Playing Hooky! Show Off Your Students!

Last week, we all played hooky.  Three of my colleagues and 19 of our students piled into three big white vans and zoomed up the 99 highway for an hour to the 35th Fresno State Young Writers' Conference. 

It was such a cool day.

Clad in purple and black and donning our literary flag (a huge white flag with a hawk holding papers and pens in her talons) we skipped through campus to the Student Satellite Center to see if we had any winners.  We did.  

Six of the 18 awards went to our young scholars at Mission Oak.  The kids were on cloud 9 as they opened up the literary magazine, The Spectrum,  that houses all of the winners’ works.  Seeing their name attached to their art in an actual book was so powerful.  Some had to stop and reread their entire short story while others took pictures of it and tweeted their words for all to see.  A handful walked a few steps away to call Mom, Dad, and Grandma.  “Yah, me.  I think I get money, too!  I love you!”

After the awards ceremony, we had lunch in the university food court (a thrill for the high schoolers, nostalgic for us teachers-who knew Panda could taste so good?).  For further inspiration, after lunch we then all split off to our break-out sessions on poetry, fiction, and non-fiction.

Why was this experience so powerful?  Because we took a risk.  We offered an opportunity for students to share their writing with a larger audience, to take it out of the confining brick and mortar walls of the English classroom and to share it with the world.  This empowers them and, in turn, empowers us as educators.  What they are doing at school has a larger impact and, therefore, the relevancy is there.

Now, as the teacher, it takes a TON of work to orchestrate a field trip:  securing funding, board approval, registration fees, a contest to pick the kids, booking judges for their writing, renting vans, scheduling a sub (sub plans!), securing chaperones, and waking up at 5:00am to pick up students...just to name a few!  HOWEVER, now that I’m finished whining, the reward of seeing your students succeed and be validated for their work publicly is priceless.  

Of course, the physical field trip can be replaced with virtual contests online.  There are hundreds of competitions and institutions that run contests for student work in all subject matters.  You just need to hunt for them.

Playing hooky for a day felt good.  It invigorated all of us by not only breaking up our routine but by celebrating and elevating student work.  Find ways to get your kids out there.  Take some risks...it gives your classroom work deeper meaning and makes you all feel alive!

Line it Up...Attack the Spring Wiggles

To combat the “spring wiggles,” you know that restlessness the kids start to get around...now... March/April and beyond (especially seniors...yikes),  I’ll be posting a series of quick and dirty energizers for your classes - some with videos from my own classroom. You may have heard of some of these before but just need a refresher, and some may be a brand new adventure and become a staple in your class.  At any rate, teachers love options, so here’s one for you to use tomorrow!

Line it up!

You can do this with the entire class for a super duper long line or split students into more manageable groups of 8-10 each.  Outdoor spaces work best but you can squeeze it into classroom with some desk shifting. Here's a video from my own classroom:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugIjFX8WSrM

• Ask players to line up in ascending order for a variety of categories.  

• Front person raises their hand when the team thinks they are finished. No talking allowed.
• All players must rely on body language and hand gestures to get in the proper order. Head and feet only. You can only use your head and feet to signal where to go.
• No talking or use of arms or hands to communicate.  
• Options include:

• Line up by birthday dates from January to December
• Line up by height
• Line up by hair length
• Line up by hair color
• Line up by who lives closest to school vs. who lives the furthest
• Line up by shoe size
• Line up by darkest color of clothing to lightest
• Line up youngest to oldest
• Line up by least amount of siblings to most
• Line up by bedtimes

This is actually far more than an energizer...it’s “data collection” for you.  Observe who becomes the “leaders” and who naturally follows.  Watch for your shy ones who “hate” the activity.  Make a mental note to thank them later for participating.    Later in class, one-on-one, take a second to congratulate your leaders and thank them for taking charge.  Let them know they have the power to affect positive change on this campus and beyond.  Congratulate the student who helped the “lost” student, guiding them to their spot so they didn’t feel lost.

I especially love how it relies on eye contact and close physical contact:  kids squeezing in between one another, mouthing silent words, and then mouthing the silent “what”?  Some gently guide others by the shoulder pointing them in the right direction while others walk them over exactly to where they need to be.  This silly energizer holds more power than it seems.

Ask the kids to come up with some new categories for “Line it Up.”  Give them each a small piece of paper, and if they have some creative ideas they can place it in the empty coffee can.  Anytime students can be a part of the planning, there is more buy in.

This activity can be tailored to the time you can allot.  If you are jam-packed with a full-tilt lesson that day, do one “line it up.”  If you are caught with the dreaded 10 minutes before the final bell, do five “line it ups.”  Make it yours and have fun!

Get Out! (outside, that is)

Bodies need to move and stretch in order for the mind to be productive, especially kids.  “Asking students to simply stand up increases blood flow to the brain by 10-15%...there is a direct link to the cerebellum, which coordinates muscle movement to the pleasure centers in the emotional systems” (Gibbs, 2001).  This blog will be peppered with quick energizers I use whenever the class has “the tireds” or conversely are “too hyper.” They all allow time for the students to move while making personal connections with their peers.

This proactive tool for classroom management keeps their blood moving and brains engaged while building and strengthening personal relationships:  a win-win for all!  When they can see connections and similarities with others, the human condition is celebrated and walls begin to break down.  Today, however, let’s talk about the breakdown of literal walls.

Go Outside Sometimes.  Create lessons that take your class outdoors occasionally.  For some students, simply appreciating the sky, the landscaping, the clouds, and the trees is a privilege they do not encounter often enough, especially if you work with a lower socio-economic community.  “Higher poverty neighborhoods ... are less safe, less comfortable, and less pleasurable for outdoor physical activity, and have less favorable social processes” (Franzini, 2010).

Sample Activities:
-A simple walk around the center quad can be energizing and life-affirming.  We are moving through the campus as a class, a team, a unit, a family.  Stay together and don’t let anyone fall behind or get too ahead.
-Have kids take pictures with their phones of their favorite spots on campus.  When you get back to the classroom, have them show the picture and explain why that spot is special (the G rated version, please).
-Descriptive journaling: everyday scenes placed under a writer’s magnifying glass.
-Socratic seminar - circle up and discuss yesterday’s lesson
-Homework questions
-Celebrations
-Struggles
-Ball toss: toss a stuffed animal or ball around the circle and the one who catches it says anything that is on their mind.

Going outside is an energizer in and of itself. It doesn’t need to be elaborately planned or take up much time to be effective. Unfortunately, many classrooms still lend themselves to mostly sedentary work with little movement.  If we can build some in, we can hopefully buy more engagement time with the kids...and maybe even see a cool looking bird.

No One Did Their Homework

Ever have one of those days where no one does their homework?  I did last week.  Actually, I'm exaggerating:  three kids did their homework out of 28 (my smallest class).

Three kids.

My whole two hour lesson plan hinged on the teetering precipice of homework being done...and it wasn't.  My feelings were hurt.  I even had a couple of kids apologize sheepishly, eyes dragged down to the dirty tiles of my classroom floor.  They couldn't look at me and say it.  

What could possibly be more important than MY homework...oops, did I use the wrong pronoun?  I meant their homework...whose homework is it actually?

This seemed to be the perfect storm, my college bound had more pressing university applications due, my student athletes had traveled three hours away to represent our school in state basketball games, and my fringe kids had myriad issues:  one moved out of his abusive household and into an Aunt's house that is now one hour away from campus...a transportation nightmare not to mention all of his "stuff" is still at his mother's home.  Another moved into a cousin's house because her "sober" father is dabbling with weed again because it "mellows him out since he can't drink."  Another, had an uncle die in his sleep at the age of 45...my age.

What is a teacher to do?  Do I place the smack-down on all of them because that is what the "real world" would do?  Is this the only way responsibility is taught?  Do all receive an "F" because allowing late work should show weakness in me as a leader?  Do I play hard ball or get soft?

I started with rewarding my three who did do their work a bonus 10 points on top of the A+ they were about to receive.  I also invited them to put their ear buds in and get a jump start on the work for today.

For the "naughty ones," I had them all take out pen and paper.   I powered up my old school boombox and pushed play on my Coldplay CD for some mellow background music.  I then projected my Ipad timer for a 20 minute countdown.  "This is your get out of jail free card," I stated.  "Write.  I don't care if you think you have nothing to say...write for 20 minutes and don't stop."

Some did stop.  Some wanted to write for more than 20, but they all stay engaged with the the process.  Did I give them full credit?  Yes.  Did I tell them how disappointed I was in them?  Yes. 
But, in this moment in time it was far more important that they produced something more than an "F."

I know homework is a controversial topic (future blog!) and how we handle it varies greatly.  Ben Johnson's article for Edutopia does a beautiful job Debunking Homework Myths, but the bottom line is although some are very, very good at it, I would like to make it as difficult as possible to fail my class.

Embracing Data

Last week, I sat in a room, in front of my Ipad for five hours being trained on a website that creates assessments and then analyzes the data from assessments.  It was organized, specific, thorough, systematic, and probably valuable, but definitely not my normal data collection process. 

My process is messy:  talking to kids, sitting in on small group discussion with my clipboard as I take notes on their comments, having them rewrite a specific body paragraph in their essay, or observing them look away sheepishly when I know they didn’t read last night’s homework assignment.

I guess I need to change my attitude.

The intellectual part of my brain realizes that analyzing data on my students should inform my instruction, fill in the holes, make the classroom experience complete.  As part time Literacy Coach next year, I will be the cheerleader for these homemade scantrons and the pie charts and bars these scantrons produce.  I must energize my colleagues that this is good stuff.

Why is that so hard for me?

Maybe I see the hours of work that it will take to create all of these tests, hours that will take me away from planning invigorating lessons that include movement, talking, writing, responding, and deep levels of analysis.  Instead of cutting butcher paper for a gallery walk and setting up chairs for a Harkness discussion, I will be grappling with pulldown menus offering randomization of bubble answers, so if my kids do cheat they will be screwed.

Oh no, I got all negative again.

I just see the joy sucked out of room 208 when administering these cold, calculated tests.  I see them love English just a little less or hate it a little more.  Many, many of my kids will go on to lead happy lives, yet not go on to college.  It is not where their heart takes them.  

Yesterday, I had my oil changed by a handsome 22 year old who had been a handsome 14 year old in my freshman English class.  He manages the local Valvoline, has plans to get married and buy a house.  He told me he “misses Mission Oak High School” and asked me if we still read A Midsummer Night’s Dream because he still remembers how funny it was that we got to say the word “ass” a million times.  He didn’t bring up the awesome CST tests or my multiple-choice benchmarks that I was mandated to use.  He remembers Bottom and the forest of fairies. He never wanted to go to college and never will; he makes a good salary and has plans to franchise the business.  I didn’t need to analyze his data; I needed him to love reading, if just for a minute.

I will make the assessments, I will give them, and I will run the Scantrons with their carefully #2 pencil colored orbs.  I will see if we should spend a little more time on point of view, or elaboration of evidence, or word choice.  I will then create juicy engaging lessons to address the holes, and desperately corral them back into loving my class...because that is where the real data collection begins...

Learning Lab & Communication Station: A Physical Space for Collaboration

Below is a proposal I wrote to my principal and superintendent to institute a “learning lab and communication station” on our campus next year.  I will be a half-time literacy coach/half-time teacher and have dreams of creating a space that is innovative, brings teachers out of isolation, and honors their craft in a collaborative way.  Please let me know what you think (or if you have something like this on your campus!)

Learning Lab & Communication Station

The implementation of a Learning Lab on campus allows the faculty a space for active, built-in, ongoing professional development without leaving their students or taking up any precious prep time.  

The Learning Lab acts as a hub of creativity, a place we - teachers, students, administrators - are all learning - myself included.  It is a “lab” where we are experimenting with teaching techniques and pedagogy we have not tried before:  we can take risks while celebrating the power of communication and collaboration.  

Trying something new is scary and teachers no longer have to be alone in this experiment.

Learning Lab Menu:

Academic Discussion Date:  Teachers with little to no experience with academic discussions now have a dedicated space where they can use the modular furniture, observe me with their class, or co-facilitate one of the following (see below) without the disruption of rearranging their own room:

Examples:

1.) Harkness Room:  Filled with 40 movable and modular desks and chairs (ex: SmithSystem furniture), the Learning Lab can be arranged in variety of discussion formations, including Harkness:  one large “table” seating 15-18 with surrounding observers.  

2.) Debate Settings:  with two lecterns and movable chairs, the room can be split into two

intellectual factions debating any given issue

3.) Socratic Seminar Scene:  The movable furniture can also be moved into a variety of  

Socratic Seminars:  Pilot-Co-Pilot, Fishbowl, or whole class circle-ups.

Co-teaching Cafe:  Teachers experimenting with academic discussions, can book the lab and have me set up the classroom with any form of discussion they prefer.  Benefits include:

Examples:

1.) Supplying name tags and paperwork to support the academic discussion

2.) Some of our classrooms have immovable tables or desks that are not easy to rearrange.

3.) The reorganization of desks is disruptive and a classroom management issue for some teachers, making them NOT want to do it.

4.)   Wouldn’t it be nice for a teacher to be able to walk into a room that is set-up and ready to go, wasting no instructional minutes?

5.) I would be there to either help facilitate or observe and give feedback: whichever the

teacher prefers.

Teaching Demos:  For close reading activities, varieties of writing instruction, and classroom community building, teachers may book the learning lab for specific blocks of time

(30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours) and have me demonstrate a lesson.  

Examples:

1.) Close reading - academic articles in all subjects

2.) Writing Instruction across the curriculum

3.) Public Speaking preparation

4.) Classroom energizers

5.) Improv exercises for creativity

6.) Brain games

7.) Small, medium, and large group discussion

8.) Community Building activities

9.) The dreaded college essay for seniors

10.) Poetry analysis (including poetry across the curriculum)

Mixed-level Magic:  Collaboration between upper-classmen and the under-classmen holds a power that is palpable, and it is right at our fingertips.

I have had success co-teaching with colleagues mixing both grade levels and ability levels.  For example, one year my amazing colleague, Carrie Linder, and I mixed her seniors with my freshmen for the “Success Project.”  The seniors mentored the freshmen for two weeks on “how to succeed in high school” and “how to make it to graduation.”  We also invited guest speakers to inspire on a panel as they fielded questions from students (administrators, coaches, board members and even our superintendent joined us).

Just last year, I joined forces with Jeff Conn and Tim Ducey and we watched my AP Lit students work some magic with their at-risk freshmen.  It was really beautiful.  For some reason, the seniors had a greater impact than the adults!

I would love to help teachers develop and organize some of these dynamic blended learning partnerships and the Learning Lab would provide a space to do it.

Mentoring New Teachers:  According to The High Cost of Teacher Turnover from the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future, “20% of all new hires leave the classroom within three years and in poorer districts close to 50% leave during the first five years.”

It’s hard.  That’s all there is to it.  Teaching is hard, and our new faculty gets very little assistance in managing and running a classroom, let alone being creative in one.  This is no one’s fault; it is simply the nature of this autonomous profession.

In the Learning Lab, new teachers will now be able to have a space to meet confidentially and explore the following:

Examples:

1.) How to physically set up a classroom that is efficient and builds community

2.) Prepare lessons for observation and evaluation (some of the scariest and most

intimidating moments for a new teacher)

3.) How to set up and run academic discussions without disrupting their own space or

someone else’s (if they are sharing a classroom)

4.) A place to find resources on classroom management, community building, and

instructional strategies

5.) Supplies to support instructional strategies:  white-boards, popsicle sticks, name tags

butcher paper, markers, post-its, index cards, class sets of articles, sample student essays etc.

6.) A professional development library: books on classroom management, instructional

strategies, reproducibles for community building, and graphic organizers etc.

District Writing Prompt Scoring Days:  We would now have a dedicated space to score student writing that is secure, comfortable, and confidential.  We could accommodate larger groups of scorers and would not be taking up another valuable space on campus with all rubrics and paperwork at our fingertips.

We would also now have a larger space to store the mountains of student writing samples in an organized fashion and keep it secure for the entire school year without risk of it being moved or getting lost.

Instructional Rounds/Mini Rounds Gathering Place:  The Learning Lab could be the gathering place for all Instructional Rounds.  There is more space, it is filled with resources, and it is a confidential, quiet environment.  There is also something powerful about it being in a classroom and having the ability for everyone to literally visualize students and teacher in the physical space of learning.

Writing Center/Tutoring Lounge:  Stocked full of resources, what better place to house a collegiate-style writing center and tutoring lounge.  Our stronger students (CSF scholars/AP kids) could rack up community service hours while helping our struggling learners.  

Stuff to Support Student Success - (Instructional Resources):  Wouldn’t it be nice to have a dedicated space for “the stuff” (teacher tools) that enhance dynamic instruction?  

Here is a list of what could be housed in the Learning Lab/Communication Station.  I know some of these things sound so basic and simplistic, but in a busy teacher’s day, these are the little things they simply can’t get to:

The fun stuff:

1.) butcher paper

2.) name tags

3.) post-its

4.) index cards

5.) markers

6.) popsicle sticks

7.) community building props (balls, dice, cubes, stuffed animals, playing cards, paint chips etc.)

8.) Music

Paperwork:

1.) Common Core curriculum support

2.) copies that facilitate academic discussions

3.) class sets of rubrics

4.) class sets of graphic organizers

5.) sample essays & prompts

Living Library:  Instructional Resource Books & Journals:  The Learning Lab could house teaching resources - both current and classic books and journals - that support different pedagogical methods.  These resources could be checked out to faculty.

Examples:

1.) Books housing reproducibles for argumentative and informational writing

2.) Graphic organizers that support close reading, critical thinking, and writing

3.) Literary magazines

4.) Educational Journals

5.) Poetry anthologies

6.) Short story anthologies that support reading across the curriculum

Technology, too! (Ipad/Tablet/Laptop Cart):  The Learning Lab could also house technology carts to support solid instructional strategies.  The technology coaches could also share the space for Professional Development, when needed.

I envision a collaborative relationship between the tech coaches and the lit coaches;  these positions should not be isolated from one another but rather work in sync to make teachers’ jobs easier!

This is a dream of mine. Of course, as all of us in education know, many of these ideas come down to logistics before instituting: space on campus, teaching sections, number of teachers travelling or needing homes and the dreaded dollar.  

Yet, we must keep asking, pushing, and creating. The kids are worth it.