How do you feel about summer?

If you live in the South, you are feeling my pain today. Summer is more than half over; teachers come back to school on July 27. Where has the time gone? I am especially nervous about this school year because I will miss the entire first quarter for maternity leave. While this is a special time, I will be very anxious about what is going on in my classroom and excited to get back. I think of this as a positive thing; I must love my job! This is definitely the right profession for me.

So how do you know if teaching is right for you? Are YOU in the right profession? Here are some questions to ask yourself:

1. Do you get excited about the upcoming school year or do you dread it? I know we will all miss our summer break, but some part of you should relish the excitement of a new year. What other profession gets a fresh start every year?

2. Did you go into teaching because you didn't know what else to do? When you made your decision to teach, I hope it wasn't because you weren't sure what else to do. "I've always loved -------, so I guess I will be a ------- teacher." "I'd like to be off when my children are, so I guess I will be a teacher." These are not viable reasons for going into a career that profoundly affects so many lives.

3. Do you want to be better? Do you constantly look for ways to improve? Does the thought of new methods, technologies, ideas, etc., get you excited about how you could be better in the classroom or do you roll your eyes when someone mentions learning something new?

These are just some things to think about as you prepare for the rapidly approaching school year! After all, we require our students to work in the summer (via summer reading at our school), shouldn't we be doing the same?

Eeek....I'm behind!

If you scroll and see my last post, you can see it was in April 2015! Eeek! I have definitely fallen off the wagon. In my defense, it was a crazy, busy year. I started coaching the Varsity Cheerleaders (in addition to Student Council, being a part-time assistant administrator, mom, teacher, etc.) and found out in November that we are expecting baby #4.

I want to start fresh, and I am doing so as part of a summer learning challenge series. I did this series a couple of years ago and it was very beneficial to my personal growth as a teacher. I challenge you to do the same!

The first challenge this summer is to post about our favorite classroom activity of this past year. I have to pick just one? That is tough! My students love Plickers, so that is always fun. Just reading with them in class and seeing them GET it and discuss is fun. I have to say that my favorite activity was using our new TouchJet TouchPond projectors. They are like smart boards, only cheaper. Actually, they are more like smart phones that project on the wall. The students were amazed and wanted to participate every time I used it. I love to see them get engaged, and this little device helped with that.

If you are interested in joining the summer learning challenge, you can find out more here: https://youtu.be/Uese-Dc-YJI.

Blogaversary

It has been almost a year since my first blog post, and it is almost the end of my year teaching with a virtual PLC. What have I learned, you might ask. I will tell you!

1) Not everyone thinks your idea is a good idea. I received so much flak at the beginning of the year about using Twitter to teach that I was ready to give up! This feedback came from parents and teachers! Frankly, I've not used it much because so many object.

2) IPads are awesome but not for word processing. We had so many issues using them in Language Arts that I was ready to pull my hair out some days. The good definitely outweighed the bad, though, and it is amazing to see how much their writing improves when they don't have to stress as much about spelling and grammar. The students' really began to think on a deeper level.

3) I am like a kid when I see several people have read my posts. It really has helped me empathize with the students.

4) Some kids will never remember their passwords and/or be able to log in. Never gonna happen. Instead of stressing, I have learned to put on happy face and move forward.

5) I love helping teachers and students use technology for learning.  I have become the biggest cheerleader in my school for detect.

6) Students continue to amaze me and I still LOVE my job. I walked into my classroom on Spring Break and smiled. It is my second home.

Building Relationships in the Classroom

A co-worker who is attending graduate school recently asked if he could interview me for one of his class projects. The first question was about cheating. Not a difficult one. The rest, however, really got me thinking. One in particular is still stuck in my mind.

He asked me what is the most important part of each school day. Whoa. How can I name just one part? I decided to look at it backwards and eliminate the unimportant parts first. But wait, I couldn't really eliminate anything either. Assessment is important, planning is important, teaching is important.

I finally realized that it is all about relationships. The most important time in my day is the time I spend building relationships with my students. This is during class, before school, at after school activities, etc. Long after students forget about split infinitives, they will remember what kind of relationship I had with them. This doesn't mean I become their best friend. It means I take an interest in their lives, let them know I care, and let them know I will treat them fairly.

Relationships are key in education. A great relationship can make or break classroom management. A great relationship can get students to give their best. A great relationship can encourage students to become lifelong learners.

I actually just had an interesting conversation with my students. It came up in conversation that I am an introvert; they were shocked. I told them that in general I don't like people, I hate talking on the phone, and I would stay home all the time if I could. They asked why I teach. I told them that students are different; I enjoy talking with them. Although this delved a bit into my personal life, they see that I am a real person. It was a waste of possibly 90 seconds of class, but it allowed me to create a bond with some who also see themselves that way. Several said, "Me too, Mrs. South!" This was a priceless moment and possibly the most important part of my day today.

What Educators Can Learn From Marketers

According to an August 21, 2014 article by Adweek, the marketing industry is beginning to focus on the generation sitting in our classrooms: Generation Z. It makes sense to me that educators need to use the information marketers have gathered in order to better reach these students. Using an infographic designed by Marketo, an interactive marketing company, I discovered many things that can help us.

1. Gen Z is resourceful. They are digital natives, and they know how to find information. Although those of us in Gen X or Y may feel comfortable with technology, this generation is immersed in it. We need to provide the tools and let them learn!

2. Gen Z is driven, curious, and focused on the future. We should have high expectations for these kids; they have high expectations of themselves. Push them harder, and they will rise to the challenge. Never set the bar low.

3. Gen Z is caring. While the generation before them is often viewed as self-centered, this generation is the opposite. They care about others and want to make a difference in the world. Let's HELP them make a difference in the world!

4. Gen Z prefers visuals to text. Don't overload them with notes on a topics. There are so many wonderful alternatives to lecture! Infographics are great, videos, hands-on activities, etc. They also like to create things, so why not let them demonstrate their knowledge in a way other than a traditional test or paper? Let them make a video, a play, write a song, paint, whatever appeals to them!

5. Gen Z is full of realists. They want facts and to see things for themselves. This group is not content with just accepting things that are told to them. You have to give them proof of what you are teaching, and show them why it matters to their future.

How do you plan to use this to make a difference in your classroom?

Sources:
Meet Generation Z: Forget Everything You Know About Millennials by Sparks and Honey.
Oster, Erik. "This Gen Z Infographic Can Help Marketers Get Wise to the Future ." Adweek. N.p., 21 Aug 2014. Web. 22 Jan 2015.

Mid-Year Reflections

I've not blogged as much as I had hoped because I have been so busy! The normal work things have kept me occupied,  but I have also been busy busting my tail in the classroom.  I often use the work smarter, not harder mantra, so has all this work paid off?

My students have definitely been digging deeper, which means we have been going slower. Overall, the grades have been better and the discussions more meaningful. This is definitely a positive,  but I'm not sure how we will get everything in before the end of the year!

I am especially proud of the Genius Hour projects! The students blew me away with their projects. One student began an organization to get pets to the elderly with no expense for the new owner! Another student started a project which gets athletes to read to elementary students. Other students composed songs,  choreographed dances, and much more! One student even wrote and published a book! You can read more about their projects here: http://south.zioneagles.org/genius-hour.

As for technology,  we have also been successful.  Students have blogged and reflected. I hope to increase this in yhe upcoming semester.  They have composed almost all their papers online, and they have engaged in peer editing many times. One of their favorite things was a mystery Skype with a school across the country. We've not used Twitter as much as I had hoped due to parental concerns. That's probably the biggest goal I've not met.

This has been a fun and engaging semester,  and I cannot believe how quickly it has flown by! I am looking forward to the next one!

This is one of my 7th Grade classes during our Dickens Christmas celebration! I'm on the far right.

One Quarter Gone Already????

I cannot believe that the first quarter of the school year has already passed! It has flown by, and we have been super busy. Here are some highlights:

1. I went to DC with the 8th graders. I don't have them in class, but my son is in that grade. It was more amazing than I could have imagined!
2. My students are doing Passion Projects. We can't do the 20% time, but we are doing at least 10%. I am so excited to see what their end results will be. 
3. My 7th graders read The Outsiders, and we went to see the play. Very fun!
4. The 9th graders just finished To Kill a Mockingbird. It is one of my favorite novels of all time. I love seeing the students get into it. We end up reading a large portion of it in class. The students want me to read because I really get into the voices!

As for my new Part-Time Administrator duties, I have been working hard to help the teachers learn how to use the IPads in their classes most effectively. Also, we have the students signed up for many academic competitions throughout the year, and we are even bringing back the middle school science fair!

It has been a very successful first quarter, and I can't wait for the next to begin!