Reflections on High Expectations

                There have been many times where I have felt like that teacher that everyone talks about in the staff longue because I was just so relentless with the subject material. I wouldn’t be surprised if I had been the topic of unfriendly discussion because I refused to give a curve or give an extra credit assignment to bump some kid up to exemption status. As a kid I was always told to do my work and get good grades so that I could go to a stellar college and have an amazing future, but it seems that this thought process is not exactly the same as it was a decade ago. I had to earn every grade, and if I wasn’t proud of that grade, then I would do better next time. Improvement in a subject was also viewed as progress. Due to these thoughts and motions ingrained in me all through my schooling, it doesn’t surprise me all that much that I’d play hardball when it came to being a teacher. I have a high bar for my students because I know that they can reach it with the right motivation, resources, and skills. Kids are only as smart as we allow them to be.

                High expectations are integral to student success because they show kids to the point that can be reached, and then they say pass that point and go until there is no tomorrow. The higher the bar, the more to reach for. I learned this in my 7^th grade Spanish class. We were all finished with the material, and the kids had mastered all the year’s requirements, so one student raises his hand and asks me, “Hey Ms. Randi, can you show us how to use the past tense and the present tense together?” The rest of the class, save for one student, nodded and reached for their notebooks. I was shocked, but in a good way. They knew they had exceeded my expectations and their expectations, and they were still hungry to learn and be involved in the class. Once students see how much they can do with themselves and their education, there will be no limits to what they can do.

                Students having goals and being proud of all that they have accomplished is another super side effect that comes from participating fully in a subject. That Spanish class at the start of the year couldn’t read another language, and they made it their goal to be able to read portions from their favorite book by the end of the fall semester. By the end of fall, we were quoting The Hunger Games in the hallways, shouting dialogue across the classroom as code. They were so into being able to read in another language that one student went out and found the Harry Potter series in Spanish on the web, and I’d read it to them each week so they’d improve their listening skills. Their desire to reach this goal was inspiring so much more than a high test grade or a perfect project because this was what they wanted out of the class. And they were silly happy when they got to eighth grade and shocked their Spanish I teacher into getting them their summer reading book in Spanish so that they could continue their studies. They wanted to keep going and proving to themselves that not only was this a reachable goal, but it was a goal that could be surpassed and built upon for the future.

                This unit’s definitions of high expectations were exactly what I imagine for my own classroom: kids engaged and comfortable in their surroundings, accomplishing anything they put their minds to, all while exhibiting good behavior. I’m not crazy. I know that having these traits in spades in a classroom is rare and will probably only happen in a lifetime because though we can raise that bar and they can surpass it, they are still kids. They need to let loose and have fun and be irresponsible. One of my favorite parts about that Spanish class was the fact that they were unruly as heck. Their beginning of the year gift to me was a gavel and a megaphone because they were so loud, but at least they were shouting about sentence structure and subject/verb agreement. Most of the time anyway.

                I really enjoyed this unit because I got bashed on a lot at the last school I was at for raising the bar and doing extra material with the spare time left in the school year. This unit was my answered prayer because it showed me that I was doing the right thing. I was listening to my students. They were comfortable and eager and willing to raise their bar, so who should I be to stop them from doing that? We are taught as teachers that students are becoming more and more independent in their education because of all the tools that they have at their fingertips and all the resources that are within their grasp. Sure, I planted the seed of “wouldn’t it be cool to read your favorite series in Spanish”, but I never said let’s become bilingual readers. That thought is their accomplishment, their work ethic, their pride in their work. I’m just here for the ride!

Group Project Review:

I am not the biggest fan of group work especially when we are all on different schedules and live in different time zones.  Life just gets in the way! Lauren had completed her parts by Friday, as had I, and Charlotte is still working on her parts.

Positive Classroom Interactions Notes

Positive Classroom Interactions Notes

·         Slide 1: Introduction slide.

·         Slide 2: The most important part of creating a positive environment is to start out with a positive action. Smiling when students enter the classroom lets them know that you are excited that they are there. Smiling is infectious and transfers easily. If you start out feeling good and prepared for your class, exhibiting enthusiasm, and showing a good demeanor, then your students will also feel that way. You are excited to be there, and they will be too if they see your smile!

·         Slide 3: I like to start the school year with a “quiz” for each of my classes. I always tell them it is the easiest quiz they’ll take in my class. It is basically a piece of paper asking personal questions about their favorite foods and drinks, their family and friends, their hobbies, and what they would like to be included in the curriculum for the year. I then project my quiz results on the board so they can see my answers as well. In the past, it has helped us get to know each other and created a good start of relationship.

·         Slide 4: While it is necessary to have healthy relationships with each student, it is also imperative to create a welcoming and supportive classroom community. Each group of kids will be different, but it doesn’t matter how different they are as individuals as long as they can work in unison harmoniously. My homeroom was known for having a code word each week to come in the class in the morning before first bell. It made my kids feel like they had a safe space that was all theirs. It made them feel like a special group, and it strengthened us as a class. They looked after their own.

·         Slide 5: This kind of harkens back to Slide 3. Kids will initially be hesitant to share, but that fear can be crushed by sharing your life with them too. I think that open communication leads to mutual respect and a solid relationship between student and teacher.

·         Slide 6: ALWAYS TALK WITH YOUR STUDENTS. It is imperative to make sure to communicate clearly about assignments, classroom rules and regulations, behavior, and other issues. If you talk to them, then they will talk to you.

·         Slides 7 & 8: Poems by DC slam poet and English teacher Christ August. Both are about being wacky or inspiring in the classroom. Very powerful stuff. He’s my favorite spoken word performer.

·         Slides 9 & 10: Being open to new ideas and experiences in the classroom refreshes and reinvents the material for you and for the kids. It helps to put creative spin on old favorites like making a rap song about the vocabulary words or playing charades to go over verb conjugation. Since these activities usually involve the class communicating as a whole, they build respect and learn to acknowledge each other’s strengths and weaknesses. This will help them grow in the future when they are looking for a classmate that is able to aid in the explanation on a peer level of understanding.

·         Slides 11 & 12: One thing that teachers and students must remember is that, no matter how fun it is, school is still school, and learning is supposed to take place there. Teachers are preparing students for their future endeavors and bettering them as a whole in order that society will be able to function. Obstacles to overcome are just a part of life. The sooner the students are able to trounce and conquer any and all tasks, the sooner they will be ready to be on their own elsewhere. It the teacher’s job to teach and the student’s job to learn, and that should never be forgotten. Defeating challenges leads to a fuller life with more accomplishment and more to be proud of, so as teachers, we should ultimately want that “I can do anything if I put my mind to it” attitude for each of our students.

·         Slide 13: Students should obviously interact with each other on a social scale, and it should be in good faith. It is the first step to promoting social skills and collaboration that students learn from each other and learn to depend on each other.

·         Slide 14: Student input and opinion is important, but it is also necessary to remember that you are the teacher so you will have to make the final call.

·         Slides 15 & 16: Begin preventative measures against bullying before anyone gets ideas. Express positivity and mutual respect for their classmates and their teacher as a necessary fixture in the classroom. Tell students to problem solve solutions to dilemmas beforehand in case of something going wrong in the future. Using their collaboration, they will be able to talk out any problem that may arise. If they cannot do this alone, then a counselor, a teacher, or a peer can regulate as a neutral party in the discussion. Place emphasis on all the actions done correctly, and then rectify the negatives. They can apply the correct actions in the future.

·         Slide 17: Great anti-bullying poem found on Edutopia.

·         Slide 18: Golden rules for preventing and stopping bullying.

·         Slides 19: Poem about overcoming bullying by Christ August.

·         Slides 20 & 21: Wrap up and notes.

Special thanks to my students for letting me use their pictures!

Classroom Climate

One of the things I can remember as being a student is the first step into a new classroom at the start of the school year. The environment that a student walks into sets the precedent for the entire year to follow. If the environment isn’t welcoming or supportive then there will be problems in the development of the student emotionally and academically. This isn’t to say that the environment shouldn’t be challenging, rather it should be a place where a student can learn from mistakes and apply the corrections for use in the future. In turn, the teacher should also be welcoming and understanding, but he or she should also put forth an image that school is absolutely creative, but academia also exists for the purpose of bettering a child’s future. Betterment cannot be displayed if there are no obstacles to overcome.

When I first started teaching, I remember my classroom being a clean slate that I was supposed to color in with an array of shades. It was a blank canvas, and I could decorate it any way that I wanted. So I did. I brought in boxes of books on Spanish culture and language. I dug through my old philosophy texts from college and tossed those on the shelves as well. I hung pictures of places from all over the Spanish speaking world and images of religion in action. I hoped that I was giving ideas from the material that would spark into a thirst for the classroom subjects. Then it came time to give myself a clean slate. I didn’t ask other teachers about my students. I didn’t want any preconceived notions. I wanted to be surprised. And was I ever.

                One of my professors in college told me that you never forget your first class, and I imagine he will be correct. No matter how many other students I teach or work with or tutor, no one will ever be that 6^th grade course. They were wild and unruly, but they were kind and inviting. I don’t think I’ll ever love anyone the way that I love them…sorry I am now getting emotional…back to it. They were a new challenge, and I willingly welcomed that, but I was also a new challenge to them. For the first time they had foreign language every single day. I was the grouch imposing verb conjugations and direct object pronouns. The K-5 Spanish teacher with her color, once a week classes, and number flashcards suddenly became “the easiest teacher ever”, and I was “like so freaking hard”. Sorry y’all, homework most certainly is important and yes, it is a travesty, but spelling does count. Despite my enforcement of curriculum, I really had no clue how to run a classroom, and as a result, some days were more difficult than others.

                I had modeled my classroom management style after two teachers that I had when I was in K-12. Mr. Dufour was my 5^th grade teacher, and rest his soul, he was not the most patient man in the world, but he knew everything about how to make learning fun and relevant to our lives. If we were studying plant life in science, then we were dissecting flowers from the schoolyard to examine the parts. If we were learning the preamble to the Declaration to Independence, we were putting on a school wide play about it complete with singing and dancing and a book report on a famous Revolutionary era figure. He just understood how to make school seem like an adventure and not something to be endured every day. So I tried to take his learning style to the best of my ability, but I figured I would have more patience. I “stole” behavior ethics from my 11^th grade English teacher, Mrs. Horton.

                Mrs. Horton was the kind of woman that you stopped talking when she walked in the classroom for no other reason that you absolutely had to. I still have never quite figured out what her secret was, but either way I was going to crack it and take it for all that it was worth. I learned quickly after a particularly unfortunate day involving vacation vocabulary words that her secret was that she never yelled or raised her voice. She was just stern and spoke levelly, and good night, it was terrifying. I can still hear it in my head. Her calmness was unnerving to us students, and I hoped it would translate to my classroom. Spoiler alert: It does.

                Also, both Mr. Dufour and Mrs. Horton were incredibly difficult instructors. At a minimum, in 5^th grade, I’d be up till ten doing homework and copying encyclopedias at the college library while my mom waited in the car for me to be finished. However, to this day, I can recite the Declaration of Independence and can tell you all about Richard Nixon’s presidency, so all the effort was totally worthwhile. In 11^th grade English, I never got higher than a B average in Mrs. Horton’s class. I’d never had a B in any class before, ever. It was humbling, but it also angered me to no end; however, I never got a B on any paper in college or graduate school. Her persistence paid off in the end.

                I could be hard, but I could be fun. It is possible, and someone that says it’s not doesn’t know how to do it. I could be in control without flying off the handle, but admittedly, I was a little more concerned about that issue. Both developments were crucial to the students’ development though, and that’s why I am here, so I was going to make it work. And thus far I have because I really only abide by one universal law: respect through communication. My theory is also supported by Mary McGrann in her article Behavior Management Strategies when she states  that, “[i]f we focus on positive behaviors and build a trusting, respectful relationship with our students, we are ensuring a successful school year for our students and for ourselves. We are allowing them an opportunity to grow and made academic accomplishments in a safe environment” (1). Sounds pretty good!

                I’m going to be honest here. I don’t have any method to my madness, and I don’t think that anyone else’s experiences are ever going to be a helpful tool in my eyes, at least not wholly. Every class is different, and every period of the day is different. Mood swings fluctuate in the hallway and students’ emotions swing between lunch and 6^th period. There is absolutely no way to have all the secrets, there is only a way to have a good plan in case of alarm. The purpose of the classroom isn’t stunt development, but to encourage it. So reward when deserved and reprimand when punished. Detention is a useless tool in my eyes; therefore, I would make students come in during lunch and do Spanish or Religion worksheets in silence. It was perfect in my eyes: they were taken away from the one thing they wanted (free time with friends) and were enforcing the classroom curriculum. If they weren’t cooperative during my lunch time lock ins, it was cleaning time. They’d put my chairs up and sweep, clean the whiteboard, clap erasers, sanitize the desks, or whatever else needed to be done. Between those two options, I have found success. Mostly though, I have found that the classroom environment is dependent on a teacher’s relationship with the students.

                If I have a good rapport with my students, then they are going to respect me and the rules of our shared classroom. Sharing thoughts and ideas and problems, as long as done with patience and understanding, is the best way for all the cards to be on the table. I’m fine if a kid is angry with me, I’d just like to know why so that I can either talk with them about it or figure out a way to help rectify the situation. They need advice? I’m here. They have a dilemma? I’m here. They don’t quite get the homework? I’m here. All that needs be done is to ask, and I am happy to help.  It’s why I want to be a teacher after all. Isn’t it? I asked my department head what the simplest and cleanest way to wrangle a classroom, and he said, “You know Meg [he is from Jersey, so you can get the accent], I think the only part to remember is that you want to be here and you want to be involved. If you show them that, then you’re golden” (Conversation with Brother T).  And he’s right, I want to be there for my students and I want to be involved in their lives, every aspect of it, and as long as I can communicate that notion, then I think I my classroom will be a place of education and creative cooperation.

Resources:

McGrann, Mary C. "Behavior Management Strategies." Inspiring Teachers. Inspiring Teachers Publishing, Inc., 2014. Web. 23 May 2014. <http://www.inspiringteachers.com/classroom_resources/articles/classroom_management_and_discipline/behavior_management_strategies.html>.

Tafuri, Brother Spencer. "Conversation with Brother T." Personal interview. Aug. 2013.

Project Based Learning: Spanish

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BnXn83fVwcrY_R-_HrY54II-YHhe2GIPgrQcuC3cve8/pub

Instructional Objectives Determine Selection of Tools

It happens to every single teacher. We write a good lesson plan that outlines all of the necessary material, exhibits the information in an interesting light, and includes helpful homework. Then we try to use it in the classroom, and it falls flat on its face. Why is this? However much I’d like to think it happens because of the children’s behavior or the really crummy weather outside, it is probably because we, as teachers, didn’t know how to use our tools properly.

I will be the first to admit it: I am the worst at technology. I am still finding out things about my smartphone, and I cannot, to this day, use my projector and DVD player in unison. I am a mess, but I am working on it. This has ultimately been my downfall with most lessons that include any kind of technology. Sometimes, luck strikes, and the iPads are all on air and the Internet isn’t down, apps work, and no one has to go see the IT guy, but more often than not, I am always trying to find a way to work around the digital age; however, there are certain tools that I really do like to use.

Skype is my saving technological grace. If my parents, who just discovered the Weather app and were mystified as to how I knew the day’s temperature, can handle Skype, then certainly I can as well. And I have utilized it successfully in the past, though I do think it was due to the fact that I used outside school wireless connections and had it planned for the better part of three weeks. I had my class tune in to my class in Argentina from a few years back. As far as the language barrier went, that part was semi-difficult due to the nature of my students’ Spanish, but the Skype went off without a hitch. True, I had to rewire the wifi and make sure the class in Argentina would be able to join my class for the day, but when planned correctly, it went decidedly well. Instructional objectives were met, and learning objectives for the week were met.

On the other side of the spectrum with technology, I am certainly the recipient of the “uh-oh Ms. Randi, my iPad froze, can I go see the computer guy” question more than any other teacher I know. It probably has something to do with the fact that the days I decide to miraculously use the iPads is the day that the gods laugh at me. The process usually goes like this: I decide at the last minute to use the technology because I think it would be a “fun and cool” addition to the classroom. I normally don’t test it until the next morning at school during homeroom, where the app works well and the Internet complies. Then first period begins, and the app is freaked out by the 25 users on it all at once, and the Internet is overwhelmed with students logging on its server. Not my finest work.

This activity told us to write a blog post about how instructional objectives are imperative to using technology in the classroom. I think my past experiences, though I rarely seem to learn from them unless I have enough time, are proof enough that practicing and mastering the technology are dire skills to have before throwing it into the classroom. While I can’t control the rest of the digital world, I can control my world within my classroom, and having a plan to execute is the first step.