Great Ideas From Great Writers and Educators: Part Two

Teach Like a Pirate: Increase Student Engagement, Boost Creativity, and Transform Your Life as an Educator by Dave Burgess

Transformation: Two Questions for Raising the Bar
If your students didn't have to be there, would you be teaching to an empty room? I have been in many college classroom with few students and later discovered why. A boring, disengaged teacher does not spark curiosity, interest, or motivation. Make sure your classroom is authentic, active and relevant for students.
Do you have any lessons you could sell tickets for? I know some of my lessons are awesome, frog dissection, Dyson vacuum engineering lesson, but I am not sure people would buy tickets. This makes me ponder. I am inspired to create lessons that people would pay to see.
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Learn Like a Pirate: Empower Your Students To Collaborate, Lead, and Succeed by Paul Solarz

Chapter 3: Peer Evaluation
"Give me five" is not just a way to get your class quiet. Let students say it as well to get the attention of the class if they have information to share or insight to help with a class activity. Empower students to be leaders in your classroom.
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Instant Relevance: Using Today's Experiences to Teach Tomorrow's Lessons by Denis Sheeran

Instant Sudden Changes to your Surroundings
As teachers we must be prepared to let world and local events steer the conversations in our classes. If they are relevant and meaningful to students we need to answer their questions either as a class or individually. When Texas flooded last year it was a topic we discussed at length as a class both relevant to science and to the lives of our students,
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Hacking Engagement: 50 Tips & Tools To engage Teachers and Learners Daily by James alan Sturtevant

Hack 15: Bring in an artifact for Show-And-Tell

Share mementos, items that mean a lot to you, items that your students would love to see. I brought in my piece of the Berlin Wall and we discussed Science in Germany Pre-WWII and Post-WWII. It was an awesome way to make connections between a simple piece of cement and world changing events,

Great Ideas From Great Writers and Educators: Part One

The Power of Questioning: Opening Up The World of Student Inquiry  by Staar Sackstein

Dissecting Questions Chapter 3: We need to teach students how to break apart the questions, how to find deeper meaning in the question. If students can look beyond the words and answer choices and dissect the true meaning of what is being asked then they can better absorb the information and learn from it.
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Hacking Education: 10 Quick Fixes For Every School

Hack One: Meet Me in the Cloud:  by Mark Barnes and Jennifer Gonzalez  
Use google docs, Voxer, Twitter to have parent/teacher and teacher/teacher, teacher/administration meetings when applicable. In person meetings are crucial to building relationships but sometimes it is a great tool to communicate.
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Launch: Using Design Thinking To Boost Creativity, and Bring Out the Maker in Every Student by John Spencer and A.J. Juliani

Chapter 1: We Need Creative Classrooms:
The word structure has a bad rap. Creativity is a process that needs structure. Structure are the blue prints, outlines, scaffolding for true creativity and innovation to occur. Even the most experienced sailors and pilots plot a course before they begin their journey.
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Kids Deserve It: Pushing Boundaries and challenging Conventional Thinking by Todd Nesloney and Adam Welcome

Chapter 7: Do The Little Things
Know the names of your students and colleagues and use them often, it shows you care. Making people feel valued and important is a very crucial step in forging respectful and enduring relationships.
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Most Needed Items

Canned meat, poultry, fish

Peanut butter

Canned fruits and veggies

(low sugar, low salt)

Cereal

Soups, stews

Pasta (whole grain)

Dry beans

Rice

pantry 

limited

Paper, pencil

pen or sharpie

colorful hand sanitizer

case full of glue and scissors

pencil shavings on the bottom

dirty kleenex personal size

various books 

backpack

tools

Knowledge

Listening or seeing

Discovery

Inquiry

Curiosity

Determination

Motivation and skill

Failure stepping

Back into the forum of experience

to

Succeed and grow

learning

achieving

human

need
existence
childhood

My Life in a Nutshell: Part One

In the 1980’s Laguna Beach High School was a school of normal adolescents; artists, musicians, and strange individuals; but for the most part normal. Wizards, dragons, and Hobbits were only alive in books and the Internet, I-phones, and X-box were not even heard of. We used type-writers, Atari, and payphones. We wore bangle bracelets, parachute pants, and head bands. But we were normal. Prince, Madonna, and Thompson Twins blared from over-sized boom boxes while the Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, and St. Elmo’s fire were the inspiration for our witty banter and social norms. The 1980’s was a decade of decadence and spontaneity. Growing up in a decade with no war, no economic depression, and no Columbine allowed for us to focus on the little things. These little things were the essence of what we became. These minute behaviors created a way for us to stay individuals but also to find a connection with our peers; to truly belong to a generation called lazy and greedy but who were actually the last generation of innocence and awe.

Some people do extraordinary things. Others live fascinating lives with fascinating people. The simple folk, however, like me, usually by chance or happenstance have interesting tales and cool anecdotes but aren’t considered outstanding in anyway.  I kind of like it that way actually. I can bump into a whirlwind of uniqueness or stumble over a barrage of newsworthy events and unlike the poor schleps that have a camera in their face on the worst days of their lives, I can experience very cool things and decide whether or not to share my findings. I have been alive for 47 years give or take month and I have been all over the world, been victim to many a natural disasters or man-made tragedy, and created and sustain a family of four boys. If that isn’t enough, I am a teacher, of 7^th graders, 12 and 13 year old's, which is challenging and frustrating but meaningful and enlightening.  It is a part of who I am.

When did all of this ordinary, simple, often mundane existence begin? I was born the summer of 1969. It sounds so long ago now that we are in the 2010’s. But in the scheme of things, it wasn’t, not really. I look at my students and my children and I often feel antiquated and out-of-touch, but when I think back on my experiences I realize that no matter what decade you sparked to light, the true essence of who we are is the same. The basic and fundamental fact is that we all want to fit in and be loved. We all want to be noticed, accepted, and supported. We all want to belong. 

Not My Child: A Parents Blinders Need to be Lifted

I have four children at home. A week does not go by that I am not getting communication from one of their teachers. Usually about homework never about behavior. As a teacher myself, I have instilled proper behavior in my children. Academics have always been at the forefront of our family discussions and this has always been the most important thing to my family: education. But alas, as with many children mine get lazy and neglectful. I get emails, calls, and even visits, one of my sons attends the school at which I work, in regards to this matter. I am never happy. I always address it and they get their missing assignments completed quickly and turned in for late grades.

What I do not do, is blame the teacher. My children over the years have had amazing, dedicated, insightful teachers, and eager, motivated teachers, and alas disengaged teachers. But never has the grade of my child been the result of teacher competence and friendliness. I have teacher conferences, I accept the teacher for what they are and guide my children passed any hurdles this lack of interest on their part may cause. But, I never blame the teacher. When a parent says "Not my child, it is the teachers fault." I take offense because there are no perfect students, children or teachers. The lack of success is rarely entirely the teachers fault.

I have a 1st grader, he likes to talk. He is smart and funny, but he likes to communicate with his peers. Every day he comes home with a yellow or frown on his comment card because his behavior is not obedient and quiet. I set up a conference, his teachers words, "I like a quiet and obedient class. They must sit still, not fidget, and look forward at all times." Seriously, they are 1st graders. This was the moment I chose not to say "My child is perfect, this is your fault." or "Not my child, he never talks out of turn." Instead I chose to take the higher ground, "I will discuss with my son the value of following directions." This I do every morning before he gets out of the car. Less yellow and frowns more greens and smiles. BUT usually a comment about how he fidgeted today.

Let the little things go. As a parent accept the fact that your child is not perfect nor would you want them to be. Always talk about proper behavior but understand that a 6 year old is going to fidget. Understand that a high school student will get lazy and not turn in homework. That an 8th grader will get lazy and not complete assignments but with some redirection and a firm talking to they will get back on track. Do not blame the teacher for every mishap. Do not hold the teacher responsible for your child's laziness, I don't. I know my children do not love all of their teachers and that a lack of relationship and respect from their teachers can and often does lead them astray. But as adults we have to endure boredom and people we do not necessarily like every day. I have taught my children that that is no excuse. Overcome and be successful in spite of obstacles and barriers.

Parents need to lift the blinders. Everything that goes wrong in school is not the teachers fault. If you fight every battle for your child they will never learn to be independent. They need to understand the task of learning falls in their laps, that hopefully they will have engaging and enthusiastic teachers but if not always do their best not for you or for their teacher but for themselves.

Changing Perspective: A Mothers Acceptance of the Inevitable: Part One

My oldest son is a senior in high school. I know this means college next year and him moving away from home, but I just can't wrap my head around him not being here. It is a year away why do I need to think about it now? SAT's, ACT's, college applications, tuition/financial aid, living expenses. The list is endless. You want them to want to stay home forever, but you need to nudge them out the door to find independence and self-worth, You want them to get accepted into college but worry is it a party school, will he fit in with dorm life? He is not a social butterfly but will he transform into one losing sight of classes and academics?

These are the endless concerns going through my head. I am truly lucky because my daughter lives in Albuquerque and that is where my son wants to go, UNM. So he plans on living with her, helping her out with her son, while building up his residency he will attend a community college for a year. Then enter UNM with residency and a much cheaper tuition. So this as scary as him leaving is, is a great alternative because he will not be alone and isolated. But as a mother, losing my son to adulthood is a sad event. I am keeping myself busy with his last year here, he is helping with my science competitions and we are spending a lot of time together which? I hope will make the transition for both us us easier.

A 7th Grade Teachers Journey into 6th Grade

I am a 7th grade teacher. I have taught 8th grade but really, 7th grade is my passion. I love the age, the eagerness to learn and still respectful nature of 12 year-old's. I also am the mentor for many different science competitions varying from Future City to Quiz Bowl both of which I have opened up to 6th graders. I was eager to include all three grade levels because many competitions exclude sixth graders due to their age. So I ventured into the deep.

Let me preface by saying I am very happy that I have included 6th graders because they need an outlet for their creativity and drive. They are smart and funny and offer a lot to any team. But what I discovered very early on is that they are very different from 7th and 8th graders. In subtle and not so subtle ways. They are a lot smaller on average. They are louder then most 7th and 8th graders. They are more emotional than their older counter-parts. Most obviously they are a lot more hyper and easily distracted than 7th and 8th graders, on a whole of course. There are very hyper and distracted 7th and 8th graders as well.

Two weeks ago was my first 6th grade only meeting for Quiz Bowl. Wow. It was like herding a group of cats. I tried very hard not to raise my voice or discipline. But, I in a kind way I had to, to simply get them seated and quiet. They squirmed and fidgeted.  They giggled and poked each other. They were very hard to get focused. But eventually I did. Then they were separated into smaller groups and met one on one with a mentor. They squirmed and fidgeted. It was adorable but frustrating to try and get them to focus on the questions and not giggle or cry when they got the questions wrong.

This has been a growth experience for me in patience and faith. I believe in every one of my 6th graders. It has taken a lot of work and we are not nearly where we need to be yet, but I have faith that we will be. A lot of nurturing, reassurance, encouragement and smiles and slowly but surely they are becoming more focused. They are all motivated and they truly want to win.With a little patience, motivation and luck I can get these 6th graders qualified for nationals. Fingers crossed.