Tuesday, March 13, 2018

31 Teaching Truths

Photo by Fischer Twins via Unsplash

13. Plural possessives will happen. But probably not on your timeline.

J. was working on his opinion piece this afternoon. I had given the class articles from ReadWorks about the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and the Shasta Dam. Their job was to choose the most amazing of these two human-made structures and back up their choice with reasons and facts from the articles.

The article about the dam told about ways the dam was harmful to the native salmon, but also some temperature control innovations that helped the salmon. I nearly fainted from joy when J. asked, "Where do you put the apostrophe if you've got lots of salmon?" We had a quick lesson on singular and plural possessives. He was ready to learn. Even more than that, he had identified exactly what it was he needed to learn.

Today I was in the right place at the right time. When that happens, savor the moment.



Monday, March 12, 2018

31 Teaching Truths

Photo by Fischer Twins via Unsplash
12. Improvise. (A mashup of yesterday's Mix It Up and The Power of Routines from the day before.)

There was an unused spot at the top of the word study section of our big language arts bulletin board last fall. On a whim, I used one 12x18 sheet of paper to write "Be" and another next to it to say, "_______". Our first word was AWESOME. We started the year being awesome.

Somewhere along the line, we decided it was time to change up the word, and at some point it was decided that would happen when we change desks/spots every two weeks. The person who chose the word gets to choose the next person.

A routine was born, not because I planned for it, but because I accidentally made the space for the class to invent it. We improvised. We made it up as we went. It's one of our favorite routines because it's 100% ours. (Bonus payoff--it keeps us looking at the word study section of our language arts bulletin board!)

So far this year we have encouraged each other to Be...

awesome
creative
respectful
cool
responsible
positive
calm
risk-takers





Sunday, March 11, 2018

31 Teaching Truths

Photo by Fischer Twins via Unsplash

11. Mixing it up now and then is just as powerful as solid routines.

The surprise factor. The juicy, delicious fear of not knowing what's about to happen in the lesson. The eagerness. The heightened awareness. You need all of this this just as much as your students do. Have solid and comfortable/comforting routines. And mix them up now and then.

Saturday, March 10, 2018

31 Teaching Truths

Photo by Fischer Twins via Unsplash
10. Routines are powerful.

Routines are like paved paths through a beautiful, well-groomed park (aka your day). They get you from point A to point B in a relatively efficient manner, everyone knows what to expect from them, the sights you see and the stops you make along the way are comfortingly familiar. After you've walked the same path for several weeks in a row, you can close your eyes and walk it in your sleep. Key words: efficient, comfortable.

If you know me, or if you read Truth #3, you know this isn't the end of this story. Stay tuned for Truth #11 tomorrow.

Friday, March 09, 2018

31 Teaching Truths

Photo by Fischer Twins via Unsplash
9. Take care of yourself.

Easier said than done, right? You could work 24/7 on lessons and grading and professional development and classes for your masters degree and gathering books from the public library and buying classroom supplies with your own money...and you still would never be caught up, let alone ahead of the game. So since you can't ever get caught up (not for more than a day at a time in a good week), remember Truth #4 and let something go so that you can go out to dinner with friends, or watch Antiques Roadshow, or get that exercise routine going, or catch a couple extra hours of sleep.

If you're not a happy, healthy PERSON, how are you going to be a happy, healthy TEACHER?



Poetry Friday




The Rhinoceros
by Ogden Nash

The rhino is a homely beast,
For human eyes he's not a feast.
Farwell, farewell, you old rhinoceros,
I'll stare at something less prepoceros.



Sorry. Today's poem is just an excuse to share this darling baby rhino. I can't look at that picture without smiling.

Michelle has this week's Poetry Friday roundup at Today's Little Ditty.


Thursday, March 08, 2018

31 Teaching Truths

Photo by Fischer Twins via Unsplash

8. Admit when you're wrong.

Let it be no big deal that you added wrong, spelled incorrectly, or forgot someone's name momentarily. Admit your error, apologize (or laugh) and move on.

If it's less trivial -- you misinterpret a situation on the playground based on observation or assumption and when you get all the facts you realize you had it all wrong -- admit it, apologize, and move on. Or, if you realize that you didn't handle a classroom situation as well as you could have (hindsight really is 20-20), call the parent, admit you were wrong, apologize and move on.

If you are breaking the law, get out of your classroom and get help.




Wednesday, March 07, 2018

31 Teaching Truths

Photo by Fischer Twins via Unsplash

7. Imagine your students' parents can see and hear you.

They try your patience and fray your nerves, but they are someone else's one and only sugar plum. So take a deep breath, access your last shard of patience, and treat your students with dignity and respect no matter what. Don't stoop to their level. Don't be sarcastic and rude and mean. Remember, every single student in that room is watching how you treat both the overachievers and the underachievers. They are either learning the language of power or the language of compassion -- the choice is yours.


Tuesday, March 06, 2018

31 Teaching Truths

Photo by Fischer Twins via Unsplash

6.  There will never be another class like this one.

If you've got a tricky class, this is important to remember. You can do this! You will learn lots and become a better teacher.

If you've got a fabulous class, this is important to remember. Every single day you need to appreciate your students and let them know how thankful you are for them and for their good work.




Monday, March 05, 2018

31 Teaching Truths

Photo by Fischer Twins via Unsplash

5. Read. And while you're at it, write.

Do you want every student in your class to be a voracious reader? Then you should be one, too. Do you ask your students to take risks as a writer? Then you should take those same risks, too.