This Is Why I Teach
Summer Reading Programs for Students
As many of the students continue to cherish their books this summer, I thought I would highlight a few summer reading programs which can give them free books or other incentives since they are already reading.
- The public library always has a great summer reading program. We do get to have a presentation next week on what they have to offer, but otherwise check out their website for more information. Often students can earn books or participate in book events throughout summer.
- Barnes & Noble are offering up their summer reading program as well. This program runs between May 24th and September 6th and any child can sign up. With a kick off event here in Madison on June 2nd, students can pick up their logs and then earn books throughout the summer.
- Half Price books also offers a program from June 1st to July 31st. This program called Feed Your Brain Summer Reading Program offers students a $5 gift card to use at Half Price Books if they read 300 pages.
- Scholastic has a program they call the Summer Challenge. Either educators or parents can register kids and then they can log their minutes of reading. They can then enter to win prizes or do challenges on the Scholastic website.
- Amazon runs a 4-for-3 program where you can purchase 4 books and get the lowest one for free. While this isn’t an incentive program it is nice way to get more books.
- The blog, My Frugal Adventures, also has a list of a variety of other reading incentive programs being offered if you are interested.
I hope this is helpful for this summer; happy reading!
Just Kids
We worked hard today and at the end we stood with 10 minutes of unscheduled time, 10 minutes of free, no work to get started, and everyone longingly looking at the sunlight.
So we ran outside, free for those last 10 minutes and as I watched them all unfold I remembered; they are just kids.
Just kids who although they look so big and so tall still have hearts that belong to their childhood.
Just kids with their fragile dreams.
Just kids who truly believe they can be anything they want to be, they just have to figure it out first.
Kids who will include everyone when no one is looking and pretend to be tough when they can.
Kids that want to please but do it their way and who still need a hug just once in a while.
Just kids who play it tough when asked about middle school but then come to you with their secret concerns.
Kids who draw hearts on their notebooks and bring you flowers just because they think you would like them.
Kids who although they may think they are adults, really are just kids.
I am so glad they are mine even if just for a couple more weeks.
Don’t You Mentor Me! Will Teachers Ever Embrace the Role of a Coach?
This year I was asked to mentor a new teacher in our building and although I willingly accepted part of me trembled just a little bit with fear. See being a mentor implies that you know what you are doing and since I keep changing what it is I am doing, I don’t know if I fall into that category. However, I also knew that I wouldn’t be a mentor to a brand new impressionable teacher but rather to someone who actually has a year more teaching experience than I do. So it wasn’t a case of me spilling my infinite wisdom of how to thrive in your first year of teaching, but rather to communicate ideas and offer discussion opportunities to help us both. So being a mentor has been a reflective practice, mostly because Mark has given me as much food for thought as I hope I have him. At the same time though I know that I have not fully acted as a mentor because I am afraid to step on toes, not that he would mind, but I just don’t feel right. And I don’t think I am alone.
So what is our problem with mentors or coaches in education? Why do we like the idea of them as long as we are not the ones being mentored? We tell our students to work together, to learn from others, and yet our defensive hairs stand up on our necks the minute someone mentions a coaching or mentoring opportunity involving us. I happen to know that I have a lot to learn and yet the reaction even comes from me; what do you mean you are going to teach me something? I am doing just fine on my own, thank you, take your concern to someone who really needs it.
Perhaps this is our achilles heel as a community; the inability to take advice or have a discussion on how to improve ourselves. Sure we say we want to get better as teachers, but often that means on our own, not with someone coaching us. We, of all professions, should be embracing the very nature of the coach or mentor, or whatever you want to call it. We should celebrate when we actually have the opportunity to learn from others, with others, and yet most of us get defensive instead. Are we just too competitive to take advice? Or have we lost our sense of trust when it comes to others wanting to help us? Do we really think that we are doing our very best teaching every day? I, for one, do not, just look at yesterday’s post, but still why I am not asking people to come in and discuss my teaching? Why am I not the one out soliciting feedback from my local colleagues? Why do I hide behind my classroom walls as much as anyone?
So how do we build the trust? Where do we start as a mentor or as a coach or whatever other title may be bestowed upon us? Can teachers ever learn to trust each other enough to know that we are are here to be be the best teachers we possibly can be? I just don’t know but I hope someone else does.
For a wonderful perspective on lessons learned from being a coach, please read John T. Spencer’s post “10 Things I Learned From Coaching.”
An Extension Project on Biomes
Biome Project Breakdown
Goal: To teach the rest of the class about your selected biome and assess their understanding.
Products: Research report to Mrs. Ripp, hands-on extension project to use as teaching tool, assessment for class (can be verbal), self-evaluation based on class assessment.
Process:
- Determine the top 3 biomes you would like to research with your group: Savannah, desert, tundra, rainforest, grasslands, or deciduous forests.
- Within group, research the various parts of your biome, such as: people, climate, plants, animals, locations. You decide what the most important parts are.
- Use sources from the library as well as from our LiveBinder to research.
- Once research is completed, write one report as a group – double spaced, Times New Roman, sz. 12.
- Work on extension project for teaching, ideas are: PPT, Prezi, Animoto, Posters, diorama, terrariums, movies. You are the teacher, how would you like to be taught about a biome? Make it interesting.
- Work on how you will assess the students learning. How will you know you did a good job teaching them about your biome? Ideas for assessment include: question sheet, asking questions, have students write what they learned, have students draw/diagram their learning, have them write a song, create a concept map, do a compare/contrast, check their pre-knowledge and then their post-knowledge, true or false, word search, definition match, crossword, write a blog post that talks about your learning, solve a problem, student choice
- You need to know your facts as the teacher, figure out who will do what etc.
When We Admit Our Faults Or When Math Blows Up in Your Face
I admit it; math today was a mess. I had done my preparation, I had created my lesson, I had everything ready and then in the middle of it; breakdown. The kids were getting antsy, my explanation didn’t work, and finally it dawned on me ; I was not making sense. Mortification, terror, and just a little bit of embarresement. You see, I hadn’t taken the time to fully understand the concept being taught. I had prepared, sure, but I hadn’t figured it out on my own. I had just follwoed the prompts of the books and copied the words thinking that I understood when in reality I didn’t. In fact, I wasn’t even close.
So when students started asking questions, there I stood with a choice to make; do I admit my faults or do I pretend that I know what i am talking about. I swallowed my pride and admitted it,”Sorry, but I have to figure this out first before I teach it to you.” The kids went quiet. “I don’t want to teach it to you because I will teach it wrong, so let’s get back to it tomorrow when I have had some time.” Then the kids sighed in relief. “Good Mrs. Ripp, because I was really confused…” and the energy immediately returned to the room.
After school today, I sought out a colleague and I asked them to walk me through it and explain it like they did to the students since the book just wasn’t clicking for me. And as he patiently explained it, I realized once again how our students must feel when something doesn’t make sense. I realized how important it is for us to figure our curriculum out before we teach it to students. I realized how crucial it is for us to admit when we simply don’t know.
Sure my lesson tomorrow just a got a little more crowded, but in the end, it is worth it. I didn’t wing it, I didn’t fake it, I presented it as a true learning moment in which the teacher didn’t know, and then I figured out how I would learn it myself. In the end, when I admitted my fault, I learned more, and that lesson is something worth passing on.
Pernille Ripp 