Teach Spot

You Don't Always Get What You Want...

2012-01-19T02:54:00.000-08:00

Chagrin. Teaching, sometimes, has its moments. Times when things don't always go the way we plan. An assembly pops up, a writing prompt, and sometimes a snow delay. Interruptions break the thread, they're inconvenient, but ultimately a good teacher can put order back into his or her day.

Observations are a different animal, though. They have the power to push someone forward, or they can break the teaching momentum that's building inside a teacher's head. Rehearsed teaching is difficult and inauthentic to produce on demand, but the false idea of that teaching can be perfected is even worse. Yet, this has been the model we've employed in education for years.

Confidence. Teachers need buckets and buckets and buckets of it. The public has been taking teachers apart in the press and in commentary on blogs and other public platforms. It's not helpful. I repeat...NOT helpful. Insiders know better, or I'm thinking they should anyway. Administrators, college officials, all individuals hired to assign a value to what teachers do need to develop a consistent, predictable scoring approach.

Probably the most important indicator to look at first in a young teacher is not how they manage the curricula they're trying to stuff into the kids' heads...but their ability to establish a presence and a class culture, because without that, nothing else can proceed.

I'm not saying that we should go slowly or pat teachers on the head and affirm them no matter what they do. Really, that's how you make negative teaching techniques go on for years. But the employment of outside individuals coming in cold to a classroom culture is not always helpful either. In fact, it can sometimes be destructive.

A colleague of mine from another district told me his principal refuses to give positive feedback at all. "That's what you're supposed to be doing, it's not my job to give you a compliment." Oh, give me a break. As an administrator, you are called upon to be a teacher of teachers...so what kind of teaching is that? When a teacher, just like a student, does something right...it never hurts to tell them so. In fact, it probably helps! Building upon a learner's strength, nudging them ahead a little bit at a time is the name of the game we call education.

So...what happens when you don't get exactly what you hoped to hear? My student teacher got a glowing review the other day. Yet, because her supervisor lead off with a small issue that was minimally not going right...it was hard for her to hear anything after that. She's a brilliant teacher, and I tell her so each day. We reflect side by side and think about what we can improve upon.

On the day of her observation, we were forced to compress the whole day...snowfall, ninety minute delay, all part of the job. But. Compressing to her meant speeding it all up, and I blame myself for that. Upon reflection, we could've cut more out. But even though we didn't get exactly what we wanted in outcome, a powerful lesson was learned. Streamlined, but very pointed teaching can often produce the same results. Pacing is a high-level skill that takes more than three weeks to acquire.

The point that I see here is one that I'll take in for myself. The approach to new talent in teaching has to be a gentle one. The positive card must always be tossed out first. Strenghts...and then needs. And better yet? Setting up the two columns for reflection: 'strengths and needs,' allowing her to reflect on her own quagmires, and talking it through with her is probably the best way to start.

Ultimately, she'll have 25+ pairs of eyeballs and that'll be all she'll see. Observations come, and observations go...constant, gentle self-reflection, that intuitive knowing sense when things don't go your way, that's what will feed the instruction each day. But keeping that core belief in yourself is more important than anything anyone else can say!

Teaching and learning is a complicated business. It's the one job where I get to fall on my face and stumble a bit, then pick myself up and start all over each day!

Student Teacher: Who is that Student in the Window?

2012-01-16T15:16:00.000-08:00

How much is that puppy in the window? Priceless, Spot, I know. New puppies, like new teachers need to be nurtured, celebrated and allowed to grow. In today's market that's a pretty tall order, though. How many great talents live on the other side of the window looking in?

Right now, I'm enjoying my time with my student teacher. She's full of ideas and loaded with intuitive skill. I try to be sure to let her know that all the time. Mostly because she, like me so many years before, is plagued with doubt at times. That is the quality of good teaching that just is so totally unavoidable.

Here's a slice of what we're working on right now:

Notice What You Notice: Expostiory Writing is Teaching/Scaffolding an Idea Right from the Start

My yoga instructor uses the phrase, "Notice what you notice," all the time. In yoga, it means, notice what aches/pains, trials/successes your body is having when you're in that pose. Look at the response and make changes. In teaching, it means monitor your learners, the outcomes...in terms of responses or in terms of what they put on the page. Some might call it 'modifying and adapting,' but it's just so much more than that.

The other day I was teaching a writing lesson, and I was listening to students respond with questions just before they went off to write. Right at that point, I realized that half the reason kids have trouble revising their writing comes from the fact that they never have to meet the reader half way. It dawned on me that they don't get to study their reader's reaction or hear their questions like I do everyday in my teaching. I responded to the students' questions, then brought this up later in the group. I showed them all how I added and enhanced what I'd taught them by adding more key information to clear up misunderstanding along the way.

Now my biggest question to my students is what do you want the reader to know most? And why?
Students are now asked to check in with their peers, and check in with adults to insure proper understanding, because they, like me and like my student teacher all need to be on board in understanding...thinking in the mind of the reader and then processing all that information in order to make their expository piece keep its feet on the ground.

This week, the teacher will be sitting back, conferencing with kids...with the student teacher, and watching the great levels of learning unfold! The art of teaching...is truly the art of constantly chasing the learning that lies underneath!

Personal Connection Gone Wrong: How kids talk to one another around books can either deepen or worsen their reading practice.

The other day, we were conferencing with our 'book club communities,' small groups we've organized around student book choice. Kids are reading a variety of books leveled specifically for them such as Lemonade Wars, The Wednesday Wars, The Thing About Georgie and The Landry News. We both noticed the quality of discussion was lacking and realized kids were 1) not getting the connection to the assigned journal responses in their discussion and 2) were minimalists and limited in their conversational skills.

So...we read The Man that Walked Between the Towers, with each other first...and no discussion between us. And then, I read it aloud to the group. Then we told the kids we were going to set up three talking points each on our chart (set up in a T chart) and these three points were not discussed prior to the kids coming into the class. This was all authentic and all done right in front of them.

Our ideas/talking points (which were our reactions/connections to the story) were totally different. She focused on an experience with Cirque de Soleil, and I saw this as a boy with a dream and talked about my dream to become a teacher and the journey that brought me there. We modeled eye contact and attentiveness, but we also modeled the key component to good human communication, listening in order to be transformed/bonded to one another in thought. That's what a good author wants. That's what a great reader gets.

I love having a second pair of eyes and ears in the room. Teaching can be a lonely job...opening up and sharing with others is what keeps it a passionate pursuit for me!

Old Dogs and New Tricks: COACH for America-Redesigning our City Schools

2012-01-08T09:54:00.000-08:00

How do we get new teachers...especially the current group of rookies who are probably populating our most needy classrooms to stay? We love their enthusiasm. We value their ideals. But...to inspire an urban population to learn, there's so much more to it than that. I know, I've been there.

In the mid-seventies, our core of teaching graduates faced a similar situation to those that are graduating right now. We were the tail end of the Baby-Boomers, and that huge group had taken all the available jobs. When I first got out of school, I had to supplant my ideals, suck it up and take a job in order to pay my bills. I waitressed at night and worked in an office by day. I was a horrible typist, an even worse accountant, so they capitalized on my chattiness instead. They had me work to educate customers, to problem solve and to get cranky clients off their backs. But I still had my ideals in place. I just wanted a chance to immerse myself in a culture of kids. My chance came, but it wasn't exactly my dream job...or so I thought.

My first job was teaching hearing impaired preschoolers in Bridgeport, CT. I had zero experience in sign language and even less exposure to the deaf world. But that didn't matter. I had a classroom, keys and a coffee cup in the teachers' room. I was so ready to teach!

What I'd soon find out, and what I've spent years in learning...is that the path to understanding and defining myself as a teacher takes many circuitous routes. I learned an awful lot from the kids themselves...getting into their heads and trying to understand what they didn't know, so I could plug in the gaps and push them ahead in their education and their lives. But trial and error has a very long, hard learning curve. And today, my biggest worry is that young teachers will die on the vine before we have a chance to launch them, celebrate them and give them the support they need.

With no disrespect intended, colleges do the best they can do with our new crop. They do a lot more than was done when I was there back in the day. No one really knew how to best expose student teachers to all that they need to know. So much of it happens on the front line.

Here's my thinking about all this...if rookies are the biggest teaching population that our most needy urban students have, how can we move our urban kids forward? Must they always be the test kitchen for these brilliant, but often wasted minds? I have never forgotten my first days in the classroom...that feeling of being so overwhelmed. I believe the Teach for America model is a good one, but why not COACH FOR AMERICA as well? My thought is this: take those, like me, who are still so very passionate about what we do. Allow us to gain a 'two-for'...two years toward our retirement for every one year we coach in an urban school. Let us work with these rookie teachers (and their administrators), guiding and reflectin with them on everything they do. Give us the opportunity to infuse the curriculums with a richness that is currently absent there. (Most/many American urban public schools have reduced themselves to scripted learning...yup, the awful old basals are back, b/c they can't trust the teachers to immerse kids in great read-alouds and conversations anymore. High stakes testing has driven that decision with kids that are the most environmentally deprived on this earth.)

What this idea allows is a chance for the system to right itself. Use what we, the veterans, know, while clearing the way for more teaching jobs to emerge. I'm not a person looking to retire, but a teacher looking to right what's most wrong in education today. My inspiration came long ago in watching the third season of The Wire, set in the Baltimore Public Schools. Since then, it's grown and developed and I feel a need to put it out there for anyone willing to talk about it today.

Any takers?

All Different Shapes and Sizes

2011-09-27T18:44:00.000-07:00

Hey there, Spot! I know how much you've missed me. I have certainly missed you. Oh, Summer. It really does pull us apart. Recently, I was asked a few questions about 'inclusion,' so I thought I'd repost them here. I know how much you like to gnaw on THAT bone.Here are the questions, Spot, let's see if we can give it a go!

1. What are your views on the success of including special education students in the classrooms in your school?
2. What is your philosophy regarding inclusion? Perhaps you could comment on any benefits/challenges?
3. Do you have any advice/words of wisdom to a future regular education teacher (like me!) regarding inclusive practices?

Well, Spot, I'm sitting here looking at you and all of your friends, sitting here staring at me. You're waiting, each one of you having a different point of view, and a different learning need. There's the doggie sitting there with the large pointy ears. He listens well, but boy, he can't sit still! Then there's the sleepy guy, slumping and looking pretty lost. That guy's got all kinds of organizational issues, and because of that, his anxiety often flares up. There are big, tall smarty pants dogs, who know an awful lot, but can't really figure out how to get along with the other dogs. Then there are the dogs that get really hung up on routines, who fall apart when things get changed. One of those doggies can't hear very well and another needs his planner checked and the sequence of assignments arranged for him.

If you're following me, Spot, I'm sure you know where I'm going here. You, my friend, are dismissed. I know your homework's done.

Special needs are my specialty, I believe every student is an individual. I've grown up in the era of inclusion. When I student taught, though, I didn't see too many students with IEPs. As time passed and the laws changed, more and more the line became blurred...between the so-called regular education and the special education student. When I graduated from college, there were no jobs in a traditional regular education classroom. I went to work for one of the five area cooperatives in our state, teaching special needs students. From there, I decided to get my master's degree in special education. After seven years of teaching hearing impaired kids, birth to three and then running a program for language delayed students, I took five years off and stayed home with my own. In all of this...especially in my venture in motherhood, I found that no two students, not even my own little guinea pigs at home, learned in the same way. This was never a problem. It only made me strengthen my craft.

When I returned to the classroom, I had an opportunity to return to regular education. I've taught kindergarten, then second and now sixth grade and have loved all the varied faces and learning styles, the growth I've seen in education over the years. A few years ago, I was asked to include a student whose reading needs were far below those of others in my group. I know in my heart that saying no is not an option for me. On paper, this student's scores were abysmal, but I knew she was much more capable than she showed. At first, she listened, and kids in my class clearly were not too keen on her. It didn't take too long before she started moving closer to the group and sharing, but oftentimes, what she shared was a little off topic in class. She did stand out...like that cat in the large group of dogs.

Kids were watching me, though, and I knew they'd follow my lead. After the group, I'd spend a little time with her...encouraging her and letting her know she was doing a great job. Her mom started doubling up on the readings we did in class, giving her an opportunity to reread and then understand the material a little better. She had a chance to preview class conversation questions prior to class discussions, so she could rehearse a response in her mind. Kids started experiencing the miracle of inclusion...watching one young girl make a giant leap right in front of their eyes. The challenge is great...time intensive in front of and behind the scenes.

Other times, I've had kids that were included right from the start...students with a wide array of needs. But to me? They all have needs. The kids in my class will always look to me. If they can trust that I can handle all their differences, then everyone settles in and allows the learning to fall into place. I do believe it all comes down to the teacher and how he/she allows everyone a seat at that wonderful table of learning. But I have to make sure that no one stands out too much. To the best of my ability, I treat them respect, as equals, no matter what their disability.

So Spot? I know you were staring at that kitty in the class picture up there. I'd tell all teachers old or new, to give every student their space...to study them and get to know to know them well, prepare for everyone's needs each day...and then sit back and wait. The change comes, the learning happens, and miracles always occur! Inclusion broadens all our horizons. By including all, we learn and teach each other that very simple lesson...that we're all a part of the same breed!

Carrots and Sticks...Building Organization from the Inside-Out in Kids

2011-06-10T19:32:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year, Spot. Deadlines abound! I know, I know...projects, final papers, exams. It's all a part of your life. You are not the only one, though, Spot. I'm running around like a chicken myself. (And I know that's probably not PC to say!)

I've got the China Museum projects, sixth grade mysteries (which I'm sorry to say are a little myterious to me!) and a whole host of other administrivia I've got to get done in the next ten days.

Most of the time, I'm pretty good at pacing, but sometimes the leash just gets away. With students, this can be a horrible thing. Yesterday, for example, I sat with a mom and talked about all the strategies we've put into place to bring her twelve year old up to speed. We talked about difficulties in focusing and of course other professionals talked about the usual 'executive functioning' problems he could be having too. He gets overloaded, then motivation becomes a problem as well.

The truth? More and more kids are looking a bit disastrous these days. Kids are over-scheduled, parents are over-scheduled too. But I think that just is a bit too simple for me. Ownership and accountability are the carrots that usually work. And some good explicit training is what will get them there. Last week, I had a gentle, whispering conversation with this particular young man. I asked him who he admired/saw as successful in class. I told him to study all that the successful student did...how he stacked his books, what his locker looked like, etc. But, I made sure to tell him to do this silently, the mentor student doesn't really need to know. After all, confidentiality is the key. This week, we'll talk about all that he observed.

Often, schools are asked to use external rewards, behavioral/organizational checklists to pull a student along. I can honestly say that does not work, for the same reason Daniel Pink highlights here.

Kids who struggle organizationally are frequently diagnosed with ADD/HD as well. They need to see that carrot...munch on it, and feel it deep down inside. No hokey adult-directed schemes ever seem to get them there. So now...I'm taking the short cut, the honest road, and letting them learn who they are and how they learn, and how to witness the ways to compensate for their needs. I know this, because I've lived it. And Spot? I'm not trying to get too personal here. But. I lost both my parents by age 11, so I've had to teach myself practically everything I know. I was an awful Brownie, a horrible Girl Scout, and I could never find my socks or my blouse or the beanie I had to wear on First Fridays at school. In other words, I was a disaster. But then I learned to simply watch...and follow...and learn. And then, I created a structure for myself, so I could do it all over again. (And Spot? What was the point of that beanie on first Friday, anyway?!)

Parents and Teachers: We're Actually on the Same Side!

2011-05-05T17:45:00.000-07:00

Hello there, Spot. I know I've been away for a little while. But. Right now, my brain is spinning, so I'm back here to talk to you about a few things. A teacher's best friend? Yes, you betcha, Mister. I just love the way you SIT and LISTEN. You are a role model for us all.

Today, I had two meetings with parents of kids in our class. And, as a bonus, I had a mom waiting outside my door at the end of the day. No biggie, right? Right you are! It was perfectly fine. I was happy to see all three of them. Parents and teachers are on the same team. But, sometimes we forget that.

The current climate out in the world is busy slamming, confronting and micro-managing teachers. I have my personal bias about that. Wall Street? Well...we don't know who they are or where those people actually live. So...I do think some of the public angst has turned toward the more visible souls in the real world: teachers and government workers too. I remember an era (pre-9/11) when it was popular to talk trash about policeman too. Thank goodness our police officers have shown the world how important their jobs are.

This blog post is not another self-serving teacher rant, though, Spot. It's more about finding satisfaction on both sides of the conference table. Today's meeting was an honest, open and kind exchange between all parties who care most about the child. Trust was not an issue, because the parents could see and value all that had been done on the student's behalf. And honesty was not an issue either, thankfully. These parents were seeking the truth and prepared to hear it in order to help their child. In fact, in both meetings, parents said they didn't care if that coveted 'A' was ever attained, because they don't see learning as a competition or a reflection of who they are as parents. They simply want their child to learn well! Refreshing, but not as abnormal as some might think. When it comes down to it, parents really do know their kids best.

I appreciated what these parents were saying...they didn't want undue pressure put on their child in order to fall in the 'high range.' But shouldn't all kids have a chance for that? In my book, yes. I will never tell a parent their child can't attain an 'A'! To me, that's just an awful message to give a child. I will set my sights on helping a child set goals, map out a path and work hard in order to get there. I am not a huge advocate of grades, I think they give everyone a false sense of success and sometimes failure too. If a kid fails a test, should they generalize the thought that they are a failure? I think not. Kids should be assessed in strengths and needs. If the goal is curriculum mastery, my job is to assess where their strengths lie and how I can find the entry points to get them to where they need to go.

I'd like to pay tribute to the many parents and teachers who work together, setting their own needs aside to build a plan for student success. This kind of effort sends a strong message of support to students that everyone is pulling for them. If we are true partners at the table, we listen as much as we speak. Fine-tuning...and fine learning is always the result of this type of give and take.

And oh, Spot? On a different note, I offered Mr. L a cup of tea...and actually only made one for me. "Where's mine?" he said. I didn't HEAR him, I said. Then he just laughed. "You weren't LISTENING," he said. This listening thing is not always easy (after hours) for me!

Vacation: Letting the Learning Sink In

2011-04-19T07:20:00.000-07:00

Oh, Spot, how I do love my time off! I love the fact that it restores me, but I especially love what it does to you. Time away creates a space, a seam reallly, in the learning. And even though I know you're not thinking about me, I'm here...on my break, thinking about you.

This year, we had an enormous amount of snow days, but our February break had already been taken away. The snow days were disruptive and unplanned for, and each and every day, we found ourselves trying to reorient ourselves in all that we'd been doing...just trying to keep our heads above the proverbial waters, I think.

Planned breaks are important, though...just like vacations out in the working world--but different. Kids are not like piggy banks, you can't just fill them to the brim. I applaud those who think that more is more and want to add days and time to the school year. They're doing the best and most obvious thing they think to be right. But...all kids need that window of creative opportunity; that seam of daylight in the mix. Brains need to process, to daydream, to allow all learning to sink in. Less is often more...and that in education is a fact! Reflection is a very good thing.

So today, Spot, here I sit. I'm pondering. I'm thinking about how far we've come and all the questions we have to explore before we go. I'm getting charged up to forge ahead in my craft. Because without this bit of fresh air, a little time away...I think we'd be a pretty dull and uncurious lot!

Autism Speaks...and all of us need to answer the call!

2011-04-02T17:36:00.000-07:00

Years ago, when the education job market was much like it is right now, I was given the opportunity to take the alternative route to teaching. At the time, I was disheartened. My job search had fizzled, and I was stuck working at a desk in an office instead of working with kids on the frontline. And that was when my dear friend Kim called and offered me my first teaching job.

Where I worked and what I did doesn't so much matter now. Well, it does, but that's for another day. What that job led to was another job, and that is the way it goes. I became the special education teacher on a birth to three team. Supported by a group of part time professionals, occupational and physical therapists, a speech pathologist, a school psychologist and my dear friend Susan, the audiologist, I visited 35 babies each month. My days were filled with home visits, tender moments with stressed moms and lots and lots of playtime with little wiggily, but beautiful babies on the floors of their many varied homes.

That first job that connected the dots to the baby program was working with hearing impaired preschoolers. I learned not only to sign, but how language emerged when circumstances were different for kids. With the babies, my learning curve continued, I studied language emergence in other ways and watched what happened when development did not follow the 'normal' learning curve. I saw little ones with seizure disorders, cerebal palsy, spina bifida, down's syndrome, and accumulated a multitude of memories that remain with me even today.

But when Autism Awareness Week rolls around every year, I think about a sweet little blonde-haired boy. His pale blue eyes were fixed on the stars, or so it seemed to me. I'd come visit twice a week, yet he wasn't really connected to me...or so I thought. But somewhere, somehow, we developed a kind of routine. He lived in a beautiful home, largely decorated in white with tile everywhere, or so it seemed to me. His mom, a very young and beautiful woman, was lonely and overwhelmed. Alex was a runner. His engine was going all the time. He never crawled...and from the time he was about nine months, he pulled himself up and was on the move all the time. He had no radar for danger, so she had to watch him constantly. Alex was a cranky baby, tactile defensive, which meant that strange textures like towels and rugs would set him off and make him cry uncontrollably. Certain foods offered problems for there were texture issues inside his mouth as well. Over time, I grew to love spending my time with Alex. Of all my babies, he was a bit older and would go off to preschool as soon as he was 2.8, for that was the law at the time. I learned to follow his lead and occasionally toss a few surprises his way. He began to notice me and eventually, he sat down and played. He put a little foothold on the ins and outs of my toys...we worked on 'cause and effect' and built a little language and social interplay too.

But the thing that I remember most was his mom, Julie...and just how overwhelmed she was, and how much she needed a break. In early visits, she was watchful and untrusting...certain I couldn't keep myself inside Alex's head, watching the horizon for him. Eventually though, she let go just a little bit--she let me take over so she could wash the dishes or even just sit and relax upstairs.

Later, Alex grew in his ability to stay with my toys...he loved when that bag came into the house. Of course, sometimes he'd take out all the toys and throw them all over the place. It gave his mom a few minutes to have an interaction with me. We'd talk and keep a steady gaze on him. Because...that was what she needed, and that was what was most important for me to learn. Autistic children make all of us earn our stripes, pay careful attention and cherish every milestone they make. Parents of autistic children need love and support--because their job is incredibly large! My hat goes off to all the many moms of autistic little ones out there today!

You, and all the parents of special needs babies, are the heroes in the parent world...you do earn your stripes with new and daunting challenges each and every day! And even though you may feel that you're living a much more prescripted, marginalized life? There are many of us who know...who care and who may not live in your shoes--but we keep you in our prayers each day.

Think Green!

2011-03-14T14:36:00.000-07:00

Well, hello there, Spot. I know I've ignored you a bit in the past few weeks. But today? I was thinking about you! Honest.

I was pulling up toward school, and a big old yellow bus got in my way. I was sticking out in the intersection, mostly because a) I had no place to go, and b) I could not go through that bus! And that's when it happened. A mama, leaving school in her shiny black car leaned on her horn and started screaming at me...well, her window was closed, Spot, but she was turning super red in the face. Then, OMG. She lifted a very bad finger and showed it to me. I was a little shocked Spot, in fact I was horrified. I hope you were not watching Spot, and if you were, I hope you put those little doggie paws up to your eyes.

I'm thinking she's got the winter blues and needs just a little bit of green. Jeesh. It's crabby out there! But then I started thinking about all you little Spots, and how crabby it might be at home too. So Spot, tonight, I want you to go home and do your homework, and offer to do the dishes and put them all away. I want you to read and play quiet. And just for tonight, send a little love out into the world!

Today is day five of the green challenge! Anybody in? I've worn green for five days now, and I still have three more days to go. One of the kids told me he was wearing green today, but he just couldn't show me! Whoa! That's where I draw the line! There are some things you just don't want to know!

I'll be back tomorrow, Spot. It's CMT week, so I have no correcting to do (yeah, right!).

An American Call to Test

2011-03-08T13:59:00.000-08:00

It's March, the month of the annual writing championship (aka 'the PROMPT'), and as of Tuesday, it was finally done! Are they smarter than they were in fifth grade, well I guess we'll find out for sure.

The Connecticut Mastery Test, the other March Madness...is finally underway. For anyone outside the States, this means our testing season has begun. For the next two weeks, kids are being tested in reading, writing, math and some in science too. For the past two days, our kids have had a forty-five minute essay writing assessment (the writing prompt) and an hour of editing and revising as well. And now, after two long months of unrelenting snow, closed schools and frequent delays, we're pretty sure we've squeezed in just enough learning to ensure our students succeed...I think.

But on Tuesday? My nerves were a little on edge. Just as they were about to put that pencil to the page, a litany of ideas started rattling around inside my teaching brain. Anecdotes, quotes, similes/metaphors, statistical information, what else did I think they really could use? What have I missed out on this year? But then, I watched them creating boxed lay-outs, webs and bulleted execution plans. I'd taught how to plan out each of the component parts, and I spent time modeling my own plan too. The second thing I worked on this year, was stamina. Writers must write regularly in increasingly long spaces of time.

When the period was up, I strolled around the room, eyeballing each student's work. Every student had a minimum of two and many had three pages written in just under forty-five minutes and most wrote right up to the end. Of course, I have no idea what the level of content is, but if I adhere to my previous assumption, generally longer tends to earn a better score.

In my earlier teaching years, I didn't want to overwork the plan for fear that I'd stifle creativity! I sometimes laugh at the way I thought back then. Yes...they were creative, but did I not see all the pointless, wandering trails? Today, I'm satisfied. I started this year with many able writers, but many were compromised as well. I tend to shy away from the 'one size fits all' teaching, spending many long hours in small conferences, catching kids on the way to lunch or during their reading time. I kept it casual, but I kept it specific as well.

Many disparage these high stakes test, and I certainly can understand why. Millions of dollars go into them, test variation among states is incredible, and the pressure on staff and students is great. And while I'm not a fan of lock-step teaching/learning, I am glad that I live in a state where standards and expectations are high enough to ensure that students can and will succeed.

As March turns to April, we'll move on to the finer art of writing poetry and believe it or not, fictional short story in the form of mystery writing (a new state requirement) too! We don't expect our kids to become novelists necessarily, but it is a well-established fact, that the more varied opportunities you have to hook them as writers, the more strength and creativity they'll show overall.

Now, I'd like to see a fresh approach to ensure the students in America's cities will have an equal opportunity to be creative and experience the same learning opportunities too.

Teach Smart: Tangible Ways to Improve Student Writing

2011-02-20T11:26:00.000-08:00

Well, good afternoon, Spot! You're looking like quite the intellectual with those new trendy glasses of yours! I'm glad to see you're in there editing and revising your latest CBAS entry! That PEG sure can score at lightning speed. The uncanny thing about her, Spot? Is that she is not too far off the mark from my scoring and the scoring of other teaching friends of mine.

Recently, I posted a lesson plan, I'd like the writing teachers and/or parents to see. The other day, I took the time to teach my students to 'get a visual/quantifiable' understanding of what the scoring on CBAS or my rubric scoring might actually mean. Following that, I gave them some strategies to help. Here's a little look into what we accomplished that day:

How do I apply writing process/writer’s workshop principles in other forms of demand writing? Recognizing the things that I know as a writer and transferring it to: 1) demand/’quick writes’ and 2) revising my work?

Background:

Up to this point students have worked in CBAS as a parallel assignment at home, writing for 15 minutes or more each night, and crafting a response to a prompt at home.

In the classroom, students are working on a feature article. In a series of short mini-lessons each day, they have learned how to plan (“What’s in Your Wallet?”), how to pack (“Touching the Specifics”) and how to insert research (“Listing Facts, Then Crafting them into Your Piece”).

All the while, parallels have been drawn in an explicit manner to show kids how this genre transfers to the writing prompt on the CMTs, to the CBAS home work they are doing, to the college essay or an essay that they’d be asked to write in order to attain a job.

Today’s objective:

Students will visually scan and mark-up their work to give it balance: paragraphs equal in size and/or sentences that vary in length, based on the following assumptions about good writing:

*Length is strength! If your work is not long enough, you haven’t sold your idea to your reader. (In truth, some writers are able to get to the point in a quick and clear manner. But more often, ideas need to be drawn out in a longer text.) Your purpose is to take the seed of an idea and help it grow in the reader’s mind. If your piece is short, your reader’s understanding will be limited.

What to do: look at your work and physically touch each line as you count how many lines in your piece. Write the number in pencil in the lower right hand corner.

Canvas students for their responses to create a range with no judgment.

*Ideas are balanced. This means your ideas are packed in tight, specific paragraphs. Remember how we packed our ideas for our feature article? Each paragraph, including the introduction and the conclusion should have a minimum of four sentences inside.

What to do: scan the sentences with your finger. Write the number of sentences in the lower right hand corner underneath each paragraph.

NO PARAGRAPHS? No problem! It’s important to indent as a sixth grader/to shift each time you move into one of your three focus ideas. Be sure to get into that habit! It makes revising your piece much easier.

(For those viewing this with horror in the outside arena...yes, we still have sixth graders who are missing this critical skill. It can often make for very confused writing. But we must proceed with caution, these are often our most fragile writers.)

What to do: take your pencil and draw a vertical line along the left side of the margin, stop when you need to shift into a new paragraph and mark it with the paragraph symbol.

*Sentence lengths should vary. Just as we’ve done with the ‘feature article’ in Writer’s Workshop, we’ll do right here in CBAS—study your sentences. Go in and trace a line underneath each sentence in your first paragraph. Some sentences should be longer, others should be shorter in length. You should have a nice mix of long and short. You can easily see the ‘shorties and the longies’, but if you’re having a hard time with that—think…4 or 7 words=equals a shortie, and longies=7 or above. You’ll see it right away!

Talk to the other writers in your cluster grouping about what you notice inside your piece. Make a list in your mini-lesson notebook of two things you’d like to change.

How to fix any of the imbalance in your piece:

*Balance of ideas: if you have shorter paragraphs, or if your piece is short in length, you should go in and take the mini-lesson on support. WHY? Your ideas are not completely developed. You may need to add some strong proper nouns, or create a one sentence connection to make your reader understand what you are talking about (an illustration…your idea in action.)

*Sentence length: If your sentences don’t vary in length, your piece will not have the fluent sound of someone talking. That is what you really want here. You need to speak on the page the way you speak in the classroom. Too many short sentences sound robotic. Too many longer sentences can confuse the reader by bogging them down in either over-stating (repeating yourself) or too many unnecessary words (too chatty!). Take a mini-lesson on sentence structure and/or mechanics.

Your job now is to go into your work, you’re already logged in, and start to take your ideas right from the page to the computer. Always reread the section you want to ‘perform surgery’ on, so you can warm your brain to make the right decision. When you are finished, be sure to save your work, so you can work on it some more at home.

CLOSURE: We’ll close in the same way we always do…asking ourselves two questions: 1) What have I accomplished with this piece today? 2) What is my work for next time?

A footnote: Upon reflection, this lesson was a lot to take on in one session. All good ideas, but too much for a sixth grade class in one sitting. What I've done though, is give them a tangible overview, an understanding of the what and why of scoring, and a hands-on way to make changes in their work. The next time I see them, I'll crack open each of the principles: show them student work that is shorter in length and discuss what an undeveloped piece offers. I love this lesson! I follow it with an 'Extreme Makeover' lesson, something we can break apart and brainstorm and then come back together and work on together.

Why does this model work? Well, honestly, there are no quick fixes in writing! Writing is a process that takes years of non-judgmental coaching, and lessons to achieve student success. The hope should be that each writer will, in fact, progress under my tutelage. So I know I have to get a leg-up with each one of them this year! I do think this instant self-scoring, CBAS program is a great tool. But it is one that could certainly raise concerns and suspicions for sure. So to each of you out there using it in the trenches--be sure parents and students as well know that you are doing a heap of background work to support it in the classroom. Otherwise it could succumb to public misinformation and then tank-out for sure! For now, for this teacher? It's working, and with no data as yet, I still believe it will boost skills like never before.

Happy writing, Spot! And happy teaching of writing to all my colleagues out there in the teaching world!

Teaching in my Pajamas

2011-01-25T17:53:00.000-08:00

Okay, Spot...you can stay home AGAIN today. The roads are icky and it's snowing like nobody's business out there!

About ten years ago, my teaching buddies and I used to joke about a day when we'd be able to 'mail-it-in' so to speak. I know, that sounds harsh, and believe me, I'm not that kind of teacher, you know that Spot! You're just so cute I have to have face-time with you!! But...

All this snow? It does nothing for continuity of instruction, consistency in learning and actual daily practice on your part, Spot. Take that little yellow ball sitting there on the floor alongside you. You're a master at the bounce-catch, the roll and toss and any other number of tricks. You have practiced for countless hours outside and inside the house. When you're obsessed about learning the learning happens. Perseverance, long term practice, that's what it takes.

So...right now, you and the rest of the doggies are all hooked up for bad weather. I'll be sitting here in my jammies, and no doubt you will too when that next huge storm rolls in. Last week, you were home researching on Expert Space, Grolier's online research program that is leveled to match any reader's needs. This week, it's CBAS, a computer-based writing program set up by the state of Connecticut allowing students extensive time in drafting and revising prompted writing, so you can challenge yourself in writing at home...or in school.

Why, Spot, would I the writer/writing teacher want you working in this formatted/timed way?

Well, writing is a personal process. In the classroom, we'll be working on longer, more detailed process writing. I do believe in the human hand in critiquing written work...it is the MOST important way to improve a kid's work. I know for sure, I've made the greatest improvement with input from my writing mentor, Patricia Reilly Giff and the six members of my critique group. But, as you know, I can't be there every minute of every day. Practicing and getting feedback in a more regular way will really help you to take a huge leap!

So, tomorrow, Spot? When the snow is piling up outside? You and I will be inside writing, and when you click 'submit', that feedback will come back to you in a blink of an eye!

Think Spot!

2010-11-30T16:51:00.000-08:00

Okay, Spot, okay. I know I pushed my luck today. I asked you to think, and really? It's only Tuesday...two days after turkey overload. "Stop the action," I said. "Put me inside your brain." What was I thinking, honestly?

I looked up from the piece of writing I was crafting in front of you and all the other pooches...and that's when the smiles and the smirks began. Inside your heads, you were thinking...lunch, definitely, lunch or recess, definitely, recess. You were chasing a squirrel or sniffing around a bush in the park. I knew that, Spot. After all, I'm not that old a dog myself. I get it.

It was writer's workshop time, and we were and still are embarking on a whole new journey. You see, Spot. Teaching is not just about tests. My job is to get you to make your thoughts and feelings known and expressed clearly on the page. So...when everyone loosened up a bit, I could hear the laughter erupt around me. The conversations about what you were all thinking broke out and that's when the fun began. I caught myself...I was being the 'sage on the stage' talking too much and forgetting to engage all of you.

The lesson; crafting a meaningful 'thought shot,' slowing down the action within a story to live inside the character's mind. Lemony Snicket, EB White, and JK Rowling were our guests today, and what a great job they did! You see, Spot, there's no greater teacher than those kind of experts. I can talk and talk until, as my dad would say, I'm blue in the face (oy, that's an awful thought!). But the truth is, kids love to dig into great literature. They can find those thought-shots, watch the true writing unfold and talk to each other to discover what to put on their own page.

So, now, after a very long day in the trenches, Spot...I'm thinking. Some folks call it metacognition, when a person thinks about and evaluates their own thoughts. But...I'm thinking about your thinking, so I'm not at all sure what you call that! I'm after elaboration...in small vignettes, in the exposing of the moment and in the snap shot too. I have a range of doggies this year, who seem to fall in the 'somewhat developed range' with either inadequate or minimally adequate details. My challenge is to get you over the fence, to think as you write, and to express all the smallest details.

So Spot? No more chasing rainbows...I want you to grab that squirrel by the tail! Specifics, that's the difference in your work.

Here's a bit of JK Rowling's specifics for you:

Harry looked around. One thing was certain: Of all the teachers' offices Harry had visited so far this year, Dumbledore's was by far the most interesting. If he hadn't been scared otu of his wits that he was about to be thrown out of school, he would have been very please to chance to look around it.

It was a large and beautiful circular room, full of funny little noises. A number of curious silver instruments stood on spindle-legged tables, whirring and emitting little puffs of smoke. The walls were covered with portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses, all of whom were snoozing in their frames.

There was also an enormous, claw-footed desk, and, sitting on a shelf behind it, a shabby, tattered wizard's hat--the Sorting Hat.

--JK Rowling, THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS, ch. 12

JK did for me what I could not do for myself: she showed, firsthand, how to put a few thoughts on the page, create a mood and then show me what Harry was walking into. She had us eating out of the palm of her hand, Spot! We could see, feel and think right inside Harry's brain. And, best of all, she got us to the sorting hat...which, of course, is where she wanted us all along!

So tomorrow, Spot, we'll think it, show it, and make it real for the reader, because that, in a nutshell, is what good writing is all about. Find that in all your reading, and believe me, Spot, you won't chase the squirrel, you'll be chasing those words on the page!

Good dog, Spot. You're dismissed for today!

At Long Last, A Shift in Teacher Training!

2010-11-18T17:37:00.000-08:00

The Rookies are coming! The Rookies are coming! Well, not so fast, Spot. You're still stuck with little old me.

Ever since I got out of school, lo those many years ago, I've often thought about how very different teachers in our country should be trained. We all adapt once we're on the job. We hide under our proverbial rocks and pray no one opens our classroom doors.

But today, Spot? I was listening to Marketplace and Kai Ryssdal was reporting on the miserable state of affairs in Louisianna schools today. But then, there was that little ray of hope I always listen for. University of Louisianna at Monroe has completely revamped its teacher training program. Now honestly, it's an idea whose time has finally come.

'In my day,' we sat in stuffy classrooms, doodling and taking notes, doing anything we could do to stay awake. I didn't really take my first 'methods' class until my junior year! I remember that mostly, because I just couldn't wait. My sophomore year, I was required to observe in a classroom, and man did I lap that up! But then I waited all the way until my senior year to find myself in front of kids again.

And the sad news, Spot? Is the same system is still in place. Recently, I had a college student come in and observe in my room. She took her notes, tracked a single student and sat down and chatted with me. But that was it, Spot. And we won't see her again until her senior year. Imagine if our medical professionals, sales professionals, culinary students or trade school students operated like that. The carpenter would be able to tell you everything she/he learned about the angle one must take in lowering the hammer, but they'd never hit the nail on the head.

My hope is that America finally wakes up, cleans up teacher training programs, and places apprentice teachers out in the field. First of all, our resources are shrinking and we really could use their able hands. But more importantly, our students' needs are greater than ever before. And no child should ever have to be the one training the teacher...it should always be the other way around!

Demystifying the Mystery

2010-11-14T07:09:00.000-08:00

What is it about good writing that makes it so hard to define? I'm so sorry, Spot...I've had to pull in Calvin and Hobbs today...I know. Yick, right?! A cat in your SPOT. Today, I'm sending you off with a bone. You, my friend, are dismissed.

I'm talking now to all my teacher friends, to kids and their parents, to anyone, really, who is eager and willing to listen.

My school system, much to the chagrin (and understandably so) of the parents, has decided to take a half day to inservice its teachers in good teaching practices focused on good writing. The bottom line, of course, is the test scores, and everyone knows this is so. But to the outside communty at large, this is a huge sacrifice, and therefore there has been quite a bit of strife.

Our teachers are not remedial, they say. Why do they need all this extra time?

I'd like to set the record straight, to give an inside peek at what is really happening inside the walls while the kids are outside on the street.

Teaching is not innate, and just as with students, teaching practices repeated over time can become habitual. There is no 'eye-in-the-sky' even under the best administrative practices that can equally insure quality control. No teachers are created equal, nor should they be. No one would want that robotic teaching, the 'cookie-cutter' approach to learning. For that, we all know is deadly. But teachers have to come together to find common ground, common issues and understandings that we can all support through instruction.

So here we were, on a sunny day in October, eleven or so of us, all in classrooms, gathered together over our 'Tuning Protocols'. I had the good fortune to be sharing one of my 'cuspy-kid's' writing. I say that not to be demeaning, nor to create a stereotype about a student, it is simply a designation made about the level of writing that this student is able to achieve, which is marginal...but really just below marginal at best. This student has just missed goal on the CMTs, and left to his/her own device, it will always be that way.

Our task: 'How can we elevate this student's ability to improve in the area of writing in this piece?' I gave the group some background...nothing personal, gender neutral, about this students' overall performance. Where he/she started on the writing continuum, and the goals and objectives that I am working on right now in class. Then the team set to work dissecting the piece and looking at that which we hoped to see improve.

The commentary was wide and diverse. Questions arose immediately related to the score I'd give this student for his/her writing if this were an assignment in class. I resisted. The facilitator returned to the question at hand and encouraged teachers to take notes and mark up the piece as we moved along. The same teacher who had raised the question about score, pressed again to inquire about grade, "What grade would you give this piece," he asked. His background is math, so the question did not surprise me. He deferred to his own education and how he, himself, would've been scored on the piece. His issue was missing capitals and periods. Another teacher asked about paragraphing.

When asked what the expectation was for a sixth grader, grammatically speaking, my colleagues and I were able to defer to the standards...yes, paragraphing and periods should be in place. Sentences, at least those in the simple variety, should be well-defined with a capital and period. But this student was stretching his/her simple sentence border, and expanding ideas within. We could then say that commas are the order of the day in sixth grade. Kids are learning how to combine sentences effectively, stretching into compound, complex sentences. This is their whole year's challenge at this grade. The piece was written in September, the very beginning of school.

And then we launched into another discussion about what we hoped to see in a piece of writing.

This was the best part of all. Around the table sat the physical education, art, band, math, science, social studies and language art teachers. We all looked at the ideas this student had tried to put forth in this piece. He'd stretched to identify the person that most inspired him, but his reach was not really developed at all. We talked about what we would've liked to have seen, as he put his dad up there on the page. Many of the students identify their parents as inspirational, but they don't have the meat...the specifics to put a fluent piece together at all.

At the end of our two hour session, we all came to the same conclusion. This student's need was really in the area of idea generation. We could see how a mutual effort to talk to this student, to engage him in discussion as a regular practice prior to getting him to the page, we might be able to help him to practice the steps to good writing: verbal rehearsal leads to pay dirt, we concluded. So...in this short session, we hit pay dirt too. We could see the many students who are not unlike this one, who just need that steady boost to get a few clear ideas on the page.

And as far as the bottom line goes? The truth is, the bottom line is not the test or the score that matter at all. Students need to express their ideas clearly with great fluency, but Rome wasn't built in a day. The math teacher was coaxed into the simple understanding that you can't look under the hood until you've assessed the collateral effect of the piece as a hole. The band teacher left there with a plan to implement writing within his own discipline. The language arts teacher left with an opportunity to collaborate with the band teacher on that piece of writing. And the art teacher had a plan too. Last to leave were the two math teachers who also happen to teach reading as well. They were discussing writing and rubrics in reading and how that could translate to math. Teachers focused on writing is sure to bring baleful results.

What stands true in education today is that it is fluid, not static as it has been for so many years. Many teachers leave their college training programs with a bit of philosophy, a few methods courses and a student teaching experience. The great teachers evolve and evolve some more; they continue evolving and learning until the day they walk out the door. This two hour block that cost the district nothing was a bit of pay dirt for us all. Now, as I roll up my sleeves with my student, I have that deep knowledge that I am not the only one cheering him/her on!

So even though I know this is a sacrifice for the parent community, it is a breath of fresh air that informs instruction and opens the learning to a wider, grander stage. It takes a village to educate a child well in today's world, and educators must be fluid in their methods and their understandings of it all!

Out to Sea

2010-11-01T19:02:00.000-07:00

Now Spot, I don't want you getting any ideas or anything, but imagine what it would be like to just take off one day in a little white boat and head out to places unknown. What if the pure purpose was to plan and execute your own education, to travel somewhere else to learn. Imagine how inspired you'd be!

Well, Spot, after seven years, a teacher has that opportunity, or they did at one time, anyway. They could actually take off for half a year or even a full year and still maintain their salary. Good for the kids, great for the teacher. Sabbatical-noun: an opportunity to gain new learning; to open the mind to a new way of thought.

In today's world of education, sabbatical is a phenomena that's been phased out, mostly because of cost. Paying for a substitute teacher while maintaining the regular teacher's salary is cost prohibitive, so therefore it doesn't exist. In its place, professional development became a way of bringing the best minds in education into a district or a single school building to bring to life research-based instruction ideas right to the staff on the frontline. In my current district, I've experienced the best of the best from Columbia's Teacher College Writing Project to H. Lynne Erickson's Concept-Based Instruction.

In the past two years, my colleagues and I have begun to follow the Dufour's approach to teaming with the Professional Learning Communities. PLCs are not a new concept to me. Teachers focus on data, and purposeful goals, sharing their best teaching practices is something that works well for me. PLCs, done well, require time and conversation to really go deep into the work. The Dufour approach requires teachers to come together regularly in order to design a purposeful, united community that has the child's best interest at heart. It requires hours of trusted sharing and listening with a vested commitment to the learning outcomes of each child.

1. You believe the fundamental purpose of your school or district is to ensure all students learn at high levels, and you are committed to become a lifelong learner to make this a reality.

2. You think collaborative teamwork and interdependence among teachers and administrators is a great way to continuously improve your school or district.

3. You are hungry for evidence that students are learning and are ready to respond immediately when timely feedback tells you otherwise.

The greater community is clamoring for results. They're pointing all their energies at putting our schools under the microscope. But often, Spot, public criticism mounts before an idea is understood. Right now, we have a wonderful opportunity...to dig deep, to use the cost-free talent of our professional educators, the ones that shine inside our ranks.

Right now, more than ever before, teachers need support and understanding in order to accomplish some pretty high level goals. We have an enormous initiative in place called RtI which requires us to identify, assess, frequently monitor and intervene to insure proper outcomes for students at risk. We all want to see that happen Spot, but we need those in the know to spread a positive word, to support our work and to restore public respect to the art of teaching.

So Spot, spread the word...the learning never ends for you or for me. And that my friend, is a very good thing! I can't take off in a boat, but I can knuckle down and refresh my practice just like others out there in the professional world. And that is a very good thing for you!

Characters Wanted?

2010-10-15T17:15:00.000-07:00

I don't think I said that, Spot...honest. But that is exactly what I've got. A group of absolutely kooky characters. The secretaries in any school are really the smartest dogs of all. The very first thing they said to me way back in August was you've sure got a bunch of characters this year!

And now, I'm six weeks in and everyone's true colors are clear. Today, for example, was one of my most favorite days: Retro Day! So, in strolls 'a certain young man' with hugely enormous hair. He's dressed in tie dye from head to toe and he's got his dark glasses on. I had to stifle a laugh, because I could've easily predicted he'd be the one. You see, Spot, this doggie never, ever has anything he's supposed to turn in. He tells his mama and papa he's way too stressed to do work. But today? He knows his assignment and he's gone right over the top.

At the end of the day, we had a fire drill, just fifteen minutes before the busses were supposed to be called. We herded the troops out to the field and the wind was really picking up. And that's when a little divine justice came into play...because a 'certain wig' took flight and flew right off his head! I love my characters this year, Spot. It's just taking time to get them on the right track.

On the Outside Looking In

2010-09-01T18:03:00.000-07:00

Spot! Congrats on your very first day of school this year! One down and 182 to go, but who's counting? Certainly not me. I love my new doggies already this year.

On the way into school today, I saw the sweetest thing...and it really stuck with me all day. Two very young guys were cutting the lawn early this morning as I pulled into school. One, backed up his tractor and tipped his hat and waited for me to pull my car all the way in. The other, a kind of big guy, but also very young too, stopped what he was doing lifted his shades, smiled broadly and waved. And then his expression changed, and I could see a kind of sadness in his eyes. I am a storyteller, so it may have been my imagination or my teacher's intuition, but I think I knew what was going on here.

Both of these guys were recent high school grads, I think. I'm pretty certain it was the very first day that they weren't going to school. They may have even been two kids that hated school, were outside, hands-on learning types who were trapped for twelve years in school. Or maybe they were all of the above and yet somehow because of their very sweet teachers, they managed to have a fondness for school. Whatever the truth is, I'm sure I'll never know. But it made me think about all the kids that struggle in school, and how I can make it better for them here. When I left school today, I stopped and admired the beautifully manicured lawn.

It's Time...Parent Portals and What's in Store this Year

2010-08-31T18:19:00.000-07:00

Okay, Spot. I see you out there pressing your nose against the screen. I hear your mommies moaning too! I get it. It's time.

We've been in there sweating it out, crunching the numbers and analyzing all the data, so we can make it just right for you.

We've got some great things in store for you, Spot, but I have to admit, we may have some not-so-great things too. Today, we talked about parent portals. Oy vey, Spot. This could get rough.

A parent portal is kind of like a hole in a wall where the mommy and daddy doggies can take a little peek from time to time. I'd almost rather have a real hole in the wall, honestly. The parent portal allows the parents to monitor your progress, peeking in each and every time I put a grade in the book. They'll actually receive an email when the gradebook is updated. It's okay, Spot...we can handle that, and maybe, just maybe, it'll make you more accountable.

But today, Spot? We talked about the same parent portal for the Accelerated Reader program we've discussed before. AR is a great thing in many ways, because it helps kids see and monitor their own reading progress, watching it grow while earning points in the bank. This year, parents will see each and every AR point as they make their way into your account. They'll be able to monitor quiz scores too. Is this a good thing, Spot?

Well...to my thinking it could be, but it takes a pretty balanced parent not to get too hooked on all these numbers. We've got to be ever so careful in this. Don't worry too much, though Spot. I'm going to look your mama and papa in the eye at Open House. A little knowledge can be dangerous and a lot more can be disastrous. My job is to help them understand.

Who Let the Dogs Out?

2010-08-24T18:52:00.000-07:00

Hey Spot! I wandered over to Daniel Pink's blog and read the most amazing piece...and I got to gnawing on the idea he talked about there.

Netflix, you know that company, right? Movies by mail, anytime you want them. They have a new open leave policy for employee attendance it seems...vacation time: you need it/you take it! That's right! Can you imagine? I don't feel like going in tomorrow, I'm going to call it a 'zero day'!

I started applying that thinking to school. You see, Spot, all the mommies out there have been asking me, "Are you ready?" And then they smile. When I don't answer right away, they smile again. In other words, "It's your turn to take over those doggies again." I get it. You guys are getting a bit out of hand out there. But the true answer is I'm never ready...for summer to end. Who would be? Really. So, reluctantly I tell them..."I'm always ready." And then I smile.

In a way, that really is true. I love when we get back into the swing of things. I'm in my element there. But...leaving summer and the freedom it brings? Being constantly locked into a daily grind? Well, none of us are, not even the kids. But if we...like Netflix, had an open summer policy? I'd write the assignments on the board, promote cooperative doggie behavior, and quietly take my exit and go. In the immortal words of Snagglepuss, it'd be "Exit...stage left!" for me.

"Autonomy is not the opposite of accountability. It's the pathway to it." I like that, Spot. I'm thinking before long, I'll be able to teach in my jammies from my armchair. While you and all the puppies take over at school. So...go ahead, take all the recess you want. It's the trickle down theory you know! I'm thinking this 21st century learning is really a good thing.

Don't Go There: How NOT to Buy School Supplies

2010-08-20T10:03:00.000-07:00

Okay, Spot. Here we go! Out there in the public arena buying games for our classroom this fall. Eavesdropping, it's what I do. I was incognito, sunglasses and all. I hear this mom say, "I can't afford another thing! I just spent $140 on school supplies." (Then she asks the clerk where she got her cute tee shirt, because she LOVED that syle!)

Well, first of all, you know me, I'm screaming at her inside my head. Me-"Are you crazy?" Seriously, who does that? Now she did have two kids with her, so I'm assuming, hopefully, that she spent this on two kids. Even $70 per kid is ridiculous. She was implying that the fault was the school's, but I beg to differ!

Here's what parents should never do when shopping for school supplies: bring their kids if they are not prepared to say no! Otherwise, follow the list. Kids do not need the $15 binder or the neato-keeno (I know, I'm dating myself) glitzy pens and pencils. When I send my list out, I ask parents for a few spiral notebooks, pens and pencils and an eraser or two. They also need a cheap bundle of paper to keep at home for homework. Staples has those spiral notebooks as cheap as six for a dollar sometimes. And the only thing I really want that's pricey is the #2 pencils...you just can't beat Ticonderoga, honestly. So...when parents are implicating blame for the old school supply game, it can't be placed on me as the teacher. Just say NO is my best advice...and that is really the best thing to practice out there for parents these days anyway. You have the power! Keep it simple.

Okay, Spot, that's it for today. Just one other funny thing. That mom that had no more money? Rushed right over to Chico's to get that shirt. Obsessive shopping. I get it, I've lived it. And thank goodness, I don't choose to live like that way anymore. Saying no starts with old number one. Once mom can say no to herself, she'll learn to say no to her tribe. Back to summer! It really is bliss!

Why So Glum, Chum?

2010-08-16T17:40:00.000-07:00

Oh c'mon, Spot. I know it's been a long summer. I know you're tired of sitting around all day waiting for your dinner bowl to arrive. I get it. I'm tired of delivering those dinners here at home.

Here's some good news! I went into school today...yes, SCHOOL! Last week, I didn't want to hear that word, but today? Well, I almost skipped up the sidewalk. I, like you, love to see my friends. I knew we weren't going to get too serious. I mean, honestly, I'm still sporting my summer tan! The sounds of the ocean are still playing in my ears.

But...dog-gone-it, Spot! (No, I don't really know what that means!) We started talking about behavioral interventions. We talked about how to praise all the good doggy behavior and consequence the bad doggie behavior. Next thing you know, the conversation took a very different shift.

We started to talk about Responsive Classroom. RC is a model that builds positive interactions among students, immersing kids in conversations and fostering strong social skills. It takes huge amounts of time, but our elementary schools are up to that task. There are meetings and games and all sorts of great activities. BUT. We still need to have an umbrella system in place that covers it all...social/group acceptance with a system that clearly defines expectations too.

So, today, we nipped and snarled and agreed to disagree. We continued to have polite, but heartfelt conversations delineating what it is we really believe. And in the end? We grew closer as a team, because we all listened and kept what's right for kids (and doggies) in the center of it all. We rolled up our sleeves and lined up our beginning of the year launch.

And you know what, Spot. You are one lucky puppy, because teachers care very deeply about what they do. We're going to keep you protected and help you get started in the friend department next year. So, don't look so glum! We're in there fighting over you, boy! And in a few short days, you'll be right there at our side!

A few homework suggestions (if you must!): Climb a tree, chase a squirrel and take a long nap in the sun.

Call of the Wild!

2010-07-08T19:37:00.000-07:00

Oh, I do love the wonderful freedom of summer, Spot! No alarm clock, no schedule to think about, I have no plans for the days...just doing my own thing.

The other day I wandered into Target to pick up a few things for my home. I came across a guy wearing a Derek Jeter tee shirt named Jimmy. Jimmy was walking and whining, and walking and whining. And for some reason, he seemed to be everywhere in the store that I was. Jeesh. The whining soon became crying, and then I heard his mama say, "That's enough, Jimmy. Your daddy would be so ashamed of you." Well, that had only one effect...escalated the behavior. You see, Spot? Mom was already feeding into it. Jimmy didn't care about his dad's shame. His dad was nowhere in sight. He just wanted to get his mother's attention. Now he had her. He was bawling, walking along following her, on occasion hitting her too, and moaning at the top of his lungs. Apparently, he wanted some ball that he'd found as they moved around in the store.

Next, I hear her say, "Look, Jimmy...forget the ball, how 'bout some Woody sheets for the bed?"

Way to go, Mom. Bargaining. Bargaining is the worst strategy of all. Because now? He has an opportunity to make a decision...so, of course, he's holding the power. I moved out of the sheets and towels and tried to get on with my shopping. Over in the seasonal aisle, I can hear Jimmy screaming at his mother, "Don't you dare put another thing in that cart! If I can't have my ball, you can't have anything either!" I'm starting to scream now too...but of course, only inside my head. Mom's response, "I have the money, so I can have whatever I want. I'm the mommy you know."

Jeesh. The MOMMY. I wanted to ask Jimmy what he thought Derek Jeter might think about his behavior. But most of all, I wanted to tell the MOMMY to just have the guts to take a stand. She had no stratagies for dealing with Jimmy and really no clue about parenting at all.

Seeing kids who would be otherwise under control in the classroom out living in the wild is a scary thing sometimes, Spot. I remember having a wild child or two of my own. But taming that wild child will make him a whole lot happier. What happened to the simple approach, "The answer is NO." Followed by a systematic ignoring of behavior that is not only inappropriate, but harmful to Jimmy's future well-being. Jimmy's a walking bag of misery and a future work in progress for that poor teacher who will be responsible for him in the fall.

Boy did I love walking away though, Spot, getting back to my shopping and remembering the best thing about my job. Yup...summer! If I could fill my cart with summer, I'd never need anything else at all! (Hope you're having fun too, Spot! You're such a good little dog!)

Where are you, Spot?

2010-06-27T18:27:00.000-07:00

Hey, there, buddy! 183 days, countless moments immersed in conversation, lessons, one-on-one and small group conferencing, and sweet little moments of drama and crisis...and then--you're gone! And I may never see you again. Breaks my heart!

How do you get to be so close to a group of students...and then suddenly let them go?! It's a hard thing to reconcile, that's for sure. But it's the major benny of the job, from my point of view. Summers off? Well, that is a huge benefit. But...it's the deep bond that I've had with my kids that keeps the passion alive in me.

I hate saying good-bye. Last week, we all stood quietly waiting while the last announcement blurred over the loudspeaker. Then we noticed him...Jeeves, at the back of the room with the hiccups, green cap pulled down over his eyes to hide his tears. One kid called out his name, and then we all started crying! This was the very first time this happened to me. Kids get emotional every year, laughing and crying is a part of it all. But usually we burst out that door together, ready to leap toward summer and what that means to us all.

This year was so different. I was twirled around and passed from one kid to the next, feeling like a worn-out sock by the time they were done with me. And now? My kids, their faces and the memories still float around in my brain. Like a familiar song, I just can't shake them out of my head. I'm actually glad about that, though. I'm savoring before I let go. Looking over old pictures, journaling a little too.

Many people comment on how good we teachers have it. Summers off, killer benefits...and the huge salaries. Well, I couldn't agree with them more. I need the next seven weeks to restore my emotional gas tank, to savor the benefits of those old bonds and make room for the new ones that will surely follow...and the salaries? Well, I'm livin' large for 183 days! I have lots of promises for return visits from last year's students, and that will someday that might really pay off. So, yup...best job in the world, and overpaid all the way! Rock on, summer of 2010! Oh, how I've missed you.

The PrinciPAL

2010-05-26T17:47:00.000-07:00

Oh Spot! I know I've been away for far too long. I've been teaching! All right...well, sort of. Mostly, I've been trying to keep my eye on the blossoming boy-girl relationships that I'd like to pretend really don't exist at all. Can curricula and romance actually exist together in one brain?

Today's topic, Spot, is who's the boss? I know, in my classroom...I AM, mister, and don't you even think about challenging that! But I'm also responsible to my own boss, Spot. And believe me, I've had more than a few.

In real world? Teachers are often the kings and queens of their own domain. Sure we team, and talk, compare notes and data, etc. But...the bottom line is, I really am large and in charge, especially once the door is closed.

Last year, my dream principal retired. I was very sad about that. We danced into the wee hours at her party, spinning and twirling and everyone singing along. This year? Another dream principal friend of mine is retiring. Parents love her. She's a tough, full-spirited boss, who keeps her thumb on the pulse all the time. Some, love that. Others, especially those who felt the heat, did not appreciate that. I never really felt the heat. We did have a few 'testy' meetings behind closed doors in her office, though. (Yes, I did get called in for...well, a difference of opinion, now and then.)

I knew what she was up to. In our hearts, it was always about the kids. We battled over the true definition of the word 'instruction' and what really helps kids to learn. If she felt she was right (always!), she'd never let me off the hook at all. She was like that big hefty wrestler holding down the little guy on the mat. Sometimes, we'd actually agree to disagree.

I know I was a bit of a pain, Spot. As you know, I've always had more than a few opinons when it comes to teaching and kids. She always heard me out, though. And that, for sure, meant a lot.

I left my old principal and that sweet little school long ago. I found myself with a new bunch of older, more able student writers, and that is really what drew me away. But now? Time and distance has given me a greater vantage point. I realize how important that thumb on the pulse really was. Kids need to learn. We need to know that the goals we set are reasonable and well-managed. And I have to say, I learned that all with her.

So now that she's not my boss, she'll always be a well-respected friend. Teaching, like life, is a very human business. We spend our tenure working hard, thinking and breathing around kids, we can even agree to disagree, but in the end, it's the memories, the kids, and the valiant fight...to make little puppies like you into true citizens of this wonderful world...it's our legacy. And the legacy unites us all.

Go Blue!

2010-04-28T18:52:00.001-07:00

High Standards! Try that one on for size, Spot. You look beautiful with that big smile and that gorgeous blue ribbon dangling down the front of you. You're one brilliant doggie, Spot. I'm so proud of you!

Instead of blue ribbons, though, our schools have been bogged down in UNFUNDED MANDATES from the previous administration's No Child Left Behind debacle. (Download it, and tuck it under your pillow, you'll be asleep in ten seconds for sure!)

On top of that, we have the IDEA program, designed to maintain students in an environment that will best serve their special needs while promoting their learning without creating a label to do it. Careful testing and retesting, datakeeping and monitoring are required here in order to make this program work. In Connecticut, we call it SRBI or "serbie"...Scientific Research-based Intervention.

As an example, Spot? Today...I was off revamping a systematic schoolwide approach to handling student behavior. This in itself would be something our teachers could do on their own, given some good orderly direction and an initiative from our own in-district leadership. Instead, we're forced to employ the services of SERC, the State Education Resource Center, paying an enormous sum for 6 days this year, and then 6 more for the next two years, of inservicing in the area of behavior. Behavior! Substitute teachers=about $4,000, the cost of the inservicing...well, that is unknown to me. But. Every town in the state of CT must go through this process. And, every town in the state must pay for it themselves.

In light of all this, the previous Republican administration that touts the trouble of big-government has actually stuck their very big hand in our pot, and is now raking in the dough, squeezing it right out of our small home-grown school districts. When we go to the voting booth these days? Our citizenry is at each other's throats over the little nitty gritty pieces of class-sizes, gym teachers (Forget childhood obesity, Mrs. Obama...we know you're right, but that makes too much sense!), pencils, paper, paper clips, etc. The townspeople are looking at the schools as the big ugly elephant stuck in the middle of their towns.

But in reality? Our schools really would just love to work toward the positive...that little blue ribbon! Get rid of your programs, and let us get back to the business of working toward a standard that all children can and will achieve. Give us mucho bucks and incentives for winning that big blue sucker! And you know what? We'll rise to the occasion without all these ridiculously expensive initiatives that no one in their right mind would fund even IF they could. Just give the dog a bone, right Spot?! You knew it all along!

Spot: Tell everyone you know! Join us at NHS, 7 PM and wear blue! We're going for the blue in our hometown of Newtown. And...with or without the money, we'll just have to show them all!

What say ye, parents, friends and countrymen/women?

The Future of our Democracy: Education!

2010-04-20T18:23:00.000-07:00

Are you really spying on me, Spot? You have got to have more going on in your life than that. Really! It's vacation week.

I have been thinking about you too, though. And...I've been thinking a lot about the troubles in this world too. You see, I'm here in a place where people grumble a lot. And...they like to blame a lot on top of all that grumbling. I've heard it, sitting around the pool down here in this little vacation resort of mine.

Taxes? Well, the perception of these people down here, is that they have more taxation without representation. The truth? Have they looked at their tax bills? No. If they did, they'd see that the middle class is looking to make some gains for a change. The upper class...in the 250Ks are having a turn though. Guess that makes for grumbles.

A LOT of grumbling about the idea that not everybody needs to be pulled up by their bootstraps in our society. Hmmmm. Not everybody? Well, where do we draw the line? Good education will pull everyone up. Is that not a basic right of our society? And okay, healthcare. Do these people not know that they HAVE been paying for all the people that don't have insurance all along? These are the things that all the hidden costs are made of. The health insurance business is a very crafty machine.

Oh, Spot...I sit here and watch my Mets with great hope and worry too. But just like my Mets, the United States has a magic about it that always seems to find a way to rise above it all. The answer here is a large dose of EDUCATION to combat all this misinformation. I'll be racing home to you soon, Spot. I have a few more weeks to get you reading...and thinking and forging ahead. Your generation will change it all. But I hope I don't have to wait that long!

Sharpening their Pencils!

2010-04-12T14:01:00.000-07:00

Well, everyone, they're off to the races. It's all about who can outsharpen whom! Lots of people making lots of pointed remarks about kids and dollars, and all the ways they can be served if we just reign in that almighty dollar.

Meanwhile, back at the farm...I mean, school room, we have kids to educate. So, once again, they're getting ready to make cuts, and once again, I've allowed myself to get side-tracked. No one ever asks the teachers for their ideas, so why do I even allow myself to get so far off the beam and into that political arena. My town, it seems, has an endless array of boards with pockets hanging out all over the place. I just don't get why one side of the budget can take it all, and the schools can be left hanging. What, I ask you, brings in the best value for the property value in the long run? Well...it's certainly not the roads department. I give up.

Today, kids in the classroom were working on laptops, composing stories and collaborating to put them into power points to present them...just like the African gogo does. On the other side of the wall, kids were belting out Broadway, literally! They've made up songs to go along with their understanding of weather and how it affects our globe. Some of the funniest singing you'd ever want to hear, by the way. Gotta love that 12 year old boy falsetto. They didn't care! They were proud as punch of their new-found talents. So now? We'll have a little American Idol. Why not? Storytelling, songwriting, conceptual understanding...that is what education is all about. And that, my dear Spot...I can deliver--for a song!

Budget Chopping

2010-04-07T03:53:00.001-07:00

Today, I'm leaving you right out of the conversation, Spot. I can't deal with little ears, when the big pitchers are throwing around such ill-aimed fast balls. And that is just what they are. FAST BALLS with no aim toward the future. Just the almighty dollar in mind. Efficiency without foresight is a bust. Can't they see that?

Last night, our town's BOE threw around an idea. Well, certainly they have that right, that's what we hope they'll do. Toss around, brainstorm, come up with solutions. The bottom line is always the number of teaching positions. But really? That is the quick route to final disaster.

Protecting the classroom should always be the bottom line. The spotlight should be shined on all non-academic line items right from the start.

Our young students now have the luxury of going from kindergarten to fourth grade without a disruption. Those of us that have taught those years know how critical they are for not only the learning curve, but the social groundwork that will lead to their future.

We live in a town that is 63 square miles, one of the largest in the state of CT. It takes an eternity to move from one side of town to the other. When my kids were little, it often took up to 35 minutes to get to some of their friends' houses. I always thought they chose their friends according to where they lived and how much they could torture me!

But now? I think about these new ideas and I think about the poor moms that have to deal with a split...perhaps having a first, third and fifth grader in three different schools. Has anyone considered the transitional preparations that will have to occur to help kids and families adjust to the new people and places they'll face? And what about the disruption to the flow of instruction that is sure to follow? When little ones are in one school, feel secure in that place...why not leave it and let them learn? If it ain't broke to begin with, do we really need to shatter it all at one time?

Well, I am one tax-paying voice, and haven't found much success in making my ideas known. After all, I'm just a teacher, what would I know? When you talk about your budget at home, I'm sure you don't invite your kids to the table. Imagine that conversation, "Sorry...we have to cut Johnny's extra snacks, and no birthday parties for Sally this weekend." Or better still..."Even though Sally is invited to Greta's birthday party, we're going to redistrict that and send Sally to the same party as Johnny. That way, we can cut that extra present out, and Sally and Johnny will bring just one gift to one friend instead." You'd never want Sally and Johnny to have their say in that.

So...I guess everything is just as it should be. I'll sit home, expect the worst, and anything better than that will just make my day!

Hold on, Spot!

2010-04-06T18:39:00.000-07:00

My patience is strained this week, Spot...but I know it's only because I, like you, need a well-deserved rest. We've been going at it since January 2nd or so, and we've all reached our breaking point, that's for sure. The birds and the bees are all full of buzz, and the classroom walls just can't contain the energy that's bubbling up inside. Tomorrow, the weatherman assures us an incredible, blue sky 85 degree day.

Spring fever? Well, you betcha! So, it looks like we're just gonna have to readjust our day. My lesson plan book is stuffed full of objectives and game plans to finish off the curriculum for the year. May and June are busy months in school, with field trips and performances, ppts, 504s, and everything else that could possibly disrupt our flow. But you know what, Spot? I have to remember who you are...and what you are able to do, and if I can teach it to you while I toss a frisbee at your face, I just might be willing to make that work! After all, it really is all about you, Spot...and when the outside world comes calling, we'll have to be certain to answer that call.

Take 'Em by the Hand

2010-03-24T18:48:00.001-07:00

Well Spot, I had a strange opportunity to sit in on a conference for a student that I am only partially attached to academically speaking. I found myself thanking my lucky stars for my own upbringing, and for the fortitude I was given in order to stay the course in raising my own kids. (The situation and the student will obviously remain unnamed and somewhat changed in order to protect those involved, but truly this type of conversation comes up often...work vs. active parenting. What's the choice?)

After an hour of talking around the problems, I really wanted to cut to the chase. Instead I kept myself as quiet as I could, offering my opinions in a more limited way. Boy! That sure was hard for me! So, dear reader...here's the skinny on what was going on inside this head:

1. Raising kids IS hard! Those long nights awake, the diaper rash and the chronic teething are only the rehearsals for what gets even harder later on.

2. Yes...kids need someone to tell them they're wrong once in a while, so they can learn to fix it and make things right.

3. Kids need consequences to match actions/inaction.

4. Kids need forgiveness and a chance to grow into their adult shoes.

4. KIDS NEED LOVE AND ATTENTION, and not just when they're little.

Fourteen hour work days preclude the in-the-moment possibility of parenting. And an occasional Sunday afternoon really doesn't get the job done. In truth, the next time you look, that little boy/girl will be towering over you and waving good-bye. But! Kids are always willing to take us back in, even when we've gone down the wrong path for a very long time.

What I really want to tell them is to just go see The Blind Side. What a great movie! I had my doubts, but then I realized with great satisfaction that I had been empowered to parent because I was parented in a powerful way. The Blindside teaches a valuable lesson. Parents need to be present, tough and caring. They need to see their kids all the way through. No child should ever be the extension of a parent's dream. Kids are entitled to dreams of their own. But most important of all, parenting is never something that can be perfected. Parents are human and kids are too. (Parenting is the one job on earth where humility becomes a way of life!) In the end, it is true...love does conquer all!

What lessons have you learned in your adventures with children?

Happy St. Paddy's Day to the Perfect Pooch

2010-03-16T17:11:00.000-07:00

Spot, you are a mighty festive fellow! I know you can't wait for all the treats and goodies, the wonder of the day. It's St. Patrick's Day, a chance to sport your green (it's mandatory...don't mess with me on this one) and have a few good laughs along the way.

You see, Spot. My job is to educate you, and the district expects me to inspire you as well. To me? There's nothing more inspirational than a few good laughs, a little adventure, and a story or two along the way!

We've been studying African folktales...and you might wonder, Spot, how I'm gonna make that leap. But you see, Spot? Story is never really a leap at all! We are much more global than we think. Take for example, Anansi. Who can't love that little guy? He's often described as a rogue, a clever trickster and a thief. Anansi has moved from Africa to the Carribean Islands, and then right here to America as well. When the first African Americans set foot on our soil, we know they were stripped of their culture and their roots as well. Those roots ran deep, though...and story continued to grow. Anansi, the trickster and Brer Rabbit are practically kissing cousins.

So...when it comes to that tricky leprechaun, we needn't look far! The leprechaun was simply a two foot man, dressed like a cobbler. His attire, the hat, the leather apron and the buckled shoes come from his roots as a peasant in the hills of Ireland. And just like Anansi, you'd best not take your eye off him, Spot! He's a tricky little fellow. He'll make off with the gold before you can say...Irish soda bread!

Tomorrow, Spot? Come in with your brogue and your imagination too. We'll be speaking and writing the language of the fairies...and feeling a little magical too! (Now that my friend, is what inspiration is all about...a little laughter, a lot of fun and a few sparks flyin' in the air!)

Seeing is Believing

2010-03-09T18:38:00.000-08:00

Spot...here's one that'll make you laugh. Ralphie again. I know, he looks a little different when he's sitting up, all poofed and pampered. Well, Ralphie came in all wide awake and raring to go this Monday morning. I almost fainted! In fact, I took him over to Mr. N and introduced him as the new student! Here's why:

A) I think he grew six inches over the weekend (and now the sweatpants are 12 inches too short).

B) He was wide awake...I mean--first time ever (before 10:00) this year!

C) He was proud as punch in his brand new glasses, greeted me immediately...of course, fishing for the compliment, which I gladly lathered on.

All during the mastery tests, he was adjusting them and then looking my way and smiling! He couldn't get over himself!

Then today? Well...no glasses and back to his old sleepy-eyed self. Head down on desk, dejected again. "What's up, Ralphie," I asked. "Where are your glasses?" He shrugs his shoulders (hands in the sweatpants pockets, as usual), and says, "I don't know." Since he's totally chagrinned, I leave him to himself to regroup.

But! Today's READING Comprehension II...if ever there was a day to have the glasses (that I've been begging for since the beginning of the year), today was the day! I can't help but watch him with his head about an inch from the table reading each of the passages. Later on, after the tests are away, and the funk has lifted, he tells me he thinks they're at his grandmas house, but he's really not sure at all.

So Spot...hats off to tomorrow. We'll have to wait and see what it brings! Don't you forget your calculator, Spot...it's a "yes-yes" day! (Yes-calculator, and yes-rulers)

Annual Yearly Progress?

2010-03-01T19:32:00.000-08:00

SPOT! We've got an EMERGENCY! Call the office, and tell them there's a BREACH! We've got a D-A-O in Room 229. What? A down and out!

Ralphie came in today in his rather short little sweat pants, his Monday uniform, and his usual Monday mug on too. His eyes weren't even at half mast. They were completely closed! I think his mom must've opened the car door, pulled him out and pointed him in our direction.

We had to force him to his locker to find two number two pencils and an independent reading book too. When he came back, he didn't have that book, but he did have a plan. Ralphie was going to sleep for as long as he could get away with it. And today? Well, sorry there little fella...we are legally responsible to measure your annual yearly progress today! If you've got a pulse, you're here to be tested.

We started with jumping jacks, then we did a few twirls, shoulder rolls and squats. We soon found out that Ralphie can do all of that and more with his eyes closed. I was getting worried, Spot. But then? I put a booklet in front of him, and he picked up his old number two...and by golly, that boy was reading and bubbling and really, really serious about it. You see Robbie has a nose for that test! He knows his annual yearly progress. Later on, he put his head back down and dozed off again. But I didn't mind that at all. Mondays may not be Ralphie days. But when it comes to the CMTs, that boy can sure get it done!

High Stakes Testing-Off to the Races

2010-02-25T16:15:00.000-08:00

And they're off! Our district has a mission...we'll be third in our DRG, a comparable sampling of districts rated according to socioeconomic factors.

Lordy, what a goal. Sorry, Spot. I don't mean to be disrespectful, really.

And as always, I am one faithful teacher. I'll do everything I can to get you over the bar.

But testing is just so...ummm, uncreative! There, it's out! Yesterday, I wrote all about how we're getting charged up and disguising any disdain at all, to really get you guys that last teaspoonful of knowledge that you'll need to do well on these tests. The truth? In a real society, we'd be looking at all the kids across our borders to insure their success. I don't mean to go all moral or anything, but what about those kids in our city schools that'll be happy to have a warm meal and two parents at home? If we're going to lift ourselves up as a society will we EVER start to make a difference there?

You guys have it made, Spot! You've got the gold without even putting your names on the page. Just like I told you after we finished the practice tests this morning..."It's a no-sweatsky!" And me? Well, weren't you just so proud of me for getting all those sticky CMT labels on straight?

Here's the good news, buddy...no homework for you for at least two weeks! I'm not kidding. Homework...1) Never before vacation. 2) Never during CMTs, 3) Never when the Mets/Jets win a big game! So, Spot? You can now sit back and enjoy the ride!

March Madness-The Writing Prompt Demystified!

2010-02-24T13:40:00.000-08:00

I see that look on your face, Spot! Cranky dog, go away! You think I like these CMTs? My version of the CMTs would happen in one day...in fact, one morning would be just fine. But...the writing prompt? Now that's a whole 'nother story as they say. The CMTs are our Olympic challenge, and when it comes to writing, we're headed straight for the gold!

For the past two weeks, we've been in Spring Training..."Suit up, show up, and get 'er done!" Well, not so fast. Teachers out there? Listen up! Writing? I've got a whole new gig. My friend, Sara, has a boot camp. She wears Army fatigues and the whole nine yards. So...me being me, I have to spin it my own way. We have our own version of spring training...which happens (thanks Universe!) right at the same time the pitchers and catchers are taking the mound.

We begin every session with a little calisthenics, jumping jacks, pencil lifts, and even butt lifts too (not as bad as it sounds, honest!)...which go right into crab walks. You have to have a PLAN to get yourself back to your seat, and that for sure is true of writing too! Kids have to be ready to plan, execute and then work that writing muscle, pushing themselves to show off their stamina. And most importantly of all, they have to stay loose! Laughter is the best medicine in this case. You can't take it all so seriously, for crying out loud.

Getting Organized: It's All About the Plan!

I've shown the kids four different plans and they know them well in this short period. The "dog-nut," which is nothing more than a drawing of a doughnut, with three lines dividing it. The "block-head," is a blocked out version of the same thing, an outline, which sets up three ideas and finally the all purpose web. Kids have to be careful to manage that one well, so it doesn't get too leggy and out of hand. Webbed essays can sometimes turn out to be listy and have little or no fluent idea development at all.

What do you do when you're stuck? Being stuck is not allowed in this sport! Honestly, I tell kids to start with the list in that case. Settle on two or three words in the prompt that set up the main idea and play the suggestion game...ie.: "When I think of 'heroes,' I think of..." Write down every idea that comes to your mind, and as soon as you've got three strong ones, roll right into one of the four G.O.s (graphic organizers) listed above.

One other thing...I showed them my secret recipe today! (Don't tell!) When coming up with ideas? Well...topic 1) Define it and make it personal. "A hero is someone who...My dad fits that definition to a tee...(What do I personally know and can teach about this/connect. 2) Just the facts! Factual information. What can I teach within this topic? 3) Anecdote with a quote. Tell a small story/memoirish and include a quote. Dad says, "A bad day fishing is always better than any day spent at work."

More tomorrow: Writing Down the Details--the Almight Specifics!

My kids this year have a problem writing down the very clear specifics that must be peppered throughout their paragraphs in order to do well. And really, they have to have specifics in everything they write, otherwise none of us will really get too attached to their writing. A twenty-first century student will have writing in everything they do! They MUST be good at communicating their thoughts and ideas. Stay tuned for more tomorrow...the nitty gritty details are really where it's at. Not just any old piece of chocolate, it's the FROZEN MILKYWAYS that matter!

Suggestions, ideas...survival techniques? Teachers...we've got to stick together! Be sure to pass them on! And Spot? Okay...you can get up and move that butt! No crankin'! Move it!! We've got AYP to demonstrate here! If my salary ever gets tied to this, I may have to get out the wet noodle too! ;)

The Big Guy in Town

2010-02-18T13:24:00.000-08:00

I get it, Spot, I really do. Sometimes you just want to feel like the big guy on the block. You wanna muscle your way, in and let everybody know that you are large and in charge. You are one smart doggie, and you always will be. But...what you need is confidence. And so, believe it or not, does your friend, Ruiz the Rebel.

The other day, Ruiz came to visit me. He wanted to read a book that our librarian would call out of his zone. Listen up now, Spot. A lot of people get this confused and it's important for you to get into your zone! When kids read in their reading groups with teachers teaching, and stopping and discussing...that is called the INSTRUCTIONAL zone. Those books are usually, but not always, a little more of a stretch. Kind of like going out after dark...you always need an adult for that, right? The INDEPENDENT zone is a whole different story. You can read to your heart's content with no adult in sight. You can take the AR quiz, and you'll probably get a 90 or 100.

Well, your buddy, Ruiz is a rebel. He knows the zones, he knows his level...but he's a sneaky one! He comes to me every day to beef up his skills in our smaller reading class that's just the right fit for him. He's smart as can be, don't get me wrong...but he's just a bit under where he needs to be...because he's a rule-breaker. Can you believe it? Who would break the rules in school, anyway? When Ruiz takes a test, whether it's the small, in class types, or the mighty CMTs, he almost refuses to follow the recipe for success. So...he's deemed, 'cuspy.' Just on the cusp of doing great things.

Last week, once again, Ruiz had a book that was way out of his zone. He wanted it anyway. We stood out by the trophy case in the hallway, and he begged and pleaded...and I had to hold the line. Killed me, Spot. Who really wants to deny a kid a book? When I asked him why he was so set on that book, he couldn't tell me. He just wanted it. So...I told him, I'm gonna hold onto it for him. And I am. I also told him...for real, how smart he is. I gave him examples of how I see it in class, and how other teachers see it in the things he says and does. But I told him he needs to grow into this book, just like I sometimes have to do myself. If I don't read every day, my reading speed dips and I have to reorient myself in a book. He looked at me like I had six eyes. "Really?" he said. "Yup," I said. Even teachers have to practice what they preach.

Spot...Ruiz just wants to be the big guy on the block. He wants to feel like he's in control, and not the other way around. So, I made a pinky-swear pact with him right there in the hallway. If he reads every day in learning lab and for homework each night...and if he gets his 90's in three right-sized books, I'll read his coveted book with him...not coach him, but maybe talk about it a little bit. Ruiz walked away a happy puppy, Spot. He wrestled back a little control, but more importantly, he came to know we all know just how smart he really is. And we've known it all along!

*More on the pros and cons of Accelerated Reader in the weeks to come. Teachers, what do you think...AR? Worthwhile, or not? Opinions, as always, welcome here or on FB.

Redefining the Mission/Why I Love to Teach

2010-02-13T14:04:00.000-08:00

Well, Spot, here we go again. It's budget season, and the budgeteers have come again this year, scissors in hand. They want to cut the fat out of the school budget. When teachers get cut...they're making their incision right into the bone. Ouch! Sorry, Spot, but it's true. Then there's talk of "moth-balling" a school! I think about all the places in the world where they're just dying to build schools, and my hometown has one person who pops up with the brilliant idea that saving money is more important than the children and the educational programs that inhabit that school. I hope this idea doesn't catch on, shortsightedness, like mothballs, costs money too.

So, instead of going on and on, and getting all fired up on that topic, I've decided to shake off the budget blues and get back to basics, to redefine the mission in five short lessons. Two years ago, I went away to Charleston to become a certified trainer for a wonderful program called Time to Teach, a part of the Center for Teacher Effectiveness. I loved it, Spot. And ever since then...I haven't done one thing to market myself to be a trainer...mostly because I can't seem to get myself out from under to do it. But...I live the ideals of the program, and it works inside my classroom. I never have a day where the kids really get to me. They need time to learn and I need time to teach. We're in the groove.

Time to Teach makes the "Oldie, but Goodie Teacher" as well as the "Wet-Behind-the-Ears Teacher" do the same darn thing. Identify their ideals. The first question on the table is: why did you come into this profession anyway? You see, Spot, teaching is all about pacing and planning. You need to have the time to clear your brain and see the forest instead of those squirrelly trees in front of you.

Why did I come into teaching? I absolutely LOVE working with kids. It suits my personality, because I am still a kid at heart. AND...despite the fact that I did love my teachers all those long years ago, I was never a good fit for that model. I'm a right-brained creative type...linguistic. Hah! Love that part...because you and I both know, I sure can talk. But now? I'd rather just put my words on the page, and let the kids talk. I live for their stories. Time to Teach made me think...if I really love kids, then what the heck am I doing at the pulpit--I was redoing what was done to me, which distanced me from my kids. Next time, Spot, I'll tell you a little story about Ruiz the Rebel and the great conversation we had the other day. I'll also talk about my ideal school.

But for now, I'd like to hear from my teacher friends out there...either on Facebook, or on Teach Spot--why did you come into the field of teaching? And...why do you stay?

The Bennies of the Job

2010-02-05T17:41:00.000-08:00

Spot! You'll never guess who I saw tonight! Well...I went to Tambascio's, one of my favorite restaurants in town. Mr. L told me there's no cooking on my birthday. (Well inside my head, I was saying something very fresh like, no kidding. BUT! I practice what I preach. I was polite...and grateful!)

When we were in homeroom today, Eager Al was sharing about how he was planning on going to Tambascio's. So...when Mr. L wanted to go there? I thought it would be kind of fun. Eager Al, you remember him...smiles all the time, but gets that blank stare and kinda hyperventilates if you put him on the spot. Best kid in the world, though. As long as you don't ask him a thing!

Went into the restaurant...and didn't see him anywhere. I relaxed and ordered my dinner. No Spot...there are no left-overs for you! Jeesh. Well. That's when I spied Nohomework Harvey walking in the door. I gave him a little wave, but he didn't see me. I concentrated on what Mr. Lynch was saying, but I was also laughing inside my head at the funny conversation across the way. (More on that later.)

A moment later, Harv was standing at our table! And within seconds, Al was at his side! They were both smiling and standing there and the waiter was trying to get around them. And then, the owner was too. But! They...who never stop talking in the classroom, didn't know what to say to me in the outside world!! I felt like a rockstar. It was hysterical. We talked about what they were having for dinner, and what I was ordering, and then Mr. Lynched piped up with questions about the Super Bowl. After a few minutes, I told them I'd be sure to say good bye before I left.

At the table next to me, a very funny story was beginning to unfold. A table of four dinosauric types were seated there. From the moment they sat down, they were trying to outdo eachother. One was all proud of his sweater that had 1956 (1956!) knitted into it, and the other had a $10, green Dartmouth sweater (had a whole story to go with it...such a bargain!). Wife one had platinum hair implants and RED lipstick, but no lips, so it was...well, kind of messy. Wife two had a dyed reddish comb-over. Get the picture?

The waitress came to the table, and before she could even ask a question, the dinosaurs said, "We'll have separate checks!" I am not kidding you...they said it in complete unison! Then they ordered a carafe of wine, which that they wanted to split. The waitress reminded them that they wanted separate checks. They asked her how much it was, and then proceeded to tell her how she could divvy it up on the bill. The dinositas then ordered the clams casino appetizer... and yes, they were splitting those too!! So, Spot? I'm bringing in the menu and that will be Monday's math lesson for Mr. N.

Life sure gets complicated sometimes, Spot. I'm just wondering if Eager Al and NoHomework Harv will be sitting together haggling over the menu in their Dartmouth sweaters someday! And we of the 21st century teaching model will be the ones responsible for straightening them out. Perhaps it's not the math, but the social graces we should be focusing on now. What do you think, Spot?

Going to the Mattresses

2010-01-28T17:12:00.000-08:00

Okay, well I see her there, Spot. She's beautiful. And she just eeks of dignity. The turn of the head, the focus. Delilah the Dignified Dalmatian. Love her. I can see why you might be taken by her.

Here's the problem. There is no dignity in teaching anymore. Okay...okay, well, I know. I see you wagging your tail. Dignity is highly over-rated, right? Like not having to go out and beg the taxpayer to actually pay for the meat and potatoes (And I heartily consider music and art an essential part of the main course!) as opposed to the a la carte items at school?

It's budget time again...and I know you know that, because this year, for the first time in all my teaching years (no, I'm not telling you how many!), students know about it. They're talking about it, in fact they've even spoken to the principal about it. What?! Do they not have parent/spokespeople/advocates?

And now, we're asked to jump into the ring. It's drama all over again. I know the times are hard. I do get that. I have friends and family whose jobs are tenuously tipping in the wrong direction. But I've also seen a few get jobs recently, and that gives me a little hope. But the thing that is bugging me at this very moment is the distraction of it all. I would just like to teach...and count on the fact that others have the best academic interests of our kids at heart.

There's talk of two PE teachers being cut, a music teacher, an art teacher and my dear friend, the librarian's assistant losing her job. Well, let me tell you a little pinky swear secret story about her, Spot. She's really a living, breathing librarian herself...but on the cheap! The taxpayers got her for a steal, and they don't even know or care.

Today, I went into the library with Rhonda the Resistant (reader, that is). It was my lunchtime, but I was determined to get this kid into a just-right book. So...I catch the eye of my friend, aka Librarian-on-the-Cheap, and she and I double team that Rhonda. After looking at rounds and rounds of books and giving her all kinds of suggestions, Rhonda finally found a book to take home on this snowy, early dismissal day. So tonight? Rhonda is doing the one thing that will really add up to success in her life...she's home reading her just-right book. And my good friend's probably sitting at home too. But you know what, Spot? If someone that valuable loses her job? Everybody loses.

There is no dignity and it's not pretty when a teacher goes "to the mattresses" for the things that matter most in schools. But times have changed, and I guess that image of dignity has got to go along with it all. I will go to the mattress if I have to here. So watch out, Spot. And say hi to Delilah for me. And don't forget to behave. Beware: I may not have my dignity, but I still do have those eyes in the back of my head! ;)

A Call for Heroes--A Note to All Teachers!

2010-01-19T19:13:00.000-08:00

Isn't he the best? I'm referring to this cute little beast to the left, of course. So sweet, so proud. Well, there are many, many heroes in this world, Spot. And most of the time? We hear about the horrors instead. The news media loves to feast on the foibles of mankind.

But right now in the small island nation of Haiti, people are scurrying to help people to reclaim even the smallest bit of comfort in light of the awful earthquake there. I heard a story about a little girl, Spot...her name was Daphne. Daphne had broken her arm and all eleven members of her family are now dead. This very kind man whose family was all found safe went to stay with Daphne, to sit with her and to give her a moment of comfort.

The reason I bring this up, Spot, is because my friend John Farell...you know him, right? He came to school today to sing and tell stories about all the wonderful people on our planet. John makes music all over the world. And he's headed up the Bridges of Peace and Hope non-profit organization that our class is a part of. Right now, BOPH is looking for people in our world who are heroes. These are the sometimes 'unsung heroes', like Dr. Ann Hines, who spent 30 years in a small free clinic in Danbury. Dr. Hines is retired now...but she will remain a hero because she gave of herself without looking for money or the spotlight like so many people do.

A little note to the teacher friends out there: If you or your students have witnessed anyone that fits this category. Contact John at his Bridges of Peace and Hope website, or simply leave a comment below! The more heroes we can find, the merrier. We will then award just one this year...the prestigious Bridges of Peace and Hope Heroes Award. But hurrry! We need to know by February 15th!

Scoring for Dummies

2010-01-16T17:38:00.001-08:00

I know you came to school looking for me on Friday, Spot. I really, really (well...fingers crossed a little bit here in truth) didn't want to be out of the classroom. I had one of those mandatory professional development days. My professional undevelopment must've been showing.

Seriously, us big doggies were re-learning the way we used to score all your writing about ten years ago...holistically. Then for a very dark, dark time...we went into the analytical rubric phase. If I showed you all those boxes we had to check off? You'd probably have to go to the nurse. I always left school with major headache on scoring days. At one point, we had to COUNT the number of actual details in a prompt. If you didn't scratch out 40-60 significant words or phrases, sorry Spot. (Above standard was 90!) You were not meeting standard. When I moved up to sixth grade and saw that, I almost turned and walked away.

What writer counts his or her details in a forty-five minute writing experience? Isn't the point of writing to communicate a few well-crafted ideas to a reader? Where and how could creativity enter the mind in this kind of brain-numbing activity. I took every opportunity I could to raise that issue. Fluent writing requires an undisturbed quiet mind. If my brain is screaming "details", "anecdotes/quotes", "golden bricks", or any of the other tricks of the teaching trade, I'm not writing and neither are you. I am a dog on a leash, getting tugged at every corner. Sorry for the analogy, Spot...but it might even be a shock collar.

Now I'm much happier. I think that we might just be walking away from the era of the tight-minded rubric. We'll look at idea development and execution. Which is really how all writing is viewed in this 21st century world. Less is more when it comes to critique. And in the end, Spot? If the rubric drives the teaching...it's all about simplifying, so teachers and kids can see it as a doable thing. I'll see you on Tuesday, Spot. Hooray for those three day weekends! Get out there and wag that tail!

Accelerated Radar

2009-12-03T15:10:00.000-08:00

Well, we'll just call him 'Radar', Spot! He arrives late, tries to sneak out to go to the BR or the nurse, and he never, ever has his homework...that's when he generally tries to bail. And how do you come to reading and not have your book? It's just plain maddening, Spot. But your buddy, Radar is a charmer, first class.

To some, my reading students are known as the 'goal-huggers', I don't know. I never can see a kids as a number. But many of my kids just can't seem to get themselves over the hump numberwise. Radar loves to read, but isn't great at putting a pencil to the page and writing about reading. He picks the hardest books and only half finishes them. And he's a w-i-d-e writer...spreads his words way out--about three or four words to a line. He sure can fill up a lot of lines. Trouble is--those lines are filled with nothing. He's the sixth grade verson of Seinfeld--writing all about

n-o-t-h-i-n-g.

He wanted in the worst way to read The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. He caught me reading it. So now? We're working up to it. But Radar? He's not living up to his part of the bargain. So, he knows I've got my eye on him. Today he picked out a Margaret Haddix book, Among the Hidden. (You just gotta love the irony!) We divied up the pages, and set a few goals. And next week--it's on to the journal! No mercy, Mr. Radar...you are on my radar now!

Beware of the Dog!

2009-11-20T16:58:00.000-08:00

Conferences. Well, Spot, we made it through another set of 48, minus a few. It's been quite the week for chatting. Early dismissal days, power teaching...twenty-three minutes of what's-the-point-periods, if you know what I mean. I can't say that to the other pups, I just get so frustrated by the constant array of interruptions/seams in the process of learning. When I'm fired-up to teach...I just want to keep going. But...

Accountability and communication is where it's at. I know that, Spot. Your mama and your papa too, just wanna keep themselves in the loop! We have interim reports, AR reports, conferences too...and report cards. THEN we can teach--well, no! Then, we'll be staring at the holidays, and we all know what happens to those puppy brains then.

We had a great conference yesterday, with your friend, Peaceful Petie's parents. What a great doggie! He's not perfect, but he works hard and looks out for other doggies in our cluster. He's got that little spiky thing going on with his hair, and he pays attention all the time, Spot...not like you, that's for sure. (Just kidding!) But Petie...gosh darn it! He sure knows how to earn it. And you know what? Now I get why.

Petie's parents don't push him. They honor him. They encourage him...and they set the greatest priorities for him. They actually said the word CHARACTER and they weren't being corny. They said grades are secondary, character-building comes first. Kindness and caring are their family's primary value. And when we were done chatting, Spot? They jumped up and thanked us...and then thanked us again. When we got to the door...yup, one more thanks for the road. And today...when I looked at Petie? I was thankful to them! Fired me up all over again! Well, Spot! You may have the weekend off, but watch out on Monday...we'll have those sweet fifty minute periods back for two whole days! You're all mine!

A Taste of Reading in Grade Six

2009-11-09T18:07:00.000-08:00

Caught ya today, Spot.

Yup, YOU: the guy that came into my room kicking and screaming...saying all kinds of stuff like, "I don't like school." Or, "I don't like reading. And YOU can't make me!"

Well, you didn't say it--out loud, but I heard it.

Here's how it happened, Spot. And this is what I LOVE about teaching, honestly! It all started with that interview, you know when I asked you how much you read each day and you flashed that little silent circle...zero! Well, no wonder you hated reading! You didn't have a plan, you didn't have a time and no one was keeping an eye on you. And then it started to happen...you started reading each day, writing it down and next you started to speak up too! I mean, bark it up really, in class each day. All the other pups' heads whipped around! They'd never heard your voice before! And you know what? What came out of your mouth was so darn smart...you even surprised yourself! And now, Spot?

I've seen you...you've even started reading books just for fun...that aren't assigned. All you needed all along was a boost, a little confidence and the taste of a good book! I'm proud of you Spot! Darn proud!

When the Teacher Takes a Seat

2009-11-02T17:46:00.000-08:00

Hard to imagine, Spot, but I am one wiggily woman. Sit still?

Not me. You know my M.O., right? Move and manage. Keep everybody thinking, large and in charge. Yup. I am a little teeny bit of a control freak.

Well, tomorrow it's my turn to put my proverbial butt in the chair. (Sorry, that was probably not a very professional word, right?) We've lost all our inservice days, so this is it!

And you know what, Spot...it makes me want to run out and redesign the whole set-up. Sit? Well...nobody sits anymore. We're all active and interactive. We're on the net, reading a little, moving a lot and discussing everything under the sun. We like to compare and contrast, understand our work in the light of what others are doing. Make real-life connections and then come back and share our findings. That's 21st century learning!

But guess what, Spot? I'll bet my eyeball that's not going to be how it's done. We'll sit in our chairs and listen, fight for focus and try our hardest to take something away that we can use in our classrooms the next day. Learning needs to be immediate and useful. One thing's for sure, I'll miss you tomorrow, Spot. Can you just climb a tree, read a book and sleep a little later than usual for me? (I just might be the one with the head on my desk at school!)

Pulling It Out of Thin Air

2009-10-31T17:54:00.000-07:00

You must be kidding, they say. Seriously. "Me...write?" I have no idea where to start. No idea.

Well, that was then, Spot. That's where we started. Happens every year. That's why we spend the first six weeks of school focusing on the many ways to pull an idea out of thin air. Most kids think that the ability to write well is some sort of mysterious gift. My hope is to teach them otherwise. It's a game of practice and endurance...and I am the personal trainer. There's no mercy, Spot, we take no prisoners.

And now...we've just finished our Memoir Unit, Spot. I have a huge stack of papers to read and make comments on. And you know what, Spot? I'm actually eager to see what you guys have come up with this year. Kids have not only settled on an idea and crafted it, but they've learned to "step away from the text" and hear the comments of others hearing their story out in the world for the first time. We randomly fishbowl-conferenced and the audience was able to tell the author what three ideas they walked away with after the reading! We even had 'personal connections,' Spot! And that is...in truth, the best way to compliment the author.

Here are a few of the mini-lessons we covered along the way: Word Puddles, Writing off a List,

Right in My Own Backyard, The Places to Love, Cherries...and the Pits, Mind Your Mentor, The Heart's Tug/Playing up the Hot-Spots, the Look Back Factor and many, many more! Many people tell me kids can't write these days. That notion is so unfair. People think texting, Twitter and Facebook are wrecking their writing. But you know what, Spot? This is so untrue! Learning to make your ideas clear in 140 characters is no easy task. It connects kids to an instantaneous audience! But in order to make lifelong writers out of kids, we need to give them more time in school to work at it. A good idea takes a long time and a lot of hard work to spin!

Eager Al

2009-10-09T14:12:00.000-07:00

Okay, so here he is, Eager Al. I'm listening as hard as I can, honest. My eyes are going to bulge out...I'm listening so hard! Can't you see me? Can't you hear me? Oh, yeah Spot...I see him, and I hear him. He's bouncing out of his seat. (And by the way, I do love him!)

He's one of my most enthusiastic students! Eyes on me...no 1-2-3 needed! His eyes are always on me. BUT! Those eyes and that brain can't be connected, I think. Not that this little doggie isn't smart. No! He's a smart little cookie. But he's working too hard to hear the whole thing, wrap his head around it...and then get what he needs to do something about it. Two seconds after I've given directions, he asks me this question, "What are we supposed to do?" OR with the homework board in plain sight, he says, "What's the homework?"

For you new teachers out there, here's the important response to this situation: STEP AWAY FROM THE STUDENT! Take a deep breath, and smile. (Not that sarcastic kind of smile either.) Eager Al is a Nervous Nellie. He wants in his worst way to get everything right. He's a worrier with a capital W! But he's the WORST kind of worrier, because he has a shut-off valve right in the front of the brain. If it looks or smells like directions, Spot...I swear, his brain goes right into sleep mode. You don't even know it! So...we're working on this right now. Breaking down the task, small steps, proximal seating, restating the directions...you know all the RtI lingo. We used it in special education for years, and now it's moved to a theater near us.

Here's what keeps me coming back, though. Eager Al says to me just this week, "Hey, Mrs. Lynch...you know those Pen Pals in Africa?" I say, "Yup, I sure do." I hold my breath thinking about whether he'd turned in his letter, which he did. I look over at him and he's smiling the broadest smile I've seen all year, and he says,"I'm really going to make this a friendship that will last." Makes me smile just to think about it. (Now follow my friend John's blog...so you can see where are letters are traveling to: http://bridgesofpeaceandhope.blogspot.com/)

The Ideal School

2009-10-03T19:06:00.000-07:00

Wading through the newspaper one night, I came across a back article on The Ideal School, an integrated school started by two moms of children with Downs Syndrome in NYC. They built their enterprise on the proposition that class size mattered and that 25% of their students would have some sort of disability.

Their class size: 16. Ah, intimacy. A chance to be heard and responded to. Differentiated Instruction? Well, of course. The key to anything done well in education is about getting to know your students WELL! If I have the time to hear what's going on inside my kids' heads and to witness the ins and outs of their writing, listening, reading and speaking, I'm sure to hit a home run every darn year.

But, Spot? The doggies out there, just don't want to share their money with the schools and the kids inside them. It's a tough thing to think about. But every time money and education come up in a discussion, money will win every time! Sorry Spot, until they care...deeply, all of our schools are in jeopardy! We need more teachers and more classrooms filled with less students. Think about the impact we could make on those city classrooms if we could take them from 30+ students to just 16?

I just got a new and wonderful student today. She became doggie #24, and she was my priority. But it's going to be a while before I'm able to get to know her really well...and that is just a simple division problem, Spot. There's one of me, and 24 of you...and only a little under 7 hours in a day. Can you do the math and get back to me? I'll be looking forward to it!

The Day the Teacher Ate the Intern

2009-09-25T14:38:00.000-07:00

Well, I didn't mean to, honest, Spot! He was just a little bit wet behind the ears, I get that. You know, it's that pardon-the-expression-peach fuzz look that kinda does it to a girl. Here we are, early September, and we're just getting that pack of poochies under control. When...

In comes the intern. Well, it was a very under-confident walk, and that made me nervous. I like the large and in-charge kind of look. Deer-in-the-headlights is what you get sometimes. That's okay. I get it. I was once there. So I went off to my meeting and left Mr. Intern in charge.

When I got back, everything but bottle-launching was going on! I may have lost it, but only a little. After all, you guys knew what you were supposed to do. But what happened next, really put me over the top. "She's a perky one," he said laughing and pointing to a girl in the back of the room. "How do you control her?" Ummmm. Where do I begin? "I look her in the eye, tell her to get back to work, and usually that's that. Period." He looked at me and smiles.

He kinda hung around, so I said, "Bye!" It was a nice voice, really. I turned back to the troops and said, "Okay, pencils down, eyes on me." Anybody who knows me knows I'm not a mean teacher, Spot, right? But, boy am I direct. We have business to do. This is not touchy-feely hour...we need outcomes and inspiration here! After a while, everyone settled back in and brains were back to their normal buzz. I love that buzz. There was talking and chatting, but it was all very appropriate and all very connected to our writing work.

But! Forty-five minutes later, Mr. Intern (aka Mr. Glutton) returned again. "I wanna know what you meant before," he said. This time, I looked him straight in the eye, "You have to say it, mean it, and own it! There's no tip-toeing around here! Today? They became the Alphas...and you, well...you just got a little chewed up, that's all." I patted him on the back, and told him to just keep coming. And later, when everyone was long gone and I turned out the lights, I walked through that doorway and realized something.

It is really in the comings and goings that we get better at teaching, Spot. Looking back and having the courage to return to the scene of the crime, like Mr. Intern did, is the true name of the game. It's the what's up of teaching...what went wrong and how to fix it that really makes the job so very, very satisfying in the end.

Roll of Doggie, Hear My Voice

2009-09-23T14:27:00.000-07:00

Governor Patterson says, "I didn't sign up for this." Well, excuse moi? Did anybody? I hate when leadership goes sour like that.

For me, everything relates back to the classroom. There are places where democracy reigns, and then there are places where there's a bottom line...well, most of the time. Seems everyone's got an opinion on everything these days.

In the classroom recently, the poochies have had a bit of a complaint regarding how they're being herded from table to table in the cafeteria. Petitions were being circulated, and the pups were downright 'fired-up!' They even wanted me to sign the petition. Wait. Halt! I told them if they had an opinion on a subject or cared to challenge a rule or initiative, they needed to follow proper procedure. And man, they were on that procedure, voicing their concerns to their student council rep until that poor doggie came to me. He had that Governor Patterson look on his face and was all ready with the I-didn't-sign-up-for-this thingy. I looked him straight in the eye and shook his hand, "Comes with the turf," I said.

Now, I'll be responsible to the astro-turf, the greater powers of these doggies on the outside world, their parents. Because even when we think the buck stops elsewhere, in the classroom, it only comes back to one place. They say it runs downhill too. I didn't sign up for that, I signed up for the academic part--but as with everything in life, if you don't quiet the voices in front of you, they'll wake you up in the middle of the night. So, Gov...just deal with it, there's no whining and no way out here for anyone!

Listen Up!

2009-09-17T18:55:00.000-07:00

Okay, Spot, here we go again. Remember Junie...you know, from last year? Charmed me all the way. She'd come in all 'What's happenin', Mrs. Lynch,' telling me all about her trips to church and stuff over the weekend. And now? I've got her male replacement! Her voice was going in my head for 183 days 24/7 last year.

Now...there's Jeeves...well, something like that. Comes in all ready to run to put that nose of his in his book, fixated to the point of tears on his snack every day (the snack he can never, ever seem to find). In the middle of class today, he has no homework for the second time this week.

Do I push it and face the melt down, Spot...or do I back-off and expect the same all year? Well, you know what I did...I pushed it, of course. And the meltdown? Well, I focused on what the Wellness Committee told me to do...I took a long, deep cleansing breath. And walked away. I went on with the lesson...and that stinker, Jeeves? He took out his pencil and proceeded to try to sneak a completion of that assignment in whilst I taught. He thought the homework alert would NOT go home. WRONG! There's no beating the homework police. EVER.

Red Alert! Teacher on Overload!

2009-08-31T16:46:00.000-07:00

Oh, Spot! You have no idea what awaits you when you return to the classroom on Wednesday! I have one hundred eighty days to teach you all sorts of things, but you know what ranks highest on the priority list?

You guessed it: Swine Flu! (Didn't we just end the school year talking about this?)

The teachers had their "big talk"/convocation today, and you know...the big story was how to wash those paws of yours! For example, when you lick those paws, do you slide your tongue in between your toes? Do you rub them side to side for a full five minutes? Do you dry them properly on the pre-approved towels? Well, I hope you do...because those swine/H1N1 2009 Fall Flu germs can last from anywhere between two to eight hours! So...that was my inspiration for today. It's gonna get me lickin' and scratchin' and watchin' you for the first signs of any malady whatsoever.

Here are some of the other topics discussed on your behalf today: global awareness, twenty-first century skills, strategic learning, differentiated instruction, positive behavioral systems, teaching core values, how to handle birthdays, how not to handle birthdays, approved snacks, how we're already behind China, but India is right there too, changes in technology that we have to plan for but don't know anything about yet, and changes in how children are raised that we're planning for but don't know anything about yet too. If that wasn't enough, we were able to come back and learn about power schools, global curriculum changes that we probably won't have time to teach and scheduling so that all learners can and will learn well...pretty darn well, we hope! I'm a little confused, Spot, if you can't already tell. But I will have it all together come Wednesday. And you know what, Spot? I will not do to you what was done to me today...because even though everyone was very well-intended and polite, they fried my brain on the very first day! We're gonna move a little more slowly there pup, so don't you worry. SCHOOL IS FUN...and we're gonna have a great time this year!

In Your Face!

2009-08-20T14:11:00.000-07:00

Okay, Spot...it's coming, there's no denying that. I am starting to get the nervous-nelly-nightmares, my mind is starting to imagine myself crammed into the classroom with all twenty-four of you.

And today? Well...while you were out jumping in the pool, chasing a toad, and skipping around the neighborhood (doubt that, it was 100 degrees in the shade!), I was in school setting up the classroom.

And guess what! Promise not to tell?

I was excited!! I felt like that little kid that used to play school in the barn across the street. I pulled out the pencils, plastered a few posters up and spruced up the display case outside our room! Am I crazy? Well, of course.

I'm good to go until the masses make their way down the hall and the rumbling feet start to sound on the stairways. It's THEN that I really get the nervous-nellies...cuz then? Then I have to do something with all of you to prevent mass anarchy!!

So, get out there and buy all those shiny new school supplies! And hurry-up and finish your summer book (You ARE reading, right?). And I'll see you front and center in just 13 more days. (AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!) I'll have had a nightmare or two at LEAST before then, I'm sure!

Close Encounters of a Sixth Grade Kind

2009-07-23T16:08:00.000-07:00

Okay Spot, I know...it's R & R time. I'm supposed to be completely immersed in my book while sipping on lemon water and thinking about a dip in the ocean. But...then I spy a couple of elevenish/twelvish kids on the beach having a great time with a couple of skim boards along the edge of the surf.

I spot a couple of others digging a pit in the sand. Later, another pair is racing up the dunes toward the icecream man. Clearly, they are lost in the sun and the surf. They've shed the spoils of a school year long gone.

But...I catch myself thinking about the new pups headed my way this fall. And you know, Spot? I even got a little bit goose-bumpy thinking about it! But then...I shake my head side to side real quick--you know the way you do when you're trying to cast a nasty song out of your head? I do this because 1) it's way TOO EARLY. 2) It'll start up my pre-school year night terrors, and 3) I'll be spinning ideas/plans in my head all summer long! (And that's worse than the night terrors!)

So Spot, I bounced up, dropped my book and threw myself in the ocean. The tide was coming back in off the sand bar, so I had quite a workout getting out to the biggest waves. I stood on my tippy toes, jumped the waves and waited. When my dream wave formed, I was ready to ride it all the way to the shore. I paddled hard and rode that bugger all the way in...at the last minute colliding with a boogie board...and a little guy--just about the size of my soon-to-be new sixth graders. He bonked me on the head, but I didn't care. We both rolled up on shore and laughed. "Sorry," he said. "Don't worry about it," I said. I just shook it off and chalked it up. It was a close one...but I'm off the hook and I know that. Summer rules! And for now, I'm staying right where my feet are...planted firmly on a sandy shore! (But Spot? That new pup sure was a cutie pie...so in that, there's hope!)

One Happy Puppy

2009-07-05T14:37:00.000-07:00

Okay, well...Spot, I'm right there witcha! Lovin' this summer mode. In fact, I'm just really getting there at this point--in my groove, caught up on sleep and livin' without a schedule! I try not to walk around smilin', but you know what, buddy? I just can't seem to stop myself!

Here are the ten top things to love about summer:

1. No papers to correct.

2. No papers to correct!!!!

3. I can sleep till whatever time I want!

4. I can sit in a chair and read a whole book...start to finish!

5. I don't have to plan for anyone else...well maybe dinner, but that's all!

6. I can wear the same pair of shorts for days and not even think about tomorrow's outfit!

(Less laundry!)

7. I can go hours without telling anybody what to do...Mr. Lynch acts up once in a while, just to make sure I stay in practice!

8. I live in the adult world...but I don't have to act my age.

9. I can spend an entire day listening to the birds and staring at the clouds, hanging out in the outside world.

10. I look around all the time, and realize just how lucky I am!

And...an unofficial addition--just because I'm not supposed to be thinking about all you guys at school, doesn't mean that I don't--I can laugh out loud sometimes at all the funny things that happened this past year, and nobody thinks I'm crazy. In fact, I have the job that keeps on giving...I see you guys sometimes at stores and church, and I just feel darn proud of the time we spent together.

I miss you Spot. Don't you think for one moment that I've forgotten you! But I'm loving this summer furlough!! And to all the people out there who are jealous of us teachers--I promise

I won't say "nana-nana-boo-boo!"...except of course to the Sarge, my old school secretary who is merciless about how EASY us teachers have it! We put our time in...listenin' to all your barking, watching you wiggle all over the place and correcting...correcting, oh my gosh, for HOURS and full weekends at a time! So, do we deserve this? Well, you betcha! ;) (And now let's just hope that girl takes a permanent vacation!)

More...Dream Principal

2009-06-30T08:47:00.000-07:00

Okay, here I go, off to shop for the dream principal. I love my marching orders from all my friends at school:

1. He/she must...#1 GET IT: And by that we all know what they mean. They must understand the demands of the classroom in real-time, no BS theoretical stuff either. Usually the longer someone is out of the classroom, the easier it is to forget. NOT my last principal, and that's why we loved her.

2. He/she must...GET AROUND: Be visible. We DO wanna see you, and we want the kids to know you. It's hard to get them, unless you live in their midst. We want hands-on. Don't pass it off to us. We're in it together.

3. He/she must...Be kind, be an all-around leader--but know how to GET TOUGH, to hold a hard line as a professional in today's world. The lines have become so blurred. We need an advocate...a teacher/leader and someone who GETS IT in the parent world, the kid world and the teacher world too.

Anything you wanna add, Spot? I know, I'm eager too! We all want a good princiPAL. It won't be long now.

When the Teacher Gets the Flu/I'm No Swine!

2009-06-23T10:42:00.000-07:00

Okay, well...who'da thunk it, Spot? The teacher gets the flu and they have to close the whole school. Well, no Spot, that's not why they're cutting off your year book signing, awards ceremony and all that end-of-the-year hoopla, silly. I don't want you blaming me for one more darn thing, there fella!

But boy, some of you guys (and girls) could've thought a little more about all this with all your advil-sneaking-coughing-all-over-the-rest-of-us behavior. You can't have a temperature and come to school on the same day, no matter what you do. Even if Tylenol lowers it. We're just one, big germ pool out there! Did you know I've been washing desks after school for three weeks now?

And no, we're not sure I have the Swine Flu. The doctor said no more testing to figure out which is which. The old-fashioned rock 'em, sock 'em flu is out there too, and he says it's worse this year than the swine. Oh, I know, the kids are having a good old time out there, Spot...I mean, Oink. But lasso 'em back in there, buddy...we gotta celebrate all the very cool things we did this year, but most of all Spot--we gotta savor our time together! It's almost day 183, let's have a good old time together! (If you have a fever...stay HOME!)

Did Somebody Say Kickball?

2009-06-04T18:14:00.000-07:00

Well, Spot, you've been a great little puppy this year! You really have! We've just about covered everything in the sixth grade play book. After a year of trying to pin you down and get you to stay on task with your buddies, you snapped into place and got your work done in 30 minutes flat this afternoon! Could it be I've finally found the magic words?

"I just might be thinking about adding a 20 minute kick ball game to our day."

ADD? ADHD? I think not! Why didn't I think of this sooner!! It's the oldest trick in the book--bribery! It doesn't take the promise of a new gadget, a video game, or even a trip to the ice cream shop! A twenty minute kickball game. It's just good for the soul!

Ready, Set, Go!

2009-05-14T19:11:00.000-07:00

Okay, Spot, you little smoochy, cutie-pie! I know, I know. That red leash is way too tight. Tell your mama to loosen up a bit. You are a big boy!! In fact, you, my friend, are a "tween-ager!"

Tonight all the Mamas and the Papas came for Intermediate School Orientation Night. Sometimes...they are so nervous, they can barely sit in their chair. All the big shots at school talk at them, but they're not listening. You know what the Mamas and the Papas do? They stare at us...the teachers! They are one big checkin'-out-the-teachers-2-C-if-we-gonna-take-care-o'-their-babies group!! I don't blame them. I'd wanna get a feel for the people that are really gonna be on the frontline with my kids too!

We have to tell them, though...they've gotta lighten-up a bit. No hovering, no over-controlling. We really do know what we're doing in that school up on the hill. The intermediate model is a great thing for you, Spot! We ease you off the leash, but we keep our eyes on you too. You get to become a social being. I like parents to stay in touch, though. You are not off the hook, Spotty boy. Parents should never, ever stop watching, talking and snuggling you...because we want you to do well in this world. So Spot, you are growing up--but tweens always need the big people in their life to be a part of their life. Congrats, there little Spot...you are movin' on up!

Oh...and if anyone remembers Junie------she was the tour guide from heaven, leading those Mamas and Papas too, on the tour of their life! She kept them on a quite the tight leash.

A New Principal?

2009-05-05T16:51:00.000-07:00

Okay, Spot...I know, I'm upset too. Good old, Mrs. Principal-from-Heaven is retiring. But, relax Spot! I'm going online tonight to find the DREAM Principal!

Here's my criteria...are you ready? I know, you want more time out on the playground to run around, cause chaos, mark your turf and all that rot. Well, forget that. We're in the business of learning here. And you? You're already far behind. In fact we're tracking your progress (or lack there0f), keeping data, discussing your data in our data-teams and oh yes, making changes in your program every time you move up one tenth of a percentage point. That's fidelity! (No, it's not a stereo unit!)

My criteria: The DREAM PRINCIPAL will let me TEACH. That's it. Give me feedback. Ask me to reflect on my teaching. I don't care about that. But start getting me pulled out to identify this and manage that and create a new gameplan to solve every individual problem in the world? Go away...those are the nightmare principals that need not apply. The dream principal understands the complexities of the job, and he/she is just around the corner on Craig's List, I'm sure! So, adios Spot! And a Happy Cinco de Mayo to you!

Classroom Rigor-Just Another Day in the Trenches

2009-05-01T14:47:00.000-07:00

As always in education, there are buzz words...and then there are BUZZ words! Academic rigor has been around for a while now, so I thought I'd gnaw on that for a while. I'm to be observed this week for ten minutes with the bulk of the administration walking through the building, entering and exiting my sixth grade classroom in groups of four for ten minutes at a clip. Sounds like the stuff of nightmares, right? I don't mind. (Although that may change after the fact!) When they're done, they reconstruct the lessons they've seen around the building. Boy, would I love that job! Imagine the mosaic: math, science, social studies (me), band and technology.

Their number one coveted item: Rigor...with differentiation and engagement not far behind. I figure I'll give it a shot before the effects of the budget cuts when class sizes could soar to 28 or so.

So here's the plan: Kids will read and attempt to interpret (using all they've learned about China up to this point) the quality of life in China today, based on their own lives here of course. Using a variety of leveled readings and a previously viewed video (no...I'm not that nervy!), they'll compile a gallery related to topics such as everyday life, modern improvements, the environment, education...and China's place in the world today. What my kids want to know most about China today is the One Child Policy, a topic that is a bit R rated for my very naive students, and a bit risky to handle under these circumstances. We'll gnaw on that one another day.

Rigor to me is a deep desire to dig into the deepest and darkest recesses of a topic. No matter how challenging, kids will push forward. I know from our classroom work last week...laptops in tow, that this group of kids will rigorously follow a trail of websites to find meaningful information on their individually selected China topics. Often the problem in teaching with texts, though, is that the material has no portal, no way to drop down into that rabbit hole and tumble until you find the pay-dirt you're looking for! Isn't it about time we provide a laptop per kid in every school and skip these archaic texts for learning? Or perhaps Kindle could help us out...iPhones? Well, now that's a risk!

Arne Duncan talks about schools failing...scary that he uses that kind of sweeping rhetoric. Many more kids are going to college than ever before. Some schools are failing--most schools are struggling to survive in a world that is predominantly digital with only a few paltry laptop carts passed around once/twice a year. Schools need modern-day resources, but that's a discussion for another day.

I'll find the varied type of reading I'm looking for. I'll use my Mimio to demonstrate mark-ups on the screen. I'll move my kids around and then shuffle them back together just like I always do. And the hope-is that it'll all work out in the end. The 'seasoned crew' is covering this visit. Certainly none of our newer, pink-slipped partners would ever dare take the hit!

Autism Speaks...Shouts, and Attracts Attention

2009-04-22T18:25:00.000-07:00

Another tribute to the world of autism today. I can't resist. I was in Borders eavesdropping...and just getting such a kick out of it. A twenty-somethin young man and his caretaker...55 or so, were perusing the sale rack of cds right next to the stationery aisle. Young guy says to old guy, "What's this?"

Old guys says, "Music from West Side Story, a great broadway show--a play."

Young guy responds, "I like plays, right?"

"Yes, you like plays..." He goes on to recount the virtues of the music of West Side Story, the dance, the characters, etc.

The young guy is clearly on his own wavelength, picking up the very next cd, and saying, "What's this?" Old guy goes on to explain the whole saga of the Lion King, chapter and verse.

Then, the young guy picks up a Beatles album, at this point, I'm on the other side of the rack. I have to see what's going on! The young guy is rocking back and forth with a huge grin on his face.

"It's a play, right?" he asks. The caretaker goes on to explain the whole phenomenon of the Beatles! The young man's autism is showing...and loud and clear in public. I love it. He's got a sense of humor and has his caretaker retrieving the ball for him over and over again.

But, as I walk away, I see a 50ish woman in a jaunty, color-matched get-up shaking her head. The manager walks by and she blurts out, "I didn't come here to listen to this!" I wanna say...this ain't no lending library, lady, but I don't. My friend is so smart...playing his game and enjoying his life. He sure knows how to keep a conversation going. And that, to me, is very cool.

April is Autism Awareness Month

2009-04-20T16:53:00.000-07:00

Anyone who has the privilege of establishing a friendship with a person with autism would probably tell you, it's one of the most rewarding feelings on the face of the planet. Breaking down barriers and figuring out the language encoding system or even just following the lead of an autistic student, sheds a little light on the neat little quirks...and issues that lie just underneath the surface.

This past year, we had a young man come to our school from a western state...which will remain unnamed--he was having a major breakdown in the middle of the hallway on the first day, trying to negotiate a locker and deal with the roar of the hallway first thing in the morning. Within moments, my friend Nancy...a special educator, and I were at his side. We knew.

But...the system had not been informed! This student was in a one-on-one situation in a resource room in his previous school! (They didn't know what to do with him!) But never mind that...we had to get him through those very first moments and set him on the road to coping. What a gem of a boy! Those first few weeks were exceedingly tough...with many meltdowns. But! This guy is brilliant! And now...he's in walking club, which means he walks the halls with other like-minded, bright students, conversing all the way, honestly! (And now? He'd talk the ear off a mule, I swear!) He skipped out of his classroom (He's my next door neighbor this year...fingers crossed that I get him next year.), springing up on his toes and yelling, "This is the best day of my life!" Of course, I was in the middle of a lesson...but I had to bite---so I said, "What happened?" And you know what...he got a 100 on a math test. Made my day too!

On my own turf...in sixth grade, I have a number of kids that are either identified as autistic, or fit neatly somewhere on the spectrum. I LOVE them! They are not islands, but meaningful participants in my classroom. If I don't know something (which...sorry to say is frequent!), they pipe up right away---like Dan, my black tar man...who could tell me immediately about the components of colprovia and the differences between a variety of types. Or my helicopter/war plane officianado...and now my endangered species expert that sits in the third row. All info, all the time. But the best of it all--behind that obsession lies a warm body, a brilliant mind...and a kid who just loves to have someone to talk to. Yup, different IS where it's at. In the middle of a group of sixth graders worried about where they fit in, it's just kind of nice to have a student or two, (well actually four)...who fits in alright--but the puzzle has to be built around him/her first!

Beware All You April Fools!

2009-03-31T17:58:00.000-07:00

Well, Spot, I know...tomorrow is Scotty's favorite day of the year. He's been plotting for days now. What scheme has he cooked up for me? He was actually absent today, so that's a huge worry. Or is it?

We did have a very quiet day without old Scotty jumping around. Was it the calm before the storm?

The best April fool's day joke came years ago from my old buddy Gary, who walked into my second grade classroom and whispered a secret in my ear. He'd changed his mind and he didn't want anyone to know...Gary, a die-hard Yankees fan (mostly because of his crazed Yankee-loving Dad) proclaimed, "I love the Mets. I've always loved the Mets...I was just pretending!" I was jumping up and down with both arms around Gary before he could finish! And then...oh, you bet---"April Fools!" Gary's dad had practiced with him for hours, spooning cookie dough icecream into him every time he got it right the night before! Brother.

Every year, I grit my teeth and wait. Now I'm in sixth grade...so it's really a challenge. They come at me from all different angles. But for me? It was Gary that did it best! So my hat goes off to Gary every April Fool's Day Eve. That Yankee Empire lives on...and I'm sure Gary still remembers the April Fools Day that he fooled his silly teacher, and I know his dad sure does.

This year, the joke is on them! Scotty's NOT gonna get me! You see, I'm sending Viola Swamp in to take my place. Meanness, instead of kindness will be the name of the game. So Scotty? Watch out! You might wanna take another sick day!! The truth...they've scheduled a professional development day. So I have to be out of the classroom. (Oh darn!) There was a sub in the building today that bore quite a resemblance to Viola. Honest, I swear. (Sorry, Spot...no more swearing!)But don't worry, I'll be wandering the halls of the building, keeping an eye on you guys every chance I can!

The Black Hole

2009-03-26T12:46:00.000-07:00

It being conference season again, we are currently visiting with the most eligible moms and dads of the pups who are often eager and sometimes willing, but never seem to be able to get it together no matter what!

Yesterday, Spot's friend, Spike's mother came in with Spike in tow.

Now Spike is aptly named, for that is the true shape of his hairdo...completely gelled to stand straight up on end. I love this kid...I mean doggie. He cracks me up...well, most of the time. But. If he spent just a smidge of the time managing his things as he does on his hair, life would be great. He travels with a stack of stuff that can NOT be straightened, no matter how hard you try! I think he's probably got his grandmother's wedding license and a sampling of his mother's cookies in there too! You just don't know. And you wince when you look at it, so you don't want to know. But Spike sits right next to me, so I can help him out when he's in a panic.

Last week, he couldn't find his Social Studies assignment for the life of him. Social Studies is his absolute favorite subject in school...and he is brilliant when it comes to discussing politics! When he got to the bottom of his stack he said, "Mrs. Lynch! I've got it!" He slipped it out from under one of his notebooks and handed it to me. I was ready to be relieved until I looked at its content...all in Italian! It was his high school aged brother's Italian homework! Whenever we can't find something in the classroom, we inevitably look in Spike's pile, and sure enough...it's always there. Spike carries the weight of the world in that pile, literally!

Yesterday, his mother just shook her head and said, "I love my boy, he's a blessing to me, but he drives me nuts too!" So...today, the job was to clean that black hole of a locker in order to be able to put just the essentials in there. What came out of that locker was startling really! Spike could've had a tag sale, honestly. He must've had 4 sets of drumsticks, there was a velour leopard print jacket (I kid you not!), a couple of coats, socks, gym shorts, and oh yes...more than a pencil or two--probably enough to hand out to the other 949 students in our school!

The best of all though, is that his mother left us yesterday, thanking us over and over again for our efforts with Spike. And then she said, "I have just a few cookies for you. I'm sorry, they're not my best." Well, Spike? Those were the best darn cookies in the world. And you know what else...every day when you leave my room and you turn around and say, "Thank you. Thank you, Mrs. Lynch!" That is what does it for me! Your mom doesn't owe me another one of her sinful cookies. Gratitude. It's the magic ingredient of a great kid!

Spot, you got a great friend there. Stick with him. (But watch out for your stuff...he's got sticky fingers from all that hair gel!)

Testing Beyond the Bubble: I'm All Ears!

2009-03-23T03:27:00.000-07:00

This President Obama is bringing change after all. He's got his staff of new idea people thinking about this whole mess of testing we've got out there.They're starting to chat-it-up. And you know what, Spot? I'm all ears too! It's about darned time.

Finally a column in the New York Times about testing that you and I can sink our teeth into. Well, I know Spot, the tests are done...but they will be back next year, and you know that! I just want to dispel

two thoughts on this test thing. First and foremost...it is not the teachers making up these tests, Spot. You and your parents have no idea about the invisible test-makers, so you blame us for all this testing. I happen to know that most are either retired administrators, or reading consultant types, and although they have spent time in the classroom, they do not have that constant stream of kids and their thinking worming through their brains that the rest of us have. Second, those of us that are any good or even pretty good at what we do, do NOT teach to the test. We simply go on teaching the good principles of reading...like building background knowledge on a subject in order to go forward and read it. I do teach you guys tricks of the trade for approaching a passage you have no knowledge about, but that's just a practice of good teaching. If you never got that, you'd only read about dog bones, how to chase a cat, and stuff like that. It is my job to broaden your horizons, silly.

So, hooray! Finally, we may be able to survey kids on how they approach the printed page, what they bring to it, and what they hold onto after their done. Hallelujah! Why didn't they just ask us teachers to begin with? When will they think about that? We do know a thing or two about how puppies like you learn, Spot. We spend 183+ days each year worming around inside that brain of yours trying to make sense of it all.

Oh...and Spot? About yesterday...I'm glad you had the day off. Stay away from that entry. That's more than you need to know.

I'll Take the Distraction

2009-03-22T06:38:00.000-07:00

It being Sunday, Spot's off for the day. Couldn't handle the stress of all the budget talks at home and in the hallways at school, so we furloughed him.

And here we are, all 'fired up!' Today's New York Times and yesterday's too are talking about the other love of my life...my job in the teaching profession. Whenever the outside world starts talking about money though, I start to wriggle in my seat. What are they talking about? They don't know either.

My loyalty to President Obama is unflinching. I do believe that he, at least, is setting some great priorities for a country that does not seem to get it one iota. My own town has cut seven teachers and must now cut an arbitrary one million dollars more (41 teachers got pink slips last Wednesday), just because our finance board...all members non-educator axe-grinders, says so. Well, one of those members has said so since he stepped into that position some seven years ago. He captivates audiences with his brash comments and loves every minute of it. That is what I call irresponsible leadership. Our town has a surplus of 15 million dollars. It does have expenses too, and may be populated with numbers of people who are losing jobs out there. I get that. But we don't know who, or how many...there is no formula for that. Likewise there is no formula for cutting education. They see our schools as the fatted calf within their cash reserves...and have for years. We rank in the top 20 towns in our state for wealth and in the bottom 20 for per pupil expenditures. We have great kids, coming from upper middle class families, but there's a range. We have portable homes and then we have our fully landscaped, pool included mansions on the hill.

Let's offer up the teachers...everyone can think of one that they hated in their educational career...oh please, let it be her/him.

Michele Rhee says, let's pay'm more...if they're good. In our town, that'd translate to a public outcry! $130K for a mere teacher! God. No way! Our superintendent's salary of $140K was made public just a week ago, and people had a caniption! BUT, does she not run a corporation?

America needs to get real and get a magic formula. We need to put up or shut up. Sorry Spot, cover your eyes if you see this. We will never be the leader of the free world again, if our kids can not read, write and compute. Our kids in the cities are SUFFERING. But now...we are taking apart the suburban schools too, and despite the transfusion of green...the bleeding will never stop. Once you lose it, you lose it forever. There's no going back here.

Everyone is talking about financial mindsets lately. We're being asked to go out there and buy, buy, buy again. Infuse that green river of cash with our individual dollars. How 'bout we skip the shopping and put it into education? Oh...and by the way, we've been told that all of the federal dollars can only be spent on special education. (We've seen two admin. positions created out of those IDEA funds. I may be wrong, but I've not seen any 'troop increases' on the front line, where it's really needed.) In my building that translates into about sixty special ed. students out of 900 students in all. I don't get it. Bring on the formulas Arne. Teachers need to know the thinking...so when we're packing up our classrooms and going off to that plush waitressing job, at least we know there was a plan.

And Mr. Bailey? I'll take the distraction. Students lives, and their future welfare, are all at stake.

See ya tomorrow, Spot! Hope you're ready to rock and roll! Lots to learn about China these days, ya know.

Share Spot!

2009-03-18T16:12:00.001-07:00

Are you serious, Spot? I worry about you. You have a bad case of using that tail of yours to wag the system! "I need to know just how much homework I can expect in the next few weeks." What?

(Doggies should not talk to their teachers like that. You're cute, but not that cute.)

Look at the doggy that is pulling on that stick with you. Do you see the wisdom there? That doggy knows that school simply comes first. I know, I know. Baseball, softball, lacrosse, ballet, ping pong, gymnastics, butterfly club and pottery club too.

But. Do you remember that picture that we stared at yesterday...the one on page 523 in your social studies text? It showed a pictorial graph of the number of China's citizens and the comparison to the number of American citizens. We studied those same pictorial graphs when we studied India. What part of that picture do you not understand? Maybe I'm not doing my job here. China has almost four citizens for our every one! India can match that! Those kids are working very hard to get ahead of you, Spot. You need to get smarter, work harder and put your nose to the grindstone.

So...Spot? Are you still there? You may have to use your time more wisely. SHARE your time! But be sure that the first share is your schoolwork. I love sports and recreational activities. I believe kids need networks of friends, and they need to be fit. You may have to give up a little of your videogame time this spring, but never, ever cut short time that should be spent in schoolwork. And Spot? Telling your teacher that You need to know anything is downright disrespectful. Behave, Spot. You're a great little puppy. Everyone wants to keep loving you! (And let me know when you have a game. I might just show up on the ballfield and SHARE down time with you!)

Worlds Apart

2009-03-06T18:24:00.000-08:00

I know, Spot. It's t-e-s-t-i-n-g time again. It's okay. We'll get through it. All our nerves are a little frazzled these days...talk of budgets and new missions and all kinds of things. We're just going to go with the flow, because you know what, Spot? We've got yoga...knitting...walking club, you name it. Every way you can imagine to de-stress. Today's test...reading comprehension: 45 minutes of pure concentration. You could hear a pin drop! Kids were working their little hearts out to do their best to prove themselves again this year. Right in the middle of it, though, we had a few of those small occurrences that befall kids in their human states...funny things that are really nothing, but enough to make us have to control a case of the giggles. There was the usual cascade of pencils that drop the minute everyone gets set, the stuffy noses and bouts of coughing, and this year we had hiccups. The start and stop kind. We had the outside proctor proctoring me, the inside proctor. Jeesh! But then, as always, it was done. And we went on from there, jump-starting our creativity and moving into learning mode. We imagined ourselves in the faraway savannas and jungles of Africa with kids entertaining other kids with the lessons of African folktales...our own versions of them anyway, we read about the recent elections in Kenya and how very different the transfer of power was there as opposed to here when our 43rd President shook hands with the 44th and history moved forward once again. Kids couldn't imagine the violence that the Kenyan kids must've faced, but they talked an awful lot about it. Imagine how they must feel having a sitting US President who traces his origins back to their Luo tribe? Spot, you and your friends with all their new-found knowledge of this wonderful continent connected so meaningfully to these kids so far away. And yes we'll be back atcha with our tests and all that, but you know, Spot, I think that yoga is working! You little doggies do what you have to and then crave the real world of learning that much more! This, my friend, is why I love my job!

It All Matters!

2009-03-01T17:52:00.000-08:00

Okay, Spot. You have not been a naughty boy. You are a good little puppy...so get that chin up again. They're not mad at you. Budgets all over the country are under scrutiny. Household budgets are under scrutiny. We're all working hard and our houses have less value, our savings are slimmer, but we don't mean to take it out on you. So why do we?

Why is it that all the towns around the country look at the education budgets first? Why do they go after the teachers' salaries and then go after class sizes and the small upkeep projects of the schools? Why? Can we not see that if we stay the course, we're protecting our legacy? We're placing the nation's future in a huge savings account. President Obama gets it, despite what the conservatives have to say on the issue. They're out there crying 'socialism', and believe me, that will be their battle cry from now until the next election. Rush is 'fired-up' and loving all the attention. (He needs to lose a little weight, though, doggie...to be carrying on like that!) That's why he's calling for the failure of this President's tenure before he's even hit his two month mark. They're mad. They've had to take all their toys out of the White House and find someone else to lead them. Trouble is, he's not acting like a patriot, he's trying to sensationalize and sabotage. But, I digress.

The educated know that schools matter, that teacher satisfaction matters and that class size matters too. We've been in the midst of a sad trend...talking up school failure. Yes, we have a lot to do to standardize a fair approach to our students in this country. We definitely need to bring in line the curriculum of the varied regions and states in this country. But we will never forge ahead in preparing our students for the 21st century if we insist on dismantling our educational system every time the economy begins to tank out.

A 21st century educational plan includes deep critical thinking skills, fast-paced inquiry-based investigative learning, increased technological skills to back up investigation and strengthened communication abilities both verbally and written too. How will that happen with larger class sizes? With fewer teachers the equation is dismal, at best. Most people that argue this do so on the basis of how they were taught. Sure, I had 60 kids in my second grade classroom (I kid you not!). I am a successful adult teacher, and I continue to seek what I need to know, because I've always loved to learn. That was innate for me and it is for some. But not for all, that's for sure.

The kids we see today often have both parents working long hours and therefore no adult at home waiting with peanut butter cookies to have a long conversation. These kids want and need conversations, stories and the constant stream of attention they can't get in a group of 25 and above. The kids from yesteryear were hardworking often with babysitting jobs and paper routes, but school came first no matter what. The expectation today is that all teachers document each student with an individual education plan, much like we did with special needs students in the past. We are to maintain data and work toward a solution if a student encounters a problem. In large numbers this is an impossible task. Small classes and teacher satisfaction go a long way in getting the job done.

So Spot, today's lesson: Lift your head, and we will too. We did nothing to bring on this awful Economic Crisis. It was the high rollers that squandered the pensions and the pocketbooks, even the promise of employment for all of today's citizens. So...why is it that the lesser of our citizens, the children and the teachers have to be the first ones to pay? You didn't do it, Spot. And neither did I. Hopefully, the grander system will watch our backs (You know the ones the conservatives are calling socialists. Name-calling is so second gradish). For they know that an investment in a child is of great SOCIAL value to us all! That is our legacy, Spot.

Who Rules the Roost?

2009-02-26T18:48:00.000-08:00

Okay, Spot...Today's Lesson:

The Board of Education. A number of us were gathered together...a kind of faculty think-tank, puzzling over this topic at lunch. We've become increasingly interested in the concept of governance that rules our system of education, making critical decisions related to final approvals of curriculum and programs, books read and staffing. Recently, our school system began the turbulent process of budget proposals and revisions. Times are tough, we all know that. Members of the board of education have had their plates full this season. Concessions are in the air. We know that. But what we can't seem to get our heads around is how do these decisions actually get made?

The Board of Education. Many a child of the sixties knew the 'board of ed.' to be a plank in the principal's office used to whoop the butt of any kid that couldn't behave in school. Today's board of education is comprised of many community members of varied backgrounds and credentials, most often professionals. These are wonderfully committed individuals. I am not questioning that. Who else on earth would sit in these long evening meetings if it were not for the sake of our student population? Although none of them are educators, they are mostly supportive of the system. Our wondering is this: How is it that so many decisions are made without teacher input? "We have to come to grips with the hard choices ahead," said President Obama. How can we come to grips with our hard choices without ambassadors from the frontline?

When a surgeon approaches her patient, she gathers a team of consultants from the health

field, nurses and doctors, who she can count on for good solid advice. Why wouldn't she? The patient's life is at stake. After a total of nine teacher cuts (seven made the end cut) were proposed, we of the teaching world, sat helpless. These decisions that affect the lives of children in the classroom are being made by people who have not set foot in a learning environment with the exception of their own schooling a lifetime ago. We know what staff cutting means in today's classroom.

But then, just when the bleeding was about to stop, a member of the board of education proposes randomly cutting six additional teachers! Four teachers at the middle school: thus 100 students to mix into the fray, and 2 more at the intermediate school; an added 50 students to be eased into the mix there. Why? How? Is this even justified? Others on the board were equally horrified. It's pretty embarrassing. The board of education is no longer used solely for whooping the butts of the children, it's now used to whoop the butts of the educators too. Where is the advocacy here? Sometimes politics comes into play...so one could become suspicious in this one case. We won't. Instead we raise only one question.

My question Spot then is this: When will we, the educators, be invited to the table to bring some sense back to the dialogue? After all, we are not children, we are the educated ones, field-tested and in the know on the day-to-day basis.

...So Soon?

2009-02-21T09:53:00.000-08:00

Well, yeah. C'mon Spot! You know it's that time again. Vacation's almost over and I know two secrets. One...don't tell yet, I'm only pretty sure on this one. There was a big vote and I think this may have been our last February vacation. I know, very sad. The teachers could only vote one time each...rats. So there was no way we could make it win! I hope you had a good vacation.

And the other thing...well, we're going to have to get ready for that which remains unnamed that comes up in the month of March. What? No!!! Sit, Spot. STAY!! Do NOT go the other way. You have to come back and we're going to just do a teensy-weensy bit of test prep. (i-know-you-don't-like-the-smell-of-that. i don't either...don't tell.) But here's all the good stuff we're going to get back to first, okay?

First up: African Folktales. We're going to chat-it-up some more, conferencing and then finishing up. We'll have our American Style African Storyteller/Idol! So you don't want to miss that! Then we're going to do some investigative reporting...studying the current status of independence/interdependence/dependence of an African country of YOUR choice on our lappppppp tops! I know you like the sound of that word! We'll lap it all up together, then compile a class magazine. How's that? Yes you have to cite your sources. People have gone to jail for not doing that! Last, we'll trace Cassie Logan's ancestry all the way back to Africa. What an amazing story of an African-American family! I know you like it when everything's tied together like that. It's all that out-of-the-box, but connected stuff that works, right? Okay...now are you feeling better? Only after we finish all that will we then return to the yicky-icky inside the box stuff, and only for a little bit, I promise. Let's see if we can come up with a new name for the CMT's (I know, I said it!). Maybe 'Call Me Tomorrow.' Test season sure does have a different smell to it, though, you are right. Can't wait to see ya, Spot. You know...my life is too quiet withoutcha!

Who Wants to be a B-B-Billionaire?

2009-02-18T14:27:00.000-08:00

Me!! That's who! Yesterday, the New York Times announced that

Arne Duncan (just call me 'Arne') will take the reins with mega dollars to dispense 'on the fly!' Well, no need to search very long, Mr. Duncan...darn..., I mean Arne! I'll help you.

Here's the recipe: Jump-start Head Start. Early education is where it's at, I don't care what the prevailing thought might be. City kids are leagues behind their suburban peers, who are listening to baby Einstein and have Good Night Moon memorized before they utter their first word. Let's see if we can't do something about adding equality to our educational system. Next...how 'bout an initiative that will let Spot and I move around a bit. You know, for the many of us who'd like to move between city and suburban schools. How 'bout more of a coaching model? Imagine this: Veteran teachers shift to co-teach with rookies in city classrooms. Even if the Republicans can not reach across the aisle...teachers will always help other teachers. Just give us a chance. And then...we have to watch out for our middle school and high school populations. It does not matter whether we're talkin' city or suburb. They're all at risk. Adolescents need validation...but they need programs that will help them to prove themselves responsible in our society. I'm not kidding...they need a rite of passage. Give them unpaid internships, place them in supervised after school programs that will allow them to give back. And give them credit for this real-life learning too. Now, sir, Spot and I have hardly mentioned technology and inquiry-based learning. WE need a think tank. A nation-wide clearing house for best practice...and then grant programs to bring EVERYONE up to speed. Let's do it, Arne. For Spot's sake...and for the future of us all. Bring back American ingenuity!

My dad, an Irish imigrant...and an eighth grade grad (He was far more brilliant than that, though, believe me.) always said, "It's all about education...period." We'll all be billionaires, if we do it right!

2009-02-16T13:41:00.000-08:00

Oh my gosh, here we go. Well, Spot, I told you. If I let you off that leash, you'd go and meet someone who'd get us both in trouble. Here he is..."Scotty." Everyone knows Scotty. He's got every gadget under the sun, and of course he likes to bring all his toys to school. Tech decks, game boys, cell phones...oh, Scotty'd bring the kitchen sink if his mom let him. Wait. Scotty would bring the kitchen sink just to see if he could get away with it. Scotty is high maintenance. Don't you go following that Scotty around, Spot. You are a good dog. So just stay.

But stop the presses...this just in from The New York Times: Cell phones are coming! We knew this. In fact if cell phones are cheaper and can start to do some things in a way that make kids more productive, I say who cares. The trouble is, Spot, I think it's gonna be a while. The poor teacher in that article said she was managing calls on her own time! WAIT! Whoa, doggie!

I can only speak for myself, but that proposition makes me very nervous. It requires huge amounts of energy to tame all of you wild beasts, to dazzle you and to fill your brains with all kinds of great things all day long. Correcting and giving feedback is the night part of the job that nobody knows, because they don't see the three hours on end of reading. But security guard? I can't handle that too!! Help! I'll be asleep on my desk during the day.

Let's keep an eye and an open mind on this until they really come up with just the right toys that teachers AND parents can manage, and that make the MOST sense to us all. And that friend of yours, Scotty, you know the one that's always biting at the bit? He's a great kid/oops, I mean doggie. He just needs to have a bit of leash (I don't mind if he gets a little ahead of us!) balanced by a lot of hands-on learning. You are a good judge of doggies, there Spot. I like your style. Let's make sure that the industry isn't trying to take advantage too. Prudence is a great virtue and technology is way cool. Just let us study the angles a little bit to be sure, before we hand out the toys.

Love Spot

2009-02-14T19:14:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day, Spot! What? You're in love? No...Spot!

Okay, well here's some good advice...are you ready? School and love do not mix. Oh my gosh. Last week we had a crisis. Spot got his very first invitation to a boy-girl party. I am not kidding. Here's a little story...from wayyyyy back in the 60's, Spot. Are you listening? Well, the 60's, the Beatles, Beatle hats and boyfriends. BOY crazy! That is what I was. Flirting, chatting, heart stomping...it was love. The boy...well, he gave me a yellow, plastic bubble ring. It's really amazing that I made it to college after that. My mind turned to jello. Not jigglers, either. The gloppy kind of jello. My teacher was talking, but I was just plain dumb-founded. All I could do is stare...at that boy. I think I was more in shock than anything else. And my dad? Well...when he found out, that ring was hurled across the living room...and then, he made me give it back. I learned two valuable lessons: 1) To suspend my disbelief...but don't take it too seriously. 2) Don't EVER let my dad know anything about other boys in my life. And love, well...love is definitely in bloom in the real-world of sixth grade right now! After all, spring's just around the corner. So Spot...that glazed-over look? I know that look. First love...it's all good. (Just do your homework!)

Come along or be dragged: the future is now!

2009-02-13T18:51:00.000-08:00

Here we go, Spot! You're yanking at me...pulling that leash of yours. You mean you don't want to read those dusty old books off the shelf like I did? (Yours aren't dusty and you sure have lots of them!) You're sick of sitting in that desk? What? I thought you loved that hard chair and the stack of books you lug around all day. They're all your earthly possessions! I remember when you went off to kindergarten with that brand new backpack of yours. But now you're complaining, you don't want to carry those books, you don't want to sit in that chair. You can't seem to find any of those papers!

Oh, Spot...we've gotta rethink your plan. What if I had a small round table with a lap top set up for you? You'd have all your friends sitting around you in tables of 3 or so. You could access all of my lesson on line and then spend your day researching a question like...what is the quality of the water in the little stream that runs along the edge of the school property? Or maybe we could even bring back samples and evaluate them under the microscope, take small snapshots of them...I don't know, Spot--just shoutin' that out there to you. Maybe you might have a few ideas about how to structure the lesson. What if all the Spots out there designed their own lessons? After we finish our research, we could go online and share our results with our cyber-friends, skyping them in Ukraine or Australia, or even Malaysia. We'd organize questions first and then talk...no more snail-mailed pen pals--we could talk and learn with each other right there in that very minute!

After that, we'd write it all down...pencil/pen and paper or laptop. Your choice! But then, we could even publish it on our blogspace for everyone including your mom, your dad, your grandma in North Dakota...or even President Obama! We'd squeeze in a good, long chunk of math in there and we'd kindle up a good book too! There you go, Spot! You've met all your standards. What? You don't even want recess? Okay, well...Spot. Let's call it a day anyway. We're both dismissed! Now that's what I call a 21st Century kinda day! I'll bet I could even let you off that leash! One more thing, Spot...those tests? Remember all the tests you used to take? Some day, some smart person or puppy will come up with a program that will evaluate your work as you produce it...yup, right there on your laptop! When that day comes, Spot, we'll both LAP it up!

Pathways for 21st Century Literacies

2009-02-09T09:38:00.000-08:00

Pathways for 21st Century Literacies

Blending in!

2009-02-06T17:36:00.000-08:00

Well, Spot, you are not an easy one to camouflage, but I do think you've reinvented yourself in a way that works! Honestly, if you've seen one 'Spot,' you've seen 'em all, right? Wrong! After you teach for a few minutes...oh, all right, a few years, you start to see patterns. You know, kids start to remind you of other kids you've had before. That little bit of attitude? Yeah...that was Christopher James from three years ago. That really sweet little girl, well usually, thankfully, they are always a part of every group. In fact there are many...boys and girls, really sweet kids.

There are the tiggers too, you know that type too. Those are the kids that live on a pair of springs and they need lots of room to move and operate too. I know a lot about those guys...I had my own home grown version to practice on! But the ones that often leave a lasting impression are not the ones that blend...but the ones that stand out. The kids with unusual quirks and memorable habits always stick to the memory, and not just mine, that's for sure.

Today the teacher on the street was watching while Junie made her way around with the other kids during learning lab. Junie is a really neat kid! She gets a LOT of help to organize herself and to keep her focused, but in the social arena, kids love her differences. She's safe...non-judgmental and the kids know it. Friday is game day, Sorry, Jenga, Clue...you know. Junie loves to play board games. On Fridays, nobody cares about her differences, she's the same as everyone else. But. All the other kids, often the boys, want to play. The moment the bell rings, Junie snaps back into character and like Cinderella, she's off! Because, bells and schedules are what she's all about. If I go one second overtime at the end of the day, the alarm in Junie sounds and there's h%$ll to pay! Of course, she's any school kid's dream. She pushes the panic button, and the class knows they'll be dismissed on the spot (oops, sorry Spot!).

Today Junie raced out at lunchtime and I found one of the many notes she always leaves behind:

Dear Presdient Obama,

Can we have recycling bins in every state? and congratulations on being our 44th president.

I was also thinking of using recyable notebooks.

from,

Junie

P.S. Recycle my letter when done reading it!

You see my girl is the queen of the hasty recyclable letter. (Yesterday I got a recyclable birthday card and a hug, both of which

came a minute or two after the bell! Junie is upbeat and positive, full of a zest for life I wish I could bottle and sell. But what's

most important to know about Junie is all that she brings to my classroom. This diminutive outlier is always on, always paying

attention and for every question I ask, she's always the first to raise her hand and answer a question...Junie style, sometimes from

left-field, but many times right on target. The unpredictability leaves everyone wondering. But it also has us all plugging for her...

for in that little stutter, you just never know, there just may come a pearl of wisdom. At the end of the day today, when kids were

packing up, Junie came up to me and said, "So you're coming to 10-'firty' mass right? Because, um...I'm getting my new rosary beads!"

Well, I've been to basketball games, baseball games, boy and girl lacrosse games, birthday parties and even a Baptism...and Sunday,

well Sunday, I'll go see Junie be awarded her brand-new rosary beads. Because these are the very special perks of the job! Happy Friday, Spot!

Yes You CAN!

2009-01-27T14:14:00.000-08:00

Okay, Spot, well you are very cute...but do you see that naughty look on that face? Well, if you are not a teacher, you might not. But look closer. If you get your nose almost up to the screen, and look into the black eye, and not the white one...oooooo, there's a little devil in there!

No homework today, "I read it, but I just didn't take the notes," he said. "If you ask me any question, I know it, really." And then there's the case of Spot's friend...the I-did-it-honest, but-I -don't-know-where-it-is guy. Well grades went home, and those excuses didn't fit on the page, so I had to leave them out! And guess what---who got the blame? You guessed it! The teacher.

Okay, this is NOT a rant, it's simply a statement of public concern. Why is the tail wagging the dog? If I went home with missing homeworks and failing grades because of it, I'd do either of two things: 1) I would've hidden in the Steck's barn until it was pitch black outside and then I would sneak in the back door and try to pretend I'd been there all along, sneaking the report card under my dad's nose with a pen in my hand. "Can you just sign this piece of paper real quick?" or 2) I'd have gone home and slid under my bed until my dad was so distraught, he'd do anything to have his 'little sunshine' back. Either way, I'd have gotten my butt whooped.

I say bring it back...well no, I know, I'm not encouraging butt-whoopings across America. I am just suggesting that Spot is untrained and unruly...and far too large and in charge. Time to get a hold of it all again, because the answer is NO...no...no to everything and anything! But more specifically, no to the idea that the teacher should be looking for that missing piece of homework that Spot says he can't find...no matter how cute Spot is. It's not good for him---he's old enough to think for himself, and by others thinking for him, he begins to believe that he can't. So, Spot...are you listening? REPEAT after me, "YES I CAN!" And if you don't believe me, just ask President Obama! You are really cute, really. But now, we're going to teach you to be RESPONSIBLE too. When I'm an old lady, I want to know that all the Spots in this world CAN take care of themselves. That, after all, is the nature of the job. (Oh, and by the way...Spot has two girl classmates...one named I-did-part-of-it, and the other Oops-left-it-home again. This is definitely an equal gender environment.)

Beware of the Dog

2009-01-23T17:38:00.000-08:00

Today is day one...of my other blog! In this spot, you will find spotted dogs, spotted kids, teaching spots, assorted dots and all manner of spottings from the world of my classroom and that which surrounds it...which is just about everything. For those of you who teach, you know exactly what I mean. All roads lead back to that living room that we settle into in late August and then don't leave again until mid-June! Everywhere you go, everything you do is wrapped around that schedule and the plans that live inside your brain! (Even potty breaks, for crying out loud! Okay, no more crying out loud, I promise!)

First of all, I am not a jaded teacher, I still LOVE what I do. Honestly, if they let us come and go, and we could teach classes of 12 to 14, I'd stay forever! Can you imagine that? God. Well that's not what they're serving up in my home district, that's for sure. Lay-offs. That's what they're talking about, plain and simple. If I were a new teacher, which I'm not, I would not get myself crazed with that, though. I'd lay low, make a mark for yourself, which means making yourself indispensable in many ways. Just love what you do...savor every minute, even if your administrators don't see it, your kids and parents will. And that brings me to rule number one:

You gotta love it! Despite all the public commentary about summers off, great salaries (oh, that's a good one) and the rest of it. You know you gotta love the kids, and then you'll be able to do it for a lifetime...and you'll have to!

I had a blast today...teaching African Folktales to my sixth graders. After Christmas, I told them I was giving them back their toys---all their favorite picture books from their baby years. We read a few, and then they brought in their own as well. We studied how they were built and what we know about story construction. We then studied "Where Stories Come From," a Zulu story straight off the internet. We compared the structure...(named it a 'stepping stone story' like Wiz. of Oz) and long story short, we studied many more too. We're now up to Circle, Stepping Stone, Trickster and Pour quoi. We listed as many questions for the universe as we could and I wrote a pour quoi story using a recipe we'd created. I gave kids a half hour to pick their favorite question and create an impromptu story to perform on Monday. They had a blast!

The room was full of movement, enthusiasm and life! What teacher could ask for more? Now, on Monday, we'll videotape the results. And the Oscar goes to...who cares! Kids will work on their own next week to write and publish on their own following a little more specific instruction. TGIF to all my weary friends...only the freedom of Saturday could be better!