An Elementary Teacher's Best Friend (One of Many)

In college I was discouraged from using extrensic rewards (such as candy) to motivate my students. And it is true that intrinsic motivation, or that which comes from within, is often a more powerful and long-lasting force. However, I was made to believe that (in a nutshell) verbal praise = good, candy = evil.

Back in August, I longed to stick to my ideal pedagogy of helping students to develop and harness their inner desire to learn and do what's right without "bribery" (as it was often deemed in my university studies). I struggled with the contrast of inward vs. outward sources of motivation. But it didn't take me long to learn. Intrinsic motivation is idealistic. Extrensic is realistic. And while verbal praise is a highly effective student motivator, it does not need to be made an enemy of extrensic inspiration.

As it turns out the "dark side" of motivation isn't as shadowy as I'd thought. There is a difference between using a prize/candy as a bargaining tool and using it as a reward for a job well done. If you think about it, most everyone in our society is given a return for effort and hard work. We adults have paid jobs. And how many of us would really work for free?
(Is pure intrinsic motivation truly possible in practice?)

I've come to realize that as long as students maintain an understanding of the fact that candy (or whatever it may be) is not the reason for doing what is right - it is one of the perks for choosing to do what is right regardless, then all is well. The expectations are already in place, but those who choose to challenge themselves are rewarded. Both incentives and verbal praise can help students' inward motivation to stay alive and thriving.

So, to my fellow first year teachers: Candy in the classroom is not so bad. And it doesn't take much. You'll be amazed how much motivation a third grader can muster up for a M&M or two ;)

Morning Duty

This morning as the cars of parents are dropping off their kids for school, a first grade boy opens the door of his dad's trash laden truck. He's a tiny little thing which makes him a bit clumsy. So he drags his feet as he's climbing out of the truck, causing all of the trash from the floorboard of the pickup to fall to the pavement below. His father smiles, then hollers, "Thanks for cleanin' out the truck!" and drives away ...leaving behind an impressive pile of McDonalds cups, coke cans, and school papers (possibly with this year's report card in the mix).


Thanks Mr. T for telling me this hilarious story :)

Secrets

Me: "I'm just not sure I can trust you to keep a secret."

Student: "I can keep secrets! I have some right now...and I'm keeping 'em. ...Three of them."

Exactly.

Compliment Corner

More than anything else, it seems, I find myself teaching my students how to be polite and respectful (somewhere in between I teach math and reading too). We have consistently focused on using kind words. You wouldn't believe how cruel my third graders can be. After years of elementary school, they have managed to learn the difference between 'right' and 'wrong' (mostly), but have failed to understand the contrast of 'kind' and 'rude' behaviors. They have very limited experience learning how to deal with their frustration/anger in a positive way, and even less practice actually reaching out to encourage others, just for the sake of being nice. In an effort to extend our many conversations on the issue, I introduced 'Compliment Corner' - a place where they can practice giving meaningful, genuinely kind words to one another. Instead of always finding surface level things to say, for example "I like your shirt"; we are working on finding more "special" ways to compliment our peers.
Each student has their own mini envelope with their name written on it. Students use small slips of notebook paper to write thoughtful notes about the positive behaviors they notice in others. There has only been one instance in which a student chose to write a hateful note and deposit it in someone's envelope, and I took the opportunity to nip that in the bud real quick. Overall, Compliment Corner is proving to be a very sweet addition to our classroom :) I think it is helping to build friendships and a positive environment (we all know students learn better if they feel secure!).
After the first week, my students demanded that I add an envelope for myself. Below are two notes I received the other day - one brought a smile and the other, a bit of laughter...

Winding Down

After an entire sleeve of Thin Mints (thank you Girl Scouts) and a tall glass of milk, I think relaxation is finally setting in :)
It's been a long week, working extra late on both Tuesday and Thursday for parent-teacher conferences, speaking spanish to the point of mental exhaustion.
Proof that my mind has just about turned to mush: About an hour ago I went to the fridge to refill my milk, and the carton was MIA. After searching for a bit, I thought I was losing my mind. It turns out I was. I decided to retrace my steps exactly from where I'd originally filled my glass... This is where my carton of milk finally turned up.

Wow.
I mean, I was honestly flabbergasted.

All You Need is LOVE

Most teachers I've encountered feel class parties equate to extra large headaches. I, on the other hand, disagree :) I have warm memories of the various class parties I experienced growing up, especially on Valentine's Day. Naturally, I attempted to recreate my experience verbatim with my third graders this year.

I wanted my students to decorate shoeboxes to hold their Valentine cards JUST as I had when I was younger. So, I stocked up on stickers of all sorts (both of the shiny and foamy variety) and I utilized the heart-shaped dicut in our workroom to provide red, white, and purple paper hearts for decoration. I also tore off large sheets of colored butcher paper for us to wrap the boxes in.

Now, I must say wrapping 19 shoeboxes in butcher paper was a bit more time-consuming than I'd envisioned (taking a full 45 minutes of class time). Thankfully a few of my students have experience wrapping Christmas gifts. Between the three of us, we were able to assist those who were a bit more...shall we say..."challenged" by the task.

This experience made me thankful to have third graders - any younger and I would have been pre-wrapping each box on my own… which I wouldn't have consented myself to do… which would have meant no decorated shoeboxes for VDay :(
Yay third grade!

When all the wrapping was finished, I cut a mail slot in the top of each box for special deliveries to be inserted. Finally, (my favorite part) each box was personalized with a slew of VDay decor! The more gaudy the box, the better!!
Afterwards, I lined up our handmade mailboxes in a row, and we were ready for business.
Valentines were passed out, and we had a spread of sugary sweets to stuff our bellies with while we enjoyed opening our cards!

The kids really loved their mailboxes, and I'm so glad we took the time to create them :) However, next year there are a few things I will choose to do differently:
1. Make the mailboxes during the first week of February instead of two days before VDay. This way students have two full weeks to bring their Valentines to school to be delivered - avoiding a mad rush of students cramming cards into boxes as I experienced on VDay this year…
2. Save empty Kleenex boxes to use instead of shoeboxes. I have another teacher in my building to thank for this fantastic idea! Using old tissue boxes not only promotes recycling, but it insures all of my students will have a box to decorate (Lord knows we go through PLENTY of tissue boxes from August to February!). This year, only about 5 of my students showed up with shoeboxes from home. Luckily, some kids brought an extra box or two; and I was able to scrounge some old tissue boxes from other teachers to supplement what we lacked. Also, Kleenex boxes have a pre-cut hole for mail - genius!

My third graders did not neglect an opportunity to butter me on up this holiday… I don't know if I have ever been so spoiled with VDay gifts. I guess those little boogers do have a sweet side ;)

Steps to a Successful Bulletin Board

1. Cover the area with a gigantic sheet of colored butcher paper.
And find a good friend to help you :) [Thanks B!] Simultaneous stapling and positioning of the paper can prove to be quite challenging on your own.

2. Decide on a creative phrase to define your theme.
(Heads up - following is an important tip) Laminate whole pieces of cardstock paper first, then di-cut the individual letters from the pre-laminated paper. Doing it this way will save you so much time and effort! If you've ever spent time cutting out each individual letter from a sheet of lamination then you can understand how valuable this piece of advice is.

3. Tap into your artistic side and muster up something cutesy to stand as a central focus for the display.
If you're not very artistic or simply don't have the energy, purchase something pre-made at Dollar Tree. (More on the goodness of DT in a future post.)

4. Laminate anything and everything you can before it is displayed.
In my opinion, this is a must. Well, at least for those of who plan to save their bulletin board creations and rehang them next year. Do yourself a favor - reuse. And don't think you'll get away with preserving anything you choose to hang in the hallway if it has not been sealed with the protection of laminate. Elementary students looove to run their hands along the hallway walls when then think their teacher isn't watching. If they happen to tear or damage something in the act, it doesn't phase them one bit.

5. Don't neglect the details!
Finding the "just right" position for this snowman's arms was quite fun :) B and I felt this particular stance was very diva-esque. I imagined the snowman saying "hoollleer!" in a very sorority girlish tone of voice. (I'm easily entertained.)

6. No bulletin board is complete without trimmer.
Trimmer is like a nice belt. Imagine, if you will, a man wearing slacks and a collared shirt. Without a belt, he looks presentable. With a belt, he looks professional.
(Did I just pull that analogy out of thin air? Yes. But I'm going with it!)
7. Student work is what makes a bulletin board SPECIAL!
Making your students a part of the design is possibly the most important step. If their work or creation is integrated somehow into the display it makes them feel good! It also grows pride for their quality of work, and lets them know that you think their effort is important.
Each snowflake on this bulletin board was made by my students after we learned about the lifework of Snowflake Bentley. (And, yes, I laminated them too.)
(The snowflakes, not the students.)


A special thank you to BK for her help creating this wintery display! Work is always more fun with friends :)

Tribute

trib·ute   
–noun
1. a gift, testimonial, compliment, or the like, given as due or in acknowledgment of gratitude or esteem.


Today is the birthday of my mom, the most inspiring of all women in my life.

My mom was also an elementary teacher. Watching her as I grew up is what sparked my desire to follow in her footsteps and become an educator. I still remember dressing up in her "teacher clothes" for career day in third grade… She made her job seem wonderful to me :)

While teaching can certainly be wonderful at times, I know now that it is also a tough job. ...I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to ask her a question, wishing so badly that I could have her here with me to help me along the way. How I would love to be able to learn from her experience, listen to her advice and soak up the wisdom she'd gained over her 15 years of teaching!

Although she isn't able to be here for the day to day struggles of my first year, I know my mom has already helped me in possibly the greatest way - she helped me to find my calling. I realize that may sound cheesy, but it's true. If it weren't for her influence and example, I may never have come to know for myself the joy of teaching.

I am nowhere near the woman my mom was - I still wonder sometimes at how she managed to balance life so seemingly well. I am a disorganized mess, haha. But I have faith that I will get there someday (praying that it's sooner than later). I've only just begun the journey of trying to get my act together in such an ever-changing, problematic "industry". It's hardly a simple task.

As I was going through storage a few months ago, I came across a box of items from my mom's classroom. I remembered this decorative piece hanging outside her classroom door. It's been displayed outside mine ever since. My students touch it lightly each time they enter to remind themselves what a difference a positive attitude can make. It reminds me of her every day.



Thank you, Mom, for the teacher you still inspire me to be. You are deeply missed and dearly remembered. Phil. 1:3


It amazes me, and at the same time fills me with gratitude to realize not an ounce of my love for her has diminished over the years. Sometimes I feel afraid that I'll forget. Time heals, but it does not numb. Hallelujah.

Snowklahoma

Two days back to work and we're off again! I predict that the snow won't be staying around as long this time…but the flurries this morning were magical!

In recent news, the School Board decided to add time to each school day from February 28 until testing (April-ish) instead of adding full days at the end of the academic year! Much more effective use of instructional time. Also, I'm happy that our contract time won't be extended into June :)

The Trials of Testing

Where to begin?
The subject of standardized testing seems to be unconquerable in a single blog post. So I'm going to try to keep it simple for you.
The elementary school I work at is currently on 'Year One Warning' - which basically means our past test scores have been consistently low enough to draw some negative attention from the state government. They have given us a year to get ourselves back on track, assuming we are able to improve test scores. What happens if we don't meet the minimum requirements? I've been told to not even go there…

At the beginning of the school year, all testing grade levels (3rd, 4th, 5th) met with a test analysis committee, and it was my impression from that meeting that we simply needed 12% progress from the previous year's scores. Not so, exactly. The percent increase only counts for those students who actually pass the test. So it doesn't matter if I've helped bring a child up from a 1st grade reading level to a 2nd grade reading level…it won't count if my lowest student improves his or her score by 30%.
Ultimately, it's not about overall progress, it's about overall passing.

So, my goal is not necessarily to make a 12% gain across the board. My goal is to get 12% more students to pass the state test. In order to ensure the greatest amount of success in this endeavor, we must focus 100% of our intervention efforts on those students who have come to be commonly known as "bubble kids" - students who are below grade level, but who are close enough that they might actually be able to pass if we provide them with focused intervention lessons and keep our fingers crossed.
Hey 'No Child Left Behind' - will you please explain how this methodology is not contradictory? Please, enlighten me on how those children who need our attention the most are not being strategically left behind.

I'm not saying we shouldn't focus on those kids who are close to "getting it". And I fully understand the logic and tactic behind this sort of plan. But I can't pretend that I'm not watching my severely low students miss out on opportunities for success that they need just as badly, if not more.
What is the solution?
(Well, I have an idea…but that's for another post.)

So. 12% more students passing the big test. That's our goal.
Last year, 50% of third grade students scored well enough to pass the reading test.
Let's do some basic math, shall we?
50% + 12% = 62%
We need to make sure at least 62% of our third graders pass the reading test this year.

Deep breath. Here comes the scary part.
As of January, mid-way through the school year…
12% of third graders passed the reading benchmark test.
18% of third graders passed the math benchmark test.

Just to clarify:
We need at least a 62% passing rate.
We currently have a 12% passing rate.
Is this a possible task?
I'm honestly not sure.

...Let's move on to some visuals.

Below are the January benchmark test results for my third grade class:

Reading

Math

While these scores may seem scary (and they are), I was informed that, out of the six third grade classes at my school, my kids were among the top two highest scoring classes. I assure you I am not taking this moment to boast (there's a little too much red on those graphs to warrant much bragging), but in the midst of all the mental discouragement and negativity I fight on a daily basis it does feel good to know that I must be doing at least something right. :)
If third grade overall has a 12% passing rate for reading and I've got 23%; an 18% passing rate for math and I've got 38%, then that is something to be happy about, right? I've got to take what joy I can find!

So, at this point in the game it all boils down to green vs. red.
The small slices of orange on each pie - those are my "bubble kids"; the neutrals upon whom my instructional focus will turn to with full force, in hopes that by April I will win that many more students over to the green side.

It's sad to think in terms of red vs. green. Because with this way of thinking, students are transformed from individuals to statistics, from faces to numbers. I hate it. I know why we have to do it this way. But it feels as though I'm being instructed to neglect those who need me the most. And a very rebellious, passionate side of my brain refuses to give in to such thinking. Every child is important, not just my "bubble kids" who are close to getting it. Knowing that I have somehow helped my students to gain even an ounce of knowledge that they didn't have before - that's what is important. Watching a student read a beginning chapter book on their own for the first time; seeing a child's face light up when they finally understand how to multiply two numbers - those are the moments that I choose to define my level of success, not numbers on a pie chart.
In the end, do the numbers matter? I wish I could say no, but the answer is yes. The numbers determine both our freedom and our funding. But I will remind myself to take heart! Because without heart, I am convinced teaching is just another miserable career.

Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick." In the same way, I must continue to have faith for even the weakest of readers and the unlikeliest of mathematicians. They are the ones who arguably need a good teacher the most.
While striving for that 62% goal I cannot, I will not neglect the red.

Belated Birthday Post

When I was younger I always wanted my birthday to fall on a school day. That way, my mom could bring zebra cakes for the entire class and I would be the center of attention. Either my birthday never fell on a weekday from K-5th grade, or my mom never made a big deal out of it because I have no memories of an at school birthday celebration held in my honor.
That is, until my fate changed this year. I celebrated my 25th birthday a few weeks ago and, guess what, it fell on a Monday! Heck yes.

It may be 15 years later, but I finally got my school party. My students spent a few short class periods when I agreed to step into the hallway, leaving them unattended (scary thought), to plan a "surprise" party for my birthday. The goods trickled in, and when Monday came my party supply was complete with paper plates, plastic forks, oreos, and a whole lot of these

After lunch that day I let them enter the classroom first and have about 5 minutes to "set up" (which meant distribute the party horns and hide behind desks) while I waited in the hallway. When I opened the classroom door, I was greeted with 20 screaming, horn-blowing kids who I'm convinced could be heard down the hallway (sorry, teachers!). When I was able to get them relatively calm, the oreos were passed out and I was allowed the first bite - I must admit they can be sweet when they want to be :) The best part is that they orchestrated the entire celebration themselves. They were so proud!

As we were enjoying our oreos, I got a phone call from the office - only the voice on the line did not belong to the secretary…it was JB! Surprised, I quickly went to the office to meet him and saw that he'd made 30 funfetti cupcakes! I got to take them back to my class and share with my students. Perfect timing. He is truly the best :)

Thanks to 20 little rascals and 1 fantastic bf, I finally had an at-school birthday celebration! I can check that one off the bucket list! ;)

Snowpocalypse

Snowpocalypse. Snowmaggedon. Blizzard. These are just a few of the names the recent snow storm has been given. At first, I scoffed at the fact that we Oklahomans always make such a big fuss out of snow days - I mean, calling it a blizzard?? Really? However, now that I'm facing day 3 of solitary confinement in my house and the snow surrounding my dwelling has not receded in the slightest….I'm beginning to think maybe this is the end of the world as we know it. I wouldn't even be able to get my car down the driveway if I needed to. Don't get me wrong, I am LOOOving the absence of work in my life. I'm simply out of milk.
I've seen some teachers posting on facebook that they actually WANT to go back to work and are wishing the snow away…when I see those posts I am tempted to curse them for their ignorance! We have the rest of our lives to slave away at the mercy of uncivilized little people. I'm going to savor the freedom while I still can.

Tuesday morning, I woke up to the following surprise: snow. inside my house.



This was a first for me. Was my door or window left open? Not in the slightest. I guess when you live in a house built in 1923 it's to be expected that not all seals are fully weather-proof. However, the most intriguing part to me is that the snow on the inside of my living room window stayed frozen…

JB and I ventured out in an attempt to find a spot for sledding. We went to a park with some pretty good sloping hills, but the snow was so soft and deep that every time we tried to slide down, we just sank into the snow - sled and all.
Instead, we went to Norman that night and relived the college experience via a game of snow football on campus. I came prepared.


I like to think of myself as the snow ninja. No one could even tell who I was and, I admit, it was a bit creepy of me. I didn't make any new friends that night. But not an inch of skin on me was left bare to the bitter cold. Like I said, ninja.

Since then I've been hanging out in my home. Cooking. Reading. Cleaning. Sleeping. I don't own a snow shovel to clear my driveway, but the city has yet to plow any of the side streets so there's no use in worrying about the driveway. My car sits so low to the ground that it wouldn't make it to the next block without getting stuck unless the road's cleared. I guess now it's a matter of waiting for the snow to melt. Only the temperature isn't supposed to rise above freezing again until Saturday. Then, there's a chance of more snow coming into the area on Tuesday and Wednesday. So, who knows when I'll be back to work again full time! It's a beautiful world :)
Thank you, Lord, for an unexpected sabbatical to renew my spirit.