An Honor to Honor

I'm A Brat!

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I was raised in the military.  My father was an officer in the United States Air Force.  I was always filled with such pride when military personnel would salute my dad.  I love my country and I love those who serve in the Armed Forces.  Up until 9/11 it was difficult to get students to truly understand Veterans Day.  They often confused it with Memorial Day.  They couldn't really grasp the concept of modern day Veterans because we were in peace time. They saw a veteran as being only a soldier from WWI or WWII.  They thought of their great-great grandfathers.  The unfortunate events of 9/11 lead to our country engaging in military actions in various places throughout the world. Our students soon experienced fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, neighbors and friends being deployed overseas to defend our freedoms.  The term "veteran" gained a whole new meaning and perspective in their lives.  

Every year I volunteer to conduct Veterans Day activities at my elementary school.  Some years I have brought guest veterans to speak to our students at an assembly. One year I put together a truly heart wrenching video that included pictures submitted by over half of our 800 member student-body. personally spotlighting the veteran dearest to them.  One thing I always do is create a bulletin board with the assistance of our students.  We've mounted letters of thanks, stars of honor, and even a miniature monument.  The students and faculty all proudly honor "their" veterans.

Last year I chose to display dog tags. Each student was given a set of paper dog tags.  They wrote their veterans name and branch of service.  I then strung gray yarn on them and hung them under the appropriate branch heading.  The display was stunning.  As parents entered the building they would immediately to into the office and ask if there were dog tags they could fill out to honor a veteran they knew.  It was a wonderful tribute and a community building activity.

This bulletin board has become a favorite spot every Veterans Day at Whittier Elementary in Salt Lake City, Utah.

It was so amazing to see how quickly the bulletin board grew as students saw others honor veterans they knew.  It was also fun to see students, especially non-native students, who don't know any veterans, ask teachers to tell them names of veterans that they could make dog tags for.  Yes folks, we had dog tags for George Washington, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and of course, my dad, Wayne S. Bullock.

I hope many of you are as enthusiastic about honoring our veterans as I am. Perhaps this can give you an idea on how to involve your entire school.  Don't forget to play TAPS at 11 am.  I get on the intercom and ask the students and faculty to stop what they are doing, stand quietly as we play TAPS in honor of all veterans past, present and future.

Taps mp3 free download

I love the pride our faculty, students and parents display and express at our school every year on Veterans Day.  It is truly and honor to honor those who have proudly served.

No Regrets November!

Where has the time gone?
I can't believe that it is already November.  It seems like it was just yesterday that I was preparing for school to start, and here I am, preparing for the term to end.  I guess I should be ashamed that I have been so lax in keeping my blog up to date.  But alas, I am not. :)  This has been a great first term.  I have been trying so many new things this year.  

I was lucky to have been able to go back to Rockaway Beach, Oregon in October.  It was there I took a long look at the things I have implemented this year in my classroom. 

ISN's

 

May I say that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE using ISN's. My students love doing them. I feel like I have found a way to improve direct instruction and increase their level of understanding in a creative way.  I admit, they are a lot of work, but man, oh, man, it is worth every minute of preparation.  They are not only creating great reference material for themselves, but honestly, some of them are true works of art.  I promise, I will post more ISN pages very soon.  

A/B Schedule

I have also have been piloting an A/B schedule, similar to those in high school. So, on Monday's and Wednesday's we have Language Arts and Utah Studies. On Tuesday and Thursday we have Math and Science.

Friday is spent wrapping up all four subjects while squeezing in Reading Buddies and computer lab.

I love that we are able to actually finish what we start.  Imagine a classroom where you DON'T have to use phrases like, "Hurry! We are running out of time!" Or "I'm sorry, I don't have time for questions or comments.  We have too much to get through."  There is nothing more frustrating then having to quickly move on, even though we haven't covered all the intended content nor been able to take the time to investigate the subject and its complexity.  An A/B schedule has allowed me to embrace depth and complexity in all core subjects.  We actually get to finish what we start as well as investigate applications in real life situations.  Students are accomplishing so much with greater understanding and with an opportunity to engage in activity that has been impossible in the past.  They are free from traditional time constraints and they are producing a much higher quality of work.  I embrace this schedule and wish all my colleagues could enjoy what I enjoy.

In early August I attended the Flippin' Utah Conference.  I immediately joined forces with hundreds of other Utah teachers who are frustrated with the lack of time afforded us in the classroom to delve deeper into curriculum, to investigate real life applications, and the sacrifice of creativity for increased assessment.  I became a teacher, not to lecture, lecture, lecture, but instead to lead my students on a journey of exploration, creative expression and inquiry based discovery.  Flipped instruction changes the look and feel of the classroom.  The lecture, traditionally a part of daily instruction, now takes place via video instruction online, at home.  Students watch the video instruction as homework.  When students return to class we briefly review concepts taught in the video and then we engage in individual, partner and group work. 

After this conference, I decided that I really wanted to FLIP my math instruction.  It has been my experience, that since parents are not familiar with the multiple strategies we expect students to learn, they tend to focus only on the computation of mathematics.  This makes it difficult for parents to be supportive of concepts they not only don't know how to perform, but in many cases, do not understand.  Flipping Math has decreased parental stress when it comes to helping with homework.  

Three weeks ago, I flipped my first math lesson.  After fixing a few technical glitches, we are full speed ahead.  The level of investigation that I have been able to provide my students is so professionally fulfilling.  My students love the challenge problems and, thanks to my A/B schedule, and the flipped instruction time, we are able to creatively engage in exploration.

A typical mathematical investigation block includes grid paper, dry erase markers, and creative expression.  The noise level often goes from silence to the squeal of excitement.  This is why I teach.  I love the level of excitement for learning.  

Chromebooks

I guess my greatest frustration has been with my 1-1 Chromebook implementation.  I received 25 new Chromebooks the first day of school.  They have sat in my classroom just waiting to be used.  Unfortunately our IT department is petrified of these marvelous classroom tools.  Because these are internet dependent, they have limited our wi-fi access.  Student, parents, and of course this teacher, are getting impatient.  Hopefully, my next blog can be a celebratory post of Chromebook usage!

So, as this November starts, I look back on the school year thus far and am not filled with regrets.  I do want to find the time and energy to blog more.  I don't know how some of my favorite bloggers post as often as they do. Perhaps one day I will too.

PREPARING FOR MY MATH ISN'S

It seems that I have spent endless hours "pinning" ideas and reference materials for Interactive Student Notebooks.  Finally, today, I had a heart-to-heart talk with myself and decided it was time I started my notebook, after all, I need to see what it will look like, as well as use it as my teaching resource guide.  I decided to start with Math (even though I intend to do one in Language Arts as well as Science and Utah Studies).  

Why ISN's?  Because they are FUN!

As my son and his girlfriend have watched me put together this notebook, I have heard comments like, "That looks awesome Mom."  "Why didn't I ever have a teacher that taught like this?"  "Sure seems like a lot of work, but it's so cool." They are right, they do look awesome.   I'm not sure why they never had a teacher that taught this way (after all, this will be my first year attempting the art of the ISN).  It most definitely is a lot of work, but it is worth it.  

I think I am most motivated by the potential these tools possess.  So many students are visual learners.  Coloring and highlighting their foldables and notes will help them to recall and find the information they are looking for.  Identifying important information is a great habit to learn.  

Remember, ISN's are more than just drawing, coloring, cutting and gluing.  We tape, we glue and we create graphic organizers that help us understand and retain information.  We will cut and fold things because this allows us to investigate while creating our own frame of reference.  The ISN's also make it so things don't get lost.  

I'm pretty proud of my current creation and I'm confident my students will have the same sense of pride in what they create.

The Cover:  Numbers and Me!

The cover should make a personal connection to the subject; in this case Math. The students come up with all kinds of numbers that relate to them personally and create a graphic.  They are encouraged to decorate their notebook in a way that tells the world all the connections they can make with math.  Having the covers personalized is crucial to having them take pride in their ISN.

Inside Front Cover:  Types of Effort

The transition from primary grades to upper elementary can be challenging, especially when my students realize that effort has a direct impact on output. This page is computer generated and will be used to help them understand levels of effort, not only in math, but other subjects as well.

Page 1:  Utah Common Core Standards

This page is also computer generated, with them creating the heading.  I feel it is imperative that they understand the standards they will be learning this year.

Page 2-5:  Math ISN Expectations and Policies

As a class we will discuss What goes in the ISN and Why.  This discussion will include using bullets and identifying key information in notetaking.  This information, like all notes, will be placed on the left side.  On the right side they will create their own graphic based on responses to the prompt: On the page below, give some predictions you have for your MATH ISN this year.

These two pages act as reference for students to remember what information goes on what side of the notebook.  INPUT (teacher or text origin) pages are on the left.  OUTPUT (practice and investigation) is on the right side.

Pages 6-9:  Table of Contents (TOC)

All entries are expected to have page numbers and titles.  This will provide strong organizational skills.  Content area's will be separated by color.

Pages 10-15:  Words Worth Knowing (WWK) Vocabulary

Math, like most subjects has unique vocabulary.  As an unfamiliar word is presented, students will record and define them in this section of the ISN.  This example comes from the first mathematical process.

Pages 16-17:  Mathematical Process #1

Left side is computer generated and goes along with the lecture.  As they begin to see "how to take lecture notes" these will be more student generated based on note taking techniques and skills learned.  Right side is the student interpretation and example of understanding.

This completes the first week of school and the Math ISN plan of attack.

**Special acknowledgement to http://everybodyisageniusblog.blogspot.com 

"When Will I EVER Use That?"

Application! Application! Application!

At the end of every school year my students dictate to me all the things they learn over the year.  They shout out as much as they can (and I try to keep up by scribbling it on the whiteboard).  I always take a picture of it to help reflect what they found important and what might or might not have had any impact.  I always wonder...."How much of this will they really remember, and how much will they apply to their everyday lives?"  Great expectations, I know.

Probably the greatest challenge I face, whe nhelping my students understand its purpose and application, is in writing.  They have been so accustom to writing a cute little story and everyone applauding their brilliance, that they are shocked to discover that their first effort is, well, to be frank, garbage.  Learning and embracing the writing process is not easy, especially when they equate their identified "gifted"-ness with perfection.  

Some teachers use Six Traits.  I use The Mighty Writing Process. 

 msmooreelp4.weebly.com/the-mighty-writing-process.html

Students really respond to the fun labeling of the process. 

Brain Drain  Identify key components that will lead to strong development of the writers ideas.

Sloppy Copy  Compose a written draft.

Pair Share  Share your writing with peers.

Neat Sheet  Improve your writing through suggestions and recommendations.

Goof Proof  Edit your writing.

Glory Story  Produce functional text.

Like most classrooms, we write, share, write, edit, write, share, write, edit....and so on.  I always hope it will stick with them, but, am never sure.....at least not until this year.  I received the greatest teacher appreciation gift a teacher could ever hope for.  I received student application.

My darling student wanted to write the perfect thank you note and so she followed the process.  Needless to say, I, as well as her mother,  am quite proud.  Mom wanted to make sure that I knew this came from her daughter and not mom, and knowing this student, I believe it.  

My student proudly included proof of her process inside the card.  It's so refreshing to see that she not only labeled her step, she also included a parent/editor signature (required in our class).

I love watching the transformation of this first draft.

Like any good collaborator, Mom offers the writer suggestions.

You can see where Mom has made editing marks for her.

Again, we see mom/editor signature of suggestions and/or edits.

Take a look at this final product.  I couldn't be more proud.

I'm a Digital Immigrant Teaching Technology Natives

Technology Transforms Terrific Teachers

Two summers ago I was informed that I would be receiving a Smartboard in my classroom, as well as a document camera.  While I had seen others use them, I was most definitely a "newbie" to this technology.  I was emotionally caught somewhere between excitement and complete fear.  I felt completely ignorant and a bit overwhelmed.  As luck would have it, our district technology specialists published the summer professional development courses they would be conducting and I signed up for six of the twelve being offered. Two days after school ended I took my first class.  I was thrilled with the many enhancements to my classroom that these tools of technology had to offer.  

That first year I focused on using my Smartboard  and document camera for more than just a glorified overhead projector.  I started learning other ways to incorporate technology into my classroom.   Year two,  I beefed up my parent communication with Google Drive.  I shared documents and calendars.  I embraced texting and Twitter.  I learned about apps and websites that enhance the core curriculum.  I fanagled extra lab time for my students so as to teach them all the amazing things I was learning and I took time to let them teach me what they knew and what they liked.

This summer I am preparing for a huge transformation in my classroom.  I am adding Google Chromebooks.

http://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/business/devices/

I am so grateful for donations from Donors Choose as well as an amazing principal who has made it possible for me to acquire and entire classroom set.  The guys in the  IT department aren't quite as excited as I am.  No one else in the district has ever used them in their classroom and so I am their technology test subject.  I couldn't be more thrilled.  

I am most excited about Google Drive and how it will enhance the writing process. Additionally, the idea of eliminating excessive use of paper and becoming a GREENER classroom absolutely thrills me.  

I am loving the direction my classroom is taking.  I love that we can collaborate and interface with each other as well as other students like us in other districts, states or even countries.  The fact that I am able to take core standards to new levels because of technology is indeed very exciting.  

Jumping Feet First into Interactive Student Journals

I've Been Infected by the ISN Bug!

I'm letting the "virus" run its course.

I've been battling a bad virus since about April.  I sneeze.  I cough.  (Sounds like allergies, I know.)  But, I also take chills and run a fever.  (Sounds like flu, I know.)  Doctors say it's a virus and I just need to let it run its course.  So, that's exactly what I am doing.

Similarly, I have been battling this urge to implement Interactive Student Notebooks.  I'm just itching (I know, poor allergy pun) to use them in my classroom.   I have spent hours upon end researching example of ISN's.  I have added dozens of pins on Pinterest just devoted to ISN's.  I don't want to blow it (again, sappy allergy pun).  It seems that this trend has gone viral in education. (Okay, I'll stop ;)).  After great personal deliberation and fearless commitment, I don't want to be cured.  As you know, one of the skills I teach my fourth-graders is note taking.  I also teach them how to study.  These are two invaluable skills that my students will use the rest of their lives.  I honestly believe that ISN's will make for a more exciting approach to note taking as well as a creative and effective way to study.  So, as of 24 hours ago, I am taking this challenge and running with it.  

Kudos to Sarah http://everybodyisageniusblog.blogspot.com/p/interactive-notebooks.html

In my quest to learn as much as I can about ISN's I came across an absolutely brilliant blog.  It is a MUST guide for anyone even remotely contemplating implementation of this awesome form of student interactives.  I must acknowledge Sarah and her blog,  Everybody Is A Genius!  I have read her blogs numerous times.  I've bookmarked them, studied them and am truly inspired by what she does with them.  So, I Thank you Sarah!

Now, Sarah is a high school math teacher.  I, on the other hand, am an ELP 4th grade teacher.  We share, however, a love of teaching and a belief in student abilities.  Interactive learning is for everyone, regardless of grade level.  

How I will use these Interactive Student Notebooks

I have decided that I am going to use ISN's in Math, Language Arts, Science, and Utah Studies.  I am also going to have a general 4th grade ISN for expectations, procedures, and other things that don't fit quite so neatly into these core subjects.  I have taken Sarah's advise and I am generating sample pages of the interactives.  I am so excited about this new project.  Last night I even woke up from a dream with an idea for an interactive page.  

****Please  note:  I have yet to implement this idea, so I can't yet comment on the effectiveness.  Below are my preparations for using these ISN's this fall.  SUMMER PREP well utilized.****

General 4th Grade ISN

The first page of this ISN will be a self identification and introduction.  They will draw themselves (a creative self introduction at the beginning of the year) as a way to not only identify to whom the ISN belongs, but a little about their personalities.  I think it will be fun to look back at the end of the year to see how they saw themselves in August, compared to the older and wiser student in June.  Since this page has very little directive and is completely the creation of the student, I asked my son's girlfriend to create one for me as a sample.  I think it turned out pretty awesome!

The second page of this ISN will come from a class activity about What Kind of Teacher They Want and What Kind of Student They Will Be.  Here they can write down all the things they want from me as their fourth grade teacher.  We will then diagram as a class their combined expectations of me.  

Page three will be the second part of the activity.  I will conduct it in reverse order by listing all the qualities I like in a student.  Then they will create their page of what I can expect from them.

The next two pages are school-wide rules and classroom expectations.  I have two videos that I show during this discussion, after which they will record their interpretation of the school-wide rules and the classroom expectations in their ISN.

The last page I have planned for the first couple days is my personal contact information.  I have always prided myself in being highly accessible to my students and their parents. This page will act as reference so there is never an excuse for a lack of communication, at least not from my standpoint.  (And, yes, I do provide my students and parents with my cell phone number....I just don't provide you with it. ;))

There you have it, stage one of my new obsession....stay tuned for more ideas and planning.

Supplies, Covers, Classroom setup are just a few things I'm working on.

composition notebooks photo credit <ahref="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kristinnador/7639841596/">KristinNador</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">cc</a>

applause photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neekohfi/4205372675/">neekoh.fi</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">cc</a>

"I Seriously Can't Stand That Kid!"

Becoming that kid all adults love!

A group of teachers stood chatting amongst themselves at recess when an overly rambunctious third-grader ran between them screaming with delight that he had infiltrated the teacher coalition.  His courageous coup was met with disapproving head-shakes, whistles blowing, and shouting as he vanished behind the backstop.  "I seriously can't stand that kid!" expressed one of the teachers.  The response was met with an overwhelming vibrato of agreement.  

Whether at school, or the mall or even church, we have all come in contact with that kid that just seems to rub all adults the wrong way.  They are abrasive, disrespectful and seem to be on a constant mission to irritate.  So how do we help students become "that kid all adults love"? 

As a child, I remember my mother's last words spoken to me every time I left the house; "Remember who you are and who you represent."  As a kid I thought my mom was nuts.  I mean, how could I possibly forget who I was?  I was pretty sure that the chances of experiencing blunt force trauma to my head, resulting in amnesia, were pretty slim.  I also determined that "remember who I represent" was her polite way of saying, "don't embarrass me or your family."  I really had no intentions of embarrassing anyone, but especially not my dad.  

You see, I was raised in the military.  My father was an officer in the Air Force.  This upbringing exposed me to a plethora of behavior that demonstrated respect.  I was in awe at the manner in which men would salute my father, and he them.  I loved the way they stood at attention and listened. These were images that taught me to carry myself confidently and respectfully. This carried over into our home.  We said, "yes sir" and "yes ma'am."  Instructions were given and followed.  My parents always had defined expectations as boundaries.  Rules were expected to be followed.  Everything was not open for negotiation.  There were definite consequences for choices made.

School had similar expectations.  I would never dream of being disrespectful to any teacher, as they were an adult and I had been taught to be respectful. I wanted to learn and teachers found it a challenge to keep me busy as I would finish quickly and accurately.  I was well liked by teachers, but perhaps it was because I was a real nerd.  I was also overweight, red-headed, and wore blue cat-eye glasses.  I worked even harder to be accepted.  Now, that's not to say teachers only like nerds, or fat little red haired kids, oh contraire.  Teachers like students who follow directions, work hard and show respect.  We like students who are genuine and nice.

I have a reputation of being a "firm," yet "fair" teacher.  I make my expectations known and I do not vary from them.  They are consistent and they are taught and practiced.  Some of my students come into my classroom with a strong foundation that their parents have established.  Others come with much lacking.  I have seen students yell at their parents and even spit in their faces.  It saddens me.  No child should be allowed to behave in this manner.  I don't allow it in my classroom.  I have reprimanded students in front of parents, reminding them that this type of behavior is not accepted in our classroom.  I have also reprimanded parents who have openly humiliated their child in my classroom, reminding them of the same expectations.  I do not enable, coddle or offer continuous repreve.   Some parents appreciate this, while others do not.

As a parent, I am grateful that I have children that adults like.  Numerous teachers have expressed how kind and respectful my boys are.  And guess what?  I too instruct my kids to "remember who they are."

I have a classroom where there is no guessing of expectations nor consequences.  I celebrate their ability to be responsible and respectful.  I applaud their kindness and consideration.  I always distinguish between their behaviors and who they are.  They often will hear that while I love them, I do not like the choices they have made.  I tell my students about my mom's instructions.  They laugh and then they soon hear me reminding them of not only my expectations, but their parents as well and to "remember who they are."

Adults love well behaved children.  Teachers love well behaved children.  Well behaved children are developed in homes and classrooms with clear and consistent expectations.

Blast from my past is a great end to this blog....Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young said it well when they instructed us to "teach the children well..."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztVaqZajq-I

Will They Be Ready?

Will They Be Ready?  

As this school year ended, and as I plan for next year, I am hit hard with the overwhelming, yet driving question, "Will They Be Ready?"  My line of questioning doesn't just focus on whether or not my fourth graders are adequately prepared for fifth grade.  No, my self-inquisition includes whether or not I have solidified a foundation that will support the challenges that await them beyond room 211 and venture into middle school, high school and hopefully college. 

I can pull up Common Core Standards and check off each and every objective taught.  I can cross reference test scores and compile data to "prove" I am a "highly-effective" teacher.  But, why?  That's NOT why I teach! It's not about me.  It's about them.

So, instead, I redirect my line of questioning to, "Can I identify 'Life Skills' that I have helped them develop?"  Well, let's see.  At the start of the last school year I decided that there were certain skills that I must help these young and eager nine-year-old students develop.  These are a few I feel I did well.

•   Accept responsibility for self
•   Learn the value of time management
•   Learn how to study
•   Learn to fail
•   Learn how to problem solve
•   Learn how to synthesize information
•   Learn how to balance "giftedness" with "childhood"

Now, I'm not going to be so arrogant as to claim I am such a brilliant and amazing teacher that all my students were successful in all these areas.  Instead, I intend to use this blog as a means for sharing the strategies I used this year.  It is also a means of self introspection and improvement.  So....here we go!