Movin' On Up!

    Well grade levels that is.  I have left the elementary and taken a position teaching 6th grade science at a local middle school.  Was I ready to leave elementary...? No.  Am I loving my new position...? Yes! This move has been the best for me both personally and professionally.  I am able to do what I love- teach.  I am able to do that without the ridiculous constraints placed upon me at my former school.  Sometimes it is just fate when these opportunities present themselves and all you can do is jump in with both feet and leave your worries at the door!
    Our school has first and foremost an emphasis on building relationships with children.  I am provided the opportunity to not only teach the child science, but also get to help develop and build children up to be successful outside of the classroom and school day.  That, my friends, is what is missing in so many of our schools.  This is a tough group of children who have needs that I have never known- but to be provided the opportunity to work with them and help them find their successes- is why I am here!!
    Of course the content is important! But, students need to know that you not only care about their grade in the grade book, but that you care about them as a person.   I want my students at the end of the day to feel empowered with their new knowledge gained in my room and also brave and confident enough to do something with it.  Make that change!!
   I hope to continue my reflective blogging as I navigate the waters from elementary to middle school.

To those who visit here, we wish a safe journey and the joy of discovery." - Bill Nye 

Teaching is like a Pinball Machine

      So...I was recently told that teaching is like a pinball machine you just bounce from one thing to the next.  Now, as much as I do not like that idea that we are constantly under pressure to produce kids who test well or have the weight of assessment on our shoulders, I can say that that simile completely describes this year! 
     We have longer meetings, more required of us, and less time to plan.  The frustrating part is how hard they make it on teachers to teach.  Teaching is a balance between art and science- but we are losing the artistry of teaching to the science that is assessment data, standards and all the other constraints out there.  I just want to TEACH!! I am so out of my element this year. I absolutely love love my children and having 10 less than last year is a huge difference! But, I am just beyond stressed to now teach all the GLEs in one maybe two 15 minute mini lesson. It's insane.  It's a disservice to our children.  I don't see it raising test scores (the ultimate goal), but I do see it causing a great amount of stress on the teachers that can trickle down to the children.
     So the pinball analogy may be spot on- if anything we are going to be bouncing around from one child to the next.  My hope is we stop this game long enough to teach the children we have-give them what they need.  And, to remember a test is just a test- we shouldn't let it control every aspect of our classrooms and our teaching. 

Day 6 & 7

I feel that these two components go together.  A good mentor and an inspirational colleague are one in the same for me.  I had a teacher that I worked with for many years, we had actually gone to high school together so it was great when were teaching at the same building.  I always knew her to be a compassionate person, but her love for those children we taught knew no bounds.  She spent a lot of time and money on those children. Go above and beyond what one would expect of a classroom teacher.  She took them shopping, got them haircuts, and went to their sporting events or activities.  These children came from very broken homes and many were needing more than most could provide- but she found a way into their lives and into their hearts. 
She was and is someone whom I admire. I would love to be able to have that kind of influence on a child.  She taught me that being a teacher is not something that can be learned at a college, but comes from the time spent with children talking and learning with them. 

Days 3,4, and 5

So last week was a little hectic here and at home so I fell behind on my 30 days. Today is a catch-up day!

Day 3: An "observation" area I'd like to improve on... Well this one is hard- not that I don't need to improve, but I'm not sure what I would like to improve on is on our formal observations forms.  For me, professionally, I would like to improve at promoting and managing action within my classroom. I see so many great ideas out there that allow child the ability to get creative and use what they have learned to create and build and do! The problem for me is management.  Management of time, materials, and then balancing it out with the actual "curriculum".  Let's face it the creative part is missing from most classrooms- mine included.  But, I often wonder what is the point of all this learning and "rigor" if children aren't able to put it into action.  Maybe I need to create a time after school for such activities.  I would like to find time to balance out the learning that we do- with the "What can we do now with what we have learned? How can I take action?"

Day 4: What do I love most about teaching?  I love kids.  I love that they are so eager to want to learn.  We also say parents are trusting us teachers with their children and we take over when they are here. But, we forget that the children are trusting us to. We become their source of comfort when they get in a fight with a friend, or have a headache. We teach them that compassion comes not only from your family, but from your friends and teachers.  I love that I am able to share this with children through actions, and words.

Day 5:

This is a  classroom that promotes cooperation and engagement with peers.  You can see a library full of books that reach the interest level of almost every child.  It is a cozy place where learning and interaction take place. You don't see 22 children that make this classroom run- without them I would have no purpose.  Each day it is them that I think about as I plan my lessons or argue for changes in curriculum.  You don't see the amount of time and energy spent in and out of the classroom to make it run- and run well.  You can't see the friendships that are formed  through mutual trust and respect between myself and my students.  

Technology Integration

     Day two the reflective teaching and I am thinking about technology.  What would I like to integrate? How will I integrate? 
    I have to say that being 1:1 this year, so far, is amazing!  I am using Google Classroom each and everyday. I love that I can post an assignment for my students and the minute they come in the classroom they are connecting to our classroom and getting right to work.  It is a great tool to use and makes sharing of assignments and other resources a breeze!
    My students love the fact that they can work on assignments at home, or modify according to my comments and critique.  The use of classroom opens up so many possibilities for differentiation. I can easily modify any document and share with all my students or just a few without them feeling left out or anyone else knowing that their assignment is just a little bit different. 
  The one piece of technology that I would like to use more is a student blog. I have set up Kidblog for my class as we connect with other classrooms in the Global Read Aloud.  This is new to me so it comes with a learning curve for both me and my class.  Teaching blogging to children is something that I hope they will continue to use in the future. Blogs are great for reflecting and sharing a piece of ourselves with the world. I hope they can see, through our use in the classroom, the benefit of blogging.  I am always on the lookout for ways to engage children, especially in the area of writing.  This medium is different than what they are used to and so far as really hit home with some of my reluctant writers.  Let's hope the interest continues!!

My Goals

      As part of TeachThought's 30 days of reflective blogging I will be spending the next month thinking and reflecting on each day's prompt.  Being reflective is an important component of the IB program. Being reflective is one of the hardest parts for me. No one wants to think back on what they did, or how they could have done better.  This month's blog posts will do just that!
     So starting off for day one I was prompted to write about my goals for the year.  It said to be as vague or specific as you wanted.  Since this is my blog for reflecting on my teaching I will focus on career goals. 
     1.  I want to give more time to the individual student.  Last year I had 32 children and I barely knew some of them.  There was so much I missed out on getting to know each little person.  Some of that due to numbers and some due to behaviors.  This year, it will be different.  I have 22 children.  Ten less! I don't care what anyone says- numbers matter.  Anything under 25 is pretty manageable.  My goal is to know each child, what they like, don't like. Their favorite authors.  I want to acknowledge all their successes (and failures) no matter how small, and use them as a springboard to challenge themselves in a new way. 
    2. I want to stop taking things so personal and let it go. (channeling Frozen here)  I have to remember why I am there. I am there to teach. I am not going to get a bonus if I work late, and miss out on my own family.  I have to stay balanced. This is my job, I will do what I need to create successes for my students. But, to kill myself and come in early and stay late and miss out on life...what is the point! What examples do we set for our own students and children if we ourselves cannot find balance? 
   3.  I do not want my instruction to be driven by standardized tests! I refuse to teach to the test. My job is to teach and teach well.  To teach the standards set forth by the Common Core, but more importantly to teach the child.  To understand that not every child comes to me with the same knowledge and circumstance.  I have to teach the child that I am given and give them the tools to be successful on an assessment- but to teach the whole child. To be kind. To be respectful. To be brave. To be inquirers. To be a leader.