Being a split level teacher is not without its complications. One of these involves my inability to be in multiple places at the same time. As such, when my 4th graders go on a field trip, I am left to entrust them to another bilingual teacher while I'm teaching my remaining 5th graders. It's hard enough to create unity among the ranks without splitting the class up and drawing attention to an "us vs. them" situation.
In order to aid myself in reminding the students of their bond (regardless of time and space) I devised a plan early on that was attached to my students' system of rewards. First, I should probably state that my students do not get scheduled weekly rewards or free time (like in many of my colleagues' classes) because I don't want them to feel like they deserve something without putting in the work to get it. Instead, I have a behavior management system where one student that I choose (and they don't know about) represents the whole class. Because of this, the students are constantly accountable for their own actions as well as the actions for their peers. After working together for as long as it takes, they earn a classroom celebration (or lose points and don't get to celebrate as the case may be.)
Now, when my students have to be split up, they understand that the 4th graders who leave will be responsible for representing the 5th graders (monitored by the other bilingual teacher) and that the 5th graders are responsible for representing their 4th grade counterparts. This has (as is one of my primary goals)created quite a sense of community.
The problem is when it comes to knowing how well you've prepared your students to handle life when you're not there to guide them. It is such a gamble to send them out in the world trusting that their sense of allegiance to the greater good is worth their continual positive behavior. Today, when my students returned from their trip, they were grinning from ear to ear. This, of course, just made me nervous. When I went to talk to the teacher who took them on their trip, he told me that everything went perfectly fine and that my students did a great job. It's wonderful to know that, as a group, we must be doing something right!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
C.A.R.E.ing Students
I worked in a resource position for two years before changing districts and job descriptions. I am now a split level teacher for my own full classroom of bilingual gems. The difference between resource and and classroom teacher is stark. I knew for a fact that in my old district I was not as effective as I could have been. It has been proven to me tenfold as I watch my students grow and develop and I am there 100% of the time to track this progress and ensure continuity.
This year my school adopted the C.A.R.E. program which is an anti-bullying program. To be perfectly honest, I feel like "bullying" is an antiquated word and, while the concepts apply, the actual program is frankly...lame. The amazingly awesome thing is that it opens up the opportunity for a guaranteed half hour of "family" discussion time every week. This time has made a vast difference when building a classroom community and the ways that my students interact with each other is at times awe inspiring.
For example, when I was having trouble with my girls being cliquey and self interested, we had a classroom meeting that focused on inclusion. The next day my girl students came to me thrilled with themselves because they had decided to do a "secret Santa" that included every single girl in my class and had already drawn names during the lunch hour.
At the New Year I taught the students the meaning of the term "New Years Resolution." I then asked them each to make their own for the second half of the school year. They shared these resolutions with the rest of the class and are accountable to their classmates for keeping these resolutions.
The other wonderful byproduct of the C.A.R.E. program is that it has given the students a school-wide vocabulary and common understanding to draw from. I can't explain how important it is for students to feel like they are a part of something that is bigger than themselves and this program has given them a vehicle for that very sentiment.
Whether it be this anti-bullying program or another school-wide initiative to affect positive change...I am grateful for it's existence and would promote a similar situation in any school that is lacking a united direction.
This year my school adopted the C.A.R.E. program which is an anti-bullying program. To be perfectly honest, I feel like "bullying" is an antiquated word and, while the concepts apply, the actual program is frankly...lame. The amazingly awesome thing is that it opens up the opportunity for a guaranteed half hour of "family" discussion time every week. This time has made a vast difference when building a classroom community and the ways that my students interact with each other is at times awe inspiring.
For example, when I was having trouble with my girls being cliquey and self interested, we had a classroom meeting that focused on inclusion. The next day my girl students came to me thrilled with themselves because they had decided to do a "secret Santa" that included every single girl in my class and had already drawn names during the lunch hour.
At the New Year I taught the students the meaning of the term "New Years Resolution." I then asked them each to make their own for the second half of the school year. They shared these resolutions with the rest of the class and are accountable to their classmates for keeping these resolutions.
The other wonderful byproduct of the C.A.R.E. program is that it has given the students a school-wide vocabulary and common understanding to draw from. I can't explain how important it is for students to feel like they are a part of something that is bigger than themselves and this program has given them a vehicle for that very sentiment.
Whether it be this anti-bullying program or another school-wide initiative to affect positive change...I am grateful for it's existence and would promote a similar situation in any school that is lacking a united direction.
My Story
All educators have been taught the value of background information. It is the job of a bilingual educator, especially, to recognize that the background information that their students have received during their lifetime may be drastically different than the background knowledge necessary to understand the curriculum of the United States. It is with this mind frame that I feel compelled to providers readers with my humble beginnings and background as a teacher. Through that, people may begin to see this blog as I see it, as a tool to continue to grow as a person and educator, and hopefully to help others grow through describing my experiences (both successes and failures) to date.
It can truly be said that educators do not set about on their paths for money and glory. I was called to teach after a series of events shaped my life. From the very beginning I was a natural teacher (though some of my nearest and dearest may just call me bossy). As a child I would set up a small standing chalkboard, gather books and coloring materials, and line up two seats (sometimes three if my older brother was REALLY bored) and force my younger siblings to endure hours of "school" well before their time. Through this they learned the pattern of expectations involved in a schooling situation and may well have been better prepared to enter into a classroom years later. One day (later in life) my mom found a cassette tape with two voices on it, one being that of my younger brother trying to read a story aloud, the second being mine, guiding and encouraging him along. To know that some of his later successes may be aided by my persistence is a rather heady accomplishment.
In high school I was asked by a friend to go on a mission trip to build houses in Mexico with him and his youth group. I went on the trip knowing no one but my friend and having no carpentry skills to speak of. More importantly, I went to a country where I didn't even speak the language (having studied 4 years of French at that point.) What I found was a language and culture so rich and beautiful that I immediately fell in love with it. In my first year of college I enrolled in a basic Spanish class and never looked back. Since then I have studied and traveled to Mexico on as many occasions as my wallet has allowed and am hoping to branch out to all Spanish-speaking countries that my students represent.
Also around high school time, my mother graduated with her masters and became a bilingual teacher. As often as I could, I would go with her to help in her classroom. Sadly, what I realized is that, with our growing and changing climate in the US, bilingual education was not only completely necessary, but it had been neglected as a priority for too long. While bilingualism is considered an asset in almost every job in the world, there is a tendency for school systems to ask newcomers to neglect this essential attribute, and I began to realize on which side of the "English Only" debate I stood. After one year in college I switched majors AND schools in order to attend a teaching college with a major in Elementary Bilingual Education.
Throughout my schooling, I was offered internship experiences in varying grade levels and schools of varying socioeconomic status. I have worked in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grades at one point or another over the past 5 years. I have seen many aspects of teaching and have learned SO much from the educators that I have met on my travels. It is with this background and because of the support that I have received that I feel it is time to share my story with others who are pursuing or wish to pursue a similar fate.
It can truly be said that educators do not set about on their paths for money and glory. I was called to teach after a series of events shaped my life. From the very beginning I was a natural teacher (though some of my nearest and dearest may just call me bossy). As a child I would set up a small standing chalkboard, gather books and coloring materials, and line up two seats (sometimes three if my older brother was REALLY bored) and force my younger siblings to endure hours of "school" well before their time. Through this they learned the pattern of expectations involved in a schooling situation and may well have been better prepared to enter into a classroom years later. One day (later in life) my mom found a cassette tape with two voices on it, one being that of my younger brother trying to read a story aloud, the second being mine, guiding and encouraging him along. To know that some of his later successes may be aided by my persistence is a rather heady accomplishment.
In high school I was asked by a friend to go on a mission trip to build houses in Mexico with him and his youth group. I went on the trip knowing no one but my friend and having no carpentry skills to speak of. More importantly, I went to a country where I didn't even speak the language (having studied 4 years of French at that point.) What I found was a language and culture so rich and beautiful that I immediately fell in love with it. In my first year of college I enrolled in a basic Spanish class and never looked back. Since then I have studied and traveled to Mexico on as many occasions as my wallet has allowed and am hoping to branch out to all Spanish-speaking countries that my students represent.
Also around high school time, my mother graduated with her masters and became a bilingual teacher. As often as I could, I would go with her to help in her classroom. Sadly, what I realized is that, with our growing and changing climate in the US, bilingual education was not only completely necessary, but it had been neglected as a priority for too long. While bilingualism is considered an asset in almost every job in the world, there is a tendency for school systems to ask newcomers to neglect this essential attribute, and I began to realize on which side of the "English Only" debate I stood. After one year in college I switched majors AND schools in order to attend a teaching college with a major in Elementary Bilingual Education.
Throughout my schooling, I was offered internship experiences in varying grade levels and schools of varying socioeconomic status. I have worked in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grades at one point or another over the past 5 years. I have seen many aspects of teaching and have learned SO much from the educators that I have met on my travels. It is with this background and because of the support that I have received that I feel it is time to share my story with others who are pursuing or wish to pursue a similar fate.
Monday, November 2, 2009
It's a Boy!
Last week my little bilingual class got a special treat, a fifth grade newcomer from Mexico! I was told two days ahead of time by the office that a new student would be arriving and I proceeded to mentally rehearse my Spanish and verbally prepare my students. Before all that, I was sitting at my desk when the students walked in on the morning I found out, creating name tags for my newcomer's desk and locker. I was greeted to a chorus of, "We have a new student? Who is it? Is it is boy or a girl?"
When I informed my darlings of his gender there were mixed reactions, some thrilled, some disappointed (mostly the girls who wanted another friend to gossip with), but one very entertained 5th grade girl giggled and exclaimed, "It sounds like we're having a BABY...It's a boy! CONGRATULATIONS!" For the rest of the day whenever we talked about the new students we made plans for our "new baby" discussing how we could take take of him, what we could do to support his language skills and how we could make his transition comfortable. My students shared great ideas, often from their own experiences about how their English acquisition.
My students have great hearts and the best of intentions. When the new baby showed up, they treated him wonderfully. What they didn't account for, was how much would change when he would get there. As much as I talked to them about him and tried to prepare them, two days wasn't enough. I spent the past two months building a classroom community built on trust, structure and continuity. Now we're using two languages, accommodating for another person, and they're getting a lot less individual attention.
On the first day with the "new baby" as soon as he went to the bathroom my classroom erupted. It was like my students had been waiting to jam every single ounce of English conversation and normalcy they could think of into the 2 minutes they had of freedom before he came back and they had to be on their "best behavior" again. My theory is that is comes from spending so much time creating classroom community. My class is comfortable and safe together. Change has come to their little tight knit community and they don't know what to do with it. I made sure to explain to them that they needed to wait to have those conversations when EVERYONE that was a part of their class was present. They'll accept that in time as they've accepted each other...but babies, like all new family members take time to get used to. The thing that impresses me the most is that while they have to grow into each other, they also decided to love him and care for him before they even knew him...just as if they were actually parents caring for a new baby. Maybe there really is something about being bilingual in a new and scary place that binds you unlike anything else...or maybe its just the magic of the unyielding acceptance of a child.
When I informed my darlings of his gender there were mixed reactions, some thrilled, some disappointed (mostly the girls who wanted another friend to gossip with), but one very entertained 5th grade girl giggled and exclaimed, "It sounds like we're having a BABY...It's a boy! CONGRATULATIONS!" For the rest of the day whenever we talked about the new students we made plans for our "new baby" discussing how we could take take of him, what we could do to support his language skills and how we could make his transition comfortable. My students shared great ideas, often from their own experiences about how their English acquisition.
My students have great hearts and the best of intentions. When the new baby showed up, they treated him wonderfully. What they didn't account for, was how much would change when he would get there. As much as I talked to them about him and tried to prepare them, two days wasn't enough. I spent the past two months building a classroom community built on trust, structure and continuity. Now we're using two languages, accommodating for another person, and they're getting a lot less individual attention.
On the first day with the "new baby" as soon as he went to the bathroom my classroom erupted. It was like my students had been waiting to jam every single ounce of English conversation and normalcy they could think of into the 2 minutes they had of freedom before he came back and they had to be on their "best behavior" again. My theory is that is comes from spending so much time creating classroom community. My class is comfortable and safe together. Change has come to their little tight knit community and they don't know what to do with it. I made sure to explain to them that they needed to wait to have those conversations when EVERYONE that was a part of their class was present. They'll accept that in time as they've accepted each other...but babies, like all new family members take time to get used to. The thing that impresses me the most is that while they have to grow into each other, they also decided to love him and care for him before they even knew him...just as if they were actually parents caring for a new baby. Maybe there really is something about being bilingual in a new and scary place that binds you unlike anything else...or maybe its just the magic of the unyielding acceptance of a child.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Strange Noises
When I moved in to my new place a week ago, my friend Jeremy asked me if there were any weird noises that I had to adjust to. I went to bed on that first night feeling pretty good and pretty lucky because things were blissfully silent. In fact, our walls and floors are cement so I have yet to have a problem with pipes, neighbors, miscellaneous squeaks, etc. That is, until tonight. Tonight I am typing as I sit awake at my computer table counting the minutes and listening to the most earth shattering shriek I have ever heard. For tonight, my dear friends, is the the night of the first storm in my new apartment. I live in a back corner apartment in our building complex and apparently the combination of the direction of the wind and the location of our little corner creates a perfect little wind tunnel. Wind finds its way in and upon trying to escape takes on the otherworldly sounds of a strangled horse-like creature.
In any case, I'm wide awake. And the question of acclimating oneself to strange noises got me thinking.
As many of you know, I'm starting a new job this year. I have three weeks before training and four full weeks before my first full day with students. If you are saying that it is WAY TO EARLY to start worrying about teaching then you are awesome and I want to be like you. Unfortunately for myself, I'm a thinker and a planner. And I haven't even been given my teaching manuals yet (and I'm teaching two grades simultaneously) so I'm really starting to panic!
As I think about weird noises, however, it reminds me that every new school year is kind of like my new apartment. You come in, work as hard as you can to put together a nice place for yourself. You adorn the walls and arrange the furniture for aesthetics as well as practicality. But eventually, your students (the strange noises) show up. That's when you have to start to adapt. There are some noises that will startle you and make you jump almost every time you get surprised by them for the rest of the year. There is the idle hum of the refrigerator that will barely receive much notice after a couple days of routine and habit. In any case, you start to make a comfortable place together and adapt to each others quirks, and if you work hard enough, you start to appreciate those noises because they are familiar and they mean that you are in a good place, a safe place, that you are home.
In any case, I'm wide awake. And the question of acclimating oneself to strange noises got me thinking.
As many of you know, I'm starting a new job this year. I have three weeks before training and four full weeks before my first full day with students. If you are saying that it is WAY TO EARLY to start worrying about teaching then you are awesome and I want to be like you. Unfortunately for myself, I'm a thinker and a planner. And I haven't even been given my teaching manuals yet (and I'm teaching two grades simultaneously) so I'm really starting to panic!
As I think about weird noises, however, it reminds me that every new school year is kind of like my new apartment. You come in, work as hard as you can to put together a nice place for yourself. You adorn the walls and arrange the furniture for aesthetics as well as practicality. But eventually, your students (the strange noises) show up. That's when you have to start to adapt. There are some noises that will startle you and make you jump almost every time you get surprised by them for the rest of the year. There is the idle hum of the refrigerator that will barely receive much notice after a couple days of routine and habit. In any case, you start to make a comfortable place together and adapt to each others quirks, and if you work hard enough, you start to appreciate those noises because they are familiar and they mean that you are in a good place, a safe place, that you are home.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Let Them Fall
This post was inspired by my mother and the post Helping Students Navigating the Torrents of Change at Cool Cat Teacher.
The other day while we were driving in the car, my mom made the statement that she wouldn't have wanted to protect her children from all of the hard things they have gone through in life. Not that she would ever wish any pain on us, but that she knew the importance of letting us make our own mistakes, deal with our own challenges, and find our own way when the situation called for it. The truth is, if you spend every moment holding your child's hand and protecting them from "danger", they will never learn to fend for themselves, never learn any coping mechanisms, and never understand how to deal when they find themselves confronted with the real world.
The same thing works for school and the classroom. In fact, in a society where the role of teacher is an ever blurring line which takes on the function on parent more and more, many of the same attributes apply. I find it very tempting to hold my students hands when times get tough. I also find it almost impossible not to make exceptions for good kids who have a bad day.
I have found, however, that there is something to be said for consistency. Students who know the rules and what is expected of them will learn to accept responsibility for consequences and will rarely have that bad day again. Failing is a part of life. Making mistakes is a part of life. Not allowing our students to do either of those things is crippling them and giving them false expectation for their future. We need to instead be teaching them strong lessons and equipping them with the tools in their arsenals to rise again after failure, mistakes, or simple life unfairness have dealt them a low blow.
The other day while we were driving in the car, my mom made the statement that she wouldn't have wanted to protect her children from all of the hard things they have gone through in life. Not that she would ever wish any pain on us, but that she knew the importance of letting us make our own mistakes, deal with our own challenges, and find our own way when the situation called for it. The truth is, if you spend every moment holding your child's hand and protecting them from "danger", they will never learn to fend for themselves, never learn any coping mechanisms, and never understand how to deal when they find themselves confronted with the real world.
The same thing works for school and the classroom. In fact, in a society where the role of teacher is an ever blurring line which takes on the function on parent more and more, many of the same attributes apply. I find it very tempting to hold my students hands when times get tough. I also find it almost impossible not to make exceptions for good kids who have a bad day.
I have found, however, that there is something to be said for consistency. Students who know the rules and what is expected of them will learn to accept responsibility for consequences and will rarely have that bad day again. Failing is a part of life. Making mistakes is a part of life. Not allowing our students to do either of those things is crippling them and giving them false expectation for their future. We need to instead be teaching them strong lessons and equipping them with the tools in their arsenals to rise again after failure, mistakes, or simple life unfairness have dealt them a low blow.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
A System That Works
I sat down to dinner with a fellow bilingual teacher last night and we started to share some of the successes that we have had with classroom management over the past year. As we talked I realized that I was nervous about being a part of a school that doesn't have a school wide behavior managment program (though they are starting something this year and I'm excited to be a part of that.) It is one of the things that I think worked wonders in my former school (coupled with No Excuses University which I personally think everyone should get on board with.) As we talked I began to try to rework my personal classroom system because I am always trying to get better/more efficient. Born from my coworker whose room I have shared for the past two years, my system involves individual sticker charts (grids of about 25 squares) that students must fill before they can visit the prize box. Stickers are given every morning at the beginning of the day for homework and then sporatically throughout the day for awesome deeds and participation. While students are getting ready for lunch I open the prize box for less than five minutes for students whose charts are full. This system works way better than anything I've done before and so, with everything else that is changing this year i've decided that it is the one thing that will remain constant. Just let me tell you why...
1. It is interactive. There is something to be said for interactive teaching and I'm a fan of anything that gets you moving around the room and connecting face to face with students even during whole group instruction.
2. It is not obtrusive. Students leave their charts on the desk and you can come over and reward them without even stopping your lecture.
3. It teaches responsibility. Students are required to keep track if their own charts and must start over again at zero if they lose theirs.
4. It minimizes classroom crime. Students have names at the top of their chart and stickers take some effort to peel off so students are forced into an honest situation.
5. Students recieve immediate reinforcement. Instead of waiting until the end of the day or the end of a lesson, students are reinforced for positive behavior as it occurs.
6. It is a good motivator. If I am having a rough class with students who are slow to volunteer I have only to pick up a sheet of stickers and their eyes and ears and hands perk right up.
7. It is low maintenance. Sometimes I even allow other students to be in charge of stickers if it is going to be cumbersome for me. The prizes are quick to distribute and it is not something that needs time slotted for it even daily (charts take a while to fill).
This year I noticed that the system turned a little but stale toward the end if the year. One week we put away charts, took out some ziploc bags, wrote their names on them and did the exact same system using flat marbles. The marbles had a monetary value and at the end of the week I pulled some of the prizes from the box and we had an auction. It was really fun and even reinforced the value of money. So what I'm saying is...
8. It is versatile: easy to adapt and make new again.
1. It is interactive. There is something to be said for interactive teaching and I'm a fan of anything that gets you moving around the room and connecting face to face with students even during whole group instruction.
2. It is not obtrusive. Students leave their charts on the desk and you can come over and reward them without even stopping your lecture.
3. It teaches responsibility. Students are required to keep track if their own charts and must start over again at zero if they lose theirs.
4. It minimizes classroom crime. Students have names at the top of their chart and stickers take some effort to peel off so students are forced into an honest situation.
5. Students recieve immediate reinforcement. Instead of waiting until the end of the day or the end of a lesson, students are reinforced for positive behavior as it occurs.
6. It is a good motivator. If I am having a rough class with students who are slow to volunteer I have only to pick up a sheet of stickers and their eyes and ears and hands perk right up.
7. It is low maintenance. Sometimes I even allow other students to be in charge of stickers if it is going to be cumbersome for me. The prizes are quick to distribute and it is not something that needs time slotted for it even daily (charts take a while to fill).
This year I noticed that the system turned a little but stale toward the end if the year. One week we put away charts, took out some ziploc bags, wrote their names on them and did the exact same system using flat marbles. The marbles had a monetary value and at the end of the week I pulled some of the prizes from the box and we had an auction. It was really fun and even reinforced the value of money. So what I'm saying is...
8. It is versatile: easy to adapt and make new again.
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