Last night was our first Fun Night of the year, sponsored by my 7th grade. It did not go off as smoothly as I would have liked, but I know that is because of our own lack of preparation with the kids.

We had students sign up to work in the concession, 20 minute shifts with 3 kids working at a time. Some would have done this last year as 6th graders. It really is not complicated - pop, baked goods, and last night we had hot dogs and chips, which I handled.

The problem? First off, some of the kids have NO customer service finesse at all. One of the first crew kept yelling when someone walked up, "WHAT DO YOU WANT?" They gave out cups filled halfway with soda, didn't wash their hands or wear gloves.

However, those things were easily overcome. The biggest thing was showing up for their 20 minute time slot and actually staying and working the entire time. Not one single group showed up in its entirety, less than 10 minutes late for their shift. Of course, the group there from the earlier shift wanted to leave the second the clock said their shift was over.

I had one little girl want to leave her 20 minutes early because she was too tired. When she did get to leave, she raced immediately to the dance floor.

Others were ecstatic because, "THIS IS MY FAVORITE SONG! CAN I PLEEEEEASE GO DANCE JUST THIS ONE SONG?" and of course, looked devastasted when I refused their request.

One child actually suggested we should have 10 minute shifts!!

The workers were for the most part, not the popular kids, but the 'uncool' kids of the group, those peripheral students. I was upset that the "cool" kids were not a part of the work crew, and will make sure next time THEY are the ones filling the work schedule.

The proceeds of these is a big part of how we fund 7th grade camp, so it should be a group responsibility to make sure things come off without a hitch. THere will be other Fun Nights sponsored by the other grades where our 7th graders do not have to work and help out, but this one is THEIR responsibility.

Even cleanup was a battle. One of the 4 workers on the schedule for cleanup showed up. I sent her to find the others, but they never came back, so alas, most of the cleanup fell to me, another teacher, her daughter, and a couple of parents. As I was hauling bags of garbage out, taking leftover junk up the stairs trip after trip, I realized how unjust the evening was.

Monday... class meeting about working and responsibility!

Yesterday was our first Math Curriculum Review Team meeting at our Intermediate School District. We work on aligning lessons, units, and resources to the Grade Level Content Expectations.

This past summer when I was working there, I got into a kind of a tiff with another teacher about grades - I insisted they should not reflect things like late assignments, participation, etc... redo's should be not only encouraged but required, and those new scores should replace the old ones, not be averaged with original scores.

This other teacher was very insistent that I was wrong and would not even listen to what I had to say. I defended my position strongly but it was like talking to a wall.

That was June. Yesterday... she came up to me and told me she wanted to thank me for challenging her! She has since thought more about our conversation, done some research, participated in some Balanced Assessment training, and is rethinking her teaching and grading/assessing practices. She said she hates to think of all the students she has "scarred" over the years with her methods!

How humbling to be a part of someone's growth!! I hugged her and told her how exciting it was that she is now reflecting and reconsidering her methods!!

As we head into the second half of the first 6 week marking period, I feel a sense of calm and accomplishment. It is hard to explain, but I think it all comes down to the tracked math classes this year.

I have 2 pre-algebra classes which are both doing well, and moving right along. But I only have 1 "just" 7th grade math class. Those are the kids who were ear marked as struggling math students. We are doing so great, I can't believe it. Without the pressure to keep up with the "top" kids, I feel like we can stop, slow down, take more time to work on concepts, and really make sure they are getting it. We are almost on track with other years, so in all truth, we are not moving slower than usual, but it feels like so much less pressure to stay on track. I feel more relaxed and less stressed, which equates to higher achievement in my students.

Social studies is fun, completely. We are still working on population concepts, and the students seems so intelligent and knowledgeable about every topic we've discussed. Tomorrow we start watching Human Footprint and I can't wait to discuss the DVD with them. I know they will be enlightening and enlightened.

Union issues at school continue to plague the peace and quiet but I continue to teach and love my kids, regardless of the turmoil around me. It seems more and more teachers are choosing that route, and that makes me happy. I know we have many staff who are not only competent but truly care about kids and learning.

In other news to note, SNOW next week!! THe science teacher has planned this little outing for all of us - going to Dollarville Dam/flooding to do some water samples. And... of course, it is supposed to SNOW!! teehee... isn't that just par for the course??

Our first Fun Night is scheduled for Friday. It should be a good one - the first of the year, the weather is still nice out, and the kids are excited. I too am looking forward to it.

2 weeks down already. It's been a busy 2 weeks, with picture day, too many staff meetings, a math department meeting, a social studies department meeting, school improvement team meeting, and kickoff assembly for the parent group's big fund raiser. Whew... add in trying to get kids into MY classroom routine... let's just say: I hope the next week is a bit calmer - OH WAIT, it's homecoming week!

All that aside, it really seems like the school year is off to a great start. The kids are getting into the routine of reading the board to know what to bring to class, what day it is, what we are doing in class, etc... I am always amazed that most teachers do NOT expect students to read and follow posted instructions. I do not understand why you would want to tell them everything! It is sooo much simpler for me to do things my way.

I use a lot of positive reinforcements, OK, bribery, the first few weeks to get the routines in place. Your homework is in the basket where it belongs? A box of Nerds is yours! You remembered your AR book for math class? A roll of Smarties for you! I know all the anti-candy reasoning, and the anti-bribery thoughts... so please, spare me the criticism. It works. A few will never get into the routine, but most catch on much faster when the rewards are tangible. It only takes a few times and then I wean them off.

Our first quiz is tomorrow, knowing that Monday is NOT the best choice for a quiz, but with all the miscellaneous stuff going on last week, we got a bit off track. I am trying to quiz each Friday this year, following the Marzano logic that testing frequently promotes learning. I have always quizzed sporadically in the past, and want to give regular planned assessments of this kind a try. My problem is, I find myself frequently taking longer to get through material than I initially plan. Occasionally, we are ahead of schedule. But it just seems my plans are penciled in, not inked, so my Friday quiz may often be a Thursday or Monday quiz instead!

Social studies has been a lot of fun. I am using materials I got from Population Connection this summer and am loving the interactive discussions sparked from the activities. Students seem to be enjoying it as well. The World Population Video in particular, sparked a lot of rich conversation. I want to show it again, using it as a springboard for a conversation about the various eras of history. The book that came along with the video has a great description of them I think will be great to use.

Behavior has been very good. I had one young man suspended for skipping his 6th hour class but otherwise, none have been in any major trouble so far. I do have one who has tardies accumulating, and several with attendance issues. I wish parents would just realize how tough these habits make success.

Friday... finally... the first week is always the toughest, simply because we are in the training part of the school year, trying to get students into the routine, learning where, when, how. It is amazing how quickly I learn so much about each individual from the seemingly innocent actions.

One thing that struck me particularly odd was the stacks of math notebooks after school yesterday. My kids all have a math notebook, which is stored on a rolling cart by the classroom door. On their way in and out, they grab or toss notebooks there for storage. My math classes are tracked this year, 1 high, 1 low and then a middle group. The notebooks for the low group were tossed haphazardly in a random this way/that way arrangement on their shelf. THe middle group was neater, some in a stack, the rest tossed whichever way. The high group... all perfectly stacked, going same way, in one neat stack. Wow... hard to imagine we could predict intelligent by organizational skills?

Overall, this bunch seems like a good crew. So far, even the "trouble-makers" from last year are not causing too much havoc. I am loving the sense of humor of several of them, and am impressed with their intelligence and willingness to answer questions, take risks and be wrong. Those are such important to success skills, more so than any "book learning" they can come in with.

I shared a powerpoint of goofy slides today, taken from a couple of those emails you always get in your inbox and never know what to do with: one of optical illusions, and another of food carved into weird things. They absolutely had a blast with both of them! The discussions were the best!

One of my favorite 'teacher' books has always been What Great Teachers Do Differently: 14 Things That Matter Most by Todd Whitaker. As I prepare for another school year, I am revisting Whitaker's advice.

1. Great teachers never forget that it is people, not programs that determine the quality of a school. I want to be one of those teachers who DOES make a difference, not only in the future of my students, but in the success of my school. I want to be a beacon to all of professionalism and dedication to our profession. This means I have to dedicate myself to always thinking before I speak, but be willing and determined to speak when need be. I have to not allow the negativism of others invade my personal space, mentally or physically.

2. Great teachers establish clear expectations at the start of the year and follow them consistently as the year progresses. I do not believe the adage - Don't smile until Christmas. However, I must make certain I am firm and consistent, not allowing my emotions to cloud my judgement in dealing with difficult students. I need to work on not losing my composure when frustrated, and never giving up on a student.

3. When a student misbehaves, great teachers have on goal: to keep that behavior from happening again. This does not mean the same consequence for each student. Instead it means I must know what makes each of my students act out in circumstances and prepare for those disruptions, and then follow through with the appropriate consequence for that child, whatever it may be. It might be having the child call a parent, it might mean staying after school with me, or coming in at lunch time to wash tables. I have to make the punishment fit the crime and be a detriment to further indiscretions.

4. Great teacher have high expectations for students but even higher expectations for themselves. I must make certain I am always the epitome of professionalism in front of my students. It is easy to lax into bad habits - checking email during down time in class, allowing students time to chat when we could have filled those moments with something constructive, or not being completely organized and prepared for class. I have to make sure I not only expect my students be with me 110% during the time they are with me, but that I am also giving 100% to them the entire class period.

5. Great teachers know who is the variable in the classroom: they are! Good teachers consistently strive to improve, and they focus on something they can control -their own performance. I must make certain I am always focusing on the curriculum, and working to hone how I help students master that content. By reading professional materials, and digesting those materials with care, I can continue to become a better teacher. I need to always be a lifelong learner in pedagogy, questioning my methods, trying new ways, experiementing, but most importantly, reflecting on what I do, thinking through the good and bad.

6. Great teachers create a positive atmosphere in their classroom and their schools. They treat every person with respect. In particular, they understand the power of praise. I love my job but just loving it is not enough. I must always convey that love to my students, their parents, and my colleagues. I must work to engage those teachers around me who do not love what they are doing, and find ways to praise their efforts, to encourage them to 'step it up a notch' when interacting with students. If I can be a beacon of positive light, perhaps it will be contagious. My attitude means everything.

7. Great teachers consistently filter out the negatives that don't matter and share a positive attitude. There are so many things out of my control - our contract, the lack of money, our shared adminstration, parents who are not supportive, students from less than ideal homes - but there are so many other things I can find to be happy about. I have to put aside the things that ought to stay outside the classroom, and leave them there. I have to share positive things with other teachers, creating a positive climate in our building.

8. Great teachers work hard to keep their relationships in good repair - to avoid personal hurt and to repair any possible damage. I must learn to always assume good intentions, from everyone, even when the contrary seems more likely. I have to work with people I may not like, or may not agree with their methods, but by keeping in mind they are trying their best with what they have, I will keep a positive working relationship with them. I will try harder to befriend those struggling, those unhappy with the current climate at school, and try to help them focus on the positives of our job. I will not avoid people just because I find it easier not to deal with them. I will reach out to those around me in an effort to be more positive.

9. Great teachers have the ability to ignore trivial disturbances and the ability to respond to inappropriate behavior without escalating the situation. 7th graders by nature want to attract attention to themselves, so I must learn to find ways to capitalize on those "clowns" and help them channel their behaviors appropriately. I must react with speed but caution to intervene, preferably with humor, to de-escalate situations.

10. Great teachers have a plan and purpose for everything they do. If things don't work out the way they had envisioned, they reflect on what they could have done differently and adjust their plans accordingly. Always plan, plan and plan again. But more importantly, reflect on what I have done, making certain to learn from my mistakes and figure out what worked and what didn't. I must constantly be re-evaluating my own practices.

11. Before making any decision or attempting to bring about any change, great teachers ask themselves one central question: What will the best people think? I must make sure not to let a few inappropriate students keep me from doing the engaging fun things the more responsible students deserve. I must always treat the better students in my classroom with equal time and effort as those disruptive, who inherently demand more of my time and attention.

12. Great teachers continually ask themselves who is most comfortable and who is least comfortable with each decision they make. They treat everyone as if they were good. I must make sure each day is a clean slate, for every student. I must never let my anger at yesterday's actions cloud my judgements in dealing with students. I must always remember that they are just children and not intentional in their actions, oftentimes. I must remember that all students are looking to me for how to treat each other. I must find worth and value in each and every child, every day in my classroom.

13. Great teachers keep standardized testing in perspective; they center on the real issue of student learning. It is easy to focus too much on what students must learn for the MEAP. It is easy to forget that school is more than academics. Students learn much more from real life experiences than books, anytime. Testing is important, but my true teaching purpose is to help students become independent learners, and find confidence in their abilities.

14. Great teacher care about their students. They understand that behaviors and beliefs are tied to emotions, and they understand the power of emotion to jump-start change. I have to keep in mind that my students are not intentionally trying to make my life miserable when they act out - it is often their age, or their frustration at not knowing how to do what we are doing - that causes them to act out. I must work to be patient, and understanding, and make sure they understand that I will always care about them, and always give them one more one more chance. I will never give up on them. I will always trust them to make their best efforts.

Whitaker makes sense. Every time I read it... I must always strive to meet his 14 expectations, make them my inner drive to be the best teacher I can be.

Lesson Planning

or

Start the Year on a Strong Footing

I will admit it, I love sitting in my classroom writing lesson plans. I love the potential as I write down the ideal possibilities of what I want to accomplish with students.

I dug out last year's lesson plan book to use as a guide, wishing I would have written notes about what I did, what I wanted to do differently this year, what worked wonderfully, etc.. but alas, I am left with the cobwebs scattered in my head to remember.

The mandalas we made in social studies, I know were great. Students put them on their notebooks and I enjoyed them all year long. But I am really wondering if the 3 days of class time it took to finish those masterpieces was worth it? It is not a direct social studies linked lesson, to be perfectly honest. But does everything we do have to be??? Is it worthwhile to have students think about their own values, find ways to represent those values visually, and verbalize their meanings to their peers? Isn't that as important as learning about Ancient Rome or medieval times?

Math classes are so much easier for planning, so much more concrete in their direction. I know what they must know when they leave me, I know the order in which they need to learn it for them to be successful in the progression of learning. Black and white, 1,2,3,4... it all makes such more logical sense.

Is it OK that social studies represents a challenge for me? I often feel as if that one hour of the day is the wing zone, where I simply fly by the seat of my pants, trying to meet the state's standards, make it interesting and relevant, but never quite meeting the mark in my objectives.

BEING POSITIVE

BY SURROUNDING YOURSELF

WITH POSITIVE PEOPLE

NOVA/Science Now has an interesting video clip about something called Mirror Neurons that suggests people are strongly influenced by what they see, actually as much as if they themselves do the action they are seeing another do.

What implications does this have for teaching?

I can certainly use this to argue the need to surround one's self with positive people. If all I see are negative images, people frowning, complaining, and simply not enjoying their life/job, that will likely influence me myself to become more negative.

In a classroom, modeling behaviors I want my students to emulate, or having students model for each other, can have a dramatic impact on those less successful students. When they watch me or another student performing, for example, a problem solving strategy, they will internalize those process skills, and make them their own, as if they had already performed the skills.

Seems rather simplistic, but the possibilities are really mind boggling!

Looking back over my summer, it's been a busy one, no doubt. However, I did find time to learn some new techie cool tools. My favs? twitter and plurk, 2 amazing ways to connect and learn. Conversations on both are rich with shared info, teaching tips, websites, and just general chatter about education.

I have also played around with some other web 2.0 tools, like crappygraphs. I love the instant graphs, that can be anything from serious to frivolous. But certainly, these graphs will be engaging to my 7th graders!

I discovered a wonderful podcast at Teach with Video that gives practical suggestions for using tech tools in your classroom, as well as examples of great student podcasts and other tech projects by kids.

Want to print a HUGE poster of a picture? Try Block Posters. This site breaks your pic into 18 pieces so you can print on your printer and put together into a poster. Very cool...

All these make me wish I had time to just play with cool stuff all the time! or at the very least, I wish I taught a tech class to share all these with kids!

Summer's end is upon us. The teachers are starting to haunt the hallowed halls, the stores of full of bargains and long dressing room lines. The air of renewal hangs heavy with the worst offenders from last year promising parents and themselves a new start.

My room is not completely ready - a few posters are waiting to be stickied up, the lesson plans for first week need to be polished a bit, website updated, etc... but the tasks are underway, and I feel that sense of urgency for the kids to come back.

I was excited to find out I can finally get back into my classroom after the custodial staff have waved their magic wands and made the room all clean and new again. The wax on the hall floor is dry so it is OFFICIAL.

This week I have been spending a little while there each day. I always have the best of intentions of really tackling the putting back together process and getting done in a day or two and just being done. It never works that way though.

First comes the moving of furniture, rearranging, trying to find that perfect setup to start the school year. I would love to move it regularly but the laptops I have dictate that once my tables are set, they pretty much have to stay where they are to maintain power sources and room for all the cords. So getting it perfect is crucial. Last year, my classes were small with no more than 20 students per hour. This year, I can count on 28+ so my configuration has changed. But that is a time consuming project. I must move the tables, and then, let then sit for a while to decide if it is the right fit. I look, I ponder, I sit, I walk, I stand, I ponder, I sit, I stand, I scoot between chairs, I ponder, I try to imagine every possible scenario and problem. Then, one day, I know it. The tables and chairs are where they belong.

Then comes the dragging out of stuff, all that stuff I crammed into drawers and cupboards last June as I packed up my classroom. Inevitably, I find the most interesting items. Today's big find was a set of snapshots taken 6-7 years ago when I still taught 8th grade. That year I had an elective class. I think it was public speaking? For part of the class, my students went down to the elementary and read to little kids, I believe kindergarteners. I found the pictures of them all!! How cute... how adorable... Those 8th graders are long gone, graduated, grown up and off to college or the armed forces. But the little kids!! Those were my 7th graders from last year. **tears** They looked so sweet and innocent sitting there staring up at those 8th grade faces reading them their favorite books. Perched on chairs, sitting on the floor in the hall leaned against lockers, their little faces the same as when I had them in 7th grade, only younger, and sweeter, and much more innocent.

What will I find tomorrow when I am digging?? I can't wait to see...

When I recently commented on another blog(TJ on a Journey), someone commented back accusing my classroom, at least the curriculum, of being coercive. This first riled me a bit. But after thinking about what it means to be coercive, I was intrigued by the thought.

Googling coercive, I found this definition:Coercion is the practice of compelling a person to behave in an involuntary way (whether through action or inaction) by use of threats, intimidation or some other form of pressure or force.

Given that definition, my classroom IS indeed coercive. I compell, or attempt to compell, my students to act in certain ways by forms of pressure. I do not use threats, (OK, maybe on occasion I threaten to call home, or to keep a student after class, or make them wash desks if they write on them.... ) and I never use force, but there is a certain degree of intimidation involved in a classroom setting.

Is that necessarily a bad thing?

When we become adults, life itself is coercive by nature. Everything we do, we do as a result of coersion in one form or another. I obey the speed limit because I am coerced with the threat of a speeding ticket and my car insurance going up. I go to work each day and do what my boss coerces me to do because if I don't, I won't keep my job, I will lose my paycheck and therefore lose all the things that paycheck buys, like food, shelter, clothing and entertainment. I eat healthier choices and exercise more because my doctor's stern lecture coerces me to think carefully about the alternatives.

The role of school is inherently to prepare students for adulthood by giving them the skills they need to be successful in life. Some of those skills are academic, such as math, science, and written language. Others are more ambiguous, like learning to get along with others by follow societal rules like being on time, prepared and cooperative.

My curriculum is also coercive. While I often complain about the guidelines set forth by the State of Michigan as limiting what I can and must teach students, I also know that without those grade level content expectations, students would be left to the whims of individual teachers as to what they were taught in classrooms. Even now, it is apparent which elementary class students were in based on their math skills. If there were no guidelines to follow, I can only imagine the discrepancy among skill sets of my students.

I understand the school of thought that thinks students should be free to explore and learn what they are interested in. However, I think that is unreasonable given our current education system. Employers, as well as institutes of higher learning, has expectations that a student who graduates from high school will have certain base of common knowlege, regardless of where that student attended school. Some may argue this is out of date with today's easy constant access to information, and the rapid change of technology and its impact on society in general. I say let's simply change that common base of knowledge to incorporate these new skill sets, but keep a general assumption that all students at certain points in their education will be comparable in what they have in their repertoire.

It seems only fair to me to keep my classroom coercive. I want my students to leave my classroom with the most possible gained from our time together. I want them to learn, to grow, and to leave wanting to learn and grow even more. If that takes a little arm twisting on my part on occasion, then so be it!

Summers are always busy it seems, but this summer I took on the additional task of tutoring a young lady who will be going into 7th grade next fall. I do not usually tutor for a lot of reasons: I don't have time, I feel uncomfortable charging parents for my time, and I always feel like the time is not worthwhile. However, since this young lady will be coming into my grade, and needs help in math, I thought maybe it would be different.

M. works hard, very hard, every single time we are together - twice a week for 45 minutes each. I see her trying. I know she wants to do the work. I know she wants to please me. But for some reason, M. has a true learning disability in math.

With a background in math as well as learning disabilities, I am more than qualified to help her overcome this struggle, on paper, but in reality, I am struggling alongside her. To be sure, we are making strides in the right direction. However, it is a 3 step forward, 2 step back process.

The thing I would like most to help M. gain this summer is number sense. Even at 12 years old, she doesn't intuitively know that given 7, you need 3 more to make 10. She must count on her fingers to add up from 8 to 12. She can count by 2's, but not by 3's or even 4's. We have drilled and worked and played games and tried various strategies to help, but some days, the numbers are there, and others, they are not.

Today, we stopped trying to work on fractions because the finding a common denominator was just too tedious. I had her write columns of mulitples of numbers on the board. 2's were great. Then on to 4's. M. could not grasp that she could simply count 2 more, and 2 more, to get the next in the sequence. Often, her next choice to write was an odd number. We tried 9's, which we have worked on since Day 1. She knows the finger trick, and she knows that the first number, the digit in the 10's place, must be 1 less than whatever we are multipying 9 by. She knows that the digits in the answer must add to 9. She knows those tricks. She can tell them to me, faithfully. But when asked to write: 9, 18, 27, 36, ..... she is lost. There is no connection there.

I feel like a fraud, a total incompetent. I can't help her the way she needs to be helped. I can keep coaching her, giving her some self confidence. I can teach her more tricks. Help her draw pictures to attack word problems. Encourage her to use the calculator to solve problems. Help her strategize as to how to eliminate choices in multiple choice questions. But, I can't FIX her.

A recent conversation on Twitter with Robert Talbot about technology and what it means to be a truly competent user of technology, sparked my thinking about this topic. It all goes back to Marc Prensky's Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants article from 2001. According to Prensky, today's students are born into a digitally rich world and therefore will always be ahead of those born prior to the explosion of information and availability of tech toys and tools.

Is this truly the case though? Is simply using technology for socialization online making today's youth tech competent? Or instead, does this perpetuate the myth of the disconnect between digital natives and immigrants? Is it possible to be of the OLDER generation and be technologically competent? Is it possible to be a young person today and be technologically incompetent?

Part of the problem with this discussion is the definition of technology. Does being able to text to one's friends, acquire new ring tones, play Wii, seamlessly find wireless signals, and play online games make a 13 year technologically competent?

Does some of the problem stem from the want of using technology? If a student in class needs to practice integer operations at a online review site, many of them balk - "I don't get it!" "How do I make it work?" " It says my popup blocker is on." They are unable to figure out this simple process assigned to them. However, give them time to play online games of their choice, and suddenly, not only can they play them, they can get around the filter installed at school to the games that are blocked, they can message friends using IM programs that are blocked, all while they are listening to YouTube videos, that are also blocked. So then, why can't they "play" a review quiz such as the ones at math.com which are a million times simpler than the other things they are able to achieve.

Prensky says, "Today's students think and process information fundamentally differently from their predecessors."

He goes on to quote Dr. Bruce D. Perry, "thinking patterns have changed. "

Interesting to think about. Do students truly think differently today? I remember sitting reading and studying with The Eagles blaring from my 45's on my record player, with my mother complaining I couldn't possibly be learning anything with all that noise going. But, I was.

So back to the intial question: What does it mean to be technologically competent in today's world? To me, a simple answer would be: able to manipulate technology to meet your needs, in any situation. It means figuring out how to use that new iPhone, hooking up your new Wii, and chatting with friends on MSN or Facebook, sure.

Beyond that, it means using technology to find answers, manipulate data, and find creative ways to share with others.

Technology is the way to work with people far from your own geographic location, whether to learn in your own career, or about things which interest you outside the world of work.

Technology is the answer to all the questions you have, whether it is where is the best place to go to college if I want a degree in chemical engineering or how do I decide what is the best treatment for my latest diagnosis.

Technology expands your horizons beyond what previous generations were able to even imagine. However, technology also limits our ability to communicate face to face when we become so locked into a virtual world we do not talk to those in the same room. It also opens up dangers and possibilities for exploitation beyond the confines we once felt the safety net of.

Only by teaching students to use technology competently on all these arenas are we preparing them for the real world.

Our high school MME scores came out recently. 27% of the students were proficient in math. If that number alone is not enough to make a person cringe, I looked back at their 8th grade scores. Since the 8th grade test is given in the fall, it reflects their learning in 7th grade, and is the late test score until MME in the spring of their 11th grade year. When this group was in 8th grade, 60% were proficient in math. Not a great percentage, but over twice as much as when they reached 11th grade. Given the fact that some of your lower students have dropped out of school, gone to the alternative school, or simply moved by their 11th grade year, coupled with the fact this test is more important to students than when they are in middle school, logic would say if anything, the proficiency level should rise, not fall.

What is happening? Why are we doing so poorly in the high school math area? And, even more importantly, what do we do about it?

Yesterday I attended the first Michigan Joint Education Conference. The conference itself was good. The presenters had useful, interesting, relevant information to share and I brought back much I can take to my classroom and implement this fall. The exhibitors were all there, with tons of freebies and information. The box lunch was pretty typical.

What struck me most about the experience though was the location. Holt High School opened its doors to the groups sponsoring the event. Never before has the divide between the have's and have not's in education been so apparent to me. A map of the facility (complex seems a more appropriate word!) gives little evidence of the lush atmosphere of this building. From the widescreen TV's mounted on the wall along the cafeteria/commons area, to the SmartBoards in each classroom, no detail was ignored when this building was built. It is simply amazing. Wide halls with beautiful lockers siding the carpeted floors, which are set up in small nook-like areas, surround courtyards full of perennials lining stone paths winding by picnic tables. Bathrooms are small, but spaced frequently. Everything is new and clean and shiny though the building has been there for several years.

Sitting in the classrooms for sessions, I was first struck by how much storage space was there for supplies. The window wall had counter height cupboards, with others above beside the huge windows, most of which looked over the courtyards areas. Another closet area was in front, with some other area in the corner. Each room's SmartBoard was projected onto by the ceiling projector. On the teacher desk's were document readers and a desktop computer and a phone that looked more complex than my laptop.

My own classroom is tiny in comparison to these rooms, and since I teach in the middle school, my room is nearly twice the size of most of our high school classrooms, which were built a century ago. Instead of listening to the presenters, I find myself configuring my classes in here, moving desks around into communities of learners, instead of locked into the one possible configuration that supports the needs in my own room. I fantasize about the huge whiteboards, the birds at the feeder I would hang outside those windows, the hummingbirds darting to sip nectar from their feeders.

This building is set in what no doubt was a farm field, now devastated by urban sprawl, evident by the beautiful subdivisions of homes surrounding the old one room brick schoolhouse on the corner, a reminder of days forgotten.

On the way out of the building, I noticed a room marked "Staff Lounge" and could not resist popping my head in. TWO new refrigerators, TWO new microwaves, TWO complete ranges, an entire wall of cupboards with counter space for many to work, lots of tables beckoned me in. Three custodial staff sat there on break, eager to talk and brag about their building. They told me another lounge was upstairs, and that this building houses 1700 students grades 10-12, with the 9th graders (900 of them) housed across the road in their own building.

My own school seems dingy and dirty and just simply poor in comparison, like we are the wicked step-children banished to the old, leftover, used up education.

I know that education is more than a building. I know that kids learn from teachers who care, not because a room is shiny and new. But how would my students feel if they can see this building and compare it to our small, crowded, old digs?

Why is it acceptable for some districts to have it all while others are struggling to keep their doors open? Why is it acceptable for my students to learn while a bucket collects the water dripping from the leak in the roof while Holt students watch big screens as they eat lunch? Does it bother anyone besides ME?

The last day, the last day, the last day.. how many ways can that echo in my head?

One young lady gave me the sweetest card with a heartfelt note written inside. The one line that will echo always in my head: "You blow me away with how much you care, and respect the students." You always wonder, as a teacher, how you come across to your students. Do they KNOW you care? Do they KNOW you only demand the best because you see the potential in them? Do they KNOW you love them even when they are acting like hooligans and you want to throttle them? Her words make me think that maybe, just maybe, yes, they do KNOW.

Also echoing in my head are the words from my own mouth at one of the terrors I had this year. Pat was always into something he ought not have been, never quite on task, a dirty, unkept boy, that I just never really liked, though I tried hard to mask those feelings. As we left the auditorium walking through the high school halls, I had warned them to be quiet, walk softly, make not even a whisper so we did not disturb any of the high school classes taking exams. They were doing so well, or so I thought, until Pat reached over and nipple pinched another boy. I was furious, furious beyond what the situation and action dictated so I marched him into the cafeteria, our destination, and pointed him to the wall in a chair where I told him he would remain the next 2 and half hours left in our half day schedule. No hint of kindness or compassion in my voice. Just anger, disgust and intolerance. Pat sat. Not a word. He watched the activity the others were doing with silent resignation. The hour passed. My conscience tugged at my mind. Finally, I walked over and started to speak. Pat immediately perked up, before I could speak, apologizing for his actions, telling me he was sorry and he understood why I was angry. He took the wind out of my righteous sails as I told him what I had come to say, he could participate in the next activity after all. He actually acted as if he didnt think he deserved that honor, so I tried to explain how I was simply out of patience and had overreacted. He was wonderful in the gym the rest of the day, shooting baskets, smiling, laughing... as my angry words echoed in my head.

"He called my mom a slut," echoes in my head also. Poor Bry. Dustin throwing those hateful words at her must have been like a slap in the face. No consequences to pass out at school, I still made a phone call to his mother to tell her of his words. She promised to ground him indefinitely. I hope she follows through. The hatefulness of intentionally trying to hurt another is beyond me. The cruelness echoes in my head.

The sharp resounding bark of my dog at near midnight last night echoes in my head as well. I had stayed up to nearly 11, way past my usual bedtime on a school night to see the Wings win the Stanley Cup and was not really quite asleep. Scout burst out of her bed cursing dog barks at the window, piercing the night, making my heart leap into my throat wondering was it just a racoon that had startled her or was it something more serious.

I flicked on the outside light to see toilet paper streaming from everything in my front yard. I bit shaken, I grabbed my robe and slippers and led Scout, still growling, to the front door. We went out onto the step and surveyed the scene. Toilet paper on everything from the mailbox by the road, to the split rail fence, the pear trees, the shrubs, the bird feeder, and everything in between. My car was painted with white letters: HAHA & Happy Last Day of School & We luv u & U R a awesome teacher.

And suddenly, echoing in my head were Ian's words of several days this week: "Have you ever pranked anyone?" "what's the best prank anyone's done to you?" "do you get mad when people do pranks?" and the last odd question from him, just this morning, "what kind of car do you drive to school every day?" Then I started laughing, realizing this kid has NO future as a criminal. Scout and I went back to bed, she still shaken, sleeping on top of me the rest of the night.

When I saw Ian in the hal this morning, I laughed and pointed my finger at him, saying "you got me!"

Ian, being not the career criminal type, answers, "What? I didnt do anything? I didn't even have a ride to your house!"

His buddy gave him away with the laughter to THAT response!

More echoes are there as well, but for now.... those are keeping the tears and laughter flowing.

Wow.. it really is almost over. Two more half days with the kids and the 07/08 year is gone. It feels like it is ending too soon, like I am not quite ready to let them go. I know I feel this way every year, but as much as I have been gone lately with my husband's surgeries, it is like a disconnect. There is much I wanted to enjoy and share with these kids that just never happened.

Class evals were yesterday and I am always so humbled by the responses, the positive thoughts and comments they have to say. The best one this year was "Mrs. George is a joy to have in class". That is my favorite report card comment about my great students, and one of my young characters wrote that on his paper. How cool... I had more kids than ever write their names on them too. In some ways, I prefer anonymity, I encourage them NOT to write names, but I love it that they are comfortable enough to say whatever to me and sign their name to their thoughts.

Planning for algebra continues to stress me out. I already have a dad wanting his daughter put in there who is not ready. I talked to her at great lengths about why algebra is not the best placement for her, but she is convinced she can do it. I truly hope I am wrong and she zooms through with flying colors next year. I love her to death and she is one of my "favorites" but i have watched her work her butt off this year trying to maintain an A in my class because that is the home expectation. I just don't see that happening next year. She is not ready for the major abstract shift of algebra. But dad and she are determined.... I have no choice.

fun stuff the next 2 half days with awards, watching NUMB3RS, kickball, Survivor challenge, etc... and then, it will be over and I will cry, again....

I've been thinking a lot about the arbitrary-ness of education lately. It seems so many of the "professional educational" decisions we as teachers make about our students are more based on gut instinct and personal preferences than anything else.

In these days of increased accountability, the call for standards-based grading/assessment, the constant pressure of high-stakes testing and the ever-present urging of teachers to solve the problems of today's youths, logic would say we are far from arbitrary in our decisions, basing them on data, results, and solid evidence of our original intent and the end result.

Unfortunately, I see the polar opposite in daily practice, my own included.

Grading is volatile topic. Too often, teachers grade students on participation, attendance, cooperation, or simply whether or not the student is "liked". Standards-based grading can eliminate the bias of grades, but the move to these can be complex and confusing for students and parents, as well as teachers. It can also be a time-consuming task for teachers already overloaded.

Other pushes in grades lean towards forgiving missing or extremely low grades and not assigning any grade below a preset cutoff, such as 50%. From this article in the Las Vegas Sun, "Advocates of the more generous policy that makes 50 the minimum F say it is intended to give weaker students a better chance of passing. It is aimed at keeping them from being prematurely doomed by the numbers that are behind report card letter grades," it can be gleaned that even this policy is not hard and fast accurate, at least mathematically speaking. While I agree with the policy in theory, I find it even more difficult to explain to other educators and parents than standards-based grades.

Lucy scores a 52% on her test. Lucy obviously is struggling with the material. In theory, she has mastered 52% of what she should have learned. Pretty straight forward, right? Then comes along Robbie who was less than concerned about his test, knowing the lower grade to be recorded would be a 50% anyway, so Robbie doodles around the edges, attempts a few answers, scores a legitimate 28%, but in the grade program, a 50% shows up. Do we know anymore about what Robbie really can do, what Robbie actually learned than we did before when had he known the true score would be recorded, he might have put forth more effort?

Granted these are extreme cases, but most teachers in today's public schools would shake their heads in agreement of the likelihood of such a scenario.

Past the arbitrary-ness of grades, we can move into the discipline arena. We are planning for our annual 7th grade camp, a 3 day outdoor education experience. Who goes and who gets left behind is always another arbitrary event in education. Most students are going, pure and simple. Camp is intended to be all-inclusive and an honest attempt to allow all to attend is truly made. However, each year there is at least one hard-core, frequent flyer to the office, who simply cannot go along, for his/her own safety or that of others. No one seems to doubt the legitimacy of this decision, not even the student.

But then.... the arbitrary fairies start circling the toadstools. Billy and Joey got in a food fight in the cafeteria. Billy is a model student. Joey, well, not so model, but the decision made must apply to both, so.. OK, let them go. Then Maya and Lacey get into a pushing match in the hall, resulting in Megan getting knocked to the ground and her glasses getting broken. Megan's parents are irate, and Maya and Lacey get suspended. They are both semi-frequent fliers anyway, and the teachers think camp would most likely be more pleasant without them along anyway. And on the story goes, as student by student, decisions are made, without a clean cut plan.

While camp decisions are being made, schedules for next year are being put together also. As the 7th grade math teacher in our district, I am caught up in the drama of which incoming 7th graders should be placed in pre-algebra and which should take simple 7th grade general math. Then I am to also sort and sift my own 7th graders into their 8th grade class, either pre-algebra or algebra.

Too many things way on my mind as I write names in columns. Susie was in pre-algebra this year, and did OK, but is she really ready for algebra in the fall? Mom is a high school math teacher and really expects Susie to be in the highest group, but Susie doesn't like math and would be quite content to coast along in the lower group. Her scores on the placement test are borderline. Knowing Mom's expectations, I feel pressured to recommend her into algebra. But then there is Mickey, who was in regular math this year, not terribly motivated, but extremely gifted in math. His score on the placement test tops Susie by a good 10%, even though he was in a less-accelerated program this year. I know in my heart that Mickey could manage algebra in the fall, but I also know he won't complete his homework regularly, will be disruptive in class, and won't fit into the mold of the 8th grade teacher's idea of an algebra student. I also know there are only so many spots available in algebra. How do I decide Susie or Mickey for that chair?

I don't have a solution; I wish I did. I just feel pulled in all directions by the ever-constant decisions pressed upon me daily. How do I justify my choices to students and parents, and to myself at 2 a.m. while I lay awake contemplating my dilemma? Is it OK that education is not always black and white straight line, but more a gray wavering snail trail through muck?

As the school year winds down and the kids get more and more antsy, and I feel the pressures to FINISH everything, the challenge is ever-more present to find ways to engage and motivate students to meet objectives. One of the grade level content expectations I have always struggled with getting across to students is inverse relationships. While I will acknowledge we do not have a firm understanding of the ins and outs of what these are, my kids really "GET" the idea at a basic level.

First we looked at side lengths of a rectangle with a fixed area. This was interesting since we had already looked at fixed perimeters and considering the difference in how fixed area and perimeter affect side lengths forced them to think in ways they usually don't. Our first task was a 48 square foot garden which I had purchased mulch for. We generated a table of possible whole number side lengths and graphed them. Very cool! Students then did the same exercise with a 60 square foot area. That laid the ground work.

Then today, I gave each partner group a card with a service on it and a total amount of money to be earned. (ex. Earn $250 mowing lawns) They then generated a table of possible combinations. (ex. Mow 250 lawns @ $1 a piece, or mow 1 lawn @ $250, or 10 @ $25, etc..) They graphed their combinations on a HUGE piece of graph paper, and then added an arrow at what they thought was their best, most reasonable choice. These were then hung on the board and each partnership explained their graph and choice to class. We finished up by talking about how an inverse relationship would look if negative numbers were included.

I am impressed they were able to write their equations, complete their tables and graph their points. It was overall, a cool activity!

Tomorrow, is GLAD(grade level assessement device) day. YUCK! This is only a 30 question online assessment from our ISD but it really seems like a waste of a day of class. I am curious to compare their pre and post test scores though.

The days are winding down and I am going to be sad to see most of them move on to 8th grade!

We never did make it outside for Shadow Rendering. Sometimes Mother Nature has other plans. First day I attempted it, the sun was darting back and forth from cloud to cloud, with no predictability at all. Then the weather turned nasty, rain, snow, cold and icky even on the sunny days.

Now I have been gone for 3 days with my husband's surgery and I know I will be out at least one more day. I hate being gone for so long but unforeseen circumstances out of my control. I just hope the kids did what I left, which was easy, very easy, math worksheets on similar triangles, looking at corresponding sides, proving similarity with ASA, SSS, and SAS principles. Had I been in school, we would have done this in a much more fun, hands on approach, but the worksheets will "work" and are "sub proof" which was what I needed. Next week, they will start an end of year project/webquest. Our textbook series(Glencoe) actually has a great set of these I have never used. I decided to not assign a particular one but allow students to choose which of them they thought looked most appealing. I am also allowing them to work with a partner. I am curious to see how things go.

In the meantime, I am sitting in motel room, tired from 3 long days at the hospital, too pooped to even worry about whether kids really worked in my absence, what kind of behavior report to expect, or even what a mess I will have to take care of when I return. It just doesn't matter.....

Is it just me, or do each group of students who come through seem less willing to think on their own? We've been working on slope, y-intercepts, linear equations, for forever now it seems. Yesterday, I gave them a problem comparing 2 yearbook companies, one which charged $10 per book, the other, a $50 setup fee plus $8 a book. Pretty basic problem - needed to create table for given amounts of books, graph the 2 lines, and make some conclusions such as which place is better deal, explain what the slope and y-intercepts mean in context of problem, etc. I thought it would be super easy.

No way... most of them couldn't even make the table for the values!! come on... give me a break already. So after getting them started on that, then, they can't graph the lines. Then they couldn't write equations.

grrr.....grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr....................... they DO know how to do all that. Why won't they? Why is it sooooo much easier to feign inability, soooo much more appealing to be helpless, than the actually do it on your own and take a risk at being wrong??

Outside today for shadow rendering? think they can do that... please.... let them be able to do that!!

Is there such a thing as a typical day in 7th grade? If so, I guess that is how today could be described. We started with a 6-12 math department meeting which was simply frustrating. I do NOT understand why high school staff are so reluctant to simply use the State of Michigan's version of an exit exam for Algebra 1, Geometry, etc... When I look at the state's curriculum assessment expectations, I can understand how overwhelming it must be to try to cover all those. But truly, is it any different for them than it is for me? It may actually be somewhat easier at that level because inevitably some students drop out or go to alternative school. It was validating to hear that middle school scores are up and the ensuing recognition of our efforts at that level.

Then off to social studies. We watched a couple of newscasts from Jim Lehr NewsHour about the Sudan. I want students to really understand how deplorable conditions in the refugee camps are. They then started their research on diseases that are prevalent in the camps. They were all working quietly, engrossed (or grossed out... ) in their individual pursuits online so I ran to the 8th grade math teacher's classroom to ask about our earlier department meeting. She was just as frustrated as I so we talked longer than I should have been gone. On the way back to my room, I bumped into the principal and he and I chatted a minute or so. All together, I might have been gone 5 minutes. However, on returning to my room, they were off-task, jabbering away and goofing off. I gave my little "you don't need me here to know what you should be doing" speech to deaf ears.

The rest of the morning was quiet, relatively. Math and pre-algebra classes, I quickly reviewed one last time on slope, y-intercepts and linear equations. Then I passed out the quiz. WOW.. some of them ROCKED, some that I never thought would "get it"! and then, some of my normal 'A' kids, bombed it. **sigh** One young man stayed after to see what he missed - why he had gotten a 10%. Without fail, he could answer each question. When I asked him what happened, he said he was just confused earlier. I don't understand at all.... I just do not!!

But we are moving on, writing and solving 2 step equations in math and working on percents/fractions/proportions in pre-algebra.

another day in 7th grade....

We played the board games the kids made about Life in the Sahara. It was so cute to see them trying to decipher each other's rules and understand exactly what they were supposed to do. They had to fill out evaluations of the games they played and they were very honest and helpful in their comments. I was impressed!

One partnership made a very cool Monopoly Sahara Edition but somehow forgot to make property cards! Otherwise, it was an amazing game.

Overall, most of the games were fun and educational, really turned out to be a worthwhile activity though it seemed like it took forever!

At school on Sunday, getting ready for the week is always a time of reflection and panic, especially as the end of the year nears. It always seems there is so much I want to do with these 7th graders, so many things to teach them, so many activities to share, but time, time, time is always pressing in on me.

We have 7 more weeks of school left, with one of those spent at camp. So I have 6 weeks left to cover everything the state says I must, and make sure I have covered it well enough they actually retain it until next fall on their MEAP test. I have so many concerns about that when they seem unable to retain info from day to day!

We've been working on balancing 2 step equations in math class this past week. They, for the most part, seem to understand the process but what bogs them down is the lack of knowledge of basic math facts and their inability to remember how to deal with negative integers. It seemed last fall when we covered that, they were doing well and we've used it on multiple occasions since then, but now, too many of them, when asked what -11 - 19 is, cannot come up with the correct answer. It is frustrating to be unable to move on because they have not made those skills their own yet.

It has been fun using the graphing calculators though. By forcing students, especially my pre-algebra kids, to think and work on their own, I have seen so much growth in them. They are always so reluctant to try for fear of being wrong, and these activities have tremendously pushed them outside their comfort zones. I love seeing them THINK!

Tomorrow, we finally get to play the board games they have been making in social studies on Life in the Sahara. It seemed like the day would never come with extension after extension of time to work because they were so engrossed and engaged in their creations. I can't wait for them to share with each other tomorrow.

I cancelled my math curriculum meeting tomorrow, as well as Michigan Mathematics Program Improvement Project meeting on Wednesday. I just do not feel like I can be gone anymore this year. I know all that work is important but my classroom and my kids are my #1 priority.

My social studies class is making games about Life in the Sahara as one of the project choices from the lesson plan I found at NewsHour Extra. (There were other project choices, but all but one student chose to make a game.) They are so amazingly creative in their game boards. I can't wait for them to get to play with each other's games.

My struggle with 2 of the boys though, seems to shadow everything else. They refuse to do anything productive. Both of them are the kind who are frequently suspended and failing all or most of their classes. I was excited to see them draw a game board and actually get started. But of course, they lost interest after that, and have nothing else to go along with the board. They cut up a few pieces of paper but didn't get questions written. I tried to offer help and suggestions and resources, but of course, it was all for naught. It doesn't seem to matter at all what we do in class, easy book worksheets, fun projects, games, computer activities, movies, nothing grabs their attention. I feel at a loss to help them....

If you have never checked out the lessons offered by this website, I suggest you look at them. Many great resources, as well as complete lesson plans with online articles and in some cases, newscasts to supplement the activities.

Wow.. it's nice to be back to school today after a snow day yesterday. Who wouldn't love the irony of April Fool's Day being a snow day!!

We started the school day with a staff meeting, scheduling concerns for next year. On the one hand, I appreciate being asked what our thoughts and concerns and wants are as far as next year goes. But on the other hand, do we really have ANY say? The budget constraints really decide what happens. The contract decides how many hours we will teach. Our certifications decide where/what we will be teaching. It seems almost as if asking makes it worse. So many staff members make requests from their own perspective, without regard or consideration for the school as a whole, what is reasonable, or what is even best for kids.

I know.. I sound down... maybe just a little. I long for the days when we had enough staff to creatively schedule, do things "outside the box" and experiment. Now, with decreasing enrollment and staff, we are so locked into the only possibilities that it seems overwhelming to even try and think about the what might work better ideas....

**sigh**

YEEEHHHHAAAWWW!!!! What a cool day it was in math! The kids loved the calculators and were so intrigued by the ease of making graphs on the calculators, they kind of got lost in the fact they were writing linear equations, looking at inversely proportional relationships, learning about y-intercepts, and thinking about math in a totally new way. I love my job, I love my job, I love my job :-) I can't wait until tomorrow to do MORE!! We have a few more activities to do together and then I have some copies of things they can try on their own. It will be interesting to see how many of them are willing to push to accomplish all the tasks offered!

I should title this post You Might be a Geek..... 6th hour yesterday, one of the secretaries from Central Office called to say I had a huge package, something like a suitcase, waiting for me, so I sent a couple of girls to fetch it.

I had totally forgotten requesting a set of calculators from Texas Instruments. When I opened the black crate and saw those shiny TI 84 Plus Silver Editions, I was soooo excited! I brought one home to play with and spent about a couple of hours last night familiarizing myself with the calculator and its functions. I simply cannot wait for Monday to share this with the kids!

In all actuality, I should wait a few days to use them, but I am so totally geeked up I know we are going to use them Monday in all 3 classes. My two math classes have some experience with slope, y-intercepts and linear equations, but not really enough to do much on the calculators but I think just using the graphing function to see how slope and y-intercepts change the graph, looking at non-linear equations, and playing with exponents will be enough to hook them.

My prealgebra kids however, don't have much experience even in slope so they really are not ready to do many of those things. But this is such a bright group of kids, I know they will pick up on the concepts quickly.

The coolest thing.. we just spent Thursday and Friday on Building a Garden Gate where they looked at how a fixed perimeter changes areas and side lengths. Students graphed all the possible side lenght combos for a 60 ft perimeter fence two ways, one comparing side lenght 1 to side length 2, which is actually a simple linear equation, as well as graphed length of side lenght one compared to the area. I am hoping to use this actitivty as a springboard for writing equations and using the graphing calculator. I think since they just made their own graphs, using the calculators will be more meaningful.

My husband is a math phobe as well as a technology phobe. When I was able to have him write the equations as well as use the calculator to make the graphs, seeing the excitement on his face, I KNEW my 7th graders were going to be totally geeked about this.

My biggest concern for Monday is those SLOW laggers who are always a couple of steps behind. This will be a whole class activity, with me walking them step by step through the process, but I can already predict which of my little lovelies will fall behind. I am not sure how to deal with them, other than type out step by step instructions, which most likely they wouldn't follow anyway... and that would give some others a license to forge forward without understanding what we are doing, so I refuse to do that, at least for this intial exposure to the calculators.

TI has so many cool activites posted on their website, I am sure I can find followup activities to use as well. I only have the calculators for a month so I want to make sure I use them as much as possible.

So yes, call me a geek... I love trying something new!!

This morning was another camp meeting for adults involved in camp. We took care of odds and ends, trying to finalize classes, etc. That is the easy part. The tough part is who do we take to camp and who do we leave behind.

Sometimes, it is obvious a student should not go. Fighting, swearing, insubordination, etc... when they happen persistently and consistently across the board, repeatedly, it makes our decision easy. However, it always seems there are those gray area kids we debate about. The one who stole the teacher's edition of the math book to copy answers, the one who misses at least a day a week, the girls who are so exclusionary with their behaviors it borders on bullying. These are the kids we struggle to make decisions about.

My problem is I want to take them all, each and every one of them... OK, maybe not EVERY one of them ;-) Guess that's why we get paid the BIG $$$, eh?

The house plan projects are done for another year. Unlike the best scenario, where we go outside to build full scale models, like described in this Education World article, this year we stayed in and out of the deep snow to make to scale drawings/blueprints or to scale models of our houses.

A drawing was required. A model was extra credit. About a third of students chose to make a model. Two of the better ones are shown here. I was amazed, as I always am, at the creativity and dedication to excellence some of my students showed in their projects. Wooden decks, staircases, furniture... wow... How cool these models are!

I wish there were more projects like this that address the Grade Level Content Expectations I am expected to meet, and are fun, engaging and meaningful for students.!

Just a quick Happy Spring post with a couple of pics out my classroom window. This is what spring looks like in Newberry!

Sorry they are a bit blurry - I did actually take them through the screen of the window :-)

I am part of the Red Cedar Writing Project from Michigan State University. Recently a controversial topic sparked my interest on the listserve. Here is my reply to one post:
Part of Marcus's list.....

"Short Term:

1) Teach all Black boys to read at grade level by the third grade and to embrace education

2) Provide positive role models for Black boys

3) Create a stable home environment for Black boys that includes contact with their fathers>>>

4) Ensure that Black boys have a strong spiritual base

5) Control the negative media influences on Black boys

6) Teach Black boys to respect all girls and women

Long Term

1) Invest as much money in educating Black boys as in locking up Black men

2) Help connect Black boys to a positive vision of themselves in the future

3) Create high expectations and help Black boys live into those high expectations

4) Build a positive peer culture for Black boys

5) Teach Black boys self-discipline, culture and history

6) Teach Black boys and the communities in which they live to embrace education and life-long learning"

Another perspective:My question is why do we need to set those goals ONLY for black boys? Whynot for Native American males? Why not for the girls in our schools? Whynot for white boys caught in a hopeless foster care system? Why not forHispanic children?

I am not denying the statistics for black males as being dire, however,society is also allowing all our children to fall through the cracks. Wespend more on prisons, war, unemployment and politics than we do oneducation and health care for EVERYONE in this country. Children are no longer taught to respect authority, appreciate education,or even a basic dedication to excellence and a work ethic. It seems everyone and every group is out for themselves, without regard for whatbenefits the larger picture.

The list in the begining of this post should be rewritten and become the MISSION STATEMENT of our country, and every school therein:
Short Term
1) Teach ALL CHILDREN to read at grade level by the third grade and to embrace education
2) Provide positive role models for ALL CHILDREN
3) Create a stable home environment for ALL CHILDREN that includes contactwith their fathers
4) Ensure that ALL CHILDREN have a strong spiritual base
5) Control the negative media influences on Black boys
6) Teach ALL CHILDREN to respect all girls and women
Long Term
1) Invest as much money in educating ALL CHILDREN as in locking up PEOPLE
2) Help connect ALL CHILDREN to a positive vision of themselves in thefuture
3) Create high expectations and help ALL CHILDREN live into those highexpectations
4) Build a positive peer culture for ALL CHILDREN
5) Teach ALL CHILDREN self-discipline, culture and history
6) Teach ALL CHILDREN and the communities in which they live to embrace education and life-long learning

I live in a small rural community with few blacks (This is my 13th year teaching here and I have my first 2 black students this year), a fair number of Native Americans, and an overwhelming sense of despair,unemployment and "there's no reason to get an education because it won't help me anyway" attitude. By refocusing our political and financial priorities in this country to promote the above ideals, wouldn't ALL CHILDREN benefit?

Meme:Passion Quilt

I was recently tagged by Nancy Flanagan to be a part of the ever growing Passion Quilt.

My image to the left shows what I am passionate about: kids DOING math. Not worksheets, not rote memorization, but actually making their own meaning of math.

I want students to leave my room with a feeling that math may be, no, make that math IS hard, but they CAN do it. I try to make math meaningful, fun and active.

I hereby tag the following and ask them to submit their posts to the Passion Quilt:

Erica Roberts

Rebecca Lawson

Sara Van Abel

Beverly Maddox

Tena Linsbeck-Perron

Here are the rules
Passion Quilt Meme Rules:

1. Think about what you are passionate about teaching your students.

2. Post a picture from a source like FlickrCC or Flickr Creative Commons or make/take your own that captures what YOU are most passionate about for kids to learn about…and give your picture a short title.

3. Title your blog post “Meme: Passion Quilt” and link back to this blog entry.

4. Include links to 5 folks in your professional learning network or whom you follow on Twitter/Pownce.
And here's a link to the Original Rock-On Boy, The Tempered Radical, Bill Ferriter.

The flu, hacking coughs, cold, etc... have been rampant lately. For some reason, the powers that be at our school decided the way to slow the spread of germs was to not allow students access to the water fountains. In theory, students are to bring their own water bottle, but in reality, many forget, or it is warm, or they drink it all before day's end. It is so pointless to me. Most of these viruses are airborne, and unless we quarantine sick students and staff, we are unlikely to slow the spread until spring break.

In math and prealgebra, we are drawing to-scale models of student homes. Most are working, digging in, enjoying the challenge. However, 5th hour, the majority of students still have not brought in their measurements at all. It is frustrating and I am not sure what to do. Many students in the other 2 classes have chosen to build a model instead of simply drawing the floor plan. Many are using cardboard, but others are building with toothpicks and popsicles sticks. I can't wait to see their final products!

Two more days until break... thank goodness.. we are all sick, tired and in great need of a break.

Is there a full moon or a storm brewing? (OK, yes there is a snowstorm on the horizon!) Today was a tough day especially 5th hour. It started out with KB without book or pencil as usual. That I can handle. But then, he reached over and tore the page in A's book! Why in the world... she is one of those really nice, but terribly whiny girls anyway. Please do not give her reason to whine more! I sent him out... **sigh** Back to teaching math! Things are going well... until P writes a big red KKK on the back of her notebook and flashes it to MK, one of the only 2 black students on 7th grade. She ends up suspended for 3 days, and that is on the tails of being gone for 1 1/2 and just coming back today. Then TJ sprays cologne all over.

All in 20 minutes or so....... thank goodness the rest of the day went smoother!

Last hour prealgebra played a cool game out of the book called Juniper Green. It was a factor/multiple game and they had a BLAST, begging to play again!! Easy to do, easy to monitor and great practice on these concepts.

How could I forget MEAP scores??? I know they are not official, and I know they are not public yet.... so shhhhh...... but this year's 8th graders... when they came in 6th grade, 69% were proficent, then at begining of 7th grade, they fell to 61% proficient, but THEN.. drum roll please.... at the begining of 8th grade!! 73% proficient!! Validation comes at a sweet price. I hate high stakes tests.. I am not sure they measure anything accurately... but then again, I love when my scores validate my teaching!!

Slope Mania was FUN. The kids begged to play again. Today was a quick quiz on how to find slope 2 ways - sneaky writing in math class assignment as well. I was impressed! Almost all A's and B's on it!! How cool is that? The 3 that didn't get those scores - I could have predicted, unfortunately.

The one young man cannot read or write, but even when I had him orally answer me, he couldn't use the words RISE over RUN, nor could he explain the formula. The closest he got to anything was saying the numbers increased sort of alike in the table.

Young man #2 does not care - he misses soooo much school. If he isn't suspended, he is hunting or fishing or something. When he is in school, it seems life is just difficult. I have him in social studies as well as math and he tries my patience constantly. He comes late more days than he comes on time. He disrupts others, doesn't have a pencil, does very little work... I could go on and on.

Young man #3, I am not sure what happened. He is usually a good student, and I will touch base with him in seminar tomorrow to see if he can somehow get a more accurate description down on paper for me. He struggles with graphing for some reason but I think he CAN find slope. I am going to have to explore a bit more with him.

Today we did a couple of REALLY difficult slope activities - the hardest one gave the students the slope and Y-intercept and from that, they had to graph the line. It is kind of backwards logic and many of them struggled. However, just as many enjoyed the challenge and really worked at solving the logic of the activity. I was impressed!

My first 2 research papers were turned in today in social studies. WOW... I was impressed. Granted, I expected those 2 to do well, but they did extremely well... EXTREMELY well!! Even their bibiliographies shined.

I spent all afternoon baking heart shaped cookies for Valentine's Day. I feel like a cookie with frosting and sugar all over me. The kiddies will be thrilled though.

PreAlgebra took a mid-chapter test yesterday. Woohooo... They did awesome!! Today an 8th grader came and taught class. He asked to before but I told him he had to come get a book, and be prepared. He did a great job, but I don't think he will be back. He was a bit overwhelmed by the end of the hour with the questions and constant attention of all the girls.

I have to make a decision about our house project.... I don't know whether to have them do it at all, just draw plans, or do full-fledged models. I kind of want to do models with this small group and let them experience the process, but the thought of all that mess and confusion is a bit overwhelming as well. We start proportions tomorrow, with scale factor right on its heels so I must decide soon!!

Slope mania this afternoon. I hope it goes as well as I think it will? I have huge graphs laminated, baggies with dice with positive and negative numbers on them, data sheets, bingo chips, meter sticks, write on wipe off markers... all set to go.

The idea is to give them some slope practice in a fun way. They roll the 4 dice- the green are x values, the red are y's. One green and one red have negative signs on them. They then sort into 2 pairs, place a bingo chip at those points represented by the ordered pairs from dice. Use meter stick to connect points in line. They calculate slope as well as estimate y-intercept.

That sounds like fun, right???? maybe not if you are in 7th grade... **sigh**

Some days, you simply have to laugh. Yesterday was one of those days. First hour, my little Amy Sunshine didn't feel well. We called mom who is a teacher in high school and she said to give Amy an ibuprofen. I did, but Amy didn't feel well still so I let her sleep through first hour. After about 30 minutes of snoozing, she lifted her head and threw up all over, and threw up some more, and threw up some more. We evacuated into the hall while the custodian came and made our room smell better. Amy went home, but the memory lingered.

5th hour Melon Head Merissa didn't feel well. Hmmmm.. she sat at Amy's table first hour, had basketball practice with Amy before school, and was the one who walked Amy to Mom's classroom. When Merissa woke from her nap during math class, with that panicked look on her face, I was quicker! I grabbed the garbage and shoed her to restroom. She made it in time.

Today 3 more from my social studies class stayed home sick and 3 more went home sick... yikes.. when will it hit ME??? Hopefully, never!!

I am frustrated with kids who "don't get it" but don't want to accept responsibility for learning on their own at all. Kids who do their homework sometimes... who do not come before school or during seminar to get help... who won't participate in class...Kids who go home and tell parents we won't help them.. kids who lie.. kids who copy answers from math teacher text -- well, "see margin" does NOT make sense for an answer, DUH!! .... kids who think not doing work is an option....

I love the kids who come for extra help, who ask questions, who struggle and try and struggle and try and then finally the light bulb comes on and they are as excited as you that they've gotten it! I love kids who laugh at themselves and their mistakes and are willing to take a chance at being wrong. I love kids who are willing to make school a priority. I love kids who laugh and joke and ask to do more math problems because they think they might almost get it. I love kids who say do another example. I love kids who ask to redo their 85%. I love kids who dig through the bookshelves looking for another book by the same author. I love kids who come and get their work before they are gone for the rest of the day.

**sigh** thank goodness the I LOVE's outweigh the others by a ton...

:) We all need good days that follow bad ones... Today was a GOOD one. Yesterday, I did some butt chewing about the chapter test the day before, laying it on thick about how disappointed I was. I gave several examples of "bad answers", the ones that showed me the students did not even BOTHER to try to get the correct answer.

I spent about 20 minutes reviewing the highpoints of the chapter, gave back the tests with instructions to REDO. Amazingly enough, the scores soared. I felt a huge sigh of relief and a weight being lifted.

Today I brought in my cool new tech toy, a CPS Chalkboard, similar to a tablet computer but on a cheaper scale. All 3 of my math classes used it to sketch graphs. It was SOOOOOO much fun. We learned a lot about graphs, slopes, variables, independent and dependent variables, etc... but even more, we learned that we CAN laugh together and have fun learning.

The using the chalkboard is inherently laughter filled. It is tough to write with this stylus on a surface which does not show your marks. The projector image on the whiteboard seems to create itself as laughter from the drawer and the audience fills the classroom.

The highpoint of the day was when one of my better regular math kids decided to take the first try at the chalkboard. His line took on a mind of its own, right when I was taking a huge slug of my diet Mt. Dew. Frustrated, he yelled, "POOP!" which made everyone giggle including me with my mouthful of soda, which only spewed a little bit :-) It was just such a natural normal reaction and not a typical reaction for this usually quiet young man, it struck me off guard.

It was wonderful to end the week on a high note. I feel better.....

Sometimes, teaching seventh grade is like trying make a snowman in July or fish for ocean perch in your aquarium.

Such it seems is the case with my 2 math classes lately. We just finished the chapter on fractions. Now, please keep in mind that MOST of the chapter should have been review from about 4th grade on..... HOWEVER, MOST of my kids FAILED the test miserably.

I don't know what else to do. I really do not. They do not want to try, they do not want to practice, they do not want to do fractions. Repeatedly they tell me they have never done them before, they do not get them, they hate fractions, etc.....

It is a self-fullfilling prophecy with them, it really truly is. They cannot even take 3/4 and write it as a decimal! And, yes, I have shown them visuals, they have drawn them... we have talked about money... I have done everything I know to try to help them...

Do I force retakes like I usually do for less than 70%?? That would mean all but about 10 of the 40 would be retaking.

Do I let the train leave the station without them all onboard? Do I take more class time even when I think it will NOT make a difference at all???

Someone... please, tell me the answer!!

In the meantime, we are doing something else tomorrow.. totally unrelated..... please let them be more receptive and grant me patience..............

Back to school :-) Yesterday was our first day back and I will admit I was a bit reluctant to return after only a week and half off but now that I am here, wow, did I miss the kids!!

Social studies - we are starting research papers. I am quite sure I am in over my head with this project but I think my kids need to experience research from print sources. They will not be allowed to use the internet at all for this paper. They are so ingrained in the google, askjeeves, cut and paste world and I want them to really dig, learn, think, and reflect as they write. Our librarian will work with them Monday to teach them research skills. They each choose 3 countries in Europe they would like to research and gave reasons for their choices. From there, I assigned countries. Almost every student got his/her first choice.

I have tried to design the project with scaffolded parts to make it likely most will experience success. I do have some concerns with a couple of my students. I have 3 special ed kids and one major behavior problem in my class. I also have 3 who have chronic attendance problems. These will be the most challenging for me.

First -- notecards, then outline, then rough drafts... then, voila.. a final research paper!!

Part of me wanted to let them choose some topic, let this really be their own design, but I was worried with not being able to use the internet, sources might be difficult to find. Our small library is somewhat limited in its resources and I don't want that to be an issue.

Later in the year, we will do another paper, where they can choose their topic. Hopefully, this will set the stage for that experience.

My math class is finishing up the fractions chapter. YUCK!! I am as tired of it as the kids are. We are reviewing today and tomorrow with a short chapter test Monday. Their grades are overall low right now... partly due to the before break lazies, partly due to them hating fractions, and partly due to simple lack of effort on their part. They had one project before Christmas - to find a recipe, half it, and triple it.. half of my kids did not do it! they had 2 weeks to complete it but just did not bother! It is frustrating... it was a relatively easy assignment, fun... but so many of them just do not do something that must be done outside of class.

PreAlgebra is cruising right along. We are factoring monomials and they are doing GREAT. I love having a high group that just GETS IT!! I feel like we move at the speed of light in there compared to my other classes. I do feel badly sometimes that I don't take enough time to do "fun" things with them. That is my goal for this second semester. To find more activities to enrich their lessons which will be engaging and motivating.

Snow, snow, snow... we are in the mid winter gloomy days where I come to work in the dark, and often times, it is dark when I get home....