2. Connecting Culture and Community: Earth Day 2016

Connecting Culture and Community: Earth Day 2016

This we believe (NMSA, 2010).

*Students and teachers are engaged in active, purposeful learning. Active Learning

I heard the director of “In Real Life,” a middle school community partnership program in Asheville, North Carolina speak. She asked my students to think about something they love to do, or participate in, or watch. She shared that many of us became interested in a hobby or skill we love today when we were in middle school. We may have learned to sew or cook, or fish, or fell in love with football, or music, or reading when we were in middle school. Middle school is a breeding ground for life -interests! By focusing on students’ culture and community, we can make learning more engaging.

This week one of my students shared that he is learning to fly fish. He loves fishing and decided to teach himself. He said, “I didn’t catch anything, but it was fun.” At the end of the day, another student, several actually, are learning to play the guitar and are learning to paint with watercolors. On our team, other students are running track and playing city league. These activities and experiences are enhanced by community organizations, the local park service, and county events. One of the features of our region is the quilt. On buildings throughout the county and western North Carolina there are quilts. In fact, there are quilt trails throughout western North Carolina (http://www.quilttrailswnc.org/). We have quilt squares on all of our schools and the school board, on businesses, and on buildings throughout our community.

I used this cultural element of our community as to engage my students in an Earth Day banner competition. I shifted the focus of EOG Boot Camp to geometry so students could work together to design an Earth Day banner. Each design included a one-inch border. Students worked in pairs or in teams to design their banners. They had four days. Every day about fifteen minutes was devoted to working on the banners. At the end of the week, all of the banners were displayed and students in each class voted for the top three banners and then voted for a banner from a different class. Sixteen banners were selected.

Using the muslin fabric, each banner design was traced. We created a coloring book of the images.

Students then painted the fabric using watered-down acrylic. A total of thirty-five students were working on the sixteen panels. (It was a little crowded.) We worked with the art teacher. On Friday, we used “Club Time” to allow students to trace their banners and began painting with shades of blue. During lunch and advisory over the next three days, students and their partners painted. On Wednesday, while students were being assessed, I sat at the back of the room and began to sew the panels together. I found out that many of my students’ have family members who sew. We ended up with a quilt top.

Our next piece will be to have every student on our team create a quilt square to put around the border. We will use their initials, find the angles of the letters and have them decorate their own quilt square. We will then, in theory, sew the border on the quilt top and actually quilt the banner. (There is a lot of math in quilting!)

Since this project, at the end of the day, between car rider dismissal and bus dismissal, I have students say, "Can we paint?" 

"You bet we can!" I say... but we use water colors instead of acrylics. (:

Advice

1)   Middle school is a time when our students will develop habits and interests for life; we must embrace opportunities to inspire our students. Electives, clubs, sharing your own interests and hobbies that are beyond academics will make a difference.

2)   When you are in a city, look up the Chamber of Commerce to find out what events are planned.

3)   Find out what activities your students are engaged in. Use their interests to make connections with them as people and to make connections with your content.

4)   Use community events as a focus for learning. Find out what competitions are available. This information can be found through the district office or your local administration team.

5)   Collaborate with other teachers. This project would not have happened without the support of the art teacher.

11. Learn to forgive your kids and yourself

11. Forgiveness

This we believe (NMSA, 2010)

*The school environment is inviting, safe, inclusive, and supportive of all.

School Environment

There have been times during this experience that I have felt the pressure of 'not being on my game.' Anyone who has participated in athletics or performing musically or intellectually knows what it looks like when the team or person is not connected, when, even with preparation and commitment, shots don't fall, landings are missed, notes are skipped, or words are misspelled. I had one of those moments yesterday.

I sometimes think our expectations exceed our abilities, and I think the frustrations associated with a class or a student, and those moments crush our spirit. Yesterday, I found myself getting frustrated with a student who appeared, to me, to be waiting for me to leave his side so he wouldn't have to participate; another student, several actually, through the course of an exam, in another class we're talking, and others appeared to be so lost that I wonder if they had been in class at all. 'People,' I boomed, 'make a table...', and this was my advanced class. At the end of the day I was tired, and felt like I had not handled the day well. Do my children really deserve someone who gets frustrated with their lack of motivation or abilities, or decisions? ..."

When I finally took a breath It was twelve hours later. I worried all night, through the night, about the spirit of teaching and how our own frustrations de-energize a classroom. As I backed out of my driveway I noticed the azaleas in the final stages of their blooming; and on my way to work, a beautiful gold and gray morning unfolded above the mountains. And I thought, you know, life is very short and we only have this one chance to help these kids. We have to take them where they are every day and encourage them, lead them, never give up on them.

This morning we, as a faculty, received an email from our school counselor sharing the following:

"I am sure that many of you have seen it happening.  In the counseling office I have seen a huge increase in bullying over the last few days.  Yesterday alone I had 7 bully referrals before lunch!....  As I walked in today I have several students who are in severe emotional distress..."

With an enlightened spirit, I will address today with a different view; the view that I only have about 30 hours left, 1.25 days of their precious lives.

Advice

1)    One of the hardest things to do is to not take students' attitudes personally.  I am not saying there are not students who deliberately want to sabotage a class. But the days when you aren't on your game, try not to beat yourself up. Most students will leave your class and forget they were acting like a middle school student.

2)    Evidently, I am reliving the stress of the end of a year. We are in the home stretch, literally. Three of my team mates are coaches and spending time after school, driving to pick up a bus during lunch, spending hours preparing for games, and working with about 25 students each every day after school and on game days trying to get everything ready for the kids. We are all tired. Recognize that your patience my falter, but these kids need us on their side every day. It is important to find coping skills and implement them...diet, exercise, hobbies, good books, movies, and bubble baths are good strategies.

3)    Mr. Childers (see 'It is about the journey, not the destination') says, 'Kids want to be accepted. If you make a mistake, ask for forgiveness.' I have found this to be true rough out this year. I also accept my students' apologies without hesitation. Forgiveness of your students and yourself is a key characteristic of a mindful teacher.

4)    Find someone whom you trust to share your disappointments. A good friend will let you vent for a little while, but will then, hopefully, remind you that you are human.

5)    Take time for yourself. Engage in a hobby, or craft, or activity that is healthy for your spirit.

6)    Talk to your school counselors when you see a change in your students' behaviors. 

12. Joys and disappointments.

12. Joys and disappointments.

This we believe (NMSA, 2010).

* Every student’s academic and personal development is guided by an adult advocate. Adult Advocate

Last week, students who applied to 'Early College' were told whether they had been selected. (Early College is a magnet school that focuses on academics.) Two students in our advisory group were selected. The first came into my room and shared the news with joy and exuberance. She had come into the class to get her computer for her elective class and literally danced with joy. In the second hour, a small group of girls came in to work on their 'Earth Day' quilt piece. She did not tell me. Her friend shared the news that she had gotten into the program. While working on the piece they talked about going to her house that weekend to practice dancing for her 'fifteen' party. I have no doubt that both girls are elated to have been selected.

Later in the day, two other students shared they were not selected. One boy was loud and feisty. 'I didn't get in," he boomed to the class.  Another girl told me at the end of the day, privately, timidly.  Both have friends in other classes who were selected. Both are good students, both participate in activities and events, and both make good grades. I have no doubt that these two students are extremely disappointed.

As teachers, part of our job is to listen to words and actions. Disappointments are part of life. So are joys. It is often in middle school when disappointments begin. Students are very aware of those who have things and those who do not. It is clear, or perceived, who is popular, who is smart, who is pretty, who is accepted, who has talented, gifted, skilled, and who struggles. In a culture where 'everybody wins,' middle school is often where disparity of talents, skills, and opportunities are revealed.

On Monday, those who had been accepted were more subdued. Those who were not accepted, for the most part, were quieter.  Today is Tuesday. The environment is tense. In addition to Early College, some students were cut from the track team yesterday, and Color Guard tryouts, at the high school, ended with some 'making the team.' All of these students are part of my advisory.

While 'checking in,' students seem to be handling their joys and disappointments. This is where a 'mindful' campus and sensitivity toward students is needed.

I wrote the following on the board, '"May your successes be viewed as opportunities, and may your failures be viewed as beginnings."  I started class with time to reflect on these words.  At the beginning of the year I had students rate themselves using the character lab  growth card. Today we will reexamine those cards and set some goals for high school.

Advice

1.Check in with your students. Find out how they are feeling. Listen to them.
2. As a team, consider using the information, resources, and assessment tools, from characterlab.org. This website provides resources and information to help students develop personal characteristics related to: grit, social/emotional intelligence, curiosity, growth mindset, optimism, gratitude, purpose, self-control, and zest.
2. Communicate your observations with your teammates, counselors, and parents. As teachers, we are not trained to be counselors; thus, if students voice concerns, ask for help or send them to a counselor or administrator.
3. Remember that we all have disappointments; children, parents, teachers, and administrators. As educators we must be more than content specialists. We need to take care of one another and ourselves.

9. Collaborating together has been “an engaging experience.” (:

9. Collaborating together has been “an engaging experience.” (:

This we believe (NMSA, 2010).

* Ongoing professional development reflects best educational practices. Professional Development

This year, my friend, who teaches science and health as part of the resource schedule, and I are collaborating on the topic of “student engagement.” My friend is using chapters from a Marzano text, The Art and Science of Teaching (2007). I am using resources online including: edutopia.org, ascd.org, and amle.org. About once a month we talk about engagement, sharing our experiences and information we have found from different authors’ works.

This week we were talking about what “student engagement” looks like in our classrooms and how it relates to behavior and achievement.

Andrea’s classroom looks like this.

Student engagement has as many different looks as there are faces in the classroom. Sometimes engagement is a wide-eyed focus on a video clip being shown, the book being read aloud, or the dialogue going on in the classroom. Frequently, engagement is seen when students are eagerly raising their hands to ask questions or share ideas about and personal connections to the lesson topic, or when they just blurt out their thoughts when they just can’t contain their enthusiasm. Engagement is students stopping me in the hallway to ask what we are going to do the next time their class has resource time, or if their class is going to do the same thing that another class on their grade level has done. My favorite evidence of engagement is when groups of students groan or beg for more time when I tell them we need to put away materials and wrap up the lesson for the day. Frequently when this happens, students ask if we can continue the same activity the next time we are together. Most of all engagement shows in smiling faces when our time together is over; the students have enjoyed the lesson and made connections to the concepts and I feel like I have accomplished the lesson objectives.

Nancy’s classroom looks like this.

When students are most engaged, they have a task. Some need direction, others need to work on their own. All students need time to consider information, ponder topics, and create evidences of their own learning. My best days include multiple ways of experiencing content: video clips, explore equations in calculators, games, and examining various problems associated with content. This week we are looking at the relationships between linear, quadratic, and exponential functions. For linear graphs we look at salaries over time; using straws and pompoms we “shot cannons” along the chalk tray, and for exponential functions we conducted an exponential decay activity using M&M’s. What I find is that intentional grouping can assist student productivity. I also find that allowing students to struggle and helping them accept struggling as a good thing, helps learning take place. Finally, when students have the opportunity to create their own evidences of learning, there is a deeper understanding of contenta and how math connects to their world.

Summary

We agree that the more engaged a student is, the better he or she behaves. We also agree that the more engaged a student is, followed by opportunities to communicate about their learning, the more likely the student is to retain information learned and make connections to related topics in the future. We believe, as do multiple authors, that building relationships and supporting young adolescents intellectually, socially, and emotionally are important reference points for student engagement. We agree that learning is interactive and then when students have choice, they are more engaged. We agree that collaborating together has been “an engaging experience.” (:

Advice

1)   On the AMLE.org website you can search for resources based on specific topics such as student engagement, or advisory, or teaming. There are podcasts, webinars, and research summaries that provide much “food for thought.”  When choosing a topic, consider the resources from our national organizations to find information.

2)   Consider your PDP as a tool for growing professionally. You may want to collaborate with a colleague to share ideas and insights.

3) Consider joining twitter accounts that address your topic or your grade level. This week I saw where Australia educators hosted a one-hour Adolescent Success

4) Give students opportunities to work in various groupings, from pairs to small groups. Research and implement cooperative learning strategies such as those available in the free articles at the following link to the Kagan Publishing and Professional Development website: http://www.kaganonline.com/free_articles/dr_spencer_kagan/ . You can also search for articles on the websites of content area professional organizations such as the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) like this article, Cooperative Learning in the Science Classroom, available at: http://www.nsta.org/publications/news/story.aspx?id=52116 .

5) Give students as many choices as possible when assigning tasks. Think about whether students can choose to work alone or with a partner or group and if students can select the format the product may take (poster, skit, story, model) from a list of choices. The more choices students can make for themselves, the more likely they are to take ownership of their work and the concepts and succeed at the task you have assigned.

Andrea Valdovinos is a science elective teacher in Jacksonville, Florida. Both of us finished our degrees from the University of Florida. (Go Gators!)

9. Feed your Educational Spirit

9. Feed your Educational Spirit

This we believe (NMSA, 2010).

* Ongoing professional development reflects best educational practices. Professional Development

One of my friends from childhood is a teacher in another state. She has a professional goal that explores “student engagement.” One of her strategies for meeting that goal is to share resources and ideas with me. We have enjoyed talking about research and practices that have been successful as well as challenging.

This morning, or this evening, if you are in Australia, teachers from around the globe participated in a twitter-event focused on Adolescent Success (#MYEdOz). The team of leaders addressed five questions: 1) What are the attributes/skills that you feel indicate a thriving Middle Years Learner; 2) Middle Years Learners crave choice and independence. How do we balance this with guidance and support? 3) Wellbeing, self-advocacy, and resilience are essential in MY education today. Which processes do you use, to strengthen these characteristics? 4) In what ways do you allow Middle Year Learners to see that learning is a glorious struggle; and 5) Share what you feel are the most innovative approaches that will assist students to focus on learning and growing, during the Middle Years of education. During the session, colleagues shared articles, websites, and insights. People from around the globe filled their educational spirits and gathered tools for developing their own professional insights. Their website is www.adolescentsuccess.org.au

I got to thinking how important it is that we find ways to inspire our own practice. Is it possible, and I think it is, that finding our own source of middle-level inspiration depends on where we are, who we are, and what we need?  But it also depends on us taking the time to seek inspiration. My hope is that we never get so busy, so troubled, so overwhelmed, that we don’t take the time to look for and gather inspiration.

As new teachers, exploring different tools can happen individually; however, when learning about different resources, a network of colleagues may be more useful. Resources abound. Seek resources and people to feed your educational spirit.

Advice

1)      Start with resources within your own content area.

2)      Include a healthy dose of resources from AMLE.org.  There are webinars that are available to you, articles, newsfeeds, professional development opportunities.

3)      Look for the AMLE organization in your own state. Our website www.ncamle.org is full of resources for teachers.

4)      Next, consider twitter feeds and blogs of educators.

5)      There are also thousands, yes thousands of video and audio clips available on the internet to inspire you.

6)      And while media tools provide us with many, many, many resources, do not forget the importance of making connections with colleagues in your building, in your school system, in your state, and across the globe. While I have valued colleagues in my school building, some of my most-valued colleagues live outside my immediate surroundings.

11. Dealing with stress: It is real

11. Dealing with stress: It is real

Spring break just ended. I was surprised to realize how much I needed some "down time." By "down time," I mean time to play, socialize, stay up late, cook out, spend time with family, paint, walk on the beach, visit with my sister. As teachers, we spend a lot of time planning, a lot of time reflecting, and during school days, are solving problems, helping students, intervening, calling parents, diffusing behaviors, creating experiences, challenging our students academically, and communicating with multiple colleagues and staff. It is no wonder that when we finally get to spring break, we are surprised how tired we are. However, we are not the only ones who are dealing with stress.

On the first day back from spring break, half of our students went on an eighth-grade field trip to Atlanta. Those left behind participated in a local field trip, a movie, and an afternoon at our local Greenway for fishing and a time to enjoy our community. The latter events were planned by the teachers who stayed behind. All students were back by Thursday. Those who had attended the Atlanta trip were happy, but very tired. 

.....

There are eight weeks left in this school year. It is hard to believe. In the last eight weeks of school, there are field trips, assemblies, testing, sports seasons ending, and celebrations. I hear that the weeks will fly. I am concerned about how to close out the year emotionally with my students. We are gearing up for the end of grade/end of course testing, benchmark testing, and final nine-weeks of grading. Students have signed up for high school classes. It is spring; and with spring there is the possibility of a lack of focus with some students. I will let you know how we do. (:

Tuckman (1965) identified stages of group development. The last stage is "adjourning." At this stage there can be a sense of loss, a sense of 'what could we have done differently?' My hope for our students is that it will be a time of reflection towards their future. My hope for all of us is that we recognize the stress associated with closing out a school year, and looking to the future with hope and anticipation, and direction. And in the meantime, my hope is that we take care of one another and ourselves.

Advice

1) Your students experience stress. Their stressors are different than ours; however, the impact of stress is real. We must be aware of this, talk about it, and plan strategies for helping our students recognize and deal with stress. 

2) Your students' parents experience stress. I have watched our students grow taller, and I am hearing conversations that suggest they are more "aware" of who they are, who others are, and are listening to and participating in social media much more than they were in August. We must work with our PTA organizations to support parents as they navigate their role in helping their children be successful consumers of information.

3) Your colleagues and administrators experience stress. Trying to maintain "calm seas" in a middle school is always at the forefront of administrators. Now, more than ever, our administrators need to see we support them. 

4) Finally, each of us needs to take a look within our own spirits, seek ways to connect with our own inner-peace, and seek ways to support those we are working with. We must balance our commitment to our job, to our families, to our students, and to ourselves.

8. Running for AMLE President-Elect

For those who are following this blog, I wanted to share that I am running for president-elect of the Association for Middle-Level Education. If you are a member, or know members, I would appreciate your consideration for this important position.

My name is Nancy Ruppert and I am running for the office of president-elect of the Association for Middle-Level Education. Voting begins April 7, 2016 through April 28

https://youtu.be/nEZnKAiUhsM

Lighthouse Team celebrating Jeremy as our Teacher of the Year!