WHEW....What A Week!!!

Hi guys! It seems as if I have been away for a lifetime. The students and I have had numerous opportuntities to participate in many learning activities during the past week. If there's one thing I've learned over the course of my years in education, creating a memorable learning experience is KEY in the succeess of one's experience as a lifelong learner. As adults, we can all attest that memories make lasting impressions on how we develop as  individuals. Therefore the same holds true for students and their learning experience.  As educators we should remain aware that we have the "power of the platform" which can make or break innocent lives. Allow the following questions to serve as your guide: "How relevant is the lesson to real life"?  and "How do I create rigourous, engaging lessons for my students"?

EAGLEGRAM

So here's a run down of last week's activities. First we took a journey into "Eaglegram" - A Snapshot of Constructed Reponse".  The students did very well overall creating social media posts on a selected character from the novel Monster.  The posts included adejctives to describe a selected character, textual evidence supporting the character's description, a vivd scene from the book involving the character along with dialogue.

HANK STEWART - POET

We were also honored to hear a few wonderful pieces written by Mr. Hank Stewart, world renowned mentor, author and poet. Mr. Stewart talked about how he began his poetry career as well as what inspires him on a daily basis. Mr. Stewart's message of "stay true to yourself and embrace your dreams," rang loud throughout the gymnasium as students listened attentively.

  

  

Mystery and Mayhem

One of my favorite past time activities is curling up to a good book. As a little girl I enjoyed the excitement of reading mysteries and playing games such as Clue.  Oh how I remember the days of trying to solve the famous " Who done it?" question. Needless to say when I arrived to work bright and early Tuesday morning, I observed a closed classroom door with yellow police caution tape blocking the entrance - a scene I found to be quite disturbing. I looked around to inquire, but there wasn't a soul in sight.

Well my curiosity (some may call it nosiness) got the best of me, so I decided to go take a peek inside. As soon as I opened the door, I saw this...

                                                               

Students (from Coach B's class) working endlessly to find clues in an attempt to solve a murder.  All of a sudden it dawned on me that I was standing in the midst of the crime scene from  Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.  As I looked around and noticed papers on the floor, overturned desk, and an overall eerie feeling of mystery in the air, my eyes glistened, and I began to smile from ear to ear. I was extremely excited to find students intrigued and engaged, but I was also a little jealous because I wanted to join in too!
 

A Turning Point

"Out of difficulties grow miracles." - Jean de la Bruyere. Perception is a powerful tool. It's not about what happens, but how you respond that will affect you the most. Have you ever observed two individuals who experience a similar situation, but displayed different reactions to the outcome?  As the observer you may have noticed  the person who remained optimistic appeared to be stress free versus uptight and frustrated. This is one of the most important lessons I model for my students on a daily basis. Although young, they are at a very impressionable stage of self-identity, exploration, and discovery. I find this quote appropriate as my student teacher and I lay the foundation for our upcoming novel study Monster by Walter Dean Myers.

The writer takes us on a journey of a troubled youth accused of murder who learned the value and power of choice.The message of the story reveals how we can grow from our challenges. Interestingly, this story mimics the author's life in many ways. Myers was considered as a troubled teen during one point in his life as well.  Students also discussed how choices they have taken for granted can bring unfavorable long lasting consequences.  On the other hand, because we are human we may not make wise choices all of the time. However, life always has a way of getting us back on our path.

When Students Feel Valued This is What They Do

Imagine your foot nervously tapping your desk in class as you await your test results. You anxiously countdown as your teacher moves slowly around the classroom as if she were in "The Matrix". You studied for the exam, however you were unsure about some of the material. The teacher finally approaches your desk, folds your paper, and places it face down.  "Not the fold and flip'em trick!" you think to yourself.   In a sense of nervousness, you flip over your paper with your eyes closed procced to open them and your mouth hits the floor. To your surprise not only did you pass the exam, you exceeded. As you take a closer look, you see a personalized note written by your teacher stating," Congratulations job well done you are on your way".  In response, you stick out your chest, hold your head up high and proceed to give your neighbor a high five. You are walking on cloud nine throughout the day not only because of your level of success, but  you feel a sense of 'value' because your teacher personally acknowledged your effort and success.

I observed this same feeling today during class as my student teacher Ms. L. discussed her rules, procedures, expectations, and reward system for the next six weeks. Students were extremely excited, eager, and very inquisitive. When students feel valued, they become open to learning. As educators we must continuously remember that we address the whole child each and every day.   In addition, Tom Rath further emphasizes this notion in his book entitled How Full is Your Bucket?  Rath writes  metaphorically to explain the Theory of the Dipper and the Bucket. Each of us has an invisible bucket. It is constantly emptied or filled depending on our interactions with others. When our bucket is full we feel great. When it's empty we feel awful. Not only is this concept important within the classroom, but also with colleagues, family members, friends, and strangers. Each day during every interaction, we make a choice regarding how we will use our dipper -- to encourage or discourage. In essence, to ensure success, one should always remember that relationships proceed learning.

                                                                         

This week marked the beginning of a journey I decided to take with my students.  Upon returning from winter break, I decided to introduce "The Art of Blogging"  to my group of 8th grade middle school students. To my surprise many of them were not really familliar with the concept or recieved limited informaiton via the media, family, and friends. So I saw this as an excellent opportunity to introduce the pros and cons of blogging which in turn made the concept very real for many of them.

Please forgive me, let me take a couple of steps back and introduce myself. I am currently a middle school teacher, educational consultant, and life coach.  I consider myself as chic with a little edge, reserved with a silent strength, academic risk taker who loves travel and seafood. The idea of blogging crossed my mind as I sought a new way to incorporate reading logs as well as continue to emphasize the importance of effective communication through writing in my classroom. As of right now, I am not aware of any other teacher in my building currently utlizing this platform for classroom instruction, so it will be a first. It is my desire to take you own this unprecedented journey from a student and teacher's perspective.
I look forward to taking this exciting journey with my students and hope that it will enhance and possibly tap into their love (I am praying for LOVE to develop over time :) for writting, and  reading, as well as use this platform to gain a true understanding of the power of using social media to reach an audience.