Check out this article in NYT about how two scholars are integrating science and art---each using an artistic medium to explore science. I read this article and was really excited. I am already thinking of ways to incorporate art and science in my classroom in a way that includes more than just coloring!
"Ms. Miebach and Mr. McCrory may appear to be engaged in very different pursuits, but their goal is the same: to promote understanding by finding new ways of seeing the world. They’ve never met, but both are invested in the idea that better visualization leads to better thinking"
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/10/business/science-to-art-and-vice-versa-prototype.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Saturday, July 9, 2011
"What's on yo' lips?"
E: "Miss Prinzo, What's that pink stuff on yo' lips?'
Me: "It's called lip gloss."
E: "Why do you have it on your lips?"
Me: "To make my lips stand out a little bit more."
E: "Oh, well you should never wear it again."
Me: "It's called lip gloss."
E: "Why do you have it on your lips?"
Me: "To make my lips stand out a little bit more."
E: "Oh, well you should never wear it again."
Friday, July 8, 2011
My Number Line Lesson was...
PERFECT! Well not perfect, but it went over very well with my students and in a very short time I believe I was able to help my students refine their number sense, counting skills (forward and backward) and reinforced the idea that they need to be able to count forwards and backwards from different places to add and subtract.
The real test will be tomorrow when I teach subtraction by counting backwards with the number line as a tool.
The real test will be tomorrow when I teach subtraction by counting backwards with the number line as a tool.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
How Bad Do You Want It?
It has been a Tim McGraw kind of day. This was the last song I listened to before getting off the bus tonight and it is perfect for my day.
I get to make my living
Doing what I loveToday I decided that my teaching was not good enough for my students and that with only 7 days left, I need to live and breathe making changes for my first graders.
Every night I give my heart and soulSometimes that ain't enough...
This is hard becuase the reality is I cannot handle my students on my own. Yes, I can control them, but it takes a lot quality teaching time and a lot of energy and stress that detracts from my lesson. Not to mention the fact that my five students with chronic behavior problems (for those non-teacher out there...students who continue to misbehave and do not respond to warnings and consequences...you know the type of student I am talking about. We found out today that our 5 students were separated over 3 different rooms last year, but we are lucky enough to have them all together. To put it in a nice way our FAs explained that the four of us would be more than prepared for the 'classroom from hell' next year after this summer...) continually are removed from the carpet and other classroom learning.
Can you feel it?
Can you taste it?
Can you hear it ohhh knocking at your door?
This is not okay, this is not helping us reach our goals. My collab partner for this week and I were both very unsatisfied with this and decided that it was time to make some changes happen.
How bad do you want it?
How bad do you need it?
We have a really good chemistry together and decided that tomorrow we would team teach. This is not something typically acceptable because it can hinder our own development, but the two of us were adamant that this is what is best for our kids. We called an "emergency" meeting with our CMA and presented our plans. With some critical feedback we are on track to team teach for tomorrow.
We also are on track to completely change our math calendar for the last week to focus on quality over quantity of objectives. Our review starts tomorrow and we are moving away from an assessment/ objectives based lesson for the day and giving our students a strategy to build number sense. We are teaching number lines!
It gets EVEN better...not only are we team teaching, reviewing a requisite skill, but I am taking my kids outside and teaching a 100% kinesthetic and verbal lesson. I don't have to teach on the carpet tomorrow!
Tomorrow is a make it or break it day.
Are you eatin', sleepin', dreamin'
With that one thing on your mind?
It could be awesome or it could fail miserably. Regardless, this is the best I have felt going into a day all institute. This feels like me. This is my style of teaching. Yes, my LP could be more thought out, but the plan is in my head and I have a whole bus ride to get the details together. I have my past experience and my new TFA skills and I am hopeful that this is the balance that I am looking for.
As much as this lesson is for my students, it is a lesson for me. It is a lesson to bring some of my personality back into teaching.
How bad do you want it?
How bad do you need it?
Cause if you want it all/ You've got to lay it all out on the line.
Samurai, layers, and cheerleaders oh my!
Q. What do you want to be when you grow up?
A. 'er ranger.
I love asking young children what they want to be when they grow up. Their answers are fantastic. Here are a few from my students:
-Cheerleader
-Cheerleader and tee-ball player
-football and basketball player
-lawyer
-police man
-samurai
My challenge? To convince them that reading and math will help them reach their very ambitious career goals.
In all seriousness, every once and a while you can SEE a student's eyes light up. Children have a look of pure excitement and joy. I got that today from one of my most serious and hardest working students. I was doing her investment survey and I told her..
"Did you know cheerleaders need to use math? When they learn their cheer leading routines and dances, they learn them by counting to 8. This is called an 8-count."
I had her stand up and do an 8 count with me and her face lit up like the Fourth of July. It was such a simple thing, but so worth it.
These are the moments I love teaching the most.
A. 'er ranger.
I love asking young children what they want to be when they grow up. Their answers are fantastic. Here are a few from my students:
-Cheerleader
-Cheerleader and tee-ball player
-football and basketball player
-lawyer
-police man
-samurai
My challenge? To convince them that reading and math will help them reach their very ambitious career goals.
In all seriousness, every once and a while you can SEE a student's eyes light up. Children have a look of pure excitement and joy. I got that today from one of my most serious and hardest working students. I was doing her investment survey and I told her..
"Did you know cheerleaders need to use math? When they learn their cheer leading routines and dances, they learn them by counting to 8. This is called an 8-count."
I had her stand up and do an 8 count with me and her face lit up like the Fourth of July. It was such a simple thing, but so worth it.
These are the moments I love teaching the most.
Special Project #1 update
Remember special project #1? My student who is very excited about learning, but has very little control? Are you ready for an update?
I will give you the bad before the good (it is always nice to end on a positive note).
MJL had a really difficult day today. He was the only student to reach silent lunch in the consequence chart, was removed from math session #1 and sat out for my guided practice today. All of this on top of the fact that he spent an extra 10 minutes today walking up and down the halls with me until he could show me what it looks like when a first grader walks in the hallway. That was our day and the reality is that MJL's days tend to look like this.
BUT...
Last week we were told about MJL's kindergarten year. This student was pretty much out of control. When he wasn't sent to his own space in the back of the room to put his head down and check out of the class he was running around the room, crawling under the tables, drawing on everything in sight and could not keep his hands to himself.
MJL is lucky that he had 4 teachers that recognized very early into the year his passion and excitement for learning. He is lucky that we were able to create opportunities for this child to earn praise in the classroom, and he is even luckier that his 4 teachers realized his potential.
We had a "come to Jesus" meeting with our two FAs and the school lab teacher today about our management in the classroom. It was not a pretty meeting (nor unexpected), but one take-way from this meeting was that all three teachers could not stop saying how much improvement they had seen in MJL. The three of them sincerely believe that he has shown so much growth in his behavior and is really beginning to act like a student. Why is this so important? The data shows that this student learned enough to get close to promotion EVEN when he was separated from the class and removed from learning the majority of this past year. If we can teach him how to behave in the classroom, how to be a part of the community, and how to be a positive role model in the classroom, I have no doubt that he can handle the academic work. Imagine how far ahead this student will be if he actually gets the chance to participate in class.
Today I made a positive impact on this student. This is the feeling that teacher's live for. It is the feeling that will drive me to get up tomorrow and it is the feeling that will drive me to make sure I get my lesson and management right. MJL deserves it. All of my students deserve it.
Tomorrow is a new day. I have goals for all of my students, but MJL in particular. My plan is to engage him so much that he doesn't have a chance to act up. He will be my model, my special helper, and he will walk like a first grader in line. Why? MJL craves attention. He is at a stage where he is just learning to understand how to get positive attention and be a part of a classroom community. I need to do my best to give these tools to him.
I will give you the bad before the good (it is always nice to end on a positive note).
MJL had a really difficult day today. He was the only student to reach silent lunch in the consequence chart, was removed from math session #1 and sat out for my guided practice today. All of this on top of the fact that he spent an extra 10 minutes today walking up and down the halls with me until he could show me what it looks like when a first grader walks in the hallway. That was our day and the reality is that MJL's days tend to look like this.
BUT...
Last week we were told about MJL's kindergarten year. This student was pretty much out of control. When he wasn't sent to his own space in the back of the room to put his head down and check out of the class he was running around the room, crawling under the tables, drawing on everything in sight and could not keep his hands to himself.
MJL is lucky that he had 4 teachers that recognized very early into the year his passion and excitement for learning. He is lucky that we were able to create opportunities for this child to earn praise in the classroom, and he is even luckier that his 4 teachers realized his potential.
We had a "come to Jesus" meeting with our two FAs and the school lab teacher today about our management in the classroom. It was not a pretty meeting (nor unexpected), but one take-way from this meeting was that all three teachers could not stop saying how much improvement they had seen in MJL. The three of them sincerely believe that he has shown so much growth in his behavior and is really beginning to act like a student. Why is this so important? The data shows that this student learned enough to get close to promotion EVEN when he was separated from the class and removed from learning the majority of this past year. If we can teach him how to behave in the classroom, how to be a part of the community, and how to be a positive role model in the classroom, I have no doubt that he can handle the academic work. Imagine how far ahead this student will be if he actually gets the chance to participate in class.
Today I made a positive impact on this student. This is the feeling that teacher's live for. It is the feeling that will drive me to get up tomorrow and it is the feeling that will drive me to make sure I get my lesson and management right. MJL deserves it. All of my students deserve it.
Tomorrow is a new day. I have goals for all of my students, but MJL in particular. My plan is to engage him so much that he doesn't have a chance to act up. He will be my model, my special helper, and he will walk like a first grader in line. Why? MJL craves attention. He is at a stage where he is just learning to understand how to get positive attention and be a part of a classroom community. I need to do my best to give these tools to him.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Song of the day: Firework by Katy Perry
Do you know that there's still a chance for youCause there's a spark in you
You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July
Cause baby you're a firework
Come on show 'em what you're worth
Yes, that's right...my inspiration from the day was Katy Perry, but I mean the 4th of July in combination with a new week and a semi-change in attitude. It's kind of perfect.
So I came into this week with the mindset of looking ahead. I am looking ahead to Nashville and how I can combine my teaching style with what I am learning at Institute. I am looking ahead to gaining some confidence. I am just ready to move on in general. The reality is I am "over" Institute.
This attitude put me in a much better mood, at least for the morning, but then I realized one important thing. This mindset was not one that would allow my summer school students to move forward. So I had to change it. This is easier said than done...I had created this mindset as a way to get through Institute and now I have to break it down to a much more vulnerable, stressful place.
And today was stressful, but three important things came out of it. (1) With the help of my CMA I was able to create a plan for blending a little bit more "me" into my lesson; (2) I picked two major focus points for this week..student engagement during lessons and combining the BMC with positive narration; and (3) I was able to admit and vent a few things that I had been internalizing and work through them.
So back to Katy Perry. The part of the song that really stuck with me is "ignite the light." To be 100% corny I need to "ignite" my students. I need to engage them and I need to make time to pull students for intervention to ensure that every student gets what he or she needs.
Pictures are from the 4th of July party that the city of Cleveland, MS held for us.
I LOVE the Delta hospitality.
The PS 22 Chorus version of "Firework": The PS 22 Chorus has been brought up in a few different sessions. Tonight it was to look at the faces of the children singing and to try to bring this type of expression into reading fluency. Last week we were encouraged to think about the teacher actions that led to the students being such phenomenal performers (and so engaged in what they are doing). Food for thought.
After a hurricane comes a rainbow. Good night!
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