[Classroom Management] Campfire

I've mentioned before that I use the television show NCIS for inspiration--especially my name and my classroom rules (current list here). One time I mentioned "calling a campfire," but I didn't really explain it. 

I will 'splain.  There is too much, I will sum up...

There is a character on NCIS named Dinozzo. At one point in the season he was in charge of the team because "Boss" was in trouble for being a kamikazee rogue agent.  When Dinozzo needs to talk to the team, he says "campfire" and they gather up.  This is how I get my Poodle-heads' attention when I need to talk to them about something serious.

Example?  Why sure!
One time, someone from another class came in to tell me that my homeroom was taking part in bullying another student.  I called a campfire, they sat right down, and we talked.  I don't know for sure why it works like it does, but when I say campfire, they just gather right up.  They seem to understand that it is time to be serious even though I haven't exactly said that.

Another example?  Of course!
During one campfire someone tried to make a joke after I had clearly "called campfire," and the other students shushed him and said "don't you know that means she's serious????"

The very best example?  Here it comes!
Something even better happened yesterday.  J. came up to me and said "Boss, we think we need a campfire." He was a quiet, and a little shy about it.  At first I didn't understand.  "You need a campfire?" I asked him. "Ummmm. Yeah. We think we do."

I walked over to the rest of the group and they were already sitting in a campfire (sort of a circle-ish shape formed by sitting in their desks in the right places) and waiting for me.

J: We were wondering why you seemed kind-of-maybe-unhappy-or-angry-or-something today..."
Me: [pause]
Class: [pause--wondering how I will react]
Me: I guess I'm still frustrated from the stuff that happened here on Friday.  It wasn't a very good day and I'm trying to make sure it doesn't happen again, so I guess I'm kind of serious.
Class: Hm.
Me: And, I'm tired.  It was a good weekend.  Did you all have a good weekend?
Class: [showing relief--tells stories about weekend]

What do I think happened here?  I think they showed me a few things.  First, they reminded me that they need me to be on and present and with-it.  Their world needs that. They also showed me that they understand the procedure of "campfire" more clearly than I knew.  I started using it on a whim (like many things I do). I didn't explain the procedure of how it would be used because I didn't know myself.  I didn't over use it, and viola!  It took on a life of it's own.  It became a way to say "we need to talk," and they used it as a way to talk to me yesterday.

It was a good moment.



Goal Progress: 6/20

[Classroom Management] Offsides

Recently I had to institute the offsides rule in my classroom.  Granted, I don't fully comprehend the rule, and, as I am wont to do, I have adjusted it to meet my needs.  Life is so much easier when you can make things mean what you want them to mean.

My lamby-pie that seeks attention in every way imaginable still needs protection from the angry mob on occasion (okay, all the time), One day I was having trouble keeping one eye on him and one eye on the other fifteen schmoopies in my class.  Attention-seeking lamby-pie was practically sneaking behind my back and jumping up and down in his efforts to get punched in the face, and I didn't think I was going to be able to keep it from happening (again).

I called out to the other schmoopies that I was instituting the "offisides rule" and gave a brief explanation.  Basically, I just said they had to keep me in between them and attention-seeking lamby-pie at all times.  I kept my eyes on the lamby-pie and the schmoopies took the new rule seriously.  Whichever way I moved, they moved to keep me in front of them. 

Okay, I'll admit, it was kind of fun.  I even squeezed them into a corner at one point.  Why?  Because they let me.


Goal Progress: 5/20 (slow-going, eh?)

Quote of the Week #19

In the midst of talking to the class about something vitally important (to me), I hear a low-level ruckus.  I look up, see the cause of the ruckus, pause, ponder, and say...

"So... Kiddo A... Whatcha doin' in the trashcan, buddy?"

He looked up, shrugged, and went back to his desk.

Goal Progress: 4/20

[Random] Mamas

In honor of Mother's Day (today is Mother's Day in Mexico, so I am NOT late), and the birthdays of two amazing mother-figures, I would like to dedicate this post to my Mama and my Aunt J.

It's true, I may have been born sassy.  Without the proper care and role-modeling though, I would never have been able to hone my sassiness into what it is today without the love and care of my Mama and my Aunt.  Perhaps it took both of them to teach me this level of skill, perhaps they needed to trade off in order to keep from pulling their own hair out, perhaps it didn't appear to be sass at the time, but more... mule-headed-ness.

Whatever the actual details, I am certain that these two amazing women were instrumental in teaching me and showing me how to be strong as I take care of my students.  They most certainly raised me into the woman I am today.

Lately the Piggy Pies have been trying to call me "mom" While I don't let them (it's a boundary thing.  More later if you like.), it does make me realize that my "mothering" skills look an awful lot like the mothering I received from these two ladies.

So thank you.  I wouldn't want to be any other woman than I am today.

And because I daren't post pictures of them, here is a picture requested by another blog reader instead...

Keith Richards being eaten by a shark (for Dr. D)

[Teaching Ideas] Savvies

[This is for you SIL--since you waited so ahem... patiently.]

For the last two years I have read aloud from the book Savvy by Ingrid Law.  I first bought the book because the cover is beautiful, and I'm a sucker for good packaging.  If I were an artist, I would totally paint like this. The second reason I bought the book is the title.  Ever since the Pirates of the Caribbean movie came out, I have been trying to incorporate the use of the word savvy into my vocabulary.  Like Jack Sparrow when he says "Savvy?"  at the end of an explanation (I have also tried to incorporate "all by me onesie" to no avail.  Feel free to assist.) Anyhoo.  I bought the book, and was pleased to find that the story was worthy of the cover. Yes, I did judge a book by it's cover and was pleased with the result.

In this book, a savvy is a special ability held by certain members of the Beaumont family. When a Beaumont child turns 13, they discover their savvy and have to learn how to control it or "scumble" it.  I can't tell you the savvy of the main character, Mibs, because that would give it all away, but I can tell you some of the others.  Mibs' brother Rocket is electric, her other brother Fish causes rain and wind storms.  Her grandfather moves earth, her grandmother collects radio waves, and her mother is perfect.

I'm fairly certain that any group of people reading this book would have a similar result as my Piggie Pies and I did.  We began pointing out each others savvies.  Just a few we've discovered...

J.--Can accidentally stand directly in between Boss and whoever she is talking to.
M.--Get's Boss's jokes.
A.--Is made of rubber and can bounce off of anything. His secondary savvy is memorizing prefixes and suffixes.
J2.--Can remember the words to songs.
A.--Can make jewelry out of Cheerios.
Boss--Can explain things that difficult to understand, has patience, and cures hiccups.

What's your savvy?

Goal Progress: 2/20

The Royal We

We did it!

We finished all of the things we were working on! We are not certain we were entirely successful, and we won't know for sure-sure until October on some of it, but we are done. And yes, we are using the royal "we." This is what happens when we work too hard and become anti-social in the process.

I see that it's been a month since I deigned to post that I was busy, and almost a month more since I tried to post anything real. To make up for the absolute despair this must have caused many of you, I will set a goal.  Let's see...  one post for every day of week we have left (6)? One post for every day we have left (26)?  Somewhere in the middle?  Twenty. Twenty posts (including this one) before the end of the school year (June 10th). That is what I will do. 

Notice--I did not say these would be interesting posts.  Heh.

To start us off, I will tell you about Spontaneous Pigtail Pride Day. We are in the midst of state testing.  After a morning of quiet bubble-filling quiet, the kiddos are a little goofy. It turns, out, the caped crusaders might be as well. One of the students put her hair in pigtails on either side of her head.  She offhandedly said I should.  And did I?  Ummm...  of course. Then another kiddo, and another, and another, until there were about twenty of us.  Then came the photo shoot.  I sure wish I could show you.  We look AWESOME!!!  You should try it some day.



Goal Progress: 1/20

Whoops

Sorry faithful friends.  I am in the time vortex right now.  It should clear up in the next couple of weeks, and we will return to our regular programming...

[Student Behavior] Lamby-Pie

One of my little lambs does not know how to ask for attention--from anyone.  To get attention from his peers he has done any number of the following (singularly or in combination):

• throwing pencils
• tearing up paper and sprinkling on their head
• tearing up paper and throwing it at them
• clapping loudly each time they try to speak
• coughing repeatedly if they try to speak or work
• knocking their pencil off of their desk
• kicking their chair or table
• calling them names (ranging from stupid to full-scale racial slurs)
• accusing them of bullying him
• accusing them of calling him names (usually the name he just called them)
• twirling multiple pencil erasers or caps on the table (his own little flea circus)
• biting his own lip and accusing someone of hitting him
• getting hit or punched by another student for sympathy
• asking people to be his friend (multiple times)
• asking people why they don't like him
• making fun of the teacher in the hopes that someone will think it's cool

Now, none of this by itself is that odd (ok, maybe a couple of them).  What makes this kiddo stand out is the CONSTANCY of his actions.  If he is not getting attention (positive or negative) in any 60-second period of time, he will try one or more of these tactics.  We've tried to teach the other kidlets to ignore, but after days of this, they often lose their cool.

The positive side?  The kidlets are learning good ignoring skills.  The difficult side?  Our little attention-seeking lamb is constantly getting exactly that--attention.  We watch him every second but he still manages to get the attention he is seeking. He's been yelled at, kicked, punched, slapped, tripped.  He has been bandaged, ice-packed, separated, counseled, sent home, and even suspended when necessary.  He's been counseled, punished, talked to, ignored--everything I can think of.

Yesterday I resorted to the Offside Rule.  More to come on that.