March 24, 2013

A small celebration of a sort is in order.  For the first time this year, I have changed one of our bulletin boards.  There's a lot going on in the hallway right now so I really had no place to hang these posters, and I really wanted a place to display them, so c'est la vie, our Reservoir Word Wall is gone.  Don't tell, but I wasn't using it near as well as I should have, so it probably won't be missed, but the expertise on the planets in our solar system can now be displayed.  

There are actually two different projects going on up there.  The first is the posters.  Each student was assigned a planet to become an expert on.  They had to create a poster that they then shared with the class, sharing their knowledge of the planet along with it.  The posters on display are not just from our homeroom.  All of the classes participated in the activity with their room during rotations, so I have displayed some posters from each of the rotations.

The other project was what I like to call our Human Solar System. The planets are vastly different in size, so with the 27 students in our class, we represented the size of the planets by the number of students that would proportionately represent it. So, Mercury, being the smallest planet is represented by one student, where Jupiter, the largest planet, is being represented by all the students.  I even took one of the smaller students and represented the dwarf planet Pluto, because, well, this letter says it all:

As I teach science for the first time in three years, I'm doing a lot of research of my own to make sure I'm able to answer questions they might have.  I can now adequately explain why the International Astronomical Union (IAU) has changed Pluto's classification.  To be classified as  a planet it has to meet three criteria: 1) It has to travel around the sun. 2) It has to have enough to gravity to have pulled itself into a spherical shape. 3) It has to have cleared it's orbital path by either absorbing other things or pushing them out of the way.  Number 3 is where Pluto loses it.  It is located toward the outside of our solar system, where its orbit passes through what is known as the Kuiper belt, a large group of thousands of other space rocks.  

It is because of that, and not necessarily its size, that it lost its classification as a full on planet.  There's your fun fact of the day. For now, Pluto maintains its classification as a Dwarf Planet, always striving to achieve his big boy status once again.

Pictured above is  the wall of book reports for third term. All in all, I was pleased with them, especially considering I had forgotten to give the assignment the first couple of terms.  We will be doing another one fourth term.  They have about a month and a half to read a book and prepare a project for presentation.  I have the presentations planned for May 6-10.  The students can plan on presenting in reverse order from what we did this round.  If they presented on Friday this round, they will be Monday on the next, and if they were Monday this round they will be Friday, etc.  I'm not making any specifications for types of books. The only thing I am requiring is their project needs to be something different than they did the first time.  As you can see, we got a lot of pictures, which is great, but I want them to expand their creativity.  If they drew a picture for the first report, they need to find a different project for this round.  I hope that makes sense.  If there are any questions, please ask.

The official end of the term is Wednesday this coming week.  Ancient teaching secret, I've pretty well stopped assigning things for third term.  You'll see on the online gradebook, that I've already started putting in math scores for fourth term.  There are still a few things to finalize, so third term report cards will be coming home Wednesday, April 10, after spring break.

Three terms down, one to go!  Life is crazy, but it's definitely more exciting that way!

"Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true." ~ Leon J. Suenes

March 17, 2013

Happy St. Patty's day, everyone!!!  Hopefully all my fellow Irish have found themselves a nice bit of corned beef and cabbage to celebrate, and hopefully the leperchauns haven't raised to much havoc in your households!

This picture below could earn picture of the year.  It was taken at the reward assembly this week for the reading contest.  Kourtney being the top reader in our class got the opportunity to hit me with her best pie arm.  Between her and the others who felt the need, I was cleaning whipped cream from places I didn't even know existed.  It's all worth it though.  Fostering a love of reading helps to promote lifelong learning, and really, there's never a good reason to stop learning.  We did take a more serious photo, but what's the fun in that? Kudos to you Kourtney for making way your way to the top reader!

Theres really only a few things worth mentioning at the moment, so I'll just make a short bulleted list of them:

• The official end of the term is next week.  I will be stopping third term assignments in all subjects at some point this week.  Friday will be the last day to turn in any assignments, so the missing assignment list they get on Monday will be the last one of third term.
• On the note of missing assignments, I have been keeping to my end of the deal, and unfortunately, some students have been affected by it.  Each time I create a new missing assignment list, anything that was on the previous list becomes a 0.  Honestly, if they turn it in once it's a 0, I will still give them some credit for it, but I will only attach it to one missing assignment list.
• Book reports are due this week.  Pictured below is the schedule for when they will be presented.  I did warn those who present on Monday before the weekend, but the rest have not seen the schedule yet.  I will give them a copy of it Monday, but if you get a sec, share it with them so they are sure to be prepared:

We have some exciting new technology coming into the classroom.  I've begun introducing it to them already, but the familiar I make myself with it, the more it will get used.  Keep an eye out, as I should be posting another blog here within the next week showing it to you.
All in all, things are going well.  Aside from a slight head cold, my medical issues seem to be cleared, so once I can put the tissues away, we should be good to go!
One final note to make, the elementary musical is being performed this week. We don't have anyone performing in it, aside from Kameron, who is part of my Tech Crew, but it is a cute show, so if you have a spare night, bring your family. It will be playing Tuesday through Friday nights at 7:00. If you want to make a real event out of it, in honor of the musical being about Pirates, Friday night they are holding a pirate costume contest.

In true pirate fashion, let's end with a quote from Johnny Depp, the most famous pirate of current time:

"There are four questions of value in life: What is sacred? Of what is the spirit made? What is worth living for? And what is worth dying for? The answer to each is the same... only love."

They Called Me Pork Chop

It seems that everyone in life has something they have to grandstand for.  Some people choose political avenues, other choose to do it more privately with just their families. Some people choose guns.  Some people choose equal rights.  Some people just choose simple things like the Golden Rule.  I choose bullying. My grandstand is against bullying.  Being a teacher is the perfect avenue for me to fight this battle in hopes that one day, it's eliminated.  I realize this is an uphill fight.  I still choose to fight it.  I realize I won't win.  I will do my best.  I will affect those I teach.  So long as I make it so even one less kid gets bullied, one less kid has to feel the pain I grew up with, then my grandstand can be deemed a success.

They didn't call me Pork Chop. They called me Fat Pratt.  Everyone grows up with a nickname.  For some people, it comes from their real name. A Samantha might go by Sami. A Robert might go by Rob.  There's any number. I grew up with a kid who went by Budda. We call one of my best friends Huggies. The unfortunate side of this is that not all nicknames are so positive.  And what's worse, is we get bombarded by that ridiculous saying:

As if sticks and stones hurt any less than walking home friendless, or not having someone to play with at recess. I grew up hating that statement, "Words will never hurt you." Yes!  They will.  Stick and stones break bones which heal within a few weeks.  The brokenness you feel after being called names time and time again takes years, and that's IF it heals. And what's worse, is that it doesn't stop with the name calling.  The name calling is just the sticks, what follows is really the stones:

There's pushing into lockers.  There's tripping.  There's mocking.  Any form of making fun happens!  It happens more often than we care to admit.  And even if someone gets involved and puts a stop to what's seen, kids are creative.  They find ways to get around it.  They find unseen ways to continue the torture.  They prey on what they see as the weaker students, and the longer they prey, the weaker they get, until they grow up to be adults.  Sometimes the wounds heal, other times they don't.  I was probably in my early 20's before I allowed the emotional baggage to escape me; before I realized that the kids back in school really didn't matter.  It's not easy. Even when you have people looking at you telling you how beautiful and amazing you are, it's never easy.  And what's worse? "We're not the only kids who grew up this way."

Day after wretched day we watch other kids in the hallway going through the same bullying.  Name calling, pushing, talking behind backs.  The sad part is that too often these events are watched by a bystander and nothing gets done about it. We're not sure we're strong enough to help.  We don't want to get in the middle of it.  We don't want to be the next target of the bullying. "If a kid breaks in a school and no one around chooses to hear, do they make a sound?"

Yes! They do! And we as the bystanders need to choose to hear that sound! Listen to them! Stand up for them!  Stand up to those bullying and tell them we've had enough!  One of the most power things I've seen in a long time is so subtle.  Say the word "beauty" out loud and really listen to how you say it.  You cannot say the word "beauty" without saying the word "you".

You need to tell yourself that.  Over and over again, you need to tell yourself you are beautiful.  And if you are having problems saying that and believing it, than by golly you need to:

Because each and every one of us is beautiful in our own right.  We are who we are.  We are unique.  We are individuals.  We are different, and it is those differences that turn us from the lousy caterpillar into the beautiful butterfly.

Growing up can be tough.  It's hard enough on it's own, developing bodies, developing minds, family life, money, work, health, relationships.  Life has enough troubles on it's own without us creating so, so many more for each other.  I beg you all, please.  I'm down on my hands and knees, please, please, PLEASE... let's put a stop to the bullying.  Let's start caring for one another, and boosting each others spirits.  Rather than putting each other down, let's bring ourselves to new heights!  Let's soar to places we never knew we could, and let's do it more easily than we ever thought possible because we are doing it together!

As I previously said, I realize my grandstanding is not going to bring an end to it all, so the most important thing I need you to do is not listen to them when they come around.  I don't care what they say; if it's about your looks, if it's about your size, if it's about your skills and talents, if it's for no reason at all, I don't care.  They are wrong.  They will always be wrong.  But for them to truly be wrong, you have to believe it.  You have to believe in yourself.  You have to believe

(I have to thank Shane Koyczan and everyone who helped him create the original video, "To This Day".  Without that platform, this blog would not have been possible.  If you have not seen the original video, please watch below.  It will be the most powerful way you can spend the next seven minutes of your life.)

Science Fair

Can I get an "YAY!"?  Science Fair 2013 is over and done with.  I have to say, my students made me proud. Every single one of them showed up with their projects.  They presented well and overall represented  us with pride.  I'm hoping the winners will be announced sometime this next week, but until then, enjoy these few pictures.  I did take pictures of all of the students next to their projects, so if your child isn't one that's shown here on the blog, and you'd like a copy, just let me know!  Thanks again for all your support on this!  We wouldn't have been here without it and the hard work of the students!!!

March 3, 2013

So many things have passed, I don't even know where to begin.  Let's go a few weeks back when we took our field trip to Clark Planetarium.  I will not deny I was all kinds of stressed.  We were the first elementary group at our school to take the train for a field trip.  I tried to make sure I covered every base twice, but with so many things that could happen, it was hard to be certain.  However, it went off without a hitch!  I would have to say that it was one of my favorite field trips I had ever been on!  Thanks to all of the parent volunteers who made it possible to have it be so successful!  Below are a couple of pictures from the trip:

Another large project that we've brought to a close was the mask making.  It's such an intricate process beginning with laying the plaster bandages on their faces, and ending with the beautiful finished products pictured below.  I'd bet at least some of you could figure out which is your student's without having it pointed out to you:

The other big thing we wrapped up this week were the rewards for the reading contest.  If we reached our goal of 72,000 minutes, I told them I would bring in donuts.  Well, they read a combined total of just over 78,000 minutes, so as promised,  I brought them Madbrook donuts for their success!  Our school read a total of 1.3 million minutes, so for seven years running now, we also had a Jazz player visit.  This year was Earl Watson, who I am told is fairly big deal.  I'm not a big follower of basketball, but it was fun regardless.  Below are the final two pictures I'll post for this week.  One is of Kourtney, our class's number 1 reader who received a signed basketball.  The other is of Devon, who got to ask Mr. Watson a question.

Earl surprised me.  He's quite a deep character.  Devon's question for him was, "If you could be any animal, what animal would you be and why?" His response was an eagle.  His reasons were intense. First off, eagles are able to fly higher than any other bird, so they always soar above the rest.  He didn't stop there, though.  He continued saying that eagles are also able to fly higher than the clouds, so when a storm moves in , they just fly above it.  He ended it by saying, "Think about that for a while and relate it to life."  Deep stuff...

I've have been keeping to the standards I laid out at the start of the term as for missing assignments.  I have given the students a new missing assignment list each week, and with the and of that week the assignments become zeroes, and are unable to be made up.  This last week, I was a little late in getting it to them, so I will be giving them a new one on Monday, but I will not discount any of the assignments until next week.  Most of the students are doing really well at helping me by staying on top of things.  I have given out a few zeroes though, so hopefully, they're learning.

Don't forget that book reports are just two weeks away, but more importantly, that science fair is this week.  The projects should be completed and it should just be a matter of making sure the boards are put together and ready for judging.  It's just a one day event for us.  They'll bring the boards in on Thursday morning and set them up, and they will take them home at the end of the day. It'll be neat and clean and over before we know it.

"There is an eagle in me that wants to soar, and there is a hippopotamus in me that wants to wallow in the mud."  ~ Carl Sandburg