Back to the Future

I began my career in education teaching first grade in an inner city school, one with the highest poverty in district, Mamie Brosnan Elementary. Many of my students had never attended kindergarten and some had never learned to cut with scissors or hold pencils. Almost every child in the school lived in the housing projects that surrounded the school. I was fortunate to have a para-professional. Like me, it was her first year as an educator. Although she did not have a degree in education, she had an understanding of the growth and development of young children as the mother of two young children. She was eager to learn about "teaching school" and was a very hard worker. We were a great team. I loved working with her. Many of our experiences during that first year laid the foundation for my career. At the time, I had no idea how much the year would serve to shape my career. There are many experiences from that year that I want to share...therefore, I have created a series of posts related to this topic.

My classroom was located across from the office. The principal came into my room regularly....mostly just to say hello, and to check to see how things were going, but often times, he would ask my opinion on things he was pondering or wanting to accomplish. I remember how important he made me feel by asking me, a first year teacher, what I thought...as if I knew something! Whether I knew anything at all about the issues that he was dealing with, really didn't matter. What mattered and what I learned from this was how important it makes someone feel when you ask their opinion....and how important it is to visit classrooms often...because it is within these drop by visits and through these informal conversations that relationships are formed...trust is built...confidence is gained and the seeds of teacher leadership are planted. It shows that you care and there is nothing more important than caring.

Today, as I reflect on how much I appreciated the principal asking my opinion, my thoughts, and my ideas, I am reminded that it's not just young, first year teachers who appreciate this opportunity for input, but all people appreciate this. I'm also reminded that our students appreciate this opportunity too. As the school year approaches, try to find out what your students are interested in, what their passions are.....ask their opinion about what they want to learn and how they want to learn it.....then try to teach the concepts they have to learn through their interests. Show you care and they will learn.

Salman Khan: Let's use video to reinvent education | Video on TED.com

Salman Khan: Let's use video to reinvent education Video on TED.com

When Budget is on Your Mind

Think about these things: Live, Love, and Learn....

1. As your students share their lives with you, cherish every moment... live their lives with them by listening to their stories, reading the things they write, and looking at their pictures

2. Laugh at the funny things they say....love the humor they add to your life...enjoy being in the presence of your students

3. Look for the spark to ignite in their eyes....this is a clue of their learning

4. Remember...they are children.....if your patience is growing thin, don't take it out on them

5. Learn how to design work for your students using things that will be of interest to them....they will love you for it.....and they will learn more than you could ever imagine.

the versatile blogger...

Accepting an award graciously requires some thought and preparation. There are three ingredients that every acceptance should include: Gratitude, recognition, and sincerity. Accepting the Versatile Blogger award is certainly no exception. Many thanks to Abigail at The Washington Post for considering A Day in the Life of a Teacher worthy of the Versatile Blogger Award. I am truly honored! One might say that I'm addicted to blogging. I love reading the blogs I follow and rarely ever let a day pass by without checking them for updates. The writers of the blogs I follow allow me and others to catch a glimpse into their lives through their writing. The pictures they post are windows into their world. They allow me to peek inside their lives no matter how far away they live and I feel connected to them. Their blogs make me smile from the inside out. I have loved Abigail's blog from the first day it came online. I love the name, her writing style, topics, and her pictures. Abigail, thank you for taking the time to create The Washington Post.

7 things About Me:

1. I love people. I love watching people. I love everything about people--adults and children. Because of this, I am able to connect with people very quickly. I am able to connect so quickly that I actually have to be aware that some people may be uncomfortable when someone connects with them too quickly. I try to remember that everyone does not connect as easily as I do. In fact, I am very cautious about how fast I connect, so much so that I sometimes hold back when I first meet someone, if I notice that they may be feeling a little uneasy. Sometimes connecting with people easily is a strength. Sometimes it's a weakness. My family teases me that I wear a sign around my neck that says "Weirdos come talk to me!"....honestly, I'm like a magnet, weirdos are attracted to me!


2. My mother insisted in making sure that I was "well rounded". I took tap, ballet, point, jazz, acrobatics, piano, organ, and guitar throughout elementary, middle, and high school. I even took organ all through college. My mother believed that I needed to develop self-confidence and that the way to do this was by taking classes. She was right. I developed self-confidence. Some of you may not even know that when I was young, I was quite shy and totally lacked self-confidence.


3. My father traveled a lot when I was growing up and he often brought home gifts from his travels. Once he gave me a mirrored carousel record player. The carousel set on top of the records in the middle of the turn table. The records had illustrations on them that reflected in the carousel. As the records turned, the pictures reflected in the mirrored carousel giving the appearance that they were really moving. He gave me the softest kid leather gloves, perfume in velvet boxes, and art sets. My mother and father are very generous people. My goal is to be as generous to my daughter as they have been to me.


4. My father taught me how to paint. When I was in middle school, we sat side by side and learned how to paint with oils together. He showed me how to mix the paints, how to sketch, and how to look at something and draw what I saw. He taught me about perspective, not just perspective in drawing, but in life. The first picture we painted together was a bowl of raw eggs. I truly believe that everyone has the ability to draw.


5. I love to look at toes. I think it is connected to my love of people. Everyone's toes are unique. There are no two alike. Just like snowflakes. I have always wondered if there was a connection to people's personalities based on their toes. Just like people say that over time people begin to look like their dogs.....I wonder, if a person's toes are short and rounded, does that mean they have a bubbly personality?


6. I love kudzu. When I ride down the road, I constantly search for kudzu covered trees and objects. It's like trying to make animal shapes or images out of the clouds in the sky. That's what I do with kudzu. There are two children's books that I've been wanting to write. One would be about toes....and the other about kudzu.


7. When I sew, I often sew things upside down, inside out, and backwards when I first begin. Then, I take it apart, figure out where I made my mistakes, and start all over again. No matter how hard it is, no matter how much I have messed up, I can't rest until I've fixed it, the right way. I'm OK with making mistakes because I learn from them. I'm not OK with giving up or throwing it away.

In closing, I'd like to pass the Versatile Blogger Award onto some of my favorite blogs:

1. My sister, Jaimie, who blogs about raising her two sons, Bird and Billy
2. Trevor, a colleague and special art teacher, who has a gallery of his paintings and mixed media work in Brush Philosophy
3. Chris and April, who blog about their Life in the Sham
4. Friend and colleague, Mendy, who takes me Into the Woods
5. A friend who is Positively Beth
6. Jennifer who inspired me Living By the Sea and while Running Through the Grass
7. Carrie, who opened the door of blogging to me through The Slow-Dripped Life

When one accepts the Versatile Blogger award, there are a few requirements.

1. Thank and link back to the person that gave you the award.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Pass the award on to 7 blogs you've recently discovered and enjoy.
4. Leave your recipients a note, telling them about the award

Thank you, Abigail, for this honor. Writing this post was personally gratifying. I think that might be why I enjoy blogging so much--the personal gratification is a wonderful feeling.

Second Year Teachers

I've just spent one whole week with my daughter "volunteering" in her first grade classroom. The week far exceeded my expectations and heart's desire. Number one, I wanted to spend time with my daughter. Since she lives in Alaska I don't see her often. She's the best daughter anyone could ever hope to have. She calls her dad and me everyday and sometimes I even forget that she's over four thousand miles away. Number two, I wanted to try to help her to become the best first grade teacher any child could ever hope to have. I wanted to teach her everything that I know about teaching children to read and write.



Teaching side-by-side with her was simply an incredible experience. The truth is, I think I learned more from her, than she did from me. As the children walked in the door, I saw her greet each child one by one, calling each child by name with a huge smile on her face, welcoming them to school. The sparkle in their eyes reminded me how much first graders love their teachers. The anticipation of the learning that was before them for the day was ever present as they sat on the carpet in a community meeting. She took attendance and the lunch count with the greatest of ease. She looked at the class "name chart" and read each name, the children looked around at their friends' faces, while she and some of the children commented, if the child was present or not. She quickly asked, "who wants a hot lunch today?" Hands flew in the air and she quickly counted them. At some point within the next few minutes, she slipped to the computer and entered the information she had just gathered. It appeared effortless. Children shared a few highlights from their activities since they left school the day before or their anticipated events of that day. Within minutes, the instructional day began.



She teaches reading the first part of the day. Teaching first graders to read and write has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. I'm thrilled that my daughter will also be able to taste the miracle of opening the world of literacy in the lives of tomorrow's future. From the start of one lesson to the end of the lesson, we were able to see children growing in their knowledge and understandings. Miracles were happening right before our eyes. Number three--with children in the palm of your hand, sitting at the edge of your feet, absorbing your every word, internalizing instruction, and acting on the learning, I was reminded of the power of good instruction. When a teacher knows what to say and do and designs instruction based on children's needs, the children learn.



Number four--children need to experience math. I watched her teach a math lesson to the entire class. Then the children were given an opportunity to practice their learning in a math journal. Upon completion of the journaling, they shifted into working in their math stations. They played math games in small groups or with a partner. I became the new kid in class and they welcomed me with open arms. I had no trouble finding someone who would let me play with them. It was such a pleasure to listen to the children "teach" me how to play the games. It was very obvious that their teacher had taught them well. I had no trouble understanding the games and found them quite fun. But, most of all, being able to "experience" math with the children was a tremendous learning for me. It's been many years since I've spent five whole days in a first grade classroom. The math games illuminated the math concepts so clearly for the children. While we were "playing", my daughter reviewed the math journals. Any children who did not demonstrate understanding of the concept she taught, were immediately brought together in small groups for reteaching, while the others worked in stations playing math games. Additionally, throughout the week, she assessed children's knowledge on key concepts, individually. She gathered input on their rationale and thinking related to their knowledge of the concepts. She gathered grades and recorded them, without me ever seeing her "give a test". Incredible.



Number five--parent volunteers are awesome. On Friday she had several parent volunteers work the better part of the day creating little books for her reading class and math games. They sat on the floor trimming the many games they had laminated. Parents came and ate lunch with their children throughout the week. Parents dropped by the classroom and visited at the beginning of the day and at the end of the day. My daughter teaches on an Air Force Base. These parents brought a new understanding to me of "parents as partners" in a child's education. Seeing our military personnel take such an interest in their children's lives and education was rewarding beyond measure. Listening to the children share their many experiences was unlike anything I've ever witnessed in any school. Many of the children had lived all over the world and brought experiential backgrounds that ranged as far as the world is wide. Because of this, when we worked on creating a community, the children had no trouble identifying the key community helpers. They are the only children I've ever taught that had any concept of the need for water in a community. We saved milk cartons, juice cups, and yogurt containers for the community we were building. One child selected a container and said, "This will be our water tank. A community can't exist without water." Amazing.



To my daughter, her students, and the teachers in her school---thank you for sharing your lives with me. I learned so much from you.

Working with a Co-Teacher

Classroom teachers work with a variety of support teachers because children may need a variety of services. Services are provided for special education, English language learning, and additional educational support. There are many ways support is provided. The support teacher may pull the child from the regular classroom and serve them in a special classroom. However, the teacher may serve the child in the regular classroom. This service is often referred to as “push in”; the resource teacher pushes into the regular classroom, to serve the child.
If the resource teacher pushes into the regular classroom to serve a child or children, the two teachers should work together to provide the educational services to all the children in the classroom. The classroom teacher and the support teacher must discuss each of their expectations for the services. When the classroom teacher and co-teacher work together as a team, all the children in the classroom benefit greatly. However, working as a team does not happen without thoughtful planning.

When a resource teacher “pushes into” the regular education classroom, often times, the support teacher feels like she should take a back seat, after all, it is not her “classroom”. When this happens, a highly trained teacher may simply “support” the regular classroom teacher and therefore, provide limited services to children. When this occurs, the resource teacher does not really ever teach. However, when a resource teacher pushes into the regular classroom, if the two teachers work as a team, an observer would not know which teacher was the regular classroom teacher or the resource teacher. The two teachers share the teaching responsibilities. Learning to do this and working as a team will be hard work. It will take time planning together and being honest with each other. The following issues need to be discussed for co-teaching to be successful:

1. If grades are required, who will be responsible for them? Is it the regular education teacher’s responsibility or the special education/resource teacher’s?

2. How are grades established? Work together to develop and establish grading guidelines.

3. Classroom management. Whose classroom management procedures will be used? Classroom teachers and resource teachers should discuss the classroom management styles and roles they expect of each other in order to maintain a smoothly running classroom.

4. Time to co-plan. Each week, resource teachers and classroom teachers need time together to plan. One suggestion is to take 45 minutes every week. Another suggestion is to take one-half to one full day every six weeks to discuss and plan extensively. Meet with the school administrators and establish planning time.

Working with a co-teacher can be a positive experience for a new teacher. Use this opportunity to collaborate and partner with another educator. Learn from each other.

Relationships

There are so many kinds of relationships: parent and child, husband and wife, and teacher and student. There are collegial and peer relationships, professional relationships, and congenial and volatile relationships. Last week I had the privilege of listening to my husband address a small group of new employees, new teachers to a school district. He challenged them to build relationships with their students; to take an interest in their lives. He shared a story of his fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Brown, and the impact she had made on his life. Mrs. Brown shared his love of baseball and through baseball, she hooked him as a learner all year. His life was ever changed because of her. In the spring of that year, he looked in the stands, and there she was watching him play baseball. Over 20 years later, when he obtained his first position as a high school principal, he received a letter from her, congratulating him on becoming a high school principal and expressing her pride in his accomplishment. Thirteen years later, he still has this letter. Mrs. Brown made an impact on his life. A big impact. She showed him how to care about kids. She showed him how to care about people. From her, he learned one of life’s most important lessons. He learned how to connect with people. As a learner he experienced the difference a teacher can make in your life. He experienced what it is feels like for your teacher to “hook” you as a learner….to find out what makes you “click”….and then design work for you around your interest. I challenge you to get to know your students, learn their interests, their heart desires, and what makes them “click”. Through getting to know them, relationships will be built. In the end, that’s all that really matters.