No Captions Needed
I'M SO GLAD GOD GAVE US ANIMALS....THEY GIVE US ENDLESS SMILES.
Super Teacher's Job is Never Done!
Photo courtesy of DiscoveryEducation.com
Friday, February 8, 2013
To ALL Animal Lovers!
This has nothing to do with education but brought me much joy today to see. Behind every great teacher is a wise pet, don't you think?!
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Photo of Earth and Moon!
Photo of earth and moon taken from 114 million miles away by Messenger Spacecraft (as posted by Rolnick Observatory, Westport, CT). I am amazed that the earth can appear so large from so far away!
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Go Maryland!
Gotta love my soon-to-be state of residence where I've taught the last six years!
1. Maryland
State score: 87.5
State grade: B+
High school graduation rate: 77.9% (13th highest)
Per pupil expenditure: $12,953 (16th highest)
State score: 87.5
State grade: B+
High school graduation rate: 77.9% (13th highest)
Per pupil expenditure: $12,953 (16th highest)
With an overall grade of B+, Maryland’s schools are considered the best in the country for the fifth year in a row. Maryland was just one of five states in 2010 with 100% of school districts spending more per pupil than the U.S. average. In addition, a whopping 43.8% of 11th and 12th grade students scored a 3 or better on an advanced placement exam, the highest percentage in the country by more than six points and way over the national rate of 21.8%. State officials credited the strong rankings to, among other things, reforms in student standards and teacher evaluations thanks to funding from the federal Race-to-the-Top Initiative and a $50 million federal grant to improve early childhood education.
Click here for more
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Need a laugh?
After a reading, 8th graders were asked, “What makes a good neighbor?”
The answer? “A good neighbor is someone who isn’t annoying and doesn’t put a password on their WiFi.”
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Use Readers' Theater!
Having students, and even teachers and principals, perform in "readers' theaters" improves students' reading and fosters a positive school climate, elementary-school principal Peter DeWitt writes in this blog post. In the classroom, students read directly from scripts to improve fluency, inflection and intonation. Schoolwide, faculty and staff performances serve to model a love of reading. "Students who see their teachers and principal take risks up on the stage feel more comfortable taking risks in the classrooms," DeWitt writes.
If we can't have fun in an elementary school, we don't belong there.
A positive school culture should be a never-ending goal these days. There are so many mandates and changes happening in education. The cloud of accountability seems to follow us as we negotiate our way through the days and weeks. Sometimes we worry about them so much that they take our eyes off what is really important about what we do day in and day out. A positive school culture can help us refocus on our goals of educating students and expose them to opportunities they may not get anywhere else.
One of the ways teachers do this is through readers' theatres. It helps them make strong literacy connections with students. Readers' theatres are simple to do, and once you get passed the idea that you don't need to be Andrew Lloyd Weber to create one, they are a great deal of fun as well. Teachers find a good script (resources below) and students act them out with the script in hand. No need for acting lessons or a big Hollywood production! It gives students a real opportunity to use their voice and practice inflection.
According to ReadWriteThink sponsored by the International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English, Readers' Theaters serve many useful functions:
• The use of Readers' Theatre can offer a different context in which students are exposed to texts focusing on poetry, science, social studies, or other content-related topics.
• Readers' Theatre is another way to enhance comprehension of text, as well as to create interest in and enthusiasm for learning.
• The Readers' Theatre format provides an opportunity for students to develop fluency through multiple readings of the text by using expressiveness, intonation, and inflection when rehearsing the text.
Equal to all of those great benefits is that they are just plain fun.
Teachers can take it a step further and create simple backdrops which will help engage those artists in the classroom. Other times teachers invite parents in so they can watch the readers' theatre. Most of them only take about 10 to 15 minutes. There are so many scripts available on-line teachers can find a variety of scripts that give the opportunity for each student in a class to have a part. Remember...there are no small parts; just small actors....literally.
School-Wide Readers' Theatres
We know that there are numerous benefits of having students act in a readers' theatre. They help expose students to a literature-rich environment and may help foster the joy of reading and acting. What about involving teachers and the principal in school-wide readers' theatres? There are just as many benefits for students when teachers and the principal perform in readers' theatres.
The school where I am principal does a few readers' theatres a year and during these times of increased accountability it has helped us maintain a fun and engaging learning environment in school. Our school culture benefits from participating in these events because they focus on positive stories and students see the adults in the school working together and having fun.
We typically sign staff members up for parts and for some odd reason I always get to play the Good Knight. Perhaps they're type casting! Our staff has many very funny actors and actresses and from time to time we involve students in the production. If we can't have fun in an elementary school, we don't belong there. However, there is plenty of room for a readers' theatre in the upper grades.
A few weeks ago we did a readers' theatre for our One Book, One School program. Our theatre setting was the Fairy Tale Wheel of Fortune and the characters...and students had to solve the puzzle to find out what our school-wide book would be. By the end of our acting and laughing session the students were able to solve the puzzle where they found out our book would be K.C. Hilton's The Magic of Finkleton.
We are not concerned with memorizing, or even sticking to, the lines on the paper. We carry our scripts on stage and through the audience. There is a bit of upstaging happening but it's all in good fun. The students seem to really enjoy seeing their teachers, aides and principal in different roles than what they are used to on a daily basis.
I would encourage your school to try one. Besides the One Book, One School program, we focus on character education and in the past have done a few evening events for parents where we also serve dinner. It helps bring the community together and gives parents and students another perspective of their child's school. Readers' theatres are a win-win for the school.
Curtain Call
Readers' theatres are great for building a literacy-rich environment in the classroom but they are equally as important in building a better school culture. Students who see their teachers and principal take risks up on the stage feel more comfortable taking risks in the classrooms. It models a love for learning and reading and highlights the camaraderie between staff.
For more information about Readers' Theatre, please visit the following resources:
• ReadWriteThink
• The Best Class
• Literacy Connections
• National Council of Teachers of English
• International Reading Association
• Reading A to Z
Act Your Age! A Schoolwide Readers' Theatre
A positive school culture should be a never-ending goal these days. There are so many mandates and changes happening in education. The cloud of accountability seems to follow us as we negotiate our way through the days and weeks. Sometimes we worry about them so much that they take our eyes off what is really important about what we do day in and day out. A positive school culture can help us refocus on our goals of educating students and expose them to opportunities they may not get anywhere else.
One of the ways teachers do this is through readers' theatres. It helps them make strong literacy connections with students. Readers' theatres are simple to do, and once you get passed the idea that you don't need to be Andrew Lloyd Weber to create one, they are a great deal of fun as well. Teachers find a good script (resources below) and students act them out with the script in hand. No need for acting lessons or a big Hollywood production! It gives students a real opportunity to use their voice and practice inflection.
According to ReadWriteThink sponsored by the International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English, Readers' Theaters serve many useful functions:
• The use of Readers' Theatre can offer a different context in which students are exposed to texts focusing on poetry, science, social studies, or other content-related topics.
• Readers' Theatre is another way to enhance comprehension of text, as well as to create interest in and enthusiasm for learning.
• The Readers' Theatre format provides an opportunity for students to develop fluency through multiple readings of the text by using expressiveness, intonation, and inflection when rehearsing the text.
Equal to all of those great benefits is that they are just plain fun.
Teachers can take it a step further and create simple backdrops which will help engage those artists in the classroom. Other times teachers invite parents in so they can watch the readers' theatre. Most of them only take about 10 to 15 minutes. There are so many scripts available on-line teachers can find a variety of scripts that give the opportunity for each student in a class to have a part. Remember...there are no small parts; just small actors....literally.
School-Wide Readers' Theatres
We know that there are numerous benefits of having students act in a readers' theatre. They help expose students to a literature-rich environment and may help foster the joy of reading and acting. What about involving teachers and the principal in school-wide readers' theatres? There are just as many benefits for students when teachers and the principal perform in readers' theatres.
The school where I am principal does a few readers' theatres a year and during these times of increased accountability it has helped us maintain a fun and engaging learning environment in school. Our school culture benefits from participating in these events because they focus on positive stories and students see the adults in the school working together and having fun.
We typically sign staff members up for parts and for some odd reason I always get to play the Good Knight. Perhaps they're type casting! Our staff has many very funny actors and actresses and from time to time we involve students in the production. If we can't have fun in an elementary school, we don't belong there. However, there is plenty of room for a readers' theatre in the upper grades.
A few weeks ago we did a readers' theatre for our One Book, One School program. Our theatre setting was the Fairy Tale Wheel of Fortune and the characters...and students had to solve the puzzle to find out what our school-wide book would be. By the end of our acting and laughing session the students were able to solve the puzzle where they found out our book would be K.C. Hilton's The Magic of Finkleton.
We are not concerned with memorizing, or even sticking to, the lines on the paper. We carry our scripts on stage and through the audience. There is a bit of upstaging happening but it's all in good fun. The students seem to really enjoy seeing their teachers, aides and principal in different roles than what they are used to on a daily basis.
I would encourage your school to try one. Besides the One Book, One School program, we focus on character education and in the past have done a few evening events for parents where we also serve dinner. It helps bring the community together and gives parents and students another perspective of their child's school. Readers' theatres are a win-win for the school.
Curtain Call
Readers' theatres are great for building a literacy-rich environment in the classroom but they are equally as important in building a better school culture. Students who see their teachers and principal take risks up on the stage feel more comfortable taking risks in the classrooms. It models a love for learning and reading and highlights the camaraderie between staff.
For more information about Readers' Theatre, please visit the following resources:
• ReadWriteThink
• The Best Class
• Literacy Connections
• National Council of Teachers of English
• International Reading Association
• Reading A to Z
Friday, February 1, 2013
Reclaim your inner mojo!
Teacher and policy advocate Megan Allen offers tips for teachers on how to balance their time and rediscover their passion for teaching.
The moderator asked a real softball of a question of the teachers on our panel: "What can administrators do to better support teachers?" Easy, right? I should have whaled that one out of the park. But I didn't. It was a swing and a miss as I stumbled over my words. My tired brain fizzled out, right there on stage, in front of dozens of parents and colleagues.
I needed to make some changes.
I wasn't sure how or what, but I knew I'd think of it while sweating it out on the trails. I committed to a series of hikes over break and on weekends, visiting a different Florida state park each time. And 32 miles later, having trekked through cypress swamps and scrub, I had come up with some strategies to reclaim my teacher mojo. Here they are:
Schedule stop times. Identify your work curfew: a set time when you have to put the MacBook down and take a break. Call it quits. Break up with the iPad. Schedule a date with someone else … even if it's just yourself. (Can you tell I'm recently divorced?)
Set goals for yourself that don't involve work. Teachers tend to be goal-minded individuals. A novel concept for me: working toward a purpose that doesn't relate to work. My goal? Reading for 15 minutes each evening so I can fall back in love with books. (I guess you could argue that's teaching-related … am I cheating?)
Be comfortable with saying "no." This is difficult. Here's why. Those of us who are the busiest are that way for a reason. We don't want to let people down or miss an opportunity. We think everything is doable. But at what cost?
Learn to weed. At work, try to eliminate tasks that are not priorities. Think about what is important to you. I've narrowed this down to a list of a few go-to questions: Will students benefit? Does this fit with my priorities as an educator? Will I enjoy it?
Pay attention to pace. Even though teachers are capable of great deeds, we can't fly at 120 mph every waking moment. We must slow down.
Embrace those around you. Don't be an island. Bridge out. Have conversations. Be present. Do it! It's good for the soul. Happy soul = happy teacher. Happy teacher = happy students.
Get creative with work space and place. Mix it up. Find ways to make work feel less like work. Grade papers outside on the front porch. Read professional articles at the beach. Or write an article while hiking!
Take a rest. Force yourself. Don't think you have time? Here's a little trick from the pre-K classroom: Set a timer for five minutes and just sit. Be still.
Rethink your to-do list. I nabbed this jewel from an amazing teacher leader and life balancer. His secret? Set two or three tangible goals a day. Don't overwhelm yourself with a monster to-do list. That's not productive! Pick a small handful of daily goals. Thank you, Michael Flynn.
Reclaiming Your Teacher Mojo
I needed to make some changes.
I wasn't sure how or what, but I knew I'd think of it while sweating it out on the trails. I committed to a series of hikes over break and on weekends, visiting a different Florida state park each time. And 32 miles later, having trekked through cypress swamps and scrub, I had come up with some strategies to reclaim my teacher mojo. Here they are:
Schedule stop times. Identify your work curfew: a set time when you have to put the MacBook down and take a break. Call it quits. Break up with the iPad. Schedule a date with someone else … even if it's just yourself. (Can you tell I'm recently divorced?)
Set goals for yourself that don't involve work. Teachers tend to be goal-minded individuals. A novel concept for me: working toward a purpose that doesn't relate to work. My goal? Reading for 15 minutes each evening so I can fall back in love with books. (I guess you could argue that's teaching-related … am I cheating?)
Be comfortable with saying "no." This is difficult. Here's why. Those of us who are the busiest are that way for a reason. We don't want to let people down or miss an opportunity. We think everything is doable. But at what cost?
Learn to weed. At work, try to eliminate tasks that are not priorities. Think about what is important to you. I've narrowed this down to a list of a few go-to questions: Will students benefit? Does this fit with my priorities as an educator? Will I enjoy it?
Pay attention to pace. Even though teachers are capable of great deeds, we can't fly at 120 mph every waking moment. We must slow down.
Embrace those around you. Don't be an island. Bridge out. Have conversations. Be present. Do it! It's good for the soul. Happy soul = happy teacher. Happy teacher = happy students.
Get creative with work space and place. Mix it up. Find ways to make work feel less like work. Grade papers outside on the front porch. Read professional articles at the beach. Or write an article while hiking!
Take a rest. Force yourself. Don't think you have time? Here's a little trick from the pre-K classroom: Set a timer for five minutes and just sit. Be still.
Rethink your to-do list. I nabbed this jewel from an amazing teacher leader and life balancer. His secret? Set two or three tangible goals a day. Don't overwhelm yourself with a monster to-do list. That's not productive! Pick a small handful of daily goals. Thank you, Michael Flynn.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Great webinar on 2/2!
Rethinking Discipline: Strategies at Work in Schools Today
Zero-tolerance policies, which require out-of-school suspension or expulsion for certain inappropriate behaviors, have become the go-to disciplinary approach in many schools, though research suggests they have some downsides. Two alternate approaches that are more focused on changing behavior are restorative practices and PBIS—Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports.
At Haut Gap Middle and other Charleston, S.C., schools, educators say PBIS has transformed student behavior and increased academic performance. At Christian Fenger Academy High in Chicago, the new restorative approach to student behavior teaches discipline through discussion, support, and "peace circles." Learn how each of these approaches work from the educators who’ve been using them.
Guests:
- Bob Stevens, school district PBIS coordinator, Charleston County, S.C.
- Robert Spicer, dean, Christian Fenger Academy High School, Chicago
This webinar will be moderated by Nirvi Shah, staff writer for Education Week.
Underwriting for the content of this webinar has been provided by The Atlantic Philanthropies, NoVo Foundation, The Raikes Foundation, and The California Endowment.
Register now for this free live webinar.
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