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!

Where is your focus?

Students make a stand to make every day extraordinary after watching a clip from Dead Poets Society.  They are reciting their first quarter memory work - O Captain,  My Captain! 

I have had one week with students, and my excitement level is through the roof! These kids are already impressing me. I am expecting great things from them.

The year didn't start that way, though. In-service was a roller coaster of emotions. I was excited to begin, but some major things deflated my mood. I won't go into detail,  but I was in tears for about four days. I couldn't believe how fast things changed.

The students arriving really changed my disposition. I put my focus back on them, where it should have stayed,  and left the pity party behind.

The week with them has been awesome; I absolutely love my job. I cannot believe I get paid for having so much fun!!!

If you get down just remember how lucky you are and keep the focus where it matters - on the kids!

A New Year = A New Start

As teachers we are lucky. Very few professions get the chance for a completely fresh start each year. The administration has had two (ish) months to forget all about the second day of school when you left a 6th grader locked in the bathroom because you forgot about them and went to an assembly. They don't remember the time a student jumped off the balcony while under your care. They have certainly forgotten the time you left a class unattended for an entire period because you were confused about the schedule change. (All true stories, but they aren't all me.)
Now that the slate is wiped clean, what will you do to capitalize on it? This is the time to step up your game! Personally,  I plan to just bring it all day, every day. No excuses. I'm sure I will stumble from time to time and probably even forget about a class again!
This summer I bought a poster for my room that says, "You don't fail when you lose. You fail when you quit." I'm taking that as my mantra this year. I won't fail because I won't quit. What will you do with your fresh start?

Reflecting on the upcoming year

I only have a few days until I return to school.  That means an end to the Summer Learning Challenges. I have enjoyed the challenges designed by Todd Nesloney. In fact, I re-worded the challenges and sent them to my coworkers.  This included making my own Google forms and procuring donations for prizes. I hope everyone has learned as much and gotten as excited as I have!

As I prepare for the upcoming school year, I have many new and exciting ideas. Before I begin implementing them, however, I want to take a moment to reflect. The two questions I want to answer are:
1. What are my strengths, and how will I use those strengths to help my students and coworkers?
2. What are my weaknesses and what will I do to overcome these weaknesses?

First, I believe I am strong in my willingness to experiment with new ideas, particularly technology.  This will help me engage students and make their learning more meaningful. I also hope to share with my fellow teachers,  so they can become more comfortable using technology.

Next, my biggest weakness is insecurity.  I am terrified that I am doing a disservice to the children I am entrusted with. This insecurity also makes it difficult to share my ideas with coworkers. To overcome this I will keep working hard to make my lessons the best they can be, and I will continue to step out of my comfort zone to share with others.

I honestly believe this will be the best year I have had teaching! What will you do to make this your best year yet?

A open letter to my coworkers

Dear Coworkers,

I am an introvert. You may have thought that I am unfriendly,  but I am really quiet and self-conscious. That's why it has taken every ounce of courage to send you the summer challenges and get donations for the prizes. It may not seem that way, but I am sure my blood pressure has risen each week when I send the emails.

Why would I do it, you may wonder. Because I love you, I love our students, and I love our school. Education is rapidly changing, and I want us to be on the cutting edge. Technology has always been an interest of mine, and the merging of it and education has me lighting up like a firecracker! I cannot afford to ignore it. No matter what subject you teach, you cannot ignore it.

This is about more than just teaching kids to use technology. It is about teaching kids to think laterally across all disciplines. No longer are we preparing students for a factory job in which they do the same task all day. Today's workers have to be able to wade through mountains of information and put the right pieces together. Health, science, physical education, math, social studies, and language must be all combined to help kids get the bigger picture. Technology is wonderful tool for doing this.

Some of the best students are those that attempt to figure out the answer to their question before coming to me. Let's model that behavior and learn how to use the technology on our own instead of waiting on someone to make us.

Now you know why I've been bugging you with my emails. I hope my enthusiasm is contagious. I apologize if I have bothered you or seemed pushy and overbearing.

I have never been more excited to begin a school year. Don't get me wrong, I love summer! Nothing is more precious to me than hanging out with my babies! This year, though, could be my best one yet. I hope you are as excited as I am!

What can you learn from bad teachers?

As educators, most of us can look back and reflect on those teachers who influenced us. "Miss Smith made me want to be a science teacher." "Mr. Brown showed me the power of music." With fondness we reminisce about those wonderful experiences.

But what can we learn from our bad experiences in school?  I never considered this until I was participating in #SsTschat on Tuesday evening.  One question brought to mind some incidents that I had forgotten. I realized then that I could also learn from unpleasant experiences.

Here's what I learned:

1. I had a teacher in the 1st grade who told the entire class I was a chatterbox and did the associated hand motion. The entire class started laughing and doing the hand motion. I learned to NEVER ridicule a student.

2. I had a mean 3rd grade teacher. She never smiled. That's all I can remember about her. I learned to smile often and make sure the students know I love them.

3. My fourth grade teacher was one of the nicest teachers I ever had. One day, though, she embarrassed me in front of the class. I learned that even the best teachers make mistakes.

4. I had a teacher in high school who often used big words in class. If someone asked what the word meant, he made them look it up. People stopped asking. I learned to answer a question, and if I can't, be honest enough to say so.

5. I had a coach in college that remarked on my weight in front of the team and told me I had eaten too much Captain D's. That has stuck with me, and I am still self-conscious about my weight. I learned that what I say may alter a child's perception of themselves.

Most of these teachers were good teachers (except maybe the 3rd grade teacher-yikes!), and I have fond memories of them too. But even today, their harsh words often echo in my mind.