I asked for it...

The question on my Student Interest Survey was, "please share anything you want me to know (or that I need to know) before we start our semester together."

Looks like we'll be needing to discuss boundaries this year...

Pop Quiz. Literally...

Even multiple choice test can be fun and engaging. I swear.

My students took their first, 25 question, multiple choice Pop Quiz today.

Sometimes you have to think outside the box when you have students with ADHD and/or low reading skills...

1. Take a regular multiple choice test and cut the questions into strips...


2. Fold up the paper strips small enough to fit through a balloon opening and then blow up/tie off each balloon.

3. Tell students they can take the test the regular way, or a super fun way (make sure you have printed copies ready to threaten with)depending on how they choose to behave.

4. Assuming they choose the latter, ask students take out a piece of binder paper and number 1-25.

5. Next, scare them to death by popping the first balloon yourself and read question number one (I show mine on the ELMO projector for those visual learners) and it's answer options aloud. This is also a great chance to introduce process of elimination and other test taking strategies by MODELING!

6. Students quietly record their answers on the binder paper.

7. While they record their answer, pass the next balloon to a student. They pop the question for number 2 and bring the question strip up for you to project/read.
(They can pop balloon with a pencil, sitting on it or stomping on it!)

8. Repeat numbers 5 and 6 for the remainder of the questions.

Student learning has been assessed and attention has definitely been kept. Plus, it's incredibly entertaining to watch them jump with each pop.
Win-Win-Win!

The Honeymoon Phase? TBD.

Hours of planning Getting to Know You activities, re-reading treasured resources, thinking of engaging ways to present somewhat boring info (syllabi = yawn) and tweaking Rules and Procedures for EVERYTHING I expect of my students,Decorating the classroom to be as warm and inviting as a budget crisis will allow,
Displaying the daily agenda so that students will know exactly where we are headed,
Refreshing my technological skills and making sure all cords are plugged into the right sockets,
Bringing in ample [more] natural lighting to limit the craziness that comes with full-fledged fluorescence,
And even inviting the President to join us...

I tried to cover all my bases to set up for a successful 2009-2010 school year....

But you really never know how things will go until they walk through the door that first day, sit down and look at you, waiting to size up their fate or fortune. I worry so much every year about how they will respond to what I have planned, my high expectations and to me as a teacher/person. It is hard to convey that I care, when they have nothing that backs those words yet. I asked them on day 1 to trust me and let me prove to them that I truly care and that I will bend over backwards to help them succeed as long as they are trying their best (and even when they sometimes aren't). I am humbled that these precious kiddos seem to give me the benefit of the doubt.

It's been two days and my 7th grade students have been nothing but perfect. ADHD, learning disabilities, autism and all. Seriously, its unbelievable. They seem to understand that I am going to be strict with their best interests in mind and haven't yet started to challenge me. At all.

Most would say that this is just the honeymoon phase, the calm before the inevitable storm. Being newly married myself, I understand that the "everything is perfect between us at every moment" stage between anyone ebbs and flows. But what comes with time, care and consistency, is a trust and respect that is able to refine and challenge.

I'm sure my share of challenges with these students will come (I mean, come on, it's Junior High!), but I have to hope that this year will be more than a Honeymoon Phase followed by 8 months of crowd control. This is my year of intentional teaching, disciplining and being, so I think that it will be.

P.S. If anyone wants or knows anyone who wants any beginning of the year materials, suggestions, PowerPoints, resources, etc..please let me know.I'd be more than happy to share :)

Professional Development

Every August, the week before our students arrive, staff meets to discuss CST results, acclimate new teachers, review district-mandated professional development power point presentations,set goals for the school year, etc... While this time can be valuable, it is WAY too much information to process. Therefore, I have decided to "Zen-out" (a skill I learned while taking certain credential courses at CSUS) for some of the day to create head space to think about what I personally need to change this school year so that students can find success in my classroom.

In lieu of backward curriculum mapping, I think it is a good idea to start with where I want to end up and direct every step with that destination in mind.

I pose this question to myself: How do I want to develop professionally this year?

I want my classroom to be a place where those students who have chaos all around them can finally catch a break. At home there may be violence and abuse. In their mind there may be anxiety and loneliness. Will my students finally be able to catch the break they so desperately need, while still being held to standards of excellence? It is up to me to create a dichotomous environment of warmth and demandingness so that these students, who have experienced failure after failure and have been given up on time and again, feel safe enough to take the academic and social risks necessary for them to grow.

I want to become a "warm demander," which is a stance described by a great article we read today during the professional development (see, told you it has it's value!). A warm demander first shows students that they genuinely care and then that they won't accept any excuses for not meeting the expectations that have been clearly set for them both academically and behaviorally. They show students they care by demanding their very best. Some of my students have never had these kinds of expectations set for them before...I'll link up the article rather than continuing to describe it so that you can see what I'm striving for this school year.

I'll try to be reflective of my efforts as often as I can, and hopefully I will see results.