What Worked Successfully

Today I substituted in a school I had not been to in a very long time. It's still a great place to teach. But it was a tough class. They were fifth graders. Fifth graders have wonderful and varied personalities. These students were grumpy, chatty, active, attention seeking, snide, and selfish. The saddest was the child hiding like she was in preschool.
        But, the positive part was getting them to cooperate lining up for gym and lunch. I explained what I wanted them to do by steps. I told them I would send them back to their seats if they were noisy or pushy in line. Then I had a student give the directions to the class again in her words. Unfortunately I had to follow through in sending students back to their seats and returning the line back to the classroom a couple of times and they were a little late for gym.
        By the end of the day when I had room to move the seating, I had the opportunity to sit with students in different groups. It was great to have time to talk with them and for us to get to know each other. I hope I am back soon.

What Day is It? Calendar Activities

What Day Is It? Teaching with a Calendar

Classes for young children provide needed routine while teaching children about their immediate world. There are many activities that make using a calendar at home fun and educational. Whether for homeschooling or extending learning from the school day a calendar is an exciting tool for many interest topics.

There are at least five exercises that parents can easily incorporate into the family’s daily routine. The exercises open the door for discussions about science, community, math, reading and writing topics.

·         Reading and writing. Typical daily exercises begin with talking about or copying a morning message. The morning message goes something like “Today is ______ (day of the week), _______ (month), ______ (date), and ______ (year). Today we are going to ___________________ (activity).” For example: “Today is Wednesday, October 8, 2014. We are going to walk to the firehouse.” If your child is a preschooler she may learn what letters look like, how the letters take up space on a page, how letters form words and words make sentences. Many teachers are partial to correct modeling. But be careful to keep it fun. Don’t pressure your child to be perfect. Capital letters at the beginning of sentences and period stops at the end can wait until the end of Kindergarten of first grade.

·         Numbers and number sense. Each day has a number. There are seven days in a week and twelve months in a year. Each day the child can learn a different number. She can also learn the concepts of yesterday and tomorrow. She can count how many days have passed and how many days left until a special event such as a birthday or holiday.

·         Science and exploration. Besides discussion about the year, seasons, months, weeks and days, a calendar activity can stimulate discussion about weather, change, health, the outdoors, weather events, natural disasters, the sky, the sun, clouds, rain, snow, hibernation, migration, flowers, food, nutrition, insects and other bugs, observing changes and making charts to record them like a scientist, asking questions and developing experiments like a scientist.

·         People, places and things in the world around me. Using a calendar activity can stimulate discussion about birthdays, holidays, celebrations, family, community, city, state and country, jobs, important people, games, rules, feelings, belonging and citizenship.

·         Sports and arts.

This is a general list of topics and activities. Future posts will show how to build on themes suggested by the calendar. Is there anything you have a desire to see in more detail? 

Unique and Special

I have often encountered the following interview questions:

·               What makes you the best person for the job?

·               Why should I hire you?

I think both of the above questions imply that the interviewee needs to be competitively more educated, more experienced, and more able than a colleague. To me my reason for applying for a job is to work in a collegial atmosphere with equals and for equals. So I think it is better to ask what makes me unique and special.

My answer has to do with the way I view the people I serve and serve with. Whether you call them customers of guests, patients or clients, or consumers of a service, they are human beings. When trying to sell a good or service to a potential customer, I believe it is absolutely necessary to know in your heart that those who employ you to perform a service or create a product deserve the best you have to give.

As a teacher that means

·                  I come to work prepared and organized

·                  My students are not animals corralled and made to wait

·                  Nor are they soldiers marching in step and following orders

·                  Students are all different as their fingerprints

·                  Lessons have a plan and flow

·                  Activities enhance and deepen the lesson and have authentic application

·                  Homework gives meaningful practice

·                  I am always improving myself and my practice

As a writer that means

·               My readers deserve reading that is easy to follow

·               My readers need a reason to read

·               They do not all like the same thing presented in the same way

·               They deserve nonfiction that is factual

·               They deserve fiction and nonfiction that entertains

·               They deserve stories that honor their intelligence

·               They deserve information they can use

·               They deserve material that makes them think

·               I am always working to improve my skills

Since I am also a student, reader, and purchaser of goods and services I have expectations that if not fulfilled will cause me to look elsewhere. I expect of myself no less than I expect of others.

·                     I do not want a push to buy or buy into anything that is not well organized

o        I expect treatment like I am a valued human being

o        I expect to understand and be understood

o        I expect high quality

o        I deserve goods and services that will enhance my life

o        I deserve material that is factual

o        I deserve goods and services that stimulate my curiosity and creativity

o        Consider my financial, physical, spiritual and intellectual well being

My view of the students and customers is why you should contract with me. I am just as intelligent, knowledgeable as all the others. But I will give you the best service based on the way I treat and value my clients, students and readers the same as I deserve to be treated and valued.

Deadline Anxiety

This afternoon I saw a strategy presented for parents to help their children complete dreaded homework. I know and use this strategy when I teach with good results. Here it is: to get a child to complete overwhelming and seemingly difficult homework, break it into chunks. Completing small chunks at a time makes the child feel a sense of accomplishment and increased self-esteem as smaller tasks are successfully finished.
The same strategy is supposed to work for getting long term projects handed in by the due date. However, there are people who are just not motivated until the stress that occurs as the deadline approaches makes them difficult to live with. Some children and even adults need that stress before getting motivated like a junkie needs drugs. I understand that more now. But what's a teacher of parent to do about it?