Classroom Management

This summer I was asked to serve in a panel discussion for new teachers to my district.  Having never done this before I wasn't sure what to expect but I accepted the invitation. I enjoy helping others and welcome any opportunity to serve in that role for my school and district.  There were a total of five teachers on the panel and the questions ranged from payroll questions to ability to collaborate with other teachers.  Many of the newly hired teachers were veterans that were simply new to my district but there were some new hires fresh from college.  All in all, it was pretty harmless.  Then I was asked the question that took me by surprise: As a new teacher how do I maintain control of my classroom? What surprised me the most was that I didn't have a good answer.  I feel like I have good classroom management and work hard to do so.  What frustrated me was that I didn't know how to articulate this to another teacher.  Clearly, this is a common question to many new teachers so I began reflecting on how I'd answer this question the next time it was posed. So here it is in five easy steps:

1. Accept that failures and struggles will happen and classroom management is an ongoing process. It's hard to learn this by watching others and you never really know what you'll tolerate until you're alone and in charge of the classroom.
2. Don't worry about what you perceive to be happening in other classrooms.  Classroom management is not about keeping students quiet, it's about keeping students learning. Decide what is acceptable in your learning environment and set a plan to maintain that expectation.  Some teachers demand silence while others allow productive discussion.  My classroom would be perceived as chaos to a teacher that demands silence but my students know the boundaries and learning is taking place. If students are learning than the classroom is well managed.  
3. Address poor behavior immediately.  Don't assume it will take care of itself. 
4. Reward good behavior immediately.  I was once told, "reward what you want to see again." I've held on to that because its good advice.
5. Be yourself.  Don't accept the old adage that your not supposed to smile until Christmas.  Students can always spot a fake. Classroom management is about creating a learning environment not intimidating kids.  Don't fake an attitude, but be yourself and the students will respond to being able to connect with you personally.  

Twitter as Professional Development

I was introduced to Twitter as a tool for professional development by my tech coach (@jrichardson30) almost exactly one year ago. Since then I've gone through phases where I have been engaged in conversations and others where I forgot those conversations existed. Still, I've recognized Twitter's value but always felt I wasn't experiencing it to the fullest.  Today that changed as I began working with my reading coach to explore the idea of using literacy circles with primary sources in my 7th grade classroom.  She and I spent an hour making adjustments to the lesson so that it would be more appropriate for non-fiction writings. I showed her my sources and felt confident in the plan that she had shown me.  However, I was still uneasy and wanting to discuss this with someone that had tried it before. Its the same uneasiness any teacher feels when they leave their comfort zone.  That feeling is professional growth, but it's still uncomfortable. That's when the thought occurred: Twitter.  So I grabbed my phone and sent a simple tweet.

I'm about to commit a week to studying primary sources leading to the Dec of Ind. any suggestions? #sschat

Two hours later I had sources and ideas being tweeted back to me from others that had been in my shoes before - uneasy but motivated to try. Their suggestions and sources were helpful but their willingness to support another teacher's professional growth was the most encouraging. Thanks @grkenyon & @johnsonmaryj. Your professionalism will help me grow and I'll pass that on to another teacher when given the opportunity. Together we'll grow our profession and reach students across the country. This would not have been possible without Twitter and that was a conversation worth having.

Be Better Today

Be better today: it's something I have to remind myself to do daily. I'm a planner by nature by my fault is that I sometimes look so far into the future that I overlook today. Dealing with change is a challenge of teaching. Those of us that strive to improve have an added burden in that we create much of the change ourselves. Constantly tweaking, adjusting, or flat out changing a lesson to try and make it a little (or a lot) better. So much to do, so little time to do it and it's all in the name of designing an engaging classroom for our students. Gone are the days of having a binder of lessons that teachers can recycle year-to-year. I'm quickly learning that change is not always about improving, sometimes it's just about keeping up. That's why I have to be better today. Planning for next year may only leave me a little behind. My students deserve better.

Turning a New Year Into a Better Classroom

The beginning of a new year is always an enjoyable time for me. Optimism rules my emotions as I reflect on the past year and how I can improve the next one. This school year is my first back in the classroom after a hiatus and the environment has changed. The first semester was a blur as I completed my master's degree, absorbed the changes since my last classroom experience, and dealt with personal issues in my life. I'm thankful for the number of people that have helped me with this transition and look forward to the upcoming improvements. By reflecting on the past - its challenges and successes - the future becomes brighter and this is most clear in the classroom. Here are the top three improvements I'm striving to work on as I move into the new year that will serve as a foundation for the remainder of my career:

1. Make every activity relevant - This is easier said than done but I have seen how the attitude of my students changes when they are invested in a project or assignment. Everyone wins. The students learn and the lesson is smooth. 
2. Collaborate more - The last class I took as a graduate students focused my attention on how schools change. The most important thought I took from the course was the power of collaboration for changing teachers, classrooms, and schools. Honestly, my attention on collaborating with other professionals for professional improvement is up and down. For the new year I want to be more consistent in finding a professional learning opportunity every day. 
3. Support others - I improve when others improve. This year I will look daily for the chance to assist another student or peer. Being a resource for others is one of the only ways I can challenge myself to continue to grow professionally. 

Now the hard part: getting it done. That's why I'm writing the blog. Writing brings thoughts to life and serves as a source of accountability. Do you have a plan to improve this year? Feel free to share. 

Do you teach or do you educate?

To teach or educate is a concept lost by many. It may seem to be a fine line but it's not. To teach is to show someone how to do something but to educate is to inspire someone to learn how to do something and apply it to other areas of their life. To teach is easy, to educate hard. I love this video because it puts that idea into perspective. We are called as teachers to change our students lives and not just teach content. I hope this video reminds you of a tireless teacher in your life who constantly strives to bring out the best in their students and not just meet the objectives.

This post is in honor of Coach Paul Kellogg and in memory of Mrs. Gail Whitten. When I watch this video it is you who come to mind.

Why I Love Edmodo

Edmodo is a phenomenal tool for teachers. Have you tried it? My school system recently introduced our staff to the Blackboard meets Facebook website. After a brief tutorial from my technology coach (@jrichardson30) I was ready to introduce it to my students. Setting up classes was a breeze and my 7th grade students love it. Furthermore, it makes integrating technology into my social studies curriculum a task worth tackling. Here's my top three reasons why Edmodo is a welcome addition to my classroom:

1) Edmodo allows me to take the classroom to the kids -

I tell my students that Edmodo is simply a virtual classroom. Expectations within Edmodo are the same as expectations inside the brick-and-mortar classroom. What I found, however, is that the students are as enganged - if not more - as they are in the classroom because I have met them in their world. The format of Edmodo is similar to Facebook so many of the students are quickly comfortable using it. Those that aren't quickly adapt. But all students love technology so they are instantly interested just because I have met then in their world. For example, current events no longer require cutting and pasting of newspaper articles. Gone are the days of students telling me they had no ink in their printer. With Edmodo I create an assignment, they attach the link along with their writing assignment. Just like that, they've completed the same task only more efficiently. 

2) Edmodo brings conversation to the classroom -

One of the first things I noticed when my students began chatting on Edmodo was that the conversations were more diverse. Students were chatting that I had never seen talking in class. Students are more social behind a computer screen. However, the chatting was not senseless. Students were posting YouTube videos they had found regarding class discussions and creating dialogue that was an extension of the classroom. I didn't ask them to do this. It just happened. Students looked for ways to stay on Edmodo and continuing class discussions allowed them to do so. Class the following day was better because students were productively discussing videos from the night before. Students teaching students: what a great concept!

3) Edmodo allows me to teach when I'm not teaching -

I don't want to teach my students 24/7. I have a family that demands my time when I'm away from school. However, I can check in for 5 minutes each night with my phone or my laptop and answer questions that alleviate problems in class the following day. I've created a few videos of screen recordings that I post to their pages to help with basic tasks such as adding a picture or turning in an assignment. My one minute video then can be played repeatedly for those with similar questions and allow them to complete tasks in their own time. A virtual classroom requires a virtual teacher and Edmodo affords me that luxury

What do you love about Edmodo?

Why I Teach

September 15, 2011 began as any other day. It was Thursday - game day - at Simmons Middle School. The kids were excited as they always are before a football game. Something about boys in jerseys and girls in cheer jackets that heightens the normal schoolhouse buzz. Anticipation filled the air, but no one anticipated how the day would end. Life would change later in the morning.

For one girl, this day would be her last. A ride to school ended fatally for a former student of Simmons. She had moved on to the high school but her sister was younger and still in middle school. Both girls were connected in the community and beloved by those who knew them. As a teacher, I suspected the worst when the emails began to come from administrators. Monitor strictly for cell phone use, do not discuss the events with anyone - even teachers, pray for the best, prepare for the worst. The messages were written to protect the younger sister that remained in class but the tone indicated hope was lost. When the sister was removed from the classroom and taken home to be with her family the order was given for us, me, the teachers to deliver the news to the students.

I knew this would be difficult but failed to understand how it would effect me. I didn't know the girl that lost her life or the sister. What I didn't account for was that my students did. I began delivering the news to twenty-two students. They sensed something was wrong but never saw the worst coming. When I mentioned the girl that had lost her life by name a girl near me eagerly said, "Hey, I know her." I paused. At that moment the gravity of the situation hit me. This was going to be difficult, not because I knew the girl, but because I knew the students I was telling. In that moment I realized my voice, and my face would be seared in the minds of these students. For most all of the twelve-year-old's in the room this would be the first loss of someone they knew, especially someone their age. I kept my composure and finished the task at hand. Then the tears flowed; not mine, but those of many of the students. Boys and girls alike emotionally broke down as the reality surfaced: the girl they knew was gone.

Delivering the message was the most difficult task I've had as an educator. But I survived and grew from the moment. It refocused me on why I do what I do.  I teach history because I love history, but I teach because I love influencing the lives of kids. This was a painful reminder, but a reminder nonetheless, that my role as a teacher is bigger than the curriculum. It's about being there for the kids when they need me the most. An encourager, a motivator, a shoulder to cry on, a neck to hug, a teacher of civics. That's what I do, and the order in which I'll do it.