From: Unknown

I reflect on my days as a teacher and some days I question if I'm good enough.  Yesterday, I received a little token of appreciation from a student.  It was nicely wrapped in printer paper and decorated with markers.  Inside, there was a book....The Happy Book! I was so excited!  I didn't even know this book existed!  However, I was so overjoyed that one of my students thought enough of me to get it for me.

I wonder how did they now I'd need this book today?  Today was ROUGH, but we made it through.  I never found out who gave me the book, but I thanked each class!

Educationally Yours,
T.W.T

It's been a while!

A few weeks have come and gone since my last post.  I've been super tired and busy with testing for the last two weeks.  Testing weeks are always hard, because our kids have to take rigorous State Assessments, and still have their academic classes in the afternoon.  This means that I have to proctor tests all morning, then teach in the afternoon.  The kids brains are fried by the time they see me.

Do you believe in magic?  Maybe not, but our kids do!  You would be amazed at what kids still believe if you make them.  100% attendance during testing is a dream.  This means no make ups and all test are collected and returned.  Our school was fortunate enough to have very little make ups.  As I finished taking attendances, I realized that two of my students didn't come yet.  I told the others to give their desk some shine, and they'll show up and will be able to take their test.  They gave the desk some shine, and low and behold in walks one of the students. The kids eyes lit up like Christmas trees and looked at me with such amazement.  I had no idea that she would show up.  I just knew I needed to say something positive about her absence.  The other student walked in within the next 3 minutes.  Now, my kids believe that we have the power to help our classmates get to school when they are not there.

What else do the believe about me?  When I think about this journey, I realize that it is all magical. I teach kids things that they wouldn't otherwise know.  I give them hope when they don't have it.  I can also take that hope away IF I'm not using my powers positively.  I shape young minds and help them realize their potential.  My kids often surprise me with the things they can do.  We ask, "do THEY expect US to perform a miracle".  Then answer is now yes....  Our kids expect us to perform miracles, because they believe we can.

Educationally Yours,
T.W.T 

Tag Team!

If you could have two of anything, what would it be?  Everything, right?  In most cases, two is better than one!

I'm currently on Spring break, but I had the opportunity to do some tutoring at school.  I team taught with another teacher and it felt great!  I wondered what would education be like if all schools implemented a team teaching model.

Some teachers are stronger in different content areas.  I've taught grades K-3, and science was never my favorite subject to teach.  We're not going to talk about the rock experiment!  I loved teaching math and reading.  Having a partner who loved teaching science and social studies would been much more effective.

So much can get accomplished by having two strong teachers in the classroom.  Let's face it, class size isn't getting any smaller.  Therefore, the more adult bodies in a room, the merrier.

Behavior management would be a breeze.  Teachers would never have to stop instruction to address behavior issues.  A realistic expectation for small groups can be made, and actually implemented.  Differentiated instruction and independent work time would be a dream!

If I was ever so fortunate to open my own school, team teaching would be my first initiative!

Educationally Yours,
T.W.T

Trayvon Martin in my class...

Trayvon Martin

I've questioned if and when I should speak to my students about this.  My first instinct was to jump on this and start talking to them about this, however, I had to stop and ask myself three questions.

1. What does this look like in my room?
2. What does this sound like in my room?
3. What does this FEEL like in my room?

Questions 1-2 will generate a particular FEELING, and that's where I want to be careful.

I have a lot of students that look like me.  I have students who look like Trayvon.  I even have students who look like George Zimmerman.  Believe it or not, I'm more concerned with my students who look like George Zimmerman.  Here's why.  My students are at the age where they are making all kinds of generalization about life, based on what's being done and said around them.  They will internalize any emotion that this conversation may evoke.  I don't want my kids to FEEL that their classmates feel a  certain way about them, or that their TEACHER feels a certain way about them, because of the horrible choice George Zimmerman made that day.

I was in fifth grade during Operation Desert Storm.  I went to an Islamic School at the time.  I was not worried about our country losing a war.  I wasn't worried about soldiers or yellow flags.  I was worried about my friends from Iraq not wanting to be friends with me anymore, because I was American.

I haven't fully figured out how to speak about this, without clear and evident emotional attachment.  I have to be objective.   I have talked to one of my boys about how we are judged.  I explained to him that I wouldn't want anything to happen to them, simply because he was judged by how he's DRESSED.

I want this conversation to be much more meaningful than "black unarmed boy gun downed, by white/hispanic male".  I want this to be about the injustice.  Most of my kids' family fled from a country that was full of injustice, and now this.... I want the conversation to be about how we should be cautious, but not quick to judge and demonize others.  I want them to know that regardless of his skin color, Trayvon did not deserve to die. I want them to know that regardless of his skin color, George Zimmerman should be in jail.

I'm going to have a conversation with my Principal about how do we bring this awareness as a SCHOOL. This has to be more than teachers saying this in one classroom, and something else in another classroom.

So, there it is.  I have't talked to them.  This doesn't mean that I will not.  This means that I want it to be appropriate and meaningful.

Educationally Yours,
T.W.T

What I learned from a SECOND grader!

I was teaching my class when somebody from the office staff told me to step out to meet my new student.  I thought to myself, "oh Lord, ANOTHER NEW student".  It was common in this particular district to get a new student in the middle of April, with less than two months left in the academic year.  Reluctantly, I went out and saw this the smallest second grader ever!  He was full of tears.  He was holding on to his mother's legs for dear life.  I introduced myself to him, and his mother told me his name.  He didn't speak a word.  I tell parents to leave crying kids, because the longer the stay, the more they cry.  I took him into the classroom, and showed him to his desk.  I went to my desk and I started working on something.  Did I mention I was a terrible teacher that year?  I don't even own a desk now.  About 10 minutes later, I hear some sniffling behind me.  I turned around, and it was HIM!!  I said, "you're STILL crying?"  How long are you going to cry.  He informed me until his mother came to pick him up.  I said OH NO BUDDY!  My principal knew that I was not going to let him cry ALL day.  I ended up tuning him out after a while.

Dismissal!  Yes, the cry baby is going HOME!  He returned the next day, still crying.  I asked him, "when was the last time you've been to school?".  He said, "a long time".  Well, a long time to a 7 year old could mean ANYTHING.  I said well, if I've been off work for "a long" time and had to go back, I'd probably cry too.  He finally stop crying long enough for me to test his reading.  Surprisingly, he was a GREAT reader!  He was breezing through each level with ease.  He didn't cry any more that day, but I was the only person he would talk to.   He was the most articulate second grader I ever met.  I thought he only spoke cry, but he spoke English very well.   The day ended and this time he gave me a hug and ran to his brother.

After about a week, his personality started to shine.  He was the most caring, respectful, happy, and excited second grader I knew.  He was happy to come to school once he realized it was "ok".  He was always excited and smiling showing off his missing front teeth.  He was excited when he saw his older brother, he was excited when he saw his younger brother, he was excited when he saw his mother, and he was even excited when he saw me.  I mentioned to his mother that he is always excited, and he really makes me smile. We both laughed about how he cried on his first day.  She mentioned that he's always  thankful for whatever she does.  She cooked eggs, and he'd say "YAY EGGS!!" 

Not only was my little cry baby excited and grateful, he was homeless.  At the end of the day, he went to a home that was provided for him.  He wore clothes that were donated to him.  But, he came to school every day with his head held high and a smile on his face.  

I think about him a lot when I have bad days.  I hope he's still that same happy little boy.  

Educationally Yours,

T.W.T

Tray 1 or Tray 4?

It's only Tuesday, but I feel like it's Thursday!  Teacher work HARD!  Today was a good day.  I started the day very sleepy, but still had enough energy to do what I do best (according to me).

Teaching middle school students can be tough.  I've taught kindergarden, second grade, and third grade.  They all are different and tough in some way.  However, middle school is when kids are getting to know who they are and what they will and will not stand for.  So they think...  However, I walked in on a 7th grade class yesterday and was quite intrigued by what I heard.  The teacher was obviously upset.  I only caught the tail end of the conversation, but I did catch, "you haven't learned anything, because you talk too much".  I heard more that I will not repeat.  I was curious as to how the conversation started.  Did the kids complain about not learning?  I always tell my kids to be mad about failing, or about not learning.  Did somebody tell these kids this before?  Were they trying to take a stance, or be disruptive?  I didn't ask any questions, because the situation seemed pretty tensed.  But, we have to teach kids to stand up for the right things.  Teach them to not be a disruptive force, but an effective force against what isn't working for them.

I'll say it.  I absoutuley, under no circumstance, do not like copy machines!!  As copy machines become more technologically advance, they become public enemy #1 to teachers! I often envision myself pulling an "Office Space" on the copy machine in my school.

Today it was the projector!  The projector's bulb when out.  My kids had to learn in a way that they may have never learned before.  I had to write on the board, as they copied and worked hard at listening. Technology was not my friend today!

Educationally Yours,
T.W.T

Are you Smarter Than a 5th Grader? I'm Not.... o_O

Sometimes kids have to know that everything is going to be "ok".  Sometimes my kids get so worked up, and I just have to give that "It'll be ok, I promise", and they calm down.  I took my iPad to school a few weeks ago, and one of my students touched it.  The other kids got so worked up! I explained to them that it was "ok", and it was not a big deal at all.  Just don't drop it!  A student touched the document camera yesterday.  He was actually trying to fix it, and another adult got super worked up.  He started pleading his case, and I told him "It's ok", I understand that he was just fixing it.  I want my students to understand that material things mean absolutely nothing to me.  They are going to be super curious if they see something they don't see often.  They are going to touch things.  They are going to "fix" things.  I remember being a kid, and I wanted to touch the copy machine so bad.  I wanted to staple papers.  I wanted to write under the over head projector on what I called "plastic paper".  And when I did those things, my teachers let me know that it was "ok".

I was driving home after hanging out with a few of my coworkers, and I heard the adhan, the islamic call to prayer.  I immediately went back to being a fifth grader.  I went to a private islamic school for a year.  My father always dreamed of sending me there, and he finally had the means to to do.  This was during his final year with us.  I hardly ever think about my fifth grade year, because that was a difficult time in my life.  However, I thought about it today and tried to remember some of my teachers.  I remembered two.  One, who taught me to speak just a little bit of Arabic, and another who used to let me spend the night at her house on the weekends.  I remembered nothing about my homeroom teacher, except her name.  I didn't remember any of her instructional or management strategies.  I didn't remember anything I learned.  I quote things I learning in 3rd grade all of the time, but nothing from fifth grade.  I talk about how I got a lot of my management ideas from my fourth grade teacher, but nothing from fifth grade.  Although I was going through a difficult time, I can't say my fifth grade teacher impacted me in any way.  I wonder what my kids are going to remember about me.  Am I making an impact?  We don't see the impact right away.  It's when they're 31 and writing a blog that you find out how much of an impact you made, or lack thereof.  Realizing that Sister C didn't make much of an impact in my life, I now understand why I'm not smarter than a 5th grader!

I won't see the kids tomorrow, because we have professional development.  I sure hope they complete their homework!

Educationally Your.
T.W.T