#WelcomeBackMrWhitaker

Hello Summer, it's been to long

I can't believe it's here, SUMMER! This school year was a real test and thankfully I made it. Now for some good old fashion R&R. I ran across this idea from another blog and I thought I'd give it a shot. 

Here's my Summer Bucket list, (in no particular order)

• Sleep. I get nearly 8 hours a night, but I need to improve the quality of my sleep. 
• Family vacation somewhere.  Staycations are getting old.
• Crossfit alot.
• Daddy Day camp. Can't get enough of my girls so we'll be hanging out doing something every week. My wife and I have some goals for them before they go back to school. Let's see how well we do at getting them on track. 
• Get a sport massage. Matter of fact, get a few of them. My shoulders are shot from the 115 days of burpees. 
• Anita Baker concert!  Got tickets already. 
• Finish reading a book that will help me get my mojo right for next school year.  Ope to more suggestions for reading. Oh, yeah and catch up on my 15 back logged copies of comic books. 
• Plan for next school year. Thinking I'm going to change the Workshop theme. 
• Paint our front door. 
• Gardening. Been teaching my girls about growing plants/herbs in our little planter on the deck. 
• Do something to my backyard. Even if it's just bring a bobcat in and rip the entire thing out. Maybe a more sensible idea is to plant some new grass. Yeah that will work, too. 
• Clean my horrible garage. 

Day 103 of Burpee challenge and I'm tired. Almost done, almost done. 

Turning my To Do list into a That's Done list.

If school got out on Tuesday isn't there a rule that says "Children can not come and play on the playground until they've been in their parents house for 72 hours after being dismissed for Summer break"? How are you ALREADY back up here playing? #GOHOME

That's a wrap!

Happy End of the Year Day, fellow educators. If this year were easy or tough you made it. Enjoy your summer. Recharge yourself and enjoy everyday. I'll still be blogging about my summer adventures so keep checking in. Happy 1st day of Summer Day!

Shame on parents

    I've been talking to a few of my teacher buds who've shared with me some sad news. Many of them are meeting parents of students in their class for the first time DURING AWARDS DAY or End of the Year parties. That's just sad. Many express that they've reached out to them, called them, left messages, but they've never met the parents. That is until the end of the year.

    I have another friend who told me that she has a child in her room that really requires a lot of Love and Grace. He's a handful. Come to find out that he has a sister in a lower grade and she's a jewel. Here's the kicker, the mom has volunteered in the sister's room as recently as this week! Never has she done so for the brother. SHE'S BEEN IN THE BUILDING WHEN MY FRIEND HAS CALLED HER ABOUT HER SON'S BEHAVIOR. Amazing. 

    Now, I'm not calling for the OverDue parents that over due everything. They fuss and cuss about everything under the sun about their child. Such that you start to think this is a personal issue for the parent rather than the student. I mean the kid did miss 8 questions o the spelling test. A grade of "B" is the right call. Moving on. 

    I'm sure any parent would be all over if their kid got into Harvard or some IVY league school on a full scholarship. There'd be a bus carry all the family members who'd show up when that same student became a doctor. You know like I know that if a student signed on with a professional sports team they'd have to have a security guard to protect them from all the family that would come out of the woodwork. However, a 7 year old can get on the bus, ride 10 miles to school, interact with 19 or so other 7 yr olds and multiple adults, eat 2 meals, and get back on the bus a all without a parent. Then the kicker is parents not show up until they do so with flowers and balloons for awards day? SERIOUSLY?!

    I can't believe that. Thankfully, I met most of my students parents at least once. I'd much rather more interaction with them, but that's another point. Being a parent isn't spectator sport. I'm not sure exactly what analogy I'd use, but I can certainly tell you that it's not drop in one time a school year. Being and Being Present are two different things all together.     

    Rant concluded. Jason steps down off his soap box to enjoy Day 99 of the Burpee challenge. Working my crossfit plan. I need to improve my eating, but that's certainly another post. 

3 days, but who's counting?

I'm counting that's who!

This year has been a blast. I've had a great class and I can't wait to see them do awesome things in the future. We have 3 more days before they leave for the summer and I admit that with great sadness I'll see them off. (Is it hot in here? My eyes are sweating!)

No seriously, I've had a great time this year and my students can soon return to their parents. I pray they treat their parents just like they treated me all year. May mom, dad and whomever else fully understand the joy I've had for the last 8 months. 

We don't have anything grand planned for the EoTY party. Really I don't want to worry about throwing a party. Not sure that's  bad, but I hate digging into my pockets for my class.  It's also a huge hassle that doesn't tend to make the day go faster. I'd much rather just keep the lid on it give out class awards tomorrow. We might do a movie for the last day. Let's see. Get my classroom packed up the next couple of days and then do paperwork until I turn in keys on Thursday. *It is amazing how much "weight" seems to lift when the kids leave. I could work for an hour or so after the kids leave, but when they're there I just can't get out of there fast enough. I guess that's why I like coming in early cause I get SO much done before they arrive. 

Working on completely changing my classroom theme next year or adding more to the one I used this year. We'll see.

Day 97 of burpee challenge. It's been very, very tough. My shoulders and arms are shot. I could use a break and after this last 1500 burpees I will get a much needed rest. I won't miss burpees come June 9th. Might pick up a commemorative shirt, too. 

Has time stopped?

How is it only Wednesday? Why do I keep waking up thinking its a day later? Having the kiddos prove they've learn something this year. A lot of writing going on in room 504 this week. Making it happen this week, but I wouldn't mind the day I think it is and the day it is lining up.

Day #96 of burpee challenge. Hmmm, #notfunanymore.
Enjoy a good smile, check www.jwhit.com

What a week already! I swore when I woke up this AM it was Thursday. Imagine my elation that it was Tuesday. Now I have 5 more days to jam as much info in the soaked sponges called my 2nd graders. 3,2,1...go!

Day 95 of burpee challenge and might I add that this isn't nearly as fun as day 20? still have better than 2000 to do in the next 20 days and the thought is making me very, very tired.

A lesson learned from the Avengers

If you haven't seen the Avengers movie I can only tell you that you're missing a phenominal movie. Well acted, well developed and well...Hulk is in it. Anyway. 

There are some great points in the movie, but this is an education blog so you're reading to see "how in the world he's going to make this connection." Here I go. 

Every movie, Hulk, Thor, Captain America and both Iron Man films had a point where another movie was tied in. It could be a brief glimpse in the background, Tony Stark's dad, or the ever present Nick Fury to bring his one eye perspective to the situation. No matter what every movie told you simply this "stay tuned there's going to be a big tie in eventually." That tie in was the Avengers. 

The latest from Marvel brought so many ideas and concepts together that it had no choice, but be a HUGE fail or a fantastic well though tout tie in. Thankfully it was the latter. 

I can't tell you how many times have I written a lesson to teach my students a concept. It met it's goal, but it never left them feeling as if something even bigger was going to happen soon? To often I sadly admit I didn't build excitement by telling one story, but leaving  a tidbit of another and another and another. Then even after you've given a great lesson, the kids are excited about what they learned you drop them another nugget to build anticipation for the next. 

*When I started reading comic books, Thanos the Mad Titan was the first villain I met. I can not begin to tell you how off the chain seeing him battle the Avengers will be. Now if I could get my students this amped up about 2 digit multiplication. Oh to dream. 

HELP!

To many this is a Starbucks cup with pencils in it. To my students is the Cornucopia in the Hunger Games. Everyday it's a battle for pencils. You'd honestly think there was a competition to see who could use up the most pencils in a day. 

 

My Pencil policy is this:

I sharpen about 20 or so pencils in the AM. The kids are welcome to trade out one of their not sharps for one of mine. If they don't have a pencil at all (often) they can take from another cup of sharp short pencils I freely give away. Multiple times during the day I sharpen the pencils in the cup so there are sharps for the dulls the kids have. The trades happen through out the day as the kids need a pencil.

Why do it like that, Whitaker? 

• This keeps the kids from making a game out of killing my pencil sharpener. 
• The personal sharpeners are a disaster! Pencil shavings are all over and they make the floor horrid! 
• The kids don't have to fidget with the sharpener. 
• The sharpener becomes a noise distraction as well as a movement issue. Sadly my students can't take the freedom of 1 person sharpening 1-2 pencils and sitting down. I'd have so many kids "needing" the sharpest pencil all day it would be craziness. 

 

I thought this would quell the foolishness that I saw when I came into this class. But really it hasn't. Just new foolishness has arisen. 

• I have the black market personal sharpeners. Shavings everywhere!
• Kids stealing my pencils. I give them for free just don't take 8!
• Kids not even trying to bring a pencil to school. "Whitaker will take care of that for me"
• Kids bringing 10 pencils and swapping all 10 out first thing in the morning, thus depleting my stash for the other students. 

I know this seems so simple, but what do you all do to maintain Pencil sanity in the class? 

One more post about Crossfit and education

I believe 100% that CF and CFKids would be a fantastic addition to public education. The personal development skills that kids learn alone are worth it. When it add in what kids will learn as it relates to new skills and disciplines and the value shoot off the charts. Add some good healthy competition to some of those budding knuckle heads. I'd like to see the on some bully's face when he/she gets smashed by some kid in some cfk wod. I'd LOVE to see the confidence on the face of the bullied kid when they see that they can do a lot more than they thought. 

My intention is not to slap phys ed programs in school. I know they're exactly what the school board ordered. I just think. No I believe in my heart that there is a much better way to get kids moving and active. 

 Day 81 of Royal Burpee challenge and I'm really having a time at it. The half way point is tomorrow and we still have 33 days to go. Do the math!