Future Dreams for Education

Day 24:  What are your dreams for education in the future?

I dream of:

longer class periods

smaller classes

more think time

more collaborative time

White Board Wonderland

Day 23 How did your Attitude of Gratitude work out – tell us about it.

Well, I have to say that the "attitude of gratitude" challenge has been a raging success. When I thought about getting student involvement, I thought immediately about how much they like to write on the board, and since I either use the projector or the easel pad, it was no great loss to give up the whiteboard to student control. 

After the first day, they needed little coaxing. Often first hour reminded me long before the bell that I needed to post the gratitude prompt on the board. Occasionally, something cheeky would appear on the board, and after consulting the urban dictionary, I would erase it between classes.  : )  After all, they are in junior high. One day, the word "root" kept disappearing from the phrase "root beer" and someone would notice and correct it.  For the most part though, their gratitude statements were sweet and endearing and fun, like most junior high kids.  I even got in a few teachable moments for spelling and punctuation, as students were strict about proper rules being followed on the board (if only it transferred to their writing, alas!)

As time went on, more and more teachers' names appeared, and so I shared my gratitude board with the staff via email. Since then, multiple teachers have come in and posted their own gratitude on the board. So it would seem the gratitude is indeed infectious. And I'm feeling happier, just as the gratitude challenge website promised I would.

I really like keeping the whiteboard interactive, and I'm wondering how to modify the prompt for December. Perhaps we could count our blessings?  At any rate, I'm sure we'll think of something to last us until March Madness when the board becomes a Tournament of Books. 

See more pictures at http://mrsjenniferpaulsen.weebly.com/gratitude-challenge

It's all my Husband's Fault--Family Traditions

It’s all my husband’s fault—the knitting, I mean.  Worried his Great-Aunt Carol was getting on in years, Chuck predicted the family tradition of awarding all new family members matching hand knit Christmas stockings would die out, unless someone younger took up the craft of knitting.  His mother assured him she could figure it out.  But ignoring her, he turned to me and his brother’s wife Debbie and announced, “I nominate you two.”   Debbie stated she wasn’t remotely interested and helpfully pointed out that Chuck could learn to knit.  He was simply too busy, or so he said, so that left me.

Curiosity overwhelmed me.  Why was my husband being so sentimental?  Was this so important to cause him to open his emotional lockbox and let a feeling escape by verbalizing it?!  In front of his family, no less? He never fails to intrigue me by exposing never-before-suspected mysteries in his personality. 

Hope rose in my heart.  Was it possible I could become more to his family than Wife-of-Chuck or Mother-of-First-Born-Grandchild-Tommy or Liberal-Democrat-with-Disastrous-Financial-Mind? I mean, since bearing the first grandchild, I was pretty much only useful as a taxi for said child.  The thought of adding Knitter-of-Christmas-Stockings to my short list of roles intoxicated me.  Visions of knitting needles danced in my head.  I could uphold a family tradition.  I could belong! 

Eight years after that fateful conversation, I completed my first Christmas stocking by recreating the pattern on graph paper from the stocking I got as a wedding gift.

Bonus: Bookworm Bookmarks

Need:

-Small amount of worsted yarn

-crochet hook size K

-bead or button

-googly eyes

-sewing needle

Directions: 

1) Chain 80 stitches.

2) Skip one stitch, then single crochet six stitches into the next chain to make the head.

3) Double crochet six stitches into the next chain stitch. Repeat this step nine more times. (One "body circle" = 12 stiches, so if striping, change color every 12.)

4) Single crochet six stitches into the next chain to close up the worm.  (You have only used 12 chain stiches.)

5) Work in yarn ends.

6) Finish tail with bead or button on the end.

7) Glue on googly eyes.

Controlled Choreography: On the Dance of Anger

Day 20: What is one life lesson that you are thankful for having learned?  

About 15 years ago, I was introduced to William Glasser's control theory. This simple theory was revolutionary in changing how I approached everything in my life, including my teaching. If you are unhappy, you have two basic choices within your sphere of control 1) change what you're doing in order to get what you want or 2) change what you want. Simple, no?  Identifying what's within my control helped me cope better with the things that are not.

According to Glasser, most behavior choices are made in order to satisfy one or more of these basic needs: freedom, fun, belonging, or power. This information was taught to sophomores at Cedar Falls High School as part of a growing up unit. It provided a psychological lens through which to analyze fictional characters. However, many of my students found this to be applicable to their own lives as well. I had to learn this content well in order to teach it well, and so I read multiple works by William Glasser including The Quality School Teacher and The Quality School, as well as his seminal work Control Theory. 

I found it useful to apply this kind of thinking when working with students whose behavior I didn't understand. When I discuss behavioral choices, both wise and unwise, with students, they understand their own behavior choices better, and I find that they are capable of making better decisions next time when they can put a name on their motivations.  Also it keeps behavior choices in proper perspective. Most misbehavior is not malicious. It is simply the student's need for fun trumping their need to be free during detention. It's usually not about me at all.  This is a lesson that plagued me in my early teaching because I took so much misbehavior personally to heart.

Today, I took control of a situation with a student with whom I have struggled to get along all year. We'll call him Bruce. Bruce asked me last week why I always seem so angry with him. It was certainly a legitimate question. And I've been thinking about it since. Why AM I so angry with this student? And is that anger improving the situation? It made me think of a related book that touches on control: The Dance of Anger. While I cannot control this young man's choices, I can control my own response to those choices. As The Dance of Anger says, you can't change your partner's moves, but you can change yours, and then he has to respond to your changes. So, today I wrote Bruce a note in which I observed that he'd been working harder recently to improve his learning, his behavior, and his attitude. I thanked him for making that choice. I told him I've been thinking about his question and that I felt like my anger stemmed from feeling like I was sometimes working harder for his success than he was--that I could see his brightness and potential, and it hurt to listen to his negative self talk. I was angry because he gave up on himself too easily.  But over the past week, I had seen him change. I valued his increasing persistence over the past week, and I wanted to recognize him for it. I told him that because of this new growth mindset and positive leadership, he had earned a bookworm of the color of his choice. (You wouldn't believe how popular those crazy things are!) And so he came up to me after class with the note and said, "So what do I do about this?"  

Thinking he was a bit daft, I said, "Well, the note's for you. You can keep it."  

He said, "No, the bookworm." 

I smiled at this new earnest intensity. "What color do you want?"

He asked if he could have blue and orange. And then wondered how soon I could be finished. I promised it would be done the next day. He is a Chicago Bears fan. It's plastered all over his blog page. So I had to make sure to get the right shade of blue and orange. A special trip to the yarn store was required. And I made it happen. Never underestimate the transformative healing powers of yarn.

By changing my interaction to a more positive tone and behavior on my part, he has responded in kind. This has been his best week since school started, but I hope it's not the best week of his year. That lies ahead.

When in doubt, asking a student "How are you doing?" or "Are you okay?" usually yields a more positive and productive interaction than jumping on a student about breaking the rules or having their head down. Put your assumptions away. Instead, pull out your curiosity and kindness whenever possible. Remember, you reap what you sow.

Chuck: The Teaching Widow

Day 19:  Tell someone you know how grateful you are for the work they do. Share your story here.

My husband Chuck is a teaching widow.  

I come home from work and continue working til 10 or 11 every night.  He usually cooks and cleans and does laundry while I respond to student work, create learning opportunities, write or read or knit. Even when it doesn't look like I'm working, I am--running through scenarios, making lesson plans, thinking, thinking, thinking, and what-if-ing.  My mind is open 24/7 and working on hyperdrive. 

Every day, my German general husband organizes our son Tommy and I, two Scots-Irish layabouts. If we lived in medieval times, Tommy and I would be traveling bards and Chuck would be running a castle, if not a kingdom. He packs the swimming bag, he warms up my truck when it's cold, he tells me what to put on my calendar and when and where I need to be to pick up or drop off our super-busy boy.  

When he's not organizing us, Chuck is an active leader in the Boy Scout troop.  He is an unofficial leader of the 4H First Lego League group.  He devotes a serious amount of time to the activities that are closest to our boy's heart.  Last weekend he organized and supervised a weekend camping trip for the Boy Scout troop. He spent Friday-Sunday cooped up on the coldest weekend of the year with a large group of boys under age twelve. He even whittles silly totems for them.

In addition, we have numerous sheep, pigs, and horses who need tending.  He's responsible for that, too, attended to by both dogs who think he's the most amazing human on the planet.  Dogs usually have good judgment. I'm not even sure what he does all day out in the barns, but his to-do lists are miles long, and he is always behind. Last weekend, a snow fence appeared on the west boundary, and I didn't even notice it.

He works full-time as a loan officer with a local bank.  He manages the money and pays the bills. Even when I owe Amazon more than he likes for books for my students. And Tommy. And me.  Or Target for yet more bookshelves for the classroom.  It's embarrassing to add up what I spend out of pocket, but he understands my passion and respects my purpose.

He spoils me with homemade cookie dough, he listens when I'm rambling, and when I'm working late in my classroom, he usually shows up with pizza so we can still have a family dinner.  If I do any kind of domestic chore, he thanks me profusely. This is embarrassing to admit.

A mutual friend told him a year she wished she'd had an inspirational English teacher like me, but she wondered what the cost was.  To my husband.  To my son.  To me.  The compliment was so heart-warming, but the cost?  That gave me serious pause.

The cost is high, my friends.

I've seen the investment pay off again and again in my students. But I hope the investment pays off for my son and husband.

Chuck is steady and predictable and reliable.  Yet after 24 years together, he's still capable of surprising me.  And he's still making me laugh. "Thank you" hardly seems sufficient recompense for 

all he does.  I am reminded of a line in the spoken word poem "Origin Story" by Phil Kaye and Sarah Kay that best encapsulates how I feel, "I have seen the best of you, and the worst of you. And I choose both."

Thank you, lovey, for choosing both.

June 21, 1996 on Mom's front porch in Storm Lake, Iowa

Scenes from My Little Utopia

November 18: What do you appreciate about your colleagues?

They take care of me when I'm sick.

Sara (to me in the ladies room): Jen, are you okay to drive? I went to the office and got you a sub. You're covered for the rest of the day.  Go home.

They are generous with their planning time.

Cathy: There are Scratch cupcakes in the lounge.  Go get one.

Me: But--

Cathy: Take Jesse-Lee (student teacher) to the lounge and get cupcakes!  I'll teach your class till you get back.

They keep me organized.

Leesa: I ordered all the copies for the unit for you.

They value my experience.

Megann: Let's plan Socratic Circles out on Monday in PLC.

Amy: Yeah, I want to learn more about that.

Cathy: Me, too.

Me: Leesa, we're talking Socratic Circles on Monday. Are you in?

Leesa: I'm so in.

They forgive my errors.

Assistant Principal Dave (as he tries to unlock my door): Has the door been acting up lately?

Me: It's been kinda glitchy.  Umm.  (Pause.  Blushing.)   But I slammed it fourth hour when I was mad at my class because they wouldn't listen, and now it won't open.

Assistant Principal Dave (smiles and pats me on the shoulder): Well, we all have those days.  (lock finally pops)  I wouldn't lock it again until it's fixed.  Have a better rest of the day!

Boston: A Wicked Good Time

Day 17: One thing that's different from a year ago that I'm grateful for..

A year ago today, according to my Facebook timeline which now serves as my memory, I was packing for a trip to Boston for NCTE and ALAN.  I had no idea how amazing this trip would be and how it would impact my life in big and small ways.  It was wicked good!

For one, I had yet to discover the most amazing food in the history of the universe: the Florentine cannoli from Mike's Pastry.  Where ya been all my life?!  Seriously, somebody please ship me a box!

I had not yet discovered the place I want to live if I ever leave Iowa.  Oh, Boston!  You had me when the sun magically appeared as I stumbled down the wrong street from the hotel and discovered Fenway!  See the angelic presence in the center of the picture? My whole trip had that halo effect. And I got to wander around this most charming of historical cities with several of my favorite people: Brenna Griffin, Abby Hendrickson, and Kirstey Ewald.

A year ago, I had not heard my childhood hero Judy Blume's genius advice on getting kids to read books you love: "Tell them they aren't ready for it yet.  And walk away."

All my teaching life of twenty years, I have revered the name Nancie Atwell.  She has been the shining light of reading & writing workshop in my classroom.  Her work In the Middle is amazing.  I have every versions.  A year ago, I had not met my teaching idol.

A year ago, illustrator Gareth Hinds had not completely changed the way I teach the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet.  His graphic novel interpretation creates a major contrast to the traditional climbing of the trellis.  This creative thinking demonstrates how the same idea is re-interpreted in multiple mediums.  Discuss the graphic novel frames of this scene in contrast to the Baz Luhrmann interpretation and kids will be hooked!

 

The YA novel Boy21 is my go-to book.  I've never had a student, male or female, honors student or reluctant reader, finish the first page without getting hooked.  Every student who reads it rates in their top 3 of the year. A tender and illuminating story about friendship,mental illness, race, grief, and basketball, it is one of my all-time favorite books.  I got to lavish all my praise in person on the gracious and inspirational author Matthew Quick (of Silver Linings Playbook fame.)  Q is an amazing human!

A year ago, I had yet to see the awesome Catching Fire premiere on Scholastic's dime.  With editor David Levithan. Okay, I wasn't WITH him.  He was two seats in front of me, but I COULD hear all his witty comments.

I attended the Adolescent Literature Assembly at NCTE, also know as ALAN, for the first time a year ago.  I heard amazing talks from so many wonderful authors, it was almost overwhelming. I had yet to hear the most inspirational thoughts on hope from Joan Bauer. I had yet to hear the wisdom of real truths from Laurie Halse Anderson.  I had yet to meet Rainbow Rowell, Bill Konigsberg, Chris Crutcher, Swati Avasthi, and a host of other wonderfully literate humans.  I had not yet heard Natalie Lloyd's awesomely delicious read aloud of her novel A Snicker of Magic.  Could anyone love words more than she does?!

A year ago, I had not figured out how to ship home thousands of dollars in free books for my students.

A year ago, I had not had an author respond to my Facebook posts WHILE I was reading his book, resulting in a meta-reading experience I will never forget and turning into an unforgettable school visit from the incomparable Matt de la Peña.

I have been to NCTE multiple times, but this was a halcyon moment.  I'm so thankful to my school district and to ICTE for supporting this trip and my professional development.

Did I mention the life-changing properties of the Florentine cannoli?

Power Connections: You are Not Alone

Today is a powerful example of the joys reaped in being a connected educator. I'm driving to Des Moines from Cedar Falls, meeting my friend Missy partway at The Boondocks so we can ride down together to meet Teresa and Allison. All are Iowa Council of Teachers of English (ICTE) board members. All are also united by our love of Billy Collins' poetry. I would not have met any of these people without The Iowa Writing Project (IWP) summer institutes and the fall ICTE conference. Due to time and distance, our friendships have been largely cultivated online. I'm not sure I would've driven alone this far to go to a poetry reading by myself, and I would've missed  hearing "The Lanyard" and "The Revenant" live, along with a lot of amazing quotes about writing and writers. And I would've missed the ride home with Missy where we remembered and recorded all the awesome things we wanted to share with our students on a Google doc.  Yes. YES.  I will share it with you! Tune in tomorrow!

When we make connections, we recognize the affirmation in thinking alike, and we delight in the wonderful surprise of thinking differently. Both of these types of encounters push us to become better educators. When I think of the people I've met over the years who have influenced me, whether by affirming and supporting or pushing back and playing devil's advocate, those connections were created through two organizations: Iowa Council of Teachers of English and the Iowa Writing Project. The people I've met through both organizations, and there's a lot of overlap between them, have shaped who I am today. They encouraged me to become not just an assigner of writing, but a writer who teaches writing. That stance has been the most profound change in my teaching practice because of coming into contact with these people and making these connections.

Another powerful aspect of being a connected educator is that euphoria you feel at a conference when you have a meeting of the minds that we can't achieve in a regular classroom setting.  I always left the fall ICTE conference wanting that euphoria to last, and while euphoria is by definition, not a lasting state, that connected feeling of reaching out and having somebody respond is essential to cultivate throughout the year in an organization, not just once a year. That's why I created the Facebook group for ICTE. (Join us!  You don't have to be Iowan!) Apparently, other people wanted to continue that connection as well because the group, which started in May, has grown over 250 people from all walks of the teaching life, at all age levels. The most important thing about being a connected educator is knowing you're not alone--that the problems you're trying to solve in your classroom are not so unusual that somebody else doesn't have some experience and advice to offer. You don't have to suffer alone. I repeat, you are not alone.

In a lot of school districts in Iowa and the Midwest, the English teacher is the English department, so if you don't have colleagues with whom to bounce ideas around, or you're not in a school culture where you feel nurtured enough to grow, you can create a personal learning network to help you. One recent example of the power of connectedness: my friend Russ Goerend posted in the group that he was having an issue with helping kids connect their evidence with transitions in an effective argument. Within a couple hours, there were multiple great resources at our fingertips from just one Facebook conversation. A number of people from different levels had chimed in.  It just so happens I'm starting to plan my argument unit, and this is a lesson I know I should teach my students.  I feel confident now with the resources suggested.  Even though it was Friday afternoon, when your brain is whack-a-doodle, we still put our heads together and helped Russ solve this problem.  Since the implementation of the Iowa Core, all of us benefit from more argumentation resources.  That is the power of connection: Solving problems before you even know you have them.

From Paper to Pixels

Day 15:  What tech tools are you most grateful for? How have they changed what you do?

The smartphone captures real time learning.  I snap pictures of everything from the whiteboard notes to student work examples and passwords to sticky notes. It's the most important organizational tool I have because all my documents, all my plans, all my student work, all my classroom library checkouts are literally at my fingertips. It's magic how all that paper has become pixels.

In addition to video and photo I use it to record audio. I have taught so many kids how to use talk to text to help them get started on their writing by transcribing a recording of their thoughts. I also use it for audio comments on student work. Heck, I can lie in bed and check papers by talking into my phone. That's basically how I did this blog post. I love my iPhone!

Having a learning management system (LMS) is also an important organizational tool. No matter which one you use, it's simply awesome to have all the materials, assignments, quizzes, tests, discussion boards, calendars and communication all in the same place. When students ask me a question about an assignment or due date, I always respond, "What does Schoology say?" It's a godsend for keeping me organized and keeping students on track, especially when they're absent. And when I'm absent, I can communicate directly to my students which is really helpful for subs.

The most recent technology experiment I've been using regularly in my classroom is blogging using Weebly. This year, through weekly blogging in regular writing groups or book clubs, students are beginning to develop a sense of audience. They are no longer writing just for me but consciously crafting their work for a group of their peers. Their voices are emerging in fun and fascinating ways. They look forward to this activity every week. It has been a game changer as far as writing motivation, and it supports learning in a growth mindset because it stores all their writing in an organized fashion from beginning to end. It contains their reflections about that work. Their portfolio is embedded into their blog, so it serves as a collection of their work and a tool for curating the work. And if I really start getting crafty, it can contain multimedia artifacts as well as their writing. There. I've thrown down the gauntlet for myself. I will have my students embed one multimedia item in their portfolios by Christmas. 

I use a ton of other tech tools, and I am happy to talk about any of them at length because it's one of my passions. Technology is truly integrated in my classroom, especially now that we are one to one with Chromebooks, but the smartphone, the LMS and the blog have probably changed my daily practice most.

On Dignity and Compassion

Day 14: Five, whoops, six things you are grateful to have learned in your career (Plus an added bonus)

I have learned so many lessons just in the last year, not to mention the totality of my prior career. But as I thought about what I try to keep front and center in my mind right now, here's what I came up with, in spontaneous and haphazard order:

Kids are forgiving, if you are.   Saying "I'm wrong" or "I'm sorry" is probably the hardest lesson I've had to learn. Man, it's SO hard to own your bad choices. And my students may never learn this lesson unless I consistently model it for them when I'm wrong. Every. Time. Which is way more often than I'd like to admit.  Thus the dilemma.

Treat students the way you want to be treated.  More and more, I'm coming to understand that I need to put myself in my students' shoes. The last thing I want to do is sit in a desk all day listening to lectures. Unless the lecturer is a rockin' storyteller, then I will sit at her feet and listen. All. Day. That's not most teachers' reality. The reality is: I want to learn. I want to read and write. I want to talk to my friends, and I want to move.  Your students will want all of these, too, if you honor these desires in your planning. 

Do I want to be yelled at in front of everyone when I make a bad choice? Imagine how you'd feel at a faculty meeting if the principal asked you to please put your phone away and pay attention. I prefer a private conversation 100% of the time. Or a proximity reminder. Or a redirect. Kids do, too. Most off-task behavior isn't malicious. It's a lack of engagement or a matter of misplaced priorities. Dignify the choice to engage. Teach with compassion. This empowers learners.

Focus your planning on what the kids will be doing, rather than what you will be doing. This creates an active learning mindset. Whoever's doing the talking is usually doing the learning. If you're the sage on stage all day, every day, what are the kids doing? Diligently taking meticulous notes?! Focusing on what the student is doing helps clarify learning targets as well as the activities that would best lead the learners to those targets. Don't fall in love with the sound of your own voice. Fall in love with the buzz of an actively engaged classroom.

Do your own assignments. This is your built-in "crazy checkup." If they are too hard or too long or too complicated for you, imagine what it's like for your students. They appreciate the tips and advice you can provide from the inside.  Instant credibility.

Show students your writing process from start to finish. Don't just show them your amazing finished masterpieces. I admit, I love nothing more than the applause and accolades for one of my artfully crafted works. But your goal should be to produce more writing and leave the writers wanting to produce more writing. They can't do that if they perceive the standard is unreachable. And they will believe it is, if you spend all your time basking in the glow of your own awesomeness. You have to show them the path. And that includes the homely, unorganized scribble on the back of the napkin or envelope where your idea started. And all the little un-awesome steps in between. Draft in front of them. It's hard work to draft under pressure, and it can take a lot of time, but you and your writers will never be the same. The transformation is amazing! Light the path of writing from beginning to end, and spread the glow of awesomeness to all! You'll need some wicked good sunglasses.

Give time to what you value. The more time you spend in any activity shows what you think is important. What are you communicating to your students about what's important? Reading ten minutes every day is sacred in my classroom. My students hold that time to be sacred because I do. I model it as much as I can in class, as well as outside of class. Responding to each other's writing every other Monday is sacred. Blogging about our reading every other Friday, so we have writing to read on Mondays is sacred. Book sharing on alternate Fridays, and library time on alternate Mondays are sacred. Students like predictability. So what are your big rocks? Identify them, value them with time, and make them sacred. What about the rest of your time? Spend it in surprise and discovery because students like that, too. What can I say? We are all paradoxical creatures.

Bonus: Laughter unifies and heals. When all else fails, this is your best tool. Don't forget to use it!

Relaxation: The Dementor, Dumb & Dumber, & Daily Writing

Day 13: What do you do to take time out for yourself?

I gain energy from interaction with others.  This makes me sound like a vaguely creepy but benign Dementor.  Truly, I am most energized after a meeting of the minds with colleagues. So this idea of taking time for myself is not exactly energizing--it seems almost counter-productive.  

Yet paradoxically, I also crave silence.  When I'm home alone, the house is quiet.  When my husband and son are home, all the TVs are on.  Playing different channels.  And nobody's watching.  They just like the company, I guess.  The over-stimulation drives me crazy, and I completely shut down mentally.

I'm not good with this whole balance thing. Consistency is probably my most fatal of all my flaws. My life is a series of hot and cold streaks: I feed my soul and then I starve it because I suffer from hyper-focus. Once I'm interested in something, it's nearly impossible for me to pay attention to anything else.  

I wish for my family's sake, that what energized me was cooking and cleaning. Lucky for me, they are kind and forgiving.  And self-sufficient.  

Right now, I am enjoying quality time with my husband and son: watching Dumb & Dumber on Netflix. Escapism through mindless adolescent comedy is a great bonding activity.  Honestly, I like to watch my husband laugh more than anything.  And watching him enjoying this oldie anew with our son is fantastic! They are doubled-over and nearly crying with laughter.  Is there any activity more energizing than this? My addiction to crude, gross-out comedy earns me some street cred with my students when I get (what they think are) their inside jokes.

My solitary escape, since I was very young, is that I read a tremendous amount of books. This is my favorite aspect to my job because a major component of my classes is independent reading, and I can't make recommendations to kids about books they'd like unless I'm reading books they'd like. My son has both inherited and learned this escapist activity from me.  I love watching him curled up with a book. His latest obsession is the Eragon series.  We often sneak up to bed early with books whenever we can.  Sometimes, he will still let me read to him.  Another way I take time for myself is that I eat lunch alone in my classroom and read.  My rocking chair, a book, and some hot chai make the time relaxing.  I don't go anywhere without a book (or three) and my Kindle. Just in case.

Whether I am crafting with words or with needles, creating is the most soul-satisfying activity. I love spinning my own yarn on the spinning wheel. The click-clack of the pedals and the fiber running through my fingers are soothing.  I love knitting with yarn from the fiber of my own sheep. (My dear husband takes excellent care of them for me.) One of my winter projects is to recycle wool sweaters into new projects. Right now I have a blanket of recycled cashmere squares that I'm working on, and I'm hoping to finish it this winter. That will truly be a luxury to wrap up in the recliner for naps! I have Christmas stockings I'm trying to knit--and time is suddenly flying faster toward that event.

Meanwhile, my fingers are itching for the keyboard every day in a way I haven't craved in a long time.  Daily writing, selecting just-right words, (or just-right-for-now words) has been a joy. Knowing I will get response from my dear friends and co-bloggers Melissa, Allison, Brittany and Kimberly, along with various new readers, is motivating me more than I thought possible.  As my students venture into their own 30 Day Writing Challenge, I'm so excited for them to experience this joy in their own growth.  And write along with them.

Images of Gratefulness

Day 12: Share a photo/photos of people/things you are grateful for.

Family, friends, books, knitting, animals, flowers, water, relaxation, and my classroom.

Make Wise Choices (Redux)

Day 11: What is an important lesson you want to teach your students?

Make wise choices. I’ve dismissed nearly every class period of my teaching career with this admonition. I believe if my students hear it repeated often enough, and most will hear it 180 times, the mantra will pop into their minds when the opportunity for an unwise choice inevitably arises, and perhaps influence them to choose the wiser course. There are so many opportunities in any given day to choose. Speech or silence? Kindness or cruelty? Lend a hand or walk away? Every choice is a fresh opportunity to grow in wisdom, whether proactively or reactively. Let me teach you how.

It began in my favorite grad school course “Mental Health in the Classroom.” Every class period, our instructor dismissed us with “Be careful out there,” which he borrowed from the old police television show Hill Street Blues. It was his way of showing us affection while also practicing what he preached: creating a warm and caring classroom environment. I wanted to emulate him without copying his phrase, but I didn’t know what I wanted to say. However, my students taught me.

Students often act as if teachers are blind and deaf, especially in the hallway or between classes. Since I am neither, I can’t help overhearing the stories of their weekend shenanigans or latest drama. I repeat, I am listening. I listen to what is unsaid, too: the fears and dreams and temptations. I worry about my students. How can they be so foolish with their precious lives? How could I have been so foolish at their age? One day, the phrase popped into my head as students were leaving class on a beautiful May Friday afternoon, and I said it: Make wise choices.

It became the only rule in my classroom. All behavior choices, wherever they fall on the spectrum from wise to foolish, can be addressed with this rule. Are you making a wise choice right now? What might be a wiser course of action? Are you CERTAIN you know the definition of wisdom?? Listen, let me teach you.

Wisdom chooses to listen. Wisdom pays attention to others. It resists impulse, delays gratification, and practices patience. And boy, do I need some! Right. Now. Wisdom puts first things first instead of procrastinating. I struggle with these choices every day. I bet you do, too.

I believe that when my students hear me say, “Make wise choices!” every day, they know I also mean, “I care about you.” And “Take care of yourself.”

I hope they know I am paying attention to the person they want me to see, as well as who they really are behind the mask. And that no matter what happened in class today, I mean, “Please come back tomorrow, preferably in one piece.” 

It is never too late to start, or start over, in making wise choices. 

Forgiveness is the wisest choice. And I will always choose it with my students. Most importantly, I mean to communicate that if your choices leave you broken in pieces, it is the pursuit of wisdom and learning that will help you reshape and heal. 

I know broken. I am learning wisdom. Please, let me teach you to make wise choices.

(Originally written as a model speech for 8th grade "This I Believe" Unit.)

Image Source: http://bustedhalo.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/wisdom-large-3.jpg

Laughter Lessons with Jazz Hands

Nov 10: Being grateful for humor -- share a story about a time in your career where humor played a part.

I can't recall a single day of my career where my sense of humor has not been called upon to mediate a dispute, de-escalate a student, soften a hard blow, and help me keep events in their proper perspective. I make a lot of mistakes every day. I'm also not super graceful.  The only way to bounce back is to bow, curtsy, or throw up some jazz hands a la Mary Katherine Gallagher.  

Here's an incomplete and totally arbitrary list of moments in my career where a sense of humor was essential to ease tension, raise awareness, and/or return the class to equilibrium:

• when I told students to bring materials to work on their projects the next day and seventh grader Patrick brought a level, a drill, and a power saw...he was TOTALLY taking prepared to new levels.  Lesson: Be specific.
• the day I taught a whole class period with my zipper down: stretch pants & old lady panties. Lesson: 'Nuff said.
• the time I sat down in the chair a little too vigorously and it quietly tipped backward, dumping me in the corner of the room.  And trapping me.  With my bare legs waving in the air.  Luckily, my dear student teacher Mrs. Brittany Jungck noticed I was "missing" before I got my breath back (I was laughing so hard I couldn't breathe) and sent students over to help me out of my predicament.  Lesson: Don't let the IT students fix your chair.
• when a student threatened to punch me upon his return from suspension, and I sent him to the office, remarking after his departure, "Guess he didn't like the new seating arrangement." Lesson: Never let them know you're afraid to take a punch.  Because. I. Am.
• when I realized the entire fifth grade class had changed name tags to confuse the sub (me).  I called all of them by fake names all day long, the crazier the better.  Lesson: Anything you can do, I can do better. I AM smarter than a whole classroom of fifth graders.
• when a sweet, funny new student asked me to the Homecoming Dance in front of the class, and I said, "Just because all your friends are taking married, pregnant dates this year doesn't mean YOU have to."  Lesson: Mock yourself to protect others. 
• the day one of my male students kept talking about what a slut this "girl he nailed" over the weekend was.  That girl was also one of my students, and I knew she was crying in the bathroom at that very moment.  As I passed by his desk, I leaned over so only he could hear me and said, "If she's actually a slut, and you slept with her, as you have so loudly proclaimed that even your teacher heard you, what would that make YOU?  Think about it and see me after class." Two very sincere apologies were delivered immediately after class.  Both students admirably handled the rest of the semester with grace despite the ugliness of that day. Lesson: Surprise them into thinking. Remind them you are not deaf, dumb, or blind.
• the day I broke up a vicious fight between two young ladies I didn't know on a Monday morning before 8 a.m. over who called who a whore on Facebook.  Weaves, fake nails, jewelry, and books were all over the place.  In the melee, one of them had a boob escape from her spandex top.  I just stepped up and mentioned they might want to take a break to fix the wardrobe malfunction. Both fell on the floor laughing when they saw what I meant.  Then followed me willingly to the office.  Lesson: We are united by laughter. 
• the day I caught my foot in a sophomore's backpack strap while passing papers back. I did a 360 degree twirl and landed in the student's lap.  And I was stuck.  I couldn't get back out of the desk.  The student did not want to touch me. And I didn't want to touch him either. There was an uncomfortably long, hands-free struggle while I tried to wiggle free without touching him. I finally had to shove off from his right thigh.  I don't remember his name or his face.  But I do remember he never talked again in my class.  Lesson: I have foreseen my death. It involves back packs laying in the aisles.

Whatever the day brings, know that I will greet it with jazz hands and a big smile.

Photo Credit: http://www.tvguide.com/PhotoGallery/Best-SNL-Cast-Members-1078305/1078328

Spreading the Habit of Gratitude

Day 9: What can you do to develop an attitude of gratitude in your classroom?

I am taking the 21 Day Habits of Gratitude challenge from www.spreadinggratituderocks.com. All I have to do is record 3 things I'm grateful for every day. I'm going to turn my whiteboard over to the kids to write their daily gratitudes. At the end of each day I will photograph the board and add the photo to my journal entry of three things I'm thankful for. I'll make the journal public on my Weebly blog so kids can see my daily gratitudes and the photo of theirs. Should be interesting to see how it develops!  I also plan to hand out 3 tokens of gratitude every day. (printout is on website). Will my investment pay off? Stay tuned!

Today I am thankful for: my son's curiosity, my husband's smile, my friend Mary's home-made bread

Story Time

November 8: Write about a memorable moment in the classroom that reminded you why you teach.

One 8th grade student, who has been particularly troubling as far as behavior this year, came into my classroom about a month ago and saw me handing out a classroom set of the story "Believing in Brooklyn" by Matt de la Peña. I was planning to do a read aloud/think aloud with it. He said, "Can I read first?" I was surprised, for he struggles as a reader.  Many others chimed in with, "Me, too!" and "I want to read. Can we do popcorn?" 

Now I know the research isn't very positive when it comes to popcorn reading, but multiple students wanted to read aloud, in a class where I had been struggling to get students engaged. So, I decided to give it a try. 

I sat in my rocking chair and listened to them gallantly try, and mostly succeed, in reading with expression. They read multiple paragraphs before calling on the next person. There were no awkward pauses and no one got lost or complained about reading. When I stopped to think aloud, they volunteered their thoughts without prompting. I could not believe it. Who were these kids anyway?!

We were well into the story, when I looked around the room. I saw the girls piled like puppies on the floor at my feet, and the boys gathered around in chairs and beanbags for story time. They were intent on reading the story. Their faces showed deep concentration and enjoyment. Not a single child was off-task. The story is that awesome!

The glow of pleasure I felt made me want to freeze this moment and savor it. For the thought running through my mind  was, I can't believe I get paid to do this! This is the best job EVER!

When we listen to and honor student choices, we, and they, reap far greater benefits than when we plan lessons alone.

Learning on Fire: Socratic Circles

November 7: What new learning has inspired you in your career?

A couple weeks ago, my ninth graders held a Socratic Circle over the second half of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and some non-fiction readings over the Five Love Languages and color psychology. It was the second circle of the year, so there is still a lot of training and growing to do.

After both circles had discussed color symbolism in the story and which characters seemed to show affinity for which love language, the outer circles had debriefed, and we set some goals as a class for next circle, they went back to talking about the book in the last five minutes before the bell, like curious and engaged human beings are prone to do.  Even the quiet ones who hadn't talked much during the "official" time spoke.  They asked questions and listened and referred to the text, and continued discussing their thoughts about the gender of Death, how the book would be different without Death's bolded comments, about Rudy and Liesel: platonic or romantic? and Max and Liesel: siblings or soulmates?

They conducted class without me.

I sat calmly, though I was doing back flips in my head, paid careful attention to their thoughts and contributions, and continued to take notes.  When the bell rang, they were disappointed to leave.  On a Friday afternoon.

WHAT?!

This week we've been discussing literary lenses (schools of criticism).  I introduced them to the gender lens with the video "Girl in a Country Song" by Madi and Tae. As the video ended, one girl, usually quiet though not shy, slapped her hand on the table and said, "Finally! Let's talk about objectification!"  I couldn't agree more, Ms. Molly. The class virtually exploded with banter as we discussed the expectations presented by society based on gender and sexuality.

They quieted when I handed them the essay "Team Katniss" from the excellent collection The Girl Who Was on Fire: Your Favorite Authors on Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games Trilogy (2012).  They dug into reading, questioning, and highlighting passages they wanted to share.  The next day, they all came in on fire for discussion, no lie. "Mrs. Paulsen, I had ten passages I wanted to talk about just on the first page!  I can't believe you only assigned three for the whole essay."  "Can we get in the circle now?"  "Can I be first?"

The "hot seat," where the outside circle can jump in on a question, was filled at all times. This time, girl after girl after girl could barely contain themselves as they jumped into the discussion. It was a power shift that threw my vocal boys for a loop. There were passionate, yet considerate discussions about the difference in media portrayal between a love triangle with two girls and a guy (consensus: unimportant drama) vs. two guys and a girl (consensus: competition through action). One student asked: How would the story would be different if Katniss was a boy? One notable observation: The careers would have assumed she was a threat if she were male--that the motive for volunteering would come from skills and confidence rather than love. (Oh the dangers of underestimation!  Is there a more powerful force than love??  Did we not learn from Harry Potter, my friends?)  This idea, proposed by a thoughtful male athlete in the class, ignited some interesting talk, though they did not get to the obvious contradiction presented by Peeta volunteering for Haymitch. (Don't worry, we'll get there next week in their written reflections!) They always manage to cover all the territory I expect. And surprise me with ideas that never occurred to me.  On the rare occasion when I jump in, to push or redirect, I have their full, undivided, laser-like focus.

It's. Totally. AWESOME!

They discussed Katniss' childhood, the influence of her parents, the hard shell she had to grow to parent Prim, how hard it is to survive the deaths of all whom you love, whether it is better to outlive the ones you love or sacrifice yourself to save another, how Katniss and Liesel were alike (survivors), how the essay made them understand that it was hard to know Katniss because we are limited to what she knows of herself.  Favorite quote of the conversation from a feisty girl with curly hair:  "Katniss is the kind of girl you wanna BE. She doesn't need some boy to rescue her. She's BA. Can I say that? I just did.  Katniss. Is. B. A."

As the bell rang, the students had just pried up a new tile in the floor of the both the essay and the story as they considered how the movie might be different if Katniss' olive skin in the book wasn't "white-washed" or if the love triangle had LGBTQ characters. They lingered, chattering amid the controversy, and again I had to shoo them out the door. On the last day of the week.

Don't get me wrong.  I don't teach at Utopia Junior High.  But it's close.  So. Close.

As I read over the Silent Contributor online discussion on Schoology, I see opportunities to dig deeper, to ask for clarification, to push for textual evidence.  We will come back to it and do those very things on Monday.  That is the beauty of the online discussion board.  It's a permanent, interactive record of on-going thought.  As we grow and change in our thinking, we can see it in real time. This addition to our discussions has allowed us to capture the most ethereal of thoughts and grounds their self-assessment in hard evidence.

I have never graded a Socratic Circle.  They have never asked me how many points they earned.  They contribute and participate for the sheer engagement of it.  They assess themselves and set goals and watch for growth over time.  They reflect on their own contributions, others' contributions, our progress as a whole.  Even the students who dislike talking recognize the power of the learning happening, based on their reflections and feedback.

I've been using the Socratic Circle method of discussion in class since I read the book by Matt Copeland about a year and a half ago, so it's still new and my understanding is still developing.  In twenty years of teaching, no other strategy or structure has had the profound and immediate impact on teaching and learning in my classroom that Socratic Circles do. My room is alive with purpose and intent and anticipation for what's next.

For the curious, more literary lenses, more Hunger Games essays.  Then: we tackle Disney, y'all. We're on fire!

If you are interested in trying this out in your classroom, here is my webpage with resource links. Follow Socratic Circles on Facebook. Start simple. Learn by doing!

Image Credit: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/782234.Socratic_Circles

Atticus Finch--Mentor Teacher

November 6: Share a quote or verse has inspired you and tell us why.

"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it." ~Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird

There have to be a hundred quotes I choose to live by on any given day and I'm always finding more. Like my mother and grandmother before me, I've been scavenging for and collecting quotations in notebooks nearly all of my life. Words are how I make sense of the insensible and express the inexpressible.  Many quotations surface from the deep recesses of memory when I need them. Sometimes they are jolted loose at random, or become new again in a fresh context. Today, I tried to pick the one that's had the longest and strongest impact on who I am as a person, as well as who I am as a teacher. 

When I first read these words from Atticus to Scout as an 8th grader, I knew immediately how powerful they were, for Atticus is the finest of teachers.  These words have echoed in my heart and mind ever since. 

Understanding others is probably my biggest barrier to success in the classroom.  I just don't get some kids. When I find myself irritated or at odds with a student, I try to figure out what walking around in their skin would be like. 

At the beginning of the year, I wasn't sure I could like a young man who was very negative. Everything we did was stupid or boring. When writing their on-demand narrative, he tossed his blond hair out of his eyes and asked, "Does it have to be good?"  Everyone laughed and his neighbor fist-bumped him.

"Does your best work have to be good? You tell me, Charlie." My voice dripped with venom. He flinched and hunched over his keyboard, painfully pecking out one word at a time with just his index fingers, mumbling about his best work never being good enough.

Why did it take me nearly 24 hours to process the fear in his statement?  To recognize the odds of his success in a timed, typed writing task were greatly stacked against him? When my anger receded, when I crawled into his skin, I realized how so much of his negativity was a mask. When I put myself in his place, I shriveled at the negativity in my own voice. I couldn't change his negativity maybe, but I could change mine.

The next day, I sat with him at his table and asked some curious questions about his blog, which he named Sunshine after the character in Remember the Titans. I could not imagine, other than the hair, why anyone would nickname him Sunshine (except for the delicious irony.) But when he dropped the mask and shyly chattered away about the movie and football and his friend who came up with the nickname, he glowed with joy.  I was determined to help him find that glow when reading and writing. 

Today, he sat in the blue leather recliner, deeply lost in The Sea of Monsters.  He has finished two Trent Reedy books and The Lightning Thief.  He tries to strong arm everyone into reading Soldier X, "the best book EVER!" When I asked if anyone needed help with "The Tell-Tale Heart" or their Notice and Note blog posts, he wandered over with his Chromebook, sat down next to me at my table and said, "I need some help. I don't understand what to do with the quotes."  

I marveled at the change. Here he was, of his own volition, articulating his uncertainty--no mask. As we talked through the first paragraph of "The Tell-Tale Heart," and wondered together about the "you" the narrator is addressing in the line "you fancy me mad," I watched his fingers flit around on the keyboard. He was on home row! It was still slow going, but the improvement was marked. I complimented him on his progress and was treated to the same sunny smile I got for complimenting one of his many touchdowns. (Turns out, he's quite good!)

Then he said, "For the second quote, I was thinking maybe the line about the Evil Eye. Don't you think that shows being compelled by irresistible force?" If I had a football, I would've spiked it right there in the end zone and then performed some silly dance moves. I settled for a high five, said, "You've got this, Charlie." And I walked away. 

Writing is still hard work for him. And he has a long way to go before he masters elaboration and craft. But he's got a growth mindset about it. He's no longer defeated before he starts. He's not afraid he won't measure up. He's confident he can build his skills.

"Mrs. Paulsen, can I have the blog post checklist? I want to make sure I meet all the requirements. The notice and note part can be a tough question, right? Because I noticed Percy is asking some tough questions here." He plops the book open, flips the hair out of his eyes, and points to a page where Percy does indeed ask himself some tough questions. 

Inside my head, the crowd goes wild.