Category: Home based

Home Based Activities

Flip the Switch

Posted on by Sweat to Inspire

I am amazed at the number of students who enter my 7th grade classroom already believing they are a failure, dumb, or can’t do any better. Where does this “Learned” mentality come from? Does it come from parents? school? peers? I want to know who takes a child’s natural motivation to learn and turned it off?

My son, Griffin, amazes me everyday. He has apraxia, which has made it hard for him to learn how to sound out words. He did not speak till 3 1/2 years old. Most people don’t notice his difficulties now because he has worked hard everyday to learn to read and speak. He asks the most amazing questions. When watching the World Series this year, he asked about why their wasn’t a DH in the Giants ballpark? He gets frustrated to the point of crying if he can’t understand your answer. He loves to learn and always wants to know more about how things work.

When I see students at school, who feel they can’t learn more, I want to share Griffin’s story. Often they don’t connect. Middle school students are going through a period of self-centeredness that make it hard to connect to others experiences. Making the connection personal seems to work best.

This two weeks ago, two female students did not get a single answer correct on a 9 question vocabulary  quiz. They both are friends and shared that it was “hard”. When I asked if they studies, both answered “NO, because it was hard.” So how can it become easy if you don’t study? “I am just not good at science!”  Wow, what a vicious self-fulfilling prophecy.

A colleague asked if she could help them on the retake. I passed on the need information and the Quizlet link. After being forced to go over the information “100” times. Both girls scored 100%. The next day when I saw them in the hallway they were beaming with pride. “I didn’t think I could do it” one shared. All the teachers in the hallway helped them celebrate the success. This past Friday, we had another vocabulary quiz. These two girls both aced it.

I hope we flipped the switch of self doubt for these girls. Teachers need to focus, one child at a time, on turning the love of learning back on in their minds. It will make all the difference!

Simple Free Learning Tool / Quizlet

Posted on by Sweat to Inspire

This is my first review as a blogger. I hesitate for a few reasons, mainly there are many reviewers of web applications. Secondly, I do not blog to sell products, I blog to share my opinion and inform other educators of what I see and do in my classroom.

Our middle school staff has been talking lately about how to have students acquire needed content vocabulary. Students seem to understand concepts but lack the subject specific vocabulary. Over the years I have tried many different activities to help enrich students vocabulary skills, ranging from flash cards, match up games to written definitions. a few years ago, I hear about “Quizlet.com“, which is self-described as “Simple free learning tools for students and teachers.”

Quizlet comes as described: a free, simple to use tool for all. For starters, you don’t have to even sign up for an account to use all of the wonderful tools that it has to offer. So, you can try it out without signing up for an account. Nice feature. When you first arrive on the site you can search for “sets” of vocabulary by subject. It is very easy to find “sets” that others have created and you are free to use them  as you see fit.

Quizlet is set up to help student learn their vocabulary: spelling and definitions. The program will create flash cards, word games and quizzes to help a students learn. If you cannot find a “set” of vocabulary pre-made for your use, you will have to sign up for a free account and input your vocabulary based upon your needs. Often you will find some of your needed vocabulary available, which you can copy and then add the words that were not available.

A student just needs the address for your “set” of vocabulary (no account needed) to access the tools to study the vocabulary. The students can play games with the vocabulary on-line or print off flash cards to study offline. If you are working with ESL or students with speech and languages issue: Quizlet has the ability to read aloud the words and definitions. Personally, my 8-year-old son, who has apraxia has used Quizlet to help him learn to pronounce words. I have used the this feature as well when refreshing my spanish skills before a trip. The programing is able to translate to/from Spanish, English and French.  Which will help in World Language instruction.

I feel that Quizlet is a great tool that all teachers should have in their toolbox for vocabulary acquisition. If you have not checked it out please take the time to do so. The features are simple to use for students and teachers alike. I have been using it regularly with my classes this year and have seen great results.

Raking Leaves

Posted on by Sweat to Inspire

Today was one of those fall days where the winds is blowing and leaves are falling like large snowflakes to the grown. The yard is filled with large multi-colored brittle flakes we call leaves. After dinner, I wandered outside with my rake and started making piles. My 4 year old twins came running out full of excitement and energy. They wanted to help. My first thought was NO. It won’t get done and they will make a mess. But, I can’t resist my son’s PLEASE, with his sister chiming in, in support.

After making sure they each had a rake, well “their” rake. We started making piles. They enjoyed helping me. As the pile got larger, they did enjoy taking turns jumping in and throwing the leaves in the air. What 4 year old or for that matter child wouldn’t. After taking turns, they would rake the pile back up. When it came time to bag the pile they would help by picking up the few leaves that would fit in their small hands in throw them at the bag. The leaves frequently missed their mark, and they would try again. Eager to help out daddy.

 

After helping a bit they wander to a different area of the yard to play. As I continued to rake the leaves I thought about how eager my children, all children are to help out. So often, adults given in to their gut reaction to turn away their help, because it will slow down the process. Adults just want to get the job done, kids like to have fun doing the job.

When I survey my neighborhood, I don’t see many families out doing yard work. It is either a lone adult or a company doing the work, even in the houses with teenaged children.

Are adults taking away prime learning opportunities from their children today? Do we focus to much on finishing the job we forget to enjoy the journey and on that journey teach our children?

I think about my students who are living in situations where parents either don’t have time to teach them the lessons that really matter in life or have to act like parents themselves.

Take time to rake the leaves with a child, It will make your life and theirs more fulfilled. Even if it takes a bit longer!

T.V.

Posted on by Sweat to Inspire

Like it or not TV has a major influence on the youth of today. It is not the TV of my youth where we had 4 channels to choose from when picking something to watch. Today we have over 100 channels to choose from. When we still can’t find what we want we can stream from the internet or watch something we recorded on the DVR. I love all the options available. I can watch great content when ever I want. The scary thing about TV today is so can my children. What they want to watch is very different than what I want to watch. Often times their desires for viewing are not totally appropriate. Adults need to monitor what children are watching. In my opinion adults need to watch what the children are watching. This way there can be a discussion about content. Children often misunderstand what they see on TV. In my classroom student will say “I saw this on the History Channel last week” and proceed to explain the topic. In theory this is great. It helps “Flip” the classroom and gives students excellent prior knowledge. In reality, it often gives children a misconception because the student only understood a small portion of the material presented.

To sweat to inspire the youth in your life please watch TV with them. It might mean you won’t get to watch your favorite show now and again but it will create rich discussions about what is consumed.