Conversations with Lee

One day this week, Lee was having an extremely good day.  He turned in his homework, he participated at appropriate time in our discussions and he did not have any outbursts.  On our walk back to the classroom from recess, here is our conversation:
Me: So, how do you think you've been doing today?
Lee: Um, I'm awesome.
Me: (giggles) Yes Lee, but my question was how are you doing today.  Can you say something besides the fact that you're awesome?
Lee: Yes, I'm extremely awesome!
Me: Yes Lee, I know you're extremely awesome.  Can you describe yourself in any other way?
Lee: I'm extremely, extremely awesome!
Me: Ok (Although I was plotting ways to increase his vocabulary)

During a class discussion about snakes, here's what happened?
Me: How would you feel if you saw a snake?
Tons of hands fly up
Lee: Awesome.
Me: Can you explain in a complete sentence?
Lee: I would feel awesome.
Me: Why would you feel awesome?
Lee: It would be awesome.
Me: Yes, I understand that it would be awesome.  Can you describe this feeling of awesomeness?
Lee: It's awesome.
Me: Yes Lee, but why seeing a snake make you feel awesome?
Lee: Because nobody else saw it.
Me: Can you tell me your feelings in a complete sentence?
Lee: If I saw a snake I would feel awesome because nobody else saw it....except me!

Oh, this kid drives me nuts but he is so dear to me and I wouldn't trade him for anything.  I will remember my awesome little boy forever with his wild imagination and his super curly hair.  All the kids who follow the rules and do as they're told are great but I must admit there names will quickly fade from my memory.  Lee is one of those kids whose name will never leave me.

 Tomorrow we are going to discuss synonyms and word variation.  I wonder if Lee can increase his awesome vocabulary?

Struggles of a Bacterial Meningitis Survivor

Spotlight on Karen :)

My Everyday Hero

Words cannot begin to explain my appreciation and admiration for Karen Crespo.  When life began to give her lemons, she fought hard to make a delicious lemonade, lemon meringue pie, lemon cobbler, etc.

My students have been studying people in the community who make a difference.  We were reading an article about a Para Olympian and triathlete Rudy Garcia-Tolson that led to a discussion about diversity.  We began discussing how people living with impairments can still live their lives and fulfill their dreams.  I shared the story about how my friend Karen is taking her experiences and turning them into teachable moments.

For the most part, I have able-bodied students who don’t have a lot of interaction with diverse populations.  We are lucky to be in a school that serves diverse populations but our small community is just a small portion of diversity.  Our school is diverse in terms of ethnic diversity, socioeconomic class, and physical capabilities.  There is a special orthopedic class for students with physical disabilities, man of these students are restricted to wheelchairs. 

My students were on the edges of their seats as Karen spoke to them.  I could see them taking in all the information and trying to make sense of everything in their mind.  The students had a lot of questions surrounding how Karen lives from day to day.  Everyone was astonished to know that Karen is still doing many of her regular things like watching tv, going to the restroom, and texting.  Seeing and feeling the connection that Karen had with my students reminds me of why I teach.  It was a beautiful thing.  Simply Beautiful.

I’m so happy to hear that Karen is advancing and well on her way to achieve her goals….  Yesterday she shared her dreams of snowboarding, driving, and total independence.  I know that Karen is a hard working young lady and she will achieve any goal that she sets her mind to!

This morning, the students wrote Karen a thank you letter.  My class has a wide range of intellectual capabilities that stretch from super advanced to students that require much teacher assistance.  There are a few students who are reluctant to produce work.  When it came time to write a letter to Karen there were no reluctant producers today probably because this assignment was so near and dear to everyone’s heart. Everyone had something they wanted to share with Karen.

I did not place any restrictions on the content.  Some of these letter show that my students understood Karen’s message.  My little Lee thinks Karen is “sweet” and he decorated his letter in hearts.  Another student was giving words of wisdom, “If they tell you you can’t do it, so what!  You keep trying no matter if they tell you you can’t do it!”  One of my girls described her as “amazing.”  A couple other students really understood the message of following your dreams.   Their thoughts were not censored and I cannot wait until I get to meet up with Karen and personally deliver these letters.

Karen is a true celebrity in our room and is welcome back anytime.  We are already trying to plan an event so that we can invite Karen to visit again.

Her words of hope are sure to linger on in our minds for an eternity and continually inspire us. 

If you would like to learn more about Karen, please visit these sites please click on one of the links below:

Caring For Karen

HelpHopeLive

Struggles of a Meningitis Survivor

Finally Feeling Like Home

Finding out your teaching assignment 2 days before the start of the school year is challenging.  There is so much to plan and prepare.  Most teachers like to have a decent looking classroom to welcome the new batch of students.
Switching schools 6 weeks into the school year has been a trying experience as well.  It feels like I've been playing catch up since August.  There are always so many things to accomplish and so little time to execute.
That last 6 weeks at my current site has gone extremely well.  My students are still the sweet little kids I met on the first day.  I've gotten to know about their little personalities.  I have one student that is very hyperactive. I debated for days whether or not this student should sit by himself.  This is one of those kids who is really smart, I mean he has a lot of common sense.  He is also one of those kids who thinks everything is easy but scores a consistent 20% in all areas.  My challenge has been to have him focus on himself instead of being so preoccupied with the other students.  This kid, let's call him Lee, is the teacher assistant I never requested nor wanted.  When I speak to students in the class, he commonly chimes in, "Yeah, I told you!" "I can't believe you don't know that" "Oooh."  Lee's comments can occasionally change the dynamics in the classroom.  The rest of the students are more adept at reacting to his mini outbursts, but Lee can still disrupt the flow of the lesson.
 This is the first year I actually had to separate a student from the vast majority of the class.  Lee sits near my teacher station with no students sitting near him and the likelihood of a student going near him is 5%.  Lee has been able to focus so much better.  His class outbursts have stopped completely.  I even gave Lee a chance to choose his seat but he wanted to stay where he was.
I'm still trying to understand what makes Lee tick.  Walking in line with the rest of the class usually poses problems so Lee is usually my walking partner.  This is what I've learned about him so far...
Lee is extremely competitive, he likes to be first.  When I ask him why he is running in the building, his response is that he wants to get to the line first.  Lee likes to be in control of things.  He constantly bosses his peers around.  Strangely enough, his peers appear to respect his authority.  This leads me to his leadership skills.  One day I asked Lee what he wanted to be when he grew up, here is our conversation:
Lee: I want to be the President so I can make everyone my slave, except my friends.
Me: What about about me?
Lee: And you too.
Me: Why would people want to vote for you if you will make them your slave?
Lee: Well, I'll lie to them and tell them that I will give everyone $1,000 to vote for me.  When I'm President they'll be my slave.
I may have a little politician on my hands.  Lee and I have this conversation frequently and I'm not sure how I can open his mind to another plan while he's President.  Never the less, I am so happy to have met Lee and I look forward to our little conversations.

Third Times A Charm!

After one week of being completely homeless, I spent three days at a middle school.  I really enjoyed the way the day was set up but I couldn't get over the fact that I would not be able to have lunch with my dad on Wednesdays.  The middle school I was working at was a bit too far for my dad to meet me for lunch.  Additionally, the school was kind of dumping on me (Giving me students that were difficult, adding extra subjects and commitments)I was just getting accustomed to my sixth graders when the administration surprised me with a seventh grade math class.  I was not prepared to put in the work needed to correct 5 weeks of craziness so I had to decline the position.

Good News- I have found a home.  Bad News- I'm literally across from USC  Good News- This school has a partnership with USC and many students run enrichment programs for our students.  I can't turn down anyone who has a vested interested in educating tomorrow's youth.  In fact, my master teacher taught well and she is a Trojan.

It's been two weeks since I have started with my new munchins.  My students are so adorable, sweet, and caring.  I'm really enjoying my time with them.  It was difficult to leave my other fourth graders but it is nice to experience different schools.  This is my fourth school and each school has a different culture.  Since I plan on being an educational leader in the future, having varying viewpoints on how schools run is great.

I'm closer to home.  Lunch with dad continues.  I'm right where I need to be.  Life is good.

When One Door Closes

My Friday the 13th was a bittersweet day.

The Bitter....
I had to officially say goodbye to my 4th grade boys and colleagues.  I was just meeting more extraordinary educators and getting to know them on a personal level.  Many of my colleagues were turning into friends.
This was th first week my boys starting showing aggression. Was I having a honeymoon period with them or are they acting out because of all the change in a short amount of time?  Before dismissal, my boys went around the room and said something nice about me.  It was touching and I will really miss them.

The SemiSweet...
I returned from my illness on Wednesday and I was surprised to have a first grade teacher, Allison, in my room.  Her first grade class was closed and she was an extra pair of certificated hands on campus during the week.  She got a taste of fourth grade on Tuesday when she unexpectedly had to be my substitute.
On a personal level, I know Allison is very funny, kind and caring.  I was able to get to know her better in June when we went on a technology professional development in Chicago.
I should have know that her teaching skills matched her personality!  Allison was so apprehensive about leaving her first grade comfort zone.  Not knowing her destiny for this entire week didn't ease her worries much.  On Wednesday, the principal told her to go to my room.  We had no idea why but we were able to draw some conclusions.  I used this as an opportunity to pack up my belongings since I was leaving the school at the end of the week due to "low enrollment."
The following day she returned to my room.  I began to assume that she would be the one taking over my class but the principal never explained his rationale.  I was so impressed with the way she handled my boys.  I suppose good teaching is just plain good teaching, grade level doesn't matter.  The content in fourth grade is different, but Allison can easily refresh her memory.  I had a great group of patient and sweet boys that are always willing to help a damsel in distress.

The Sweet....
Allison and I served as co-teachers for the past 3 days and it has been powerful.  We both had many opportunities where we learned from each other.  I gave her some pointers on working with the "big kids" and she was able to model many different strategies.  For example, there is one kid in particular that loves to give me a hard time.  It can be so frustrating when you feel like you are driving head first into a brick wall.  Having Allison give me a fresh prospective on the possible causes of the behavior.  She reminded me that kids have problems too.  Having her there to remind me gave me a better outlook on how to reach all children.  Allison also model different ways of managing the class and teaching lessons.  In just a few days, I watched my boys fall in love with Allison and Allison fall in love with my boys.
I am honored to pass the torch on to Allison.  I wish I could have stayed but since I can't having Allison there eases my concerns about my boys' futures.  Now there is no need to worry.  She'll be able to update me on all the wonderful things our boys are doing.  She is not only my friend but she is a super teacher.  Those boys are so lucky to have her!  And Allison, you are very fortunate to have this group as well.

A new adventures awaits me...to be continued....

My friend: Struggles of a Bacterial Meningitis Survivor

 In high school, I made myself an honorary FOB sister, that's when I got to know an amazing group of Filipinas, aka FOB Squab 5.  I had the pleasure of dancing with them for 4 years.  Fob sister Karen, you are so strong!  The full interview brought me to tears of both sadness and joy!  You are still young and beautiful!

Is Fourth Grade Jinxed?

June 2009....
I remember being on an educational high.  I had successfully completed my first three years as a 5th grade teacher.  I felt like I had made a difference in the lives of these youngsters.  My fifth graders developed into mature junior high kids.
One week later...
I thought my world came crashing down, I was a fourth grade teacher.  My very identity had been stolen from me.  Being a 5th grade teacher is all I had ever known and wanted to know.  My first month with these little kids was rough for me.  It was hard to get them to be independent.  Everything about them was so un-fifth grade like.  I was desperately missing my big kids.
6 weeks later.....
I'm over the shock of being a fourth grade teacher and I actually begin to enjoy it.  I was getting along well with their little personalities.  We had a successful back to school night where I met most of the families.  I realized that I enjoyed working with kids, the only differences are with the curriculum.
October 2009....
The annual "Norm Day" is just around the corner and my school appears to be over-teachered and under studented.  New spreads that one teacher has to go and volunteers are requested.  No one volunteers.  Surprise, surprise, I have the least seniority at my location and will need to find a new location.  Thankfully my principal appreciated my hard work and assisted me in finding another location promptly.  On my last day, my students coordinated with other teachers to throw me a surprise party.  They made all of the decorations and made sure the adults brought food.  It was fabulous and I felt like a Super Teacher.  It was touching to see how my little fourth graders came together and made a solid plan without me every suspecting anything.
My new school wasn't too far away but it was in primary grades!  I threw a hissy fit when I had little fourth graders and now I have little first and second graders.  I didn't want my previous bad attitude to affect my relationship with this new group of students.  I had to keep reminding myself that I enjoy working with kids.  There are some vast developmental differences between students in the lower and upper elementary grades. My way of teaching needed to adapt to meet the needs of these little ones.  I sought out help from any teacher that would help me.
I went on to have four successful years teaching first through third grades.  I was able to continue working on  my National Board teaching certification (Got it November 2012).  Watching my youngsters grow and develop after they left my class was an extremely fulfilling experience.  There are pros and cons for upper and lower elementary.  However, I feel like I'm always on my A game in upper grades.  It feels more natural and more comfortable.  With that being said, I have found success with each and every class that I've had to honor to teach.
August 2013....
Super excited to be the proud teacher of a fourth grade, all boys class.  The beginning of a new years always brings about lots of changes.  We are still adjusting to each other.  The first three weeks have gone rather smoothly.
"Norm Day" is approaching and right now my school is over-teachered and under-studented (yes, I made that word up).  New spreads that one teacher has to go and volunteers are requested.  No one volunteers.  Surprise, surprise, I have the least seniority at my location and will need to find a new location.  Or will I?  The dust will settle by September 16th.

I call this the Fourth Grade Jinx.  Will I ever have one complete year as a fourth grade teacher with the same students?

A Dozen Days

The first 12 days of the 2013-2014 school year have been particularly successful.  During the first week, I made threats to walk students home that are not performing up to my standards.  Many students were still on vacation mode and trying to see how far much they could get away with.  I followed through with my threats and walked a couple students home the first week.  When word spread that I actually did what I said and said what I meant, any slight classroom management problems dissipated quickly.  My students already understand that I have no problem speaking with their families.

During week 2, just as I was finding my 4th grade teacher groove, I actually found myself with a severe cold.  There was no way I would take any days off before all of my procedures were put in place and each student understood their role.  This week was rough, it was difficult to teach in between my coughing, sneezing, and runny nose.  By Thursday of week 2, my students and I had really clicked.  Things were running smoothly and I had a good connection with every student.  On Thursday evening I surprised a few students by staying at school until 6:15pm just so I could tell their parents about their positive progress.  All 3 students were surprised to hear good feedback since teachers usually seek out parents with a problem arises.  My teaching philosophy focuses on the self-fulfilling prophecy.  I take many opportunities to ensure that my students know they are scholars and are doing very well.  Parents have been shocked to hear an abundance of good news about their son.  My boys will try harder knowing that I am focusing so much on the positive.  Reinforcing the positive behaviors and using a bit of reverse psychology goes a long way with my students.

Things took a turn for the worse at the end of Week 2.  Friday was by far my hardest day.  I received two transfer boys from the classroom across the hall.  These boys were sent to me because they were misbehaving in the other class.  This teacher and I appear to have totally different ways of conducting a fourth grade class.  I don't have magic powers but I sure did try to summon some when the entrance of two boys disrupted the equilibrium in my classroom.  My morning started off with one on the boys literally throwing a tantrum because he didn't want to switch classes.  He refused to walk up the stairs and join my class.  He had several reasons why he didn't want to join, the most prevailing reason was that he had issues with a boy in the class.  (Ironically, this boy was transferred from his old class as well.)  This transfer student would not budge from the hallway and wailed very loudly for several hours.  Someone was able to eventually coax him into joining the class.  Now my new goal is have him drop his bad attitude toward work and authority figures.

Later that day, I found out my other recent transfer student has encountered problems with another student of mine.  These problems have continued on from third grade. I went to pick up my class from lunch when I noticed these two boys were having an altercation that was near being physical.  I tried to talk with both boys and figure out the problem.  This was nearly an impossible feat with 19 other boys encouraging the banter and then they were staring at these two boys break down.  Luckily a colleague of mine was able to sit with these two boys while I found coverage for my class.  The boys were still too upset to find any sort of resolution  as they returned to class.  I learned that one of the boys is a "runner."  When he gets upset, he literally gets up and runs out of class.  In my early years, I would have chased him but now I know better.  Luckily he ran to my colleague's office and I was able to verify that immediately.  Their issues continued into the following week.

These same two boys had another altercation at recess that was near being physical the following day.  At least these two boys are talking about becoming friends.  I have no idea how this saga of the boys will end but I'm definitely stepping up my game on how to handle these two.  It's amazing how the dynamics of a classroom can shift so quickly.  I'm still learning what makes each individual boy "tick" and there is no doubt in my mind about my abilities in getting them to make positive progress.

I was able to celebrate some teacher milestones today.  My two most recent boys are very low academically and have had numerous behavior problems in the past.  I've been experimenting with different assignments for them and today I discovered some things they could do independently.  Being able to accomplish their work gave them an instant confidence boost.  Both of the boys were happy, smiling and learning!  Turns out, they're both pretty good at grade level mathematics.  It's the little things like this that encourage and uplift teachers.  

Now I am left with my own concerns.  I'm wondering why the principal decides to move "challenging" students into my class.  Is this a compliment, a way to make my job more difficult, both, neither?  Also, enrollment at my school is low and I am first on the chopping block.  It's going to be hard to leave these boys so I hope some miracle happens over the next week.

In the words of my best bud, and fellow educator, Cassie, I need to "Channel Carrie Underwood,  Jesus take the wheel."

So, today marks the first day of my 8th year of teaching.  I survived the chaos and drama that surrounds the first day of school.  I met many eager parents that cautiously relinquished their children to my care.  Today was the day that I finally got to meet my scholarly little gentlemen.  It's only been a day, but we are off to a good start.  Before dismissal, one of my boys slips me two folded pieces of paper.  I wait a few moments until he walks away before I open them.  Each paper had a heart drawn on it.  In typically boy fashion, the paper was ripped out of some notebook and jotted down with pencil.  I could totally get used to this treatment.

 

Single Gender Class?!?!?

In preparation for my new adventure of teaching a fourth grade, all boys class, I've been doing some research. This phenomenon seemed new to me but apparently this is an older strategy.  Here's some food for thought: According to Dr. Leonard Sax, coed classrooms perpetuate gender stereotypes.  There seem to be some noticeable differences in the way that boys and girls learn in single gender classroom.  For starters, girls typically hear better than boys on average.  Most boys value friendly competition over friendship.  That doesn't mean boys don't have friends, boys and girls have different relationships with their peers.

4 days until I start this new adventure as the only single gender teacher at my site that does not share the gender of the class.  I think I may have found my dissertation topic.

Check this video out!

Making History and Magic!

As an educator in the Los Angeles Unified School District, I am pleased to be a part of a very special project. This project is giving iPads to all of the teachers and students. Giving schools access to this type of technology will surely enhance and revolutionize teaching as we know it.

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Chi Town

I would like to give a shout out to my fellow teachers that helped make this trip possible @beckybrown38, Aurora, Jessica, Allison.  A special thanks to +Amanda Weerasin for joining us and making our learning extra exciting.