Job vs Joy

Teaching used to be a joy. I loved blogging about it, reading about it, doing it. My absolute favorite thing in the world.  Its year 6 and it isn’t anymore.  I don’t want to spend 75% of my time on classroom management anymore.  I am tired of correcting behaviors and uniforms and calling parents over trivial things.  All I’ve ever wanted to do was teach, not fill out forms and meet unreasonable deadlines for such paperwork. I don’t want to do “homework” every single night for the rest of my life.

A friend asked me what would I do instead. My response:  I don’t know. I don’t have any back up plans because teaching is supposed to be my career.   It wasn’t a last resort career for me, it was my dream.  And the thing is:  I know I’m good at teaching. . . when I actually do it!  I’ve been given a GOOD thing this year.  My schedule is the best its ever been. Classroom management should be minimal at this point for me.   And its not.   I don’t know what I am doing wrong.  *sigh*  I don’t expect students to be perfect angels, but apathy combined with behavior is driving me away . . .

And don’t let me hear the words, “but this is an elective” ever.again.

Issues & Pictures

Several things I’m thinking about this week:

• How to manage the busyness of my life without going of my diet.  This has always been my struggle.  Today, I worked in my classroom (and was interrupted 20,000 times) until almost 1:30.  So caught up in things that I absolutely forgot to eat.  I brought my lunch.  It was a really good lunch:  salad, roasted veggies, pork chop & apple.  Well, I had to go right away to the dentist.  I was STARVING when I left the dentist.  And the fast food was pretty tempting.   I don’t know how I resisted.  I came home and cooked:  salmon, wilted spinach & onions and cabbage.  It was good but after it was over, I was still hungry.
• Today, I didn’t get anything done.  Other teachers, kept coming by to say hello and welcome back and to check out my classroom’s new setup.    Also, I’ve been helping the new SS teacher.  With all of that action, anything I started never got completed.  I sat at the computer several times to only be interrupted.  *sigh*  How will I ever get finished with my lesson plans and ancillaries by Monday!?  I’ve decided tomorrow that the lights are going off, the door will close and lock and I’ll work until my stuff is ready!
• The FlyLady is really working for me.  My home is CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN!  Oh, yeah!  Everyday, I spend 15 minutes picking up and prepping for the next day.  It is working-even on this school schedule.  Yes, I am beat tired when I get home, but I make myself do it.  And it feels good.  You know, she has a FlyLady plan for teachers???
• I am so excited to be returning to my school this fall.  I never thought I could be this optimistic, but I am.  Thank you, Lord for such a positive attitude.    I haven’t felt this good about school in a long time.   Here are pictures of what my classroom looks like right now:

Updated Procedures

I have updated my procedures to reflect the changes, I am making this year to my classroom operations.  Dear Readers, tell me what you think.  And ya’ll know, I’m the typo & error queen, so if you see any errors feel free to notify me in the comments.   Students will complete a scavenger hunt of classroom procedures during the second week of school.  This will be one of the resources used to complete the assignment.  I’m hoping that it is comprehensive enough.  In the final printing of the document, I will include examples of rubrics and other documents.

Some of you may think I have gone to far and this document is insane.  Perhaps?!   But,  I work in an urban environment.  And I’m trying a lot of new stuff this year.  I find that spelling things out in detail WORKS for me.  And spending 2 weeks teaching and reinforcing procedures ALWAYS results in a great year!    It is worth every single minute of me creating & editing this document.

Classroom Procedures

Year 6 Began Today

I’m sooo excited about the upcoming school year.    I am really optimistic about the school year, which is VAST change from last year!    What I am doing differently in my classroom this year:

• Seating students in groupings. I’ve been acquiring tables that seat 4 students.   My hope is that students will work more collaboratively.  However, I’ll have to be “snappy and with it” the first few months of school to establish appropriate behavior in this type of atmosphere.

• Interactive Notebooks.  I’m doing them based on the  History Alive model. . . with students actually responding to the materials the “content” learned in class.  This is the thing I am

• In class Portfolios.  I am requiring students to get a 3 pronged folder.  Instead of students keeping tests, quizzes and rubrics and other assessments, I am going to have students file them in the folder when I return them.  I might keep other parent contacts in the folder.  These folders will remain in my classroom.  Imagine the success of parent conference with this type of documentation!

• Maintaining a class website.  I’ve already set up a pretty comprehensive. . . the goal is that students will use it to stay on top of when things are due.  And to have access to all class documents online:  homework, rubrics, notes . . .EVERYTHING.  I’m tired of copying and answering the same questions over and over again.  I hope students will actually use it.  What I’d LOVE to do is set up discussion boards or blog. . . but I haven’t figured out how to make it work.  I am open to suggestions!

• Giving weekly progress notes.  I am desperate for my students to have more “communication” regarding their grades.  Unfortunately, our system for giving parents online access does NOT work and when I asked about it today, I got the run around.  So, my plan is to print them from the grade book every Tuesday and then send a mass email to parents letting them know I sent them home.  I know I will waste a TON of paper. . . but I’m tired of excuses and this whole “credit recovery” system that my principal seems to endorse b/c of his belief in standards based grading.  I like the idea of SBG. . . but what it turns into is cheating, borrowing and lack of quality products produced.

Journaling

Since my second year of teaching, I have had students journal in class. Granted, I did not always know what I was doing or why I had them do it. However journaling is a process that I’ve refined in the last 2 years of teaching. This video shows you how to make the journal and few student examples from last year.

Journaling from Miss A on Vimeo.

Why require journals?

• Students need to be reflective about their learning. At the beginning of a lesson, journaling can be used to review a previously learned concept or get students thinking about it before the lesson has been introduced. At the conclusion of the lesson, students can apply what they have learned by journaling.
• Classroom management. I used journals at the beginning of class (bellwork/warmup) to focus students. I introduce it to the students like this, “The beginning of the class is a time for silent reflection. We all need quiet time to focus and ready ourselves for the learning process.”
• Student practice their writing skills. Students will not get better at writing, reading or narratives if they do not practice.
• Discussion points. Students need to write before discussing. It is the time where they gather their own thoughts and opinions before letting another student or even me tell them what to think. Journals lead to REAL discussions in my classroom. Sometimes, we get so caught up in the discussion; we get behind in the content.

What are they?

• Foldable bound booklet—Students used to keep composition books or a section in their notebook.  The foldable works better b/c we can keep all of their work for a quarter together. Easier and less bulkier to grade
• Students write in them everyday, labeling the journal with a number & the date

What type of work is done in them?

1. TWEDYs
2. Responses to Journal Prompts—usually these are my “hooks”, questions about everyday life or their own belief systems that connect to themes in the lesson.
3. Identity charts
4. FreeWrites/Freedom Writers Journal
5. Narratives/RAFTS—students take on the role of someone from the lesson and write a narrative as if they were that person
6. Short summaries of previous lesson

How do I grade them?

• I collect journals randomly (if they chat during the warmup time, I call for them when the timer goes off). I only grade the entry for that day. Usually worth 25 points. Students do not lose points for grammar or spelling. I look for content and substance and sometimes quantity.
• At the end of the quarter, I count up how many entries they have for the entire quarter and multiply it by 3, 4 or 5 points (vary according to how many entries I assigned that quarter. Remember, I can stop in the middle of lesson and say “journal about this” to facilitate class discussions. ) This typically gives students some grace for absences they didn’t make up.

Protected: Weebly Rocks

Getting Ready For Year 6

This summer, I rested. Seriously, I’ve watched the entire Burn Notice series, surfed the net and shopped more than anyone should. And it was good!  I’m actually ready to go back to school next week-except getting up in the morning.  As I prepare to go back, I feel organized and ready.  This week:

1. Went back and moved furniture in my classroom. Set up the technology.  Still have decorating and little cleaning to do-so its only one more day of work.
2. Completed my classroom website. .  .well almost . . .i think it’ll forever be a work in progress.
3. Completed my syllabus and 2 weeks of lesson plans. . . now, i just need to make the ancillaries and I’ll be all set. I’m making a lot of changes this year to increase the rigor of my classes.  I’ve decided to demand more writing this year.
4. Created a list, will share later, of teaching strategies.  The goal/point is make instructional variety easy as looking at a chart. (For this blog, this school year, I’m going start sharing more of my lesson plans, so expect to see them in the upcoming weeks)

Here is my syllabus if you’re interested.  If you have any feedback or corrections, feel free to comment. English teachers, I always appreciate your help!
NetSyllabus

Book Review: Teach Like A Champion

As I browsed through Lemov’s book (TLAC), I sensed that his book is largely about classroom management with a few teaching strategies thrown in.  He’s actually said it in one of the interviews with him-I am paraphrasing, “If you don’t have the students attention, then you can’t teach them.”

There is nothing revolutionary about the book.  The techniques presented here are the “basic” building blocks of education and are not new to the education world. The novelty and star quality of TLAC is that Lemov gives the strategies names and organizes them in an accessible way.   Most of the principles of TLAC are “old school.”  As I began to read more and more, I remember that many of elementary and middle school teachers running their classroom this way-and I graduated over 15 years ago.   Thus, it builds more steam to the argument that the traditional pedagogy still works and yields high results.  (Hmmmm, ain’t that something?!)

Things about the book that I love:

1. The accompanying DVD that shows the strategies in action.
2. The organization of the book.  It is EASY to browse . . . just picking a strategy here and  there read and add to your tool box.  It is organized so that there no need to read it cover to cover!  Personally, I’ll probably leave my copy in the bathroom or car for a “quick read” after this review.  It is one of those books like the Essential 55; you can just flip it open to read a strategy or two and then do something else.
3. Lemov provides SEVERAL examples of how each strategy should work through the text and DVD.  It is NOT one of the cryptic books  in which you can’t figure out how to implement or use the content.
4. If implemented, the techniques will give you an effectively run and demanding classroom.  Something my students desperately need.

Things about the book that bothered me:

1. Although, concepts in the book are universal and can be adapted, it seemed to focus on primary and middle grades.  There is little focus on high school.  On the DVD, it appeared only 3 secondary classrooms were showcased.  Is it because “hooking” students at the primary grades is key to being successful in upper grades? Or that these strategies are not as successful there?  Why couldn’t he find more high schools doing great things?
2. I feel like the book has been promoted as a teaching strategy book, it is NOT, in my opinion.  To me, a teaching strategy is how the content is presented to the student, activities or delivery method.  This book seems to be about controlling the learning environment to maximize learning.    This is NOT how I want run my classroom.  Now, I admit that I am control freak when it comes to my classroom environment.  However, there seems to be liberty, freedom and diversity my classroom–it not just a “learning” silence.  My students are engaged in discovery and discussion and I am NOT the source of all learning-center-of my classroom.   My role is to guide students to learning, not to be the focus of it.

I believe this book is an excellent for first year teachers.  Classroom management is one of the biggest issues with first years.  I believe if a first year implemented about 15 of the techniques, they would have an extremely successful year.  Out of the 49 techniques presented in TLAC, 14 of them are things that I already do in my classroom.  Therefore, I can “testify” to  the effectiveness of the strategies. MY ADVICE:    First year teachers need to graze through TLAC (read a bit here and there)!  Do NOT read it cover to cover-it could be overwhelming.  Pick only a few things to implement and do those things WELL this year. No one can use them all!

For experienced teacher, this book could give you a few more classroom management strategies to add to your repetoire. In the words of David, “It is always good to sharpen your sword.”    As an experienced teacher, I would have been fine with the DVD only-I like hearing the verbiage other teachers use.  Nevertheless, I’ve decided that I’ll try to integrate at least 5 TLAC techniques in this books in the upcoming school year:

1. No Opt Out-For Q & A, Students must answer the question with a correct answer.  Students do not get the option to not answer the question.  Lemov gives verbage and options for getting the child to the correct answer.  The ones that I’ll probably use most often are guiding the student to the correct answer and allowing another student to answer then come back to the student for the correct answer.
2. 100%.  This strategy requires teacher to correct students when off task, so that 100% of students are on task the entire class.  I love the phrases used by Zimmerli in this clip, “I have Jasmine, but not . ..  .”   & “Still waiting on 3. . ..on 2. . . now, lets do . . . “
3. Name the Steps-This technique is simply giving students steps or process for the content.  He suggests no more than six.  This is a bit difficult to do with history.  However, before reading TLAC, this was something I had planned to do this year.  Usually, when I give notes,  I give guided notes b/c there is so much content.  This year, I had planned to make a change b/c of the results of my AP exam and a transition to SBG.  Reading the book for details will be there responsibility and I will be giving “summaries” of history.  The plan is to give 1-4 slides of notes in some sort of brief form, analyze a primary source that relates or tell a story, review content.  Instead of the long lectures were students are filling in blank after blank.  I like the idea of giving them the key points to remember.
4. Pepper-Rapid fire of questions during a Q & A review.  I usually do Q & A, but its pretty slow.  I like the idea of just banging them out one after another.  I’d probably need to have them prewritten b/c thats my style.  What I like about this that everyone can answer in unison or I can randomly call of various people.
5. Call and Response-This technique requires students to answer in unison with an answer or repeat what you’ve said.  I used to do this in my classroom, but it had declined over the past couple of years.  It reminds me of church-like when the Pastor says God is Good!  Definitely, going to use this one more!

***Please don’t feel that this a bash of the book.  It is a honest reflection of how I could practically use its contents***

New Late Work Policy

I have really spent my summer resting.  Seriously, there was a week, I don’t think I did anything but lay in the bed and watch netflix & lifetime movies.  Summer has been soooo sweet to me.   My summer will be over in about 2-3 weeks, when I start professional development (officially over the first Monday of August).

I have a total of 5 crates that I need to sort through to make life easier in the fall.  I have decided to move toward a binder system for keeping master copies of my documents and lesson plans-by units of course.  Two of the crates are still sittiing by the front door.  Yep, excuse the dirty floor!

Over the last couple of days, I’ve been lurking on twitter…listening to other educators discuss . .. . and something got me thinking about my late work policy.  For the past 2 years, I started off the school year, saying “No Late Work Accepted.”   That ain’t working for me because I ALWAYS have to eat my words.  Remember that Willy Nilly make up policy?  I always alter my policy.  And I’m forever grading because I always have late work/make up work being turned in.

So here is the policy, I am tempted to create:

1. Tests/Quizzes-  Can be made up/retaken within the quarter in which they were given.  There will be NO credit recovery after the grading period has ended.
2. Classwork/Homework/Projects-Can be turned in late. DEADLINE: When I return the graded assignments to the class.  I will emphasize that it will NEVER ever take me longer than a week to grade & return assignments.  After I have returned the assignments, the only opportunity for make up is Saturday School.  No exceptions.  I want the students to “invest” in their late & make up work.  I’m tired of being the only one inconvenienced.
3. There will be NO credit recovery after a grading period has ended and a child has had a “Holy Ghost” or “Come To Jesus” meetin’ with their parents.
4. I will strictly enforce the  ”Dog Ate My Homework” slips.  I “borrowed” this idea from Leespea and it is simply genious.  I did this with last project of the school year. On the A day, out of 75 projects to be collected only 30 were turned in.  I was FURIOUS b/c students had over 6 weeks to complete them.    If you didn’t have your project, you had to turn in this form.   While the students were working on an assignment, I took the phonelist & those glorious pink forms and sat down to call parents.  The students knew what I was doing, even though they didn’t hear the entire conversation.  It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop as I read the excuses.  Within a week, I had collected 90% of the projects from ALL of my students (and yes, most of them were crap.)  Here is the form, that I made based on Leespea’s post:

Pink Slip

Ode to Ms. H. & Interactive Notebooks

I want to send out a SPECIAL thank you to Ms. H of Molding Young Minds.  Yes, my friends, she is a GENIUS!

Oh, Ms. H, you’re genius

What a great help to us teachers

Now I can manage the trenches

Now, My students will  rise like tenors

Okay,  I know I’m not a poet . . .just grateful for her ideas.. .and, hey, I tried!

I have been struggling with kids completing the bellwork, maintaining a decent notebook (a study tool) and just holding onto materials for use at a later time.  And the notebook that they were to complete was not working for me or THEM.  So, this semester, I decided to do a pilot in my AAH classes. At the suggestion of Ms. H, we have been putting together interactive notebooks made from composition books.  And it is working!  Here is the process:

• Students are required to purchase a composition book.
• We’ve made a table of contents out of the first 3 pages.
• During bellwork, the class clerk passes out returns.  We stop for a moment to glue in things together.  It takes about 3 or 4 minutes for everyone to take old stuff paste it.  And, YES, in high school, you still have to teach them HOW to work with glue. *sigh*
• After bellwork, I tell them what we are going to do that day.  We list it on the table of contents.  Students write a note on that page in their notebook to reserve for that item, if it is something that they are turning in for a grade on that day.
• We made a foldable (a mini-book) that will contain ALL of their bellwork for the unit we are studying.  I will take it up at the end of the unit.  Students made a pocket in their composition book to keep their journal (the mini-book)  in!  So, everyday, I say, “Take out your journal, date the next available space and begin today’s bellwork assignment.”
• We made a second pocket in our composition books for VOCABULARY.  For every vocabulary word they are given, students must make an “index card”  from white or construction paper.  The front of the “index card” contains the word & a graphic illustration, the back contains the definition.  We used a paper clip to ensure that “cards” are secure in the pocket.  Also, when  I take them up for a grade, it will be easy to manage.  And now students have a study tool for vocabulary.
• I’ve already started the rightside/left side things.  The first assignment was to create a chart of the African civilizations & then write a poem about it.  So, on the left side, they have glued in the chart and on the right side is their poetry.
• Lastly, I have a place in the classroom where students return their composition books at the end of the hour.  Yes, students leave their notebooks  in the classroom.  Why?  B/c a major source of my problem is they don’t bring their supplies to class.  Many come to class without paper, book or pen–lets not even start talking about that notebook I required.  Basically, they just show up everyday .  AND the best thing of all:  I’ll have QUALITY WORK to show parents during conferences:  “Here is the work Bobby has completed.  Here are all of his graded tests.  He can improve by . . ..”

The response from the kids has been AMAZING.  One student who takes me for both World History and AAH said, “Miss Teacha, why aren’t we doing this WH. This soooo much easier than that big binder you have us keeping up with.”  This has helped me realize that I am TEACHING them organization skills with the composition books!  We’ve only been using them for 2-3 weeks,  so I’ll have to review it again in a month or so and include pictures (here on my blog) to really examine the effectiveness.  And at that time,  I’ll determine if grades and student success improve!

Issues:

• Some students have NOT purchased the composition books I have requested last semester.  I offered extra credit if purchased it before the break and left it in the classroom with me.  Solution:  I will go to Wally World today and purchase about 25 of them.  I will sell them in my classroom for $2.  Why so much? For the students who simply can’t afford it,  I will just give them one.  So, they will purchase for themselves and someone else!  Also, co-teacher is trying out this experiment and has lost over $10 selling composition books to students b/c she didn’t charge them tax and giving notebooks to needy students.

• My student supply and work area has become a MESS!!!  A ROYAL mess!!!  Today, I am going to purchase a storage drawer system to organize the glue, tape, staplers, scissors, construction paper, white paper.  You know a few years ago, Miss CF had a marvelous idea that I will implement next year:  make a class set of student packets with ziplock bags-they will contain all supplies 1 stapler, 1 bottle of glue, scissors, a set of coloring pencils or crayons.   Basically, students pick up their packet and replace it at the end of the hour.  She suggested that I number each packet and the students were to only pick up their packet every day.  If something was missing the next hour, I’d know who to blame.  If I did this, I’d only have to worry about 1 tub of stuff, not a drawer for each type of  craft item.

• I am really NERVOUS  about letting these notebooks leave the classroom, when its time to study for a test or quiz. The whole purpose of this is so students come to class PREPARED and ready to learn.  My students are notorious for not bringing things.  Personally, I think it is their way of avoiding work, who knows?

With the help of Ms. H and these websites, anyone can do it.  Mind you, I have not followed instructions on these websites to the letter.   I have synthesized and mixed it will my own style–what  I am doing is not a true interactive notebook.  But it’s working!

• Overview of Interative Notebooks
• Notebook Wiki
• A Handout
• Ms. Beery’s Handout;  the main site
• AVID Learning Log.  I am using this document to provide reflective questions at the end of the lesson that students respond to in their composition books after completing a lesson.

Floating . . . Roving. . .

A teacher posted the following message to one of my old posts:

I am currently a roving teacher.  I teach writing to grades 1-5 for a total of 15 classes every three days.  It is at an inner city school.  It is my first elementary job. (I taught high school for two years before returning to school.)  I am struggling with classroom management, because I am trying to figure out everyone else’s classroom procedures.  Does anyone have any suggestions for me???  I am part time, don’t have a prep period, and haven’t been made to feel very welcome yet.  If anyone has any help, I would love to hear your advice.

The following was my response:

Have your own rules and procedures for things.  It may vary slightly from room to know, but make it CLEAR, they may do one thing with teacher so and so, but this will not fly with you.  Having your own rules and procedures will make things easier for you.  Students will fall in line if they know your expectations.  They may grumble at first, but will comply.

You may have to take some time to introduce your self to some of the staff/faculty to get that “welcome”  feeling or try to build relationships with the teachers where you are floating.  I NEVER felt welcome my first year.  Honestly, I felt as though I was intruding every single day.  I just ignored the feeling and did my job.  I know this is probably not what you want to hear, but it is the truth.  Teachers who are “fixtures” in a school rarely go out of their way to make newbies feel welcome.  I read somewhere, “To have friends, one must first be friendly.”  Maybe we can apply this to the school atmosphere, “to feel welcome, one must be welcoming.”  So maybe have show a few gestures of excitement to be using their space, etc. In other words, “suck up.”

Does anyone else have advice for her?

Block Schedule

Next year, our district is converting all of the high schools to an A/B block schedule-friday will be a rotating day.  I’m not sure how all of this will work.  The math teachers seem to think we’ll lose about 20 hours of instruction for the year.  The administrators say class sizes will decrease and we’ll have more QUALITY TIME with our students    They keep assuring us that we’ll get a conference/ planning period every day. . . me, I’m excited, but confused.  When I do the math, same number of teachers, same classes, it just doesn’t add up.  Nevertheless, I am excited:

• It will be exciting to complete an entire lesson in one class.  No more of this saying, “we’ll finish it tomorrow.”  When I plan a big lesson, we’ll be able to finish it.  There will finally be closure.
• We can really do some indepth activities.  I have ruled out a lot of things because of the time constraints.

Things I’ve been thinking about:

• Homework will be necessary.  I don’t see how I can teach, do reinforcement activities and cover the entire curriculum along with the mandates of freshman academy such as motivation and life skills.  One of the things my kids have loved is “No Homework” policy. With the new block scheduling, my classtime definitely needs to be more produce.  My issue:  structure of the homework.  I was thinking of doing chapter packets of some sort.  Or doing targets (from David)  and having them due in at the end of the week.    But I worry about cheating–this is why I stopped assigning homework a long time ago.  Cheating . . . or homework could be to study.  And I could pop quiz the students on broad topics to see to check for studying/reading. . . uuuugghhh.  Such a hard decision.   What types of things do you assign for homework?
• Format of my block time.  I am thinking:  20 minute increments for all activities.  Standard days would consist of :

10 minutes for bw, discussion & announcement

20 min for lecture/discussion/reading (content delivery time)

20 minutes for some type of hands-on/game,

20 minutes independent practice/activity/new instruction,

15 minutes review/discussion/collaborative activity

5 minutes closure/motivational moment

• I will need to have several back up plans/alternative lessons if stuff does not work out  or my timing is off.

These are just my ideas. . . no experience whatsoever with this.  How do you divide up your block.  They gave us this book on blocks on the last day of school.  I haven’t looked at it.  I guess, I’ll jump into it tonight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When you put yourself out there on the net, you really open yourself up to criticism. In my tenure here, there has been a lot of good and it has outweighed the all of bad. After reading some negative comments toward me and commenters on this blog, I found myself  asking, “Why in the world do I keep doing this to myself? If I’m truly doing this for myself, why don’t I go private?”

But the reality is, I like the conversation that exists here.  I love when people post ideas, I have tried quite a few things in my classroom as a result of readers who post.  Yet, there are so many cruel people out there!  People who say ugly & inconsiderate things.  Yes, I delete their comments before they post, but I still had to read them.

*sigh*

Doc: Year End Reflection

More than 1 person asked for the year end reflection.  I’m posting it here.   Use it and modify it to fit your needs.

~Miss Teacha

Year End Reflection 09

Classroom Management pt 2

A discussion of classroom management brought a lot of readers out of lurkdom! It was a great discussion of strategies to curb chattiness among student. I wanted to take some of what others said in the comments and turn them into a post because these are definitely strategies that work.  I’ve also turned this discussion into a podcast that includes a couple of personal stories.  (I was playing with amplify and it’s a little loud so turn down your speakers)

1. Proximity, Proximity, Proximity! Thanks Mrs. H, for introducing that into the discussion. Standing beside the perpetrators always changes things. If there is a chatter box, stand by them. Student’s catch hint quickly. If you are unable to get there right away, I found staring works. At that point, it becomes really awkward for them to continue their conversation. Teachers should constantly be moving about the room. Unless we are watching a video or doing independent practice, I am pacing the aisles of my classroom.  Students have ASKED me to sit down b/c I get in their way. I just move to a different place.   On a rare occasions, that I’ll go to the back of the room and take a place on top of the AC unit.
2. Participation points. I, use that too. I have a rubric that I swipped from HistoryTeacher.net. That I have changed to fit my needs.  I use it at the end of term to average into other things for a total participation grade.  What is key to all of this:  Students self assess themselves.  It is GREAT to have on hand when a parent comes for a conference. It changes the tone. Students are often harder on themselves than I am.  
3. Engaging learning experiences and discussions as stated by Betsy, Andrew, Simon & David.  My students know that every class there will be a discussion of some sort. It is their turn to express their opinions and thoughts. Additionally, students participate group work several times a week. Except for 7^th period. Group work with them was code for lose your mind.

I wanted to thank everyone for their comments.  I especially loved Beth’s comments about  having the students walk.  And Ms. H take on a “touch of crazy.”  She’s right about have the coach help in cases of athletes.  However, that backfired on me, once.  The coach put the kid in a headlock in the middle of my class.  I didn’t like that.  I never got THAT coach involved again.

Is there any one else who’d like to add tidbits to the conversation?

Excessive Talking . . . Classroom Management

I received the following comment from TeacherMom

As a new teacher, though, I am really struggling with the classroom mgt in some of my wilder classes.  I have given detention, had the hallway conversations, called home, etc.  I find the entire thing to be a big black hole.  I really don’t understand how to keep the noise level down in some classes.  When it can be isolated to a student, it is easier.  But, when it is several of them…what do you do?  It is hard for me to understand the steps and consequences.  So, could you post on what steps/consequences you take for talking/noise level specifically?

First, I’ll forward this question to my colleagues:  Experienced teachers, how do you combat “chattiness” in your classroom?

Second, let me issue a disclaimer:   I AM NOT A CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT EXPERT. . . .or discipline expert, for that matter.  If I were, I wouldn’t complain about my glorious 7th period class.  It’s the end of the year and the problems are still rampant but seriously minimized, what helps?  The trouble makers are getting more and more suspensions (their not just troublemakers in my class, but in other classes, too–they cuss other teachers out–so I’m doing pretty good) . . .so we have random days of peace and quiet.  Nevertheless, I’m not an expert and many experts would disagree with me on my methods . . .

How do I handle noise:

1. I have a reputation for being a witch . . .so on day 1, they walk in SCARED!   Reputation comes with time.  You know they leave saying “I really liked your class. . . but you work us and you don’t take any stuff.”
2. I drill, drill, drill from Day 1 that I don’t like frivolous conversation; I don’t like talking. . . .and I start calling parents from Day 1.
3. I heard a parent say this. . . it helps to have “a little touch of crazy” when dealing with your kids.  They never know what to expect from you.  This is the philosophy I have adopted in my classroom.
4. I give whole class punishments when I can’t figure out the problem and it’s persistent.  Usually, someone will betray the others to make it end or they take the punishment and on future days I can hear them monitoring one another.  Now, all I have to do say “mmmh, I feel an essay coming on. . . “  And the self-policing goes into action.

But none of those things will help you at this point.  Honestly, going in as a student teacher you are not going to have the same “bang.”  Really, this is where your cooperating teacher needs to step in–I had to do it with my 5th period.  They said to me, “Mr. ST gotta earn his stripes.”  I told them, “As far as I’m concerned that business is OVER!  Next time behavior like this happens, I will help You, EARN  YOUR STRIPES.”  I said some other stuff about expectations and disappointment. . .but, I think what they needed to hear was I knew about “earning stripes.”  They understood and behavior changed.  In essence, what I’m trying to say to you, do the best you can right now and just start planning for when you have your own classroom.”

Here are practical things you can do now:

1. Count Down from 5.  I hold my hand in the air and say, “It should be silent in 5 . . . . 4. . . . . .3. . . . 2. .. . .1″  It’s my attention getter.  Works all the time.  I used it primarily for coming back together after group work, but it works well any old time.    Why I like it:  (1) It gives students a chance to finish what they were saying–in their minds, it was important.   (2) It can be used for a variety of things:  You should be back at your assigned seat in . . . .  You should be complete with this in . . .
2. Sometimes, I stop everything I’m doing.  I stop talking.  Stop moving.  Just stop and stare.  And wait.  Depending on my mood, I may say “When you’re finished. . . . “  And I wait, until I have everyone’s attention.  My students are really good about policing themselves, now.  It’s funny to watch them, “Kesha, ssshhh, she’s trying to teach.”
3. Time Out.  Make an agreement with another teacher and allow their room to be your time out space.  Sometimes, you just need a the problem to go away for the day.  So, I send them to Co-Teacher’s room-and she’s 10 times worse than I am.   Mentor teacher fusses at the student when I send them to her room.  When someone is too talkative and you’ve warned them in class, but you’re in situation where you can’t send them to the office. . . TIME OUT works.   The way I present it: “Joey, gather ALL of your things and meet me at the door.”  I take them outside the door and talk to them, their attitude determines whether it’ll be a referral or a time out in another teacher’s room.  This works well to break up your main perpetrators. . . don’t send them all to the same place.
4. Discipline process when it comes to talking:  classroom warning–> private conference–> call parents–>office referral.  At my school, I found it works this way:  when you don’t write a lot of referrals, they are more reactive on the ones you do write.   It wasn’t until ST came that I had to do a lot of referrals, cause students wanted to help him “earn his stripes.”    Key to contacting parents:  “Little Joey is being disruptive and it’s preventing other students from learning and preventing ME from doing my job.  I hope I can enlist your help.”  If parents seem irritated by your call and don’t want to help and do not seem like they will active in the discipline process.  I learned this from another teacher, “Ma’am, this will be my ONLY phone call home.  The next incidence of misbehavior will result in an immediate office referral.”  This wakes the parent up, usually.
5. Find your source and deal with it.  Make a deal, a bargain.  Something.  It’s an act of desperation, but it works.  My first year of teaching, I had a kid who couldn’t read. . . therefore he couldn’t do the work.  Was a constant disruption b/c of it.  After speaking with his SPED teacher, I made a deal with the kid–it was a bad one, but I was desperate.   If he came to class and sat quietly, everyday, I’d give him a C on his report card. AND You must keep your end of the deal. . . I’ve never seen a kid so happy to get a C.  He showed that report card to everyone.  His behavior changed dynamics of my entire class.  I taught AND he got his C.

I hope I’ve given you a few PRACTICAL ways to handle classroom discipline . . . but honestly, my way is not the right or only way.  You should do whatever works for you.  I’ll probably get buttload of critics saying I’m wrong and you shouldn’t model yourself after me, b/c I am not using positive reinforcement, etc.  I think it’s all mumbo jumbo anyway b/c I’ve tried it and it didn’t work for me.  And it certainly did not fit my personality.  . . that’s why I don’t work in elementary schools.

However, I do think this is makes for a good conversation, b/c everyone does it differently.  Experienced teachers, how you combat “chattiness” in your classroom?

My advice to new teachers. . . .

So, I was at Joel’s site and he did a re post of advice for new teachers. So, after working with a ST for a semester, here are 3 major pieces of advice I would give to any new teacher.

1. Take Classroom Management to the EXTREME. Use books, blogs, websites and thing to write a plan of what you what you desire to be the ideal structure of your classroom and teaching time. First I set up my discipline plan w/consequences. Then, I thought about I exactly I wanted kids to do when they entered my classroom. I specified how exactly I wanted the work done. This ended up being an 8 page document. I made it into a packet that we worked through everyday during the first two week of school. We practiced and established routines. I knew I wanted my kids doing hands-on. So, in my classroom management plan, I had a procedure for moving into those activities and what to do when we did them. Lastly, I have a STRONG dislike for noise and random conversation. So, in my classroom plan I wrote that down and looked for things to solve those problems. . .. like how to handle transitions and ways to get students back on task. Remember, everything you do in your classroom management plan MUST fit YOUR personality. If it doesn’t then it won’t work.
2. Create a list of 10 “go to” strategies/methods. Teaching and learning is much more than talking to students for an entire hour and let me tell you, lecture sucks for kids. Learning IS about discovery. . . a huge part my own learning was digging and finding things for myself. Those things I dug for are the things that I retain. So, what I did was come up with a list of 10 things that I can repeatedly do to engage my students in the learning process. These are strategies I use when I don’t have time to plan extensive lessons, but increase retention. So, when I’m planning for the week, I say “mmmh, I’m teaching the Renaissance, what can we do with the content?” I pick an activity from my list. A few things on my list: create a song or poem about the topic, dry erase boards, timeline, drawings, flywat game &uh game. And I do this over and over throughout the year integrating them with new activities. I found a list of activities online that I sometimes use.   (Skip to page 2 for their list)
3. Get rest. There is never enough time to be a perfect teacher. So make sure you rest when you’re off the clock. Good teachers have down time, hobbies. . . The best teachers I know work hard AND play hard!

Finagling Grades

It’s that time again, when grades are due.  And I’m having some real issues with grading and assessment.  It’s really a frustrating process.  I keep my grades in Easy Grade Pro.  At any time I can see a little bar chart at the top of my screen showing the grade distribution.  That crazy 7th period has 19 F’s–and this is with a class curve.   Many would suggest the problem is the teacher.   However, these students don’t want to work.  They don’t want to do anything but socialize and it’s frustrating.  Here are my issues with grading with trying to finagle grades this term:

• I grade a lot of assignments.  Why?  Because if I only relied on the assessments (test & projects) many students would fail–I’ll get into this in a moment.  So, I typically assign about 15-20 classwork assignments per term.  These assignments include:  Guided Reading, Pair-Share discussions, graphic organizers, notes (yes I grade their notes), collages, foldables . . . really anything that is done in class.  Class periods are often 50 minutes long and sometimes we DO NOT have time to complete the assignment.  I ask them to take it home and return it the next day.  Sometimes the work does not come back.   I don’t have anymore time to spend on that particular thing–in order to accomplish my curriculum.  But I DO still hold the kids accountable for completing the assingments.  Am I wrong for this?  These assignments are typically graded for completion.  For whatever reason, it doesn’t get done.  Some kids won’t work unless I stand over them.  Try calling parents of inner city students when they don’t complete assignments!  Doesn’t work on the student who really need it.  The parents ignore phone calls from the school.  And we don’t have a system that can FORCE them to complete the work or study.
• The students fail tests b/c they don’t study.   I KNOW I teach the content.  I know I review and my assignments enhance the the content.  But 3 contacts with content does not EQUAL fluency.   World History does not support having more than 3 contacts IN CLASS with the same material.  I have to teach Ancient History to Present.  I don’t have time according to the curriculum to give students more in class time with each topic.  The students need to study and understand that I want them to study.  But as I read some of their responses, many don’t for various reasons:  time, forgetful, distractions.  But I can’t open their head an implant the information.  What am I to do?
• They don’t do the projects.  I’ll have to do a whole post on this later.  But I’ve been rethinking the whole idea of doing projects.

So here is where my major issues are:

• I’ve changed all of the missing assignments to 50’s to account for the statistical problems with giving ZEROs.
• I give a class curve to boost scores and get more C’s & D’s.  However, a kid with 16 missing assignments out of 30 earns 77.  It just doesn’t seem right.  It supports the idea that I’ll pass even if I don’t do the work.  You will not continue to get a check from your employer if you do NOT do the work.  Right?
• On the other end of the spectrum, because of these class curves, I have students with scores of 120% b/c they did EVERYTHING right, the first time around.
• Students turn in late work on the day before grades are due.  I do not have time to grade 100 late assignments b/c they failed to meet the initial time line.  So, I give them a “credit” grade that  equal 70.  It’s not a failure. . . but I can’t grade it all and meet my deadline.

What am I to do?  I fill so torn about it all.  I just don’t know what to do.  Grades make me feel like a failure!

As a side note my district has discussed making the move toward Standards Based Grading.  I get it and I’m down with it.   But considering everything I’ve said here about student’s work ethic, etc.  I can’t grade an assessment if they won’t do it.  I can’t hold them accountable for information if they won’t study.   How in the world will students pass?   Seems like they are just pushing me to pass my students.

*sigh*

ST Reflections: Classroom Management

I think the ST is going to be a pretty good teacher some day.  He has a way of presenting things/lecturing  in a way that the kids really get.  That is probably something that I lack.  I don’t have modern day applications for things–mainly b/c I don’t listen to hip hop, watch MTV, BET or have a general dislike for the popular culture of today’s generation.  I stop listening to rap in 20003 . . after graduating college.  So, I’m just not hip!

Today, he taught all of my classes, at least the lecture portion.  At the end of the day, he said that he was tired.  I told him wait until he has to do the ENTIRE class by himself.  At the end of the day, he’ll be wiped.

One thing he definitely needs help with is classroom management.  He says he notices I do a lot of things that minimize confusion.  He also notices that my students correct each other on volume and excessive talking–one of the benefits that result from writing essays.    And a lot of the stuff  I do is not written down anywhere. What really happened was a lot of things went BOOM my 1st year of teaching . . . that I quickly learned to do something else.  I think there are somethings that experience can teach you that I can’t.  Classroom management is definitely something that needs work for this ST.  Here are things that I’ve been telling him . . .

• Always provide structure or a set of steps for doing any activity.  Review the steps or procedures before you move into the activity.
• Break things into parts.  A little chunk at a time.  A little instruction at a time.
• Don’t try to talk over them.  It doesn’t work.  Sometimes, you have to stop and say, “when you’re finished, I’ll proceed with the lesson. “  And I stand and stare, until their ready.  Usually takes about 10 seconds.
• You’ve got to be direct.  These are high school students.  I don’t sugarcoat. Ex:  My ST is a hottie!  So, my classroom has become a place where all of the girls come to speculate.  After the 2nd day, I realized what they were doing.  FRUSTRATING.  So, now, I tell them to go, plain & simple.  After one girl, came in and I told her to leave.  She says to ST, “I’ll be back.”  And I bluntly said, “NO, YOU WON”T!  Don’t come back here!”  Kids that are not in our classes, stop by to say “You’re hot”  or “You’re gorgeous” etc.  It’s so annoying.  So, now I”ve taken to being an EVIL PROTECTOR!  And I’m mean about it, too!  He said he was not prepared for the aggressiveness of high school girls.

He’s afraid when the paper grading, starts.  Here is what I told him.

• Don’t have things everywhere.  I operate out of baskets or piles.  B/c I only have to worry about 2 preps.  I only have two baskets.  Everything I collect goes into one basket.   Paper clip it or if you didn’t have student helpers separate it for you.
• Grade one thing at a time.   ex:  I grade all guided readings at once.
• Enter grades in grade book.
• Put in return appropriate return bin.  Students (class clerks) do all the returns.

I took him over and showed him, how CoTeacher does it.  He said, my method was easier and simple.  I told him that you will develop your own style and methods after a while.

He asked about classroom resources and how I got so much . .. I told him friends donated and I spent my money.  And it accumulates of over time.  Classroom library. . . came from student donations.

Anyone else got any classroom management tips I should give him?

Student Teacher Reflections

This post is more of a reflective journal for me . . . a

So this was my first week with the student teaching.  I don’t worry so much about messing him up anymore.  Really, this is his opportunity to practice with me giving advice.  We have a lot in common in our thoughts and practices about educating students.  So, I think it’s a good match.  He talks a lot . . . just like me.  LOL!  He’s not afraid to ask questions. . . . and laid back . . .kind of a hippee of sorts . . .Extremely strong in content knowledge. . . including literature (a weakness of mine, along with spelling, grammar and math and science).

According the the student teaching manual, he’s supposed to observe this week.  I’m supposed to give him minimal duties . . . like maybe grading a few papers, taking the roll, reviewing lesson plans, working with students individuallu.  Since I’m new to all of this, I didn’t give him much to do.  I told him that I was following the manual.  Today, he tells me today he feels idle and bored.  He wants to do more.  So, I gave him my lesson plan and taught my afternoon classes . . . including the dreaded 7th period.

In my feedback, I told him:

• You were full of enthusiasm.  The kids sense that.  They know you are excited to be here and it will take you a long way.
• You stimulated discussion very well & drew students into the conversation.
• You knew how to simplify; explain things, etc and make things simple for the kids to understand.

For improvement:

1. Don’t engage in personal conversations with 7th period.  It’s gets them further off task.  They need structure.
2. Work them until the absolute last moment, even if you have to make up stuff to do.

7th period was difficult for him to manage.  There are folks who want to run things.  However, taking out disciplinary forms and standing at my desk WATCHING THEM LIKE HAWKS seemed to calm them down.  But whenever, I went back to entering grades, they went back to their normal unacceptable behavior.  At least they’re not shy about breaking him in!  LOL!

After talking with him early in the week, he verified what’d I’d been thinking all along.  I got a few rebellious insubordinates that are the ring leaders.  When they were absent on yesterday, it was peaceful!  I taught and we had a good lesson in 7th.  I complimented them on their behavior.  However, today went much differently.   It was chaotic and difficult to manage the discussion b/c they get off task and get rowdy.  It’s frustrating.  At any rate, I think it was a good experience for him.

Today, I told him my discipline plan. And the way things typically work and why I have so few discipline referrals, except for 7th pd.   He said that he could see things in place and see how things worked  and he thought my student’s behavior was VERY good, even the dreaded 7th period.  However, he definitely see’s a difference from the other classes.   So, I”ll take that as compliment.  I explained that you have to teach what you want to get from them.  Also, he noticed that student’s corrected one another.  Ex:  Sally is talking to her neighbor, those around her asked her to “Shhhh.”  I explained that the is the result of the behavior essays.   Now, they speak up when they see wrong.  One thing that didn’t occur to me until later was to give him the written copy of my classroom management plan.

Tomorrow, as we wrap up our unit, students will get the opportunity to introduce themselves to him, individually.  He is very eager to learn their names.  He’s been really good about getting to know students and trying to establish a rapport with them.  I’ve got remind him:  You are NOT their buddy, you are their teacher!   It’s fine for now to have “buddy” relationship, but when he gets his own classroom.  It. WILL. NOT. work!  He’s got to establish himself as the authority AND the relationships will follow.  Is this true for other teachers?

I’m not sure what kind of info I should be giving him.  I feel like I’m telling him a lot, but nothing is written down.  I’ve given him resources . . . I’m not sure what I should be giving him so that he can prepare for his own classroom someday.  Maybe, I’ll do some digging and find copies of things  for his own keeping. . . things that he may not need now, but could help in the long run. What does he need?  What things would a student teacher want?

Projects coming in . . .

A few weeks ago, I assigned a project for Black History Month.   Friday was supposed to be presentation day.  I was squeemish when I first assigned the projects b/c I didn’t like giving student’s so many choices.  Choices always seems to blow up in my face.  STRUCTURE WORKS.

I was wrong on this one.  My students did an awesome job of creating their projects.  AWESOME!!!  The first project, we watched was a documentary done on Jimi Hendrix by two of the kids in my class.  AMAZING.  I didn’t know that they could do work like this.  The second student wrote a rap about Barack Obama and performed it.  Again, AMAZING.  The third presentation was from a student who did a powerpoint about Segregation and the Freedom Rides. . . .he’s a little Hispanic kid and I was amazed at his work.  I could tell he really spent time . . . and I LOVE his accent.  He pronounced a few names wrong, but still AMAZING!!!

Maybe, I NEED to reevaluate. . . . maybe, choice is POWER!

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In other news, I did a station rotation for the Civil Rights Movement.  I  was TRYING desperately to teach many things about the movement, but I felt I didn’t have time for it in class.  However, it seems this station rotation sort of blew up in my face for my regular classes.  I knew that it was going to take two days.  I was good with that.  Two days to cover the Civil Rights Movement was fine.  The problem was that my regular student just didn’t get it.  Day 1 was good, but Day 2 ended up in chaos.  They didn’t follow the directions of the stations and therefore ended in up confused.  Seriously.  So, I had to go around to each station and clarify instructions b/c they wouldn’t read them.    Monitoring 7 groups proved too difficult.   To many students were off task as I walked around to check on things.

My honors classes loved the station rotation and working with their groups.  They did a good job of  following directions.    In the future, I will not do station rotation with my regular classes.   Monitoring 7 groups proved too difficult.   Instead, each of the activities, I will break down into mini-lessons, TEACHER LED,  of course.

Next week, I had planned to move on to the Renaissance Period.  It probably won’t happen b/c of project presentations and the need to finish the Civil Rights Movement activities.  I hate when things run over my expected time table.  But, I’ll just plan differently next time. But a lot of it wasn’t my fault.  We had a school production on Wednesday and then Friday there was a Pep Rally.  Every year, it seems like there is less and less instructional time.  **sigh**

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So, I have another sinus infection, I think.  I’ve been self medicating and treating, but it’s not working well.  I’ve tried the Neti Pot and it works well.  For about 3-4 hours I can breath and the congestion doesn’t bother me.  But I just want to be cured. . . so I think I’m going to have to make a doc appt, so that I can get a script for antibiotics.  I probably could just go to one of those Walgreens get well clinics to get the antibiotics .  . . but I’m so NOT IN THE MOOD to see anyone. . . .especially a doctor. I think I have a fear of doctors.   I don’t like them.  It’s like they have too much POWER . . . fight the power . .  .fight the power.

*sigh*