Fabulous Freebies: Ways to Teach with Free Travel Brochures

Since it is almost summer and vacation season, I thought I would share some ideas of what you can do with fun vacation related freebies like travel brochures and other things you can get for free by requesting the through tourist and convention centers.

If you don't have any travel brochures handy here are some resources to get you started:

- Free Visit Orlando Vacation Kit

- Free State of Alaska Vacation Planner

- Free Enjoy Illinois Pack - Can add on highway map and state park guide


Once you get your materials, here are some ways to start using them:

Use brochures to:
- Read for information
- Compare prices and deals
- Compare and contrast different hotels/attractions/or even two different cities
- Compare the city/state to your home town
- Create an itinerary for a set length of time
- Use the brochures as example for your own travel brochure project
- Have students write about why or why they wouldn't want to visit the destination

You can also use the  maps for directions, planning routes, calculating distances and other real world math problems.


If you have any other ideas or ways to use travel brochures in your classroom please share it with us below!

10 Ways Students Can Show Thankfulness in the Classroom

With Thanksgiving coming up next week, I thought now would be a great time to share some ways students can express and practice gratitude and thankfulness in the classroom. I think all teachers know that we don't only teach subjects but social skills as well and thankfulness is key. Here are ten ideas to get started!

1. Write a letter to someone that they are thankful for.

2. Draw a picture of something they are thankful for.

3. Have a classroom food drive or other community service project.

4. Create a graphic organizer brainstorming things they are thankful for.

5. Create a thankful chain by having students write their thanks of strips of paper before connecting them.

6. Research a quote about thankfulness and explain how they understand it.

7. Create a classroom graph of what students in the class are thankful for.

8. Create a top 10 list of things to be thankful for.

9. Read a book about thankfulness.

10. Keep a classroom gratitude journal.

 

 

 

Using Exemplars

Exemplars are incredibly important for showing students what you want them to do--what a high quality piece of work looks like.  I have found time and again that they set the bar for my students.  The first time I give an assignment is always the hardest, but after that it gets easier.  I file away the best ones to use as exemplars when I give the assignment again.

If you are giving an assignment for the first time, though, or are not happy with what students submit, you have a few options.  The first option is to take the time to make your own.  The second option is to use it as an opportunity to revise.  Revisiting assignments and revising them to make them better teaches them to learn from their mistakes and always strive to do better.  The third option is to surf the net for online examples.  Here are a few sites with exemplars...

#1-Online high school exemplars  and elementary exemplars across the core content areas.

#2- The Annenberg Media website has examples of what rigorous foreign language classrooms look like. This website may not have many exemplars to share with students, but there are examples of students engaging in learning to give teachers an idea of what students in a foreign language classroom are capable of.

#3-Online exemplars of work in the arts (drama, visual arts, and music).  When you get on the site type the word art in the search.

A Test Everyone Can Pass

Verbal, logical and intrapersonal.  Those were the three categories where I scored the highest on the Multiple Intelligences Test.  When I gave the same test to my students, their strengths as a class only overlapped in one area.  

If you are like me, you've taken the test and even given it out a few times, but maybe not in awhile.  There are two main reasons to do so, though:

#1: Your students should know that while school targets and rewards certain intelligences over others, everyone has strengths that should be pursued, appreciated and recognized.  Students want to feel successful and be seen as capable.  Giving them this test recognizes that they are capable.

#2: Knowing what your students' strengths are helps us teach better.  Once we know our students' strengths we can create and pursue opportunities where students can shine and show that we appreciate all of our students for the diverse set of strengths they bring to the classroom.  

A couple years ago I attended a workshop with Jeffrey Wilhelm, who has written extensively about literacy, including how to engage the disengaged.  He shared a story about a young boy who would not do a bit of work in the classroom.  During an interview, he told Mr. Wilhelm that if the teacher ever showed a bit of interest in the things that were important to him, that he would return the favor. 

Getting to know our students' multiple intelligences now will interrupt core lessons during crunch time in many of our school year,.  Perhaps this blog post is ill timed coming so late in the school year.  Nonetheless, I feel it is so important, that I decided to write it anyway.  Maybe it will serve as a welcome reminder to some teacher out there of how important it is to take time to see the best in our students.  Take time to enjoy your students.  If this blog entry doesn’t speak to you right now, tuck it away until August when you are planning for 2014-2015.

Using American Sign Language: Top 10 Signs To Teach Your Class

One of the best pieces of advice I received as a new teacher was to use nonverbal cues to direct students.  The veteran teacher leading my professional development session said that it commanded students' attention to teachers gave them a stern look and told them what to do by pointing or gesturing.  I have found over the years that my students tend to respond really well to it.  It actually is a very effective way to direct students without being verbally confrontational.  Students who struggle with auditory instructions or speaking clearly appreciate the visual and kinesthetic form of communication.  Plus, teaching them American Sign Language comes with the added bonus of teaching them another real language while making them more aware of how people communicate when they can't hear.

Many of the signs I use don't even need to be taught; my students seem to just know what I'm saying.  Even if they don't at first, the nonverbal signs seem to peak their interest and they reflect for a moment on their behavior in order to interpret the sign.

Here are ten that I think can come in useful in any classroom.  If your students take to it, there are online dictionaries that can teach you and your students how to say much more.

1) pay attention
2) toilet
3) sit down
4) look
5) wait
6) calm down
7) finished
8) yes
9) no
10) understand

Remembering Mandela

Madiba.  Rolihlahla.  Nelson Mandela.  His life, legacy and the world wide vigil in his honor has captivated me for the past week.  I’ve paused for a week between teaching Things Fall Apart and Hamlet in British Literature to ensure my students realize how historic these days are for South Africa and the world.  Despite varying degrees of prior knowledge, many of them seem captivated along with me. 

So, what is there to teach?  There is the obvious.  There is the history of apartheid and his own personal biography.  More than that, though, are the lessons that he teaches, even posthumously through his words and example.  Here are a list of the first five that come to mind:

1.       Don’t ever quite, even when you feel trapped, alone or condemned.  He puts it this way: "Difficulties break some men but make others. No axe is sharp enough to cut the soul of a sinner who keeps on trying, one armed with the hope that he will rise even in the end."
2.       Nothing is impossible.  Nothing.  In his own words, “It seems impossible until it’s done.”
3.        We are all connected and ought to love one another.  If we can be taught to hate each other, we can learn to love each other as well.  He once said, “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”
4.        We were born to reflect greatness and should not shrink from that responsibility.  During his inauguration speech he quoted Return to Love when he said, “We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.”
5.        We are not defined by where we were born or where life takes us, but our ability to keep on standing despite being knocked down at times.  In Madiba’s words: "Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again."

How do we teach this?  Here is a tic tac toe board you can use to teach your students more about him and the principles he stood for.

Read his online biography and create a timeline.	Create a collage about one of his life’s themes.  Include at least two quotes and five images from his life  and/or country’s history that illustrates the theme.	Write a eulogy for him.
Read excerpts from some of  his speeches and write a reflection on which of his messages you believe teaches the most important lesson.	Design a memorial for him.	Read some of his most famous quotes.  Pick your five favorite and write them into a found poem.
Read about his political career  and create a facebook page.	Read Invictus (his favorite poem) and Return to Love (a passage he read at his inauguration) and put one of them to song.  Perform it.	Write a letter of condolence to his family.

I hope you find this helpful.  If you have any other ideas, please let us know!

Make It Memorable

One of the best pieces of advice I've read lately is to make lessons memorable.  It's so obvious and yet easy to forget when planning a lesson.  There are so many things teachers are supposed to do these days: backwards map, use TAPS, include all learning styles, differentiate, align with the common core, use SMART goals, check for understanding, make lessons culturally relevant, hit all levels of Bloom's taxonomy and the list goes on and on.  So, making it memorable is not always easy to do, nor is it always at the forefront of our mind when planning.  But, when I read those three simple words I thought, right.  This is definitely worth putting in the forefront of my mind when planning.

How does one do that?  Well, here are a top ten list of lessons my students have discussed later because they were memorable:

1) Take them on a field trip.  I take my students to a restaurant to practice ordering food in Spanish.  They are still talking about it the next year.

2) Have them teach the lesson themselves.  Students who can teach it really know it and will be much slower to forget.

3) Incorporate humor.  Some of our strongest memories are tied to strong emotions.  I'm not suggesting that we make our students scared or sad, but making them happy and relaxed enough to laugh will put them in a good mental state.

4) Catch them by surprise.  Want them to practice writing using imagery?  Drop a fish on their desk and have them write with imagery about that.

5) Make it hands on.  Most lesson plans focus on teaching through seeing and hearing, but forget about our kinesthetic learners.  Incorporate all three and they'll remember it better.

6) Put it to music.  I use a song to teach students to conjugate.  They never forget it.

7) Use memory tricks.  Students who are taught using acronyms and sayings usually remember them years later.  Colors of the rainbow?  ROY G BIV (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet).  Order of operations?  Please excuse my dear Aunt Sally (parenthesis, exponent, multiplication, division, addition, subtraction).

8) Go deep instead of wide.  Give it time to sink in.

9) Include all of the senses.  See number 4!  Later this month I'm planning on turning my class room into an tavern/inn when students tell stories Canterbury Tales style, complete with bottles of (root)beer.  My attempt at creating memories.

10) Change up the routine.  The routine is forgettable.  Throwing them a curveball will make a lesson stand out.

Have ideas of your own?  Please share!

The Best Advice I've Ever Received about Teaching Grammar in High School

The best advice I've ever received when it comes to grammar instruction is to: teach it for five minutes a day, follow a cumulative pacing chart and use activities that mirror the ACT.  The pacing chart is roughly as follows:

Capitalization
End Punctuation
Subject/Verb Agreement
Commas
Commas and colons
Dashes and semicolons
Sentence fragments
Run-on sentences
Contractions
Possessives
Verbs and adverbs
Verbs and tenses
Parallel structure
Nouns and pronouns
Sentence structure

Many of the topics above have multiple rules, and are therefore, taught over the course of several weeks.  Every fifth week the rules that weren't mastered are retaught and students are reassessed as needed.  All together, these skills are stretched out over the course of about 35 weeks.

On Mondays students go over the grammar rules for that week and see examples.  On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays they complete short 3-4 question activities like the one pictured below.  These activities have short excerpts from real texts on the left with mechanics mistakes.  On the right are three to four questions with four multiple choice options that correlate to underlined and numbered sections of the passage on the left (just like the English portion of the ACT.  There are  four options and students choose the correct one.  Their work is graded immediately and the rules are reviewed when the class goes over the answers.  On Fridays students are quizzed on the rules for that week.

In addition to review weeks, students are reviewing all the rules they've been taught so far as they appear repeatedly in the weekly ACT-like exercises.  (For example, the first few weeks I have them practice capitalization rules.  The fourth week, I have them practice capitalization and end punctuation.  The fifth week is review.  The sixth week I have them practice capitalization, end punctuation and subject/verb agreement.  And so on and so forth.)  Also, once a rule has been taught, I expect them to apply it when they write.  They must recognize their mistakes and self correct their errors when they edit their papers.

So, why is this the best advice I've ever received?  The first is that you can teach grammar for the first five minutes of class, and it doesn't take over your lessons.  Secondly, students feel successful because it starts with the easy skills and proceeds cumulatively.  Finally, it has been proven to raise students' English ACT scores by several points.

Well, there you have it.  This is one of my best secrets.  I hope that you find it useful too.  If you have any questions, let me know!

ABC's of Encouragement

Brian Tracy, a motivational speaker and author, says, "Whatever we expect with confidence becomes our own self-fulfilling prophecy."  In other words, what we think will happen too often directs our path and becomes a reality, even if it needn't be.  Tied to the development of beliefs is the act of listening.  What we hear, we tend to believe, particularly if it is coming from someone we consider to be a reliable source.  If someone who knows and is supposed to care about us tells us we are going to go to college, we start to believe it.  If that same person says that we are never going to be anything in life, the same is true.  We start to believe that too.

As teachers who spend a significant amount of time with our students throughout the school year, we have the opportunity to speak life into them.  So, I've written an ABC's of compliments.  I'm sure you can think of your own, but this is a good place to start...

Amiable, amazing, adorable, athletic, artistic
Beautiful, bubbly, blossoming
Cool, charming, confident, collegiate, compassionate
Diligent, dependable, deep
Excellent, enchanting, energetic, empathetic
Fabulous, fun, funny, fashionable, friendly, faithful
Generous, giving, good, great, gentle
Honest, honorable
Intelligent, independent
Jolly, jazzy
Keen, kind
Lovable, loyal, likable,
Magnificent, marvelous
Neat, nice
Outstanding
Perfect, practical, profound
Quality
Resilient, receptive
Studious, smart, super
Terrific, talented
Unbelievable
Vivacious
Witty
Xtra special
Youthful
Zany

How to Make Tests Meaningful

I just finished proctoring the second day of the PSAE--the Prairie State Achievement Exam-- a test given to juniors is Illinois.  At the same time, several hundred students in Chicago Public Schools boycotted to protest school closings and, what they say is the over testing of students.  I'm sure many more students--mine included--would have preferred to skip the test along with the boycotters.

Because Lesson Lady and I are committed to keeping our blog focused on providing resources for teachers rather than providing political commentary, I will not comment (though, to be sure, I have strong opinions).  I will say this, though: tests in life are inevitable. And, since tests are so much a part of what we do as teachers, it is imperative that we make them as meaningful as possible.

Therefore, let me offer some tips to help teachers and students make the most of them:

1-Look for growth....We should always be trying to move students to the next level.  That could mean pushing them to apply what they comprehend or evaluate what they can apply.  If they can do something with assistance, the next step is them being able to do it alone.  We are all works in progress.  Looking for growth and recognizing it reinforces this truth.

2-Push/Allow for mastery...Testing students and moving on whether or not they demonstrate mastery is too often a destructive approach to test taking.  What happens if a student does not do well?  Do we move on?  What does that communicate?  That we don't think they will ever get it?  That we don't care whether they get it or not? We should be giving students chances to demonstrate mastery before moving on.

3-Tie grades to skills...Grades should be more skill driven than content driven.  If we are teaching them to memorize and regurgitate facts on tests, then they are not being prepared for the age we live in.  Information is at their finger tips, but what can they do with it?  Skills should be the focal point of the work.

4-Immediate feedback...The quicker students get feedback, the more meaningful it is.  Giving students feedback as soon as they are done is ideal.  In order to help me give them quicker feedback I have them grade their own work, grade each other's work, give them scantron tests that can be scored immediately, use smart boards and educational applications to obtain and graph students responses instantaneously, conduct students conferences, etc.

5-Prepare them...Students need to be prepared to take exams.  Exams that are sprung on students often result in poorer outcomes, especially for students with test taking anxiety.  Test students on what you've taught them and have them practice using the testing format so they are familiar with what to do.

6-Don't make everything about the test...There is a fine line between encouraging students to take it seriously and encouraging students to take it too seriously.  As teachers we walk that tightrope, relying on our knowledge of our students to do so.  If tests only serve to make our students feel unintelligent, than they are not useful to anyone.

7-Make them part of the process...Have students help write rubrics and exam questions when possible.  If they can think like a test maker, they will become better test takers.

8-Assess in multiple ways...Use multiple ways to assess what students know.  Assessments can be oral reports, projects, exit tickets, etc..  Part of differentiation is the product students generate.

9-Allow them to track their own growth...Have students keep track of their growth through reflections, grade sheets and the like.  It makes their learning more meaningful when they can see their own progress.

10-Use data to guide instruction...enough said!

Best wishes as we enter into May and the final stretch!

Free Reward & Incentive Ideas for the Classroom

Even though I teach K-12 and do many things differently for each age group, one thing remains the same. I encourage positive behavior with rewards & incentives. This is something that is encouraged throughout my school. Some classes have prize buckets, some classes have privileges that students can earn, and more. One thing I firmly believe, however, is that rewards and incentives don't have to cost a lot of money, if any. Here are some free ideas of ways to provide rewards & incentives for your students.

Free Rewards Students Can Earn in Class

- Allow students to use the comfy teacher chair for the class period or day
- Students can buy time to use the computer appropriately
- Free homework pass
- Spend time or eat lunch with a staff member (if it's not you, make sure that it's okay with them!)
- Pick a game to play with a peer
- Visit or help out another class
- Choose your spot in line for the day
- Listen to music while working on an assignment
- Have a set amount of free time to draw, write, etc...
- Earn extra credit points
- Extra gym time by joining another class

Free Rewards for a Prize Bucket

 - Save your fortune cookies from a Chinese restaurant
- Bookmarks (I find that I get some of these for free in the mail that look attractive to kids)
- Save cute soaps from a hotel (The kids loved little Mickey soaps I saved after visiting Florida!)
- Ask parents to donate small toys from kids' meals
- Samples you may get in the mail (cereal bars, gum, etc...)
- Save small little gift bags/boxes from gifts that are in good shape

Parent Appreciation Day

Recently my grandmother spent time in a hospital, and later a nursing home, recovering from an accident.  It was during my spring break, so fortunately I was able to spend a lot of time with her.  During her stay I found myself feeling very protective and opinionated, while still trying to develop a positive working relationship with the staff.  I was constantly reminded that there were some parallels between her care providers and myself: 1) we were trained in providing an important service 2) our jobs are made easier and our work more effective when we view the family involvement of those we work with as an asset 3) we work with families who love for those we work with and are looking to see that we care their loved ones, as well.

So, I began thinking about how I interact with my students' parents and little things I can do to deliberately express an appreciation for them.  Did you know that the 4th Sunday of every July is Parent Appreciation Day?  I did not.  I guess it is usually eclipsed by the days we dedicate to fathers and mothers, individually.  Still, two of these three days tend to fall during the summer when interactions with parents have dropped off.  So I say, who needs a day?  Here are my top ten ways to show parents/guardians how important they are throughout the year.


1) Is your school hosting a PTSA meeting this spring?  Have students leave notes for their parents showing appreciation for  those things their parents do to support their education, teach them and help them grow.  Pass them out to parents as they arrive.

2) Have students read stories about parent/child relationships.  Then have them write their own real life stories about themselves and their parents.

3) Host a luncheon or some other reception for the parents.  Get the students involved by having them hand out certificates to the parents.  If parents can't come, have students invite people who support them, including staff.

4) Ask students about their parents and always speak positively about them.  I have found that even students who have been abused will turn around and brag about their parents weeks later.  It is important for children's self esteem to see the good in their parents, no matter what.  Criticizing our students' parents is off limits.  Period.

5) Call home with good reports and let parents know they can and should be proud of their kids and how they've raised them.

6) See involvement as an asset.  It is easy to forget sometimes when parents get defensive why they are doing it: love and concern.  We may not agree with they say or do all of the time, but involvement almost always equals a more engaged, successful child.

7) Turn writing assignments, arts projects and the like into gifts to take home to parents.

8) Be mindful of the little things....saying hello when you see them, smiling, thanking them, asking how they are doing, taking the initiative to go and greet them when you cross paths, etc.  The little things--how you react when they are around you--speak volumes.

9) Teach your students about the 5 love languages (acts of service, affection, words of encouragement, gifts and quality time).  Encourage them to express their love and appreciation for their parents in different ways.  Not only will this show appreciation for the parents, but it will make students more interpersonally aware.

10)  Have students write letter to their parents.  Mail them out over the summer in time for Parent Appreciation Day.

Websites to Reference When Teaching English

I have a pinterest board dedicated to useful teaching websites.  Here is a list of my favorite ones to use with my English classes...

This blog was actually created for couples planning their wedding.  But, I pinned it because it has addresses of a bunch of well known people.  I thought it might be fun to reference and  use to write letters to famous people with your students.  The blog has addresses for the queen, JK Rowling and many more.

Poem Hunter will provide you with the poems from any number of poets.  I use it all the time.  Whenever I need to find a poem it is the first place I look.  I has short bios on a ton of well known poets along with online texts of their writings.  It is very handy.

Prezi.com is a website that allows students to make cooler versions of power points.  It takes them a class period or so to play around with it and figure out how to use all of the tools, but once they know how, they love it.  They can add videos, pictures, objects, colors, themes and pretty much everything else that they can do with powerpoint.  But, the visual effects are unique and fun to play around with.  They can save them online and share them with anyone who has an email address.  It is definitely worth checking out.

6 + 1 Writing Traits  is a well known writing teaching and assessment framework.  The title refers to the traits in writing that we want all of our students to develop over time.  The common language is useful in aligning teachers across contents and grade levels to provide united expectations of students.






Writing Fix and English Companion are websites that have a ton of resources for teaching writing and reading.  They include strategies, graphic organizers, etc.  They have a wealth of information and are worth perusing.

Finally, Grammar Bytes  has a wealth of grammar activities to help reinforce grammar rules with yours students.  The sentences are fun and contemporary.

Compilation of Helpful Teacher Articles & Resources

Here is a compilation of our teacher articles & resources we have compiled over the past year on our blog! They are compiled by subject area to make it easy to find the resources you need.

Technology Tips

Ways to Use Technology in the Classroom
Great Websites for Teachers to Bookmark
More Great Websites for Teachers to Bookmark
Photo Editing Project Idea
Favorite Pinterest Finds
Publishing Students' Writing
Creative Based Websites for Teachers

Interactive Learning Tips

Tips on Using Games in Class
Using Movement in the Classroom
Hands on Learning for All Subject Areas
Cross Curricular Art Lesson Ideas
Art Across the Curriculum
Ways to Give in Your Classroom
Math & 3-D Snowflake Tutorial
Sensory Stimulation Through Art

Getting To Know Your Students

Making Time to See Your Students
Giving Students Choices
Social/Emotional Goals in the Classroom

Just for Teachers

Having Down Days in Class
Getting Support in Your School
Good Classroom Investments
Summer School Teaching Tips
Earning Extra Money
Teacher Reading Suggestions
Vacationing With Students in Mind
Organizing Your Classroom with Cheap Containers
Parent Teacher Conference Tips
Building Community & Family Interactions
Bouncing Back After a Bad Day

Teaching Tips, Etc...

Having a Plan for Downtime
The Importance of Having Fun in Class
Making Your Classroom 'Cool'
Using Laughter in Your Classroom
How Parents Can Help Their Students
The Importance of Using Exemplars
Checks for Understanding
Creating Culture & Purpose in Your Classroom
Helping Students that Struggle with Vocabulary
Encouraging Gratitude in Your Classroom
Teaching Students to Self Assess
Teaching Text Structure
Giving Students Second Chances
Helping Older Students Who Struggle to Comprehend

Celebrations

First Day of Class Ideas
Earth Day Year Round in Your Classroom
How to Wrap Up the End of the Year
Dressing Up for Halloween
Celebrating the Holidays in Your Classroom

Favorite Creative Based Websites for Teachers

I love using the internet to inspire creative ideas and find unique lesson plans and classroom ideas. Here are some of my favorite sites that inspire my creative and help me plan hands on, artistic lessons for my students.

Most of you have probably already discovered Pinterest but since it is one of my favorite sites for creative ideas, it is at the top of my list. Pinterest is a wonderful place to share creative ideas and find new ones. Following other teachers with similar classes helps me get great ideas and I have gotten many compliments on lessons that I have used that were inspired by Pinterest. If you haven't used Pinterest yet, I highly recommend you check it out!

I also love the art lessons available on Dick Blick's art website. Although the lessons are intended to advertise the products they sell, you can use what you have available to you in your classroom and substitute materials as needed for most projects. If you teach social studies and need a lesson to tie into a particular culture, there are wonderful resources for that on the site as well. I love that many of the art lessons also have video instructions that are very clear and make it easy to follow along.

Artsonia bills itself as the "world's largest kids' art museum" and that statement isn't too much of an exaggeration! On Artsonia you can post your students' artwork online for free. As you continue to add artwork to your site, students develop an online art portfolio. You can either use students' first names or have your students create user names for the site. Also, if parents or guardians love their child's artwork they may wish to purchase it on a t-shirt or some other item as well. If this happens, your school will get 15% of the proceeds! It is very easy to use and although it can be a little time consuming, it is very rewarding and I have gotten many compliments when using it. Students also love seeing how many people have viewed their artwork!

If you have not tried Discovery School's Puzzlemaker, that is an easy way to make learning fun in your classroom. They have many different puzzles you can customize and use in your classroom. I have used them many times and my students have enjoyed the results. The puzzles are great for reviewing vocabulary or for giving to fast finishing students as well.

I hope you enjoy some of the creative ideas that can be found in the websites above and hope you discover something new!

Try, Try Again

I operate under the belief that we are all works in progress.  Each day I walk into the classroom is a new day for me and my students.  Ideally, life is a process of self improvement.  Nobody is perfect and that is why we should exercise grace and patience with each other as we go through our own journey of discovery.  This is what I believe.  Does this belief come through in teaching, though?

If we are to sit down and think about this we might realize that we too often send the wrong message to students,  Giving them assignments, projects and tests without the opportunities to improve on them sends a message we do not want or need our young people to learn, especially those who struggle.  When they fail an assignment and we don't give them a second opportunity to do better, they receive one or two terrible messages.  The first is that they can't do better.  They tried.  They failed.  Now it is time to move on without them.  The other message it sends is that the objectives being assessed are not important enough to revisit.

Graduate students work on portfolios and dissertations that go through a lengthy process of drafting and editing.  They are not allowed to graduate until their final project is worthy.  Why don't we do this with younger students?  What can we do to send a different message?  How do we communicate that what we are teaching is important and that them understanding the content and skills is crucial?

I have a few suggestions: 1) Allow students to take pretests and retakes.  Doing this allows them to see what they do not know and study to do better.  2) Whenever possible, have them revise their writing assignments so they get used to writing drafts to show improvement.  3) Center your lessons around key objectives and allow students opportunities to demonstrate mastery and the ability to track their own growth.

Bouncing Back After a Bad Day

Recently my school had a rough day, probably the most difficult of the year so far. Many students had rough issues that took a lot of time, staff, and outside resources to help deal with it. Students that did not have issues that day were visually disturbed and saddened by the day's events. However, as the week must go on we had to bounce back from that day and turn it around for the next. Here are some ways both staff and students helped turn this week around.

1.  Praise the Positive - At the end of the day at my school each class takes time to reflect on the day and send praise to people that made positive choices. Even if your class does not normally do this it may be particularly important to take time to reflect on a rougher day. Praise the students that made positive choices and kept calm throughout the day's events. You could also give students the option of praising each other for making positive choices.

2. Start Again - Remind yourself (and possibly your students!) that tomorrow is a new day and it's normal to have a bad day once in a while. One bad day does not mean things will go wrong all the time. If you talk to your students or individual students, remind them that this is an opportunity to start over and encourage them to take advantage of that.

3. Get Support - In the past we have written an article on why it is important to get support from your colleagues and family/friends. That is particularly important after a rough day. Talk out the events and come to terms with what happened.

4. Reflect - Not everything that happens in the classroom is something we can control. However, sometimes we can make changes that can make a difference in the future. Reflecting on what happened and if anything can be prevented or changed in the future is one way to help turn your week around.

5. Take a Break - After a particularly rough day, don't spend the rest of the evening only thinking & talking about what happened. It's very necessary to take a break and do something not related to school to help take your mind off things. Try to get plenty of rest so you will feel more refreshed and ready to start the day tomorrow.

We all have bad days from time to time. How do you handle it? Let me know in the comments below.

Social/Emotional Goals in the Classroom

Philosopher Martin Buber once said, "Education worthy of the name is essentially education of character."  We spend so much time talking about test scores that we often forget to talk about the stuff that really matters.  What do employers say they are looking for?  ACT scores?  Reading scores?  I'm not saying that academics do not matter, but the way our students learn to conduct themselves in society speaks volumes about them and effects the opportunities that come their way.  And those are just the extrinsic motivators.

Too often the only time attention is paid to students' mental/emotional well-being, the discussion has been spurred by tragedy.  Do we really need to wait for that, though, before we prioritize it?  

Looking for ways to incorporate it?  Here is my top 10 list:

1) Check out this list of 40 assets.  They are a researched list of internal and external  assets students can have in their life that have been shown to help them succeed.  There are 8 categories, and most all of them have assets that we can help develop as educators.

2) Incorporate real life issues into the curriculum.  (Note: This approach is designed especially for "at risk students.")

3) Teach them what employers look for.  Teach them what those traits look like and sound like.  Have them self assess how they come across to others.

4) February is Friendship month.  Celebrate it with your students.

5) Be aware of your students' emotional health.  While we are not qualified to diagnose or treat serious issues and should not try, it is good to be aware of the warning signs.  If your students are old enough, it might be good to have them go through some self assessments.  There are a lot of surveys available online for free.

6) Use novel studies to allow students to discuss issues in the third person.  

7) Have students work in groups.  Learning team work is an invaluable skill.

8) Familiarize yourself with the national social and emotional learning standards.

9) Use journals to help students work through issues with complex answers.  Use interactive journals to make it a social exercise.

10) Incorporate minds on learning tips.