So you know that old saying "you can take the girl out of the ghetto, but you can't take the ghetto out of the girl". Well I beg to differ. Last year I worked in a terrible school with kids who were just completely off the hook school wide. It was pure hell. It was definitely in the ghetto. I now work in a very affluent neighborhood with a great school...a mile and a half away from my old school. That's right, a mile and a half. It's mind boggling.
There is a student at my new school that I actually taught last year at my old school in the ghetto. She was insanely rotten last year and would constantly get in fights on the playground and cuss everyone out. This year she is at my new school and you would be amazed at how night and day she is. She is truly a different girl and amazing! I always knew she had the potential, but being surrounded by bad examples was never going to help for her.
I feel very strongly that when there are horrible schools like mine from last year, it would be in the best interest of the students to close the school and split the students up into a variety of other schools where there are lots of strong kids academically and behaviorally to be a good influence on them.
My old student is living proof.
Honk Honk
Saturday, January 29, 2011
"Sometimes kids just need to learn to be bored"
That was the conversation that was had in the staff lounge today when I brought up the topic of the need to incorporate technology in the classroom. I feel it's very important to have the students taught using all sorts of different types of media, and they should have hands on learning experiences with technology as well. But one of the teachers actually said to me, "why should they have to have so much technology? Sometimes people are bored in life and they just need to learn to be bored." As I was sitting there with my mouth half open trying to process this comment, I was in utter shock and awe that all the other teachers agreed!!! What is wrong with these people? I guess I'm just a different generation, and I recognize that my students are from an even more different generation, I need to help teach them in the best way that will engage and excite them.
We have a Mac laptop lab that our PTA spent $34,000 on last year to help incorporate more technology in the school. I convinced my principal to let us store the laptop cart in my room so I could use them more often, and he more than willingly agreed. I use them several times a week with my class and their level of engagement is huge! They are using the computers to do research projects related to their curriculum, we are using the amazing website "National Library of Virtual Manipulatives" which helps them bring math concepts to life, they LOVE to write now because their final drafts get typed, and it's amazing how much longer their rough drafts have become all on their own because they realized that a handwritten document vs a typed one is a very different! The sad thing is, out of the whole school, only 2 other classes use the computers once a week, and one of the teachers just let's the kids look around on websites and uses it to punish the kids who aren't in the "gold group" (whatever the heck that is).
One thing I've learned as a teacher is that someday when I am a mother I need to be very active in making sure I know who my child's teachers are. I really do believe in public education and feel children can get a great education! Every schools is going to have some duds, and some amazing teachers too. I just need to make sure I get to know my school well enough to get in good with the good teachers!
We have a Mac laptop lab that our PTA spent $34,000 on last year to help incorporate more technology in the school. I convinced my principal to let us store the laptop cart in my room so I could use them more often, and he more than willingly agreed. I use them several times a week with my class and their level of engagement is huge! They are using the computers to do research projects related to their curriculum, we are using the amazing website "National Library of Virtual Manipulatives" which helps them bring math concepts to life, they LOVE to write now because their final drafts get typed, and it's amazing how much longer their rough drafts have become all on their own because they realized that a handwritten document vs a typed one is a very different! The sad thing is, out of the whole school, only 2 other classes use the computers once a week, and one of the teachers just let's the kids look around on websites and uses it to punish the kids who aren't in the "gold group" (whatever the heck that is).
One thing I've learned as a teacher is that someday when I am a mother I need to be very active in making sure I know who my child's teachers are. I really do believe in public education and feel children can get a great education! Every schools is going to have some duds, and some amazing teachers too. I just need to make sure I get to know my school well enough to get in good with the good teachers!
Oh if I could use a paddle...
I would use it on my teaching partner. What did you think I would actually use a paddle on a student? Ok, so I have dreamed about it from time to time, but I always knock some sense into myself. But right now I would like to use it on my teaching partner. She's nearing retirement age and I'm amazed that after all of her years of experience teaching, she has NO classroom management!
We have a door that goes in between our two classrooms and every time I walk in there I am baffled at how off the hook her class is. The sad thing is that there are some really great kids in there, but since there is no classroom management it's like a bunch of monkeys swinging from the trees! I would NEVER let my class do 1/10th of the things she lets them get away with. And what's her result? She spends half her day venting and groaning about how horrible her class is and how I wound up with all the good kids. I can't honestly believe that the teachers from last year would deliberately set it up so I, the unknown teacher at the time, would get all the good kids. Her kids could be good if she would put some guidelines on them! I tell my class at the beginning of every year that if they can prove to me they can handle the little things, we'll have lots of fun with the big things! I work really hard the first few months of school getting them used to my expectations and by this time of the year, we are having a royal blast of fun! I love having fun with my class, but when you have 33 students in one classroom, there has to be guidelines for sanity.
Today was over the top for me when I had my students very silently working on a test and I opened her door to hand something over and discovered, they too were taking a test, but kids were roaming around, throwing things, talking, and were SO off task! Baffling...absolutely baffling. No wonder parents are requesting to be moved into my classroom mid-year. I am in no way finding this as a compliment by the way. I'm just baffled at the lack of classroom management.
We have a door that goes in between our two classrooms and every time I walk in there I am baffled at how off the hook her class is. The sad thing is that there are some really great kids in there, but since there is no classroom management it's like a bunch of monkeys swinging from the trees! I would NEVER let my class do 1/10th of the things she lets them get away with. And what's her result? She spends half her day venting and groaning about how horrible her class is and how I wound up with all the good kids. I can't honestly believe that the teachers from last year would deliberately set it up so I, the unknown teacher at the time, would get all the good kids. Her kids could be good if she would put some guidelines on them! I tell my class at the beginning of every year that if they can prove to me they can handle the little things, we'll have lots of fun with the big things! I work really hard the first few months of school getting them used to my expectations and by this time of the year, we are having a royal blast of fun! I love having fun with my class, but when you have 33 students in one classroom, there has to be guidelines for sanity.
Today was over the top for me when I had my students very silently working on a test and I opened her door to hand something over and discovered, they too were taking a test, but kids were roaming around, throwing things, talking, and were SO off task! Baffling...absolutely baffling. No wonder parents are requesting to be moved into my classroom mid-year. I am in no way finding this as a compliment by the way. I'm just baffled at the lack of classroom management.
Now that is H-O-T HOT!
OK, I must say...I saw one of the hottest things I've seen in long time today.
I was walking across the playground going to my classroom and I hear all sorts of fun going on behind me. Little boys were cheering and having a blast! So I turn around and what do I see? Pure hotness. That's right, pure hotness.
Here was a Dad (who I must say was mighty easy on the eyes) playing basketball with a bunch of 2nd graders in his super nice business suit. And keep in mind it was a damp foggy day today and the playground was wet, thus making the act of playing basketball a relatively messy activity.
He was really getting into it too and the kids were having a blast.
Like I said...H-O-T HOT! Smokin' hot!
I was walking across the playground going to my classroom and I hear all sorts of fun going on behind me. Little boys were cheering and having a blast! So I turn around and what do I see? Pure hotness. That's right, pure hotness.
Here was a Dad (who I must say was mighty easy on the eyes) playing basketball with a bunch of 2nd graders in his super nice business suit. And keep in mind it was a damp foggy day today and the playground was wet, thus making the act of playing basketball a relatively messy activity.
He was really getting into it too and the kids were having a blast.
Like I said...H-O-T HOT! Smokin' hot!
Amazing Generosity
One of my classroom management techniques is to give my students group points. They can earn group points for a variety of things, some big, some small, you name it all. It's amazing how hard they work for their group points because they like their reward. If they were in the class next door with my teaching partner, they would get to pick a pencil out of the prize box. YIPPIE a pencil! Please read the pure sarcasm, and please remember that I teach 6th grade. That age could care less about a pencil. The reward for my students is to go to lunch with them, my treat. The kids LOVE it and I wish I could record their faces when I tell each new class this news at the beginning of the year. And it's great because they will do just about anything for group points. It seriously makes my job so much easier because all I have to do is grab my clipboard that I keep track of points on and the kids instantly straighten up in their "learning positions" (meaning they sit up with their hands on their desks and a cheesy grin). It truly bliss.
So the thing about this is that I generally have to drag the points out for like 5-6 weeks because it costs me roughly $30 every time I take them out, and that gets a little taxing. My husband had the bright idea to ask the parents if they would be willing to pay for their child if they won. (I work in a very well to do area). So I sent out an email and asked for their opinion. I got a 100% feedback with an outstanding yes! So I will now end group points every 2-3 weeks, and the class is super excited about it! I am as well because it's such a nice way to get to know your students in a more relaxed setting.
Now for the amazing generosity...many of the parents responded to my email by not only saying that they would pay for their child, but they would also pay for me. I was very grateful that they were showing such kindness. But then I got an email that surpassed them all! One parent actually said she was going to bring in a $100 check to help cover the past and future expenses! I of course couldn't let her do that, but I was amazed at her generosity. How sweet is that?!?!
So the thing about this is that I generally have to drag the points out for like 5-6 weeks because it costs me roughly $30 every time I take them out, and that gets a little taxing. My husband had the bright idea to ask the parents if they would be willing to pay for their child if they won. (I work in a very well to do area). So I sent out an email and asked for their opinion. I got a 100% feedback with an outstanding yes! So I will now end group points every 2-3 weeks, and the class is super excited about it! I am as well because it's such a nice way to get to know your students in a more relaxed setting.
Now for the amazing generosity...many of the parents responded to my email by not only saying that they would pay for their child, but they would also pay for me. I was very grateful that they were showing such kindness. But then I got an email that surpassed them all! One parent actually said she was going to bring in a $100 check to help cover the past and future expenses! I of course couldn't let her do that, but I was amazed at her generosity. How sweet is that?!?!
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