Steady rollin'

I am really seeing a connection with my teaching practice and this module on music, as I am sure you are. How do I keep the music going in my classroom? One of the songs I analyzed reminded me of a rolling train. Steady rhythm and never off track. Am I doing everything to ensure the same while teaching specific units across the curriculum? As teachers, especially new teachers, it is very easy to get caught up in just trying to get to everything. Even though I want my lessons to run steadily, I don't want to rush through them just to get to the next topic. If the train is rolling too fast it will be hard to notice if any of my passengers or cargo fell off!

There's nothing worse than song being played too fast!

What am I supposed to be learning??

So I had this revelation this morning on my way to school. Don't you think it is important for kids to know what it is they are supposed to be learning? Sometimes I feel like I am taking my students on this wild adventure and they haven't got the slightest clue where we are headed. I can relate this to our readings on architecture and design. In one of the articles we read it talked about the important of light sources. I have a very long dark hallway with no natural light in my house. So I placed a small table and a lamp at the end of that hallway. So now, every night as I make my way down the hallway I see where it is I am headed. I LOVE this new source of light in my house. It makes such a huge difference. So... don't you think our kids need to see the light so that they know where they are headed? I am starting to place learning targets on my board daily. This will let the kids know what it is they are expected to learn that day and why they need to know it. We'll see if it makes a difference?!

slow down

While viewing the examples of the work of art projects, I took an interest in the project on news reporting. The professional news reporter was very articulate. She did not run her words together. She spoke clearly and most of all.... to the point. I need to do more of that. I find myself rambling at times while talking to my students. NOT a good idea when you teach 6-8 year olds. You only have their attention for so long, so WHY waste the time on unnecessary words? While talking to them I need to get to the point. I also read that kids at this age only hear words at the rate of 80 words per minute. The common speaking rate for adults is 100+ words per minute. I need to SLOW down because my kids are just not hearing/comprehending what I am saying. Ha! Who would've thought!

flyer design

I am beginning to use some of the things learned during the photography unit in my creation of parent newsletters, homework and classroom design. For example, today I sent out a paper asking parents to volunteer as reading coaches in our classroom. Instead of just creating a simple, drab word document using times new roman font and printed on white paper, I attempted to make it more compelling. I used lines to draw the readers attention to the text. I used colorful paper. I wanted the parents to take notice of this paper while going through the backpacks of their 1st and 2nd graders. I wanted this to pick and up and be compelled to read it. We'll see if the outcome is what I hoped for. :)

the snapshots in life

Much thanks to Chris Mc., I am beginning to see the link between teaching and photography. Chris stated that “as a good photographer tries to captivate his audience with a new perspective on life, so does a teacher try to captivate his/her students by presenting material in a creative way”. I would like to add that a photograph is just a snapshot of a bigger storyline taking place. As educators we provide our students with “snapshots” of history, current events, science, etc. Don’t let these snapshots taking place in our classroom dissipate without telling the whole story. Engage your students in compelling discussions that lead to the big picture.

My Kids

I have come to realize that the children I teach (ages 6-8) are completely infatuated with themselves. In most cases, they could not care less about anyone else but themselves. And because of this I often try to appeal to their egotistical self. I purchased a flip video (my new favorite thing in life) for my classroom as well as this course. It has become my magic tool in my classroom. I video tape all of the hands on activities as well as any presentation that happen in my room. When I play back the video for my students (usually immediately afterward), they not only enjoy seeing themselves on the screen but they are able to see themselves succeed. It is the most amazing thing! There is proof that they do have the skills to successfully complete a project or a science experiment. We use the video to review what we have learned from the activity. The video provides evidence of understanding for my assessment as well as for my students. I will continue to use video in my classroom to grab the attention of my wild bunch.

Background Information on Me

I am 25 years old. I am a southern girl living in the Pacific Northwest. I teach a 1st and 2nd grade combination class at a elementary school on the Army post Fort Lewis in WA state. This is my second year of teaching. And this is my second semester of grad school work.