Burning a Candle for Newtown

My mind has been occupied all weekend with thoughts of Sandy Hook Elementary.  Words cannot express the empty feeling this kind of tragedy leaves me with.  I am not currently married.  I do not have children. I simply cannot imagine the heartbreak those families are going through.  Even if the family was lucky enough to have their students come home at the end of the day, I'm sure they are just torn apart.  I'm sitting here 2,300 miles away.  I don't know any of them directly.  I've never even been to Connecticut, and I'm torn apart, having fought bouts with tears several times over this weekend.

There is part of me that feels awful being so grateful that this was not our elementary.  I cannot begin to empathize with that community, how terrible it must be. When tragedy like this strikes, I can't help but think of Sophocles and a line from Oedipus Rex, paraphrased, "If this is how the world works, then why bother?" But really, it is because the world can be so irrational that we need to bother more! We need to be like the Whos down in Whoville who sing when it seems like there's nothing to sing about; Who sing especially when there's nothing to sing about.  Why sing?  Because, we need to let the world know that above all, love is louder!

I have done my best not to watch the news about this horrific event.  I have done my best to not know the horrible details.  I have done my best to not glorify what has happened.  I don't even know the name of the shooter, and I honestly don't care to know.  What I do care about is all of the innocent lives that have been taken way to soon.  I had a song that randomly came across my I-pod yesterday, and thus began one of my bouts with tears.  I could do nothing but think of those children and teachers.  I sang the lyrics as loud as my cracking voice would let me, in hopes that somehow they could hear.  I encourage you to do the same.  Pick a name, or sing to all of them.  Do not forget the victims:

Charlotte Bacon, Daniel Barden, Rachel Davino, Olivia Engel, Josephine Gay, Ana M. Marquez-Greene, Dylan Hockley, Dawn Hochsprung, Madeleine F. Hsu, Catherine V. Hubbard, Chase Kowalski, Jesse Lewis, James Mattioli, Grace McDonnell, Anne Marie Murphy, Emilie Parker, Jack Pinto, Noah Pozner, Caroline Previdi, Jessica Rekos, Avielle Richman, Lauren Rousseau, Mary Sherlach, victoria Soto, Benjamin Wheeler, and Allison N. Wyatt.

I had a friend wonder if I felt so much more emotionally connected to this because it was on my turf, and I don't know if that's the case, but regardless, I will continue to do what I do with my position.  I will not only teach the kids academics, but I will teach them character, and in that, universal acceptance.  I will grow to love, respect, care for, and protect every single one of my children, because, as much as I hope it never happens, in the event that I am put into the situation, I would stand up and take the bullet to protect every single one of them past, present, and future.

December 16, 2012

I think I'll start off this week with a couple of pictures.  We had a couple of fun little assemblies for the kids to watch.  This first picture is the Jr. High's Theater 1 class.  Not only was this one cute, but I think it was important for our stundents to show their support not only to the elementary side of our school, but the junior high side as well.

The second one was on Friday.  The Utah Opera visited and gave the kids the very basics of the opera, even teaching them a little Latin along the way.  This assembly captivated the students.  It's been a while since we've seen this fantastic of behavior at an assembly, all grades 1-6 that were there, so they must have been enthralled.

The school year is seriously trucking along!  I just cannot believe that we are only one school week away from 2013. Crazy insane!  As far as what's going on here in the classroom, there hasn't been a whole lot out of the ordinary.  We just finished our fourth unit math.  With only 9 units, that puts us at almost halfway through.  I will only be reviewing math this next week as I'm not sure how effective it would be to start a new unit and then take a couple weeks off.  We're hoping to rework our reading program for the new year as well.  We obviously have the same concepts that we need to teach, but we'd like to have a little less with to do with our reading textbook, as some of the stories in the book are, shall we say, outdated.  We are going to try and incorporate a couple of novels that we will read as a class, as well as possibly some Shakespeare.

I hope the students have been telling you stories about the changes in our behavior management.  Honestly, that is one of the placest I struggle with most as a teacher.  It's so tough to find something that works for a class, and the when you finally think you've got it figured out, it's time for the new year, a completely new group of kids, and something completely different that will work for them.  However, on Wednesday I started implementing a few new things that really seemed to work for these kids.  The last three days of this week were some of the best behavioral days we've had since the honeymoon period ended (the first few weeks where they're too scared to act out). Wish me luck that maybe it didn't take me the entire year to get some things figured out with this dynamic of students.

With that being said, I would like to tell a short story before I announce the most exciting news.  The week after Thanksgiving break, I had one of my two required administrative observations.  This includes a debriefing that was done on a later date during our specialist time (when the kids are with a different teacher).  Well, before we knew it, that debriefing had taken about 15 minutes longer than planned, meaning the students had been in my classroom for about 15 minutes without any supervision.  I honestly took the long walk back to the classroom expecting carnage, but what I saw when I got there was the complete opposite.  The next thing on the schedule was to correct the Daily Language Review that we do as our morning work, and one of the students had taken lead and was guiding the class through the corrections on it.  I was floored, in shock, awed... needless to say, I walked over to their marble jar and dumped in what little marbles they had left, earning them a class party!

That's the exciting news!  We've finally earned our first class party!  I'm going to take advantage of the time of year, and we are going take a few hours (9:30-11:30ish) on Thursday to build gingerbread houses, well, graham cracker houses.  I will need some help with supplies.  We did this activity as a whole grade last year, and we are not this year, so I have a lot of stuff left over from it.  I should have graham crackers enough for everyone.  I also have some candies.  We will probably need more candy to decorate them with.  We will also need frosting to glue them with.  If you could help by donating any candy or frosting, that would be greatly appreciated.  I am also looking for probably 3 or 4 volunteers, just to help police the activity.  We have to do this in the classroom, so we'll have to do everything possible to keep the mess as little as possible.  Again, if you can donate, please send it in by Wednesday, so I know how much we have, and if you can volunteer, I will take the first four to let me know.  Any more than four and the classroom would start to crowd.

Mostly, that's it!  Only four school days until the holiday break.  Hopefully, we can make it a great couple of days.

"Some succeed because they are destined to, but most succeed because they are determined to." ~Henry Van Dyke

December 9, 2012

So I mostly want to apologize again for my lack of communication lately.  Life has been busy both in school: with my Tech Crew, observations, grading, prepping, and you know, teaching; and out of school with Scrooge.  Throw into that bronchitis, which took me out of school for two days and got me reaquainted with my couch for the better part of a week, and it's just a nightmare trying to recover.  I mostly feel like I'm getting on top of things, but it has definitely been a struggle.

With my apology for the lack of communication, I need to apologize for the late notice on the informance.  Thank you so much to those who were able to come.  It was a part of the pile that I knew was coming up, and we did our best to throw something together for, but I just completely forgot to send anything home until the night before.  I think it was a cute little performance.  For those who missed it, not to worry, as soon as we are done writing our anti-bullying musical, we will begin rehearsing it, and eventually perform it, so you will be able to see the finalized version of the song we performed at the informance.

All in all, I think I'm finally on top of the illness.  If I'm being honest, I'm still feeling some side effects from it with a congested chest, and I still don't think my energy is back to normal, but we're getting there.  I will do my best to not let myself fall that far behind again, but I tell you, when you get stopped in your tracks, life keeps going without you, and it's been a nightmare getting caught back up.  Thank you so much for your understanding and support.

"Sickness...and insanity were the angels that surrounded my cradle and they have followed me throughout my life." ~Edvard Munch

November 16, 2012

"Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving." ~W.T. Purkiser

Scrooge: A Christmas Carol

Back in October, I auditioned for the Terrace Plaza Playhouse's performance of Scrooge: A Christmad Carol.  This is something I told the students about as I feel it important that (a) They realize we teachers have a life outside of school; and (b) They know that there truly is a reason I'm teaching at an art school.  Anyway, I was cast as Fred, Scrooge's nephew.  When the students found out I'd be performing, they wanted to know how to come see it, so I'm posting that information here.  This is in no way an assignment or requirement, just something fun you could do as a family if you wish.

The show runs from November 23 - December 22.  It does play every Friday, Saturday and Monday at 7:30 at the Terrace Plaze Playhouse, 99 East 4700 South, Ogden.  It is a show that typically sells out, so if you are interested, I would recommend calling and getting reservations, 801-393-0070. 

I am in both casts of the show so you could come any night and I would be performing, however, I am only Fred every other show. My performance schedule as Fred would be as follows:

Friday, November 23

Monday, November 26

Saturday, December 1

Friday, December 7

Monday, December 10

Saturday, December 15

Friday, December 21

Again, this is not by any means a requirement, just sharing information. Thanks so much!!!

"Though Christmas has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it." ~Fred in Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol

November 9, 2012

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit." ~Aristotle

Primary Children's Delivery

As cautiously optimistic as I was that I might be able to hand deliver a few of the toys we collected, it just wasn't possible, though, I still came away from the delivery with a story to share.  When Mrs. McGuire and I arrived at Primary Children's we were greeted by an employee and a volunteer.  It is the volunteer which truly brought joy to my heart.  As I was filling out the form above, she was going through the boxes, to see what all we'd brought, and my goodness, it was like Christmas for her.  She told us about how she had just made the rounds delivering very similar things.  She was able to give us a secondhand account of the smiles that these toys will bring to the faces of so many children.  She just couldn't believe that there were so many toys sitting there in front of her.  She was elated by the fact that she would be able to deliver them to the kids, and help brighten up so many days.

 

Though it's her that gets to be the one that delivers them, it would not have been possible without  each and every family who helped contribute to the cause.  I just want to say how truly thankful I am for how well this drive went, and how big a difference we will be able to make because of it.

 

I did take the time to stamp the school's return address on every letter we delivered, so my final hope is  that even just one of the recipients will write back and give the children some form of recognition for what they did, but even if we don't get a single reply, we can walk away from this knowing how big a difference we made!  There are 256 children that will have a brighter moment on a rainy day because of us, and for that, to have been a part of that difference, I am truly thankful.

November 5, 2012

The last day of the term is very rapidly approaching!  Only two days left in Term 1!  The only subject where you will see any new scores will be Science.  I will be giving them a work day during rotations tomorrow to get a handle on any missing assignments they might have.  However, I'm cheating a little with Science as I want to get all of Microorganisms on Term 1.  We will be taking the final microorganisms test  on Thursday.  That is the only score not in gradebook yet that willbe for the first term.  With that in mind, they will be bringing home a study guide on Wednesday to study for the test that we'll be taking on Thursday, so please make sure they study as there will be no time for retakes.

Beyond that, just know that things are moving along as usual.  Once the gradebook has shifted so I can enter grades for term 2, I will get that updated.  I do have quite a few scores already that will be counted, however, I will not start counting the "5 days" on those assignments until after I can get them into gradebook.

I will close by saying how wonderful a job I think our students did on the Egyptian Wax Museum.  They were super cute!  In random selection, here are a few of the pictures I took from that day.

"Live and follow rules. Don't be like my father Ahkenaten." ~King Tuthankhamun

Toy Drive: FINAL UPDATE!

WE DID IT!!!!!  Our goal was to collect 200 toys over a period of 3 weeks.  With one day left, we still needed 18 toys, and come Friday, the last day of the collection, we had an astounding 74 toys come in!  I am so, so, so proud of our students!  We, as teachers, are going to have to come up with some sort of reward for them for the amazing job they've done!  I will be delivering them to Primary Children's on Friday.  I'm hoping, while down there, I can hand deliver a few of them to bring back some stories for the children, so they can hopefully personalize this project, if even just a little bit.  I will share those stories here if that happens.  Thanks again for all your support parents!  We did an amazing job!

"No one has ever become poor by giving." ~ Anne Frank

October 28, 2012

Holy smokes!  It takes me sitting down at my personal computer at 8:00 at night, but I finally feel like I have a few minutes to truly update you on what's been going on in the classroom!  To start with, here's our homework board for this last week:

Things have seriously been moving!  We've completed our second unit in math, and hopefully they know everything they'll need to know about decimals: adding, subtracting, multiplying dividing, comparing, ordering, etc.  We also learned about some new techniques for greatest common factor (GCF) and least common multiple (LCM). I'm not going to lie.  I, as a teacher, learned a new way to teach a few things this year that really excited me.  Hopefully my excitement passed onto the children.  Let me give you an example.  For instance, let's take the fraction 18/24.  Using what we referred to as the cake method, we can find the GCF and LCM of those two numbers, and simplest form of that fraction, all in the same calculations.  Take a look at picture below.  The numbers to the left are common factors (numbers that will evenly divide into both numbers).  When you multiply all of the common factors together, you get the GCF.  The two numbers across the bottom are the fraction in simplest form (3/4).  Multiply the GCF by those two numbers and you have the LCM!

I knew the cake method before this year, but it wasn't until this year that I realized the power of it!  As I previously said, I just hope my excitement over my learning translated to the kids and their learning.

The other really exciting thing I have to share is math related as well.  A while back I told you about our PEMDAS Music Video!  Well, here it is, fresh for your debut!

I'm so proud of the kids for how well they did during the filming of this.  I may have conceptualized the video, but the song is original, and the acting and singing is all them!

All in all, things are really just moving.  The end of the first term is just around the corner!  Some things, I've already started moving assignments to second term.  Math and language will end the term with the tests we just took.  anything knew we do won't appear until I can start putting grades in for fourth term.  Spelling will end after the tests this week and science will pretty much continue until the last day.  As for the other rotations, I think they should stop collecting first term assignments here soon.  The official end of the term is November 7.  The estimated date for report cards to come home is November 19.  I'll keep you posted if that changes, but keep an eye out around that time frame!

That's pretty much all I have.  I feel much better having updated more than just the homework board this week!  Things are going great here.  We'll live, laugh and learn and before we know it, sixth grade will be over!

"Nothing right can be accomplished in art without enthusiasm." ~ Robert Schumann

Toy Drive Update

With only two days left, we are 48 toys away from reaching our goal.  that  means that just over one-third of our sixth graders need to bring in just one toy to reach it!  We're almost there!!!  Keep them coming!  Collections end this Friday.

"From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life." ~ Arthur Ashe

October 17, 2012

I swear, I seem to be running faster and faster, and still falling further and further behind.  It seems I'm barely staying caught up with the classroom stuff, which is leaving the extra things like the blog behind.  I promise, I will work toward keeping this updated more often... worst case, above is last week's homework board.

"Time is an illusion. Lunchtime is doubly so." ~ Douglas Adams

Toy Drive Update

We are one-third of the way through our collection and we are one-third of the way to our goal!  Great work so far!  Keep them coming!!!  Remember, all letters and donated toys are due by October 26.

"Cancer can take away all of my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, and it cannot touch my soul." ~Jim Valvano

October 14, 2012

"Let him who would enjoy a good future waste none ofhis present." ~Roger Babson

Cancer Awareness

Cancer. There I said it. Why should we be aware?

Nearly 12 million people per year are diagnosed with cancer. That's nearly 4% of all Americans.  11,000 of those cases are children under the age of 16.  Just last year, we had 4 survivors (that I know of) associated with our school.

October is specifically Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  Within my classroom, I use it as a general cancer awareness.  Why?  There are more than 100 types of cancer that can affect the body. Why this month? A male wearing pink the entire month long definitely draws attention.  Why bring awareness? Many reasons I've listed already.. Here's a few more statistics: 30% of cancers could be prevented mainly by not using tobacco, having a healthy diet, being physically active, and preventing infections that may cause cancer; around 7.5 million people die from cancer each year, accounting for about 13% of all deaths worldwide; more than 30% of cancers can be cured if detected early and treated adequately.

Cancer is something that affects every single person. If you are not diagnosed, you know someone who has been. It is something that I would wish away, were I ever to find a genie lamp, but realistically, that cannot happen, thus, I do what I can.  I've walked several Relays for Life and I've donated my time and money. I've given what I can to help those with the knowledge one day bring an end to it.

Until that day, we have the grave statistics to deal with. Like this one: Primary Children's hospital has 3 new children per week admitted to their care, fighting various types of cancer.  This brings me to our idea for this year.  These kids are in the hospital for up to 10 to 12 hours at a time receiving treatment.  The chemotherapy wipes out their immune system, often times keeping them home when they're not at the hospital.  These kids could use a friend, a toy, something to do.

This year, our sixth grade is doing a service project.  First, we are going to write letters to these patients, letting them know they are not alone, that there are people out here that care.  Our goal is write at least 200 letters.  Secondly, we are going to do a toy drive, that we will then deliver to Primary Children's with our letters.  Due to the chemotherapy, and what it does to the immune system, we do have to ask that the donation items be newly purchased.  They've also asked that we steer clear of stuffed animals, because of the germs they could collect.  Here is list of items that would be perfect to donate to our cause:

Plastic toys (Barbies, action figures, small toys, etc.),

Playdoh,

Fuzzy Coloring Posters,

Nail Polish,

Yoyos,

Hot Wheels,

Coloring Books,

etc.

Again, we are trying to stay away from stuffed animals and the items donated should be newly purchased, still in package if applicable.  We will be collecting items until October 26.  If you would like to help us out, please bring the items to Mr. Pratt's class, room 203.  Along with the 200 letters we hope to write, we have a goal of collecting 200 toys.

Ghandi once said, "The best way to find yourself, is to lose yourself in the service of others." Thank you in advance for any help you will be able to give us as we "lose ourselves" in this service project.

"Cancer is a word; not a sentence." ~ John Diamond

October 6, 2012

I'm going to follow this update with a, in my opinion, more important blog, so I'm going to keep this short.  Above is the homework board for the week, and below is a picture of how we learned decimal division, it represents the story of "The Frog and the Dog."

Once upon a time, a sweet little dog lived happily in his home.  The only thing that didn't quite seem right was the fact that he had no neighbors.  He was slightly lonely.  Finally, one day, his wish came true, and a frog moved in next door.  The problem...the frog was not so nice.  The dog quickly figured this out and decided to just keep to himself.  It didn't seem to matter though, with as far as he kept away from the frog, he was still afraid of him.  The frog soon figured this out and took full advantage of it.  He liked to tease the dog and jump toward his house.  Everytime the frog jumped toward the house, the dog jumped away.  This continued happening until the frog found himself right next to dog's house.  The frog walked up and peeked through the window.  When the dog saw the frogs eyes through the window, he got so scared that he jumped through his roof.

It sounds silly, but it really is representational.  Dividing decimals is gross, so we change the divisor (the number on the outside) to a whole number instead.  For each spot we move the decimal place to the right in the divisor (the frog jumping toward the house), we have to move it the same number of times in the dividend (the number on the inside; the dog jumping away).  Finally, wherever the number ends up in the dividend, we have to put the decimal up above it, in the quotient (the number on top; the answer; the dog jumping through the roof).

Needless to say, as silly as the story is, I think it really helps the kids to remember the steps for dividing decimals.

"In life, all good things come hard, but wisdom is the hardest to come by." ~ Lucille Ball (Hopefully, stories like 'the Frog and the Dog' make it a little easier to obtain some wisdom.)

September 30, 2012

The weeks just keep going and going.  It seems like time is the hardest thing to truly keep up with.  I honestly can't believe that we are far enough into the school year to be having conferences already, but we are right about half way through the first term already...unbelievable...

There haven't been any real big events this week to relay.  Everything has pretty much been business as usual.  The one decision we did make was based around what our class play is going to be.  Over the summer, I wrote a Broadway musical review with an anti-bullying theme I wanted us to perform, but when I went to seek the rights to perform the songs, I was given several "No"s without a second glance.  The one song I did find that I have obtained rights to use is called "It Gets Better".  Below is the music video that was created for it.

I gave the students the choice.  We could either perform one of the Bad Wolf Press scripts I have, which is what I have done in the past, or we could take on a whole new project and finish the anti-bullying script I had written by writing our own songs to replace the Broadway songs.  The students have chosen to write their own songs, so with the help of Mrs. Bayn, our music specialist, we are going to writing our own songs this year.  This is similar to the concept of the Operas they performed last year, but with more teacher direction than the Operas by Children allows.  I'll keep you posted on this, but hopefully *crosses fingers*, sometime closer to the end of the year, you will be invited to watch our original anti-bullying musical.

 

The only other thing I really wanted to discuss was some changes to the ways I am entering things into the gradebook. As I get used to the changes they made to the system over the summer, I'm finding somethings I like, and  others I don't. 

• First off, we have the option of putting an 'E' if an assignment is excused.  Though I like this, I don't like the fact that excused assignments still show up on their missing assignment lists.  What I have decided to do for excused assignments is simply leave the score blank.  This still keeps it from counting against their grade, but also keeps it from showing up on the missing assignment list.
• Second, I felt like I needed a way to differentiate between assignments that are missing and can still be made up, and assignments that have been missing for long enough they can no longer be turned in.  Missing assignments are shown by putting an 'M' into the score category.  If their grade shows this 'M', than the assignment can still be made up.  Once the assignments passes the limited amount of time, I will change that 'M' to a '0' (zero).  The zeroes still show up on the missing assignment list, but it allows me to tell you which of these assignments can no longer be made up.

I hope these decision I've made make sense to you.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.  I look forward to seeing you all for conferences this week.  I love having the time to talk about the successes that we share each and every day.  Keep an eye out for next week's blog.  It should be a good one.  I'll give you a little clue: pink ties!

 

"Time is the hardest thing to truly keep up with." ~ Mr. Pratt (That's right, I quoted myself.  I was kind of proud of that line.)

Also, if I ever attach a video to the blog that Internet Explorer is not allowing you to watch, you might consider downloading Google Chrome. (https://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/browser/?&brand=CHMA&utm_campaign=en&utm_source=en-ha-na-us-bk&utm_medium=ha)  For some  reason my IE at home won't view the videos and this was the easiest way I found to solve the problem.

September 21, 2001

"People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily." ~ Zig Ziglar

Heroes VS. Celebrities: September 16, 2012

September 11, 2001: An infamous day in world history. A day that anyone old enough will never forget. It is crazy to me to think that most of this class was not even a year old when the attack occurred.  Next year I will be teaching kids who weren't yet born, but in my mind, I can remember it like it was yesterday.  It was the first attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor.

Each year, I do a Heroes VS Celebrities unit using 9/11 as the theme.  We talk about the difference between the two, and leave them realizing that someone like Michael Jordan may be able to play some good ball, but he doesn't do a whole lot that's heroic.  For four years in a row now, I have culminated the unit by having a few of Syracuse's finest come in and talk about what 9/11 means to the firefighting community.

I had a very humbling experience this year that I was able to share with the students to enrich the lesson.  I had an Australian friend of mine make a post on Facebook about 9/11.  At first I was baffled.  This was definitely an American event, why was she posting about it? So I messaged her.  She replied, almost offended.  I knew the U.N. was on our side when we went to war in Afghanistan, but I did not realize how wide spread the support was.  Australian soldiers packed up on September 12, 2001, and shipped into Afghanistan to fight side by side with us.  Like I said, I knew it was an international war, but this really helped to personalize that for me.  Much love and respect to all of the heroes that surfaced because of 9/11.  It's a shame it took such a tragedy to bring them to the light, but I for one am glad that they were willing step forward when we needed them most.

As for the rest of the week, we've pretty much hit our stride.  Math has continued forward in the unit. We finally finished the story we started last week from our reading book and took our first story quiz on Friday.  In science, we finished up with the Scientific Method and began learning about microorganisms, which will continue for the remainder of the first term.  

Please remember to keep an eye on the online gradebook.  As we continue in the year, this should updated no less than once a week.  I try to update it more frequently to help keep you as informed as possible.

https://syracuse.usoe-dcs.org/Login/Default.aspx

Aside from that, we'll keep moving forward with our school year, enjoying as many of the moments as possible.

"The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough." ~ Rabindranath Tagore 

September 9, 2012

As I sit here and reflect on the past week, I think one of two things: either I need to slow down or I won't have enough to do for the whole year (which isn't true), or I need to slow down or else I might not have energy enough for the full year (which is probably closer to true). I say that mostly sarcastically, however, we did do a lot this week.

Earlier in the week, the kids were each given the same picture of some flowers and a view finder to select a small portion of that picture.  They then drew their selection of the picture and watercolored it.  After they had finished, we talked about perspective and points-of-view.  They all had the same picture and the same view finder, but not one of the pictures was exactly the same.  The same goes for every situation in life.  You may see the exact same thing happen, but you'll all have a different way of interpreting it.  The final moral being to make sure you consider all possible perspectives before coming to any conclusions.  How might someone else have interpreted what just happened?  Pictured below is the students' work.

During math on Thursday, we discussed Order of  Operations: PEMDAS! Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally. However they'd previously learned it, they got a bit different perspective on it as we all wrote our own songs or raps to teach the order: Parenthesis, Exponents, Multiply, Divide, Add, and Subtract.  Once all of the songs were performed, the class voted on them with the winning video being one that we will take some time to turn into a class music video.  Below is the preview of that song. 



I have been preparing for Friday's project for the past week by eating upwards of 3 or 4 different canned foods per day.  With as much as I'm sick of canned foods, the project was worth it!  Each student was given a label sized piece of paper.  The directions were to draw an eye or set of eyes on that and then decorate the rest of it as they wished.  We then glued the labels onto the cans.  The final product was each student's physical representation of an "Eye" Can.  These will be displayed in the classroom all year long and referenced back to.  Again, it's the "I Can" attitude that will really take you places in life. 

All in all, I'd say we've had a pretty successful week. On top of all the fun projects, we've had several math assignments, we've begun reading our first story, "The Best School Year Ever", and we began rotations. In science we were introduced to the Scientific Method and then began an experiment, "Which type of water will dissolve toilet paper the fastest?"  The analyzing of those results will take place the first part of next week, so we'll have to get back with you to let you know.  Pictured below is our homework board.  I will post at least this much every week so you can know what has happened this week and what should have been written in their planners.

In an effort to keep you as informed as possible, each time we being a math unit, I am going to post a chart of the different lessons we will be covering and how they match up with our book, if they do. Though I never teach from our math book, I have passed it out as a resource for the students and parents, in case they need something besides their notes to reference. Posted below is the first unit. So far, I have taught through Order of Operations.  The rest of the lessons will come over the next couple of weeks. 

I think I'm about done overwhelming you with information.  Remember, if you ever have any questions on anything,  don't hesitate to contact me.

"The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance." ~Aristotle

September 3: "Bullying Hurts, Big Time."

The first three days have passed, and quite honestly, I feel like I'm walking on water. I keep wiping my eyes to make sure they don't have wool pulled over them because after only three days, I feel like we have our very own Disney magic going on here.  All of the components seem to be in place for us to have a fantastic school year!  The better I get to know these kids, the better I think our year will be.

Now, normally I would take some time to tell you about what's happened during the week, but it's a little early in the year to have any substance to the writing if that is all I were to talk about. Rather, I would like to take a proactive approach on something that is a huge problem in modern society; something that cannot be if our classroom is to remain as synergetic as it started: bullying.

Let me start off with a story. It begins in about the third grade with a young boy who was a bit on the larger side, but very smart and very friendly; one of the nicest kids you'd meet.  None of that mattered. He was picked on by just about everyone for various reasons: his looks, his size, his glasses, his smarts; it didn't matter.  People found something to tease him about.  There were very few people this student considered his friend.  In fact, there was really only one person in his class.  The rest of them just looked down on him. "Fatty, fatty, two by four." "Four-eyes." "Nerd." "Loser." He had pretty much heard it all.  He worked hard to convince himself that names couldn't hurt him.  He would ignore the antagonists.  This just provoked them further to the point that he would get beat up at recess, or on his way home.  It got to the point that he felt like there wasn't much for him in this life.

When he got into junior high, he took up wrestling, a sport he was pretty good at.  He made himself some friends; enough that he felt that maybe life wasn't so bad.  Until the realization that this sport gave the bullies more rounds for ammunition.  His weight continued to be a factor: wrestling heavyweight, he was the "fat one" on the team. Being a wrestler, he was immediately gay.  He was picked on and teased his entire  school career, elementary through high school, even though he graduated near the top of his class as a two-time state placer with his wrestling.

That final line should be a giveaway if you've read my bio.  This is my story.  I was the bullied one back in school. I was picked on and teased for every reason you can think of, and no matter how hard I try, to this day, I can't find a reason for it.  I never did anything to deserve it.  I was simply myself and that wasn't good enough for the other kids.  I've now worked through most of my self-esteem issues that came from it. I feel pretty successful with where I am in life. However, not every bullied child shares my success story.

1 out of 4 students are being bullied. 1 out of 4...let that sink in. In our class of 27 students, 6 of them are being or will be bullied.    In our school of roughly 900 students, 225 of them are victims. Take this to a nationwide level, and  it leads to approximately 160,000 students a day staying home from school for fear of the bullies. The statistics only get more grim when you think that 15 to 25 students a year will commit suicide due to being bullied at school. To even type these statistics makes me physically ill.  My question would be, "How can a young child feel that there is nothing left for them in this life?" but I don't need to ask, because I know the answer.  I have been there. I have been the bullied child who often thought that his life had nothing left to offer.

This needs to stop.  There's really no other way to put it.  There is no reason for bullying.  There is no reason to put down other students. There is no reason for students to go home feeling hated. There's just not.  The bullies need to stop, the bullied need to make  their voices heard, and most importantly, the bystanders need to take a stand against it. Be a friend. Step in and stop it. Tell someone.  I don't care what you do, but do something that sends a message to the bullies that we will not have this anymore.

Bullying is something that I have no tolerance for. I will not let it happen here in my classroom. Students should have a desire to be at school, rather than a fear of coming to it.  No more poking fun, no more just kidding, no more bullying.

I hope to make this my best school year yet, in turn making it the same for the students in my class.  I will play a large part in this with my lessons and activities, but I believe the students play an even larger part. There may be 27 students, but we are one class. For the next year, we are a family, and we will treat each other as such. We will carry each other for our successes, and we will pick each other up when we are down. We may not always be best friends with every student, but we will always treat them with the respect we would want, with the respect they deserve. Hands down, zero tolerance, NO MORE  BULLYING.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Disney Way

When Chris Dallin was the board president at our school, he introduced the faculty to the idea of doing things the "Disney Way".  With the theme of my classroom decor this year being Disney, this is something I would like to introduce to you.  When you visit Disneyland, you are going to what has been deemed as the "happiest place on Earth," and to most, it truly is, but what makes it that way?  The simple answer would be that by entering the amusement park you are transported to a fairy tale.  Entering the grounds, you are suddenly surrounded by princes, princesses, pirates, fairies, dwarves, spells, curses, etc, but there is so much more to the experience than that.

Disneyland is a well oiled machine, in both the literal and metaphorical senses.  Every employee, from the man who busses you to the park, to the woman who is playing Cinderella, is wearing a smile that captivates you. They are more than willing to hug the children, give you directions to a ride, or better yet, become the lead duck that takes you there.  They are not just people playing the characters within the park. When their job starts, they ARE the characters within the fairy tale.  This same motif goes for every employee of the park including the janitors, the sales associates, and the food service crew.

I have a friend who has spent several summers working with Disney.  He told me a story that really brought this concept home.  An older coworker of his came into work day in, day out, with the classic Disney smile on her face. She made the children laugh, and helped give the adults the ease they needed to really enjoy this time with their families.  She would be on her feet from first thing in the morning, until the park closed.  She helped mold countless experiences within the park, never once losing her Disney smile or attitude.  When the end of the day came, and they were riding the bus back to the sleeping quarters, he witnessed her take her shoes off and rub her feet.  The expression on her face and her body language showed that, even though she wasn't Snow White or Cinderella, the part she played in the park experience really took a toll on her both physically and mentally. Yet, everyday she would wake up, put on her full costume, and enjoy every minute of her job, knowing that she was helping to create the "happiest place on Earth."

Now, let's relate this concept to the classroom. There are several roles being played here in our room: the teacher, the student, and the parent. If even one of them isn't played well, it will change the outcome of the experience. A well rounded education involves all three parties.

The teacher is the center of the production.  It is my job to make sure that the classroom is the well-oiled machine that Disneyland is.  I am here to make sure all of the preparations are made to make each and every day as smooth and pleasant an experience as possible.  This starts with preparing the lessons and gathering supplies. It includes teaching the whole class, as well as the individual student, in both the core curriculum and character development. In addition, I maintain the gradebook to show what is going on in the classroom, as well as evidence of student learning. It is my goal to maintain a positive relationship with all the students so they can feel comfortable coming to me with anything from a question on the assignments to much deeper questions on life.  No matter what is going on outside of the classroom, it is my promise that I will be here, with my full costume on, maintaining that magical experience.

The students' role is much more simple.  Respect is a two way street. Students in my class will be shown respect. In turn, they need respect me enough to honor the classroom and school rules in all areas of the school whether I am present or not.  This respect is not an option.  It is a necessary part of their role if they want school to mimic the  "happiest place on Earth."  If this respect is given, it will allow a lot more leniency for the "fun" to come.  It's no different than going to Disneyland; there are rules and expectations that are set to make the experience pleasant for everyone.  Some of the rules are set by the parents, and some ofthem are set by the park, but all are necessary for that memorable experience.  The only other thing I ask of the students is that they always put their best foot forward in both their behavior and their efforts with their school work.  As long as they try their hardest the whole year, asking whatever questions they can along the way, I will be proud of all of my students as they walk at sixth grade graduation.

Finally, there is the role of the parent.  I am a firm believer that the classroom cannot succeed without support from home.  This support needs to be in both the education of  the student as well as discipline.  Good behaviors should be reinforced just as much, if not more than negative behaviors should be modified. Parent support is crucial in this effort, as I am working with 27 students at a time, and you can focus on your child.  Parent support is also a strong part of the students' education. There are a lot concepts the students are going to bring home, across all subjects, and the students may need extra help or more time to practice their new skills.

Just as I am here for the students, I am here for the parents. Feel free to come to me at any time if you have any questions on any of the material.  I know where you're coming from when you say you haven't done some of this in years, and I am more than happy to help you understand the material as well, if it means a better understanding of the content for the students.  So long as we all keep the "I can" attitude, we can make magic.

I hope that this year is a magical experience for everyone.  Sixth grade is the last year of elementary and should be the best experience yet!  Just remember, "I can" and you will.  I will close with a poem.  It's called The Victor by C.W. Longenecker.  Hopefully, it will help motivate our "I can" attitudes:

If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you don't.
If you like to win but think you can't,
It's almost a cinch you won't.
If you think you'll lose, you're lost.
For out in the world we find
Success begins with a fellow's will.
It's all in the state of mind.
If you think you are out classed, you are.
You've got to think high to rise.
You've got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win the prize.
Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger or faster man.
But sooner or later, the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can.

Honoring Officer Penrod

Stan Penrod, the DARE officer for Syracuse for the last 7 years, has decided to retire from him duties in the DARE program to move onto other things within the department.  In honor of him, I wrote (and spoke if you were at his gathering tonight) the following:

When I think of the qualities of an ideal person I think of someone who is selfless, compassionate, rational, values truth, practices the Golden Rule, and holds themselves to the highest possible standard. In short, I think of someone like Stan Penrod. To become an officer requires a lot of these qualities in and of itself, but to become a DARE officer takes it a step further. Take a big gruff and tough man, and throw him in the midst of hundreds of eleven and twelve year olds, and you get someone who not only cares about the safety of now, but the safety of the future. You get somebody who cares about all people big and small, old and young. You get someone who is an ideal human being. You get someone like Stan.

Now, I’ve only been teaching a few years, but I can tell you this much, I have never seen a group of students so involved, and so with it, as when they sit in front of Officer Penrod. He takes a topic such as drugs and alcohol and presents it in a way that really captivates these students. He didn’t just walk in and say, “Don’t do drugs”. He engaged them. He made it real to them. He brought the truth to them in a way they’re going to remember it. How does he do it? Through stories that the kids can relate to. He’ll tell a story about the effects of Marijuana, but he’ll make it Grace’s grandma that was smoking it. He’ll tell a story about a student not too much older than them that’s destined to be a famous football player, but ruins it through the use of drugs. He’ll use humor to really capture them through stories that really get his point across such as the Dino Dog, or the drunk driver who thought he’d been hit by a drunk driver.

As a teacher, I know I’m making a difference in the world. As an Officer, I’m sure that Stan realizes he is making a difference. As a DARE officer, he takes the difference I make as a teacher, and the difference he makes as an officer, and rolls it all into one big change. He is a role model to these kids. He is a person these kids should strive to be. He is loved and adored by these kids from the minute he walks into the room, and only builds that relationship stronger as his time with them goes on. He is a friendly, positive relationship with a cop, which is so commonly misconstrued in this day and age. He is the change I want to be in this world. I only hope that I can grow up to make half the difference that he has. I am happy to have had the opportunity to get to work with him, even if just for a few short years. We will truly miss Stan as our DARE officer, but we certainly wish him the best no matter where he goes. I’m sure that whatever is next on his plate, he will be making just as big a change in the world, no matter what he does. Thank you for everything Stan, you really are the man.

May 11, 2012

Yup.  That hair style about describes this week!  Ha! We had the National Science Truck visit our school this week and this picture came from that experience.  The kids learned some science topics in what these marines made a real fun way.

As of Thursday this week, we are two thirds of the way through our end of level testing.  We have taken both of the Language Arts tests and both of the Math tests.  I feel pretty good about what's gone on so far, the math tests especially.  We weren't really certain about what to expect coming into this test with it being the new Common Core, but having watched the math test especially close, I hope the kids did as good as I feel like they could have.  I have confidence that they will!  They're a real smart bunch when they want to be!  With those four tests out of the way, we only have two to go: the two science tests.

There are several things coming up.  First and foremost is the 6th Grade activity.  Each student was supposed to have their permission slip and money back by today (Friday May 11).  I did not, however, get them all in, so please make sure those are returned ASAP.  The walking field trip is this coming Thursday, May 17.  The movie is still to be finalized, but it looks like we're looking at either Rio or Kung Fu Panda 2, both of which are really cute movies.

Also, coming up this next Friday, May 18, is a surprise party for...well, it's a surprise so I shouldn't reveal too much.  I'll send a little more info home in an e-mail, but you should have received a flyer for it today.  If you can at all make it to this event, please do to help support the man (or woman, it's a surpise remember :) of the hour.  Your support would be greatly appreciated by all.

We have a few other things going on, that honestly, I'll admit, I should probably know more about than I do, but with all of the tech support my crew has been giving lately in the auditorium, I feel a bit disconnected.  DARE Lagoon Day is May 25, which is also the same day as our 6th grade talent show.  Please use the talent show as motivation to get the kids to come to school for the first part of the day so we can mark them there.  The state frowns upon having too many people missing on any one day.  Graduation is also coming up, but I don't have too many details for it.  I know they are trying to put together a slideshow that I have sent home both an e-mail and a flyer on.  They are needing your help putting together the pictures for it.  Both the e-mail and the flyers will tell you how to contribute.  If you did not get either, please let me know, I'll get you a duplicate.

With that, there's not a whole lot to say other than let's keep up the great work and keep moving foward with strength.  There's only two and a half weeks left before we are no longer a class.  Hopefully, we've built on existing friendships and created new ones.

"There will always be people you can't believe you were friends with, boys you can't believe you kissed, and people you can't believe you lived without...people change but if you're lucky a certain few will change you." ~ Unknown

April 27, 2010

Oy veh...

I feel like I have so many things to type about!  I don't even know where to start. These past few weeks have just been cruising by.  For starters, I realize they're not our class, but I would like to give a quick shout out to Mrs. Dezember's and Mrs. Johnson's classes. Under my direction, they performed the second of our sixth grade plays for the year and did a fantastic job with it.

I also owe some kudos to our two students who won our class spelling bee and competed in the school bee: Congratulations Isaac and Ashlee! You guys did a great job!

We're on the verge of a long list of final things coming up and/or past.  We presented our final book reports this week.  We will be taking our final spelling test next week.  We have a few final prjects going on right now: the country report for writing, and a constellation project for science.  The kids should also be really close to finishing their puppets in Arts and Tech.

Remember that we have an optional parent teacher conferences coming up this next week, May 3 and 4.  As I've said in previous e-mails, at this point in the year, anything I would have to say has been said, so if you have a reason to come and chat (ie. questions about jr. high, etc), feel free, but I'm not scheduling any of the times, so just drop in.  I will be here until 5:00 both nights.

We sent home a flyer this week talking about a few DARE Days in the area.  The first one coming up is DARE Days at Boondocks on May 4 and May 11.  The second one was DARE Lagoon Day on May 25.  DARE Lagoon Day is one that a lot of students choose to get checked out of school for.  This is fine.  Because of scheduling, however, this is also the day of our sixth grade talent show.  What we usually ask anyway, is that the students show up to school so we can mark them here, and then get checked out, so that the state doesn't get upset by our attendance that day.  This works out well, considering Lagoon doesn't even open until 9:30. The talent show is another incentive for the students to be here for at least that little bit and then get checked out for the day.

We are quickly approaching end-of-level testing.  I think I sent the schedule in an e-mail, but I'll post it here as well so that it's permenantly referenceable:
Monday, May 7 - LA 1 - 10:30-11:45
Tuesday, May 8 - LA 2 - 8:45-10:00
Wednesday, May 9 - Math 1 - 2:15-3:30
Thursday, May 10 - Math 2 - 1:00-2:15
Monday, May 14 - Science 1 - 10:30-11:45
Tuesday, May 15 - Science 2 - 8:45-10:00
If at all possible, let's not have any tardies or absences these days so we don't need to worry about making them up.

The final end of year activites that you'll need to know about are the Graduation, which will take place on May 29 at 1:30 in the afternoon, and the 6th Grade Activity, which will be on May 30, which also the last day of school. As more details on these things are decided, I will make sure they get passed on.

I think that about covers it.  The end of the year is so quickly approaching.  I really can't believe it!  I can't have waited this long to post a blog without at least mentioning my trip to Holland.  It was great to finally get myself out of the country.  I will leave you with the most awesome picture of a monkey from the Apenheul (a free range monkey zoo). Thanks for all you do to support us here in the classroom!

March 23, 2012

Another week down and only one week to go before spring break! But it's not like anyone, especially me, is counting. Oh no, I'm not counting down to spring break. In fact, I'm counting down until two days before spring break. My wife and I are leaving town, the state, even the country, and taking an adventure to Holland, so I'm taking a couple days before and a couple of days after to enjoy 10 days on a completely different continent. I can't wait! This will be my first trek off American soil.

I suppose I can make mention now as to why I chose to post the science fair picture I did. Isaac earned third place according to the judges score sheets! He put together a miniature sized marble roller coaster using words that, as Mrs. Dezember says, she hadn't seen since college. Max was also awarded the Most Creative project. He went around to local businesses and such measuring himself on the height things they have by the doors to show the descrepency between the way different places have measured. Congratulations to the both of you!

As for the classroom, I have a few pictures to share. The first is a picture of a couple of our personal crests. We started by drawing a shield and then divided it into four sections. One section represents our past, one represents our present, one the future, and the last is a dream we have. A few of them are pictured below:
The other two pictures I have come from this week's DARE session. Officer Penrod is known for handing out what he calls swag. It's little prizes he can use to reward the students. The first picture comes a contest that he orchestrated. He had a Robin Yount autographed baseball. He challenged the students to come up with some form of report telling about Robin Yount and left it at that. How far the students took it was up to them. One of our students took it about as far as you can, and for that, he was rewarded the baseball:
The final picture came from one of our students returning the favor to Officer Penrod. He's always handing out swag, so she figured it was his turn to receive some. He had said earlier in the year that two of his favorite things in the world were steak and donuts and if someone could find a way to combine them, he would be in heaven. So that's what she did, combined a steak and a donut for him! Pure awesomeness!
Beyond this, things are moving along as normal. End of levels are getting closer and closer. The students will need to decide their country for their country report by Tuesday this week. I will have a sub the last two days of this coming week, and the first two days back. Also, be sure they're keeping their book report in mind. I think that's about all. I can almost guarantee I will not have another blog until after spring break, so enjoy the vacation! I hope you all have something fun planned!

"A vacation is what you take when you can no longer take what you've been taking." ~Earl Wilson (and I think we're all due for a good one!)

March 19, 2012

Happy Spring! The spring equinox is almost upon us. Tomorrow is one of two days of the year where we have exactly the same amount of day light as we do night. It also indicates the first official day of spring. So celebrate! Hopefully the snow is gone so it actually feels like spring again. Here's our homework board from this last week:
A lot has gone on in the past few weeks. Two weeks ago we had the science fair. Can I say "successful"? I was so impressed by the projects that were brought in. The students did a fantastic job using their scientific brains to pull together projects. I would love to put every picture I took up, but I'm not sure the page would load very well, so I'm going to narrow it down to just one, which is hard, but I've done it:
I have my reasoning for choosing this picture. I'm not sure how much information I can release, though, so I'm best not saying anything yet.

Another project we've been working on is our DARE box. Every year, Officer Penrod gives the a task of designing a box that the students can put questions for him into. Previous years we've designed things such as a giant donut and a vending maching. This year he put a spin on it by asking us to work together with a class to design the box, so we had 54 students working on one box. It's quite a task to get that many ideas into one box, but I think we pulled it together. With just guidance from Mrs. McGuire and myself, the kids built this box, and I must say, I'm pretty proud of it:
Great work on this kids!

If you've asked your kids what's been going on in math this week, I'm sure you've gotten grumbles for an answer because we've taken tests all week long. I have officially taught everything within the common core (as far as I know at least), so this week I gave tests to see how much they remembered. I used the data from those tests to find out which material would be best to recover between now and end of level testing. I now know what I will teaching between now and April 30th.

We also had book reports presented this week. We have one more book report coming up in the middle of April, a little more than a month away. It's another thing I wanted to make sure I got in before end of levels so they had one less thing to worry about during testing. Here's the schedule for the presentation of those:
I've put a bug into the students ears to get them thinking. Our final big writing project for the end of the year is going to be a country report. There will be a couple of artistic aspects to it as well as a written report. It will be a very guided project that, honestly, should they put effort into it, should be able to completely finished here at school. I will be giving them time to research, type, draw, everything, so as long as they use their time wisely, it shouldn't be difficult. As I said, though, for now, I've just put the thought of it in their minds so they can start thinking about what country they want to do. I've put just one limitation on it, they cannot do the United States. I have, however, challenged them to leave North America and try to do any country besides Canada or Mexico.

I think that about covers everything that's been going on recently. Remember, the end of the term is this week. Unless previous arrangements were made, I have stop accepting assignments for third term. Anything from here on out will go on fourth term grades, which I will hopefully have started in the gradebook by Friday. I'm not entirely sure what day the school plans on sending home report cards. When I know more information, I'll let you know. I guess the big thing to look forward to at this point is spring break, April 2-6, which for me starts and ends a couple of days early and a couple of days late because my wife and I are adventuring to Holland! Yup, I'm finally spending a spring break how it should be spent!

With that, I hope everyone is enjoying their day off today. I look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow!

"It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!" ~Mark Twain