Thanking Volunteers

This year I have been blessed with many parent volunteers who consistently provide at least an hour of their time on a weekly basis to help the students in my classroom. Having additional hands and the extra support of helpful adults make a world of difference to a teacher with 24 students! 

I decided to give my volunteers Cookies in a jar this year as a thank you gift. The idea is to put all of the dry ingredients used in a cookie recipe in a jar and provide a label with instructions for adding the wet ingredients and baking. The ingredients are layered in the jar for a cute presentation. The website above provides many different choices for types of cookies to use along with quantities of the dry ingredients to place in the jars. Additionally, there are links to several different labels that you can simply print out which contain the mixing and baking instructions. You can choose both the type of cookie and the design you want to print your own custom label! I also included a personal note on the back of each recipe label thanking the volunteers for their work.

It was fun putting together the jars and I am hopeful that the cookies will come out good! I found that the ingredients for the Oatmeal Plus Cookies fit perfectly in the jars, but the ingredients for the Chocolate Chip and M&M cookies fell a little short. Of course I added extra chocolate chips and M&M's to make up the different and I am hopeful that works out okay.

I have not completed the jars yet and I will post a picture of the final product. My next step is to glue the recipe card to colored construction paper and glue the thank you note on the back. I will then laminate the whole thing and hole punch one corner so that I can use colored ribbon to attach the card to the jar.  The site also suggests using a 6-8" circle of fabric to place under the jar lid for further customization. I do not think I am going to do that part because I am trying to keep the project within a budget, but I do think it would add to the presentation of the gift. 

Election Critiques from Six Year Olds

Yesterday I talked with my class about the presidential election and the two main candidates. Many of them were familiar with the names and understood that yesterday was the day to elect the person who will be the next president. 

This morning, I asked the class if they knew who had been elected. 

I heard some interesting feedback. 

One little boy informed me that "Obama is evil." I asked him what made him think that and he replied, "My mom told me."

Another little girl explained to me that if you don't want your baby, Obama will kill it before it comes out because he kills babies.

I completely respect everyone's right to their own opinions and political views. It surprises me, however, that parents are so blatant in discussing these issues with children who are so young and unaware of the meaning and impact these words have.

I commend parents for taking the time to make their children aware of information pertaining to politics/the election, but I do think that there should be a certain degree of filtering when it comes to discussing abortion with 6 year olds. Is that necessary?

Sharpest Crayons in the Box

Happy Halloween!

Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire

I recently started reading this book and although I have not finished it, I already feel the need to spread the word about how great it is. The book is written by Rafe Esquith who "has taught at Hobart Elementary School for twenty-two yeras. He is the only teacher in history to receive the National Medal of Arts. He has also been made a member of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth. His many other honors include the American Teacher Award, Parents Magazine's As You Grow Award, Oprah Winfrey's Use Your Life Award, and the Compassion in Action Award from the Dalai Lama. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Barbara Tong."

Not only has he accomplished all of these amazing things, but he has written a terrific book to give readers and fellow teachers insight into the world of room 56. 

Rafe speaks a lot to classroom culture and what he does to create a strong one in his classroom. He emphasizes the development of trust among teachers and students rather than the use of fear and intimidation. 

What struck me the most so far was his discussion of Lawrence Kohlberg's Six Levels of Moral Development. I had never before heard of Kohlberg among other pertinent figures in the study of education such as Piaget, Vygotsky, and Erkison. Rafe makes note of the idea that as teachers, we are not just teaching the content material, rather we are educating students to become life long learners, investigators, and most of all people of strong character. We want our students to do the right thing (even when no one is watching!). 

Kohlberg's Six Levels of Moral Development

Level 1. I don't want to get in trouble

Level 2. I want a reward

Level 3. I want to please somebody

Level 4. I follow the rules

Level 5. I am considerate of other people

Level 6. I have a personal code of behavior and I follow it

Rafe uses characters from film and literature (such as Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird) as models of level 6. He explains that it is typical for students to operate in the earlier stages, exhibiting positive behavior traits based on fear of getting in trouble, rule following, or receiving a reward, yet much more rare for students to fall within the higher levels where they are truly concerned about others and exhibiting good behavior because they believe in what they are doing and do not seek recognition for their actions. 

When Rafe describes his students and the wonderful things they learn and accomplish, it is truly inspiring.

Great book to read!

Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP)

Every once in a while at our staff meetings, the principal of my school gives us a gentle reminder/nudge to recall the SIOP training we have all been through and encourages us to incorporate these strategies into our lessons. 

What is SIOP?

 It stands for Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol. 

What does that mean? 

Essentially it is a series of strategies or parts to incorporate into lessons in order to help students access the material and make content more meaningful.

Who does it help?

All students, but primarily ELL students or students from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds who may not be familiar with some mainstream concepts and/or the English language.

There are 8 main components that a great SIOP lesson should include:

1. Preparation: Language and content objectives, adaptation of content, use of materials
2. Building background: Links to prior learning and background experience
3. Comprehensible input: Making content accessible through clear speech and explanations
4. Strategies: Scaffolding and questioning techniques
5. Interaction: Grouping configurations to enhance discussion
6. Practice/application: Activities to integrate content and language objectives
7. Lesson delivery: Student engagement and lesson pacing
8. Review/assessments: Focus on content and language objectives, progress, and feedback.

In other words, teachers should acknowledge the diverse backgrounds of students and incorporate ideas that are familiar to them into lessons. Making sure to connect to something the student already knows helps to facilitate further learning. It is important to clearly identify what you  a student is expected to learn in a given lesson and how they will demonstrate they have succeeded. 

For example:

Content objective: Students will understand that animals live in different types of habitats.

Language objective: Students will be able to name three animals and the type of habitat they live in. Students will use the sentence frame: 

The ______ lives in the _______.

The fish lives in the pond.

This helps the students to know what is expected of them and providing a sentence frame helps them to be successful. Teachers should also make sure to use plenty of visuals and speak at a pace that matches the level of English the students have. Demonstrations, pantomimes, and pictures are wonderful tools to use.

Additionally, teachers should not be the only ones talking! If our goal is for students to acquire more English, they need to practice! For every ten minutes of teacher talk, students should have at least 2 minutes to share with partners or groups. Teachers can also use scaffolding as a way to slowly allow students to become more independent in their learning. A good model is:

I do

We do

You do

During the "I do" the teacher will instruct and explain and demonstrate what the students should do.

During the "we do" the students and the teacher perform the task. This may happen with the use of partners or small groups.

During the "you do" phase, the students complete the given task independently. Providing students with opportunities to practice skills in a hands on manner is always necessary in establishing mastery of knowledge and skills.

Finally, I have learned that it is so important to just listen to students. They bring so many different and unique experiences and stories to the classroom community and I will only be able to meet their diverse needs when I truly know them and what they are bringing to the table. Some families/children may not be comfortable sharing, however if they are, so much can be learned that can only enhance teaching!

 

People First Language

The thought occurred to me today when an employee at my school referred to one of my students as the "special ed kid" that many people may not know the "PC" or preferred way to refer to individuals with disabilities.

In all of my special education courses at PSU we learned about people first language which essentially puts the person before the disability.  An article by Kathie Snow www.disabilityisnatural.com clearly identifies some important ideas to make note of when discussing people who have disabilities

People with disabilities are NOT:

• people who suffer from the tragedy of birth defects
• paraplegic heroes who struggle to become normal again
• victims who fight to overcome their challenges
• nor are they retarded, autistic, blind, deaf, or learning disabled

People with disabilities are PEOPLE. They can be moms, dads, sons, daughters, employees, friends, neighbors, students, teachers, doctors, presidents and more. People with disabilities should be recognized as people first and not characterized simply by the disability they have. Snow indicates that the real problem is never a person's disability, but the attitudes of others.  Whether intentional or unintentional, the words that people use can be hurtful. 

Here are some great examples of People First Language

Say:

People with disabilities

Paul has a cognitive disability

Kate has autism (or a diagnosis of...)

Ryan has Down syndrome

Sara has a learning disability

Bob has a physical disability

Tom has a mental health condition

Steve receives special education services

Nora uses a wheelchair

Tonya has a developmental delay

Children without disabilities

She needs/uses...

Instead of saying:

The handicapped or disabled

He's mentally retarded

She's autistic

He's Down's

She's learning disabled

He is crippled

He is emotionally disturbed

He's in special ed (or is a special ed kid)

She's developmentally delayed

Normal/typical/healthy kids

She has a problem with

Sometimes it can be frustrating that people still use the term retarded (and often think it is a funny way to crack a joke) but I try to realize when I hear comments or statements such as that, most people have not been taught an alternative way to speak about individuals with disabilities. I know the person who spoke to me today was not intending at all to speak negatively about my student, but his choice of words certainly could be construed as derogatory, especially for someone working in a school. 

My hope is that more people will learn to understand people first language and to acknowledge that people with disabilities are people, with feelings, hopes, beliefs, and talents. They are unique and offer gifts to the world. They may not be good at everything, but who is?

Some of the students that I have had with disabilities have brought so much joy into my life.  They achieved so much in my classroom and it was a joy to be their teacher. I hope that most people they encounter in their lives see them for all that they have and all that they are rather than just defining them with a label and a disability.