This morning I took time to read some of the blog posts of amazing Educators I follow on Twitter. Here were the posts I was reading bright and early on a Sunday morning:
- Doug Pete
- Donna Miller
Throughout reading the posts I had an opportunity to reflect on my participation in such a great network of Educators. Since ECOO 2013, I have taken a big leap in my professional network as well as my own professional development. I have taken time out of my day to reflect in blogs, read other blog posts and to check out the resources and tweets on Twitter. I was surprised with the amount of amazing
But I feel that my learning has been limited. I have read a ton and learned something from each thing I have read. I have tried out some of the ideas I have read about, but I still feel that something was missing.
I figured it out today; I was taking in the information but I was not able to talk about, evaluate it, reflect on it and create those deeper discussions. I was able to see it but not make that strong connection. This is what I was missing. I was missing this opportunity because the learning was very "one way." I was reading the information but did not choose to interact and develop the material I was learning. I choose not to participate in those conversations which affected my ability to make the connections.
When realizing this, I also realized that it is the same in the classroom. As a math teacher, there is a ton of opportunity for "teacher talk" but that is not what gives students the deep understanding. Class conversations, group/paired work, investigations and trial-and-error, provide the students with a stronger understanding. Sharing ideas and thoughts, evaluating them, making and correcting mistakes and learning from these mistakes allow students to gain an understanding that can be transferred and adapted.
I promote this way of learning in my classroom, but I was not embracing it. This brings me to my challenge for this week. I need to break out of my shell and start interacting with those great ideas and the sharers of the great ideas. My goal is to reply with my thoughts or questions to at least 8 tweets/blog posts throughout this week.
This is personally out of my comfort zone. I am an outgoing lady, and in person, when collaborating, I have tons of input, but it seems that once online, and with people I do not know, I am very more reserved. Maybe it is because I am unsure on how to start (or continue) those great conversations. Maybe it is because I am a new teacher and not sure what is "acceptable." But these are all feelings that we went through in school and I overcame them once, so I will be able to do them again.
What are your thoughts on participating in conversations within your online professional network? How do you start the conversations? How did you feel when you first started?
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Friday, November 8, 2013
Talking with your Hands
Over the past week I have conducted an experiment with my Grade 11 College math class. Monday, I introduced them to a new way that we would be organizing exits (washroom and drink breaks) from the classroom. This was a suggestion that I picked up from a PD Session offered by UGDSB Administration for all NTIP teachers. Rick Smith spoke to all in attendance sharing easy to implement classroom management strategies.
Rick suggested that she would try hand signals to indicate washroom or drink in the class. This will stop those questions from popping into class discussions, especially at those key learning opportunities. This week my students and I implemented four signals in total, they are shown below:
Washroom:
Drink:
Yes:
No:
So now when a student needs to leave the classroom for one of these common reasons, all they do is put up their hands with the appropriate signal. I, from somewhere in the classroom, will respond to their signal with either a yes or a no.
I will be honest, I did not think that this could possibly work for Grade 11 students. Primary - Definitley, Junior/Intermediate - Maybe, Senior - No Way! These students would not like the idea of using the signals (even if they follow ASL) even if I did come up with a creative way to present it.
Was I wrong!
I presented this to my class as a challenge. It was our job to see if this would work well in a classroom at our school. Would it be feasible to do this in all of our classrooms? Does this help us minimize interruptions throughout the day? I posed all of these questions to my class and said that we would revisit this idea in a couple of weeks.
The next day, the students were all over it! They even helped to correct me when I was mistaken their hand-signal for a regular hand or did not respond with the correct versions of yes or no.
Throughout this week, I have seen a class take on a challenge and be successful with it. Not only has this eliminated those annoying questions to leave the class at inconvenient time but this has improved our classroom environment.
Before, I found that I was giving reasons for saying no to requests for leaving the classroom such as "wait until the end of the lesson" or "there is another student out already, wait until everyone is back in the classroom." With this new strategy, the students do not have the opportunity to argue about the answer they have been given. The students, as there is no talking in the interaction, cannot ask for further clarification or argue the answer. This has provided a more calm atmosphere in the classroom. Even with my students with exceptionalities who usually argue, love this system and do not miss the arguing. They take the answer at face value, if it is a yes they leave the classroom but if it is a no they continue on with their work.
What strategies have you implemented to remove the "arguing" from your classroom?
Rick suggested that she would try hand signals to indicate washroom or drink in the class. This will stop those questions from popping into class discussions, especially at those key learning opportunities. This week my students and I implemented four signals in total, they are shown below:
Washroom:
Drink:
Yes:
No:
So now when a student needs to leave the classroom for one of these common reasons, all they do is put up their hands with the appropriate signal. I, from somewhere in the classroom, will respond to their signal with either a yes or a no.
I will be honest, I did not think that this could possibly work for Grade 11 students. Primary - Definitley, Junior/Intermediate - Maybe, Senior - No Way! These students would not like the idea of using the signals (even if they follow ASL) even if I did come up with a creative way to present it.
Was I wrong!
I presented this to my class as a challenge. It was our job to see if this would work well in a classroom at our school. Would it be feasible to do this in all of our classrooms? Does this help us minimize interruptions throughout the day? I posed all of these questions to my class and said that we would revisit this idea in a couple of weeks.
The next day, the students were all over it! They even helped to correct me when I was mistaken their hand-signal for a regular hand or did not respond with the correct versions of yes or no.
Throughout this week, I have seen a class take on a challenge and be successful with it. Not only has this eliminated those annoying questions to leave the class at inconvenient time but this has improved our classroom environment.
Before, I found that I was giving reasons for saying no to requests for leaving the classroom such as "wait until the end of the lesson" or "there is another student out already, wait until everyone is back in the classroom." With this new strategy, the students do not have the opportunity to argue about the answer they have been given. The students, as there is no talking in the interaction, cannot ask for further clarification or argue the answer. This has provided a more calm atmosphere in the classroom. Even with my students with exceptionalities who usually argue, love this system and do not miss the arguing. They take the answer at face value, if it is a yes they leave the classroom but if it is a no they continue on with their work.
What strategies have you implemented to remove the "arguing" from your classroom?
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
The Importance of Coaching
Last night the Sr. Boys Volleyball team played their last game of the season - we were unfortunately defeated in the quarterfinals. Truth be told, we did not win a game, or a set, all season. This season was tough for the boys, a busy season for me, and I think that it is very important that I take a time to reflect on what we have done over the past two months.
I came to coaching this team at the start of the year when no other teacher took it on. Am I a volleyball guru? Have I ever played volleyball outside of Grade 9 gym class? No, I was completely unaware that volleyball actually had positions - I thought we just had to rotate each player out after each serve! Was I wrong!
I came to know the team during try-outs. The grade 12 members of the team really stepped up and helped me out. They came to the tryouts unknowing that their coach would have less of an idea of the sport than they were. During the first couple of tryouts, which then turned practices, the senior members of the team came up with drills on the spot, helped me learn their previous rotations and what each position was responsible for. They also stepped up and gave me an idea of what qualities each position should have and which player could be matched with which position.
Our games were a mix of emotions; we would have fabulous sets with scores like 26-24, and then sets where our goal was to receive 5 points in total; most of the time these scores were all in one game. The boys got angry with each other, down on each other and frustrated. We had team meetings, chats individually and long practices of running to get everyone on the same page. It was a roller coaster ride of a season.
Throughout the season, and looking back, I could not be prouder of this team.
They persevered through the season. They returned after each defeat to work harder and better in practice. When they got frustrated with each other, they allowed each other to have those negative moments, but worked together to help the team move forward. They saw each other's strengths and worked as a team to utilize them. They coached each other and supported one another on how to improve.
These players came from thinking that they were the best players out there to knowing that as a team, we are the strongest. They took their individual mindset and changed to a team think.
Growing up, I was never a part of a sports team. I was apart of groups for dance, and for projects, but I never experienced a sports team. I was blown away. These guys, even on their worst days, would be supportive to one another and help each other out. More than this, they took me on as one of them and helped me out. Their goal was not to focus on themselves, but to focus on us as a team and that meant stepping up and helping out the coach.
Outside of the courts, the boys are always willing to lend a hand as if we were still playing volleyball together. Whether it is helping carrying bags and boxes to different classrooms or just checking in to see how the day has been going, these students have become a positive influence on the community.
Without a teacher stepping up and taking on the responsibility of a coach, these boys would have never had this experience. It is so important, that as teachers, we take on these extra-curricular activities that foster a sense of self-worth, collaboration, teamwork, and so many other soft skills, in all of our students. There are many ways that these skills can be developed, but I know that our volleyball team was a big influence for these 10 students.
Each student should have the chance to know what it feels like to be a part of that special team, to have the spotlight and to show off their talents. It should not matter if they are the top students in that sport, or the worst, each student should have equal opportunity to learn from each other, overcome those challenges and feel like they have a place in the school's community. Each student should also have the opportunity to make that connection with a teacher or other staff member.
More than just sports, students have lots of opportunities to find their place, whether in a drama production, mathletes, computer game club or another activity, how do you help students make these important connections?
I came to coaching this team at the start of the year when no other teacher took it on. Am I a volleyball guru? Have I ever played volleyball outside of Grade 9 gym class? No, I was completely unaware that volleyball actually had positions - I thought we just had to rotate each player out after each serve! Was I wrong!
I came to know the team during try-outs. The grade 12 members of the team really stepped up and helped me out. They came to the tryouts unknowing that their coach would have less of an idea of the sport than they were. During the first couple of tryouts, which then turned practices, the senior members of the team came up with drills on the spot, helped me learn their previous rotations and what each position was responsible for. They also stepped up and gave me an idea of what qualities each position should have and which player could be matched with which position.
Our games were a mix of emotions; we would have fabulous sets with scores like 26-24, and then sets where our goal was to receive 5 points in total; most of the time these scores were all in one game. The boys got angry with each other, down on each other and frustrated. We had team meetings, chats individually and long practices of running to get everyone on the same page. It was a roller coaster ride of a season.
Throughout the season, and looking back, I could not be prouder of this team.
They persevered through the season. They returned after each defeat to work harder and better in practice. When they got frustrated with each other, they allowed each other to have those negative moments, but worked together to help the team move forward. They saw each other's strengths and worked as a team to utilize them. They coached each other and supported one another on how to improve.
These players came from thinking that they were the best players out there to knowing that as a team, we are the strongest. They took their individual mindset and changed to a team think.
Growing up, I was never a part of a sports team. I was apart of groups for dance, and for projects, but I never experienced a sports team. I was blown away. These guys, even on their worst days, would be supportive to one another and help each other out. More than this, they took me on as one of them and helped me out. Their goal was not to focus on themselves, but to focus on us as a team and that meant stepping up and helping out the coach.
Outside of the courts, the boys are always willing to lend a hand as if we were still playing volleyball together. Whether it is helping carrying bags and boxes to different classrooms or just checking in to see how the day has been going, these students have become a positive influence on the community.
Without a teacher stepping up and taking on the responsibility of a coach, these boys would have never had this experience. It is so important, that as teachers, we take on these extra-curricular activities that foster a sense of self-worth, collaboration, teamwork, and so many other soft skills, in all of our students. There are many ways that these skills can be developed, but I know that our volleyball team was a big influence for these 10 students.
Each student should have the chance to know what it feels like to be a part of that special team, to have the spotlight and to show off their talents. It should not matter if they are the top students in that sport, or the worst, each student should have equal opportunity to learn from each other, overcome those challenges and feel like they have a place in the school's community. Each student should also have the opportunity to make that connection with a teacher or other staff member.
More than just sports, students have lots of opportunities to find their place, whether in a drama production, mathletes, computer game club or another activity, how do you help students make these important connections?
Friday, November 1, 2013
Compliments go a long way!
Today was a recovery from the craziness of Halloween and the sugar high that most student's experienced. There was still a lot of candy going throughout my classroom, and a lot of wrappers found their way to the trash bin. But today, more than candy, was about the power of a compliment.
As a teacher on an LTO, my very first LTO, I have been nervous that I am handling situations properly, giving students the right advice and moving the class at a good pace. I have been nervous about it, outside of the classroom, and a lot of my co-teachers have been supportive.
Today, a wonderful supply teacher came in to set-up for her class while I was finishing up with a couple of students. The students and I were talking about their concerns for their grades as midterms are quickly approaching. I was giving the students reassurance that they are still able to improve their mark and that I will do everything in my power to make sure they end up with the grade that they want, if they put the effort into it.
After about 5 minutes of talking to the students, they felt satisfied and went on to their next class with a "Have a great weekend Miss. Fitz!" I then turned to introduce myself to the supply teacher. Before I had the opportunity to, the supply said, "You spoke to those students wonderfully; exactly what I would have done in any of my LTO's."
WOW. That made me feel good. Later, I learned that this supply teacher had had many successful LTO's and was a very successful supply. The simple compliment that she provided to me made my week and gave me confidence to go on to home instruct a student.
Reflecting on how I felt, I have realized that giving those compliments makes a big impact on someones day. We have the ability to change someones day with just a single sentence. As teachers, and people in general, we should make an effort to improve at least one person's day with a compliment.
This leads me to my goal for the weekend; my goal is to give at least one compliment to someone each day over the weekend. I feel that if I can improve this at home, I can easily implement this into my school life. Giving compliments to family members, I have found, is always a bit tougher than to those of strangers or friends.
What is the power of compliments in your teaching career?
As a teacher on an LTO, my very first LTO, I have been nervous that I am handling situations properly, giving students the right advice and moving the class at a good pace. I have been nervous about it, outside of the classroom, and a lot of my co-teachers have been supportive.
Today, a wonderful supply teacher came in to set-up for her class while I was finishing up with a couple of students. The students and I were talking about their concerns for their grades as midterms are quickly approaching. I was giving the students reassurance that they are still able to improve their mark and that I will do everything in my power to make sure they end up with the grade that they want, if they put the effort into it.
After about 5 minutes of talking to the students, they felt satisfied and went on to their next class with a "Have a great weekend Miss. Fitz!" I then turned to introduce myself to the supply teacher. Before I had the opportunity to, the supply said, "You spoke to those students wonderfully; exactly what I would have done in any of my LTO's."
WOW. That made me feel good. Later, I learned that this supply teacher had had many successful LTO's and was a very successful supply. The simple compliment that she provided to me made my week and gave me confidence to go on to home instruct a student.
Reflecting on how I felt, I have realized that giving those compliments makes a big impact on someones day. We have the ability to change someones day with just a single sentence. As teachers, and people in general, we should make an effort to improve at least one person's day with a compliment.
This leads me to my goal for the weekend; my goal is to give at least one compliment to someone each day over the weekend. I feel that if I can improve this at home, I can easily implement this into my school life. Giving compliments to family members, I have found, is always a bit tougher than to those of strangers or friends.
What is the power of compliments in your teaching career?
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Compassion in Students
Today was Halloween! I was not sure what to expect with the different .... choices of costumes that could appear in a secondary school. I was pleasantly surprised that many of the students made excellent choices. Many of these costumes were not store bought, but rather they were hand made by the students. They were a mixture of the classic costumes and witty ideas.
More than just costumes, something happened at school today. The students stepped up and showed their true colours and the colours were beautiful.
At lunch in the cafeteria, the Student Council was running a best costume contest. The final two costumes were a Shrek/Fiona couple and Bender from Futurama. The paired costume was a student dressed all out as Fiona with a younger brother (a primary student) as Shrek - it was adorable! The Bender costume was all hand-made and well designed.
When the student population voted by cheers, it was difficult to tell which one received the loudest cheer. The student council then did something a bit different. Instead of picking the costume that was most relevant to them, they selected the Shrek/Fiona pair to win. They knew how much it would mean that much more to the younger student.
As a teacher; this was a very, very proud moment that they saw the good of their decision, even while influenced by the large amounts of sugar in their systems.
More than just costumes, something happened at school today. The students stepped up and showed their true colours and the colours were beautiful.
At lunch in the cafeteria, the Student Council was running a best costume contest. The final two costumes were a Shrek/Fiona couple and Bender from Futurama. The paired costume was a student dressed all out as Fiona with a younger brother (a primary student) as Shrek - it was adorable! The Bender costume was all hand-made and well designed.
When the student population voted by cheers, it was difficult to tell which one received the loudest cheer. The student council then did something a bit different. Instead of picking the costume that was most relevant to them, they selected the Shrek/Fiona pair to win. They knew how much it would mean that much more to the younger student.
As a teacher; this was a very, very proud moment that they saw the good of their decision, even while influenced by the large amounts of sugar in their systems.
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
The Power of NO
Today I had the privilege to attend a classroom management session by Rick Smith. It was amazing! I learned so much, reinforced what I was doing and gave me many practical items to take back to my classroom.
Looking back on it immediately, one thing has stuck out to me and it is the power of no. We all know as teachers that we make decisions and that the students need to follow them. In a secondary classroom, I find myself explaining the reasons for these decisions that takes away from the class discussion or activity. These explanations usually allow the students to argue about the decision made. This affects my authority as a teacher in the classroom and distracts not only the students but all of the other students in the class. Rick suggested keeping your vocabulary to two statements - can you guess what they are?
1) No
2) I understand and the answer is No
I think these two statements are very powerful. Firstly, the student is going to run out of excuses or reasons and stop sooner or later. Secondly, this gives us as teachers an easier chance to hold our ground.
I think that it is important, as a secondary teacher, that I give opportunity at a later time to provide that learning opportunity to the student on why I made my decision; but I agree that it is should be expressed later.
With this strategy in mind, I am going to start implementing it immediately. I have a couple students with exceptionalities and I think this will minimize the confrontation in the lesson. In addition, this will minimize the number of the students who like to leave class to "wander" and chat with friends. My goal will be to use this strategy in at least two conversations/confrontations/arguments I have with students between now and Friday. I know that it is not realistic to have it in all of my interactions right now, but I will make a start!
Looking back on it immediately, one thing has stuck out to me and it is the power of no. We all know as teachers that we make decisions and that the students need to follow them. In a secondary classroom, I find myself explaining the reasons for these decisions that takes away from the class discussion or activity. These explanations usually allow the students to argue about the decision made. This affects my authority as a teacher in the classroom and distracts not only the students but all of the other students in the class. Rick suggested keeping your vocabulary to two statements - can you guess what they are?
1) No
2) I understand and the answer is No
I think these two statements are very powerful. Firstly, the student is going to run out of excuses or reasons and stop sooner or later. Secondly, this gives us as teachers an easier chance to hold our ground.
I think that it is important, as a secondary teacher, that I give opportunity at a later time to provide that learning opportunity to the student on why I made my decision; but I agree that it is should be expressed later.
With this strategy in mind, I am going to start implementing it immediately. I have a couple students with exceptionalities and I think this will minimize the confrontation in the lesson. In addition, this will minimize the number of the students who like to leave class to "wander" and chat with friends. My goal will be to use this strategy in at least two conversations/confrontations/arguments I have with students between now and Friday. I know that it is not realistic to have it in all of my interactions right now, but I will make a start!
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Just starting to use Technology
I think the biggest struggle I am finding is determining the best use of technology in my classroom. I want to find a balance between all of the tools that students can use as well as f2f interaction.
I am a mathematics teacher, so I find adding technology into the classroom a bit more challenging. I am successful at using tools to help learning such as graphing calculators or Google Forms for exit surveys, but I feel that this is just the tip of the iceberg.
My goal over the next couple months is to find a few tools that I can use effectively in my classroom that allow my students to develop perseverance through the tougher questions and challenge them to apply their knowledge.
I would love to hear from you about your best tech in the classroom, especially if you have used it in a math lesson!
I am a mathematics teacher, so I find adding technology into the classroom a bit more challenging. I am successful at using tools to help learning such as graphing calculators or Google Forms for exit surveys, but I feel that this is just the tip of the iceberg.
My goal over the next couple months is to find a few tools that I can use effectively in my classroom that allow my students to develop perseverance through the tougher questions and challenge them to apply their knowledge.
I would love to hear from you about your best tech in the classroom, especially if you have used it in a math lesson!
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