Inspiring Teachers

Classroom Management Strategies

2011-02-18T06:48:00.001-06:00

Teachers can help to create a positive and motivating classroom environment by:

Being friendly

This does not mean being the "buddy" of students. It is important to keep the teacher-student relationship intact. Friendly means greeting students with a smile and handshake. It also means offering a pat on the back or a hug as needed. This does not mean that we should never use a firm tone of voice or reprimand our students. Instead, it is important to remember to have a pleasant outlook rather than a sour outlook throughout the day. There are times when you will need to show disapproval or disappointment in regards to student misbehavior. Yes, students may get mad at you for a little while, but it will go away. When they see that you can be friendly again once they change their behaviors, you will find that they appreciate that friendliness more.

Having a sense of humor

It is important to remember that your students are young and they are acting the way most young ones do. Rather than getting frustrated with some of their antics, take some time to enjoy them. When we can have a sense of humor about what our students do, our lives become less stressful. Sometimes children are just being children. Don't take everything quite so seriously and you'll find yourself having fun each day.

When enjoying a funny moment with students, be sure to make a clear transition back into the lesson or activity. It is very easy for students to take that fun moment and turn it into twenty minutes of chaos. Instead, when you feel that the "moment" is over, say something such as, "Well, that was fun. Okay, now it is time to focus back on our lesson. Everyone turn to page..." You'll get a bunch of "Aww's" and protests, but be firm and start back on the lesson. You'll want to find a way to transition that meshes with your personality. However, if you do not find a way to stop and re-focus students, they will find a way to stretch out a little bit of fun until it becomes no fun at all.

Having a good rapport with students

Get to know your students. Try to take a little bit of time each day to talk one-on-one with each of your students. Greet them at the door. Check their homework calendar at the start or end of class and use that time to say hello and find out how they are doing. Ask about their family, friends, pets, hobbies. If they are involved in sports, ask about the latest game. The more we get to know our students as people and treat them as such, the more our students will respect us as a person. It is very easy to get caught up in the day to day "teaching" and forget that we have a group of individuals with us. They each have their own history, their own stories, their own likes/dislikes, that are as important to them as ours are to us. Take some time to get to know those things about your students.

Effectively communicating our desires and expectations

Expectations are not just classroom rules. Don't forget about the life-skills you expect from your students each day. Do you expect honesty, integrity, cooperation, dedication, perseverance, personal best from your students? Make those expectations clear. Explain to your students exactly what it means to be dedicated or to have perseverance. What does this look like or sound like?

What kinds of work behaviors and attitudes do you expect from your students? Explain exactly what you want to see and hear from your students each and every day.

Procedures are another type of expectation. How do you expect students to enter the classroom, leave the classroom, do the reading workshop or writing workshop? Write these expectations out into clearly defined steps on procedures posters and hang them on your wall. This serves as an excellent reminder for everyone.

Understanding that students CANNOT read our minds

What are your pet peeves? What behaviors/things really annoy you? Often our students may hit upon one of our pet peeves and never even know it. These behaviors grate on our nerves and affect our attitude. This is not fair to our students. They cannot be expected to read our mind. Be sure to communicate clearly what is and is not tolerable in your classroom.

I do not advise saying, "______ is a pet peeve and it really irritates me when you do this." That just offers ammunition for those challenging students who are looking for ways to make you angry. Instead, word it so -- "I expect you to ___________." (for example, "I expect each and every person in my classroom to pick up any trash around their desk before they leave the classroom. Even if you did not make the mess, I want it picked up and thrown away.")

Being organized (that means never saying, "Now where did I put that lesson plan?)

Do you know where your lesson plans are? Can you find the handouts you copied for this class? The Day of the Week folders that we discussed in an earlier newsletter are an excellent way to keep all of these materials organized. When you know where everything is and what you are doing, your class will run smoother. Why? Well, you are not wasting time looking for supplies and plans. What do you think your students will be doing while you search for what you need? Playing around, of course. They will begin to talk, read, doodle, and mess around because they are bored. Then it takes another five minutes to get everyone calmed down and focused on the lesson/activity.

Being well prepared

Many of the strategies we offer in our newsletters are geared to help you be well-prepared. It is important to think through what you plan to do during each part of the day. When you know what you are doing, the students will follow along. When you are confused and unsure, the students will be confused and unsure as well. This is one of the reasons why we encourage teachers to plan in time increments. When you plan out for everything, including restroom breaks and walking down the hallway (elementary), you know what will be happening throughout the day.

Be sure to have all of your materials ready before you begin the lesson. This is a big part of being prepared. If you don't have enough copies or are not prepared for a lesson to go faster than you expected, what do you think will happen? You will get flustered and that will cause the students to get disruptive. Check, double-check, and triple-check to be sure you have everything you need at least a day or two before each lesson. If you can't remember, then schedule a time on your calendar.

Ex: Monday -- 4:00pm -- Read over lesson for Tuesday. Check to be sure materials are out and ready. Set up the board/overhead for Tuesday's lesson(s). Read over lesson for Wednesday. Check materials off of materials list for lesson. Make copies for lesson. Make transparencies for lesson.

Be as detailed as you need to be. You might even think about creating a checklist to be sure you have everything ready.

Getting Students to do Quality Work

2011-01-15T18:51:00.001-06:00

How do you get kids to do quality work both in and out of the classroom?

I begin each year by taking time to talk to students my expectation that they each do their "personal best." Then I show a few examples of what personal best does and does not look like. We also talk about how each student has a different level of personal best. My big message to the class is that if I do not see a student's personal best effort on an assignment, I will not accept it. This means they will have to do it over. I always tell my students that it takes less time for them to focus on the job and do their very best the first time than to have to do the assignment 2 or 3 times until I find it acceptable.

It is also important to be consistent about expecting quality work products. I "Okay" each project before it is turned in. Students show me their work, and usually at a glance I can tell whether it is up to par or not. Each student has a different personal best, so I accept different levels of work depending on the student. I can also see who is actually putting in effort as I constantly walk around monitoring while students are working on the project. Between monitoring and giving my "okay" on an assignment, I can make sure that students are doing their personal best.

In the beginning children of all ages will test you, continuing to do quick and sloppy work. However, the more you send them back to do it over until they get it right (even if it becomes extra homework), the more they will start to do it correctly the first time.

It also helps to have an example prepared showing your expectations for the final product. Show students the quality of the picture. Point out the features and details you want to see in their product. Read the written part and again point out the specific details you want included in the content of their project. You might also put guidelines on the board or overhead. Example for a postcard activity with a reading assignment: "Postcard must include a detailed drawing of 2 characters including the type of clothes he or she would wear, and a place you might see this character from the story; colored pencils only (no crayons or markers); entire front of postcard must be filled with drawing and color" "Content must include at least: ____________, _________, and ____________." This gives students a checklist of sorts to look at while they are completing their project. It also provides more guidelines than just saying "Create a postcard about 2 characters from the story. I want a drawing on the front and character traits on the back."

Providing more guidelines for students on open-ended creative projects and assignments helps them to meet your criteria for the assignment. Guidelines also offer more structure to help students. This is especially important when you are just beginning to use these kinds of activities. Add in a reminder discussion about personal best, and do not accept work that is under par for the student. The combination of structure and high expectations should result in better end-products.

I follow this advice with my son at home when he completes homework. He has a tendency to work quickly in order to get it over with. However, he is not allowed to do any other activities (TV, playing, sports, etc.) until I check his homework and see that it is his personal best. If I do not think it is neat enough or done correctly, then he has to go back and do it again. Although it is frustrating to him, after a few weeks of listening to me say, "Do it again with your personal best effort," he completes his work as he should the first time around.

Are You a Student of Human Nature?

2010-12-16T10:36:00.001-06:00

If you are a teacher or are planning to become a teacher, then your answer to this question should be a resounding, "Yes!" Teaching is not just a matter of passing along information and knowledge from one generation to the next; it is also all about understanding and interacting with human beings. While caught up in the rush of lesson planning, grading papers, school paperwork, meetings, and staff development, it can be hard to remember that we are dealing with a group of human beings on a daily basis. Whether you teach young children, youths, adolescents, young adults, or adults, they are all still human beings at the core and will react and respond to you as a human being.

So what can you do to better understand and interact with the group of human beings you currently teach? Become a student of human nature. This means that you distance yourself from the actions and start asking, "Why?" Why is this student so angry when he or she comes into my class every day? What is causing this anger? Is it me? Is it school? Is it because of parents or friends? Is it something happening outside of school? Until you know the answers to these questions, your interactions will be based on half-truths and conjecture.

Why is this parent constantly in my face? Is it something I've done or not done with their child? Is it based on past interactions with teachers and false assumptions about me as a teacher? Is it based on past treatment from the school or other schools? Does it come from a true desire to be an advocate for the child or is it a control issue?

When we take the words and actions of students, parents, and colleagues personally, we react as though what is being said or done is a personal attack on us. When we distance ourselves, ask the questions, and engage in communication with that person, we have better understanding. With clearer understanding, it is easier for us to work towards a solution to whatever the issue may be.

Another part of this understanding comes from looking at both sides of the issue fairly. As human beings, we tend to want to look at only our side of a situation and not the perspective of the other side. This is human nature. Take some time to put yourself "in the shoes" of the other person and ask how you would feel and react in the same situation. This includes your students sitting in your class and the parents with whom you communicate. The more we can understand other people, the better we can interact in a positive manner.

As a student of human nature, watch the interactions between your students when you have a moment or two. Watch the interactions between your administrator and the staff. Watch the interactions between your colleagues. Especially take note of the interactions between yourself and others. Then take some time to think about those interactions. Why did she say that? Why did he react that way? What did you feel when someone made that comment to you? How did you react? Why? Do you see any patterns? How do those patterns evolve? How do they affect the current interaction and future interactions between these people? By gathering this information and using it, you can then determine what kind of interactions you want to have with other people whether they are students or adults and deliberately modify your own words and actions to bring that about. Without asking these kinds of questions and without being a student of human nature, your interactions will continue to be instinctive rather than deliberate.

Help your interactions be positive ones by gaining understanding of how people "work." The more you observe and reflect and look for understanding, the more it will come to you. The better you understand how people "work," the better you will be able to interact with your students, with parents, and with colleagues. Just remember, a student of human nature seeks first to understand and then to react.

Homework Tips

2010-12-02T13:13:00.001-06:00

Assigning homework in moderation can be useful to instill values of self-discipline and responsibility in older students. It can be effective to build a positive work ethic in our students. However, it must be done in moderation.

Teachers should remember that when homework is assigned, one student could easily spend hours on the same assignment that takes another student just 15 minutes to complete. Why do we need to assign 25 two-digit multiplication problems when 5 will show us whether or not students can apply the concept? If practice is what you seek, keep it in the classroom under close supervision. You do not want to deal with the frustration of working with a student who has practiced a skill incorrectly over and over without the benefit of correction and re-teaching. This happens frequently when homework is used to practice a skill. The student must then "unlearn" the incorrect application and "relearn" the correct method. This can put the student further behind in his or her academic progress.

Keep in mind the following factors which influence a child's ability to complete homework:

Some students live in a chaotic home environment with many children. The student may have adult responsibilities within the home.
Some students are without parental supervision for most of the time after school hours.
Students living in poverty may not have a place to complete homework nor the supplies needed.
Older students might work after school.
Students have busy family and extra-curricular lives including sports, church, community service activities, and family events which are just as important as their school life.

Procedures are important to help students and parents know what you expect in regards to homework assignments. Type a list of homework procedures and expectations to give to students and parents. One copy should go in the student's binder and the other should be posted on the refrigerator at home. It is also a good idea to post these procedures in your classroom blog, Web site, or online parent portal.

What homework stays the same each night or each week?
Do you expect parents to sign the academic calendar once a week?
When and where do you expect assignments to be turned in?
What is your policy for absences and late-work? How long do students have to turn in the assignment? How will their grade be affected?

Tips

Offer positive feedback for students who turn in their work on time.
Allow students two days for every one day absent to make up their work. Remember, they are now having to complete double the assignments, so cut them a little slack.
Take off points each day an assignment is late. I usually take off 5 points for each day. Be sure to clearly explain your policy for late work.
Remind students of missing assignments each day. Many will forget that they owe you the work. If your school has an online portal where assignments and grades are posted for student and parent viewing, remind everyone to check this valuable tool frequently.
Provide before or after-school time to make up missing work or to complete homework while you are available for supervision and help.
Set aside one place in the classroom where assignments are turned in to be graded. Keep this the same all year to cut down on confusion.
Have parents sign the Homework Procedures/ Policy form to be placed in the students' binders.
Do not take away recess as punishment for no homework. This is counter-productive and will cause further stress in the classroom.

Homework can be stressful for everyone. Students and parents may feel overwhelmed by projects and activities and you may feel frustrated that homework is not turned in regularly. It is important to find a balance somewhere in between. Take some time to reflect about the purpose of homework for your class. Why do you assign certain assignments to be completed at home? Communicate that purpose to students and parents to help them understand this is not simply busywork. Keep that purpose in mind whenever assigning homework. Will this homework help students reach learning goals more effectively than doing the work in class? These are just a few questions you should keep in mind when planning and assigning homework to make sure it is purpose-driven and effective for student learning.

Ease Stress by Being Prepared

2010-11-12T12:26:00.001-06:00

As a new teacher your life is already stressful. You are entering a new job, setting up a new classroom, dealing with new procedures, completing a ton of paperwork, and having to relate to many new people over the course of a day. Unfortunately this stress will not end anytime soon. For the first several months you'll find yourself running from task to task trying to keep up with everything that is required from you. There will be more forms to complete, papers to grade, parents to contact, lessons to plan, and then of course you are teaching all day long as well.

One of the best ways you can lower the amount of stress you deal with on a daily basis is to be prepared. Some of this preparation requires organization. If you are having trouble getting yourself organized, you might want to read my earlier column on "Getting Organized in the Midst of Chaos" for a few strategies to help. Preparation is absolutely the key to being a successful teacher. The more thought and effort you put into your lessons and your job, the better you will be. You will also be less stressed out during the year.

The first thing you want to do is begin some routines. The first routine is lesson planning. Choose a day of the week and make a firm appointment to write lesson plans on that day. Take into account faculty meetings and other events that you have going on in your personal and work life when determining this day. For me Wednesday was the best day for planning. It gave me enough time to get materials copied and shore up any unknown details before turning them in to the Principal on Friday. By having lesson plans and materials completely finished before Friday you are giving yourself a little time over the weekend to relax. Don't allow friends or even colleagues to sway you from completing your planning day. Just remember that whatever you don't complete at school or during the week must be done at home on the weekend.

As soon as you plan your lessons, go ahead and gather all of the materials you will need for the week. If you have handouts, go ahead and make the copies. Get the books or magazine resources you need from the library and set up any Power Point presentations or video clips you plan to use. If you need to sign up for the computer lab or need help from another colleague, contact them immediately. Don't wait to the last minute. Put requests in writing and follow-up with an email.

Now you may be worried that you'll have a ton of papers all over your classroom. This is where organization comes into play again. I create folders for each class for each day of the week. For elementary teachers this is as easy as one manila folder per day. You might want to color code them and label them with a marker. Place all handouts and materials for the day in its special folder. Put your lesson plans on top of the materials inside the folder. Place larger materials in a special area in your room and be sure to mark it clearly.

Secondary teachers will want to organize differently. I would suggest either a plastic crate or a filing drawer. Have one hanging file folder for each day. Then, inside the hanging file folder place one manila folder for each class you teach. You might color code the folders according to class period so that they don't get mixed up. Again, place all copies & other materials in this folder and put your lesson plans in the front. What you'll find is that you are no longer running around trying to find the handouts or materials for each lesson. Everything is all together in one location. Additionally, if you have an emergency or an unscheduled meeting comes up, everything a substitute or relief teacher will need is in each clearly marked folder, including the lesson plans. You won't need to worry about gathering everything and getting it organized before leaving the classroom. You won't need to stress over writing out plans for a substitute while you are deathly ill.

The last routine you want to develop is setting up your classroom, Power Point, or overhead before you leave for the day. If you are teaching elementary school, go ahead and set up your white board (or blackboard) with your focus assignment, agenda, objectives, homework, and any other information students need. Do this as soon as your students leave the room at the end of the day. Get out the folder for the next day and place it on your desk, podium, or overhead so that you are ready to begin. Review your plans and double-check that you have all of your materials in the folder. Now do whatever else needs to be done after school. By making this a daily routine you are ensuring that your classroom is ready to go no matter what. If you get sick, have a flat tire, or have an early meeting that goes on too long, the students will be able to enter the classroom and get started without you. The substitute or relief teacher will have all they need right at their fingertips and you will not have to stress out over not being there.

Secondary teachers will want to set up their "board" information either in Power Point or on a transparency. Type out the information listed above either in a Word Document or as a Power Point presentation for each class. You'll need one transparency or Power Point per prep you teach. Get the first period one ready as soon as the students walk out the door and have it on the overhead or computer. Be sure to leave instructions in bold to turn on the overhead or computer (just in case you cannot be in the classroom). Have your daily folder ready on your desk, podium, or overhead along with whatever materials are needed for the first class.

By having all of this ready to go before you leave the classroom each day you are ensuring that your classroom can continue to run smoothly whether you are there or not. It relieves stress on your part because you will not have to worry about writing up last minute plans while you are sick or worry about your students having their assignments ready to begin if you are late for any reason. Get in the habit of preparing your classroom for the next day as soon as your students leave. This makes certain that it will get done before you are distracted by all of your other duties.

The first year of teaching is very stressful. However, by putting in place some very simple habits, you can reduce some of that stress. Being prepared is not only helpful for you, but for your students and any guest or relief teachers that may be working in your classroom. It shows your principal that you are a professional and that you are efficient in getting your job done. It shows parents that you are on top of your job so that they can feel secure in knowing their child is in your class. Best of all, by taking a little time throughout the week to prepare, it gives you some time for yourself.

Reprinted from Emma McDonald's column at Education World.

Managing the Parent Teacher Relationship

2010-11-12T12:22:00.001-06:00

There is one thing every teacher dreads more than changes in district policy, new standardized tests, and additional responsibilities required by the state – the angry parent. Nothing can ruin a day faster than being called to the principal's office to face a disgruntled, frustrated, or demanding parent. Managing the parent-teacher relationship can be a challenge for everyone. What can we, as teachers, do to develop a relationship with parents and minimize the angry encounters throughout the school year? The key is being proactive by informing and interacting with parents in a positive manner.

Informing

Keeping parents informed from the beginning of school is your first move towards managing the parent-teacher relationship. Most of the confrontations between parents and teachers result from a lack of communication from school to home. Gone are the days when parents sent their children off to school and trusted completely that the school and teachers would take care of everything. Today's parents want to know what their children are doing in the classroom and how it is being done. We live in an information age and that is exactly what our parents expect from us – information.

You can start by providing the basic facts to parents about your classroom expectations for student behavior and work product. Parents of elementary students will also want to know their child's daily schedule. Send home information about your classroom management and discipline strategies so there are no misunderstandings about what is expected and the consequences for making poor choices. Teachers should also send home the grading policy. If you or your school has a website, consider posting the more important details of your classroom policies here and refer parents to view it as needed.

It is also important to keep parents informed throughout the school year as well. A bi-monthly or monthly newsletter is a great way to let students and parents know about upcoming events, units, and due dates. You can also use the newsletter to explain commonly used acronyms, skills taught, or learning strategies used in the classroom. Again, this kind of information soothes those over-anxious parents who want to know what is happening with their child during school hours. The newsletter is also a great way to celebrate birthdays and offer a thank-you to volunteers and chaperones. If you and your parents have access to email, consider emailing your newsletter and other information. This will make sure the parent receives the information.

Lastly, make sure you send home notices when students are missing two assignments or have received two low grades. By sending home this information after the second instance, you are providing the parent and child more time to turn in missing assignments or to improve grades. Waiting until the last minute puts a strain on you, the student, and the parent. Just like with our health, early detection is the key to resolving a problem before it becomes a major issue. When receiving bad news in a progress report or near the end of the grading period, parent frustration will, more than likely, be aimed at you. However, when notified early, parents will put the heat on their child to improve grades and get assignments turned in. Otherwise, they cannot reprimand their children and support you in your efforts.

Interacting

Unlike informing, which is a one-way type of communication, interacting requires two people. Because there are two (or more) people involved, interactions are influenced by many factors. Some of these include cultural backgrounds, level of education, emotions, and personal agendas. As the teacher you approach all interactions with parents from one point of view. The parent will be coming to you with a completely different point of view. The levels at which these factors meet and are in harmony often determine the success of the interaction. So then, how can you create more positive interactions with parents?

First, initiate contact with the parent. Don't wait to be called. Take some time during the first several weeks of school to briefly call and talk with each parent. For secondary teachers this may seem overwhelming, but it can be handled by calling ten parents a night. You may even prioritize and call the parents of those students who exhibit signs of behavior and/or academic issues first. This will ensure that your first phone call is a positive one. Spread the rest of the phone calls out over the first month or two.

Begin your call by introducing yourself and offering a positive comment about the student. Next, ask the parents if there is any information they would like to share with regards to their child. This information could be very helpful to you in managing the behavior or encouraging the student to higher performance levels in your class. Remember, the parents know their children far better than you do at this point. If you are already noticing a potential problem, gently mention it and ask for suggestions from the parent in handling the situation. Next, encourage parents to ask you any questions they have at this point in the year. Near the end of the conversation, let the parent know the best times to contact you and offer your school number or email.

This type of phone call near the beginning of the school year will go a long way towards developing a positive relationship between you and the parent, especially if the child is one who will be a constant challenge in the classroom. Now the parent knows who you are and has experienced your interest in their child. They will be more likely to call or email you calmly with a concern rather than storming up to the school in a rage.

Second, be aware of cultural differences when interacting with parents. Should you address the father first or the mother when conferencing with both? Is it acceptable to call a parent by first name or will they consider it insulting? These little details can sometimes make the difference between parents who are willing to work with you and those who are not. Also, be aware of how your cultural background influences the way you interact with others. You may be more casual in your conversations which could be interpreted by other cultures as uncaring or flippant. Having a basic understanding of the different cultures within your school will help you better prepare for parent interactions.

Getting Organized in the Midst of Chaos

2010-10-21T21:29:00.001-05:00

Here you are with school in full swing, students, parents and colleagues coming at you from all sides, and you feel that you are in total chaos. Oh yes, some of it is planned, but what with every new piece of paperwork, documentation, and request thrown your way, you have no idea what to do with it all. Do you find yourself staring at all those piles of papers on your desk wondering what to do with them all? It isn't easy getting organized, especially when there is so very little time. Below are a few tips that I hope you will find helpful. They are not designed to be a quick fix, but rather to help you take baby steps in getting yourself a bit more organized than maybe you are right now.

"Baby steps" is a concept I learned from someone called the Fly Lady. She is an organization guru and has quite a following. She recommends two things that I in turn will recommend to you. The first is using a timer. When you are faced with an enormous pile of mail, memos, and forms with only 30 or 45 minutes of conference time, use a timer. Once you have checked your box and returned to your classroom (for those of you not kicked out during that class period), set your timer for 10 minutes. I like setting it for 10 minutes because it doesn't take up too much of my time. Try to get whatever you can organized during that 10 minutes. When the timer goes off, stop. You won't have gotten everything accomplished during that time, but you will have made a start. If you spend 10 minutes a day working like this, before long you'll be on top of that paperwork and have organized files.

The second piece of advice is to work forwards before working back. Once you've set that timer for 10 minutes, start with whatever mail, memos, and forms you found in your box today. Get those either filed, thrown-away, or completed and ready to return. If you have any time left, start working at the top of that pile on your desk. This way the paperwork does not continue to pile up on you. You can respond in a timely manner and stay current with your mail, communications, and other necessary forms.

Every piece of paper on your desk should have a home whether it is the trash can, a 3-ring binder, a file folder, a tray, or to be returned to someone else. I don't know if you are the kind of person that likes to hang on to magazines or not. I am. I just love catalogs and all those lovely things I might buy one day. What I started doing to keep the catalogs from piling up is to pull out the pages and the order form from each catalog that interests me. I punch holes in them and place them in a binder. I like the binder because I can then tab each particular catalog rather than stuffing them all in one folder. When I have the time (and money) to order, then I can go to that binder and find what I need. However, if you do not have a home for this kind of mail, it can very easily pile up on you and become overwhelming.

For those of you without the flexibility of having your classroom or office space available during your planning period, make a commitment to stay after school for at least thirty minutes. Set your timer for 10 minutes at a time and go from there. Even when faced with papers that need to be graded, you can use the 10 minute strategy to start working your way through those piles. Also, remember that not everything must be graded with the same intensity. Sometimes a simple check or minus will work.

Again, if you keep working at it 10 minutes at a time, before you know it that pile will start shrinking to nothing. Everything will have a home where you can easily find it. Also, once those paperwork piles are gone, take what is left of the 10 minutes and start making specific homes for the other areas in your classroom. Make no mistake; this is a process and not a quick fix. Sure, you can spend 6 or 7 hours one day after school going through it all, but that kind of behavior quickly leads to burn-out. You are so tired of going through paperwork that you let it pile up again and before you know it you have another evening of doing nothing but sorting through papers. Just take it one step at a time, 10 minutes a day, and watch those paperwork piles fade away!

Written by Emma McDonald, reprinted from her column on Education World.

To view the original, go to http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/columnists/mcdonald/mcdonald003.shtml

Tips for Getting Parents Involved

2010-09-30T18:14:00.001-05:00

Encourage parents to read with their children each night
Request/require parent signatures on homework assignments
Send home a fun parent/child assignment for them to do together
Offer ideas for ways parents can reinforce concepts or skills at home or while doing daily tasks
Ask for help in specific areas and at specific times such as reading with one child, stuffing Thursday folders, or putting up a bulletin board
When you need help, send home a notice, email, or announcement in your newsletter
Call parents when you have a specific need
Use your parent volunteers
Ask parents to send a list of their hobbies and talents. You may find a great guest speaker or demonstrator for a unit (ex: making tortillas during a unit on early Texas Mission life)
When parents volunteer, send regular thank you notes
When making the first phone call home, list activities, events, and tasks you need help to complete. Ask the parent if he/she could help with any one of the tasks listed. Make sure to write it down and note the phone number for follow-up.
Send home a pledge for parents to complete and sign committing to at least one activity, event, etc. to do with the school or class during the year.

Sparking the Minds of Students

2010-09-09T18:47:00.001-05:00

Getting students excited about their learning is absolutely the best way to have fun every day as a teacher. When your students are fired up about being in your class they bring with them their unbridled enthusiasm and energy. That energy and enthusiasm is then pumped into to you and it begins a positive cycle between you and your students and learning. So what are some ways you can spark the minds of your students and get them excited about learning?

First of all, you need to feel passionate about what you are teaching. If you find your subject matter boring and unworthy of your attention, then you won't be able to inspire your students to be excited about it. If you've lost the passion for what you teach, you need to take some time to reconnect with the reason why you started teaching. Remind yourself of the spark that first entered you and filled you with excitement about your subject area. I've always loved writing. It is something I've been doing since the 2^nd grade. I can remember going over to a friend's house and writing story after story while she drew the pictures to go along with them. Teaching writing was not necessarily my first choice, but when I finally decided that was what I wanted to do I became thoroughly excited about inspiring my students to let loose the muse and communicate their thoughts on paper. What was your experience?

If you find yourself teaching something not your first choice, what can you do to become passionate about it? One way is to watch movies, read books, and find interesting facts about that subject area or topic. Actively search for something that will spark your interest and passion so that you can pass it along to students. I, for one, am not an avid mathematician. It is not my forte at all. However, I found myself suddenly having to teach math and needing my students excited about it. I do love puzzles and I connected solving math equations to solving puzzles. Suddenly math seemed like an endless set of mysteries to be solved rather than just skill and drill. When the topic or subject area is not your favorite, it is up to you to find a way to make it intriguing for both yourself and your students.

Secondly, find a way to make the students active in their learning. Passive learning, including listening to lectures and doggedly copying down notes or reading silently and answering worksheet questions is boring. Do we need some of that type of learning? Yes. Do we need that type of learning all the time? No. Look at your lessons and ask yourself, what can I do to get my students actively involved? Break them into groups and assign each one a section of the chapter. Have them become experts on that information and present it to the rest of the class as a skit, on a poster, through a poem or story, or possibly in a Power Point presentation. Create scavenger hunts for students to locate information or have them create their own scavenger hunts and swap papers. Get students moving around the classroom. Create mysteries that require math or science to solve the problem. Give students sleuthing tools so they feel like detectives as they solve these mysteries.

Pose questions that challenge students to think through the answers or research information to solve the puzzle. This can be done in any subject area. Allow students to cut, color, draw, and create products as part of the learning process. Many elementary teachers use these types of learning tools, but unfortunately many middle school and high school teachers seem to feel that it is beneath them and their students to do more than lecture, read, and complete pre-printed handouts. This is so sad because our middle and high school students love to be read to, color, cut, and create. They simply need to do so at a higher level than our elementary students. They have more experiences and bigger ideas to add to the creative process, and as such can come up with fantastic products that enhance both their excitement and learning. For instance, creating collages from modern day pictures in magazines to represent/explain a historical event or historical figure requires students to synthesize information.

Being passionate about your subject area communicates fascination and energy to students. They soak up that energy and return it back to you double-fold. Getting students actively involved in their learning gives them the opportunity to put themselves into the equation. Both of these strategies will work together to spark the minds of your students. This in turn lights the fire of enthusiasm and excitement about teaching and learning in you, which then lights the fire of learning in your students. What an awesome cycle to create in our classrooms and what a lasting legacy we leave when this happens!

Reprinted with permission from Emma McDonald's column, New Teacher Advisor, on Education World. http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/columnists/mcdonald/mcdonald017.shtml

The Choices We Make

2010-08-26T12:19:00.001-05:00

As teachers and parents we are concerned that our students and children are making good choices in their lives and for their future. Unfortunately so many children and teens don't recognize that they make hundreds of decisions each day which affect themselves and those around them. You may hear a child say something like, "My teacher gave me a low grade on that test," or "My mom made me stay in my room all afternoon." This shows exactly the perspective of the child who doesn't recognize that the choices he or she made dictated the consequences being faced. As the adult we understand that the choice of not studying for a test can lead to the consequence of a low grade and the choice of disobeying a parent can result in restrictions. Our children don't make these direct connections. In fact, the part of the brain that identifies consequences for actions and uses that information to plan ahead does not fully mature until the age of 25. However, we can help this part of the brain grow and develop strength by taking time to teach our children and teens to recognize the decisions or choices they make each and every day.

One way we can do this is by pointing out the choices facing the child or teen and describing the consequences (both positive and negative) for each choice. For example, when a test is scheduled for Friday we may tell the child/teen, "If you choose to study every day this week for at least fifteen minutes, you won't have to study as long or as hard on Thursday AND the information will be so familiar to you by Friday that the test should be easy. However, if you choose to wait until Thursday, you'll have to spend more time studying that night and you may not remember it all on Friday for the test. The choice is yours." Then allow the child to make the choice. As a parent and a teacher this is never easy. However, by stepping back you are accomplishing two things. First, you are empowering the child/teen which helps them develop into a mature adult. Second, you are allowing the child/teen to learn from the choices made. It is very important that you then use the results (either positive or negative) to illustrate how the choice made determined the consequences. For example, "You chose to wait until Thursday to start studying. As a result you didn't perform as well on the test. This caused you to earn a lower grade. That grade is a result of your choice."

Testing situations are not the only choices children make. They also make choices with regards to behavior and attitudes. When you see a student or your child making a choice that will lead to a negative consequence, take the time to point this out. "You are choosing to _______ (be specific in describing the action or attitude). This choice will lead to _______ (be specific in describing the consequences)." Then offer a different choice that will lead to a more positive result. For example, "You are choosing to ignore my instructions. If you continue to choose to ignore my instructions, you will not be able to complete the assignment correctly and you will make a low grade. However, you can choose to follow my instructions and you will have a much better chance of making a higher grade." Another example might be, "You are choosing to disobey me when I asked you to clean your room. If you continue to disobey me by not cleaning your room, I will be forced to take away all electronics (TV, computer, video games) for a week. The other option is to choose to obey me and clean your room as I have asked. The sooner you complete this task, the sooner you will be able to watch your favorite show on TV."

Another way we can help children understand the importance of the choices they make each day is to point out both positive and negative results of choices made by ourselves and others. Every moment is a teachable moment. When at the market, watching TV or a movie, or listening to the news, take time to talk to your child about the things you see and hear. What choices did people make? What were the results or consequences of those choices? Ask the child whether he or she thinks the choice was worth the consequence. Is that something they would want to happen to them? What kind of choice would they have made in that same situation? Then share the choice you would have made if it had been you. This type of discussion models good thinking and decision-making skills. Additionally, talking about these kinds of situations with children and teens offers them a chance to learn from the behavior, attitudes, and choices of others without walking down the same perilous path. Also, don't just focus on the negative. Take some time to point out good choices that are being made and the positive results of those as well.

Taking time to identify the different choices facing a child during the day, whether at home or at school, offers a valuable teaching tool to parents and teachers. It provides an opportunity to show how each decision we make is followed by a consequence of some sort, either positive or negative. It opens up discussion about how choices can lead us down different paths in life. It also helps develop the part of the brain that uses forethought, thinking through a situation before acting on it. This is a vital skill that will help your child and your students lead a successful life.

Laying the Groundwork

2010-08-13T11:51:00.002-05:00

The first day of school is absolutely one of the most important days of the year. It is the day when you set the tone for your classroom. We all want to have a smoothly running classroom, but it is difficult when you don't know where to start. You may be feeling that you are groping around half blindfolded with only bits and pieces of information rather than the whole. What you need is a vision of what you want your classroom to look like as a positive learning environment. Then take that vision and use the first day of school to lay the groundwork towards making the vision become a reality. How?

First, before school starts, take some time to sit down and brainstorm all of your expectations. This includes how you want students to behave towards you and each other, how you want the day-to-day activities and transitions to be performed, and how you want your classroom to feel. Within each of these categories, think about different scenarios from your own days as a student and plan out how you would deal with each one. Some questions you might ask yourself include how will students enter the classroom, leave the classroom, turn in homework, work in team situations, work as individuals? Picture in your head what you would like to see happening and then write it down as a statement.

When you've mapped out this information, create a poster of basic classroom expectations for everyone to follow. Your poster won't include every single expectation you have, but the ones that guide student behavior. You'll also want to create some procedures posters for various activities during the day such as entering and leaving the classroom. Write them in a very basic step-by-step method with no more than five steps in each. Post these where all students can easily read them. Once you have a clear idea of how you expect students to behave and what you expect them to do from the moment they enter the classroom until the moment they leave the classroom, then you are prepared to explain these expectations to your students.

Now we lay the groundwork. When planning out your first day of school, be sure to alternate between fun ice-breaker and get-to-know activities, which build a positive classroom community, and discussing your expectations and procedures. You need a mixture of both through the first several days as students can only absorb so much information at once. By alternating fun activities with the practical and serious you give students time to internalize the information. When transitioning from a fun activity into another lesson of expectations or procedures, be sure to review previous information before moving on to the new. For example, you might ask students to show you the quiet signal and explain what it means before moving forward to discuss your classroom procedures.

When discussing your classroom expectations and procedures with students, be sure to speak slowly, get eye contact with each student one-on-one, and pause significantly after each expectation. This reinforces the impression that the information is important and also gives students time to listen, understand, and internalize what you are saying. You also want to practice procedures, such as the quiet signal, entering the classroom, and leaving the classroom, with your students. Continue to practice these throughout the next two weeks. By practicing your procedures and expectations with students during the first day and weeks of school, you are laying the groundwork for your vision and building good habits that will last all year long.

Reprinted with permission from Emma McDonald "New Teacher Advisor" column on Education World. http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/columnists/mcdonald/mcdonald.shtml

Making the Most of Your Summer

2010-06-11T12:17:00.002-05:00

Ah, it is almost summertime. Time to kick back, relax, and enjoy your time off, and yes, you should take some time off to relax! After all, you've made it through a school year and survived. Although some of you may have chosen to teach summer school or have a summer job, you still need to take at least a week or two off for a break. Otherwise, you'll be worn out and exhausted before the new school year begins. So, how can you enjoy your summer and also be ready for the new school year? Below are a few tips and ideas to help you get started.

Take a much needed break. Take the first week after you get out of school to simply relax and recuperate after a long school year of teaching. Go do something fun, vegge out on the couch, go see a movie or two, hang with your friends, and lie in the sun. If you had a particularly stressful school year, you might think about taking two weeks to recuperate.
Catch up on your reading. After the first week or two of reading adventure novels, romance novels, or magazines, you might change up your reading material and catch up on some professional books. You know the ones, they looked informative and interesting but you just didn't have the time to sit and read them? If you don't have any collecting dust on your shelves, go to Amazon.com and see what's out there. Think about a particular issue that challenged you throughout the school year or a concept/strategy you'd like to implement in your classroom. There are many fantastic books out there on classroom management, differentiated learning, brain-based classrooms, motivating students, positive discipline strategies and more. In my website, I have a list of authors that you might consider reading. http://www.inspiringteachers.com/development/authors.html They are organized by topic so that you can easily find an author on a specific subject.
Attend a summer conference. Education conferences are more than just learning opportunities, they are fun! You get to travel to a new city, experience the food and culture of that city, and learn some neat teaching strategies as well. If you go with some friends from school, you can also enjoy good company as well. I know that I always come back from an education conference fired up to try many different ideas. The best part about going to a summer conference is that you have the time when you get home to think through how you'll implement those ideas in your classroom.
Attend a professional workshop. You may not have the time or the funds to go away for a summer education conference, so try attending a professional workshop on a topic of interest to you. Again, it is nice to attend a workshop in the summer because you have the time to actually think through the information and figure out how you plan to implement it in your classroom. Usually when we have a staff development during the school year, we are already so busy with everything else, there is little time to actually implement any new ideas.
Review your curriculum and lesson ideas. Some of you are lucky enough to have a district that writes your curriculum and gives you daily lesson plan ideas. Others are not so lucky. Either way, take some time to look at the overall plan of what you teach during the year. Are there any areas that where you can be more creative? Do you see any boring places from last year that you can spice up with a different kind of activity? The summer is the best time to think about your lesson ideas because you have so much time. Once school starts, it will be a mad dash and a daily challenge to get everything done that needs to be done. Take the time while you have it to really think through what you want to do next year in your lessons.
Reflect, Collect, and Plan. Take some time to reflect on what went well and what didn't during this past school year. Collect your thoughts and collect different ideas and strategies for dealing with those issues that were challenges. Then take some time to plan out what you will do next year when you get a fresh start. Brainstorm ideas and put them on paper. Daydream about what you will say and how you will say it. Daydreaming is easy to do when you are floating in a pool or lying out in the sun! **This is also a perfect time to create a classroom vision (see Inspiring Teachers Weekly Teaching Tip Newsletter archives for June 11, 2010).

Lastly, don't try to do it all at once. Mix in some fun along with these strategies for professional improvement. "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" after all! Do a little work and then have a little fun. Having the summer to learn and play is one of the few perks we get as teachers. It is a time to refresh and rejuvenate ourselves. And although you may not believe it now, by the time August rolls around again you'll be ready to get back into your classroom and excited about starting a new school year. Until then, pack your bags and make the most of your summer!

Original column found on Education-world by Emma McDonald. Reprinted with permission.

**Statement added for this blog post.

Slow Down!

2010-05-28T18:12:00.001-05:00

Do you feel like I do that we are rushing through each day and rushing through our lives? There are days where I just want to stop, take a deep breath, and rest a moment before returning to the hectic pace. But the question I'm asking myself and those of you reading this blog is – why aren't we slowing down and taking deep breaths every day and all through the day?

When we are rushed I believe we often make poor decisions, not necessarily bad, just not the best possible decisions. It's like when you're rushing down the street on your way to an important meeting that starts in five minutes. You are so focused on getting to the meeting that you may not notice you are cutting in front of cars, almost knocking down pedestrians, and making hairpin turns onto the street or into the parking lot. I think this happens to us in the school as well. We are so focused on getting to the next big milestone in the curriculum, in the testing, and in the school year that we react instinctually rather than thoughtfully.

Think about that for a minute. When we are rushed we react instinctually rather than thoughtfully. What does this mean for our interactions with students? Do we quickly hand out consequences rather than slowing down to find out exactly what happened? Do we label and lump students into an unofficial "group" based on first impressions? Do we offer vague praise or an absent-minded pat-on-the-back when offering feedback? Do we ignore individual student concerns and issues in our rush to address the needs of the whole class?

I believe very strongly that our interactions with students help each one to develop a sense of identity and self-worth. The time we take and the relationships we make send important messages and have lasting impressions on our students. What message are we portraying when we rush through our curriculum? What message are we portraying when we rush through our assessment? What message are we portraying when we rush through our interactions with students and parents?

I think these questions are something as teachers we all need to think about. Then we need to take a deep breath and slow down.

Teaching: What it Means to be a Professional

2010-05-06T10:07:00.001-05:00

The other day in the grocery store I overheard two moms talking about their local school. As usual, being an educator, my ears perked up, and I guiltily admit that I started to eavesdrop on their conversation. One of the mothers was explaining to the other how she could never get in touch with her child's teacher to discuss concerns because the school was always closed so early. The other mom agreed and they earnestly began a diatribe against teachers. Steadily my ears got hotter and hotter and I threatened to step into the conversation when one of the mothers threw out, "Those people have the easiest job. They get there at eight and leave at three, take summers and all holidays off and get paid for it! No wonder education is going downhill."

At that point I had two levels of thought going on in my head. On the first level I was furious with these mothers who had not the slightest clue of what is really involved in quality teaching. However, at the same time, I had to remind myself that I did not personally know the teachers under discussion by these two. I can only speak for my own self and my level of dedication and professionalism. The two moms ended their conversation and headed off in two different directions. I, however, stood rooted to the spot as emotions and thoughts roiled around in my brain.

This conversation against teachers started a chain reaction of reflection for me in regards to teaching as a profession. Obviously these two mothers were of the opinion that teaching is merely a job and a part-time one at that. What gave them this impression? Also, why do so many in the community at large have these same feelings about teaching? Oh, anyone who hears I'm a teacher will say to me, "Teachers have the toughest job. I admire you for what you do." But everyday conversations, media reports, and even certain legislations, tend to belie that comment. Why is it that teaching is considered more of a job (or glorified babysitters) than a profession? As educators we consider ourselves to be professionals, yet others in the community rarely give us the same designation. Why is that?

Although historically there are many reasons for the current attitude towards teachers, I believe that it is in no small part related to our own behaviors and attitudes about teaching. How then, can we demonstrate that we are professionals? I believe that being a professional educator requires:

A professional appearance and demeanor
A sense of dedication
Continued training
Collaboration with others

What do you think?

Personal Best

2010-04-22T10:17:00.001-05:00

Recently someone asked me a question about the quality of student work. "How can I get students to take their time and not just slap something down when I have them do creative activities?" My thoughts jumped immediately to the life-skill of doing your personal best. This is one of those skills I feel has been neglected in our rush to get through the curriculum. We have so much to teach and so many concepts that must be covered before the end of the school year that we end up rushing our students through their work. We tell them to do a good job and then we say, "Hurry up. Don't lag behind." There is a very fine line to be balanced between allowing students enough time to do a good job on their work and giving too much time that ends up wasted by students through dawdling and procrastination.

One way we can walk this fine line is by teaching, training, and expecting personal best from students. For many of them this is a life-skill that is not emphasized enough both at home and in the classroom. We tell students that we expect them to do a good job, but what does that mean? Also, is doing a good job the same for every student? It shouldn't be. Every student has differing ability levels, creativity, and ideas which mean that you will get a different level of work out of each. This is why I like to focus on the concept of personal best.

At the beginning of each year I go through a little spiel about my expectations and what I want to see from my students. I always take some time to talk about the life-skill of personal best. I read one of my favorite poems by Charles Osgood entitled "Pretty Good." If you are interested you can view the poem at http://www.inspiringteachers.com/classroom_resources/tips/beginning_of_the_school_year/discussing_personal_best.html. The gist of the poem is that there was a pretty good student in a pretty good school that doesn't make him work too hard. They'll take work that is pretty good. After a while everyone finds out that pretty good is really pretty bad. I use this poem to emphasize how important it is that we each do our personal best. I have to do my personal best as the teacher and I expect my students to do their personal best in all that they do.

What exactly is personal best? Well, it is going to be different for each student. If I feel that a student has given me a product that is not their personal best, I will ask him or her, "Do you believe this is your personal best?" Most of the time the student knows the truth of it and will either nod a yes or shake his or her head no. At that point I return the work to them and expect it to be done again. If it is a creative assignment, I will require students show me their product before turning it in. We talk about whether the final product represents the student's personal best. I'll probe and ask students what they think their personal best product should look like. This helps the student to see where he or she needs to improve the project or work completed. At first students are irritated with me and simply want to turn it in and get it over with. However, I stand my ground and continue the conversation and probing questions. After doing this process several times, I will start getting products that reflect each student's personal best from the start.

This same standard goes for me. If I don't do my own personal best in my teaching, how can I expect my students to put their personal best into their work? A large part of teaching is modeling. If we expect a behavior or attitude from our students, we need to consistently exhibit that same behavior and attitude ourselves. Our students know when we don't follow our own admonitions and expectations. I've even had students come up to me after a day where I "winged it" and say, "Mrs., that wasn't really your personal best today, was it?" Boy, that really gets to me. I'm rebuked and know that my students can tell when I haven't done my personal best in teaching. I feel honor bound to put my very best into the lessons and activities I plan so that students can see what personal best truly means.

If you feel you are getting substandard work from your students, take some time to talk to them about personal best. Get them to discuss what personal best looks like and feels like. Show your students some examples of work you've gotten in the past that showed personal best. Explain to them how you put your personal best into lessons and activities. Let them know that from now on you will not accept work that does not represent a student's personal best effort. They will have to work on it over and over until it is truly their personal best. At the same time, be sure you communicate the fact that each person has a different personal best. You are not looking for every project to be exactly the same. What you are looking for are students who strive to do their best, at whatever level that may be. Show consistency in expecting personal best from students and in doing your own personal best. Before long your students will catch on that it is better for them to take their time and do their best the first time around than to redo an assignment over and over. In thinking about our own classrooms, schools, and communities, we really don't want to be like the people in Charles Osgood's poem. Instead, let's strive for personal best rather than pretty good.

Become a Task Master

2010-04-08T21:17:00.001-05:00

Time. It's something we have in limited supply. There are only 24 hours in a day, eight of which should be spent in sleep. The remaining hours must then be divided into work, personal time, and recreation/relaxation time. As a new teacher you'll find yourself overwhelmed with the number of activities and tasks that will fill your time. There are lessons to plan, papers to be graded, classes to teach, paperwork to fill out, meetings to attend, parents to call, colleagues to conference with, students to redirect, and more. At times it may even feel as though you are drowning. Then when you get home, for many of you, there will be laundry to do, meals to fix, shopping & cleaning to do, and families to care for. How can you manage all of these aspects of your life? That's where time management comes in. It is all too easy to let your tasks control you and your time. Instead, strive to be the master of your own time. Below are a few ideas to help you be a "Task Master":

Know your tasks. Our "To Do" list takes up much of our time and so often things get added to this list at odd moments. You may be walking down the hallway when the special education teacher stops you and says, "Oh, good, I caught you. Can you please fill out this referral packet on _____? I need it tomorrow morning." A little later you may realize, "We need more toilet paper at home." Then you walk into your classroom and get ready to teach the next lesson. It's no wonder that our "To Do" list can pile up on us with many items forgotten and left undone.

One way to keep track of all these items is to keep a small journal or a legal sized pad with you at all times. This is something I find helps keep me on top of all the different tasks I face – both personal and professional. Make two, three, or four columns on the page (depending on how many parts of your life require specific tasks). My list is divided into three columns of Work, House, and Family. In each column I then list the tasks I need to complete. If you keep this pad with you at all times, it is easy to jot down an unexpected task that comes your way. Put a star next to it to show higher priority, and a deadline date if one is given. I also mark down a day & time for specific items on my list. For example: Parent Meeting – Tues @ 3pm (office). That way if I don't have my calendar with me, I know what appointments are coming up. Keep the list for a week at a time. At the end of the week transfer any items not completed to the next sheet of paper on the pad.

Keep a calendar. This tool will be a lifeline when you begin ARD meetings, parent conferences, staff development meetings and all of the other appointments that will fill your time besides teaching. Outlook has a great calendar tool that will notify participants via email of appointments and changes to those appointments. You can even print out your calendar a week at a time and keep your "To Do" list as part of your calendar. Outlook also has a "Task Panel" where you can list all of your tasks to complete that week. As soon as you set up a parent conference/phone call, staff meeting, field trip, etc., mark it on your calendar. When you get memos from your administrator noting due dates, meetings, etc., mark it on your calendar. When another staff member requests your attendance at a meeting, mark it on your calendar. Then keep your calendar handy. Do not commit to any meetings until you have checked your calendar.

Allot specific amounts of time for tasks. If you get into the habit of using a calendar, you can then set appointments to complete certain daily tasks. For example, you might set an appointment each Wednesday afternoon to plan lessons for the following week. Go ahead and mark these on your calendar before school starts (don't forget to take into account weekly faculty meetings). Now when making appointments you won't accidentally over-plan your time and not have enough to grade papers and plan lessons. Also be sure to put in personal appointments on the same calendar. Keeping two calendars is simply too confusing with all of the tasks and appointments you'll have throughout the year.

Don't forget to allot time for those tasks that are important for your health and well-being. This includes time for exercise, personal reflection, and relaxation. Believe me, you'll find yourself so overwhelmed by work that these important activities will be left by the wayside. You need to take time for yourself each day and each week so that you don't burn out, which can happen easily in this profession.

Managing your time is all about allotting segments to accomplish the various tasks and appointments required by your job and personal life. Using a "To Do" list and a calendar are two ways you can keep track of all that is going on without getting overwhelmed. Don't forget to reward yourself when you've accomplished your major tasks and goals. Stop and eat a piece of chocolate or go out and watch that new movie. You see, when you are in control of your tasks, you can do these little things for yourself that make life more enjoyable. In essence, you become a "Task Master."

Column by Emma McDonald reprinted with permission from The New Teacher Advisor column on Education World found at http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/columnists/mcdonald/mcdonald019.shtml

Tips for Using Journaling in Your Classroom

2010-03-24T23:40:00.002-05:00

Journaling is not an activity just for English teachers. The journal is one of the best ways to assess student learning after a lesson as well as a great way to provide one-on-one feedback for each student. It is important, however, for you to know exactly how you plan to use the journal in your classroom. What is the purpose of the journal and how does it help you meet curriculum goals?

Journals can have a variety of purposes:

1) To unload thoughts and feelings before starting class. Writing often helps people work through issues they are facing.

2) To focus thought on a particular topic. Get students in the right "mind-set" by having them journal on the topic or concept you are currently studying.

3) To review prior learning. Help students to make the connections between prior learning and new learning by reviewing the concept or topic taught the previous day through a journal witing activit.

4) To encourage creative writing. Offer students a fun or wacky thought, sentence, or word and have them journal thoughts and ideas from that starting point. Another great idea, especially for young students and ESL or ELL students is to use pictures and have students respond to the pictures. Calendar pictures make great journal starters.

No matter what purpose you set out for your journal, it is important that you provide structure for this type of learning experience. Simply telling students to write in their journal isn't enough. In the beginning students will often spend the entire journaling time flustered and looking around aimlessly. Give your students a topic of some sort to help them get started. If you are looking for free flowing thoughts, then give them a word or picture to start from and allow them to continue from that point. Always make it clear, when asking for open-ended journaling, that students are free to write about whatever they want, but that you are providing a starting point for anyone having trouble.

If you are using the journal to focus student thought or to review prior learning, it is important to use your objectives or key elements/strands to help you develop a journal prompt. Be sure that your topic is meeting your curriculum needs and is not just another busy work assignment without meaning.

Math teachers can encourage students to explain various equations or math concepts through words rather than always using symbols. You might even think about prompts that ask students to apply previous learning to a real world situation such as purchasing groceries or clothing, or designing a structure of some sort.

Just remember two important aspects of journaling - 1) Purpose, and 2) Structure - and you'll find the journal to be a meaningful way to integrate writing into your class!

Frustration with Research Projects

2010-03-06T08:58:00.007-06:00

Are you conducting a research project in your class? Do you find yourself getting more and more frustrated with student research abilities and the end product? This is not surprising. Many content area teachers get frustrated when doing a research project in class. Here are a few reasons why students may be having trouble:

1. The students have not been taught (or have forgotten) how to take notes from different kinds of sources.
2. The students have not been taught (or have forgotten) how to properly cite a source.
3. The students only have experience finding direct answers to direct questions.
4. The students only know how to regurgitate information located in the text.

So what you find yourself with is a group of students who, for the most part, don't write down citation information from their sources, copy word for word the information read in the source, answer research questions only if they require location of facts from a source, and are unable to develop their own unique synthesis of the information learned about the topic.

What can you do to help your students navigate through this process and ease some of your frustration?

1. Don't assume students know how to research - even if you are teaching secondary students.

If you are working with elementary or middle school students, take the time to walk through the entire process from start to finish. Model each stage of the research project and practice as a class before asking students to do their own. Take it one step at a time and create specific due dates for each stage of the project.

If you are working with high school students make sure to go over your expectations in detail. Provide a checklist showing each stage and the requirements for each. You still want to have specific due dates for each stage of the process to keep track of student progress.

Providing students with specific guidelines and walking them through the process is not cheating - it's teaching. When students only complete one or two research projects in a year they do not get sufficient practice to build good habits and retain knowledge of the process from year to year. As with everything, when you don't practice frequently you forget.

2. Teach or remind students how to take notes before beginning the research project. Practice as a class how to take notes using a book, periodical, and website at the very minimum. This is a good time to teach or review citation rules as well. Basic note-taking skills include identifying the main idea of the paragraph, page, or passage and writing down supporting details under the main idea. I always stipulate to students that they may only write down three words maximum for each line of notes taken. This forces them to clearly identify the main idea and supporting details from the reading. It also reduces the amount of plagiarism that occurs from copying information word for word during the note-taking stage.

Also, it is a good idea to review how to locate the main idea (both stated and inferred) and supporting details in class - especially if you don't normally teach this in your subject area classes. Don't assume the English/Reading teacher has recently taught or reviewed this skill or even that students remember the lessons.

3. Practice answering questions from print sources where the answer is not expressly stated. In other words, practice inferring answers from text. Students have plenty of practice answering Knowledge and Comprehension level questions where the answer can be easily located within the text. However, they do not have a lot of practice answering questions where they must infer the answer or reason it out from the reading because it is not specifically addressed.

For example, you may ask students to discuss mankind's affect on nature in a particular region. The source you read may describe depleted resources and changes in the ecosystem without specifically stating that this is a result of human interference in nature. After reading the text, "think aloud" with students to model how you would think through the meaning and inferences within this passage. Do this kind of activity as frequently as possible with textbook readings throughout the school year. These modeling practices teach students how to actively think about their reading and identify information that is not explicitly stated but rather implied.

4. Practice making opinion statements about a topic and providing support from a source. This is another activity that can be practiced throughout the school year and not just during a research project. When students read a passage or section in the content area textbook, ask them to form an opinion. Then have students support that opinion from the text. You should first model this to the whole class then have students work in groups to practice, then in pairs, and finally each student should be able to make his or her own opinion statement from a single or even multiple sources.

This is also an activity that should be taught and practiced in ALL grade levels. Kindergarten students are just as capable of forming an opinion and supporting it as a high school senior. Their opinions and support may be less complex, but you are beginning to build the dendrites in the brain for this important skill.

Students are less likely to regurgitate facts in a research project when they have been taught and have frequently practiced how to make opinion statements. The most important aspect of this skill is that students are able to locate support for their opinion from the text. Frequent practice will help students hone this skill and will provide more entertaining and enlightening reports for you.

A Teaching Adventure in India

2010-01-29T07:32:00.001-06:00

About a month ago I was contacted by The Achievers Programme based in Chandigarh, India to come and give a series of 2 day workshops across the country. Of course I was interested and we began a dialogue about how this might occur. After much planning, many shots and a few hassles later I was on my way. The flight over is about 15 hours, which is simply too long to be in a confined space. However, with my few travel comforts (ipod, computer, travel pillow, and travel blanket) I was able to make it without too much issue. We landed late in the evening and spent at least an hour going through customs. I ended up the last one through the line and found my luggage waiting for me beside the carousel. After a bit of struggling I managed my two bags (full of clothes and workshop supplies) through the airport and outside where a driver was waiting for me.

The first sight outside was of a crowd of people all waving cards and jumping up and down to get attention from the travelers leaving the airport. It was very chaotic and I almost went with the wrong person except that my driver heard me say my name and repeated it over and over until I found him. We wove our way through the throng of people, cars, and animals and walked over rocks and dirt to get to the car. The first thing I discovered in India is that no one uses the lanes, everyone honks, and if you don't like waiting in traffic, you just weave your car around until you make your own way – no matter whether there are people walking along or not. If there had been sidewalks, I have no doubt the drivers would be maneuvering up onto the sidewalks to get around the other cars. No one seemed angry or upset, they all just moved in and out as they were able.

The next thing I discovered in India is that you never know what is going to happen or when. The key to everything here is "Go with the Flow." I was booked on a train to Surat to visit my first school. The train was five hours late and took 17 hours to finally arrive. Luckily I was in a 1A Sleeper car and had very nice travelling companions. There is no such thing as absolute privacy or a private car unless you purchase four tickets. I ended up in a compartment with two older gentlemen. Both were very helpful in communicating to the porter my need for a somewhat spice-free dinner and breakfast. It didn't happen, but they did try. J

Two teachers met me in Surat and took me to my hotel. I was supposed to have arrived that morning and have the entire day to rest and sightsee. However, that didn't happen. J "Go with the Flow." I began my first workshop the following morning after a nice visit with the principal. She and her staff were both warm and welcoming to me and were very enthusiastic about the workshop. My first school was DPS Tapi – Delhi Public School, the Tapi branch. There are many Delhi Public schools across the country and although the name reads as "Public School" it is actually a group of private schools. There I found the teachers to be energetic and full of knowledge about effective teaching practices. I was not sure what I would encounter, but found that children are children and teachers are teachers no matter where you are. The teachers of DPS Tapi have so many wonderful ideas and strategies they are using with their students. They also were very interested in learning new strategies and not at all adverse to getting "reminders" of good strategies they were already familiar with. The attitudes of these teachers were so incredibly positive that I felt completely energized and excited about my teaching when I left them. Many of the ideas I presented for Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum were familiar to them, but they all very much enjoyed the idea of using poetry and pattern books to write about topics learned in the classroom. The Classrooms that Spark workshop went over very well with the teachers. They were unfamiliar with much of the brain research I presented and thoroughly enjoyed the games and other movement activities we did during the day. At the end they all crowded around me asking questions and telling stories about their children and classrooms. I felt so at home and so at one with the teachers of DPS Tapi that I could have stayed there quite happily. J Unfortunately I had to rush to board my train to Ambala on my way to Chandigarh.

This time the train left on time, but was slowed down by the immense amount of fog happening here right now. We were on the train for 29 hours. I don't think I ever imagined that I would be on a train for that amount of time. I was in the compartment with a family of three and we had a very nice time getting to know one another. They brought their laptop as well and we spent many hours watching Indian movies. I didn't understand any of the words, but the action and music more than made up for it! J

Chandigarh is a lovely city and is a planned city, which seems to be a huge deal here. It is also the cleanest city in India followed closely by Surat. From Chandigarh I took a taxi into the mountains to Dherdun and presented my workshops to an all-girls boarding school. The girls were on vacation and the teachers preparing for a new term. Again, I had a wonderful experience with the teachers. Everyone was so informed of current research and eager to learn more. Several of the teachers came to me afterwards and exclaimed that they truly enjoyed my workshop. That made me feel so good knowing that the information I was offering was helpful to them. As a presenter I know that I cannot make everyone happy all of the time, but these teachers have such great attitudes and are so open to new ideas. One teacher had to leave to work with a few girls who stayed over the break and when she returned she happily reported that she already implemented a few of the ideas learned that morning.

So far I have seen that the teachers of India work just as hard as we do in America to give their students engaging activities for learning. They are just as concerned about student behavior and see similar issues in terms of "over-entertained" children in the classroom. Many of their questions and concerns mirror exactly the questions and concerns we face in America as well. They worry they are doing the best for the children, they fret over parent interactions, and they struggle with behavior issues.

The travels have been quite eye-opening and very much an adventure, but working with the teachers has made me feel as if I were home. I can honestly say that I have been blessed by my interactions with each and every teacher I've met here. And if I have been of at least a little help to them in reassurance and in sharing ideas, then this adventure has been more than worth it and I very gladly will return again when asked.

More Bang for Your Buck: Movement and Learning

2010-01-14T10:18:00.001-06:00

When shopping you probably look for the best possible deal getting the most you can for every dollar you spend. Learning should be like that too. For every moment we spend on a topic, concept, or skill we want our students to get as much knowledge out of it as possible. More importantly we want them to retain that information and be able to recall it and use it in the future. For some teachers this means cramming as many facts and figures into each child's head as possible in a forty-five or fifty minute class period. Lecture and skill-and-drill rule the day. However, current brain research tells us that our students are less likely to remember these facts and figures through lecture and skill-and-drill exercises. The Learning Pyramid, developed by the National Training Laboratories, shows that over time students only retain 5% of what they've learned through lecture. This is followed closely by 10% of an audio-visual presentation, 20% of what they read and 30% of a demonstration. These are all passive learning strategies.

What current brain research tells us is that students need to be active to get their brains working and growing. Scientists have discovered that our brains continue to grow even past childhood. For every new stimulation, situation, and challenge we face, brand new neurons grow. The more we use those new neurons, the more they flourish and expand to create synapses with other neurons. For the longest time scientists believed that this new growth only happened in the cortex, the thinking part of our brain, and that only new mental stimulation would increase that growth. However, scientists like Peter Strick, a professor of Neurobiology and Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburg, have traced pathways from the cerebellum to parts of the brain that are involved with memory, attention, language, emotion, and decision making. Whoa, what does that mean exactly? Well, the cerebellum has been thought to only deal with physical movement and not much else. The cortex, on the other hand, has been labeled as the thinking brain because it houses memory, language, attention, decision making, and other mental skills. What Dr. Strick discovered was a series of connections (neural pathways) between the "movement" brain and the "thinking" brain. What can you conclude from that bit of knowledge?

Interestingly enough, the cerebellum is only one tenth of the overall brain in size and yet it contains over half of all the brain's neurons and more than 40 million nerve fibers. That sounds to me like a lot of activity happening in the movement part of our brain. Additionally, the vestibular nuclei (has connections to the brainstem) within the cerebellum is an information-gathering and feedback source for movement. The cerebellum takes these movement messages and combines them with visual and auditory messages before sending the whole package to the cortex (the thinking brain). When movement and thinking are both in play, these "packages" of messages are then relayed back and forth between the cerebellum and cortex. Movement stimulates growth in both the moving brain and in the thinking brain. These links show us that movement is an important part of learning.

Not only does movement increase academic performance, but it also factors into long-term memory. The more multi-sensory interactions, the more synapses are created. Watching a video of how to make adobe bricks only engages the eyes and the ears through audio and visual inputs. However, getting students outside mixing sand, dirt, straw, and other materials by hand to make adobe bricks themselves offers a multitude of sensory inputs through the feel, smell (and for those more adventurous souls – taste) as well as a lively discussion with others about the process. Emotions are also brought into the process through the enjoyment of the activity and the interactions with friends. When we understand how memory is housed in our brain, we have a greater insight into why these interactions with our environment are so important for learning.

"Memory is not an entity, planted in one spot – but planted throughout the brain, an interplay of sensory perception and emotion." Susan Jones, author of Grow a Brain, tells us that memory is separated and stored in segments. One memory is a composite of the different senses as interpreted by the brain. For example, the memory of a slice of pizza is a composite of the smell of the cheese, the spicy taste of the pepperoni, the tangy taste of the sauce, the flat texture of the bottom crust, the crunchy texture of the side crust, the angle the pizza is cut, the pure enjoyment of eating it, and more. This one memory is taken apart into pieces, stored, and then reassembled when recalled. When one segment is recalled, brain is able to retrieve the entire memory or even a series of different memories. Therefore, the more parts of the brain that are involved – sights, sounds, feelings, textures – the easier it is for the brain to retrieve the memory. Think about the last time a particular smell brought forward a specific memory or even a general feeling of well-being, anger, or fear. (As a side note - our emotions are also a very important part of memory and learning, but I'll hit that subject in another blog.) When we help students make multi-sensory connections through movement and activity, we are helping them to plant long-term memories.

You might be thinking, those touchy-feeling activities may be well and good for elementary students, but my secondary students have major tests to pass! You're right. Your students do have tests to pass. And just think how much easier it would be for them to think of a single activity and be able to retrieve all the stored data connected to that activity through direct instruction and class discussion. This is made even easier when the activity was enjoyable, bringing positive emotions into the memory retrieval. Even pantomiming an activity with their hands (such as building bricks) can then help retrieve both the memory of the activity and the data (or learning) connected to it. To top it all off, physical movement releases acetylcholine, a brain-chemical involved in communication between neurons. According to Susan Jones this brain-chemical "aids in the planning and retrieval of long-term memory." As she says, "Movement helps cement memory!"

Resources:

"Movement and Learning: The cerebellar connection and the link between physical education and learning." http://www.bctnz.co.nz/resources/dore_learning.pdf

"Grow a Brain!" by Susan Jones. http://www.susanjjones.com/movement.pdf

The Learning Pyramid. http://com546.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/learning-pyramid.gif

I also highly recommend reading "Have You Heard of Brain Gym?" by Cecilia K. Freeman, M.Ed. http://www.specialchild.com/archives/ia-052.html

While her article focuses on the use of Brain Gym with special needs children, I found many ways to use these exercises for myself to increase focus, organization, and communication. I can see the benefits of learning small exercises that can be done in the classroom to help when students seem unable to focus or need a bit of physical stimulation to "wake-up" the brain.

Getting a Fresh Start

2010-01-03T13:40:00.001-06:00

January, being the first month of the New Year, is a time of setting resolutions and goals. It is also a time for a fresh start. Everyone has just had a lovely, and hopefully refreshing, two week vacation in which most try very hard to forget everything that happened during the previous semester. If you feel that you had a rough start to the school year, this is the perfect time to implement those much needed changes. Even if you feel that your classroom has been doing very well, January is the perfect time to refresh everyone's memory of how your classroom works.

This first month in the year is unique because it offers us the opportunity to make large-scale changes without upsetting the delicate balance of our classroom. It allows us to make improvements in our classroom management and teaching style without causing student distress. Generally, during the rest of the school year, if you are constantly changing your attitude, style, expectations, and procedures, students never know what to expect of you. They stop trusting in how you behave with them and respect is lost. Little changes are always welcome and keep the classroom from becoming stifling, but constantly changing the "structure" causes confusion and leads to chaos. Below are a few tips to help you take advantage of this "fresh start."

Treat the first day and week back as though it were the first day of school. Take some time to go back over your expectations of student behavior and the procedures you want students to follow. If you did not do that great of a job setting expectations and procedures at the start of the year, this is the perfect time to implement new ones. Your students are in a frame of mind that lends itself to change. Later on in the semester, they will not be so open and willing to receive new expectations and procedures and will fight you every step of the way. So take some time now to implement those changes you have in mind.

Begin your training program again. Train students in your quiet signal and in the other various procedures of your classroom, including entering the classroom, leaving the classroom, turning in homework, working in labs, etc. If students do not follow your expectations during that first week or two after the break, stop what you are doing and have students follow the expectation or procedure correctly. This is vital to refreshing student memories of how you expect your class to behave. If you do not take the time to refresh their memory, you may find that your students steadily increase their misbehavior throughout the spring semester.

Take a look at your attitude towards students the previous semester. Did it encourage student learning and positive behaviors? If it did, then continue that positive and uplifting attitude. If it did not, then reflect on how your attitude has affected both student behavior and student learning. What can you do differently in this new semester? Again, this is the perfect time to make those much needed changes. You still have time to earn student respect. While you may have challenging students, remember that YOUR attitude determines the overall attitude of your class. When you face your class with a positive attitude, they will ultimately reflect that positive attitude back to you. The same goes for a negative attitude.

Remember, revamp your expectations and procedures to improve, or review your expectations and procedures to maintain the balance. Start a training program to get students used to what is expected of them on a daily basis, or continue your training program to maintain positive student behaviors. Put in place a positive attitude that will encourage positive student behavior and learning, or continue the positive attitude you've shown all year to maintain positive student behavior and learning. Take advantage of this one time in the middle of the school year when you can make those large-scale changes with a positive benefit and get a <b><i>fresh start</b></i>!

Article by Emma McDonald. Reprinted with permission from Education World. Original article can be found at http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/columnists/mcdonald/mcdonald006.shtml

Reflections

2009-12-18T09:00:00.001-06:00

As the semester winds to a close and we all prepare for our Winter Break, I am brought to mind of the importance of reflection. So often we rush ourselves through day by day without stopping to take the time to reflect on our classroom practices and the effects of those practices on ourselves and our students. It is so easy to forget this important part of teaching because there are so many other activities and demands on our time. The problem is that this kind of rushing around is not good for anyone. It is so important to slow down, take a breath, and think back over what we've done. This reflection helps us then move forward and plan for the future. Below are some different topics and questions to help you reflect over your teaching practices this semester.

1) The Classroom - Is your classroom arranged in a welcoming way that encourages student learning? Does the flow of the room help or hinder learning? Are the visual elements of your classroom distracting or do they encourage learning and motivate students? Do you and students feel comfortable in the classroom?

2) Classroom Routines - What routines did you use that you feel were effective this semester? Which ones need an overhaul? How can you change them so that they are more effective for you and for the students? What new routines would you like to put in place for the new semester? Think about the ideal flow of daily activities and events in the classroom.

3) Parent Communication - What level of parent communication did you encourage this semester? Were parents actively involved in the classroom? Do you feel you kept them adequately informed of what was happening in the classroom? What made you the most nervous about calling and talking with parents? What can you do to ease that nervousness? What can you do to encourage more parent involvement? Did you find yourself calling parents as it was needed, or putting off the phone calls? How has the parent response been to you in the classroom? What can you do to help parent response be positive?

4) End of Semester - What are your thoughts at the end of this grading period? What worked well in terms of lessons and units? What needs to be changed? How were your interactions with students, parents, and colleagues? What challenges are you currently facing? What are your thoughts on these challenges? How might you overcome/solve the issues facing you at this time? What new ideas do you plan to implement at the start of the new grading period?

These are just a few topics to consider at the end of the semester as you reflect and plan for the next semester. Our hope is that these questions will lead to further reflection over all areas of your teaching. Keep a journal over the holiday and jot down your thoughts and ideas to help you put them into a better frame of reference. You'll find that this type of reflection not only helps you put away past baggage, but also helps you re-energize for the upcoming semester.

Classroom Organization Tips

2009-12-07T11:40:00.001-06:00

Organization is one of the keys to successful classroom management and to a less stressful year. When we are organized, we feel more confident and "together" each day. Below you'll find some tips to help you get yourself organized.

Tip 1: Daily Organization Folders

I just love Daily Folders! If you've heard this one before, please forgive me, but every year I am reminded of what a great organization tool this is! I take different colored file folders and label each one for a day of the week. As a secondary teacher, I do this for each class period and use stickers on the tab to differentiate between each period. I like to use cartoon figures like Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald and Daisy to represent each class period. Then I use an upright file box to hold all of my folders. Each class period has a gusseted hanging file to hold all five daily folders. Self-contained elementary is a bit easier with just 5 folders (one for each day).

Inside each folder I place my lesson plans, handouts/copies, notes to send home, administrative notices or memos, parent notices, and so on for that day. Each afternoon I:

Take out the folder for the next day
Check to be sure everything I need is inside
Put my sub folder just inside (on top)
Place the folder on top of my desk

Then I:

Set up my whiteboard for the next day
Get my bulky materials ready and out to be used (in an easily accessible place)

Now I feel that I am ready to begin the next day. What if something happens unexpectedly and I can't get to school? No problems – everything a substitute needs is right on my desk and near my podium or overhead. This looks great when the school administrator has to come in for a few minutes if no one else is available. The students know to get started on their board work (it is already up), my plans and materials are on my desk ready to go, and everyone has an easier transition!

Tip 2: Positive Notes

Another way to get organized is to create materials in bulk ahead of time. This can be done on weekends or during school holidays. One thing I like to create and have ready to hand out at any time are positive notes to students. I know that students love to get positive notes from me, but I just don't have the time to sit and write out a full note at the end of class! One solution is to brainstorm several different "positives", type them out, copy them on bright paper, and have them ready. I usually set up my page in four squares and type one positive message in a fun, yet easy-to-read font in each square. Then I copy these on colored card stock paper. I cut them out and place them into folders on my desk. (Other ideas include using a basket, hanging the folders on the wall instead of putting them in your filing cabinet (no dust collecting), or putting a stack on your overhead or podium).

Sample Positives:

Thank you for participating in class today!
Thank you for helping another student when they needed it!
Thank you for being such a good helper to me today!
Thanks for sharing your ideas with us!
Thanks for being on time!
Thanks for leading that group!
Thank you for sharing your materials!
Thanks for bringing in all your work on time!

What are some other specific "positives" you want to reinforce in your class? I also like to think of the life-skills – Cooperation, Teamwork, Honesty, Integrity, Friendship, Perseverance, Determination, Personal Best, and others.

Now choose and sign the note, put a smiley face on it, and hand it to the student as they leave the room!

How Do You Influence Others?

2009-11-20T08:59:00.003-06:00

We enter the profession looking through rose - colored glasses, but it often doesn't take long for those glasses to come off. Most new teachers hit a period of disillusionment with teaching between November and March or April of their first year. As the year progresses, more and more time is spent on paperwork requirements, meeting district policies, endless meetings, test preparation, and other duties that seem to have little or nothing to do with the actual teaching of children.

Disillusionment also comes in the form of colleagues or administrators who do not live up to our expectations. Either way, this can spiral into self - doubt and a questioning of being in the profession. This disillusionment can happen to veteran teachers as well who are frustrated with the system and the requirements added year after year. Our first comment to those of you who may be feeling this way is, "You are making a difference!"

When you are feeling low or blue and wonder why you are giving up so much of your time and energy, just remember that child who looks up to you or that teenager who finally started participating in class. These kids need you! They need someone who is steady and consistent and who will care for them no matter what. They need teachers like you who care enough to spend their personal time looking for strategies to improve, refine, or bring new ideas into the classroom. Don't give in to your feelings of frustration and helplessness. You are not helpless. You are able to make a difference daily, even if the results aren't immediately apparent.

Not only can you make a difference in the lives of the students in your own classroom, but you can make a difference in the lives of your colleagues, administrator, and all of the students in your school. When you face a difficult situation, always do what is right. Are you not being supported? Then find someone in the school who needs help and support that person as you are able. Be a good role model. Show others what support looks like.

Does your administrator keep piling on extra duties? Do those duties with a cheerful attitude, and then go above and beyond when you are able. Giving cheerfully helps our heart and spreads like wildfire. Be a model for others. Do you have a negative colleague? Come up with one positive comment for every negative comment this person makes. By being a positive influence in the lives of our colleagues, we also become a positive influence in the lives of the students they encounter. Will you see an immediate change? Probably not. Will you ever see a change? Definitely.

While we may have no control over the attitudes of others, we do have control over our own attitudes. Keep a laminated card on your overhead cart, filing cabinet, the visor of your car, the bathroom mirror, and everywhere else you think you may see it. This card should read: "I am making a difference in the lives of thousands of children. I choose to be a positive influence to everyone around me. I will greet the day, tasks, and challenges with a cheerful heart." When in a bad mood and reading this, remember that you do matter. You can choose to be a negative influence in this world or a positive influence. We personally choose to be positive influences as much as possible. These cards help us to remember this goal to keep our priorities straight. Once you do, you'll be amazed at how the little and big things that annoyed you in the past no longer have power over your life.

Is this easy? No. Just like teaching, it takes hard work and consistency. However, for us, the rewards are well worth it. You must decide for yourself whether the potential rewards of a positive working environment and learning environment are worth the work it takes to approach all situations with a cheerful heart. Before long, it is a habit and is no longer a difficult task to be cheerful each day. You'll also notice others around you being cheerful and the negativity fading.

As an experiment, take a look at what is frustrating you right now, and ask yourself how much of that is happening because of your own attitude. It is not an easy question to ask. How much of it is a cycle of negativity in the school that no one seems able to stop? Are you going to continue to allow other people's attitudes to control your own attitude and outlook on life and on teaching? These are important questions to ask yourself.

Steven Covey's (2004) book, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People , discusses the circle of influence each person has in his or her life. It is an excellent book and one that we highly recommend every teacher to read because we not only influence those in our family or a few colleagues, but hundreds and thousands of students over the course of our career. In turn, those students influence others in a circle that is ever growing. Now that's something to think about.

Excerpt from Chapter 12 of Classrooms that Spark, 2^nd Edition, by Emma McDonald and Dyan Hershman, available March 2010 from Jossey-Bass.

Teaching Students How to Learn Through Research

2009-11-10T20:08:00.001-06:00

Rather than trying to teach your students facts, try teaching them how to learn. Our brains learn better and retain more when we are forced to figure out the answer for ourselves. Have students research important questions for your unit of study and then teach this information to the rest of the class. The Learning Pyramid shows that 90% of learning is retained when directly applied or taught to others. Wow! What a statement that makes! When we teach our students how to learn, to be able to find information for themselves, we are in effect teaching them how to be lifelong learners.

Does this mean that as teachers we sit back and do nothing? Of course not! We are the facilitators in this process. Our students need to be taught how to ask the right questions and how to find the information. They also need to be taught how to process and use that same information. We must teach about sources of information. We must teach how to take notes from information that we read. We must teach how to put that information into an organized presentation, and we must teach our students how to either apply or teach it to others!

Start with the basics and walk students through their first project step-by-step.

What kind of question do I ask?

Teach students how to create questions that will allow them to discover further information about their topic. You can begin with the basics of who, what, where, when, why, and how. Don't forget about using Bloom's Taxonomy keywords to help students create questions. These may be statements of action rather than questions, but serve the same purpose. Using Bloom's keywords also help students take their research from the basic Knowledge level to the higher cognitive levels of Synthesis and Evaluation.

Where do I go to find the information?

Teach students (yes even the young ones) about primary and secondary sources and where the sources can be accessed. Get them thinking about why we use both primary and secondary sources. Primary sources offer us original documents and eye-witness accounts of information as written by the person involved in the event. Secondary sources can provide analysis of those primary sources, an overview of the information, and various interpretations of the event or concept.

Provide opportunities for your students to become familiar with the school and public library as well as locating information on the internet. This is also a good opportunity to teach students how to discern whether the information gained from an internet site is valid. This can be done by finding support documents from primary sources or similar information from organizations that have proven to be reliable sources.

How do I pull out the most important and relevant information to answer my question?

Teach students how to take notes from written and oral sources. This is an excellent time to practice locating the main idea and supporting details in a paragraph or other piece of writing. Student notes should answer the questions developed in the beginning, focusing on the main idea and supporting details. As students get more proficient, they should be able to skim the passage to determine whether it provides the necessary information.

How do I organize this information?

Teach students several different methods for organization. This allows students to choose the method that will best present the information they've gathered. Information can be organized many ways, including: chronological order, linear line of thought – one idea leading to the next, and position statements followed by supporting facts.

How can I apply this information in a meaningful way?

Teach students to look for the "why" of their research. What's the point of doing this besides the fact that it is required for your class? Students need to think about the new information in a way that is meaningful. How would our lives be different if a historical event had not occurred or was resolved differently? What choices will the student make in their life now that they've learned this new information? How does this information currently affect the student's life or appear in the student's life? This is a difficult step for many students not used to thinking about information in a way that personally relates to them.

How can I best teach others this information?

Teach students different strategies for presenting and teaching information. This can be done through a question/answer session, creating an interactive website, creating a board game, or designing a scavenger hunt or web quest. Standing in front of the classroom giving an oral presentation (lecture) is not the only method students should use to disseminate information. If you really want students to teach others, give them each a chance to be the teacher and create their own lesson teaching the class about the topic they studied.

Once you've taught your students these important skills, utilize them each six weeks in a project related to your unit of study. Another option is to work on one major project throughout the entire semester (or year) and have students complete one step each grading period. This may be a better option for younger students who are just beginning to learn the process of researching new information.

I always start out with a simple project such as answering one question in one or two paragraphs with an explanation, and get more involved from there. I may have students do a simple presentation and visual. Pop-up books are fun for elementary students and do not take up much class time to create when only one page.

Don't forget about experiments, learning centers, scavenger hunts, web quests, and other simple projects that may not be as time-consuming. Even finding the answer to a simple question promotes active learning on the part of a student. Let your students discover the knowledge for themselves and share their findings with others. I think you'll find that you have a classroom full of motivated and excited students who want to learn! No child is too young or too old to learn these skills!

Encouraging Positive Interactions

2009-10-29T22:50:00.001-05:00

Children and adolescents can be mean. We all know it. We've all seen it. They can also be wonderfully caring. We've seen that as well. Most will come to your classroom as a mixture of both. Some will be a little more mean and others a little more caring, but they will look to you to set the example. What will you tolerate? What will you not tolerate? What do you encourage? If your students see and hear you making snide comments or ignoring the needs of others, they will begin to reflect that negative attitude. If your students see and hear you make positive comments and encourage others, they will begin to reflect the kindness they see in you. This is an unconscious action on their part to help them "fit in" to the culture of the classroom. As the leader, you set the foundations for your classroom culture. What are some ways you can set positive foundations?

The first is to establish your classroom climate as one with "No Hunting." This is a phrase I picked up in one of my earlier trainings and it means that no put-down, teasing, or hurtful behavior towards others is tolerated. You might even put up a large No Hunting sign in your classroom so that it garners attention. Explain to your students exactly what you mean by this phrase. As a class, talk about examples of hunting and then discuss more appropriate actions and behaviors that you want to see.

Second, discuss and encourage positive life-skills in your classroom. You might think about having a "Life-Skill of the Week" where you highlight one particular skill. Hand out "Caught You!" notes to students you see exhibiting the life-skill. You might create a series of notes or bookmarks using Microsoft Publisher or Word that already show the life-skills. That way you'll have everything ready to hand out when you need it. You might have "Caught You Cooperating", "Caught You Participating", "Caught You Working as a Team", "Caught You Being Friendly", "Caught You Being Helpful," or any one of the many positive life-skills. Copy them on colored paper and put them in a folder that is easily accessible. Now all you have to do is pull one out, draw a smiley face (or not) and sign it. For a list of life-skills, go to http://bit.ly/37ncJ9 .

Third, treat your students with respect. By doing this you are modeling what respect looks like, sounds like, and feels like. Although it won't happen over-night, when students see you consistently showing respect, they will begin exhibiting that same behavior. The key word here is consistently. If you are respectful one day and shouting the next, the behavior of your students will not change. You will have those who challenge you to the brink of insanity and those who chink away at your patience, but you must continue to behave in a positive way towards them. It is not easy, so don't give up after the first week or two thinking that it will never work. Instead, keep in your mind how you want to be treated by your students. Then, turn around and give them that same favor.

You can also implement tools to help you encourage positive behavior. Sometimes it takes an extra push to get your students focusing on the positive rather than the negative. One idea is to have a Kindness Box. You can call it anything you like -- obviously middle and high school students may not respond to the "Warm Fuzzy Box" or the "Happy Box," so give it a name that your class will enjoy. Perhaps let your students name it. Have a supply of paper strips (I like to use colored paper for this) near the box. Now, in order to get the box started, ask each student to take several strips and write one positive comment or characteristic about each person at their table or in their row. Afterwards, each day encourage students to put a positive comment in the box when they see someone else being helpful, nice, cooperative, friendly, etc. to other students in the classroom and in the school. Depending on how much time you have, and how much your class needs the positive influence, take some time either once a day or once a week to read some of the strips in the box. You don't need to read them all. It is enough to read a few at a time.

Another idea is the R.I.P. box. Have students write down those behaviors, actions, and thoughts that are not positive or that may be hurtful. Explain to your class that you want to bury this negative energy so that everyone can focus on what is good in the class. Once these things are buried, we need to let them go and focus on those behaviors that are positive. Simply placing these in the box is not enough. You need to enter into a discussion with your class about why you are putting those negative issues in the box and what you hope to accomplish.

If you are already in a classroom that seems steeped in negativity, don't give up. It will take time, but you can turn it around. Be determined and put in place these strategies to help get everyone back on track. Again, I must stress that it is not easy, especially if you have been existing this way for several months. Persistence and sheer determination are the best ways for turning the tide of negative energy into positive energy. If you are in a classroom where your students treat each other (and you) with respect, where they are helpful and kind to one another, tell your class how proud you are of them. They need to know. No matter which scenario you face, whether it is either extreme or something in-between, remember that you and you alone set the tone for your classroom climate. Keep that in mind and put some thought into the foundation that you are building with your students.

Collaborating with Colleagues: Being a Team Player

2009-10-12T10:13:00.001-05:00

"Be a team player." It's one of those sports analogies used frequently in the business world -- and in education. District and school administrators also want team players. The days of closing the classroom door and creating a self-contained world are over. The autonomous classroom simply doesn't exist -- and for good reason. Our students need more than just one person to guide their education. They need the added power of several brains working together for their good. Yet collaboration does not always come easily.

Teachers are, for the most part, determined course setters. We also have strong opinions about what works and what doesn't work. That determination and self-direction are beneficial for our students; those characteristics facilitate learning and help us make it through each day. Put a group of determined, opinionated individuals in the same school, however, and you often have a recipe for headaches. How, then, can such strong personalities work together as a team?

The first requirement is a willingness to work with others and the ability to recognize that you can't do it all on your own. No one can meet all the needs of all the students who walk through our doors without help. It just isn't possible. The best way to find that help is by asking questions.

If you have a mentor, look to your mentor for guidance. Write down questions as they occur to you. (Don't think you'll remember them later, because you won't.) When you get an opportunity, ask the questions. If you don't have a mentor, look for a veteran teacher in the building -- one you know has a positive outlook on teaching. Ask if that person would mind helping you out. Most will be glad to offer their knowledge and expertise. Administrators are another good source of information. Don't be afraid to ask them questions. You are showing your willingness to learn and your willingness to go to others for help.

The second step is to seek out the support faculty and staff. Those are the people in the school who know your "special" students best. They can help you decipher IEPs and modify assignments for those students who need it. You also can learn how to modify your lessons to best meet the needs of different students in your classroom. Schedule some time to sit down with the department chair and/or the teacher who works with your students and pick their brains. Ask for advice -- and listen to it. That kind of collaboration benefits your students greatly.

The third requirement is to be humble. Listen to the wisdom gained by veteran teachers. Although you might think that some of their ways are outdated, don't discount their skill and knowledge. Ask questions and really listen to the answers. It isn't always easy to be humble when you've waited so long to get into your own classroom. You'll save yourself a lot of extra grief by asking and listening, however.

The fourth step is to plan with other members of your grade level team. What is being taught in Math, Science, Social Studies, and so on? Can you find a way to connect your topics and objectives to those being taught in other classes? The more you work with other subject area teachers, the more you'll be able to help your students see that the world does not exist as separate parts. Everything is interconnected. If you are in a self-contained classroom, share ideas and brainstorm lessons together. You might have a great idea for presenting a lesson, but another teacher might be able to add to that idea and make it better.

Don't forget about the other professionals in your building. The librarian is an excellent resource and should be consulted frequently. Let him or her know what you are teaching and ask for ideas or resources. The art, music, and phys-ed teachers also might be able to enhance your lessons with ideas and their own special strengths. Each person in your building has a variety of strengths and talents. Get to know each one so you're better able to call on those different resources within the building.

Collaboration takes hard work and effort. It's not easy, but it's worth it. Ultimately, your students are the ones who benefit, but you don't lose out either. In the process of collaborating with different colleagues within your school, you are building relationships that will last, and making a place for yourself within the school community. Being a team player is a win-win situation for everyone.

Column by Emma McDonald reprinted with permission from Education-World – http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/columnists/mcdonald/mcdonald014.shtml

Opening the Lines of Communication

2009-09-15T15:57:00.001-05:00

As school begins again for many students and teachers, you might find yourself busy thinking about classroom set-up, organization, management, and lesson planning. There is a lot to juggle at the start of school, not to mention getting to know students and our fellow teachers, if we are new. But there is one element of the school community that we cannot forget about...the parents and families. Although the parents of our students are not with us all day long, they are still a vital part of the school community. Without active parents we would not be able to raise money for much needed supplies. We would not have volunteers to help us with projects, field trips, and other school activities. Our students would not have a support system to help them get through the various traumas that can happen during the school year.

Parents really and truly make a difference in the lives of our students. A supportive parent can make the difference between a failing student who doesn't care and a student who strives to do the best they can. Additionally, a supportive parent can really make a difference for teachers as well. Wouldn't you rather have parents on your side offering to do whatever they can to help support you? One way we can gain this support is by keeping parents and families informed of what is happening in the classroom.

Although we may not think about it, parents are very interested and concerned about what goes on in the school all day. After all, it is their child, their baby (no matter how old), that we have in our classroom. They want to know what their child/teen is doing and how they are progressing on a regular basis. Of course, all parents want to hear how fabulous their child is and how much you adore having this unique individual in your class. Who wouldn't? No matter what, parents are dying to know what happens in school. This is a curiosity we should encourage and support because it means we have caring parents who will make a difference in the life of our students. So what can we do at the beginning of the year to help make a smooth transition for both the parents and the students?

Write a letter to send home to parents the first or second week of school. Although it is best to send it home on the very first day, there may be some schools who started early and are already into their third or fourth week of school. Better late than never, I say! In your letter, introduce yourself. Explain your schedule and offer information about your conference period when parents can contact you. Include information about your procedures and your management system. Let the parents know you will be sending home more information as the school year progresses, and make them feel welcome to call or email you with their questions. While this may feel as though you are opening yourself to more stress, many parents will not take you up on this offer. Most do not want to bother the teacher, especially at the beginning of the school year. You may have a few parents call or email you, but at least you will have opened the door of communication.

Tech Tip: When gathering parent information, the PTA and school will ask for parent email addresses. You should too. If you don't get it from the parents, check with the PTA directory chair and/or the attendance officer to get email addresses for each family.

Create a "Group" of parent email addresses. Be sure to put the child's name in the listing to help you identify each one. For example, you might list one family as: Perducci family (Cadence), or Torres family (Paul R.). This helps when the parent last name is not the same as the child's last name. Be sure to name your group something that will help both you and parents recognize it.

Send your initial parent letter home via email using these groups in the address bar. This way parents only see the group name of "2^nd period English" or "Mrs. Letty's 5^th Grade Class 09-10." No email addresses will be shared with other parents. Sending letters home via email helps you keep a "green" classroom.

Include links to your classroom website, parent blog, and class twitter account if you have one. Parents can easily click on the link to locate these online resources. Encourage parents to save these links in their Favorites folder so they can easily find them in the future.

Send home a newsletter within the first six weeks of school. This newsletter should outline again, the daily schedule (for elementary), specific procedures you use in your classroom, and your discipline system. Let parents know how your system of rewards & consequences works so they do not feel kept in the dark. Many parents will help you reinforce that system at home if they are aware of what you are doing in the classroom. However, they cannot help if they do not know what you are doing. Let parents know about the expectations you have for students. The more you tell them about how your classroom works, the more they will be able to reinforce those ideas at home.

I also like to outline topics that I am teaching. I don't go into great detail, but let parents know what they can expect their child to be learning. For example, I might say, "This week in Science we are studying the 5 Senses. In Social Studies we are studying all about the Continents. In ELA we are doing reading inventories to identify reading abilities." This at least gives the parents some idea of what their child is learning. If you are teaching only one subject area, you may want to go into further detail about the topic and activities happening in class.

Create a template on the computer that you can use each week. Simply highlight the information that has changed and type in the new information for each newsletter.

My newsletter includes the following sections:

This Week -- tells what we are studying this week

Thank You -- gives volunteers a thank -you for helping out. I try to thank specific people.

Birthdays -- elementary teachers could include student birthdays

Wish List -- here is where I list supplies I need for upcoming projects

Due Dates -- here is where I list any projects, tests, etc. that are coming due

At Home -- here I outline a simple activity that parents can do at home to reinforce a reading or math strategy taught in class

It takes me fifteen minutes to revamp the newsletter each week, but goes a long way towards building a strong support system of parents. I set aside time to do the newsletter for the next week every Thursday afternoon. I can make copies on Friday, then I send home the newsletter on Monday. This gives the parents something fresh to look at each week that keeps them up-to-date. I know for a fact that I have fewer issues with upset parents when I keep them informed of what is happening in the classroom on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.

Tech Tip: Email is a great way to send out the newsletter as well. When you use Microsoft Word you can choose to "Send" rather than "Print" the document and it will use your email program to send it. This also allows you to include live links in your newsletter for parents to click and follow. If you are computer savvy, you can also find programs that allow you to include a poll or survey for parents as well. Word has many eye pleasing templates you can use to create a newsletter so that it is colorful and easy to read.

Create a parent blog. Use it to write down a summary of what was accomplished in class. You can even choose a student each class period to write the blog post for the day. Then all you have to do is post it. Parents can see what happened in class in the words of the students. You can also use this blog to explain concepts of study or teaching strategies you are using that may be unfamiliar (and therefore up for questioning) to parents. A parent blog is a great way to explain commonly used terms and acronyms to parents as well. All this information gives parents an insight into what is happening at school and offers a feeling of peace and security in the form of knowledge.
Create a classroom twitter account using your school email address or a free email account such as hotmail or gmail. Have students create a "tweet" of 140 characters or less (including spaces) that summarizes what was learned in class. Post these on the twitter account for parents to read. By providing live links in emails and newsletters, parents can easily view the twitter account and keep up with what is happening in class. You can also post announcements of upcoming tests, major project due dates, and other important dates and times.

Keep your classroom twitter account private by checking the "remove from public view" in the settings. Invite parents by giving them your twitter id. They can search for you and request to follow. You approve the request and then parents can see the posts. This keeps your classroom information and events private and secure.

Remember, parents who are informed are parents who will help reinforce what you are doing in the classroom. They will ask questions of their child – "So, where is that project you're supposed to be turning in tomorrow?" They will volunteer and help out with supplies for projects. They will work with their child on skills at home to help them improve. These few simple strategies to parents informed will work overtime to help you have a great school year and to help your students succeed!

Review of Wounded by School written by Kirsten Olson

2009-08-21T11:01:00.001-05:00

How many times will we hear the words “school reform” in our lifetime? It seems every year there is another book published that outlines what is wrong with schools and how they need to be fixed. The worst are those that recommend we shut everything down and completely “reboot” the system with something new. The problem with that particular recommendation is the fact that those with the experience to “reboot” our educational system are the very people caught up in the middle of it right now. Without a “change of lifestyle” within the very people who are at the heart of the educational system, no reform can take place. I believe Wounded by School will help teachers, administrators, and most importantly, legislators and the public to begin the process of making this lifestyle change.

For change to occur, first there must be understanding. Olson helps deepen our understanding of the way schools wound different people as well as the ways schools themselves are wounded. Not every wound is the same because not every person is the same. This, I believe, lies at the heart of the reform she very gently introduces. We must not only get to know each individual who comes through our classroom doors, but we must work with those individuals to help each learn according to his or her needs. This is a tall order when faced with 30 or more students in a class. Yet somehow we must develop and learn strategies that embrace different types of learning rather than requiring ALL students to conform to one learning style.

This is a similar message to one that has been preached by others, especially those in brain research. When we will acknowledge that the brain must lead learning, not a set of behaviors, and that each brain we encounter is “wired” differently? This, I believe, and Kirsten Olson believes, is at the heart of why schools wound (often unintentionally) so many of us. She also points out that it is not just students who are wounded, but teachers as well. We are being asked to do a job that is incredibly complex with very little support from the legislators who pass down policy based on an archaic system of learning.

The way Wounded by School differs from other reform books is that instead of recommending a completely new system or “shutting down” schools, Kirsten Olson outlines ways we can begin to heal these wounds. These are not just general suggestions for society at large, either. There is a specific chapter on the process of healing and how it begins, one for parents who heal, teachers who heal, and students healing one another. It is this healing process that is so important to making a lifestyle change in our schools.

As we are healed and work to heal others through our actions and beliefs about learning, we begin to create communities where individuals are cherished. When individuals are cherished for who they are and not who we wish them to be, communities of learning are developed. These are places where students are not just spoon-fed information, but rather are taught HOW to learn. It is this skill combined with a love of the learning process that leads to life-long learning.
I believe that every legislator who creates education bills and votes on these bills should read this book. I believe that every teacher, administrator, and staff member who works with students should read this book. I believe that every parent who is concerned for their child’s welfare should read this book. It is an eye-opening read that lays important groundwork for a grassroots reform of schools and most importantly, learning.

2008-12-11T14:58:00.000-06:00

Fun Review Strategies

Whenever you find yourself with some extra time to fill or reviewing information with students for an upcoming test, you might want to try some of these fun review strategies. Some can be used whenever you have a few minutes to spare before the bell rings, while waiting in line for Art or PE, or you need a time-filler between activities. Others are perfect for long review sessions to prepare students for an upcoming assessment. Whatever your need, I think you’ll find these activities to be motivating and fun for everyone.

In Class Review Sessions

Review Bingo
BINGO is such a fun game to play and you can adapt it to review for all sorts of different information. Be sure to point out in advance whether you are playing line, T, or blackout (full card) to win. Below are a few variations:
1. Put vocabulary words on BINGO cards and call out the definitions.
2. Put math equations on BINGO cards and call out answers.
3. Put capitol cities on BINGO cards and call out states or countries.
4. Put song names, note names, musician or artist names, styles of art, names of sports, etc. on BINGO cards. You can then call out the musician, artist or time period, and rules of a sport.
5. Put element names on BINGO cards. Show pictures of atoms. Students place their marker on the correct element for each atom.
There are many different ways to adapt this fun game to help you review information!

Learning Chain
Cut different colored construction paper (light colors only) into long strips. Give each student several strips and have them write a review fact, word & definition, or rule on each strip. Next, have students create a loop with the strip of paper, adding the loops together to make a chain. You can do this as a whole class, in small groups, or as individuals. Then have each individual or small group share the information they chained together.
A variation on this is to create a chain yourself with one question per link. During review time have the students come up one at a time and pull a link from the chain. The student then reads the question aloud. All the students write (or call out) the answer to the question.

Jeopardy
This is a fun game to play with students for review questions. Sort your information into four or five categories. On one side of a piece of construction paper write a fact students need to know (or it could be a question). On the other side write a point value (ie – 100 pts, 250 pts, 500 pts). Break students into teams. One at a time, students on each team choose a category & point value. Flip the card over and read the fact or question. Students then either identify a question to go with the fact or answer the question. If they are correct, record the points for their team.

Open Windows
Have students take a sheet of paper and fold it in half four times until they end up with a small square. When opening the paper, there should be 16 small squares. Depending on the age of your students and the amount of information you are studying, you can fold it either more or less (or use several sheets of paper).
Next, give students a sheet of numbered review questions (or place one on your overhead or projector station). Have students write the answers to each question in the squares (one per square). They should not write the answers in order, but should mix them up on the page. Be sure to have students write the number of the question next to the answer. (Ex: 1) a reptile; 2) a mammal)

Once students have written all the answers in each square, have them paste their full page of answers onto a piece of construction paper.

Next, give students a second piece of construction paper and have them fold it the same as before, into 16 squares the same size as their answer squares. Have students write each numbered review question on a separate square. Students should then cut out each square so that they have 16 individual squares.

Match the numbered question square to the correct answer square and tape it at the top so that the question now covers the answer, but can be lifted like a flap. When finished, every answer should be covered by the corresponding question.

The finished product is a page of flaps. Students read the question, try to answer it on their own, then raise the flap to see if they got the answer correct. This makes a great review sheet to take home and use with their parents for studying.

Review Time Fillers

Who/What Am I?
This review game is like 20 questions. Choose a person, place, or thing from your unit of study. Students then ask questions to help them determine the person, place, or thing you’ve chosen. Remind them that they only get 20 questions to figure it out.
Charades/Pictionary
Have strips of paper with a person, place, or thing you are studying written on each. Place these in a jar, hat, or box. Students take turns pulling one out and acting/drawing it for the class to guess.

Hangman
This is a great game for reviewing spelling and vocabulary words. Again, have the words written each on a strip of paper for students to draw from a box. The student should draw the correct number of spaces for the word chosen. You can also choose for them to have a “clue” by providing the definition of the word.

Matching Partners
Think of connected ideas, people, or events that could be matched for your unit of study. Write each of these on white or construction paper. Attach a page to the back of each student so they cannot see who or what they are. Make sure you have enough to match up correctly. Students must then walk around the class and ask questions to: 1) determine who/what is on their sign and 2) locate their partner.

Thoughts for Reflection:
What kinds of review activities do you utilize in your classroom? Do you find your students actively engaged or snoozing? Which of the activities listed above do you think you might use with your students? Which do you think might be most effective with your students? Why? How might you modify any one of these activities to best fit your subject area and the students you teach? What other common board games or tv game shows could you adapt to use in the classroom for reviewing information?

Inspirational Quote:
“I am always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught.”
~Winston Churchill

Facebook Fans
Okay, some of you have seen this, but I've created an actual page for Inspiring Teachers. If you love what we do here, please become a fan and join our group! To find us, do a search from your main facebook page (top right corner) for Inspiring Teachers. Our page and group will show up. You can become a fan of our page and share it with others. I'm posting events (places where I'll be) and other information there as well.
Also, please write on our wall and share some of the creative and inspiring things you are doing in your classroom! Let's get a collection of awesome ideas going for other teachers to read and use. I'd love to hear from all of you who are active on Facebook! If you don't have a page, it is so easy to join. Click on the link below and follow the directions.
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Maintaining a Positive Classroom Environment: Handling Student Transitions

2008-11-14T11:12:00.005-06:00

Before school started you probably spent quite a bit of time determining how you would welcome your students and create a positive classroom environment for them. You may have implemented special introductions, ice-breakers, and bonding type activities. But what do you do when students arrive during the school year? It can be difficult to add a new personality into a mix of people that seems to be working well. How can you make the transition smooth for all your students?

First, have a welcome packet prepared in advance. This packet should include all the information/handouts you passed out during the first day and week of school. Your new students will need to know your homework and grading policy, your discipline plan, the expectations and procedures of the classroom, and a little bit of information about you. Some of this may have been communicated verbally at the start of school. You should take some time to write down any of this information not included in a handout since you will not have time to go over it all again every time you receive a new student.

Packet Materials:

Welcome letter and Goody Bag (maybe spirit items such as a pencil, badge, or sticker)
List of classroom expectations and consequences for not meeting expectations
List of classroom procedures
Homework policy/information
Grading policy/information
A Teacher information sheet – what do students and their parents need to know about you? You might include your philosophy of teaching (how you operate), your pet peeves (so students know what NOT to do), and a little background information about yourself. Try to remember the spiel you gave your students at the beginning of the year and write it down.
Student Information Sheet/Get to Know Sheet (this may have been an activity you did with the other students the first or second day of class)
Parent Information Sheet (parents fill out to give you contact information, let you know whether they are interested in volunteering, bring you up to date on what is going on with their child/comments and concerns from the previous school to help you)

Second, develop a tradition within the classroom for introducing the new student. Being introduced by the teacher can be incredibly embarrassing for most new students. Instead, try to find a student within the classroom who is both well-liked and compassionate. Introduce the new student to that person and ask him/her to make the introductions around class and school. Can you find a way to make this an honored “position”? One of your class jobs could be that of “Ambassador” with several students on the list. Have students apply for this job and set specific requirements to be met in order to be considered. Make it a position of esteem with extra freedoms or benefits attached to it. This will help make being an ambassador a highly sought position within the classroom.

Part of the job of Ambassador should be as an advocate for the new student. As such, you should take some time to train your ambassadors in ways to be a positive advocate. One example would be inviting the new student to join him/her for lunch. This is a wonderful time for the new student to be introduced to another group of people. Another example is to offer the “low-down” on the other teachers of the school. What does each expect from students? What is acceptable and not acceptable to do in each class? This kind of information will help keep students (especially secondary students) from making unwitting mistakes which may haunt them throughout the year. Remember to tell your ambassadors that an advocate is someone who helps, defends, and watches out for another person.

Throughout the year you should also set aside time for the class to participate in bonding/ice-breaking activities. These won’t necessarily be name games, but rather activities that help students rely on one another and get to know each other better. This allows new students a chance to bond with other students within the class and form deeper relationships with their new classmates. It isn’t time wasted, either. Building relationships between the teacher and the students as well as between the students themselves maintains a positive classroom culture. This in turn helps prevent discipline issues which cause distractions and lost learning time.

The other half of this coin deals with the issue of students leaving in the middle of the year. How can you help these students transition? Leaving the familiar and facing the unknown can be very traumatic for students. There may be times when you are given several days or weeks notice before a student leaves. Other times you may not find out until the day the student leaves. The worst scenario is when you don’t find out until after the student is already gone. So what can you do? Below are a few suggestions to help with closure and transition:

Have a few (or a stack) of “Good Bye” or “We’ll Miss You” cards ready to go.
Have students in the class sign the card and write messages to the student who is leaving.
Give the card to the student OR mail to the address on file in the school office. Most people have their mail forwarded and the student will receive the card.
Use a paper bag instead of a card. Have students sign and write messages on the bag. Allow students to put personal messages, photos, or small appropriate items as “going away gifts”. Include a message of encouragement from yourself and some candy or a pencil and bookmark inside the bag. Staple it shut and give to the student before he/she leaves.

Call the student before he/she moves and offer words of encouragement. You might even give out your school email address so the student can write and let you know how everything is going at the new school. Sometimes this link to the familiar can provide a strong system of support to a student who moves.

Whether coming or going, remember that developing and maintaining relationships with students is the key to developing a positive classroom environment and the respect of your class.

Reflections:

How do you currently welcome new students to your classroom? Do you have a packet of information ready to pass out as soon as a student enters? What is included in your packet? How might you utilize the other students in helping to make the new student feel more welcome in the classroom? What are some other activities you might incorporate to help the new student become a part of your classroom culture? Do you feel the idea of student ambassadors would be helpful in welcoming new students to you class? Why or why not? Do you currently do anything special to say good-bye to a student who is leaving? Why or why not? What do you do, if anything? Why do you think it would be helpful to have some way of saying good-bye to students leaving the school? What strategy do you think would work best for you and your class?

Inspirational Thought:
“Where did we ever get the crazy idea that in order to make children do better, first we have to make them feel worse? Think of the last time you felt humiliated or treated unfairly. Did you feel like cooperating or doing better?”
~Jane Nelson

Handling Beligerent Unruly Students

2008-03-11T13:53:00.003-05:00

The following question was asked of me via email and I thought I'd share my answer in this blog with the hopes that it will help other new teachers facing the same issues.

Question: When teaching high school students how do you handle a beligerent, unruly individual?

Answer:
It depends on several factors. However, usually there is a reason behind the belligerence in any student. Take some time to talk with your student and find out what is going on. It could be that the student feels he/she must be rude or belligerent to maintain a reputation in class. It could be the student feels unable to keep up in class and turns to acting out in order to mask his or her frustration. There may be issues going on at home, with his or her friends, with a boyfriend/girlfriend, or at work that are causing this behavior. Often it is a lack of self-esteem where the student feels that he/she is not smart, not good, not able, etc. and these feelings are turned outward in the form of misbehavior.

The best way to begin is by talking one on one with the student. This will not be easy and it will not resolve the problem immediately. In fact, more than likely your overtures will be rebuffed by the student and you'll probably be treated to more rude behavior. You will need to persevere. The one thing that really gets to every student is a teacher (or adult) who cares. The problem is that many try the "caring" route without actually caring about the student. After a couple of name calling sessions, rude actions, and deliberate attempts on the part of the student to be as annoying as possible, those teachers/adults back off. The student then "proves" to himself/herself that the teacher never really cared in the first place. This only adds fuel to the misbehavior. You cannot give up and you must believe that it is important to you to be a part of that student's life. It is the only way you will reach him/her.

When rebuffed, ridiculed, etc. by the student, you need to respond with, "I don't care that you are acting like this. I care about you anyway and I really want to know what's going on. I'm here to help." You need to reassure the student every day. Greet the student with a smile and ask about his/her day. Make an effort every day to try and get to know the student better so you understand what is going on underneath. After a while (and I don't mean a couple of days), the student will finally figure out that he/she isn't going to shake you and will begin to talk. Use those opportunities to talk to the student about class and what you can do to help.

Can the student help you? Is this person someone who has leadership potential? Oftentimes the ones with the most potential are the ones who fall the hardest into misbehavior if they are not guided and encouraged. Find out what the student likes and figure out how to bring those topics into lessons. Once the student begins to open up to you, bring your talks around to asking why the student behaves as he/she does during class. What can you do to help make class a place he/she wants to be? Don't just ask the questions - listen to the answers and try to address the issues raised. When the student sees you are interested in him/her as a person and listen to their opinions seriously, you will find yourself with an advocate within the classroom. That student who once gave you so much trouble will often become your best ally.

This is not always the case, but it happens quite often. The difference is in how you approach the student, how much you persevere, and how much of a relationship you build with the student. When the student sees that you truly care, you will begin to see a difference.

There is no quick fix to this kind of problem. I cannot tell you to use one magic strategy and make the problem go away. We are in the business of working with human beings who are independent. Each responds a different way to different strategies. However, I can tell you that by focusing on positives rather than negatives you have a much higher chance of getting the student to willingly change his/her behavior. Punishment will not work. It will only worsen the situation for you.

I highly recommend reading Jim Fay's book, "Teaching with Love and Logic." It is a wonderful book that I think you may find helpful.

I'm sorry there is no quick-fix for this type of situation, but I encourage you to develop a positive relationship with this student. It will not only help make your year of teaching better, but it will help your student become a better person as well!

Keeping Parents Informed and Involved

2008-03-04T16:56:00.000-06:00

Research shows us that parent involvement has a higher impact on student success than does any other factor, including culture and socio-economic status. For teachers, simply calling parents when a problem arises is not enough to keep them involved. It also does not promote a positive relationship between teacher and parent. Children and adolescents need their parent(s) to play an active role in their academic careers. As teachers we must foster active parent participation as much as possible. How can we do this?

· Routinely invite parents into the classrooms and schools for assemblies, special classroom
events, and project presentations.
· Enlist parents as volunteers whenever possible.
· Keep parents informed about classroom events and procedures.
· Help parents understand the meaning behind education phrases used in communications.
· Keep parents informed of educational strategies used in the school and classroom.
· “Train” parents on how to effectively help their children develop good study/work habits.

First, by inviting parents into your school and classroom on a regular basis, you are promoting a general feeling of welcome and openness. When parents feel welcome to come into a school or classroom, they are more likely to be involved as a volunteer and not just a spectator (or complainer). Parents will then be the very best PR for you and your school as they tell other parents, the district, and community members how pleased they are with the school and teacher. They will also be a strong motivator and supporter of what you do in the classroom and will be a positive influence on their child in the school.

On the other hand, even the most involved parents and those actively seeking to be a part of their child’s academic life will tend to stay away from a school and classroom where they do not feel welcomed. This will cause tension and frustration on the part of the parent. You may then find yourself the recipient of complaints and bad PR. Parents who feel frustrated and tense about their child’s school frequently make themselves heard to other parents, the district, and other members of the community. If others feel the same lack of welcome, you will find yourself facing an overwhelming lack of support for everything you do. These parents will not support you in anything you try to do within the classroom and often will exert a negative influence on their child towards you.

Second, enlisting parents as volunteers serves two purposes. The first is that it shares the workload. When we have parents willing to help, why must we do everything ourselves? You may find yourself with a parent who would enjoy helping you put up a bulletin board, post student work, laminate and pull together materials for lessons, or even read one-on-one with students who need extra help. You may also find that you have very talented parents who are willing to share their knowledge as a guest speaker or demonstrate a skill as part of a unit you are studying. Rather than ignoring these resources, find out what you have available and use them as they are willing!

Additionally, many parents are quite anxious to know what is happening in their child/teen’s life during school hours. As a volunteer, the parent is in a position where he/she can see what is happening on a regular basis. This in turn eases their many fears and questions. The parent is also able to meet the other children/teens interacting with their child. In turn, the child sees that his/her parent is an active part of their school life. The parent is informed of what is happening in the classroom and so the child is unable to pull the wool over the parent’s eyes, so to speak. This kind of knowledge also helps the parent encourage the child to be a better student.

Third, it is important to keep parents informed of classroom procedures and events. Again, many parents want to know what is happening with their child in school. What is being learned? What does the teacher expect of the students? What can the parent do to help support the teacher at home? Knowledge is an enabler. It gives parents the ability to help their child and you. When a parent understands what is happening in the classroom and why, he/she is more likely to support you. Parents will strongly encourage homework to be completed correctly and behaviors to be appropriate for school when they know what is expected.

A newsletter or website is an excellent way to keep parents informed. A newsletter can go home monthly with important information for parents. Within a newsletter you can share:
· Main objectives or goals from the curriculum
· Important dates for assignments, field trips, or school events
· Birthdays
· Wish list of items needed for lessons
· Ideas for parents to do at home to support learning

A website is a more permanent and flexible tool that will allow you to keep older information and update it as necessary. With a website you are able to share:
· Topics of study, objectives or goals from the curriculum
· Homework assignments
· Important dates for projects due, events, or field trips
· Vocabulary for current unit of study
· Tips on how to extend learning at home – what parents can do with their child to support what
you are teaching
· Star Student profiles
· Communicate with both students and parents
· Explain educational phrases used or strategies for specific skills – helps parents understand
what is being taught and HOW it is being taught

Explaining educational phrases and strategies is another tool you can provide parents to help you at home. When parents understand how their child is being taught or what phrases to use when helping with homework, it makes your job easier. Often homework is done incorrectly at home because the parent doesn’t understand the “new” way of teaching/learning the skill. Methods and phrases used in education tend to change rapidly as we discover new research about how students learn best. Most parents, however, do not have this information and will help their child in the only way they know how – as they were taught __ number of years ago. This causes confusion within the child and ends up hindering what we are trying to teach in the classroom.

However, when we keep parents informed of the words/phrases to use and the procedure to follow for skills being practiced, we enable them to help their child in a way that supports what is happening in the classroom. A website is an excellent way to keep parents informed of this information because you only need to upload it once. You might make a section on your website for “Educational Phrases and their meanings” and “Tips for Helping Your Child with Homework” to give parents the information they need. As new skills are being taught, add another post with information to help the parent understand what you expect from your students.

When we keep our parents informed and offer them tools and strategies for helping their child in the learning process, we are actually helping ourselves. We create positive PR for our school and classrooms within the community. We gain much needed help with time-consuming tasks. We develop positive relationships with people who will support us. We enable intelligent adults to continue the teaching at home in a way that sustains what is learned in the classroom. In the end we get students who are successful learners.

Discovery Learning in the Classroom

2008-02-28T15:39:00.000-06:00

Rather than trying to teach your students facts, try teaching them how to LEARN! Our brains learn much better and retain more when we are forced to figure out the answer for ourselves. Have your students research important questions for your unit of study and then teach their information to the rest of the class. The Learning Pyramid shows that 90% of learning is retained when done in direct application or when teaching others. Wow! What a statement that makes! When we teach our students how to learn, to be able to find information for themselves, we are in effect teaching them how to be lifelong learners.

Does this mean that as teachers we sit back and do nothing? Of course not! We are the facilitators in this process. Our students need to be taught HOW to ask the right questions and HOW to find the information. They also need to be taught how to process and use that same information. We must teach about sources of information. We must teach how to take notes from information we read. We must teach how to put that information into an organized presentation, and show our students how to either apply or teach it to others!

Start by teaching your students the basics:

1)What kind of question do I ask?
2)Where do I go to find the information? (primary & secondary sources)
3)How do I pull out the most important and relevant information to answer my question?
4)How do I organize this information?
5)How can I apply this information in a meaningful way?
6)How can I best teach others this information?

Once you've taught your students these important skills, then utilize them each six weeks in a project related to your unit of study. Let your students discover the knowledge for themselves and share their findings with others. I think you'll find you have a classroom full of motivated and excited students who want to learn!

I always start out with a simple project such as answering one question in one or two paragraphs with an explanation, and get more involved from there. I may have students do a simple presentation and visual. Pop-up books are fun for students to make and do not take up much class time to create when only one page.

Don't forget about experiments, learning centers, scavenger hunts, web quests, and other simple projects that may not be as time-consuming. Even finding the answer to a simple question promotes active learning on the part of a student. No child is too young or too old to learn these skills!

These are some questions I ask myself when I reflect about discovery learning in my classroom:

Do I encourage my students to be active learners, seeking information for themselves? How do I make this happen? Are my lessons teacher centered (you do most of the thinking and work) or student centered (students do most of the thinking and work)? Am I mostly at the lecturn, giving notes and facts, or do I ask my students questions and require them to find the information to back up their answers? When I think about my upcoming lessons, I ask myself - how can I incorporate a way for students to discover the knowledge for themselves?