Memories of the Year : Relationships

This is my first week off of school. I've gotten some time to rest up and spend with my family. I recently became a dad. :) Needless to say, having little Grayson around has really changed my thinking on some things and given me a new perspective on life. So, on to what this blog post is actually about.....

On the last day of school with my 6th graders, I had them first come up with their five greatest memories of the year on a piece of paper. Then, I had them narrow it down to their top memory. They had to get up in front of the class and tell everyone their favorite memory.

As I'm listening, I hear a theme developing. Some of it was subtle. Some of them were more direct. Some danced around it. Some just flat out said it. What was it, you ask?

Relationships. 

Every single favorite memory was about relationships. Examples -

• Meeting new friends
• I was in the same class as my best friend even though I was told I wouldn't be. 
• the time a girl got a zipper stuck in her teeth
• Funny moments galore 
• having a friend's shoulder to cry on when they needed it. 
• letting us work in groups
• culture fest (which was a game day that included lots of activities with fellow students)
• and so on, and so on. 

There wasn't one person who said that doing the social studies country project, or language packets, or reading a specific novel, or interactive notebooks in SS, or you get the picture. None of their favorite memories had to do with "school" work. It was all about relationships and connections with other people. Within all of those relationships the "school" work happened. Or at least I hope it did. Hehe. (Sidenote - I did get feedback on my teaching from them as well. I'll blog it later.)

After they were all done, they asked me to present my favorite memory. As I fought back tears, I told them that it was this moment. The one they had just created. Mainly, I told them that I have loved seeing them grow this year and that I was incredibly happy to see that they have figured out one of the most important things in life. That life is about relationships. I was so happy that they had figured it out. I mean, do I really expect them to remember that the Moors defeated Germanic tribes in the area of Spain? 

When students,... (why am I limiting it to students) When all people understand that life is about relationships and connections, I can imagine a different worldly culture. One where they look to the best interests of others. One of just simply being nice to others. (Bullying comes to mind) One that seeks to not judge others, but to place yourself in another's shoes for a different perspective. 

I'm glad my students understand this. 

Some other blog posts in the near future I'm working on - Interactive Notebooks, Survey Results to Inform for Next Year, and possibly some others. 

A couple quotes to leave you with. Mostly from the book Everyone Communicates, Few Connect by John Maxwell. 

"No matter how much work you can do, no matter how engaging  your personality may be, you will not advance far in business if you cannot work through others." John Craig

"Maturity is the ability to see and act on behalf of others." John Maxwell from Everyone Communicates, Few Connect

"I believe that almost everything we become and all that we accomplish in life are the result of our interaction with others."  John Maxwell from Everyone Communicates, Few Connect

"I think the further along in life we get, the more aware we become of the importance of connecting with others." John Maxwell from Everyone Communicates, Few Connect

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Rough Day......Or Not. Choices.

I had a rough day today.

I spent my recess duty trying to decipher who was responsible in a possible incident that happened in the lunch room during lunch between two students of mine. I was nowhere near the students during this time. The student comes and tells me what happened. (hopefully because they trust me) I thought I had the story straight. I informed those above me that needed to know. They were questioned by the assistant principal. None of the stories panned out as matching and things I was told wasn't told to the assistant principal. The eyewitnesses didn't have the same story. The assistant principal, who is in charge of discipline, made his ruling on the case. It basically resulted in a draw and some new seating arrangements. So, one student was probably telling me the correct story. I could probably trust one of the students more than the other. I talk about building trust. I use trust to motivate. Break the trust. You don't get as much freedom. Keep trust with me = we be jammin'. Break trust with me = you don't get to do much cool stuff like work in the hall, work with friends, work in small groups, sit together on the futon, choose your partner, etc, etc. So what if that student can't trust me now since what they told me was truth? Does having someone else in charge of discipline break trust with teachers? I don't know. Just something I'm pondering at the moment.

I then spent my prep time, 40 minutes, investigating a different altercation that happened at recess. I pulled kids out of their art class to question what happened. About 10 kids in all. I had conflicting stories galore. I had to interrupt another teacher's class to figure out this story. I also passed it off to the assistant principal.

At the end of the day, I asked a student to stop running in the halls as a whole herd of students were was going to the buses. I asked that student to go back and do it correctly. The student did it reluctantly while mouthing off to me. That student then started running again. I asked him to go back and do it correctly again. That student looked right at me. Waited a second and then said, "No!" I was furious. I raised my voice and made that student go back and do it correctly. I then escorted the student all the way to the bus as the student continued to not take responsibility and talk about the other students who were running, which I quickly pointed out as we looked around that there was not any other student running.  That student told me that I continued to ruin their life. I told the student that it was that student's choice to not follow rules/expectations and it had nothing to do with me. I was just enforcing the rules/expectations. The student mouthed off all the way to the buses. If I would have said that to my teachers growing up, I would have been punished accordingly. When I got home off the bus, I would have then been punished more by my loving parents.

Horrible day, right? Yes. It was bad. I hold my emotions in. I don't get too flustered with students. It takes me awhile to get my blood boiling, per se.  But I get the most frustrated when students do stupid things on purpose and they affect others around them that are being respectful and working hard. When they know that what they are doing is wrong and they continue to do it just for the sake of a laugh or to tick me off on purpose.  Their logic makes zero sense to me. I will tell them it doesn't make sense. I honestly, experience situations like today more often than not. So, that's at least every other day. The day before, I had a student tell me that him chewing gum was an accident. We have rules against gum in 6th grade. (Ask me why I don't allow gum and I'll tell you that the week my teaching partner and I did allow it, I stepped in it twice and another was ground into the carpet in my room.) He told me it was a complete accident that he was chewing gum and it wasn't his fault. Literally. He told me it was an accident. An accident. Is it acceptable for me to tell a student that what they just said is the stupidest thing that they could have said at that given moment? What's crossing the line in a situation like this? My mom and dad would have knocked my block off for being so "smart."

In the midst of the chaos that was happening today. I did find time to reflect and think about the great things that do happen.

• Some students (the ones that do work and work hard) have finished a book called Crispin: The Cross of Lead. They have enjoyed the book. It's a Middle Ages historical fiction adventure. 
• Side note - it did tick me off to see a student who isn't finished with the book not take anything home. I asked him if he had any homework to finish up with Crispin. He said no. I told him he needed to take his book home. He laughed and walked off. He lied to me. He isn't working hard. He will probably complain to me about his grade later on. I find it harder and harder to want to help these students. Does that sound bad? Of course it does. Do I literally waste all my energy and time trying to get students like this to at least try to do something? Sure. Is it worth it? Is it worth my sanity to go home exhausted every night? Are these the students that need it most? Of course. I can't do it for them though. There has to be a hint of initiative on their end doesn't there?
• We reviewed dialogue during language arts today. It was great seeing that students had retained a lot of the information. 
• I helped one student complete their SS country project bibliography in a one-on-one setting because he had already finished reading Crispin and wanted to start on it early. 
• I read some of the responses about making connections to Crispin and loved reading them as it not only showed that they made great connections, but that they showed a great knowledge of Crispin as well. 
• We talked about asking Fat (more deep) over Skinny (skimming the surface) questions while reading Crispin. I could see their thinking evolve from Skinny thinkers to Fat thinkers. 
• We've been using Bloom's questions that they are generating to guide our discussions. I have them do a question from each level of Bloom. Wow! When given the opportunity to use the question starters as guides it has served us great purpose and eventually thinking. 
• One student finished their Crispin packet and started working on their SS Interactive Notebook from yesterday. Yes!
• One student finished their Crispin packet and started studying their vocab words for the test tomorrow. Yes!
• I had 6 girls want me to fill out an evaluation for them because they are trying out for the cheer team next year. 
• I heard my teaching partner did well on his observation meeting with the principal. 
• I also lent my shoes to my teaching partner after school because he forgot his for track practice that he coaches. :) My team is great!
• My team is great! After school, one of them came in and shared what they are doing with their country projects. 
• I gave her what I was doing last week. Mutual sharing. Once again, I love my team. 
• One of my students from last year stopped in to say hello. 
• During social studies today, we read about the Crusades. We watched a video on knights today as well. They found a connection between the movie and the reading. 
• One student made a connection between the SS textbook and Crispin. 
• I chatted with the treasurer and secretary for a bit today. I normally do, but it was a good chat. 
• I chatted with the counselors as we tried to accomplish the task of figuring out the above solutions to the drama in my room. 
• The parent organization at our school donated a basketball to our room. The kids will love it. 
• After school, I ran an open gym for basketball. I love coaching basketball. The best part about it is that all the kids are there to get better. They want to be there. It's something that they enjoy. We have fun. 
• This is a little bit different than the classroom where some students don't want to be there at all. 
• During the season, I also have a very effective form of discipline that can work wonders. It's called the bench. Sit there until you figure out how to play like the team needs. 
• After middle school open gym, I went to the gas station because I had a low tire. The gas station has free air. Do you see that anywhere anymore?! What a great way to give to others in need. I bought a fountain drink as payment for the free air for my tire. 
• I popped into the High School open gym. Chatted with some former players and caught up. Chatted with the JV coach about basketball and summer plans. I liked it.  
• I took a back road home. Gets me in a good mood. 
• Got home and my dad was mowing my yard. I hopped on his other mower and helped him finish. 
• My mom watched my infant son this evening.
• It was good to hang out together this evening after mowing. 
• Tomorrow is Friday!
• Many others I can't remember. 

So, while there is so much negativity in my room, there are shining lights. I don't give them enough attention. I   will try to pull them aside and tell them individually. 

See the positive. Be the light. Be a game changer. 

It's 1am. I need some sleep. It felt good to write.

I'm leaving you with a quote from John Wooden. 

"I will not like you all the same, but I will love you all the same. Each one will receive what is earned and deserved." 

And one from someone else

"You learn something from everyone you meet, even if it's what not to do."

I had a great day. 

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Retesting - Testing 1, 2, 3?

I recently gave a test over Rome in Social Studies. Both of my classes did not do well. The students practically had all the info that would be on the test. They had it all in their interactive notebooks. (Maybe a blog post about these over the summer.) The way I typically do my interactive notebooks is that there is a reading. Followed by some sort of questions that pertain to the reading (the right side of my notebooks). Then, the left side of the notebook is something creative where the students show their learning in some sort of an alternative assessment. Think creating invitations, report cards, sensory images, comics, historical markers, speeches, etc. The following class period, we go over their notebooks and hold a discussion. So, in all reality, the students get the information four times. It's given to them in multiple ways through the reading, the questions, the creation piece, and the discussion. Before the test, I give them a review guide that goes in their notebook. I go over it with them, to make sure they have the correct answers. After that, we play a review game. I send that review game out to them and their parents so they can study at home. The questions on the review game are the same as on the notebook review sheets so those students who don't have the Internet at home can still study.

The test is the following day. I'd say the review guide tells them 99% of what will be on the test.

If a student somehow bombs the test. I say somehow, because they have the answers to the test besides maybe an essay question that they should know the answer to anyway. I will write their grade on the test and then a note to come see me for a retest. No questions asked. They can take it again.

Most don't come. I had two come last time. So my question is, is it my responsibility to find them and make them take this retest that they don't care about, didn't take it serious the first time and won't the second or is it their responsibility to put forth some effort, study a little on their own, and come see me on their own?

These are the thoughts that circle through my head at a time like this. I really struggle with it.

Am I an ineffective teacher because I'm not forcing it to them to retest? Did I not set them up for success?  I'm pretty sure that I am. Am I teaching them a lesson in effort by letting them do it on their own? Is their self-motivation so low that a 30% is acceptable to them? My school has a somewhat 80% and lower needs to retest. While I do understand the need to for students to pass/master a topic (my district is moving to mastery learning), if a student has no desire to help himself/herself should that be a reflection on me? Can I make a kid study for things? Is it my fault? One of my favorite teachers when I was in high schools said that, "Students earn their grades. They are not given." What you reap is what you sow. Am I doing enough? Am I working hard enough for my students to be successful?

Let me have some feedback and thoughts on this please.

And some quotes just because I like quotes.

The worst thing that you can do for another person is the things they can and should do for themselves.  Abraham Lincoln

If you do not have the time to do it right, when will you find the time to do it over. John Wooden

"Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming." Wooden

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Some Recent Thoughts

I started reading a read-aloud book to my class. It's called "Stand Tall" by Joan Bauer.
We're three chapters in. Not far, but enough to determine if we want to keep reading. I honestly didn't think the students were that into it. It has somewhat a funky style with lots of short sentences. The flow seems a little different most novels. It switches topics quickly. Anyway, because I didn't think they were that excited about it, I decided to ask them what they thought so far. Unanimous. They wanted me to keep going. Sometimes, I think that maybe students aren't listening or they don't really care. I was wrong. I was surprised in their thinking. Their emotionless faces were driving me to believe that their minds were wandering. Not focused. Out the window. I was reading them wrong.

Lesson learned : Let students get invested in their learning. They might surprise you. The connection they have to the book was greater than I imagined.

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I have been using photo writing prompts this year a lot. We typically do them on Friday after our spelling/vocab tests. They enjoy them. Some, actually love them. It forces them to see a single image and construct meaning and elaborate on the image/prompt at hand. They turn something simple into a constructed/created response. We usually just share them at the end as most don't have right or wrong answers and are debatable. It leads to some deep discussions.

I used this site http://visualwritingprompts.wordpress.com/ to start. I come up with my own occasionally as well.

Here is an example of one we did today.

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I need to get over the fact that authentic written assessment/feedback from me to my students is the most beneficial to them. "Get over it" as in start doing more of it. My problem is that I don't want to do it because it takes longer to do. Too bad. So sad. It's better. I need to do it.

On a related note, I tend to ask questions in my written feedback. I sometimes have students that respond back and we get a nice dialogue going. Others could care less. But I do know that they had to at least read the question and think about it.

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To me the most important thing I want my students to do is to think critically about a text. I feel that if they can do this it will serve them not only within the walls of a school, but as they progress in adults. I want my students to get to asking the "why" questions and the "what" questions. To think deeply. To question things. To investigate on their own.

I found these Bloom's Flip Books I'm using for my discussion of the book Crispin by Avi.

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Another thing that I like to really discuss with my students is the theme of novels/books. When the book has gone back to the shelf, what is left? That is how I explain theme. The Take Away. How can you apply what the book was about to your life? The life-lesson. The best part about theme is that it's debatable at times. Everyone takes away something different from a book. When students truly understand the theme of a book, they get that it's not the color of shirt the main character wears, or what is the 8th word on page 87. They take the book with them even when it's still on the shelf.

I found these Bloom's Flip Books I'm using for my discussion of the book Crispin by Avi.

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A quote I found today that I liked.

"There is a difference between impressing someone and influencing someone."

I think it's a humility thing. When you influence someone there is a transfer of power from one person to the next. You're saying, "Hey, this is so important that I want to share it with you so that you are benefitted as well."

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Building Others Up

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (Ephesians  4:29 NIV)

Ralphie from "A Christmas Story" washing his mouth out with soap. One of my all-time favorite movies. 

The above verse that Paul wrote is something I need to work on when assisting behavioral issues with some of my students. I'm not always going to see eye-to-eye with my students on their behavioral issues. We might come from way different backgrounds. Yes, I understand that I set the expectations for my classroom and I will uphold them, but I tend to lose my temper when the behavior of one student affects all other 31 in the class. The other 31 are trying to learn. The other 31 want to be in the classroom. The other 31 are respectful. The other 31 work hard. The other 31 are a joy to teach. The other 31 have it figured out. So, after I was having some intense fellowship with a student today because his attitude, actions, and work habits were affecting the rest of class, something clicked with me. Of course a student needs to be reeled back in from time to time and this student today was getting on everyone's last nerve. So, I pulled him away from the rest of class and gave him a "talking to." Was it needed? I believe so. Could I have handled it a bit differently? Probably. I started to think of Jesus' examples of love and compassion. 

The prostitute. The leper. The paralyzed. The unclean. The demon-possessed. The tax collectors. The sinners. The drunkards. The criminal next to him on the cross. The blind. The poor. The diseased. The dead who he raised. The sick. The lost. The adulteress. The deaf. 

All these people have something in common: they are not perfect. They are far from perfect, but the thing is, Jesus loved/loves the unlovable. This leads me to this - "On hearing this, Jesus said to them, 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.'" (Mark 2:17 NIV) The ones that need my love are the ones that don't receive it from a regular source. I might be the only person who has ever told them that I care about them. These students are the ones who crave attention. Who no one likes. Who don't have friends. Who are in the middle of all the drama. Who are annoying. Who others tattle on everyday. Who don't do their homework because no one has ever taught them that they reap what they sow. These are the students that Jesus would have helped.

 To love. That's what we are called to do. To lift up. To encourage. To love. Again, may the words of Paul suggest to you - "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." (Ephesians  4:29 NIV)

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Timeline

For every negative thing that happens in a day...

1. Got my growth report back from last year. Not what I was hoping for. 
2. One student pushing another 
3. One student telling another student that he has been infected with herpes
4. Scheduling parent/teacher conferences,which just takes a lot of time
5. One student walking by and yelling, "RANDOM BACON!" into my ear for no reason. 
6. One student failing an Acuity predictive test because he didn't take his meds today and had zero ability to focus
7. Having to answer "What do I do now?" questions with the line "The directions tell you what to do." over and over and over. 
8. and so forth and so forth

....you do get good news that will carry you through. 

1. One of my colleagues who has a lot of my students from last year, informed me that my former students speak highly of me. He said they say things like - 

• "We learned a lot of stuff." 
• "He's nice." 
• "He made us work hard, but we had a lot of fun doing it."

He also told me that he is doing a timeline project.

Each student is to select 6 important events in their life and put it on their timeline. "Having Mr. Miller as a Teacher" made the list of one of his students. These are the things that keep me going. This keeps me pressing on day after day after day. 

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Nick Saban 2011 Football Camp Motivational Speech

Nick Saban, head coach of Alabama's football team, gives a speech to all his football campers. Probably one of the most motivational speeches I have ever listened to. He hits on every topic of life. Really good for your team and students to listen to. WARNING - There are a couple of bleeps in the clip and the audio mutes out a couple of times. 

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Blogpost from - Stump The Teacher: Passion Projects

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Reading Conference Binder

I finally am putting my reading conference binder together. Here's a shot of my cover. I love this quote from Rafe Esquith. You should get his book here. I have read it. Actually, I need to read it again to get some ideas.

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Stump The Teacher: The Rules Have Changed

Stump The Teacher: The Rules Have Changed: Parents, There are a few things that need to be cleared up about the game that is school as it relates to the experiences in my clas...

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