Posters

The purpose of teaching posters were brilliant! I loved to be able to see where we started, how we were able to grow, and things we can hope for.  I think this was a great way to see how much we have learned that did not require any tests.  I like to see how our whole cohort moved from a class of individuals to community.  Throughout the quarter we have been reading and discussing the importance of community and these posters not only showed what we thought about communities, but also helped up play a role in one.

I would like to keep these posters for the whole time we are in this program, and then make a final poster next spring when we finished.  It should be interesting to see how much more will be able to grow and expand our knowledge and understanding of our students in another year!

Lessons from thin air

I watched a video that asked students of all ages "Where does the matter of a plant come from?"  It first started by asking Harvard students at their graduation...from the sample of students that they asked most of them said that the matter was from water and nutrients pulled up from the soil.  Then they asked a group of 5th graders who just finished a week on photosynthesis.  They new that the plants made their own food that made up the mass of the tree, but also thought that what was needed for photosynthesis was the sun, water, and nutrients from the soil.  They asked other groups of students and kept coming up with the same answers. 

The students that were asked this question were able to pass tests on plant material, but were just unable to explain their reasoning when asked.  What does this say about the effectiveness of our classroom tests? Standardized tests?  If our students are only able to pass test, but not really know that material they are learning are we doing a good job?  I am excited for next year when we will be experimenting with different ways students can SHOW us what they know.  If the tests are not working, we need to start working on new ways find out what they really know.

If you are interested in seeing the video "Lessons from thin air"... CLICK!

Who belongs in K and First grade?

For  some reason I have this voice in my head from my mother that keeps telling me "kindergarten and first grade are not meant for little boys".  Being a very good daughter, I ALWAYS listened to my mother and knew that whatever she said must be true!  I thought about this quite a bit when I was in high school working with kindergartners and first graders.  I noticed that the boys did have quite a bit more energy and were not as able to sit still for very long.  It seemed like they just wanted to play, do their own thing and not be bothered much by this whole school thing.

I think I am leaning towards agreeing with my mother (oh no!).  I do not think we should be grouping students according to their age.  I like the idea of all students moving freely about the school in the classes that best suit their needs.  I also like the idea of students starting school when they are ready, and not when the state thinks they are old enough. 

So, who does belong in kindergarten and first grade?  Will our school system ever change to fit their needs?

The end of the year is here!

It is not just me who can feel summer coming.  Every Thursday when I arrive in the 8th grade classroom I see a countdown on the board letting everyone who passes through the room know just how many days until graduation.  Not only is there a countdown for the number of days, but the number of school days as well.  Homework seems like a thing of the past, and grades are starting to slip. "Who cares Ms. S? We already got into high school!" Do not even get me started on the few days where the sun is shining outside.  Talking is almost worthless, and the days feel like recess all day long. 

Now that the students feel like summer should have already started, and they think the last weeks of school are pointless, what are some tips to keep them focused?  I have found that little projects that have to do with them graduating and moving into the future is key.  To get the 8th graders to keep writing the teachers have them write thank you notes to their parents, and other special people in their lives.  There are still drafts, but because the writing feels relevant, even at the end of the year, so they are still willing to put in an effort to this assignment.

I can feel summer coming on, so the fact that graduating 8th graders (who have been in the same school since kindergarten) are producing work and paying attention most of the time feels amazing. 

Summer here we come!

Cyber Bullying

I have been working in an 8th grade classroom all year, and I have rarely seen any bullying going on right in front of me.  However, I hear a lot about the bullying that goes on outside of school.  I have been thinking a lot about making the classroom a utopia away from the rest of the world they will have to deal with, but what do I do when most of the hate is taking place outside of school?  Obviously the bullying that is taking place outside of the school grounds is affecting the students when they come back to school.  They know which one of their peers is talking about them online, or harassing them on the phone via texts, so when they come to school being around their peers is very uncomfortable. 
Thinking about facebook, and students with cell phones, and all the internet access that students have before they can even drive boggles my brain sometimes.  I feel like I would have been so overloaded as a student.  Dealing with peer pressure at school was bad enough, but adding in all the new extra ways that students can feel excluded and banished would be overwhelming.  It feels like students are able to hide behind the internet and express anything that comes into their head instantly.  They do not have to practice filtering the things they say because they did not have a face, a person, right in front of them showing them the effects of their words.  This generation of students, not having to face the consequences of their actions immediately, is becoming more and more bold with the things they say about each other.  How do we monitor our students on the internet? What can we do if most of the bullying is taking place outside of the utopia we are trying to create?