A Kid Story 2

Today I kept a kid in from recess to redraw his Halloween monster.  This Halloween activity involved creating a monster and writing a description to match.  The purpose being to pass our descriptions on to students in another class to see if they could draw the same monster by only seeing our descriptions.  Good practice in writing.  Good practice describing.  Good community building.  Good fun for Halloween.  Until... a boy in my class drew a monster with male and female body parts defecating.  He then proceeded to describe one of these parts as "booms", being that English is not his first language.  Oh... these kids just make me laugh.  Happy Halloween!

A Kid Story

While cleaning up at the end of Writer's Workshop last week, one of my shy little girls, H, came to me and said, "Ms. P, I love everything about school."  The big grin on her face told me I was doing something right with my Writer's Workshop this year.  H is loving writing.  Although I have only gotten her to read her writing aloud once during Share Time, she enthusiastically sits and writes and writes in her Think Pad.  She shows me ideas she's added.  She's into it.  I love moments like these.  Another plug for Janiel Wagstaff.  

A Teacher's Job Description

Counselor
Secretary
Activities Coordinator
Communications Expert
Diplomat
Mom
Dad
Curriculum Coordinator
Instructor
IT Guy
Author
The Boss
Pastor
Researcher
Sociologist
Administrator
Analyst
Negotiator
Team Builder
Judge
Actor
Inspirational Speaker
Coach

Why do we do this job?  Oh ya...  Kid lover.

Glass, Bug, Mud

I have a classroom filled with kids just learning English for the first time alongside kids who are reading English books at an eighth grade level while in grade 3.  It's a challenge.  But a fun one.  So I spend a lot of time differentiating my classroom instruction.  One tool I use is "Glass, Bug, Mud".  I didn't come up with this on my own of course.  I found the idea in an educational journal years ago while a student myself.  And I ran with it.

"Glass, Bug, Mud" is an assessment tool I use to help kids understand their progress as well as assess themselves.  If a child is "glass", it means he/she is clear as glass and understands a concept completely. It is mastered.  If a child is "bug", he/she can kind-of see through the window of the car, so they kind-of understand the concept, but need a little more practice or help.  A "mud" child cannot see through the window and needs a lot more help to understand a particular idea.

I start the year explaining the meaning of "glass, bug, mud" using the picture of a car window.  I ask the students to assess themselves in all areas of their lives by moving to different parts of the room.  "Are you glass, bug, or mud at cleaning your room?"  "Are you glass, bug, or mud at helping others?"  "Are you glass, bug, or mud at playing soccer?"  You get the idea.  The kids move to the "glass" place in the room if they are really good at it.  They move to the "bug" place if they're OK, and so forth.  At the end of several questions spanning all parts of their lives (only a few academic), we have a discussion about our talents being different, we're each unique, we each need help with something, and we are a team that can help each other try to be glass in all areas.  Kids really get it and buy into it quickly.

After that, I start putting little symbols on the corner of each of their papers to show them if they are glass, bug, or mud at that particular concept.  Students correct or have another mini-lesson with the teacher or peer teach till everyone has reached glass.  Half way through the year the children begin putting symbols on their work before I check it, to evaluate themselves and compare if I see their progress the same as they do.  Throughout this process the kids learn to self assess, monitor their own learning, and persevere until they understand a concept thoroughly.  By the end of the year I'm no longer putting glass or mud symbols on papers.  The kids do it all.  And they are spot on (for the most part).

I really like this tool because it teaches the children to monitor their own learning, become independent learners, and be responsible for their learning.

To learn more about differentiated instruction ideas and "glass, bug, mud", check out the article I wrote a few years ago in Phi Delta Kappan.

Classroom Management

Classroom management... the most important part of teaching in my opinion.  This is how I do it so I can actually teach something.

The Quiet Signal

Some people use a clapping signal, others the lights.  Whatever you use, the best way to make it work is to EXPECT it always and to wait for 100% attention before going on.  If I need to give instructions, I raise my hand, wait for EVERY single child to stop what they're doing, look at me, and raise their hands too.  And I expect ALL the kids to do it in 5 seconds or less.  Then I give instructions for the next thing.  What happens when they don't do it within the time limit?  We spend a lot of time practicing.  It doesn't take much to get them to WANT to do it within 5 seconds.  And after the first week of school, they're really quite good at it.  In my experience, the only way it will work is expecting kids to do it, exactly, every time.  Then they will.  It works!

Numbered Heads

This is a common collaborative teaching tool that I learned from Spencer Keagan my first year of teaching.  Put kids in groups (4 is the best if possible).  Give each child a number in the group.  1 2 3 4. You can then use it for everything!...  "Number 4's please collect the notebooks and turn them in for your group."  "Start with number 1 and go around the circle sharing your answer."  "Number 1's get the glue.  Number 2's get the paper.  Number 3's and 4's wait patiently."  You get the idea.  Click on the link above to get more ideas.

Two easy tools that make ALL the difference!

Room Prep

School started with me feeling partially prepared, as usual.  But regardless of the lack of feeling prepared, I think the classroom looked mostly ready.  Here is how school began this year...

Cover ugly cabinets

At the end of last year I had my kids "marble paint" paper to cover my cabinet doors.  After laminating them, they add a lot of color and cover up the plain wood.  I can also stick anything on them with ease. Always need more places to hang things!

A view of the room

I especially like the streamers.  My previous students colored flags of various nations on each triangle and I backed them with colored paper.  Strung them all together and they look really great, represent the many nations my students come from, and I don't have to decorate extra for International Day in September.

Chair pockets!

This was one of my summer projects - sew chair covers with pockets on them.  I made covers out of four different colors to differentiate my table groups.  It's working SO well thus far.  And they're super easy to make for anyone with a sewing machine.

A good extension activity

I like to have some kind of mystery research project on the wall.  To start out the year I decided to go with a "Math Mystery".  Can you figure out the number based on these daily clues?  I used Super Teacher Worksheets for this one.  Just press print and cut them out.  Easy!

Family Photos

The Tree

By now everyone has seen this sort of paper tree on the internet multiple times.  I added the kids faces and think I'll add student work (on circles) soon.  It's still warm and summery here in Budapest, but Fall will come.  When it does, the tree will have fall colors only.  And fallen leaves along the base of the wall.  Then in winter... snowflakes and snow colors.  Fun way to show the seasons.

Olympics Advice

I asked my previous years students to write words of advice for my incoming third graders.  "How to be a 3rd grade Olympian" turned into quite a cute board.  My old third graders, now fourth graders, enjoyed walking by and seeing their words and photos.  Easy first weeks of school board.

That's a good start I think!

Meeting "My Kids"

The first day comes.  They enter my room.  Some nervous.  Others dreading the start of school.  The little girls and one boy who enter enthusiastically, sit in the front, and love the teacher as soon as I say "welcome".  Everyone is on their best behavior for the first hour.  Then true colors start shining through.  The kid who can't keep a grip on his pencil and knocks the supply bin down twice in the first twenty minutes... just makes me smile, "Oh, he'll take some extra patience."  The little girl who knows very little English, but surprises me when she gets to work before I start typing on Google Translate.  She'll melt my heart all year as she learns English so fast.  There's the boy whose hair is spiked with gel and his shirt tucked in.  He sat in the front row and works diligently.  A little nerd and so stinkin' cute I love him instantly.  The kid with the English accent - always adorable for the American teacher.  The little girl who struggles in school, but begins working hard right away.  They're all here.

I call them "my kids".  They feel like that in some ways, as I spend 6 hours a day, five days a week with them.  Really they're just on loan.  Or entrusted.  As I work at a private international school, in a city where parents have several English-speaking options, I am honored that I get to teach these kids.  It's very humbling.  Especially when my students speak three languages fluently, translate for the adults around them, and still have respect for their native English-speaking teacher who speaks ONLY English.  Humbling.

But the best job in the world.  "My kids" for the next nine months.