Quote of the Week

D. is working on an independent project that requires him to stretch a piece of vinyl across a square shape.  One of the corners keeps bunching up and misbehaving. R. is following our conversation:

D:  This is frustrating!  I can't get this corner to fit into the square.

Ms. M:  Are you feeling like you just keep trying to fit that corner into that square?

D: Yeah!

Ms. M: Feeling like you keep trying all sorts of things with that corner and that corner just doesn't want to go where you think the corner ought to go?

D: Yeah!

(getting a hopeful look in his eye--thinking he may be excused from the assignment due to ill-fitting corners)

Ms. M: Feeling like you've tried as hard as you can and that corner won't follow the rules that corners need to follow?

D: Yeah...?

(the light is dawning...)

Ms. M.:  Yeah, I know exactly how you feel.

D: Yeah...

R. (to D.):  And you're the corner.  


Thank you R., for driving it home for the Boss.

The List

As I sit here watching these little turkey-butts take their state-mandated tests, I am reflecting on the various issues that have brought them to me.  Here I will list phrases used on our placement information sheet and the number of times each is used if more than once, or if privacy allows.  This is out of twenty students--some have more than one of the listed concerns:

--behavior (9)

--anger (3)

--social skills (3)

--diagnosed ADHD--medicated (4), unmedicated (3) 

--Special Education Services (some)

--Behavior Support Plan (2)

--county health services (1)

--outside counseling services--current (2), lapsed (4)

--low academics (6)

--low grades (9)

--English Language Learner (4)

--504 Plan (2)

--GATE (1)

--father in and out of rehab

--administratively placed due to incident throwing rock at teacher

--in new foster home (first time placed with all siblings), visitations with mom

--defiance and disrespect (4)

--anxious about assignments (2)

--refused to complete over 90% of assigned work

--tardies and unexcused absences (3)

--claims gang affiliation (3)

--administratively placed for buying/possessing marijuana 

--both parents deceased within last few years

--administratively placed for two incidences involving possession of a razor at school with intention to use it on a student

--lives in a group home

--administratively placed for possession of drug paraphernalia

--concerns regarding abuse in the home (3)

--impulsive--medicated (1), unmedicated (2)

--on probation due to break and enter and drug possession 

--lack of interest in school, highly sexualized

--theft 

--father seriously ill

--threatening behavior toward other students 

--selective mute

--difficulty focusing--no diagnosis (2)

--mother supportive, father in and out, 

--retained then socially promoted, physically mature, emotionally immature

--placed in foster care due to neglect, is now back home

--mother seriously ill

What troubles me most as I created this list is the inner battle I have with myself.  I don't want to describe my students by their issues.  I could easily create a list twice as long with their strengths.  I lean on their myriad strengths all day every day. Realistically though, it is not those strengths that brought them to me.  This list of concerns is still a day-to-day reality for each of them.  I can love them, teach them, and build on their strengths  (and call them George?). I can be positive, caring and supportive, but this list will still slap them in the face when they go home.  So do I play "Pollyanna" and ignore the list?  

My choice?  I spend the large percentage of each day focusing on the strengths and skills they have, they need, they might be able to develop.  I keep in mind, however, that there are always mitigating factors. While they are not excuses, they are reality.  I don't pity them, judge them, or pretend to know what they have gone through, but I keep this list in mind when making decisions each day.  That's where I am in the inner battle as of this day. 

Disturbing?

April 25, 2010

This video clip disturbs me. Shall I list the ways or shall I invite my fellow caped crusaders to tell me themselves? And let's be even-handed. What do you like and dislike about this video and related article (if you can read it without skipping most of it as I very much wanted to do:

Caped Crusader Down

This story on NPR caught my attention today and made my heart a little wobbly.  I've included the link to the story I heard, though there are many articles online.  His words and the words of his staff speak to me.  It sounds like he has left quite a legacy in education.

Remembering D.C. Educator Brian Betts by Claudio Sanchez

A Nervous Twitch

I have my 6th and 7th grade girls convinced that if they whine, I will get a nervous twitch.  This is not technically a lie, since I do think it could kill me if I have to listen to as much whining as they are capable of ... of which they are capable ... that they are capable to do.  That much whining.

Do Bagels Date?

Disclaimer: Lest you think I am this brilliant, I am not.  I did not create the beagle assignment below. It is from DownWrite Funny: Using students' love of the ridiculous to teach serious writing skills by Randy Larson. In fact, I took a perfectly good lesson about a beagle and messed it up entirely. 

Today I intended to briefly review purpose in writing with a short lesson.  The assignment was... 

"Pretend you are a beagle and you are writing an ad for the 'Date Me' page of the Beagle Bugle."  

Say it a few times in your head.  Do you see where this is going?  Yes, I did. I stumbled mightily with the words beagle and bugle.  I ended up telling the students that they were a bagel and they wanted to date a bugle and then that they were a beagle and they were advertising in a bagel.  

This is the moment where it can all go down in flames in the wink of an eye (Am I mixing metaphors again?  I do that.)  So what does a caped teacher do when she has a loud mouth that messes it all up?  She remembers not to take herself too seriously, takes a deep breath, gives a dazzling smile, and goes with it...

"Well, yes.  I suppose it could just as easily be a bagel or a beagle.  Or a bugle--the snack food kind of bugle I think.  That would be good.  How about we write an ad for a bagel?  What would a bagel look for in a date?"

Surprisingly little silence ensued, and the ideas began to flow:

"It would be toasted."

"You could have cream cheese with it."

"Or peanut butter." 

"I don't like bagels."

"It would probably be willing to date a danish."

"Or an apple turnover."

"If it is a blueberry bagel, it might like the cinnamon raisin bagel."

I encouraged, cringed, and added some of my own ideas.

Then they set to work creating their own ads.  In the end, they all chose to write ads for the beagle (not the bagel or the bugle).

The message?  Oddly, I choose to point out that they thought a bagel would date a danish or an apple turnover.  What a great idea!  I love that they were not only open to the shift in the plan and the shift in reality, but they made sure the bagel was an accepting bagel who would date all sorts of breakfast pastries.  Now THAT's a win.

Quote of the Week #3.5

"If you ever teach a yodeling class, probably the hardest thing is to keep the students from trying to yodel right off.  You see, we build to that."

Deep Thoughts by Jack Handy

Quote of the Week #3

Ms. M:  Happy Birthday R.  Here's your birthday pencil!

R:  Is that all?

Ms. M: (gives "the look")

R:  I mean thank you.