Wow, April?

It is shocking and amazing to realize that we are well into April. The longer days, warmer weather and upcoming testing remind us that we are well into Spring! Our students are a bit more chatty and restless, yet we are also seeing the work we have done over the year expand the capabilities and processes within our classroom. 

We've been working on debating issues about the environment for this month's Passion Project. We've discussed endangered biomes, water use and even the #1 most endangered river the Colorado River. Students are backing up their opinions and assertions with evidence, seeking reliable websites for resources, and even discussing point of view and bias. What I love is they just get more thoughtful, excited and engaged. One student, who is traveling to Colorado this summer, told her dad all about the endangered Colorado river, which had him checking out the websites too.

At the same time, Celina's work with CCSS ELA has our kids doing close readings of songs, poems and informational excerpts on math concepts. Students are making connections back to culture, discrimination and personal acceptance. They are marking their texts with their thinking and wonderings. I love that when I come back to school after a meeting I am greeted by a student who is gleefully telling me about the Text Talk song they listened to! So much delight over connecting words, feelings, thoughts and ideas.

Today was our first day of the "testing season" with a measure of reading skills. Our students were so focused and on target, it was inspiring to me to see their determination and perseverance with this assessment. It reminds me of all the hard work they are capable of, renewing in me that sense of pushing through in my own goals and matching their drive!

Our theme this year is "Learning is Growing" and our students are certainly coming into their own as we wind down. It makes for an exciting time of year, there is much to celebrate!

Welcome Spring!  ~Ann
 

 

(The photo above is of a card my dad picked up for me this week at Trader Joe's (by Angela Duncan) to tell me that he and my mom are super proud of me! It was fitting that a line came up in the book I am reading called Point of No Retreat by Colleen Hoover that fits this card to a T --"Sometimes it feels good to have your biggest fears discounted with a simple compliment.")

The Percolating Continues!

I am well into my goal of reading, learning and growing this summer.  As Celina said the Arts PD we took part in last week was amazing.  It has me thinking more and more about CCSS in relation to English-Language Arts, which will have me moving into more great books, but first a recap of what has drawn me in these past few weeks:

Thinking Ahead

Now that summer is in full swing (and even the weather is cooperating with 84 degrees in the PNW) both Celina and I are reflecting and thinking over where we go from here.  We are mulling over the possibilities for next year.  What worked?  What do we want more of?  What did we learn?  Where do we want to go and grow?  It is probably typical that just a chat about something mundane (the schedule) has us talking for an hour about what we want to see more of in our classroom next year.  So, a top five of our ideas, so far. . .

Ten Favorites to Celebrate

Image found by BING images HERE                          
The end of the school year brings cheers, smiles, hugs, tears, and laughter in abundance.  It is a time to honor the memories of shared experiences; our classroom community moments built from a strong foundation and trusting relationships. 

Together, Ann and I made a big shift in our practice last summer after we accepted the positions of Multiage Teachers.  With our students we took off on the learning journey, promising one another to WORK HARD each and every day.  We were COURAGEOUS as we approached bumps in the road and supported one another in the face of challenges.  Throughout the year we consistently encouraged each other, taking every opportunity possible to CELEBRATE GROWTH.   And what a year the 52 of us had with this motto guiding our daily learning!!

Superpowers

Yesterday we began with a Brain Breakfast asking the questions:  Who is your Superhero?  What is your Superpower?  (As we were both, of course, dressed in our Wonder Woman tee-shirts…)  

Nerd Day

Nerd Day is coming to our school, a chance to dress up and have a little fun for students and teachers.  I joked with Celina that we are often thought of as total nerds when it comes to professional learning.  We often spout favorite sites (www.choiceliteracy.com, www.wonderopolis.com), blogs (see sidebar) and books we are reading (the latest being  21st Century Skills Rethinking How Students Learn by Bellanca and Brandt 2010). We find things to share with our students and colleagues continually, and we keep asking for and googling new information.  We are lifelong learners, we are passionate about teaching, we want to do and be the best for the students within our care.  Everyday is an opportunity to connect with kids and open the door of learning with them.  "Imagine what we might learn." "What do you wonder?" and "This is so cool!" are often mantras within our room in an effort to help kids continually expand their thinking. 
We talk a lot about how we are learners within the classroom too.  We thank them for being our teachers and most recently asked the class to give us an assessment based on our performance as their teachers.  What were we doing well?  What did we need to improve on?  What a crack-up!  Some of them want harder homework, more art projects, more time to read or do math.  Some of them are more concerned with getting to recess on time!  What this did for us was to open a dialogue about homework, push us into thinking of even more ways to integrate art into our content areas, and encourage us to streamline our processes to enable more time for their content learning.  It even inspired me to consider buying a watch! 
As I sat down with my last conference yesterday and the student opened his notebook to a highlight of the first trimester, I was reminded that being a NERD is great.  He stopped in the middle of his explanation to flip to the page we had just reflected on, a thought provoking discussion of what a googol is from www.wonderopolis.com (Wonder #411).  His eyes lit up, his voice got louder and he began rapidly explaining to his mom the fascinating idea that if all the matter in the world were turned into paper there would not be enough to write out all the zeros in a googolplex. 
So while some will celebrate Nerd Day next week, some of us will continue to celebrate it EVERY DAY!

Truly Knowing Our Students

Our conferences begin today. Usually I am in a tiff, flitting about in chaos. Yesterday, though, marked a day of change.  A new mindset and philosophy has resulted in a different approach, as we are floating around in a bubble no one can pop (using a twist from one of my favorite metaphors from Ann)! Yesterday was the best time I have ever had stuffing report card folders- as we worked we read aloud their letters to their parents. Truly priceless! {...and then we un-stuffed the letters so we could make copies of them because they were truly amazing ... we want to be able to reshare them with students at the end of the year, plus use them for inspiration as we move forward}


We feel like we know our students this year even better than we ever have before.  And truly it's because each child has their own individualized program in reading, writing, math, and science (and soon social studies).  Our new program has opened new doors for us.  We know where each child is on each content area continuum, yet we are also able to teach several whole group lessons a day with all of these amazing brains working together.  And really these are not "traditional lessons", but conversations that are beginning to be driven by the students (and we are only in November!!).  They are sharing the strategies that are working for them and how they have approached the topic/activity for their own learning/ intelligence style.  The metaphors, quotes, and dialogue that are being shared are WOWING us each and everyday. We need more wall space for all the great thinking!!!


This year we are excited to have our conference conversations about the individual child, rather than the point we are at within the curriculum, or how their child's performance matched up to the curriculum's sequence or expectations.  In addition, we are prepared to share with parents the "building blocks" that are missing (and need to be filled) in order to move on to particular state standard expectations at the child's personal grade level.  We have specific academic prescriptions for each child and we are so excited to share them!!


~Celina