Every single year at parent-teacher conferences I have this situation. As I kindly explain that their student is not on grade level and why that is. They begin to talk over me, make excuses, and tell me why I am wrong. I know I am not getting through to them. I know I am not heard. I know that they probably heard the same thoughts from the previous two years of school and will continue to hear it. They can say the education system failed them. Maybe it has. Maybe that student should have been retained. However, the parent is also failing them by not being realistic about their learning. If they are in denial you know they are not going to have any extra help at home. It makes you sad. The parent has effectively tied your hands. This year I only had a couple of those situations. Overall I think conferences were successful.
Next year we move to student led conferences. The parents share their goals and demonstrate their own learning. I like the idea. I did get a piece of feedback from a parent that went to one this year. They said that multiple parents were at the conference at the same time as they moved around the room from learning demonstration to learning demonstration. The parent said she had questions she wanted to ask and thoughts she wanted to share with the teacher. The parent didn't feel comfortable because there was not any privacy to do so, it left the parent feeling frustrated. I completely agreed that this was important for the parent to have that time with the teacher. I think I may need to share that in private with administration. I didn't think other teachers would be receptive to that. They thought it went better to do conferences this way because they went more quickly. They also said when the students demonstrated their learning parents had less questions about their grades. I think getting conferences done quicker is nothing to brag about. I have a feeling there was a lot of people who felt rushed.
I came home this afternoon and hung out with my little buddy and his big sis. After he had a meltdown the other night about me leaving for spring break I had to make some time to hang with him. We went and bought slushies, chatted about their new gecko, and played games. I also managed to get through a couple of loads of laundry and a load of dishes ran through the dishwasher. I am finishing up the last of my laundry. Then I can begin packing my suitcase. I didn't want to come back to a laundry pile and a sink full of dishes.
I hit the road soon!
March 24, 2017
March 17, 2017
Teacher Education
I've had a few conversations recently about why Teacher Colleges are not doing a good job in preparing teachers. I had another conversation with a friend tonight who has applied to teach at a teacher college. The interview process was interesting to hear about. The education department was well represented at the interview. What she observed was that many of the people in the department had not been teaching in schools (outside of the college) in a very long time.
We have regional professional development coordinators here who will train you or you can take classes from them while still teaching. I've learned more from these coordinators than I learned in teacher college. A lot of this is due to the fact they are continuing their own education. A huge part of it is that they are in schools all over the region A LOT! This gives them more insight into the actual needs of schools and teachers. They also can be a bit more objective as an outsider. Another thing that makes their instruction to teachers highly valuable is the way they design their instruction. They realize they are teaching teachers. So they embed strategies into their instruction that we can use with students. If we are learning about math instruction we will be not only learning that material but practicing strategies we can immediately use with our students. This means we are not just sitting and listening to a lecture. We are practicing our practice. Their job is to continue their own learning to be of help to teachers. I notice they travel quite often to attend conferences. They read a lot and pay attention to research based practices.
We also discussed that while in teacher college, fledgling teachers need to be in the classroom more. WAY More. I think they need to do an internship with mentors as well. There is a huge aspect of learning to teach that is through the experience. We can discuss theory all we want but putting ideas into practice is way more difficult. I think having really hands on mentors for new teacher is vital.
Classroom management is one of the most difficult challenges of the job. Every year how you manage your classroom changes because the needs of your students change. You also find ideas that work for you and don't work for you. It is in a perpetual tweak mode. I am constantly looking for ideas that may help. Every year I have a challenging student or ten that I am at a loss how to get them in "school" mode. It takes time to figure out what will work. Sometimes it feels like that doesn't happen till the last two weeks of school.
There is another aspect we call "With-it-ness." This is like your mom having eyes in the back of her head and knowing what you are up to from the other side of the house. Teachers need to have that. The ability to look and see the needs of the students in a glance. It's an awareness of the surroundings. I've been in classrooms in which the teacher had none of this. There were students throwing things at each other, playing with each others hair, making things out of paper, singing songs to themselves, and talking to each other. The teacher didn't notice. She had a great lesson but was completely unaware to what her students were doing. Now I will be the first to admit that some days you are more "with-it" than others. However, if you have this you can see if your students are even understanding the lesson. I think this is an ability that can be worked on and improved, but some people may never get it.
I think in most (not all) teacher colleges you spend so much time on the theories of learning that you do not get to the brass tacks of quality instruction. It really does help if you have professors who are continuing their own education and getting into classrooms themselves.
We have regional professional development coordinators here who will train you or you can take classes from them while still teaching. I've learned more from these coordinators than I learned in teacher college. A lot of this is due to the fact they are continuing their own education. A huge part of it is that they are in schools all over the region A LOT! This gives them more insight into the actual needs of schools and teachers. They also can be a bit more objective as an outsider. Another thing that makes their instruction to teachers highly valuable is the way they design their instruction. They realize they are teaching teachers. So they embed strategies into their instruction that we can use with students. If we are learning about math instruction we will be not only learning that material but practicing strategies we can immediately use with our students. This means we are not just sitting and listening to a lecture. We are practicing our practice. Their job is to continue their own learning to be of help to teachers. I notice they travel quite often to attend conferences. They read a lot and pay attention to research based practices.
We also discussed that while in teacher college, fledgling teachers need to be in the classroom more. WAY More. I think they need to do an internship with mentors as well. There is a huge aspect of learning to teach that is through the experience. We can discuss theory all we want but putting ideas into practice is way more difficult. I think having really hands on mentors for new teacher is vital.
Classroom management is one of the most difficult challenges of the job. Every year how you manage your classroom changes because the needs of your students change. You also find ideas that work for you and don't work for you. It is in a perpetual tweak mode. I am constantly looking for ideas that may help. Every year I have a challenging student or ten that I am at a loss how to get them in "school" mode. It takes time to figure out what will work. Sometimes it feels like that doesn't happen till the last two weeks of school.
There is another aspect we call "With-it-ness." This is like your mom having eyes in the back of her head and knowing what you are up to from the other side of the house. Teachers need to have that. The ability to look and see the needs of the students in a glance. It's an awareness of the surroundings. I've been in classrooms in which the teacher had none of this. There were students throwing things at each other, playing with each others hair, making things out of paper, singing songs to themselves, and talking to each other. The teacher didn't notice. She had a great lesson but was completely unaware to what her students were doing. Now I will be the first to admit that some days you are more "with-it" than others. However, if you have this you can see if your students are even understanding the lesson. I think this is an ability that can be worked on and improved, but some people may never get it.
I think in most (not all) teacher colleges you spend so much time on the theories of learning that you do not get to the brass tacks of quality instruction. It really does help if you have professors who are continuing their own education and getting into classrooms themselves.
March 15, 2017
Mystery Trash
My students are wonderful. They helped me get through this day without a voice. They volunteered to help me call names, ask questions, call tables to line up, and much more. They tried their very best to be quiet and that is a challenge. It's like asking a bunch of ladies to come to a potluck and not speak to each other. It's physically impossible.
I also learned a new trick. The "Mystery Trash" trick. After contemplating what the mystery trash might be you announce " I spy a mystery piece of trash on the floor and if you find it there is a prize for you! You stop when they find it or if the floor is sufficiently clean to announce a random winner. (They just can know it's random). The floor of the classroom will never be cleaner. It's quite the motivating game. Wish I'd learned about this a couple of years ago.
After school we did a team building competition of sorts. We were broken into teams. The teams chose a person to represent them in Skittle⌐ sorting. Our team came in third out of six teams. I was NOT the official Skittle⌐ sorter. Thank goodness. At one point a teacher on our team said "Can you imagine what parents would say if they knew at our meeting today we were sorting Skittles⌐! " After we finished that exciting business we broke of to schedule our sibling conferences. This school is so much more organized. Before any other conferences are scheduled we get together to schedule the siblings so that parents do not have to come back and forth to school. The office copies all the papers that go home to have parents choose a time, day, and alternate times. Then they supply a paper that confirms a time with parents. It is just a level of efficiency I am not accustomed to. It saves so much time. I had to always type up the note and get it all ready. I feel spoiled.
I'm drinking a cup of tea before bed. I came home this evening so tired. I had a little nap. I think with a hot cup of tea I will be able to get back to sleep again! G'nite
I also learned a new trick. The "Mystery Trash" trick. After contemplating what the mystery trash might be you announce " I spy a mystery piece of trash on the floor and if you find it there is a prize for you! You stop when they find it or if the floor is sufficiently clean to announce a random winner. (They just can know it's random). The floor of the classroom will never be cleaner. It's quite the motivating game. Wish I'd learned about this a couple of years ago.
After school we did a team building competition of sorts. We were broken into teams. The teams chose a person to represent them in Skittle⌐ sorting. Our team came in third out of six teams. I was NOT the official Skittle⌐ sorter. Thank goodness. At one point a teacher on our team said "Can you imagine what parents would say if they knew at our meeting today we were sorting Skittles⌐! " After we finished that exciting business we broke of to schedule our sibling conferences. This school is so much more organized. Before any other conferences are scheduled we get together to schedule the siblings so that parents do not have to come back and forth to school. The office copies all the papers that go home to have parents choose a time, day, and alternate times. Then they supply a paper that confirms a time with parents. It is just a level of efficiency I am not accustomed to. It saves so much time. I had to always type up the note and get it all ready. I feel spoiled.
I'm drinking a cup of tea before bed. I came home this evening so tired. I had a little nap. I think with a hot cup of tea I will be able to get back to sleep again! G'nite
March 14, 2017
Grocery Store Contemplations
I decided I needed to find my "suck-it-up-buttercup" attitude and take myself to the store. I got what I needed and came home. After putting the perishables in the fridge. I wasn't very motivated to keep moving. I have to find the energy somewhere because it is back to work tomorrow. I can do it. I went to the small more pricey grocery store. I did this because the lines are shorter and the public is well cleaner and healthier. (I guess I messed up that healthier bit.) I used the sanitary wipe on my cart and got it done.
I never go shopping at this time of day. I notice the older folks shop in the morning. The stay-at-home moms in the afternoons. The early mornings are these weird bunch of happy early risers that cannot be tolerated or people grabbing last minute lunch on their way to work. The evening crowd is usually mostly working people. The late-night crowd is a motley crew. They usually have a scary element and then some of the non-early risers that don't want to shop with crowds. Older folks have interesting shopping habits. They kind of wander and are perpetually in the way. The stay-at-home moms are a bit leisurely if no young children are with them. I like people in a hurry. My grocery shopping strategy was learned from my mother. If there was a way to make shopping faster and more efficient she would be the person you should contact.
The grocery store line in my opinion should be like at the bank. We need just one line. The next open cashier takes the next person in line. We can keep the 15 items or less line if that helps people to feel like they are moving faster. It would be fair and efficient. I get it though. We like choice. My mom prefers this cashier to another cashier because the checkout is quicker and more efficient. Maybe there should be a cashier training you should go through.
I suppose that is enough grocery talk for the day. I really want to take a nap. I pulled all my bedding off to wash it. Nap in my chair or make my bed?
Hmmmm
Can this cold be done yet?
I never go shopping at this time of day. I notice the older folks shop in the morning. The stay-at-home moms in the afternoons. The early mornings are these weird bunch of happy early risers that cannot be tolerated or people grabbing last minute lunch on their way to work. The evening crowd is usually mostly working people. The late-night crowd is a motley crew. They usually have a scary element and then some of the non-early risers that don't want to shop with crowds. Older folks have interesting shopping habits. They kind of wander and are perpetually in the way. The stay-at-home moms are a bit leisurely if no young children are with them. I like people in a hurry. My grocery shopping strategy was learned from my mother. If there was a way to make shopping faster and more efficient she would be the person you should contact.
The grocery store line in my opinion should be like at the bank. We need just one line. The next open cashier takes the next person in line. We can keep the 15 items or less line if that helps people to feel like they are moving faster. It would be fair and efficient. I get it though. We like choice. My mom prefers this cashier to another cashier because the checkout is quicker and more efficient. Maybe there should be a cashier training you should go through.
I suppose that is enough grocery talk for the day. I really want to take a nap. I pulled all my bedding off to wash it. Nap in my chair or make my bed?
Hmmmm
Can this cold be done yet?
March 13, 2017
'lil who?
If you need a light and have your phone with you, you can pretend to be Harry Potter with a magic wand. Open your "Okay Google" app and say "Lumos" the flash for your phone camera will come on and stay on. It's a fun little trick. However, If you have a cold "Okay Google" my not hear Lumos. It may hear 'lil Mouse. Then you'll be listening to some ummm "Hot New Hip-Hop" (ahem).
I've been misunderstood quite often with this cold. It makes life interesting.
I've been misunderstood quite often with this cold. It makes life interesting.
White Noise
I can't recall a time when I didn't find white noise relaxing. I remember taking a nap after lunch and mom would start the dishwasher. It hushed the background and outdoor noises and made for a pleasant nap. I like a good nap. I have had trouble sleeping since being sick and it seems like just when I am relaxed enough to get a decent sleep some sound awakens me. I have a small white noise machine that I have been running. That helps a lot. Then of course my humidifier is going. This all leads me back to my classroom of course 😁. I am sure you are wondering "How?" Well, when my students are able to be good enough listeners for enough days in a row they earn "Flashlight-Friday." They get to bring flashlights to school and read. I usually put this fireplace on my Smart-Board. It has been perfect during the cold weather. It gives an illusion of warmth. There is something so calming about watching a fire. I started thinking about other relaxing videos we could watch during this time. I found a few more like this one, and this one, and even this one. I think I can put any of those of for a fairly quick calming influence on my class.
Anyhow, all of this made me think of my favorite ride at Disneyland as a kid. They've now messed it up. Like many great things someone thinks they have a better idea and they completely remove the part that made it great in the first place. My absolute favorite ride as my mom will attest to was the "Pirates of the Caribbean" ride. Anytime there was a lull in rides and a possibility of making a choice to go again. I did. My very favorite part of the whole ride was the boat ride through the bayou. The people on their swamp shack porches the fireflies flickering. There was something about it that everyone would get quiet on the ride. It was peaceful. I loved that ride. The following relaxation video reminded me a little of that...
How to Blow Your Nose!
I found these helpful videos today! I really will have to play them for my students. I mean really...don't be a Snerd! I love classic Sesame Street.
March 11, 2017
Cold
What a week! I gave it all I had this week. By Friday there wasn't much left to give. I started feeling as though I had a cold coming on. I was correct. It is a total head cold. I came home last night just done in. I picked up some dinner then came home and made a hot toddy before bed. I didn't sleep well as it was hard to breathe. I feel like such a wimp. It's a cold. Usually by now I've had a terrible respiratory infection or bronchitis. I have a cold. I think it is a combination of that and just being worn out. I am whining. Since I was not sleeping well I got up at my normal time and did the dishes and started laundry. I completed quite a bit.
I just really want to sleep. I've tried off an on all day to squeeze in a little nap without success. It might be in part all that tea I've been drinking.
Next week is a full week of school without (knock-on-wood) any interruptions. The following week is parent teacher conferences. That is when I have to tell the truth in really nice ways and hope that it gets through! The students are released early both of those days so that we can have conferences. Then we are off for Spring Break! I am so ready!
There has been struggles and stress this year. However, no where near the stress of previous years. I am glad to be where I am.
I just really want to sleep. I've tried off an on all day to squeeze in a little nap without success. It might be in part all that tea I've been drinking.
Next week is a full week of school without (knock-on-wood) any interruptions. The following week is parent teacher conferences. That is when I have to tell the truth in really nice ways and hope that it gets through! The students are released early both of those days so that we can have conferences. Then we are off for Spring Break! I am so ready!
There has been struggles and stress this year. However, no where near the stress of previous years. I am glad to be where I am.
March 6, 2017
Not Mine...Yes! Yours!
As I was getting ready to complete my day of school on Friday I received a message from a parent. It was a so-and-so is a bully message. I shared with a colleague and she reminded me that due to our new state anti-bullying laws I had to report it. As my administrator was about to complete a very busy week I had to share. What drives me crazy about the word "bully" now is that it is used in every situation. It is overused. It is abused. However, if a parent wants to create a stink they immediately use that word. Then they get a meeting. My administrator helped me to form a reply. Then we offered times that would work. Those of course came back with replies that no that wouldn't work. My administrator chose another day. Do me a favor. If your child gets in trouble at school ask them What part they had in the situation? Did they help make it better? Did they make it worse? More often than not the second party is not all that innocent. The good news about all of this is that for the first time I have back-up. I have administrations help. I don't have to do my best and figure it out on my own. It will be handled. We even came up with another plan to help relieve some of this issue and it is being executed immediately.
We often have meetings as teachers I refer to as "Not my child meetings." Yes, it could be your child. They are seven or eight. They are growing, learning, and making mistakes as they figure out the world. Yes, your child might to something naughty. Yes, your child may break the rules. Yes, your child may decide to not do work when they've always done it before. Your child is testing the strength of your boundaries. Yes, your child....
I have a boy in my class that I have a soft spot for. He is NOT the most well behaved. He is NOT one to follow the rules precisely. He is extremely active. There is an energy oozing out of his pores. He cannot help but be on the move. He is very bright. His life is NOT easy. He does NOT have a reason to trust women. I've had to work hard to make a connection with him and I have. There is trust there that I take very seriously. He fights reading and writing. Not because he is incapable. I think writing taps into emotions that are unbearable. Reading doesn't promote movement. Just for him I ordered a hardback Calvin and Hobbes book. "Scientific Progress Goes Boink!" He has been slowly reading through this. I made him promise as I handed him the book that he would NEVER call me Mrs. Wormwood. He didn't know what that meant but he did promise 😀! He came to me this morning as I was inputting attendance. He said "Miss Carpenter?" "Yes, I replied!" "I asked for THIS for my birthday!" and he holds up the Calvin and Hobbes book. I smiled a big smile at him. We've connected and maybe he will have just a little relief from his world.
I have had bouts of insomnia lately. I cannot seem to find a nice balanced sleep schedule. I think my sleep is as bi-polar as the "spring" weather. The bonus is that when I inevitably wake up I grade papers. I have a lot of grading to do. We are nearing the end of the quarter. Grading takes sooo much time. Correcting papers takes a long time but then... I have to input them. Which takes a VERY long time. So it goes. As I complete grades and input them... I have more in my box to do. It's like laundry. I do have June though.... In June I get a reprieve!
We often have meetings as teachers I refer to as "Not my child meetings." Yes, it could be your child. They are seven or eight. They are growing, learning, and making mistakes as they figure out the world. Yes, your child might to something naughty. Yes, your child may break the rules. Yes, your child may decide to not do work when they've always done it before. Your child is testing the strength of your boundaries. Yes, your child....
I have a boy in my class that I have a soft spot for. He is NOT the most well behaved. He is NOT one to follow the rules precisely. He is extremely active. There is an energy oozing out of his pores. He cannot help but be on the move. He is very bright. His life is NOT easy. He does NOT have a reason to trust women. I've had to work hard to make a connection with him and I have. There is trust there that I take very seriously. He fights reading and writing. Not because he is incapable. I think writing taps into emotions that are unbearable. Reading doesn't promote movement. Just for him I ordered a hardback Calvin and Hobbes book. "Scientific Progress Goes Boink!" He has been slowly reading through this. I made him promise as I handed him the book that he would NEVER call me Mrs. Wormwood. He didn't know what that meant but he did promise 😀! He came to me this morning as I was inputting attendance. He said "Miss Carpenter?" "Yes, I replied!" "I asked for THIS for my birthday!" and he holds up the Calvin and Hobbes book. I smiled a big smile at him. We've connected and maybe he will have just a little relief from his world.
I have had bouts of insomnia lately. I cannot seem to find a nice balanced sleep schedule. I think my sleep is as bi-polar as the "spring" weather. The bonus is that when I inevitably wake up I grade papers. I have a lot of grading to do. We are nearing the end of the quarter. Grading takes sooo much time. Correcting papers takes a long time but then... I have to input them. Which takes a VERY long time. So it goes. As I complete grades and input them... I have more in my box to do. It's like laundry. I do have June though.... In June I get a reprieve!
March 1, 2017
Read...JUST READ!
Every Reading Night at school I look around. I look at the parents that are there. I notice their kids. We discuss the importance of reading with, to, and around your kids. Read! The thing is every reading night we are "preaching to the choir" so to speak. In general the parents that come are the parents who are involved and are reading to, with, and around their kids.
Reading impacts all content areas. It is very difficult to pass tests if you are a struggling reader. Turn off the T.V. hide the electronic devices and just read a book. If you still struggle to read as an adult listen to an audiobook. Please! There are amazing and wonderful things happening in the brain development of a reader.
READ!
I can't even begin to explain how heartbreaking my job can be. I have to put it aside sometimes because it is just too much. Honor the nuclear family. I can't emphasize that enough. We are told all of that doesn't matter these days, but I am telling you, I know, without one single doubt, it matters! Kids are lost confused and heartbroken because parents are confused, lost, and heartbroken. I was listening to a podcast not long ago and the speaker said (I'll paraphrase here) "We went wrong when we became more concerned about self esteem and less concerned about self-control." This is so true. If children have love, safety, and security their self esteem will be fine. Self-control is lacking across all aspects of our society. Self control. That is a gift you can give to the world if you can give your child a few lessons in that skill.
I've had so many students in heart-wrenching situations in these teaching years. I think this job gets harder and harder for all teachers. In part because of the increasing demands placed on us and in part because more and more students come needing so much love and structure. Their worlds are a mess. It is so many kinds of wrong that students are looking to school in hopes those needs will be met.
I am so tired this evening. It was such a long day. I arrived at home after 8 p.m. tonight. I was just ready to doze and recalled that I forgot to print something I wanted to have ready for my students tomorrow. Then I recalled a forgotten e-mail. Then I decided to laminate what I printed...and on it went. It is time to tell my tired brain...to shut up...and go to bed!
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