Back to School

As I prepare for students to return to the classroom I am mentally going through the list of things I need to do to prepare for students in 10 days. My first year teaching I sent out welcome letters to all my students. I used it as a way to introduce myself and let students know a little about what we would learn and my expectations for the school year. I had several parents tell me how much their students enjoyed receiving mail from their teacher. I have always meant to send out letters as the year begins, but as I get overwhelmed with other things that need to happen at the beginning of the school year. This year, I am proud to say that I am more prepared than usual for the school year to begin, so, I am thinking once again on sending out letters to students in my classroom.
This article in edutopia about back to school letters renewed my desire to send out letters to the students in my classroom. I love that they provided an example and the thought of sending out homework for the students and parents. I love the idea of getting a letter from the parents that lets me know more about their child. It would be a great way to get to know the students in your classroom. What are some ways that you get to know students from the start of the school year?

Words

As the beginning of the school year quickly approaches I have been doing more of my summer reading. This time of year always causes me to focus on what routines I want to teacher and what I want those first few days and weeks of school to look like. I have been reading Choice Words by Peter H. Johnston and came across an article on edutopia entitled 13 Common Sayings to Avoid. I am more and more struck by how the things we say as teachers impact and influence the students in our classrooms.
The article on edutopia was great because for every phrase it suggested we shouldn't be saying it offered an alternative. Some of the sayings that were pointed out were things that I never say, however there were some things that the author Dr. Richard Curwin suggested teachers not say that I do say. It was a great opportunity for me to think about alternatives to those phrases and how that might impact my classroom environment.
Choice Words is a great book that has helped me to reflect on the language that I use with students in my classroom. I appreciate the research information as well as the examples that are provided. Some of the examples are phrased in a way that I wouldn't have thought to say, however they make so much sense.
Reading this book and article initially I felt like there was a lot of pressure to say the right thing and not mess up. I understand, however, that we are all human and like everything this reading has given me the opportunity to try a little harder to be a little better. Are there any words/phrases that you avoid in your classroom?

Would You Rather: Poll Blog

In connection with my other posts this week I have been thinking more about developing my own personal learning network. I have followed bloggers and other teaching professionals on Twitter for years now, however it has all been passive. I have watched others interact from the sidelines. One of my goals is to dive in and find others to share and collaborate with online. So, with that thought I would like to pose this question...

Student-Led Classroom: Video Entry

In the reading of my book Learn Like a Pirate by Paul Solarz I have been reading about students-led classrooms. I have implemented daily 5 into my classroom routines which gives students responsibility to take charge of their learning. My favorite thing about daily 5 is that students are in charge of what they learn. As I have reflected on daily 5 and read about how Paul Solarz runs his classroom I have been thinking more about how important it is for students to take charge of their learning. This is not to say that I will allow students to take charge of my classroom tomorrow. However, I have been seriously thinking about how I will be encouraging my students to collaborate and work together on a task that is important and meaningful to them. As I have been thinking about this I found this TED talk where Ken Robinson discusses how our students (and all of us) learn in different ways and have different talents. I love the analogy he uses that we have built our education system on the model of fast food. As I prepare for the year I hope that I can make my students feel more like they are at a Michelin restaurant, where everything is not standardized, and less like they are at McDonalds, where everything is the same for everyone.

 


Video: https://www.ted.com/talks/sir_ken_robinson_bring_on_the_revolution/transcript?language=en

Genius Hour: Audio Entry

One of the strategies that I have read about teachers using to empower and teach students be independent learners is Genius Hour. I have read blog posts about teachers who were implementing this in their classrooms. To be honest I was skeptical at first, the thought of allowing students to choose what they want to learn seemed crazy to me. However, as I continued to teach I saw the genius to it. Allowing students to choose what and how they are going to learn is very empowering to students. After years of playing with the idea and trying to figure out how I would implement genius hour into my curriculum I found time this last year. Allowing the students to work on a project all their own was scary and yet the kids grabbed onto the idea and were able to accomplish so much more than I thought they would. I look forward to other opportunities to try genius hour and ways to get students involved in and responsible for their own learning. Here is a quick sound bite with a student (not from my classroom) talking about her genius hour project.



AudioBoom: https://audioboom.com/boos/2946630-genius-hour

Teach and Learn Like a Pirate

I have mentioned before how much I love podcasts. The podcast Talks with Teachers introduced me to their summer book club.

Last year I read Teach Like a Pirate by Dave Burgess and I loved this book! My biggest takeaway from this book is this, "We must deal with circumstances such as we find them!" I read that statement as I walked into a brand new portable 4 days before school started with no air conditioning in 100 degree heat. "We must deal with circumstances such as we find them!", was my mantra. There was so much more in that book that influenced my teaching, but that quote stuck with me. This book helped me to think about empowering students and creating engaging lessons for my students to participate in. 

This month I have started Learn Like a Pirate by Paul Solarz. This book is different from Teach Like a Pirate in that it flips the responsibility of learning to the student. Paul Solarz has been teaching in a student lead classroom and in this book he shares how he encourages creativity and collaboration in the classroom. I started this book last week and I am hooked! My brain runs 100mph when I read as I look for ways to make my classroom more student led. 

Both of these authors are active on Twitter and their websites. 

Teach Like A Pirate

@burgessdave

Learn Like A Pirate

@PaulSolarz

Picture: https://www.flickr.com/photos/serlunar/3087210464/

Guest Blog Entry

I know this is late, but her experiences and reflection is so profound I have to share. This post is thanks to Rachel Martel a high school friend of mine who has spent the last few years finding ways to  coordinate and lead humanitarian trips. As soon as I read her thoughts I looked at my master contract to see how soon I could take a sabbatical and get out to see the world. Enjoy...


Serving others; learning from and connecting with people; as well as experiencing different cultures and seeing others in their element, have all been driving forces in my life, as well as elements I consider to be embedded within my nature. 

Growing up with my family, I had the unique opportunity of living in Germany, Canada and Idaho. When I was 21, I had the experience of living in Romania for a year and a half. In 2010, I was able to participate in my first humanitarian trip to Nepal. Since then, I have found my niche in coordinating and leading humanitarian trips, and have been able to experience various cultures and learn from incredible people while serving in Kenya, Guatemala, Peru, Cambodia, Israel, Jordan and Egypt, and many more to come. 

Many of the Romanians I met, wanted to know know why I would choose to come to Romania when I was from the United States and must have lived an ideal life - from what they had seen and heard of America on television. Many Romanians wanted a better life and dreamed that would be found in America. At the same time, I felt that leaving my home in America and all that was familiar to me, was a way in which I learned how to live a better life. I witnessed the daily struggle to survive that many Romanians faced - how to have enough food to feed their family, and how parents could help their children have a better life with greater opportunities than they had. 

It is the people and one's relationships in life that that truly determine happiness. This principle was first cemented into my mind and heart during my time in Romania, and I am constantly reminded of this truth each time I visit a humble village. The families and children I interact with are evidence of this principle. They live in huts, sleep on the ground, have no electricity, some walk long distances in order to have access to water, whether it's from an unclean pond or a bio-sand filtration system built for their village. They have their families and their happy hearts - and this sustains them. The most humble, giving and happiest people I have met, have been those that have very few material possessions. They have nothing, and it brings them great joy to give all they have to others. 

Returning after a humanitarian trip is often a difficult transition for me. I come home changed. For the previous two weeks, life was simple, unplugged from technology, nothing was "on demand," resources were fully utilized, and conversations were focused on deeper, richer, soul-searching topics. These experiences realign my priorities - I come back refocused on the things that matter most in my life - the people. I fight to not fall back into all my previous routines, while the noises around me try to force their way back into my head. First world problem conversations, entitlement, lack of patience for the internet not being fast enough, water not being hot enough, buying more and giving into conveniences, as well as many others, are conversations and actions I see governing others' lives. Moments like these remind me to slow down and focus on what matters most in life.

I love the quote by John Dewey, which states, "We do not learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on experience." Allowing the moments of life to seep into our souls, provides opportunity for us to choose to change and be influenced. Experiencing cultures and people is an invitation to see the world outside yourself.