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.

Resources for Teaching ELL students

This information comes directly from an article entitled "How Can I Help My English Language Learners?" in the SEPT/OCT edition of Instructor magazine. These are some resources listed as being great ELL sites:

www.colorincolorado.org

This bilingual website for families and educators focuses on teaching ELL students how to read. 

www.teacher.scholastic.com

Scholastic's site offers classroom strategies and a wealth of research on language acquisition.

www.soundsofenglish.org

ELLs can listen to pronunciation of English words, including difficult beginning and ending sounds.  The site also features links for teachers.

www.ccsd.net/ellp

This extensive website outlines one district's ELL program implementation. Its helpful detail is both broad and specific.  Click on programs.

This year I have several ELL students in my reading group. I am focusing a lot on using visuals and picture representations of the words we blend.  I noticed one day that the kids did not hear the difference between the words hug and hog. The slight differences in vowel sounds are difficult for them to decipher, so I starting using my Boardmaker program to print small 2"x 2" pictures to accompany all of the words used during blending. That way, not only are they doing phonemic awareness and phonics exercises, but they are building vocabulary as well. 

Visuals can also be a great way to facilitate communication with parents who speak little or no English. 

Hug Haven

Teaching first  graders has its share of frustrating moments. I have two boys this year that are proving to be particularly challenging--it's no wonder.... one little boy's mother is in prison and the other boy is living with a foster family and I don't think it's the first one. The life situations that these kids are facing are nothing I can ever relate to. I try to put myself in their shoes and understand where they are coming from, but regardless, it is hard work. Sometimes they tire me out.

Seth, who is a foster child, likes to spin. He holds his arms out, looks up, and spins around. I think it's his way of letting his environment fade away. I would probably want to make the same thing happen if I was in his position. I am sure his environment has changed so many times in the short 6 years he has been around that he has realized sometimes he just wants to ignore it. I have a hard time getting Seth to follow directions and sometimes repeat the same thing 10 times to no avail. He has some language issues, probably due to his living situation at a young age, and as a result has a hard time processing directions. With this in mind, I patiently repeat and repeat, coaxing him to take action! 

He spins.

I repeat.

Being a teacher requires a LOT of patience. Many people tell me they don't know how I do it and sometimes I don't either.

But then I get the hugs.

Everyday before Seth gets on the bus, he wraps his arms around me and gives me a big hug. He has a huge smile on his face and in that moment I know he is happy. And so am I.

That small moment at the end of each day makes all of the other moments of frustration fade away. In those moments I know I make a difference in the lives of children who need someone to love them and care about them. If I can be that person, it is all worth it.