Category: School based

School Based Activities

Unmotivated Really?

Posted on by Sweat to Inspire

It is that time of year again, when teachers have flyers in their mailboxes for in-service training. PD specialists are promoting their latest and greatest ideas. “Classroom Management that works!” “Writing across the curriculum!” and “Motivating the Unmotivated!” The flyers seem to arrive the same time every year, just as teacher burn-out sets in just before the holiday breaks. The flyers are tempting to teachers that are stressed about classroom performance or meeting their evaluation goals. The titles seem so tempting and the time could not be better.

BUT are there unmotivated students in anyones classroom? All of the students in my classroom are motivated. The least of my concern is motivation. Some students are motivated by the curriculum. They are in class to learn.  Seeing value in gaining knowledge. They try their best to learn despite their ability to learn. These student get frustrated when they don’t understand ideas. Hands get raised, questions asked.   Learners show up early or stay after class. Learners have recognized motivations.

In my class I also have “pleasers”. The students who want to please their parents. Motivated by the praise and love of their parents. (or sometimes bribes). “Pleasers” work but not for love of learning. Mainly concerned with grades they often are focused on a specific grade achievement. Not often concerned about trying to do their best but just to achieve the required grade.

Then there is the group often labeled unmotivated, the “socials”. Students who treat school like the mall. Teachers are the shop owners who herd them around like cattle. Motivated by their friends. Wanting to make impressions and establish a reputation. School work is not a priority, often not a thought. “Socials” often are the most motivated students in the room. Passing notes, sneaking around to talk. Acting the role of student when teacher is watching while sneaking in the quick text to the friend in the next room.

Of course there are more types and combinations of motivation. Motivation is natural in all of us. What teachers need to figure out is how to focus motivation in all students towards the learning targets. This is the PD teachers need.

The first step is understanding the students motivations. Then we can focus it towards learning.

8 things I am thankful for as a Michigan Educator!

Posted on by Sweat to Inspire

Due to the holiday and my desire to focus on the positive, here is a quick list of 8 things I am thankful for as a Michigan Educator.

1. School starts after Labor Day – love the late start and that our students get to fully enjoy all that summer has to offer them.

2. The Formative Assessment for Michigan Educators project (or FAME)- Best thing coming out of MDE. Best teacher lead PD I have ever been involved in.

3. Edcamps- Michigan is a leading state in the Edcamp movement. We have at least 4 great Camps up and running. Detroit got it started: now we have OU, Bluewater and GR. I am sure I am missing some that are popping up in other areas. (Edcamp TC or UP are sure to come soon.)

4. A supportive administration- All of education is being “reformed”, I am glad I work with administrators that listen to teachers’ concerns and attempt to be proactive.

5. Superintendents who are starting to get IT – Finally I am seeing educational leaders in our state stand up to the bullying tactics of Lansing and the Oxford Foundation Report.

6. PLC Process- our district is in the second year of becoming a Professional Learn Community. Awesome way to learn and grow.

7. Being a member of a UNION– Yes, I value my union membership. Gives me the freedom to teach and know that I am protected, and know the processes that have to be followed.

8. My PLN- I am SO thankful the connections I have made through Twitter. Many of them are here in the state. Part of the #michEd community. They help me learn, grown, reflect, and evaluate what I am doing. Special thanks to Engaging Educators for pushing me and showing me the way.

What is the best learning environment?

Posted on by Sweat to Inspire

Our traditional classrooms with desks in rows, with hard seats, is that a good learning environment? Probably not! Most classrooms are small, with hard floors, white walls, and 30-plus student desks. The desk traditionally are in rows facing forward, recent trends have teachers moving them around more but with limits due to class size. My current classroom is pretty big. I have large science lab tables that seat 2 student per table. I have them arranged in groups of 3, with two tables facing each other and one table at the end facing the front of the room. This seating arrangement creates seating for 36 students in my room. Luckily my largest class is 34. Recently, a few students complained because they were having problems focusing on learning. We talked about where they wanted to sit. In the end they concluded that there was not an ideal space in the room for them.

I got to thinking, where would I want to sit? Where would I learn best?  For me, I learn best alone in a quiet warm room while sitting or laying on a soft chair/sofa. Putting a sofa in a science room doesn’t work on so many levels and my room is usually far from quiet. So how do schools create idea learning environments that meet the needs of the students? What does this environment look like?

I remember at the end of a college course years ago, I was asked to create a plan for my ideal classroom. It should be large, with flexible seating. Carpeted area for students to sit on the floor. Book cases full of leveled reading materials. Muted colors on walls. A space that makes whole group instruction work, as well as areas to divide up the class for group and individual instruction. Nooks available for students who need a quiet out of the way space. Comfortable seating.

Many of these items are missing in my room, and many other teachers rooms. Schools just can’t afford the space or materials to create the “ideal” space. Our student are learning to deal with the less than ideal learning conditions. I am okay with it. Making do with what you have is valuable learning for students too. Teachers, administrators, society  need to keep in mind that the learning conditions might have impact on students performance. As a society we need to attempt to create the best learning environments in our schools.

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.

A Teachable Moment

Posted on by Sweat to Inspire

With Hurricane Sandy approaching Monday morning during my advisory class, I decided to go off script and use the teachable moment. How often does a science teacher get to talk about the power of a hurricane and have live pictures to show? I had no lesson planned, but I know the geography of the east coast well having attend high school in Connecticut. Weather is one of the content areas I enjoy the most, and hey it is advisory class we could take the discussion anywhere. Using CNN’s and TWC’s live internet feeds to highlight the story, I only needed 2 minutes during announcement to pull up the need audio/visual aids.

Announcements end, cue up the video feed, starts by highlighting forecast for the day and when the storm will hit. Next up: closures and curfews for the NYC metro area. The broadcaster was talking about the need for people to be off streets so the emergency crews could get where they needed to be and the closing down of all of the public transportation. In my mind this was great teachable moment. The students heard about the weather threat and the need to get off the streets to a safe location. I pause the video feed to start the discussion. At first the class was concerned about what happen in New York City and the need for safety. Students were asking if this had ever happened before and many were surprised to learn that Manhattan is an island surrounded by water. Then the discussion took an unexpected turn.

A normally quiet student asked a question. I was happy since he rarely seemed interested in advisory conversations. He asked “So, if all the people are supposed to be home, wouldn’t that be a good time to break in a business?” First thought in my head was yes, so you are a budding young crook. Then I thought maybe I wasn’t hearing the question correctly. He repeated questions adding,”nobody is around, that is what happens, people get robbed.” I wanted to avoid the question but knew I had to take it on, I countered with “Well, you are right no civilians are supposed to be around since the police and national guard will be on the streets rescuing those in need.” I made sure I added, “They would be stopping all people they see, since nobody is supposed to be out and about.”

The class took my answers well and the discussion continued about hurricane and emergency preparations.

I felt I could not leave a question about theft unturned. Was my student a budding young thief or was something more at play? Later when the students were discussing items with partners. I pulled the student aside and asked about the question. Little did I know that a students family member been a victim of a robbery and he had overheard a discussion about the crime. The discussion was about how no one was around to witness the crime.

Some days a teachable moment turns into a learning opportunity for the teacher as well.