The Joy of a Student's Victory

This blog is like an old friend to me in some ways. I've used it for a variety of purposes, but my first intention was to use it as a reflection tool. I hold a firm belief that all educators should reflect every week. I helps to maintain a vision, and keep goals in check.

One of my goals is for all of my students to pass the yearly CRCT test. I desire this goal, because I want all my students to feel the glory of victory, and not defeat. I do not focus on this goal due to worry over my annual teacher evaluation, or the school's success. Yes, that is great, but that is not what motivates me. What motivates me is seeing the proud, happy, bright eyed face of a twelve year old, who after weeks of worry, learns that he won his prize-- a passing score.

This victory happened for one of my students this week. The students in my lower "remedial" group were taking a SRI test to assess their Lexile reading level. Sixth grade students should be at an 800 Lexile level or above to be considered on grade level. Well, this young man scored around a 150 in August, and was visibly upset. However, I encouraged him, and he did not give up. As a teacher, he was one of those I just clicked with, which helped. He wanted to work hard, and gave it his all everyday. Each time he took the SRI test, his score increased until finally, now in March, he scored on grade level at 805.

I always tend to make a big fuss when my students do well. So, when he showed me his score, I grabbed his hand, and patted the top of it with my other hand, and exclaimed, "I am so proud of you! I am so proud of you!" He smiled, trying to look cool, but his eyes sparkled, and throughout the day, I noticed he seemed to be walking on air, almost skipping. I told other teachers, and they congratulated him, too. This young man may be changed forever. This one victorious year may push him into an entirely new direction.

My student's victory this week gave me the courage to carry on. It demonstrated the heart, the desire, the will, and the fortitude that all true educators must hold dear to bring out excellence in every student. The power of a positive and effective teacher cannot be underestimated.

In May, I want to see all of my students floating on air as they skip down the 6th grade hall feeling confident and happy that they accomplished great things this year. I want them all to be victorious!

Teachers: Never Miss a Chance to Dance

Whether ministry or teaching, my favorite part of the job has always been developing relationships with the kids. It thrills me to greet my students in the morning, with a big hello! I love the challenge of their sullen, forlorn frowns as they amble down the hallways. As I stand in the hall by my door, I think to myself, "How am I going to turn those frowns upside down?" That becomes my first goal of the day.
                                                                
As I reflect over this school year, I'll say it's been especially hard to make a breakthrough with some of my students. Partly, because they are just more reserved. One young man is especially shy, and has avoided eye contact with me all year. Now, I know that no one can force a relationship, and I firmly believe in allowing people to be who they are. However, it saddened me that with all the interactive and engaging instruction I've experimented with this year, nothing seemed to connect with him.

That was until a couple of weeks ago.....

My students lost their winter break due to snow days that needed making up. I knew that they would not want to be at school on Monday. So, I thought, maybe I'd incorporate a song. My school Principal had played a music video entitled, "Brave" by Sara Bareilles over morning announcements the week before, and I loved it! So, I thought, "Hmmm...I could build a lesson around that."

So, I created a lesson entitled, "What is Your Brave?" I began the lesson by having my students get in a large circle around the room. Next, I offered a brief mini lesson on what it meant to be brave, and I told them I wanted to see their bravest dance moves, while the song, "Brave" was playing. They all giggled nervously, while I "pumped up the volume" (Ha!- 90's reference). And we boogied around the room for an entire three minutes. The students, for the most part, really got into it, and I did, too. After all, I can't ask them to do something that I wouldn't do. So, I hammed it up big time. I loved it, because it was a breakthrough.

The sullen young man who moped around all year changed that day. The next morning he came in with a smile, and asked what song I was going to play. I was so thrilled that now, we dance every morning--one song--during homeroom. The students love it! What's even better, after the song is over, they get right to work. But, the difference is--they are all smiles.

Blessed am I, Dear Lord, to be a teacher.

My students' favorite song to dance to-- "Happy" by Pharrell Williams

                                                  http://youtu.be/y6Sxv-sUYtM

CCSS Middle Grades ELA/SS Lesson on "Freedom!"

                                                      

                                                  

I've got so many songs and movie clips that pop into my mind when I think of the word, "freedom." Middle grades students love this word, because what adolescent doesn't want some freedom. They don't want to hear teachers screeching in their ears! They want freedom to learn!

 

                                                    http://youtu.be/0zFAvzf0Mv0

So, as I approach my lesson for tomorrow, I shall keep that in mind...

To get their minds hopping, we are going to have an open dance session to the song, "Freedom" by George Michael, because honestly, the song keeps playing in my head, so why not use it. There aren't any bad words in the song, so it seems fine to use.

http://youtu.be/39aa2Hici0s

Next, we will have a quick 5 minute free write in which the students write on "freedom" means to them, and we will share for a few minutes as a class.

We will quickly revisit how our feelings of freedom compare to the feelings of our founding fathers: George Washington, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin from the research we did on the Constitution and the Bill of Rights last week.

This will lead into learning and comparing/contrasting the 13th and 15th Amendments of the Constitution.

The students will read, and annotate two documents found at the following links.

13th Amendment
http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/emancipation-proclamation/print

15th Amendment
http://www.crf-usa.org/black-history-month/african-americans-and-the-15th-amendment

They will use a T-Chart, writing textual evidence examples from each article, independently, they will discuss with a partner, and then as a whole class.

Videos to support text:
Abraham Lincoln- The Emancipation Proclamation- http://youtu.be/xh3-9R7Q0OE
America the Story of Us: Lincoln http://youtu.be/Bjxbb-tjSAA
Let Freedom Ring Martin Luther King http://youtu.be/6yThJm7Wv7Q

Finally, the students will return to their free write, and compare their own feelings of wanting freedom to the lives of the slaves, and their desire and struggles for equality. Students will write an argumentative essay answering the question, "What is freedom?" citing textual evidence from the articles.

Common Core Standards Mastered:
RI.6.1 Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. (Read closely)
RI.6.3: Analyze how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced in a text
RI.6.7: Integrate information presented in different media formats to develop coherent understanding of the topic or issue.
W.6.1: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
SL.6.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners, building on others' ideas and expressing them clearly.

The Ideal ELA Student: According to the Common Core

A question that I constantly ask myself as I plan is, "Am I teaching to the standards?" I never want  create activities as time fillers, ways to just complete the day. No, everything I do must have a purpose toward that end goal.

In a nut shell, the Common Core is made up of four strands, which if mastered, should create a well rounded literate person.

To offer a clearer picture, I recommend reading the following link in regards to ELA and the CCSS.

English Language Arts Standards » Introduction » Students Who are College and Career Ready in Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening, & Language
http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/introduction/students-who-are-college-and-career-ready-in-reading-writing-speaking-listening-language

The following statement focuses on the portrait of the ideal student of the CCSS.
They are independent and free thinkers, continually build strong content knowledge, adapt their communications easily depending on the task, engaged and open-minded readers and listeners, cite evidence from text, use technology and digital media strategically and capably, and understand other cultures and perspectives.

First, all this speaks to the student centered classroom. The students must be able to grapple with a variety of texts by themselves and in groups. They must be able to read the texts, comprehend them, develop arguments, and defend their arguments citing evidence from the text. CCSS students must utilize technology for research, and be able to decipher valid from invalid sources, and publish their work. Finally, students must be world thinkers, and understand perspectives of other cultures.

So, how have I over the course of this year brought this ideal out in my students.

• We completed three units utilizing themes such as Believe and Achieve, Perseverance: The Strength of the Human Spirit, and Rising Up from Hate: Equality for All. Every one of these units incorporated research projects utilizing technology as well as traditional research sources, several essay pieces citing textual evidence(some published and some not published), whole discussion, small group discussion, debate, a heavy emphasis on non-fiction and historical texts, technology integration through the use of Kid Blog for publishing writing, Haiku Deck for presentations, Animoto, and research through the internet.

I believe that all of these elements are important, and one is not more important than the other.

Someone may be a marvelous writer, but what good is it, if he/she doesn't have the courage to speak well publicly.

I reflect often on my undergraduate degree. I was a Speech Communications major with an emphasis in Political Communications. I studied the debates of many past U.S. Presidents, and I competed in several debates. Political speech makers are writers, analyzers, researchers, and interpreters of text.
Public speaking requires high levels of critical thinking, and should not be overlooked as a valid form of learning and assessment. Technology integration serves to support the public speakers in their efforts for clearer presentation and thought.

When I look back over this past school year, I know I have used passion, planning, and perseverance to mold my students to becoming stronger readers, writers, and speakers. Their confidence, poise, and abilities have increased greatly.

Of course, the deadline of end of the year test scores still loom before me, but I know with all my heart that I've given my all, always adhering to the Common Core Standards.

Reflection: Mastery of the Common Core Begins with a Single Step

"I know how you feel. When I was a 6th grader, I would have died for the teacher to look at my paper. I perfected the cover up. I'd never look at the teacher directly, and I never dared to raise my hand, for fear of being--wrong."

I gave this little speech to my students a few days ago as we began a discussion on bravery. I knew we were about to dip our feet into uncharted waters with this lesson. Not that we haven't discussed the topic before, but because my plan for the week included learning a new technology and deeper instruction into the art of public speaking.

The students I serve live in a rural area, and many of my students struggle with poverty. As a result, they often come to school with little knowledge of technology outside of gaming, and many have poor grammar skills. At the beginning of the school year, I spent countless classroom hours instructing many of my students on the basics of computer usage, such as where to find the start button, navigating the Internet, cutting and pasting, saving and inserting pictures. During our lessons, I hopped from one student to the next, answering many of the same questions time and time again. At times, I thought, "Whew, this is tiring." However, I never gave up. I stayed the course, because I was determined to offer my students  the same education that other students are currently receiving across the country under the Common Core State Standards.

According to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), 6th grade ELA students are to master typing a three page paper in one class sitting, publish their writings on social media such as KidBlog, collaborate with other students via social media about their writings, use multimedia components in presentations to clarify information, and interpret information presented in different media formats. This is what the Common Core calls for, but I believe many educators want to abandon these standards, because at a glance they seem too rigorous, but are they? I would say they are not.

Today's students should be moving passed the classic "poster board project". I used to do those while I was in middle school, and honestly, I was never asked to use poster board as a public relations professional, nor in any other job. However, I did need to write well, speak clearly and fluently, and be able to utilize and adapt to new technologies. These are real world needs.

So, what does this mean for me, and any teacher who educates at-risk students? It means, we, as teachers seeking excellence, must be patient, and allow our students to explore, and ask as many questions as necessary, knowing that the students will get there. We must dedicate ourselves to their rights, as students, to a proper education, and know that they will conquer these standards.

However, patience cannot be underscored. Yes, this week, as I introduced a new presentation tool, called Haiku Deck, I answered a thousand questions, from, "Mrs. Farmer, how do you spell haiku?" to "Mrs. Farmer, how do you log in?" The students ran up to me constantly. But, honestly, I loved it. They were engaged, and excited to learn something new. I was happy to help them.

Yes, the Common Core is tough, but it's not impossible. An education that transforms lives is a thousand mile journey that begins with a single step. Patience and faith in our students abilities is a great place to start.

CCSS Middle Grades ELA Lesson: What's Your Brave?

Over the last several weeks, my students and I have compared and contrasted the Civil Rights Movement with the Holocaust using the novels, Claudette Colvin: Twice Towards Justice by Phillip Hoose and The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.

Recently, the students wrote about personal power. Is one individual powerful or powerless to change society? Most students believed that one person could change society and make a difference.

However, my question now to my students is, "What does that really mean, and what amount of courage, bravery, or inner fortitude does it take to be the lone visionary fighting for a cause?"

Tomorrow, my students and I will examine this topic further through the essential question:

 

What is your brave?

                                                              Sara Bareilles' "Brave"

                                                       http://youtu.be/QUQsqBqxoR4


The students will read the following article by Stephen Covey. It talks about stepping out of your personal comfort zone, and offers guiding questions for students to discuss. The students will brainstorm, and write about their own struggles and what actions they can take to overcome them.
http://www.angelfire.com/bug/brownjay/courage.htm

Next, the students will compare their stories with another young teen who turned her own bullying experience into a positive message for other teens.
http://usat.ly/1bkkMhA

The students will complete a formal essay by Wednesday on the topic.

The students will exit the class by answering the question.
What is the one action you will focus on to be braver today?

I'm excited about the discoveries we will make tomorrow!

RL.6.9: Compare and contrast texts in terms of their approaches to similar themes.
RI.6.3: Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, or elaborated in a text.
RI.6.7: Integrate information presented in different media formats as well as in words to get a coherent understanding of the topic or issue.

It's About the Journey: Enjoy It

"Oh, tell me more!" states a former mentor enthusiastically as she bends over to the table next to her to grab a pencil and paper.

"Really...you want to hear my story?" I say in almost a state of disbelief.

"Yes, please go on..."

I go on to tell this blessed teacher, the story of how I used a single magazine article as a springboard to deeper content knowledge, character development through a student led book drive, learning opportunities by a guest speaker based off the article, and now coming full circle, the follow up story that will soon be published featuring my own students.

My former mentor looked in my eyes with pure happiness, and reached for my hand, and quietly said, "Thank you for sharing your teaching victory with me."

At that moment, her students pulled her away, and I was left feeling completely at peace.

This story happened recently at an academic bowl meet hosted by my school. I was a reader, and I glanced up from my papers to see this marvelous teacher sitting straight as a arrow across the room totally engrossed in the moment with her students. I gasped and thought, "There she is!" I witnessed her teaching only once during my student teaching, but it left a deep impact on me. Decades in the field hadn't stilted her a bit. She brought enthusiasm, wit, strength, professionalism, and most importantly, a positive message everyday to students and colleagues alike.

Later that night, I reached out to my mother, a retired educator, and asked her with frustration, "Why do so many teachers act like teaching is a jail sentence?" They groan, "How many years do you have left?" "Oh, I've served 10, 15. 20... years. I hope I can make it ......more years."

My mother, a wise woman, and true educator, replied, "The sad part is that after you "serve" all those years, the only thing left waiting for you is old age. All teachers must learn to enjoy the journey."

When I think on my career, I hope to meet each day with enthusiasm, knowing that as an educator I'm not serving a term, I'm making a positive difference. I'm changing lives.

So let us all reclaim our love for education and remain dreamers, romantics, and celebrators of knowledge, life, and all that is good. Let us be thankful, and enjoy our journey each and every day.