Saturday, August 10, 2013

7 Habits + The Cup Song + Oak Hill Staff = Funny Stuff!!!!

Our staff members are in the middle of our Leader in Me training, as we completed the first day on Thursday.  Days two and three will take place next week.  I am absolutely LOVING it!!!!!!!  I love learning new ways to empower our kiddos!  I have been so disheartened with our current climate of test - test - test - and test some more!  Ugh!  I'm so thankful that we are being encouraged to "educate the whole child," and help each one of them find their gifts!  Great stuff!  Not once did our facilitator ask us to analyze any data or complete any graphs and charts!  Yeah!  That's definitely a win-win!

We've been brainstorming the best ways to start our new year with our Wildcats while teaching them about the 7 Habits.  There are some verrrrrrrrry creative teachers in my building!  Love it!! Let's hear it for the right-brainers!  Here's what we have come up with so far...
Our school community will begin each day in the gym with a morning meeting.  This morning meeting will be led by our students!  Cool, huh?
  

All of our staff members are going to attempt - yes, attempt - to "perform" The Cup Song (Leader in Me version!) for our first morning meeting on Wednesday.  (It's okay if you're laughing!  I understand!)

It should be a lot of fun, indeed!
Think we can do it?  It will be a blast trying!




One of my projects today was to finish a bulletin board outside my classroom.  I have most of it done.  I combined two things I love - Duck Dynasty and The 7 Habits!

Here's the finished product:
"The 7 Habits make us "Happy Happy Happy!"  I know what you're wondering - yes, I added "Jack" after each of the habits!

I'm thinking I may have used a little too much duct tape...



Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Choosing Gratitude...

It’s the end of July, and I’m tired. I want a vacation.  I want to squish my toes in the sand.  I want to hear the waves crashing, smell the salty air, and think about nothing else.  Oh yeah, I want to eat fresh crab legs. Well, that’s not happening, at least not this summer.  I haven’t had a week off yet, and I’m feeling it. Big time.  My summer days have been filled with... wait for it... work!

It has been an exhausting summer, but a great one!  I have worked with my eLeaders throughout the summer months, as we traveled to several tech conferences in which they taught teachers techie tools!   What a blessing to be a part of it! I will save those details for another post, because there’s just so much to share about those amazingly talented kiddos... I’m thankful those kiddos are supported by a group of parents whose energy is boundless, as they never stop asking, “What can we do to help?” It still overwhelms me. 


Today, despite my exhaustion, I’m choosing gratitude. I have several hours of work staring at me in order to prepare for the next conference - #GCCC13 - in two days, but I’m thankful.  I’m thankful that my summer has been full of purpose - full of new learning, new connections, new tech tools, (a Chromebook and a Windows Tablet!) new adventures, and I’m grateful for that. 

Saying “thank you” has been on my mind a lot lately. I think it’s because I’m reading Gary Vaynerchuk’s, “The Thank You Economy.” I love his forward-thinking analysis of the social media platform and where it’s forcing us to go.  We really don’t spend enough time or energy on “thank you,” do we?  I know I sure don’t, but I’m working on it.



Tonight, as I stare at the endless list of tasks that await me, I choose to be thankful.



I’m thankful for my mom and dad, who are blessings far beyond what words can describe.


I’m thankful for special friends to whom I can “vent,” because sometimes, I just gotta do it!


I’m thankful for Caleb, and for Photobooth silliness! 

I’m thankful for a principal who listens to me and supports me in all my wacky, outside-the-box thinking!   She knows I like to push the envelope and it's okay.



I’m thankful for Gary Vaynuchuk and YouTube. Together. 

I’m thankful for chocolate. Nuff said. 

I’m thankful for my gifted students, who let me learn from them every day. I sure don’t feel worthy to call myself their teacher, but I go with it anyway! 

I’m thankful for the comic relief that Sheldon Cooper provides. 


I'm thankful for my PLN in the Twitterverse.  Every single day.

I’m thankful that this list could go on and on... 



What are you thankful for?

Sunday, July 14, 2013

My 4th Grade Teacher Met My 4th Graders...

I always love eRev...
It's always a highlight of my summer of elearning!

This year was no exception.  My eLeaders just knocked it out of the park again in the Digital Playground!  We love teaching teachers!  I'll share some fun stories during eRev13 in another post.  Stay tuned!

In all my years of teaching, I've taught all grade levels K - 8th.
Since I've been at Oak Hill, I've always felt so blessed to teach 4th graders!  Nine-year-olds are just a blast!  I love watching them grow, change, and mature throughout every school year.  I love their honesty, and I appreciate the fact that they challenge me and push me to me better than the day before.  If I'm not - they definitely let me know.

While we were playing in the Media Center/Digital Playground during eRev13, my 4th grade teacher, Mr. Richmond, came in to visit!  Imagine my surprise when I saw him!  Wow!  He shared with me that he will be entering his 42nd year of teaching!  Wowzers!  

Of course, I had to grab him and my kiddos and take a picture!


My 4th grade teacher, along with my 4th graders!!!
7.11.13

What a magical moment!  How many teachers today get to introduce their teachers to their students?

Thanks, eRev!  Just another blessing among many that occurred this week...

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Saying Good-bye...

Wednesday, May 22, 2013
A difficult day, indeed...

This class has been knock-your-socks-off amazing.  They let me take so many risks.  We thought outside the box.  Heck, half the time, we got rid of the box and that was a BLAST!!!!  This class is filled with eager learners, risk takers, and compassionate leaders.  Seriously.








I have a sad heart, because I'm going to miss these kiddos so much.  I made them promise to come back and visit me next year!  I will soon be writing them personal notes of thanks and mailing them.  I needed some time to reflect on the year and think about the message I want to send to each of them.  I'm so proud of the leaders they have become.  They took a lot of tests, and I guess i could talk about how thrilled I am with their scores, but that is less important to me.  It's the character of this class that blows me away.  They are a team and they look out for each other.  There is no bullying in our room - we sink or swim together.  They believed it and lived it.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Math Slam... Have you heard of it?

There are Poetry Slams, so why not Math Slams?  

Have you heard of a Math Slam?  Probably not, because I made it up!

My students are each taking a turn at being the teacher in these final weeks of school!  They are picking from a long list of math concepts we've learned this year... After choosing their topic, they prepare a short lesson and teach the rest of us!  

Some topics include:
Comparing & Ordering Fractions
Place Value
Long Division
Adding and Subtracting Decimals
Elapsed Time

So far, they are having a blast with it!  They are very creative teachers indeed!  I have enjoyed being the student along with them in our final days together.  We all add the new notes to our "Super Mathematician Notebooks," and then I am ready to send them on their way to 5th grade!  Ok, well, I'm not actually ready to send them on, but I'll cross that bridge when I must.


Friday, April 19, 2013

Poem in Your Pocket Day 2013
What a fun day we had yesterday!  After school, we headed out to various businesses in our community with one simple task: give away poems!
We worked in teams at 4 locations and gave away over 600 poems!  Wowzers!



 I say it all the time, but these kiddos are simply amazing.  We received so many compliments from people.  It was so fun! 




















We wrote, copied, and wrapped more than 600 poems!





4th GRADERS ROCK!!  


To see more pictures, visit our site by clicking here.



Friday, February 22, 2013

My CV...

A couple of my students gave this to me yesterday...  I think it could be my Curriculum Vitae... What do you think?  I mean, who else would have the "Harlem Shake" mixed with Ron Clark, UK Basketball, and Maya Moore on a resume?  I'm going with it...

#ilovemyjob
#4thgradersROCK!






Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Parent Pinterest Pack!

So... I was procrastinating today on grading some math papers... not an unusual occurrence  for me, by the way...

I started thinking about all the projects I still want to do with my kiddos before the end of the year.  We have Dr. Seuss' birthday, Earth Day, and Poem in Your Pocket Day, just to name a few!

As my head swam, I began to think about how in the world I was going to get it all done. Well, alone, I can't.  




I make it no secret that I'm not a fan of Pinterest; it's just not organized enough for me.  I'll just leave it at that.  I fully recognize, however, that there are tons of fantastic ideas found on Pinterest that can be used in the classroom.  Well, I decided that I need to rely on these AMAZING  parents I have that are Pinterest users, and seek their help!

So, 
"Parent Pinterest Pack" was born.

It is my hope that our page can be a place where we organize our thoughts, post cool links/ideas, and determine teams to get it all done.  I'm super excited about it, so much so that I'm sharing it on the same day I've launched it!  I just added it to my class Weebly site and set it up as a blog - easy peasy.


Here it is -  "Parent Pinterest Pack."


I have asked for feedback from parents. So far, they like it.  I'm sure we will make changes as we go.  I'm always a fan of a techie tool when you can use it WITHOUT  usernames, passwords, etc.

Let me know what you think after you take a look at it, as well as suggestions for improvement.

Now, back to those math papers...

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Thankful...


(All pics used with permission.)


Today I was looking through all the pictures I've taken this year in my classroom - I'm up to almost 350!  (It's only February!  Yikes!)


I'm making a video for my students of this year's memories.  I worked on it for a few hours today.  I can't scroll through these pictures without tears.  I know I've been doing this teaching gig for 17 years, but this year has included more "firsts" for me than any other year. 




The kiddos in my room are unbelievable. 

They step up to every single challenge before them and knock it out of the park - every time.
More than any other year, I have taken risks and tried new ideas (thanks to my truly gifted PLN on Twitter!) - some have soared - some have flopped!  With each new adventure, my kiddos are right there with me.  The best part?  They're completely honest about the new things we try.  I love that.  (They never hesitate to let me know when I've made a mistake on a video, too!  I think that's cool!)










One of our most recent challenges just happened a few days ago...
Last week, we received a new student.  We had planned to exchange our valentines the very day the new student would join us; I had less than 24 hours to prepare for the student's arrival.  Not a big deal, really, but I was worried she wouldn't have any valentines.  I emailed my families and asked that they share with their 4th graders that we'd have a new student the following day, etc.  The next morning, the students arrived with letters, cards, valentines, etc.  Wowzers!  I read a few of them, and was so touched by their thoughtfulness.  At the end of the new student's first day, she shared that she'd had a wonderful day, and felt like she "belonged;" her mom said the same.  I told my kiddos yet again how proud I was of them.  They stepped up!  I knew they would.

This class will always hold a special place in my heart, because they let me take risks, and they let me learn right along with them.  They email me, tell me, write me post-its, and share freely what works and what doesn't.  We work hard and play hard.  We laugh and we love.  They are precious beings and I'm blessed every day to be with them.  I'm so thankful.  Can't wait to see that video!

Monday, January 28, 2013

Parents as Partners...



I believe it’s no coincidence that the words parents and partners share many of the same letters. When I reflect on the role parents serve in the education of our children, I see them as my partners in this journey. A New Wave of Evidence, a report from Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, revealed that regardless of family income or background, students with involved parents are more likely to: earn higher grades and test scores, be promoted, pass their classes, attend school regularly, have stronger social skills, graduate, and go on to postsecondary education. Educators and parents alike know this. I would suggest we devote some time to reflect on what “involved” partners look like inside our schools.
“Involved” parents cannot be viewed as those charged with managing the next fundraiser or working the concession stand at the basketball game. I would challenge that they are, instead, viewed as decision-makers, advocates, cheer leaders, strategists, leaders, change agents, experts, and partners. No one knows our students better; we will meet no stronger ally for the health and well-being of the young people we see each day.How can educators strengthen our partnerships with parents? John Maxwell’s words, “People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care,” provide a foundation on which we can build this partnership when we greet each new school year. It’s true for students, parents, and all school personnel. Simply: it’s about relationships. In strengthening our relationships with one another, communication is key. It’s far too easy to say that if we create opportunities to communicate, then we have achieved our goal. We must provide opportunities for our partners to truly have a voice in the process.


My passion for technology in the 21st century classroom is the lens through which I view 
education today.  In this electronic age in which we live, we are educating our students - digital natives - for occupations that don’t yet exist.  How do we best prepare our young people for such endeavors?   As educators and parents, we cannot do it alone.  Technology is an obvious tool that we must utilize to connect us to one another.  Quite simply, educators and families must get plugged in and stay connected.  In addition to our class website, www.beardsbrains.com, our blog, Flipping for 4th, http://flippingfor4th.blogspot.com/, and our class Twitter account, @beardsbrains, I use a lengthly list of techie tools to connect with families: Remind101, smart phone texting, email, Wallwisher, Facebook, and weekly newsletters in dual formats: digital/hard copies.  I will soon host Skype hours starting in February, during which parents and students can contact me after school.  I participate in weekly evening Twitter chats: #4thchat, (4th Grade Chat) #flipchat, (Flipped Classroom Chat) and #ptchat, (Parent/Teacher Chat).  Twitter chats consist of lively discussions with colleagues all across the globe; this digital Personal Learning Network provides incredibly powerful opportunities for us to share strategies and learn from each other.  I cannot imagine being a teacher without being plugged in, connecting, and building relationships digitally. 



My goal is to continually make our classroom as transparent as possible, and reveal as much as I can on our class website.   Parents are invited to experience our learning digitally, through various projects, blogs, pictures, tweets, etc.  The numerous videos on our site allow families to “see” my teaching as well.  Additionally, I seek feedback via digital surveys periodically; students love to tell parents that THEY have homework!  Here's an example of a survey.



Parents have skills and abilities that must be recognized and honored; for example, in September, 2012, I invited Dr. James MacLeod, parent and History Professor at UE, to visit us and explain the process he followed when he recently became a U.S. citizen; he helped us honor Constitution Day by providing a personal connection.  Check out our pictures from the event.  Another parent serves as a substitute teacher when I am absent.  Parents are partners after school when my Oak Hill eLeaders meet weekly.  One parent assists in downloading new software, as that is her expertise.  Families join us for our after-school sessions periodically and learn new fun, techie tools!  We’re building technology leaders together.


We all have the same goal; we must provide the greatest possible opportunities for our students to become healthy, successful life-long leaders and learners in an ever-changing global economy.  We can reach that goal by communicating, collaborating, and staying plugged in
to one another.  Why?  Our students don’t care how much we know until they know how much we care.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Kid President

Ok. This is one cool kid.
 We can all learn a few lessons from him. I will definitely be sharing his wisdom with my kiddos!


Check him out:





Check out his web site here.

He's also on Twitter: @iamkidpresident 




Thursday, January 24, 2013

It's not about the ducks...



Ok.  I have a confession.  I love Duck Dynasty.  Seriously.  I've seen every episode more times than I want to admit.  Oh yeah, I actually own the first two seasons on DVD.  (Thanks, Amazon!)  I love, love, love the Duck men.  I want the bobble heads, too.  True story.

Except for some occasional news, Big Bang Theory, and UK basketball, I rarely watch TV; however, I can't get enough of the Robinson family.  Uncle Si and Willie are my favorites; I think everyone should have an Uncle Si of some sort!  I also love the wisdom of Phil.  Okay... I just love all of them.  If you haven't watched it, give it a try.  You will laugh - guaranteed.

Here's the thing:  this amazing family started their business based on ducks.  The Robinson family members are now famous because of ducks.  Their company is called "Duck Commander."  The title of their program on A&E causes you to think you're going to watch a television show that has something to do with ducks... however - the show is not about ducks.  Gotta say it again - it's not about the ducks.

I've thought about my latest TV obsession as it relates to my classroom.  I have had some conversations recently with colleagues about flipping.  There's no question that "flipping a classroom" continues to gain popularity in education circles and think tanks around the globe.  Everyone wants to talk about the videos; I get that.  I'm even guilty sometimes of talking too much about the videos.  Here's the lesson: it's not about the videos.

Most of us who are "flipping" would agree, I think, that we never want to return to "the old ways" before we experienced the powerful learning that we see every day.  It's truly a beautiful thing to witness a classroom be transformed when the teacher stops standing in the front of the room all day!

So... if it's not about the videos, then what is it about?

Based on my experiences with my 4th graders this year, I think it's about a few of these things:

Relationships - they look out for each other and encourage each other.  We're all in this together.

Collaboration - students work together, reflect, process, question, research... because there's time for it!  I love to hear the questions they ask each other.  One day, a few of them debated whether a square could be a rectangle, and whether a rectangle could be a square.  There's more time now for phrases that begin, "I wonder..."

Acceptance - students work in different groups every day based on their levels of understanding and what they need to work on.  It's okay.  We don't make assumptions when peers are in the "advanced" group.  Wherever you are today, it's okay.

Student engagement - they are working.  Not playing in their desks, not daydreaming, not playing with their pencils, not drawing, not staring out the window...

Student ownership and reflection - the survey every night asks them to reflect on how well they "get it."  Now that we are in our routine, they no longer answer the survey questions in an attempt to please me.  They're honest.  When they don't "get it," they let me know.

Risk-taking - a few students who were former introverts have transformed into extroverts!  That has been so cool to see.  Students who have never raised a hand in class are now volunteering to "give it a try" when working with others on tough problems.

Communication - the blog has allowed students to ask questions when they get confused.  It has also allowed them to offer insights and opinions and communicate with each other outside the regular school day.  I love that.  The surveys also provide the opportunity for them to share their thoughts and reflections.




It's a process... every day.  We still have work to do.  It's not perfect, but it's pretty amazing.  For me, it's not about the videos.

I still don't think it's about the ducks, either.