Thank you

This blog is a "thank you" to Teaching Fellows Institute. I enjoyed an extremely pleasant evening with a Top Chef Cook Off and a lecture about technology sponsored by Teaching Fellows Institute.

I must admit my day at school was long and challenging and I was feeling a little worn out before I attended the alumni event. However, I was rejuvenated after spending time with fellow colleagues as we stretched our thinking with recipes and our humble attempts to be the "top chef"! The evening ended with some valuable information about technology and the classroom. I left the event with the feeling that not only had my body been nourished from the delicious food, but more importantly my soul was fed with the fellowship and friendship from fellow educators!

Welcome Back!

Today was our first day back from Spring Break and it was extremely positive for me and the students. I couldn't help but notice that the students were focused and the transitions were smooth.

I also noticed that I was very focused, rested, and relaxed. I guess the students needed the break just as much as I did. I think we all got our tanks refueled to finish this school year strong.

How was your day back from Spring Break? What did you observe about your students? What did you notice about yourself?

Are we there yet?

How many weeks until Spring Break? I feel like my kids (when they were younger) when we went on trips asking the infamous question, "Are we there yet?", "How many more miles?"

I love my kids and I love teaching, however, I must admit that my body is a little exhausted, no, extremely exhausted these days. I know I am not the only one who feels this way. I was amused during some planning when my colleague could not finish her sentences without yawning!

To all of those exhausted teachers, I hope you are planning to get some rest during the upcoming Spring Break. Every teacher deserves some time for rest and rejuvenation. I think my students are feeling a little weary themselves.

Spring fever has arrived and we all need a few moments to rest and soak in the beautiful sunshine. Enjoy!

One of those days

I must share about "one of those days". I was beginning to wonder if we would get anything accomplished related to learning. I knew the students were excited with the new scenery, therefore, I decided to go with the "force."

While students worked in small groups to investigate concepts about fractions, I pulled the blinds completely up so they could soak in the white blanket falling outside. It actually proved to be productive. The students were engaged with their activity and they actually learned something today. Needless to say, I am exhausted tonight after dealing with all of that energy displayed in my room today. I guess it would be accurate to say, it was "one of those days!"

Thank you

I want to share a few moments about teachers. I attended a math conference yesterday and it can be amusing to stop and notice how teachers are so similar to one another. With any profession, you have a lot of differences within the profession, however, it was quite obvious yesterday how similar teachers can be.

While sitting in a workshop, I noticed how teachers all had the same reaction when the presenter revealed some resources for math. There was a reaction around the room of excitement about something simple yet so important for teachers. If you are a teacher who has "heart" in what you do everyday, you will understand what I am talking about. I was privileged to have the company of fellow colleagues and there was so much energy between all of us while we discussed our issues with our students' learning and possible activities and strategies for learning.

It was a gentle reminder that we, as teachers, need one another to be the most effective leader in the classroom. I am so glad I am a small part of the big picture in this profession and I am even more appreciative that I have great colleagues to work with. I know they are helping me to grow and improve each day in the classroom.

I am sure you know some colleagues who have had a positive influence in your career. Please feel free to share your thoughts.

Evaluations

Have you ever thought about how we evaluate ourselves? We hear that word a lot in the world of education. It becomes a part of our every day language when we are dealing with students and when we reflect upon our own practices.

I believe I evaluate my effectiveness as a teacher upon the successes and failures of my students. We are gearing up for assessments next week and I am anxious for the results. One of the focuses for next week will not only be "how well " the students perform, but the "effort" they exhibit when they take the assessments.

I couldn't help but notice one of my student's reaction to my approval when he showed me his math homework this week. We have been stressing the importance of "showing" your work and "thinking" when solving problems. Our students do not always want to slow down to show all of these things. I knew this student was proud when he was practically putting his work in my face. Of course, I made sure I praised his "effort". I didn't really look to see if the work was correct because I wanted my students to know the importance of "effort". It felt so good inside to see that big smile across his face when I recognized his deliberate efforts. I believe those are the small moments in which we gain momentum with our students.

Does anyone have a moment to share when they made the connection with their students over the past few weeks. I would love to hear about it. How do you evaluate yourself?

Measuring growth

As an educator in the school system, sometimes we are driven by test scores and requirements already set before us. Looking at the big picture can be overwhelming and can seem like such an impossible task. I decided to take a look at my class and the "little" things that exhibit growth that might not be measured on tests at the end of the year.

When my day starts with my students, they follow the routines that every class follows with unpacking their things and starting with their day. I have noticed that most of my students are anxious to show me their homework and they want me to know they completed their assignments. This tells me they are proud of what they did and they want my approval. Sometimes they stand there holding the assignment in such a way that they are literally "in my face"!

When I give back tests, they are quick to question why they got something wrong and they have actually learned how to look at their mistakes and discuss them with me and other students. They have become more excited about reading books and we have informal discussions about them during transitions. They are actually talking about these things outside of class!

Overall, I can see that they are taking more ownership of their learning and more pride in their accomplishments. . . .that is a long-term goal for me to impart to my students. These are goals that are not written in a standard course of study, but I believe extremely important to the whole child!