; they will have a huge impact on the future and many more to come.
An article posted by TimesDaily.com states nearly half of teachers quit within the first five years of teaching. When people think of dropout rates, they usually think of students who don’t make it through high school. But actually the dropout or burnout rate for teachers is even higher. The teachers who dropout first are usually the most qualified teacher and leave because they have an easier time finding work somewhere else because of their qualifications. Why are teachers leaving? Due to budget cut backs, NCLB, and increased paperwork teachers are finding they can be of service in some other career.
What is causing such a fast burnout rate? Teacher burnout is caused by several reasons and may vary from teacher to teacher. A new teacher soon finds out the day does not stop when the last bell rings and also finds out the work does not stop even on the weekends. Correcting papers, planning lessons, evaluating test scores, and other resource gathering takes time, lots of time. State and Federal guidelines also put burden and stress on a teacher to meet goals in student growth which sometimes seem unattainable. Finally the lack of funding and support can cause missing materials, textbooks and a substandard workplace, which can push a teacher to find work someplace else.
So what can be done to prevent teacher burnout? First things first, THINK POSITIVE! Make to do lists that are attainable and detailed. If you make a list with huge expectations, you are more likely to fail. But setting goals which are easy to attain quickly will give you a sense of satisfaction and pride. Accept there are some things in teaching you cannot change. Relax, watch a movie that makes you laugh, and try something new. Don’t bring your work home with you, leave the teaching at school. Get plenty of sleep every night. Talk with positive people, especially teachers. Finally, celebrate what it means to be a teacher and be thankful for what you have.
Still struggling to continue teaching? Check out the Top 10 Reasons to Become a Teacher, from student potential and success and daily humor, this list sums up some great reasons to become a teacher. Not only will you stay younger when you are teacher, but will have your summers off (which they listed as number 10). But I think the most important reason is the impact a teacher has on the future. They have their hands on so many lives; they will have a huge impact on the future and many more to come.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Hot or Cold
Choice 1 or Choice 2. Hot or Cold. Eat at school or go out. What are our students eating? Is it healthy? Do they have enough time? I wonder this as I helped serve lunch for All Star Lunch Week. The students thought it was great to have a new teacher serving them their meal for the day. But as I watched closely as each student went through the line and then began to eat, they barely had anything on their trays and the last student to go through the line only had 7 minutes to eat. How can we expect children to perform after having a snack when it should have been one of the more important and filling meals of their day?
According to CHOICE, Citizens for Healthy Options In Children’s Education, children who intake a healthy lunch are more peaceful in their studies and in social environments. The School Lunch Program was founded in 1946 to ensure all students were provided a health meal. Students can receive meals at cost, reduced cost, or free according to their family income. Students gain almost ½ or their nutritional intake from their school lunch and depend on the nutrients. School lunch maybe the only hot meal of the day, or even worse, could be the only meal the child is getting. So why is their not more focus put on school lunches?
The School Nutrition Association is coming up with a plan to make school lunches healthier and more appealing to students. They believe if students develop healthy habits at a young age it will carry over into upper grades and also into adult life, hoping to lead to a healthy, active lifestyle. They are bringing in Chef Ann Cooper, the “Renegade Lunch Lady”, to speak during their next conference about the “Lunch Box: Healthy Tools to Help all Students” initiative in hopes of bringing stakeholders together to provide healthier school lunches.
Kids Health online offers great ideas to encourage your child to make healthy choices while at school and offers some ideas of packing healthy lunches from home. They also provide comparisons of foods once or still served in school lunches and offer alternatives to replace these foods. For example, replacing bologna with turkey ham and mayonnaise with mustard has less fat, and fewer calories.
Time for Lunch is a national campaign designed to provide students with foods that are clean, good and fair. Congress will be meeting in 2010 to address school lunches and Time for Lunch has hopes of change. Their mission is to get more funding to raise it from $1 a child, protect children from junk food, and link schools to local farms. Time for Lunch also partners with Better School Food and offers several suggestions for healthier eating in schools and at home.
I think change needs to happen in schools to improve their lunches and allow students to make good choices and take the time to eat. I feel this will lead to healthier classrooms and healthier lifestyles.
According to CHOICE, Citizens for Healthy Options In Children’s Education, children who intake a healthy lunch are more peaceful in their studies and in social environments. The School Lunch Program was founded in 1946 to ensure all students were provided a health meal. Students can receive meals at cost, reduced cost, or free according to their family income. Students gain almost ½ or their nutritional intake from their school lunch and depend on the nutrients. School lunch maybe the only hot meal of the day, or even worse, could be the only meal the child is getting. So why is their not more focus put on school lunches?
The School Nutrition Association is coming up with a plan to make school lunches healthier and more appealing to students. They believe if students develop healthy habits at a young age it will carry over into upper grades and also into adult life, hoping to lead to a healthy, active lifestyle. They are bringing in Chef Ann Cooper, the “Renegade Lunch Lady”, to speak during their next conference about the “Lunch Box: Healthy Tools to Help all Students” initiative in hopes of bringing stakeholders together to provide healthier school lunches.
Kids Health online offers great ideas to encourage your child to make healthy choices while at school and offers some ideas of packing healthy lunches from home. They also provide comparisons of foods once or still served in school lunches and offer alternatives to replace these foods. For example, replacing bologna with turkey ham and mayonnaise with mustard has less fat, and fewer calories.
Time for Lunch is a national campaign designed to provide students with foods that are clean, good and fair. Congress will be meeting in 2010 to address school lunches and Time for Lunch has hopes of change. Their mission is to get more funding to raise it from $1 a child, protect children from junk food, and link schools to local farms. Time for Lunch also partners with Better School Food and offers several suggestions for healthier eating in schools and at home.
I think change needs to happen in schools to improve their lunches and allow students to make good choices and take the time to eat. I feel this will lead to healthier classrooms and healthier lifestyles.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Exercise, Exercise, Repeat
After having a poll in my classroom this week about what my students like to do after school, I found a wonderful topic to blog about. How much exercise should children be getting? I was astounded to find 95% of my class, their favorite thing to do after school involved some type of video game or tv show. I asked if any of them enjoyed playing outside. Most said they would rather play their games. Although they did think playing a Wii constitutes as exercise.
According to the American Heart Association children now are less fit than they were a generation ago. They have higher risks for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure and being overweight. Children in this generation also watch more TV. On average, they watch about 3 hours of TV each day. If you put that into an elementary child’s day, they attend school and would get home and watch TV until they ate and then would most likely do some homework and go to bed. The American Heart Association also states if children are sedentary at a young age, they are more likely to be sedentary as adults.
How much exercise does a child need? According to David Geller, pediatrician, a grade-schooler needs 30 minutes of exercise every day. This does not mean it needs to be an organized physical activity, but children need the opportunity to run, play, dance, wrestle and be active. At my school, students are required to get 90 minutes of gym a week and 15 minutes of recess a day. I didn’t think this was enough but then remembered they also are receiving 45 minutes a week of health which teaches them about healthy choices and the importance of exercise. David Geller also states it is important for parents to be involved and help their child be active. Take a walk, play tag or go to the park and play during the weekends are a great way to spend time together and get exercise.
What are the specific benefits of children exercising? According to Kids Health, there are several benefits that include, strong bones and muscles, lower diabetes rate, and less likely of becoming overweight. It also states, kids who exercise sleep better and handle issues better. Kids Health also states a child should work on all areas of fitness: endurance, strength and flexibility. They offer several examples and the amounts of times each age group should spend on physical activity a day.
What are people doing to promote exercise? The NFL has teamed up with schools to promote exercise and being active. They have a program called Play 60 which encourages kids to be active for 60 minutes a day. One school in Tampa Bay, FL had a presentation of the importance of exercise from retired football league players. They also had a chance to attend the NFL experience and participate in many activities to get them active such as kick and pass the ball. Now, wouldn’t it be great if every school had this opportunity to help our children become active?
What will happen if the children today do not realize the importance of exercise? How will that change the world? How will it affect the medical world? How will it affect the physical education and recess programs in our schools? I guess only time will tell…
According to the American Heart Association children now are less fit than they were a generation ago. They have higher risks for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure and being overweight. Children in this generation also watch more TV. On average, they watch about 3 hours of TV each day. If you put that into an elementary child’s day, they attend school and would get home and watch TV until they ate and then would most likely do some homework and go to bed. The American Heart Association also states if children are sedentary at a young age, they are more likely to be sedentary as adults.
How much exercise does a child need? According to David Geller, pediatrician, a grade-schooler needs 30 minutes of exercise every day. This does not mean it needs to be an organized physical activity, but children need the opportunity to run, play, dance, wrestle and be active. At my school, students are required to get 90 minutes of gym a week and 15 minutes of recess a day. I didn’t think this was enough but then remembered they also are receiving 45 minutes a week of health which teaches them about healthy choices and the importance of exercise. David Geller also states it is important for parents to be involved and help their child be active. Take a walk, play tag or go to the park and play during the weekends are a great way to spend time together and get exercise.
What are the specific benefits of children exercising? According to Kids Health, there are several benefits that include, strong bones and muscles, lower diabetes rate, and less likely of becoming overweight. It also states, kids who exercise sleep better and handle issues better. Kids Health also states a child should work on all areas of fitness: endurance, strength and flexibility. They offer several examples and the amounts of times each age group should spend on physical activity a day.
What are people doing to promote exercise? The NFL has teamed up with schools to promote exercise and being active. They have a program called Play 60 which encourages kids to be active for 60 minutes a day. One school in Tampa Bay, FL had a presentation of the importance of exercise from retired football league players. They also had a chance to attend the NFL experience and participate in many activities to get them active such as kick and pass the ball. Now, wouldn’t it be great if every school had this opportunity to help our children become active?
What will happen if the children today do not realize the importance of exercise? How will that change the world? How will it affect the medical world? How will it affect the physical education and recess programs in our schools? I guess only time will tell…
Friday, October 16, 2009
Good Vs. Bad
He sits there and doesn’t work. You give him a kindly reminder to start working and he still doesn’t. He turns to his neighbor and starts talking. You remind him about his sticker chart and give him yet another reminder to start working. He doesn’t. He comes and asks to go the bathroom. You say no, he pouts and walks away. You give him a warning he needs to work and he chooses to throw himself on the floor and scream. What do you do next? Could this situation have been avoided?
Behavior modification. What is it? According to Vicki Phipps, behavior modification is the theory that rewarding a good behavior is more effective than punishing a bad behavior. She also states you should reward the good behavior as soon as it happens. This helps a child realize how important good behavior is, in hopes of it becoming intrinsically motivating. She also provides several different types of behavior modifications to try.
According to LD Online there are steps to managing behavior through consequences. Consequences that are reinforcers strengthen behavior and consequences that are punishments weaken behavior. First you need to identify the problem and define it. Then you need to come up with a way to change the behavior. Identify a specific reinforcer and how you will implement it. Finally you need to apply the reinforcement and use it consistently. This website has several examples of different examples for behavior consequences and modifications. Some of them are very simple and some are quite complex. I am wondering how a teacher with 21 students handles more than 4-5 behaviors?
I came across another site on how to handle students who have more than one behavior. The Ehow site gives 7 steps to behavior modification. Starting with evaluating the behavior, observing the child, identifying the behavior and what you want it to look like, and sitting down with the child to tell them what you expect. Other steps include figuring out what compliance would look like, offering rewards for behavior that is changed, and also being ready for days that don’t go so well. I think this site is very helpful for not only teachers finding the first step, but for parents as well. I also think these modifications can only truly work if both teacher and parent are on the same page.
But a few things I wonder are why does it seem there are so many more behaviors each year I teach. Are students becoming less respectful of their teachers? Does it start with bad parenting? Or maybe just parents are parenting differently and giving kids more slack when it comes to modifying behaviors. Or maybe it’s my teaching style. I wonder if I will ever find the answers…
Behavior modification. What is it? According to Vicki Phipps, behavior modification is the theory that rewarding a good behavior is more effective than punishing a bad behavior. She also states you should reward the good behavior as soon as it happens. This helps a child realize how important good behavior is, in hopes of it becoming intrinsically motivating. She also provides several different types of behavior modifications to try.
According to LD Online there are steps to managing behavior through consequences. Consequences that are reinforcers strengthen behavior and consequences that are punishments weaken behavior. First you need to identify the problem and define it. Then you need to come up with a way to change the behavior. Identify a specific reinforcer and how you will implement it. Finally you need to apply the reinforcement and use it consistently. This website has several examples of different examples for behavior consequences and modifications. Some of them are very simple and some are quite complex. I am wondering how a teacher with 21 students handles more than 4-5 behaviors?
I came across another site on how to handle students who have more than one behavior. The Ehow site gives 7 steps to behavior modification. Starting with evaluating the behavior, observing the child, identifying the behavior and what you want it to look like, and sitting down with the child to tell them what you expect. Other steps include figuring out what compliance would look like, offering rewards for behavior that is changed, and also being ready for days that don’t go so well. I think this site is very helpful for not only teachers finding the first step, but for parents as well. I also think these modifications can only truly work if both teacher and parent are on the same page.
But a few things I wonder are why does it seem there are so many more behaviors each year I teach. Are students becoming less respectful of their teachers? Does it start with bad parenting? Or maybe just parents are parenting differently and giving kids more slack when it comes to modifying behaviors. Or maybe it’s my teaching style. I wonder if I will ever find the answers…
Thursday, October 8, 2009
I'll just go buy it with my own money.
The school year begins and suddenly you realize you need tons of extra supplies your school doesn’t already own. So you make the trip to your local Walmart or teacher store in hopes of finding some deals. While you are there, you find 25 different items in addition to the ones on your list you forgot to think about. Plus you add some extra school supplies to your cart for the students who will forget, can’t afford or loose within the first week of school. You walk out, head down as you just put almost $250 on your credit card. As you are walking to your car, you sink even lower as you think of the parties, motivational items, snacks and other miscellaneous items you will have to purchase throughout the year. But you raise your head back up as you remember, you are a teacher, it is part of the job, and it will make your student’s lives a little easier. Sound familiar? Should “are you willing to spend money out of your own pocket” be included on a teaching application? Or is it something that is common knowledge you gain as a college student?
How much DO teachers spend out of pocket? In a journal article posted by Questia several schools were studied to poll how much money teachers spend out of pocket. Minnesota schools were on the radar. K-12 teachers spent approximately $492 of their own money on their classrooms/students. Add it all up and Minnesota teachers spend almost 23 million dollars each year out of pocket.
In an article written by John Fitzgerald, posted on the Minnesota 2020 website, he states teachers in 2005 had a starting salary of $29,907 their first year of teaching. He also stated how new teachers are the ones who are spending the most out of pocket due to the fact veteran teachers have had years of purchases carrying over. One thing Fitzgerald found teachers spend their own money on, is filling gaps in state curriculum. One example given was a teacher who was short 2 books and went out and purchased them herself. As a teacher, I would do the same thing. But why? Why wouldn’t it be possible for the district or state to provide 2 more books? Is it too time consuming? Is it really going to put a huge crunch on the budget?
After adding up how much money I have spent in my classroom over my 3 years and complaining about it, I have to say I finally have all my family members trained what to keep their eyes open for at garage sales, auction sales, or even stuff people are giving away. I started looking for more numbers to see if Minnesota teachers were at the high or low end of out of pocket expenditures. I came across one website reporting on Los Angeles teachers and their out of pocket expenditures. I was astounded to find teachers are spending over $1,000 each year from their pocket. One kindergarten teacher spends between $3,000 and $5,000 each year on her classroom.
Do we have any help? According to current law, you can deduct up to $250 of education supplies on your taxes to help with some of the expense. You need to be considered an eligible educator and the supplies are ones that are not reimbursed from your school.
But if on average teachers are spending around $500 for their classroom and only getting to deduct $250, what happens with the rest of the money? Will we ever think we have enough to get what we need?
How much DO teachers spend out of pocket? In a journal article posted by Questia several schools were studied to poll how much money teachers spend out of pocket. Minnesota schools were on the radar. K-12 teachers spent approximately $492 of their own money on their classrooms/students. Add it all up and Minnesota teachers spend almost 23 million dollars each year out of pocket.
In an article written by John Fitzgerald, posted on the Minnesota 2020 website, he states teachers in 2005 had a starting salary of $29,907 their first year of teaching. He also stated how new teachers are the ones who are spending the most out of pocket due to the fact veteran teachers have had years of purchases carrying over. One thing Fitzgerald found teachers spend their own money on, is filling gaps in state curriculum. One example given was a teacher who was short 2 books and went out and purchased them herself. As a teacher, I would do the same thing. But why? Why wouldn’t it be possible for the district or state to provide 2 more books? Is it too time consuming? Is it really going to put a huge crunch on the budget?
After adding up how much money I have spent in my classroom over my 3 years and complaining about it, I have to say I finally have all my family members trained what to keep their eyes open for at garage sales, auction sales, or even stuff people are giving away. I started looking for more numbers to see if Minnesota teachers were at the high or low end of out of pocket expenditures. I came across one website reporting on Los Angeles teachers and their out of pocket expenditures. I was astounded to find teachers are spending over $1,000 each year from their pocket. One kindergarten teacher spends between $3,000 and $5,000 each year on her classroom.
Do we have any help? According to current law, you can deduct up to $250 of education supplies on your taxes to help with some of the expense. You need to be considered an eligible educator and the supplies are ones that are not reimbursed from your school.
But if on average teachers are spending around $500 for their classroom and only getting to deduct $250, what happens with the rest of the money? Will we ever think we have enough to get what we need?
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Until the bell rings... or maybe longer
During collaboration meetings with my fellow second grade teachers this week, a wonderful blog topic was brought to my attention. Would you support an extended school day? President Obama has brought it to the table. There have been many critics giving their opinion on this matter. In an article posted by Fox News the main issue was what type of an impact it would have on summer activities. I had not realized there was so much more to extending a school year than just what the students, parents, and teachers thought. In the article, they highlight the effect it would have on hotels, summer hot spots and camps. It states an extended school year would have a dire effect to the economy and would only make things worse. But wouldn’t families still take vacations? Wouldn’t you still send your child to camp even though they went to school longer into the summer? Obama’s idea to extend the school year is in hopes of increasing learning, increasing test scores and closing the achievement gap when competing against other countries.
I wonder, as a teacher, would you support an extended day? I also wondered if myself, as a parent, what I might think if the school year was extended. A school in Chicopee, Massachusetts has plenty of support after extending their school day 100 minutes. Patrick E. Bowe Elementary is working off a grant and has found several advantages of extending their school day. The teacher’s support it because of the extra time to fit in subjects that are otherwise put on the back burner and forgotten about such as social studies and science. According to the site the students support the extended day overall. Although some feel they do not get as much free time at home or feel some subjects drag on.
Envisioning an extended school day, I wondered what problems you would run into as not only a teacher, but as a school. Would the students be too tired? How would the day be set up? Would you have longer specials such as gym and music? Would you have to have a morning and afternoon snack? One website, Issues with the Extended School Day, made some great points about some of the issues an extended school day would bring, such as properly maintaining the interest of the children. Making sure they are not sitting for all hours of the day. They also made some points about having the support of the local and federal government. Making sure teachers are supported through proper pay and resources are one way to motivate teachers and in turn pass their motivation onto their students.
I feel rushed everyday and never feel I have enough time to complete everything I need to. I feel I do not have time to teach everything my students need. But is extending the school day the answer? My day already begins at 8:05, so I don’t think it would work to go any earlier. But we end at 2:45 so that allows for plenty of room for extension. But how long would create positive results? Half hour? Forty-five minutes? An hour? What change would it bring for my students? What change would it bring for my school? Do we only find out if we give it a try?
I wonder, as a teacher, would you support an extended day? I also wondered if myself, as a parent, what I might think if the school year was extended. A school in Chicopee, Massachusetts has plenty of support after extending their school day 100 minutes. Patrick E. Bowe Elementary is working off a grant and has found several advantages of extending their school day. The teacher’s support it because of the extra time to fit in subjects that are otherwise put on the back burner and forgotten about such as social studies and science. According to the site the students support the extended day overall. Although some feel they do not get as much free time at home or feel some subjects drag on.
Envisioning an extended school day, I wondered what problems you would run into as not only a teacher, but as a school. Would the students be too tired? How would the day be set up? Would you have longer specials such as gym and music? Would you have to have a morning and afternoon snack? One website, Issues with the Extended School Day, made some great points about some of the issues an extended school day would bring, such as properly maintaining the interest of the children. Making sure they are not sitting for all hours of the day. They also made some points about having the support of the local and federal government. Making sure teachers are supported through proper pay and resources are one way to motivate teachers and in turn pass their motivation onto their students.
I feel rushed everyday and never feel I have enough time to complete everything I need to. I feel I do not have time to teach everything my students need. But is extending the school day the answer? My day already begins at 8:05, so I don’t think it would work to go any earlier. But we end at 2:45 so that allows for plenty of room for extension. But how long would create positive results? Half hour? Forty-five minutes? An hour? What change would it bring for my students? What change would it bring for my school? Do we only find out if we give it a try?
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Teaching to a New Generation
After all this research on Generation Y it lead me to wonder more about the generation I teach… Generation Z. After searching for awhile and not finding much information on Generation Z because the age group is still so young, I found information from a Baby Boomer website. It states many characteristics of Gen. Z. A few characteristics that stood out in my mind are how generation Z are not good listeners and they also lack interpersonal skills. The article brought to mind a very good point… Could the world become almost completely virtual because of this generation?
This brought me to wonder why I am fighting it. Why do I keep comparing this generation to my own? I keep saying “it was never like this when I grew up”, or “it worked when I was in elementary school”. I am a Gen Yer and consider my learning style very different then fellow teachers who are older and from a different generation. I found an article from Tech and Learning on Teaching Gen Yers and laughed when it described almost everything about me and how I learn. Is what I am feeling now about the current generation, what my teachers thought about my own generation growing up?
I find I should embrace this generation and use their strengths towards them. I find my class this year keeping me on my toes and wonder what an effect more technology would have on them. They are generation Z completely. I have found I need to keep my classroom moving and active. I have also found anything on the computer is a good thing. Even something as simple as typing in Microsoft word instead of using a whiteboard has them sitting on the edge of their seats. My classroom also received document cameras and projectors this year. Once again, the simple act of using the document camera to project their show and tell was amazing. I had a completely quiet classroom (which rarely happens) and every student was engaged during this activity.
But where do I begin? Marilyn Western wrote an article about many ways to use technology in a classroom. She also gave examples of several sites on the internet that provide free services and programs to help a teacher use technology in his/her classroom. But what result does it all have on the students? It has many positive outcomes. Many are listed within Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students, but the one that popped out the most is the change in student and teacher roles. It states when students use technology the role of learning turns more active and they are more responsible for their learning.
Is Gen Z, or even Gen Y, such a bad thing? Why am I constantly comparing them to when I grew up? Why do I want them to duplicate students of my generation when clearly they are their own unique generation and have so many new things to offer? Maybe if I let go the past and grasped the future it could become a good thing. Maybe even great!
Maybe if I allowed and encouraged my students to channel their abilities it would bring a whole new aspect of learning to my classroom. One that may even bring change to future generations…
This brought me to wonder why I am fighting it. Why do I keep comparing this generation to my own? I keep saying “it was never like this when I grew up”, or “it worked when I was in elementary school”. I am a Gen Yer and consider my learning style very different then fellow teachers who are older and from a different generation. I found an article from Tech and Learning on Teaching Gen Yers and laughed when it described almost everything about me and how I learn. Is what I am feeling now about the current generation, what my teachers thought about my own generation growing up?
I find I should embrace this generation and use their strengths towards them. I find my class this year keeping me on my toes and wonder what an effect more technology would have on them. They are generation Z completely. I have found I need to keep my classroom moving and active. I have also found anything on the computer is a good thing. Even something as simple as typing in Microsoft word instead of using a whiteboard has them sitting on the edge of their seats. My classroom also received document cameras and projectors this year. Once again, the simple act of using the document camera to project their show and tell was amazing. I had a completely quiet classroom (which rarely happens) and every student was engaged during this activity.
But where do I begin? Marilyn Western wrote an article about many ways to use technology in a classroom. She also gave examples of several sites on the internet that provide free services and programs to help a teacher use technology in his/her classroom. But what result does it all have on the students? It has many positive outcomes. Many are listed within Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students, but the one that popped out the most is the change in student and teacher roles. It states when students use technology the role of learning turns more active and they are more responsible for their learning.
Is Gen Z, or even Gen Y, such a bad thing? Why am I constantly comparing them to when I grew up? Why do I want them to duplicate students of my generation when clearly they are their own unique generation and have so many new things to offer? Maybe if I let go the past and grasped the future it could become a good thing. Maybe even great!
Maybe if I allowed and encouraged my students to channel their abilities it would bring a whole new aspect of learning to my classroom. One that may even bring change to future generations…
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Falling through the cracks
A topic came to mind today... What does it take in order for a child to receive specialized services in order to stay ahead of, or right with, the game. I began researching information on children who fall through the cracks and came across a book, How Children Fail. One reason, according to the book, children fail is because "they are afraid, bored, and confused. This, combined with misguided teaching strategies...". The phrase "misguided teaching strategies" kept me thinking, What strategies? Am I using those strategies? And if so, what needs to change?
I then began thinking, if a child is failing, why does it take SO much to find them support to help them acquire the skills they are missing. If I, as a teacher, can show the student is not making growth in the classroom and is missing so many important skills, why is that not enough for support? I am told the child cannot receive support due to certain standardized tests scores and the amount of other students who receive support. But why does it need to be a factor? Why doesn't gut instinct play a part in teaching?
In order to even begin support, it starts with 4 weeks of interventions. At the end of 4 weeks, the interventions are evaluated and if progress has not occurred, another intervention and 4 more weeks. During this time outside support does occur briefly. Once again, the end of now 8 weeks, evaluations occur and another set of interventions are set in place. This usually leads to paperwork, assessments, and more often than not, the end of the school year. Why does it have to be so time consuming and difficult?
What is going to happen to my student? Is she one who will fall through the cracks? How much time and effort, as her teacher, do I take away from my other students to ensure she makes it? Will it all be worth it when she moves to third or fourth grade and the teacher does not spend as much time with her? Will she still fall through the cracks because she is not "low" enough? Or will she blossom with age and become an average student? Or better yet, an above average student. Will she look back and remember the teacher who spent so much time working with her in order for her to succeed in life? Or will it all fade as life becomes more of a reality?
Is retention an idea that should be brought to the table? Is it too soon to tell? Would it help down the road?
Another blog, another day...
I then began thinking, if a child is failing, why does it take SO much to find them support to help them acquire the skills they are missing. If I, as a teacher, can show the student is not making growth in the classroom and is missing so many important skills, why is that not enough for support? I am told the child cannot receive support due to certain standardized tests scores and the amount of other students who receive support. But why does it need to be a factor? Why doesn't gut instinct play a part in teaching?
In order to even begin support, it starts with 4 weeks of interventions. At the end of 4 weeks, the interventions are evaluated and if progress has not occurred, another intervention and 4 more weeks. During this time outside support does occur briefly. Once again, the end of now 8 weeks, evaluations occur and another set of interventions are set in place. This usually leads to paperwork, assessments, and more often than not, the end of the school year. Why does it have to be so time consuming and difficult?
What is going to happen to my student? Is she one who will fall through the cracks? How much time and effort, as her teacher, do I take away from my other students to ensure she makes it? Will it all be worth it when she moves to third or fourth grade and the teacher does not spend as much time with her? Will she still fall through the cracks because she is not "low" enough? Or will she blossom with age and become an average student? Or better yet, an above average student. Will she look back and remember the teacher who spent so much time working with her in order for her to succeed in life? Or will it all fade as life becomes more of a reality?
Is retention an idea that should be brought to the table? Is it too soon to tell? Would it help down the road?
Another blog, another day...
Thursday, September 10, 2009
How much is too much?
As the year is progressing I find my motto of being stress free is becoming harder and harder to adhere to. One thing that is making my motto difficult is the communication piece of my classroom. I feel most of my day is spent returning emails, making phone calls or having one-on-one meetings before or after school and typing newsletters.
I have tried to set specific times in my day to return phone calls and have started making more phone calls instead of emails because I feel it is faster to just call. This worked until I spent over an hour after school one day emailing and returning calls and I couldn’t do anything afterwards because I was mentally drained.
I have also tried to break up that time slot. I try and limit phone calling and emailing to 20 minutes, 3 times a day. This has seemed to work. I have managed my time more by dispersing it throughout my day. But then I began to think… that is A LOT of time to be communicating with parents every day. I feel communication is the key to successful classroom management, but when does it become overbearing and interfere with teaching? I encourage all of my parents to be as active as they can in their child’s education, but when does all the parent communication become too much?
There have been many studies on the importance of parent involvement and how it links to student success. The National Center for Student Engagement has an interesting article on the barriers of parental involvement. The list of barriers is a great tool to use in your classroom to evaluate why some parents may not be as involved as you would like. Joyce Epstein has also included a framework for parental involvement. Communication on a regular, two-way basis is number 2 on the list.
Another article I found very informational is an article from the Child Trends DataBank. It states children who have parental involvement are less likely to have behavior problems, have better academic performance and are more likely to complete secondary school. Although it does state the differences in success in areas such as grade level, ethnicity, parental education, poverty level, and parent language.
How do I successfully involve my parents but yet manage to complete everything else in my classroom in a timely fashion? How do I get those few parents involved whose child needs their involvement the most? What do I say to the parent who wants daily updates and won’t take “I’ll try my hardest” as an answer? Is this a problem I should take with a grain of salt and be happy I have parents who are so concerned? Or is this a problem that needs to be addressed and fixed soon?
I have tried to set specific times in my day to return phone calls and have started making more phone calls instead of emails because I feel it is faster to just call. This worked until I spent over an hour after school one day emailing and returning calls and I couldn’t do anything afterwards because I was mentally drained.
I have also tried to break up that time slot. I try and limit phone calling and emailing to 20 minutes, 3 times a day. This has seemed to work. I have managed my time more by dispersing it throughout my day. But then I began to think… that is A LOT of time to be communicating with parents every day. I feel communication is the key to successful classroom management, but when does it become overbearing and interfere with teaching? I encourage all of my parents to be as active as they can in their child’s education, but when does all the parent communication become too much?
There have been many studies on the importance of parent involvement and how it links to student success. The National Center for Student Engagement has an interesting article on the barriers of parental involvement. The list of barriers is a great tool to use in your classroom to evaluate why some parents may not be as involved as you would like. Joyce Epstein has also included a framework for parental involvement. Communication on a regular, two-way basis is number 2 on the list.
Another article I found very informational is an article from the Child Trends DataBank. It states children who have parental involvement are less likely to have behavior problems, have better academic performance and are more likely to complete secondary school. Although it does state the differences in success in areas such as grade level, ethnicity, parental education, poverty level, and parent language.
How do I successfully involve my parents but yet manage to complete everything else in my classroom in a timely fashion? How do I get those few parents involved whose child needs their involvement the most? What do I say to the parent who wants daily updates and won’t take “I’ll try my hardest” as an answer? Is this a problem I should take with a grain of salt and be happy I have parents who are so concerned? Or is this a problem that needs to be addressed and fixed soon?
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
As the year has begun, I am learning all of the wonderful behaviors that make each of my students unique. One student that creates a struggle in my mind every day is a little girl in my room who is as bossy as they come. I am so intrigued by her behavior and what causes her to be bossy it has lead me to blog about it.
I have tried everything I know to limit her bossiness. I have discussed the issue with parents. They too see the behavior at home. I have tried complementing her for good behavior. I have tried punishing her for bossy behaviors. I have tried setting goals with her and giving her strategies in order to learn not to be bossy. I have also gotten a counselor and the principal involved. This has brought me to the Internet. I found a great article/lesson plan to teach my students how to deal with bossy students which in turn will help her realize her behavior. It will also help my students deal with bullies outside the classroom.
This makes me ponder...what creates a bossy child? Is this something they learn from home? Is it something they learn from trial and error? Or is it something they have seen on the playground and think they will give it a try? I also wonder what has happened to the respect that I once gave my teachers. If I was ever told to sit out in the hall because my teacher and I "had to talk", I knew my behavior needed to be changed, fast. What is leading to the lack of respect children seem to have?
I have tried everything I know to limit her bossiness. I have discussed the issue with parents. They too see the behavior at home. I have tried complementing her for good behavior. I have tried punishing her for bossy behaviors. I have tried setting goals with her and giving her strategies in order to learn not to be bossy. I have also gotten a counselor and the principal involved. This has brought me to the Internet. I found a great article/lesson plan to teach my students how to deal with bossy students which in turn will help her realize her behavior. It will also help my students deal with bullies outside the classroom.
This makes me ponder...what creates a bossy child? Is this something they learn from home? Is it something they learn from trial and error? Or is it something they have seen on the playground and think they will give it a try? I also wonder what has happened to the respect that I once gave my teachers. If I was ever told to sit out in the hall because my teacher and I "had to talk", I knew my behavior needed to be changed, fast. What is leading to the lack of respect children seem to have?
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Just interesting technology...
After searching and reading several articles about education and never coming across one that really struck my mind as "first blog" worthy, I decided to stop trying so hard. I realized I didn't even understand what a blog entailed. So that is where I began my search. I started reading random blogs and discovered you can blog about anything. But the blogs I found the most interesting were those of teachers. Until now, I considered myself to be a teacher who utilizes technology in her classroom as much as possible. But after reading through Mrs. Kuieck's classroom blog, my mind was opened to a whole new world. I never even imagined using blogging as a way of communicating with parents. I am a teacher who loves to send emails. I try and send emails to my parents almost every night with reminders of upcoming assignments and events. Mrs. Kuieck posts everything through blogging. She has newsletters, surveys, supply lists and pictures. I was mesmerized.
I also came across another teacher's amazing blog, Ms. Feinman's blog, She has posted video's of her class. She also has posted skills for her students to work on at home. It is unbelievable the possibilities of using blogging in a classroom.
But then as I searched some more, I wondered what is next? Facebook? Where all your students are your friends and they too have accounts? Twittering? So a parent can know what is going on in your classroom hour by hour? I wonder where it stops. I wonder when does it become unsafe for the students. I wonder if elementary classrooms will start to become increasingly digital, with each student having their own laptop. Or to go even further, having an iPhone and using twitter as a way of communicating instead of turning to their neighbor to ask a question. It may sound a bit absurd, but so does the thought of a second grader riding her bike down the road, unaccompanied, and talking on a cell phone. When used properly, incorporating technology into the classroom does engage the students more and prepare them for the road ahead. But as a teacher, would I be feeding into the communication barrier that is developing because people don't call each other any more, they text?
All in all I think blogging is an amazing tool and may consider it a tool for my classroom. But then I have to stop and ask myself, "is there such a thing as too much technology in a classroom?" ... and how much is the proper amount?
I also came across another teacher's amazing blog, Ms. Feinman's blog, She has posted video's of her class. She also has posted skills for her students to work on at home. It is unbelievable the possibilities of using blogging in a classroom.
But then as I searched some more, I wondered what is next? Facebook? Where all your students are your friends and they too have accounts? Twittering? So a parent can know what is going on in your classroom hour by hour? I wonder where it stops. I wonder when does it become unsafe for the students. I wonder if elementary classrooms will start to become increasingly digital, with each student having their own laptop. Or to go even further, having an iPhone and using twitter as a way of communicating instead of turning to their neighbor to ask a question. It may sound a bit absurd, but so does the thought of a second grader riding her bike down the road, unaccompanied, and talking on a cell phone. When used properly, incorporating technology into the classroom does engage the students more and prepare them for the road ahead. But as a teacher, would I be feeding into the communication barrier that is developing because people don't call each other any more, they text?
All in all I think blogging is an amazing tool and may consider it a tool for my classroom. But then I have to stop and ask myself, "is there such a thing as too much technology in a classroom?" ... and how much is the proper amount?
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