Day 76: We're Finally Here!

Today was the last day before break.  Nothing like taking it to the last possible minute!

We finished up our Grinch writing projects, complete with cover letters.  (With the craziness of the day, I forgot to take a pic of the display!)  They turned out pretty cute.

Before the party this afternoon, we finished the projects, cleaned out desks (very important before any break!), did a snowman glyph I found on ABC Teach, and completed Daily Edit.  We also opened presents.  I opened theirs to me and they opened the ones I gave them.  (Hint: Never underestimate coloring/activity books featuring popular children's characters.  You would have thought I gave them gold.  It was really great to see the looks on their faces.)

Somewhere sprinkled in there was lunch, recess, special, and packing up before the party.  (It's too hard to do at the end of the day as they are winding down and cleaning up from the party.)  Once 2:45 came, it was party time!

The students made reindeer food, played a game called Pass the Present, played another game where they had to fill a stocking with candy using only spoons, ate, and listened to Christmas music.  When dismissal came, they were ready to go and enjoy their break.  And frankly, so was I!

The day is over, Winter Break has begun, and I am resting up for the next 10 days.

Enjoy your holidays!  Have fun with your family and friends, eat a lot of wonderful food, stay warm and cozy with people who love you, and enjoy your time away from the classroom.  In other words, R-E-L-A-X!!

See you in the New Year!

Day 75: TWO Assemblies?!?!

Okay.  Day 75 was one day before our last day before break.  (Did you follow that?)  This day was full of silliness and craziness, due mainly to the fact that we had two, count 'em, TWO assemblies in one day.  One in the morning, and one in the afternoon.  

The first assembly was our annual holiday sing along.  Since my school is so large, we have to break the assembly over two time periods.  Second grade (my grade) went along with kindergarten and fourth grade.  It was a pretty interesting experience to hear 250-plus students belting out Christmas carols and popular Christmas songs without anyone getting carried away.  (With the exception of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer."  Something about that song sets little ones off.  Same with "Jingle Bells.") 

Our second assembly was supposed to be a multicultural assembly, like a "holidays around the world" sort of deal.  The presenter tried to explain the holidays of Hanukkah, Navidad/Christmas, Ramadan, Kwanzaa, and Diwali.  He had a little skit that used student helpers, some music, and then a slideshow presentation showing each of the holidays and how they are celebrated.  For the most part, he was on, but some of his facts weren't correct.  It was funny, because my students, who either celebrate most of these holidays or were listening when we discussed them in class this week and last week during social studies, came to me afterward and told me he was wrong.  I'll not go into the details, but I think he needs to do a little more research for some of the material he shared.

The time in between the assemblies (which took about an hour and 15 minutes out of the day) only added to the silliness of the past few days because the children really had a hard time focusing. 

Day 76 is the last day before break.  Deep breaths, people, deep breaths.

Day 74: Three Days to Go (Counting Today!)

Day 74 (Tuesday, December 21) was more like a normal day.  Or as normal as it can be when you are in school those last few days before Christmas.  We began our Grinch writing pieces after reading the story aloud.  The students have come up with some really interesting letters. Once the letters are written, the students colored in a cover sheet with the Grinch looking his grinchiest.  (FYI:  If you plan to do this in the future, most of the coloring pages online have the Jim Carey version of the Grinch, so you may need to search a while if you want the original.  I am somewhat of a purist, so I searched.  Unfortunately, the site I got my sheet from is no longer permitted to offer and Dr. Seuss characters due to copyright/licensing issues. Or, if you have an artistic side, you may want to give drawing him a go.)

My students also wrapped up their science quiz on weather and played some math games, in addition to the usual stuff for the day (journal, daily edit, independent reading time, riddle of the day, etc.)  I was pretty impressed with their focus. 

Day 75 was a different story.  Read on!

Day 73: Holidays and Craziness

I realized that Day 72's post was a little off my usual, but I wanted you to get a feel for where I'm coming from as of late.  The church stuff is over, and now I am looking ahead to the school stuff.  Let me tell you (or maybe I don't have to tell you) that the last few days before Christmas/Winter/Holiday Break (whatever your school calls it) is the hardest week ever!  (Actually, scratch that.  The last week before summer is the worst, but this is VERY close--by thousandths!)

I have children who are eagerly counting the days (at home AND at school!).  No one is focused or wanting to work.  So what do I do?  Here is my game plan for the week:

**The students have journal and Daily Edit every day.  That goes without saying.

Today we finished up writing projects from last week.  We finished weather posters for science.  We reviewed for the math test they are having tomorrow.  (I like to have all units finished up before break so I can start fresh after the break.) Somewhere in there we had silent reading time, reading skills groups, our riddle of the day ("How many animals can you think of that have only three letters in their names?"  I must say, they did well on this one!), special, and a discussion and minbook project about Kwanzaa.

Looking ahead to the rest of the week: We will...
*Have skills groups, daily edit, journal, riddle of the day, and special each day.
*Do a Grinch writing project (I read the story and the students write a response letter to the Grinch.  They have to pretend they are one of the Whos in Whoville while they are writing the letter.  Some of them tell the Grinch how awful he is, some tell him they hope he will keep his change of heart, and some of them tell him they hope he learns the true meaning of Christmas.  It's always interesting to see what they write; I can't wait to read them this year!)
*Read some holiday stories.
*Learn about Las Posadas and Three Kings Day.  We will also read The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie de Paola.
*Take a math test and a science test.
*Have two assemblies--in one day--on Wednesday. (Why?)
*Have our holiday party on Thursday.
It doesn't sound like much, but it is.  Those of you who work with little ones know what I mean!  Just getting them focused to get the teaching done can be tricky at times.

One day down.  Three to go before break.

Bring them on!  

Day 72 (and the weekend): Nap, Anyone?

Okay, so Friday, December 17 (Day 72) was a little better than the previous day.  I wasn't nodding off or near falling asleep in class.  I was still tired, though.  And although I intended to get to bed early, that didn't happen.  In fact, it didn't happen all weekend.

What is it about the holidays that drives us all a little wacky and pushes us to our limits?  Let me explain.  Friday I taught all day.  Then I ran a few errands.  Then I called my mom with her Christmas gift.  (We surprised her with a Christmas trip out to visit us; she lives several long hours away, in another state.).  Then I took my daughter to practice for the Christmas program we had at church last night. Then it was showers and off to bed for all of us because we had an early morning on Saturday.

Saturday morning were off to the farmer's market to get my shopping done for this week.  Then I dropped my daughter to another practice for the Christmas program, got some shopping done while she was there, picked her up, went home, and got ready for a holiday dinner.  After the dinner I baked some cookies for after the Christmas program.  Then I went to bed.  (My earliest time was 10 this whole weekend.)

Sunday we were up and out to church; I had to be there by 9:30 to drop off the cookies I baked the night before.  Then we had service until noon.  After that I brought my son home so we could get lunch and take naps (YES!) before we had to be back at 4:00.  The program began at 5:00 and lasted an hour.  Then we had fellowship for about another hour.  Then we got home and got ready for the week.

Nap, anyone?

Day 71: Yawn

Right after I tell you all to take a day once in a while, I must admit that I should have followed my own advice today.  Today was one of those days where I was just TIRED.  I don't know if it was the weather (It's very cold where I am; we have been hovering between 7 and 19 degrees real feel.) or holiday madness (shopping, church program practices, baking, etc.) or hormones (enough said), but I was wiped out by 2:30 this afternoon.  I actually had to fight myself to stay awake to finish writing workshop!  (Hint: This is a good time to do a quick stretch as a class.  It woke them AND me up!)

I'll be glad for the weekend, so I can sleep in just a little! (Or go to bed a little earlier!)

Day 70: What Are We Thinking?!?

Yesterday (Wednesday--which was actually Day 70) I received a call from my friend J.  J called to tell me that she could have been killed on her commute into work that morning.

Here's the situation.  J lives in an area that has been pounded by snow over the past few weeks.  She set off yesterday morning to go to her job as a second-grade teacher in a nearby district.  Her normally 20- to 25-minute commute turned into a one-and-a-half hour drive.  See, on her way to school, a snowstorm began.  Not just flurries or little swirls of snow, but full white-out conditions from time to time.  J explained to me that she drove slower, took her time, and still suffered from the usual bane of the snowstorm: icy roads.  Even while using all of the precautions of traveling in the snow, she still slipped, slid, and swerved on her way to work. 

While reading this, you may be asking why she didn't just turn around or go home.  Well, the storm didn't begin until J was more than halfway to work. Second, she was due at school to teach; there was no delay or snow day called for the district she teaches in.  So she did what any good teacher does:  she went to work!  Yes, she was late (along with several other colleagues), but she was there.

As she was talking to me, she asked me what makes educators risk life and limb to get into the classroom? You know what I mean.  It doesn't matter if it's snowing snowflakes the size of quarters, pouring rain, or blowing hurricane-force gusts.  We go to work!

I was reminded of a time where I should have probably gone back home and called off but I didn't.  I was on my way to work when I was rear-ended while stopped at a red light.  It was a little bump on my bumper.  I wasn't hurt.  I exchanged insurance information, checked my bumper for damage (none that I could see), and went on to work.  I got there late.

When I arrived, I told my principal what happened.  She promptly sent me home for the day to have myself checked over because I was four months pregnant at the time.  She told me not to worry; someone would cover my class.  So I went home and told my husband what happened.  He called off and went with me to the obstetrician and everything else.  It wasn't until I was lying on the exam table that I realized I hadn't thought of myself or my unborn child.  I was too concerned with getting to work!

On a separate occasion, I woke up to a snowy day.  The ticker on the bottom of the television screen said my district (which was about a 30-minute commute from my home) was on a one-hour delay.  I decided to leave my house a the normal time to be assured that I had time to drop my children off at daycare and take my time getting to work.  I went through my normal routine and dropped off my children.  At the daycare provider's home, the news broke in to say that the district I actually lived in changed their delay to a snow day.  The district I worked in had not.  So off to work I went.

I traveled down the highway, took my exit into the city, and arrived at my school to find no one around.  Dark building.  No cars.  No movement whatsoever.  So I waited a few minutes, thinking someone would be on their way soon.  Not so.  Ten minutes later I decided to go back home.  When I arrived at my daycare provider's home, I found out that my district changed the delay to a snow day somewhere between the time I left my provider's home the first time and the time I arrived at my school.  WHAT?  Again, I was simply going in to work.

What makes us think that we HAVE to get to our schools no matter what the conditions are?  Why don't we sometimes take that day to keep our own selves safe?  Why do we sometimes risk harm to get to our job?  Some of us might say (if we dare to admit) that we are afraid our class will fall apart without us.  Or that we are embarrassed about the plans that are on our desk--if they are there at all.  Or that no one can teach our students like we can.  Or that secretly we are all a little OCD and just don't deal with change very well!  Whatever your reason, especially in dangerous weather, please take precautions...AND a vacation day if you need to do so! 

Day 69: Symmetry, Snowflakes, and Other Geometry Stuff

We are finishing up our lessons in our geometry unit.  We did a project today that focused on symmetry.  I came up with the idea for a symmetry snowman.  The kids are partnered up to design their snowmen.  Each child draws one half of the snowman.  Then they switch papers and their partner has to copy the design and make it symmetrical.  I have a pic of the blank sheet I gave them; I will post one of the student pages after I have them up.



Snowman project

Two other projects I have done in the past are coffee-filter snowflakes and pipe cleaner snowflakes.  The coffee filter snowflakes are made the way we made snowflakes when we were little: fold the filter into a triangular shape and cut designs along the folds.  The second project is a pipe cleaner snowflake.  I give each student three pipe cleaners. (I like the iridescent ones, but you can use white or silver.)  We twist the pipe cleaners together and spread them out so that the arms are spread out evenly.  Then we thread beads along the arms to make a design/pattern. (I use blue, clear, and iridescent beads.)  Finally, we bend one of the ends over to make a loop and attach a ribbon.



This is the model I show my students.

 For both of the snowflake projects, I like to read the story Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin.  The students really like learning about the snowflakes and are eager to try and make their own designs.

Other books I like to use for my geometry unit are Shape Up by David A. Adler and The Greedy Triangle by Marilyn Burns.  Snowflakes in Photographs by W. A. Bentley is also a good one to look through.  (FYI: You can also use this one when talking about snow during your weather unit in science.)

I hope you can use some of these ideas.  And as always, if you have a neat idea, please share with the rest of us! Leave them in the comment box and I'll post them for you.

Until then, just think ahead to the holidays.  They (and Winter Break) are almost here!

Day 68: Transitions

We are all at the time of year when the students aren't quite as with us as we would like them to be.  Holiday breaks, school programs, cold weather and snow (if you are in a climate that has these), and who knows what else are all over the minds of our kiddos.

I have found that I am losing my students during transition times lately because something we have talked about or something they read or something someone said to them at recess or lunch has them wanting to talk and share at the wrong time.  So I have had to pull some old tricks out of my teacher hat.  Here are some tricks I have been using over the past week or so:
1. Math fact drills. I use this while we are lining up for special, lunch, or recess.  They have to answer a math fact to get in line and they cannot talk while in line or they have to sit back down and answer another fact.
2. Part of speech review.  I have flashcards with parts of speech on them.  We have been reviewing nouns.  I hold up a card with a picture of an object (or say the name of the object aloud to them) and they have to tell me if the object is a person, place, or thing.  I also have verb, adjective, and conjunction cards to add into the deck as we learn those.
3. Stretches.  I have them follow me through a set of stretches to wake them up and get them focused.  I have also used a quick game of Simon Says.
4. Riddle of the day.  While I was cleaning off my shelves during the two-hour delay, I found a book that has daily riddles in it.  Before we begin science each day, I ask them a riddle and they have a few minutes to think about and give an answer.  (This is especially helpful because my students have lunch and special right before science.)  The riddles aren't hard, but they make you think.  One of the ones we had last week was "What are some ways to melt an ice cube?"  (The answers ranged from stick it in the oven to send it to the Sun. You have to appreciate the imagination of little ones!) 
5. Clapping.  I clap a pattern out to make a little song and they repeat it back to me.
6. Music. I play classical and jazz during different parts of the day, but lately I have been playing all kinds of Christmas music (with parental permission, of course).  Today I played one by The Muppets and the students begged me to play during our transition to lunch and during our preparation for special.  (We have about 10 minutes between lunch and special each day, so we read during that time.)
7. One I'm going to try this week (after a brainstorm I had over the weekend) is something I call "stampede."  (My classroom has a safari theme, so this fits right in.)  I'm going to turn my head as if I'm listening for something and ask them if they hear it, too.  Then I'm going to yell, "Stampede!" and let the students drum their feet on the floor for a short time.  (There are no classes under mine, so I don't disturb anyone below me.)  I'll let you know how it goes.

How about you?  Do you have any creative transition ideas? Send them in a comment and I'll post them!

Day 67: Architects and Engineers

Friday, December 10 was day 67.  I decided to use the math period of that day to do some building with my students.  (The kids LOVED this activity!) 

We are in our geometry unit, and we were studying 2D and 3D shapes.  It's sometimes hard for little ones to distinguish between the two.  A few years ago I started having my students build their shapes.  While there are all sorts of K'Nex-type materials or magnetic building sets, I can't always afford a class set of materials for the projects.

I decided to use toothpicks and marshmallows to create the shapes.  After the first year, I realized that marshmallows are a little too soft and they fall apart after a few pokes with the toothpick.  So then I started using gumdrops.  This year, with food allergies in the room, I went with a snack that was safe for both of my kiddos: Welch's Fruit Snacks.  The kids loved it and had a good time being architects for the period.  Check out some of the designs below:




My models made with marshmallows a few years back.  The marhsmallows tend to get sticky and fall apart with the kids manipulating them.  The result is a hard-to-clean mess!



One of my student's models.  He was so proud!

I have the kids start with the 2D shape.  Then I ask them what the 3D equivalent would be.  (For example, a square would turn into a cube.)  I let them build squares, triangles, and rectangles.  We then turn those into cubes, square pyramids, three-sided pyramids, and rectangular prisms.  We also build prisms.  (By the way, I only help with the first shape to show them how to attach the snacks to the toothpicks.  After that, they have to work it out.  They are allowed to converse with a neighbor.) 

If you can use this idea, please go right ahead.  Send me a comment and let me know how it turned out!

Day 66: Two-hour Delay

My school district does not do half days.  Okay, scratch that.  We have ONE half day during the entire school year.  On the LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!  Between days 1 and 180, our professional development meetings are held a few days when the children are not in school.  The good old "Teacher Inservice Day."  There are a few of those sprinkled throughout the year.  However, two to three times a year, we have a two-hour delay placed on the schedules for even more professional development.  Today was on of those days.

My day started at 8:35 with a meeting on data analysis of our DIBELS scores.  It was informative, and I am going to adjust some of my phonics activities based on the findings.  We do phonics as part of our reading program, but I think I can add some extra activities in there to help my lowest readers catch up faster than they are now.

After my meeting I had some time in my room.  I used that time to clean off my shelves.  I am amazed when I start going through things and come across seemingly random items.  Things I put aside to "get to" or "file later" or "try out."  Let's just say I am more organized, my shelves are neat, and my recycling bin has gotten quite a workout.  Some of the things I put in there were from the first month of school! 

The students came in at 10:45 and we got right to work.  The only real change was the fact that we took away first recess today because it is usually from 11:00 to 11:15.  Our lunch period begins at 11:50, so it didn't make sense to have them come in and go right out to play, only to come back in and go to lunch soon after.  Instead, we reviewed for a comprehension quiz tomorrow after we went over the day's expectations, talked about some new things in centers, and some changes to our morning work choices. 

Once we hit lunch, the day was smooth sailing.  The only issue I had was with chatter.  Between the weather (We are supposed to get our first snowfall this weekend.) and the delay, my kiddos were wound up and very vocal.

Hopefully they will be closer to their normal selves tomorrow so we can get some things accomplished.  Although, I have a secret surprise for them during math.  Stay tuned...

Day 65: It's a Blur

**Sorry for the late posts!  My computer decided to freeze up me last night, so I had to finish today!**

You ever have one of those days where dismissal rolls around and you wonder what in the world you did all day?  You know what I mean: You're brain is tired, your body is tired, and you can't seem to recall everything that happened.

Today was one of those days.

The day began with a visit from the Desk Fairy.  Then we went over our plan for the day.  After that we raced through language arts until we were called for an assembly at 10:15.  (The fourth- and fifth-grade choirs, band, and orchestra were doing their dress rehearsal for the Winter Concert.)  Then we flowed right into first recess (15 minutes), independent reading time (You may call it SSR, DEAR time, or Stop, Drop, and Read time.), and lunch.  After lunch we had our read aloud before we went to special. 

While the children were in special (my one break for today), I checked on a student who is going on an educational trip tomorrow.  (He told me he was going and his mom wanted his work for tomorrow, but I had no documentation he was going anywhere.  Found the documentation and had to gather his work.)  After that I set up my activity bins for math.  (We are in our geometry unit and were doing an activity with pattern blocks.)  Then I typed up new plans for the sub that was coming to cover my class while I attended an IEP meeting.  (The activity I originally planned involved cutting and pasting.  Not something I want to give a sub who's never been in my room before.  Those of you who teach young children know what I'm talking about!) Oh, and somewhere in between there I snuck off to use the bathroom and tried to get the computer to print out the plans for the sub.  (Our system has been acting crazy since we had an outage last week.  No connection for most of the day.  'Twas NOT FUN!)

After I picked up the students from special we reviewed our Daily Edits, read about the next night of Hanukkah in Social Studies, did a project, and began our math review before the sub came in to cover my class for my meeting.  I went to the meeting, which lasted just over an hour, then came back to my room in the midst of indoor recess.  (Temperatures outside with the "Real Feel" factored in were in the mid-teens.  Brrr!)  Indoor recess ended about 10 minutes after I came in the door.  Then it was time to copy homework and reminders, clean out mailboxes, get packed up, and wait for dismissal. 

When my last students left, I sat at my desk and wondered where in the world the day went.  It truly was a whirlwind of a day!

Day 64: Me? Teacher Advisor?

I can say that today has been one of the most surreal days in my life.  One of those "I-can't-believe-this-is-really-happening-to-ME" days.  One of those days where you need to keep pinching yourself to make sure you aren't dreaming. 

What has me so worked up? 

Read on.

A few months ago, I applied to be on the Scholastic Teacher Advisor board.  For those of you who may not be aware of what this is, it is a board of 22 teachers who have been selected to work in conjunction with Scholastic to give feedback on materials, book selections used in classrooms, and suggestions for topics/genres to be added to Scholastic's offerings. 
I am pretty psyched because I was called by the woman in charge of the program.  She shared that while the board has 22 members, they only selected five new teachers this year to join.  AND I WAS ONE OF THOSE TEACHERS!

So in February, I will be travelling to New York to attend a conference and meet the other board members.  We'll have some workshops to attend and...I'm not sure what else at this point. (The packet of info hasn't come yet.)  I can honestly say that I am really looking forward to the whole process!   Except for maybe the Visit.  I was told today that my classroom will be visited and observed by two Scholastic staff members at some point prior to my workshop in New York.  (I may be a bit of a ball of nerves the day before.  You know that feeling you get when you have your formal observation done?)

I was also told that Scholastic will cover my travel, lodging, and meals.  The company has us staying in SoHo at the SoHo Grand Hotel.  I've been to different parts of the Big Apple, but never there.  I would like to check out a few places while I'm in the area, but I have no idea of where to begin. 

Do you know of any eclectic/authentic/interesting eateries I should try out?  Or shops?  Or bookstores?  Or museums? Or anything that doesn't involve drinking or clubs?  (Sorry, those just aren't my thing.)  Don't be afraid to share a comment!

Day 63: Where Are They Now?

Do you ever look back on your teaching career and wonder what's happened to students you've taught in the past?  You know, the student who was so shy and quiet you wondered if s/he ever talked?  Or the student who struggled despite all of your best efforts?  Or the student who drove you to contemplate leaving your professional training behind?  Or the student who made you smile each day with cheerful greetings?

My best friend (I'll call her J.) called me this afternoon to share that she saw a former student at Panera Bread.  Not as a customer, but as an employee.  The (former) student approached J and asked her name; J replied.  The student responded that she saw J come in and knew she knew her.  She proceeded to tell J that she was working right now and preparing to go into the military.  She also gave updates on several of the students who had been in the school J used to work in eight years ago.

After the shock of seeing her former student, J began thinking about the other students she taught over the years and wondered what has happened to them.  Are they successful?  Did they continue struggling through school or did they have a breakthrough?  Basically where are they and what are they up to now?  She said she was going to Google her students or look them up on Facebook.  (This got me thinking of my first class; they are high school juniors already!)

J also began to think of her students in terms of impact.  Meaning, what type of impact did she have on her students?  Was she the teacher who was able to get them turned in the right direction or light a fire of interest in a particular topic?  Was she able to inspire a student to improve their work habits and/or attitude?  Was she a positive role model?

Teaching is a profession where you do not often see the final results of what you have put into to a student.  Good or bad, you as the educator has had an impact on the life of a child.  We like to believe that we have given our students the best of what we have to offer our students--academically, emotionally, and personally.  Even so, sometimes there are those questions of self doubt.  You know the ones:  Did I do enough for so and so?  Was I too hard on so and so?  Did I make a lasting difference?  My friend and I would like to believe that we have made a difference in at least one life in our careers, even if we don't always see the end result.    

There was a speaker at a professional development I attended when I first started teaching.  The speaker ended with the following:  "No matter what the situation at home or ability that walks into your classroom, parents are sending you the very best they have."  As hard as it may be some days, our job is to take the best and make it exceptional.  One student at a time.

Day 62: Time to Celebrate!

I am bursting at the seams with excitement.  I simply cannot BELIEVE it!  If I weren't sitting down right now, I'd be doing a little happy dance all over my living room floor.  And who knows?  I just might cut a little rug after I finish this post!

What, you ask, am I SO DELIRIOUSLY HAPPY about?

Well...

Come closer...

Closer...

Lean in...

Good.  Listen...

MY PROJECT THAT WAS POSTED ON DONORS CHOOSE HAS BEEN FULLY FUNDED! HOORAY! 

I cannot tell you how excited I was to open the e-mail tonight and find out that my class set of Whisperphones is no longer a wish, but a dream come true!  One of the donors has children who formerly attended the school where I currently teach.  (I didn't have her children, though.)  She called it an early Christmas present.  That, I think, is the understatement of the year!

If you've never tried Donors Choose, I urge you to give it go. You may be pleasantly surprised!

Have a great weekend everybody!

Day 61: I Wish I Could Be a Fly on His Wall...

A few posts back, I told you all about a book I was reading by Rafe Esquith.  I have about a quarter of the book to go before I finish it, and I tell you, I will be reading more by this teacher/author.  You can find out more about him and his teaching at http://www.hobartshakespeareans.org/.

Simply put, I like the way this guy operates. Granted, I may not have all of the resources and time needed to do all of the things with my second graders that he does with his fifth graders (and some of them are not appropriate for children that young), but there are some really good ideas.

Mr. Esquith (or Rafe, as his students call him.  I don't know him so I'll call him Mr. Esquith.) does what all teachers are expected to do: he teaches skills with practical application to life.  Not just the "required-by-the-curriculum-and-used-by-such-and-such-method-because-administration-says-you-have-to" sort of teaching, but the teaching that adds in the "this-is-how-to-apply-what-you've-learned-to-other-areas-of-your-life-in-order-to-SURVIVE" kind of teaching. 

Even with my second graders, I always relate how what they are learning will be useful to them in the future.  Not in the sense of knowing it for a quiz or test, but for the practical application to things.  From math skills to science, from social studies to writing in a complete sentence (that actually has a subject and predicate and makes sense!), my students know why and how these skills will help them in their everyday lives.  I challenge my students to challenge their parents through homework assignments from time to time, especially if we've had a particularly interesting (and sometimes animated!) discussion on a topic.  I see it as a growing experience for everyone.

One thing I can say I am a bit envious of is Mr. Esquith's permission(?) to teach for teaching's sake.  Not that he doesn't have requirements through his district like we all do, but for the way he is permitted to meet and exceed those requirements.  Let me explain:

In my current district, there is this idea to "teach the basics" and "Stick with the quarterly guidelines!  You MUST cover this and that in THIS time period!  Stay away from things that detract from learning."  (In some buildings, this includes informative academic assemblies!)  "Focus on math and language arts, and, if you find the time, cover science and social studies.  But-! If you don't get to science and social studies, that's okay; the kids will get it later." WHAT?????  My students cover every subject, every day.  There's no excuse not to cover them.  Yes, it may be a little harried some days, but we do it.  Yet I know I work with others in my district who don't get to those subjects on a regular basis, if at all.  And this is education?

In my former district/school, we really tried to have the children experience as much as possible through their learning.  We had the flexibility to move around units to mirror skills.  (Ex.: We had a unit in our science series that covered dinosaurs.  We also had a unit in our language arts series that covered dinosaurs.  We moved the science unit (by a whole quarter) so we could teach it during the dinosaur unit in language arts.  For math, we had measurement around that time, so we took dinosaur lengths from our science text and other supporting texts and measured them in the main hallway.  We wrote reports.  We made fossils.  We made models.  We learned and had FUN while doing it!)  My second graders (yes, even there!) learned so much about dinosaurs.  But they also learned processes, how to gather and organize data, teamwork, planning and organization, and a host of other skills.  My colleagues and I did this type of thing for every skill/unit we taught.  This kind of teaching was ENCOURAGED. 

Sad to say that with my current district, this type of thing is not permitted.  Stay on the timeline, no matter when the holiday falls or the skill makes sense.  Don't show a video and have a discussion about what you've seen. (I get around that one by tying a United Streaming segment with other projects...) Don't move around the curriculum components so they follow a logical order and/or can be best received by the students.  (This especially for Everyday Math!)  Add in this (new/improved/better-than-ever) model/strategy/program to use (even though we're going to change it in the next few years).   It's like the children are being set up to fail.

Even with these roadblocks, there are ways to be creative with your students and help them along.  I use a lot of examples, projects, video clips, stories...basically anything I can get my hands on to help my students grasp the information I am sharing with them.  I know you all do, too.

Mr. Esquith said he often has teachers from other areas come and observe his classroom.  I think it would be an interesting experience to watch him and his class "in action," so to speak.  I say we should petition our Powers That Be for field trips (teachers only) to visit Room 56 (his classroom). We might learn something to take back and help the Powers That Be actually help the children in our districts, instead of hindering them.

Ah well.  For the time being, we can only work within the confines of our district expectations (most of the time! wink wink).  So to you, I say, "Go on with your bad self and teach those children!"  Be creative! Have fun! Be brilliant!

Day 60: Hanukkah/Chanukah

Happy Hanukkah to those of you who celebrate the holiday!  If you were not aware, Hanukkah began at sundown tonight. 

As part of my goal to introduce my students to as many cultures as possible, December is a big month for me in the realm of studying holidays from other cultures.  We learn about Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Las Posadas. 

During the eight days in which Hanukkah is celebrated, I try to mirror the holiday by reading part of a story that focuses on each day.  I like to read the story Pearl's Eight Days of Chanukah by Jane Breskin Zalben.  The book focuses on a family that gets together over the holiday.  Through the reading of the story, the history, traditions, and symbols of Hanukkah are explained.  There are craft projects, recipes, and songs listed throughout the book as the characters in the story celebrate each night.  There is also a glossary of terms in the back of the book.

My classes have always loved the story and the activities.  (I don't get a chance to do all of the activities, but we do some of the simpler ones.  I also send home all of the recipes from the book.  My students always get excited over the one for jelly doughnuts!)

To further explain Hanukkah, my grade level does a "Hanukkah rotation."  It was started by a former colleague who is Jewish and thought it would be a good way to expose the children to another culture.  It's a busy sort of time slot, but it's a lot of fun.

We condense our six second grades into five classes (one class gets split among the others) and do a sort of walking tour from class to class.  Each second grade teacher is responsible for a "stop" on this tour.  One teacher will read a story about Hanukkah, another will have a craft, another will have a tasting of latkes and apple juice while viewing a short video on Hanukkah, another will have the dreidel game, and another is a room where the students can be part of a discussion about the holiday, complete with a menorah and other materials.  Each station is about 15 minutes long.  When the children get back to their homerooms, they are given a plastic dreidel to keep.  The children really enjoy the rotation and are able to "experience" a holiday they may not have had access to.

Our rotation is this Friday afternoon.  I don't cook the latkes; I buy them frozen from the store and heat them through the night before.  Then they just get reheated in the microwave in the afternoon and they're ready to go.  The juice is served in Dixie cups to cut down on spills and wasted juice.  Most children like to eat the latkes with their fingers, so napkins are usually a good way to go.

How do you share the holiday of Hanukkah with your class?  Feel free to add your ideas in the comment section and I'll post them to share with the rest of us!