How Did You Get That Answer?

First off, I continue each week to grow in my appreciation and love of the teaching profession.  I am inspired, humbled, motivated and encouraged by all of the teacher leaders who are in my life and those whom I read about and learn from online.  We live is such an amazing time in which knowledge, education and instruction are so readily available to us as educators.  I say educators present tense because we are already educators.  I have seen so much growth in myself and all of my classmates over the past 2 years and I just want to say keep up the hard work!  

This week I have been learning about NCPTS and breaking down part 1C and 1D for my week.  I also was able to spend a little time in the classroom and though I didn’t really do anything, I observed a lot.  Seeing those little people working diligently on their tasks, adhering very well to the class routine (behavior and expectations).  The students were really excited to see me, more so than the first two weeks, so I guess me being there is making a difference.  Once again, I believe they are  a great class to work with.  Also this week, we are looking at the Mathematical Standards and analyzing them.  I really think this is a great way to instill into students the importance of problem solving and critical thinking in all subjects and in life.  Here are the standards in a nutshell:

1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them
2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively
3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others
4. Model with mathematics
5. Use appropriate tools strategically
6. Attend to precision
7. Look for and make use of structure
8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning

I know we all have to do some research on these this week, so I won’t bore you with details on every one of them.  I just thought I would talk about how I would like to use them and possibilities of a few of them.  

In this day and age of technology, information and Google answers (why is there not an app called that?) it is easy to just look up information or answers to things, but no critical thinking is involved necessarily.  Also, how do you know it is 100 percent correct?  That is why it is important for students to be able to connect with the content and come up with the reasoning.  For instance, when technology fails or they are limited on its use, students will have to figure out the best solution (2 and 3).  How do you fight to get the right answer?  Do you give up very easily or do you persevere? (1,2)  What does your work look like?  Is it correct?  Also, how do you fact check? (6, 4  Once you have come up with a solution, how do you make sure that is the best possible outcome? (8) or what tools would you use to solve the problem? (5).  These are just a few ways to look at the standards.  This could apply to research, writing, reading, math, science, etc…  I think this is a great way to look at these standards.  We can teach students about fractions, but if they are able to reason and look at it from different angles like visualizing something they recognize like a pizza and how it could be divided into slices, I feel they will be able to retain the information better.  Making the content relevant and meaningful have been key components in creating lesson plans.  That is because we should not teach ONLY for students to pass an EOG.  We should teach them how to do quality work, think about solutions, (the 4 C’s: collaborate, communicate, be creative and think critically.) This will help them in the workforce, but also life in general.  Students need to take all of the advantages we didn’t have 15-20 years ago and use them in a powerful way.

This relates to teaching standard 4: Teachers Facilitate Learning for Their Class.  What a great method to ingrain into or students’ minds and thought process.  As a teacher, we should always think of ways in which we can help students to advance their learning.  Especially those students who struggle at times with confidence or problem solving.  I would like to use this in all subjects because like I said previously, it is a very great tool to promote the higher level of reasoning that we want students to achieve.  Like Dr. Parker recommended, make copies for students to put in their notebooks, plaster it all over the classroom, take a small chunk of each day to review how to use the standards and what the reasoning is behind them.  Creating lessons and delivering content in a way that gets them to think is also a way to incorporate this approach to learning.  Is it the only way?  No, but it is a great way for sure!

Literacy....More Than Reading

Once again, I was privileged to spend the entire day on Tuesday with my classroom.  Now, I know it is not "my" classroom, but I have already decided that they are my group until I finish next semester.  I have memorized all but two names (if I were to do a lightening round to name them all, I would be mostly right.) but more than knowing their names, I have learned a lot about them in the three visits I have made so far.  Learning students academic levels and proficiencies are very important, but knowing their quirks, their motivations, set backs and social inadequacies are just as important in my opinion.  How we motivate and inspire depends on their willingness to learn and participate.

This week in Literacy Practicum, we have been learning about reluctant readers and how to motivate and educate all situations we may come across in the classroom.  Some are above grade level but are not motivated because they are bored.  Some are not proficient and they may feel shy or embarrassed so they may not participate either.  So how do we empower them and encourage them?  That is something we will learn more about and practice in the next two semesters.  When we model good reading practice, then we have a better chance at helping student in both camps work harder toward the goal.  Examples go far beyond the standard book series or famous novel.  We can/could use graphic novels, magazines (appropriate for grade level and age of course), interactive reading, audible formats, etc... It is our responsibility to research and find what works best for all of our students.

In my classroom, we have been implementing a Reading Workshop literacy unit/program written by Debbie Rosenow Dr. Jan Richardson and Hollie Steele.  In this 20 day program, we will be developing good reading habits (physical posture while reading, fluency, comprehension, writers workshop etc...) as well as hopefully motivating students by encouraging them to read, finding what style or series they enjoy, going beyond what they are capable of.  I am pretty excited about this and hope to add my input on new ways to teach literacy and writing.  My CE allowed me to lead on a few of the sessions Tuesday so that I can show that I enjoy reading as well.  The students really got into it and I hope they continue to find what books/literature they like to read.

Upon doing some research on ideas to lead a 21 Century classroom in ELA, I found this site:  https://www.english.com/blog/21st-century-skills  the main view point focused on in this particular post was that students should be able to:

• Perform independently and with groups in a highly technologically advanced atmosphere 
• Be ready for daily, global interaction  
• Be cable of adaptive, flexible and creative thinking 
• Understand how to plan for, build, and include collaboration with peers who are colleagues and experts in the field.  

I certainly think these things are doable, but quite possibly could be problematic for some school systems and or teachers.  But this is the new way, the future of society and the way students learn life skills that they will use in the future.  This site also listed the 4 C's (Communication, Critical Thinking, Creativity, Collaboration).  I really like this view point on education and could certainly see it being the focal point of my future classroom.  The class I am student teaching in has a huge culture of teamwork as well as the entire school.  I know when I was in school, I don't remember teamwork promoted as much, but I think this is a great way to introduce better scaffolding for students, differentiate learning as well as develop student camaraderie and encourage better, more efficient work from students.  That accountability factor is huge for me.

This encompasses NC Teaching Standard 3: Teachers Facilitate Learning for their students.  My reasoning is that it is important for teachers to know what methods, lessons, structures work best for their students to learn.  The reading plan we are using in the class is a great way to facilitate literacy in a positive way for our students.  There are certainly other ways as well, but this works best for our school system for now.  As I grow in my role as a teacher (student for now) and on into my very own classroom, I will always want to strive to deliver the best content and use the best delivery method for that content to better prepare my students for the real world.  But not at in a way that they think education/school is a waste of time.  More in the way of developing their problem solving skills, independent practice and furthering their education beyond k-12!

Follow the Leader

This was a great week for me.  I was able to spend the first 2 days in my classroom as a student teacher.  I was introduced formally to the students I will be working with,  I was able to get comfortable with the layout of the school (definitely want to know how to navigate the campus) and start building a relationship with students to make my transition to fulltime student teaching successful.  I have taken thousands of mental notes as well as digital notes on my iPad of ways in which I would like to develop my personal style, classroom management plan and what type of lessons I will be able to do with my particular students.  We all know that differentiation and integration are KEY in today's classroom.  So it is important to find what works best with your group of students.  The other thing that I noticed is how important integration will be to cover all areas of subject matter to create well rounded students and to get them to see how all subjects are interwoven into our lives in one way or another.




But where do you start with all of these concepts?  How do you get their attention? (not JUST their imagination, but their mental and physical attention)  This is one thing I have really focused on learning about this week.  There are many tricks and methods to capturing a room.  If the students are not into what you are teaching, it will be hard on you.  If you give them too many directions at once it will be hard on you as an educator.  If you let them do what they want without some type of structure, you can lose their respect and it will be hard on you.  Now I am not saying they should never try things independently, I am saying do not neglect to give them some form of direction.  My age group to work with is 4th grade, so they are becoming more independent, but they still need guidance and assistance to an extent. 




Here are a few methods I have learned from my CE as I have observed;


--From the classroom:

• To get the attention of a noisy room, the CE would alternate signals such as: "Class, if you can hear me clap once, class if you can hear me clap twice."  She would do this with them to let everyone know that they need to stop what they are doing and pay attention.  There are other call out type methods such as thumbs up, touch your ears, nose, etc... I was able to try some of these ideas and hope to develop my own.  They work!  I tried the: "Ok class settle down" approach to no avail.  But, when I would speak to them and instruct them: "Thumbs up if you can hear me" or I would simply raise my hand and acknowledge what table is doing the right thing (paying attention, desk clear, and ready to move on) I had their full attention.  It was like magic!  In our classroom, we have expectations and the students learned them from the first day, so they catch on pretty quick as to what to do.
• Transitions.  This is something I struggled with since the beginning of leading a classroom.  I am learning that this is a crucial element to getting the students to move from one task to the other.  With many different types of learners, you have to be able as a teacher to keep their attention as well as deliver content in multiple areas and do it consistently.  That is difficult for sure, but it is doable.  Once you know your class routine, schedule and lesson progressions, this is a lot easier.  That is why it is critical to learn every aspect of your Clinical classroom and how to effectively write and teach great lessons.
• Giving clear and precise instruction.  The lesson or activity (and transitions) will go so much better when you give great direction and instruction.  If you don't know what you are doing, the students will not know what to do.  If you don't ask them to repeat (formally assess) the directions, you will spend valuable learning and teaching time reviewing the assignment and instructions to the class or each student as they come up to you and ask how to do something.

These are just three points of our craft as teachers that I have thought about and reflected on this week.  One really cool concept my CE has conveyed to the class is the idea we are all learners as well as teachers.  We are a team, granted the Teacher is the director of the team, we are all working together.  This encompasses the NC Teaching standard: Teacher as leader.  It is important to for teachers to not only be a leader, but know how to lead effectively.  This can be achieved by edCamps, blogs, edchats on Twitter etc...but it is the responsibility of the teacher to learn and establish the vibe of the room.  Also, we should consider our students' future teachers.  How do we want them to operate in another class?  Hopefully it will be a reflection of all the hard work we put into our students.


Classroom management is not impossible.  It can be hard work, but this (teaching) is not an easy job.  In order to be an effective teacher and use the little window of hours in a day that we have to teach, we HAVE to hone in on these skills.  They are not really natural to many people.  Some folks certainly have a way better skill set in this area.  But I believe with practice and research, we can find what works best for us.  Yelling and being hateful should not be on our list.  It is all in how you build your class expectations in the beginning.  Will you have "those days?" of course.  But you can limit "those days" by learning different techniques and being consistent with them.  What are some ways you have learned to lead?

Where Do We Begin?

This week starts the process of becoming a teacher (or educator if you prefer).  I have been working hard toward this moment and it is finally here!  I a bit nervous, apprehensive at times, and excited or stoked if you will.  I know that as educators and professionals, we will constantly be learning as we journey into our career.  That is probably why that is one of the teaching standards (NCTCS 3 and 5), but I would think that in any career you would want to continue to grow.  But we are talking #teacherlife here.  Some might think that teaching is easy.  They may categorize it as:

• you get summers off (free and clear of any responsibility AND get paid)
• you make a decent wage (which is true, but the amount of hours a GOOD teacher puts in: in and out of the classroom can arguably decrease the money to work ratio)
• you have all of the answers in the answer key (true but as we have learned pedagogy, behavior management, dealing with parents in a positive way, classroom design etc... are not taught as much as learned and there is not a clear cut way to deal with every situation)
• it's not manual labor....must be easy  

All of these, to me are misconceptions that people have.  Yes, school is out for the summer (I can hear Alice Cooper singing that chorus now), but that doesn't mean we are to neglect learning our craft.  It is a nice break for sure, but we can still be creating and learning through this time.  Learning HOW to instruct, why we instruct that way, and what are the outcomes of our instruction will be my goal this semester.  I plan on being proficient to the best of my abilities before student teaching and especially before I get my own classroom.  Will this happen in a school year?  Not fully.  It is a continuous thing, but I am confident in my classmates and in the instruction we have been given to lead us in the right direction.  I plan to take advantage of this experience to develop and implement my own style, pedagogy, class culture and teaching culture in my future school and classroom.

I have learned a lot from my CE already by asking questions.  How do you manage your classroom?  How are the learning blocks designed?  When is lunch? (really, that is important.  Have you every tried to teach a hungry kid?) What are the "behind the scenes duties?  etc...  I have found that using notes (Evernote specifically)  and learning as much as possible up front will be the key to my success.  Here is a list of Twitter chats that have proven helpful to me and helped me develop a PLN community:  https://sites.google.com/site/twittereducationchats/education-chat-calendar I have learned a lot from other educators as well as getting connected with edCamps and other teacher growth conferences.  This is how to stay up to date on the latest and greatest from those who have been doing this for a hot minute. 

You Are Not The Teacher

I recently had the opportunity to be part of Ed Camp Spark in the QC (Charlotte that is) and one of the workshops I visited was for PBL.  Not Project Based Learning however, but Problem Based Learning.  It is a hot topic among educators and a style that if you are not familiar with, you should be.  I have not been able to use it obviously, but I plan to incorporate it into student teaching as much as possible.  The premise is you allow students to, in a sense, design their own learning.  As opposed to the traditional lecture, drill, do a worksheet, and take a test (which has been proven not as effective for learning in most cases.)  But in a way, with PBL, You are not the teacher.

 Now don't get excited.  Don't kick your feet up just yet.  You are still in charge, but you will be acting as a moderator, a catalyst if you will, to get the students into deep thinking mode.  One article I found stated: "Problem-based learning (PBL) is a student-centered approach in which students learn about a subject by working in groups to solve an open-ended problem." (Cornell) So you can see how this can really open up a new learning experience for students and teachers alike.  Granted, this may take a little more planning and attention to detail, but it really shouldn't be anymore difficult than another style of teaching and instructing.  In an article from Stanford:

 "Regardless of how topics were selected, the instructor presents the problems to student groups before providing any formal instruction on the topic. (Allen, Duch and Groh [1996], however, suggest that problems be introduced with “minilectures” that provide some context for the problem and identify areas of potential difficulty.)" (Standford)

 This approach to the classroom has been an ongoing technique for a number of years so it is not cutting edge necessarily.  But it encourages deep thinking, problem solving, leadership, personalized learning and teambuilding skills.  It breaks from the traditional model in a good way and hopefully, if done well, encourages students to WANT to learn as opposed to having to learn.  I can see it being beneficial to differentiating the learning experience by offering students who may struggle in an independent context as well as those who are more advanced learners hone in on some new skills.  You can really diversify the content by creating "jobs" for each student within the assignment.  It also teaches students to think for themselves and learn how to develop the best solution or correct one another if they are off track: 

"A critical part of assessment in PBL is the feedback students receive from their peers." (Standford)

 This connects to Standard 2: Teachers establish an environment for a diverse population of students.  This helps the variety of students within a classroom regardless of ability or social group.  It encourages team mentality and potentially helps all students learn more efficiently.  PBL also can connect to standard 4: Teachers facilitate learning.  It is the teacher's responsibility to design, learn about and deliver the best possible teaching methods for their classroom.  Each student is different in their abilities and comprehension.  Each year is different (sometimes every quarter) so being able to implement new strategies throughout the year is imperative.  So how could you use PBL in the classroom?  I can see it being beneficial in Unit design as well as on the fly lessons as long as they teach the standards obviously.  One thing to consider is time and resources, but I feel like it is certainly possible in most all situations. 


Works Cited:

 

http://web.stanford.edu/dept/CTL/cgi-bin/docs/newsletter/problem_based_learning.pdf

http://www.cte.cornell.edu/teaching-ideas/engaging-students/problem-based-learning.html

Classroom Chaos or Classroom Masterpiece?

All of us will eventually (hopefully already) come up with a game plan for classroom management.  This is something I feel will be a weak point for me at times because I am kind of a push over.  BUT, I am aware of what I need to work on so I am constantly looking at articles to find out what great strategies are out there in the world of education.

My dilemma is how do you control those Lone Rangers, quiet those chatty Kathys and encourage those Debbie Downers?  All while teaching those students who were sent from heaven?  How do you punish or discipline students without creating a negative outcome?  How do you reward some students while denying others?  For some students, the classroom is their only solace and safe haven. Some students, they are natural born class clowns....like I was.  But there are ways (tricks of the trade) that we can accommodate all students' needs while instructing and enjoying the classroom.

I recently found an article that was a bit old, but had some great resources in it on classroom management.  I am cruising into the upper grade levels for my teaching journey, so it is exactly what I was looking for. The article was from the site: middleweb.com . It is titled: "10 Ways to Sabotage Your Classroom Management".  Some of the ideas and issues on the list are Smiling at the Wrong Times, Handing Behavior issues Publicly, and only speaking in "Don'ts".  For example: If I tell you not to think about a hot fudge sundae, what do you think about? Yep, a hot fudge sundae. Similarly, if you tell a seventh grade boy not to tap his pencil, he still has pencil tapping on the brain. Alternative: Tell students what to do. These directives can address the problem at hand (Jake, put your pencil under your textbook until I tell you to use it) or distract the student with another activity altogether (Jake, read number 4 for me, please). (middleweb.com) This is one example.  It really kind of make sense doesn't it?  Also, sometimes, teachers talk too much not giving students enough time to answer or talk through their answer.  Another point was that the teacher doesn't wait until everyone is paying attention to give instruction or just plain being boring.  One other tidbit she noted was that sometimes, distracting the student or asking them to read aloud or explaining what times it is appropriate to crack jokes and or be silly can help you keep your students on track.  

Having kids myself, I get the fact that each kid is different and each student's needs are different.  That is why as an educator, it is imperative that we know how to handle each situation whether it is a class clown trying to get a laugh or a student who has home life issues and just needs someone to love them and encourage positivity in their life.  This is different every year so you can't really pass a test to learn how to do this other than trial and error.  I feel this is right in line with Standard 1 (Teachers demonstrate leadership) in that teachers lead their classrooms well.  It is an important and probably easiest parts of the profession in my opinion.  It also emphasizes Standards 2 and 4.  We are to facilitate learning for all students in all circumstances as well as know how to organize a classroom that empowers, challenges and leads students in the best way possible.  Are we going to have "THOSE" days?  Of course!  It would be boring if we didn't.  But classroom management is possible without being "that" teacher that no one wants.  Hopefully, we will become "that" teacher that students respect and look up to.

Works Cited: 

http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/coach_gs_teaching_tips/Classroom%20Chaos%20to%20Control.jpg

http://www.middleweb.com/19037/10-ways-sabotage-classroom-management/
https://mentalillnessmom2mom.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/chaos-classroom.jpg

So, You Want To Be A Teacher?

I have pondered the last couple of months about becoming a teacher.  I feel I have always had a teacher mindset with my own sons.  It has caused me to cautiously model my actions, take opportunities to instruct, know when to NOT instruct, allow them to develop their own ideas and strategies and discipline effectively.  All of these things have been bonuses to me in my teacher journey.  Teaching for me is derivative of being a parent.  Now I know not all teachers are parents, and that doesn’t mean if you ARE a parent you will be a better teacher.  What I am saying is, if we go into teaching thinking of it as a job, then we will soon find ourselves wishing we hadn’t. 

That sounds kind of negative….I know.  BUT, what I am saying is, being a teacher is not or should not be looked at as a 9-5 “job”.  Nor should it be looked at as just having to pass a test, or interview.  Some jobs are like that, but teaching to me is a career…a journey…a commitment.  To be great, you have to submerse yourself in something.  If you are only wanting to “try” teaching, I would say, controversially, don’t do it.  You don’t “try” being a parent (unless you are babysitting I guess).  The point is, to be a great teacher we have to constantly be learning our craft.  That means, we are always going to be learning after college and beyond.  If you want to be a GREAT teacher, you will learn to implement different styles, tactics, pedagogy, life lessons into your classroom.  IF you want to be a GREAT teacher, you will learn what you are teaching (hopefully we already have learned it).  If YOU want to be a GREAT teacher, you will learn the best ways each day and each year for how you teach your students.  Now can you be a good teacher without these things, possibly.  But to do ANYTHING in life that is GREAT that creates a legacy that is above average you have to work hard at it and really love it.  I don’t say all of this to discourage or sound arrogant.  I just believe this is how we make our schools better.  Through teamwork, dedication, continued learning and commitment, we can make our schools even better.  And there are some great schools all around.  Our students deserve the best.  Does that mean we don’t have a life?  No.  It just means we should set aside time to develop our craft, sometimes in real time, sometimes outside of the classroom.

This little rant connects to the NC Teaching standards:  Teachers III • Teachers know the content they teach.  It is important, once again, that we as teachers are well versed in differentiation, DOK, Bloom’s Taxonomy and other great resources to help us make the learning experience excellent for our students.  It also connects to:  Teachers IV • Teachers facilitate learning for their students. Our mission individually and as a team in our school is to create a rich environment of learning that is challenging, fun, and creative.  It should also produce results and pinpoint problem areas that we can help students need work on.  All of these things are doable.  I feel like we have a great start.  That’s just my two cents.