The Bow Tie Teacher

Keeping your game tight packs

No, I'm not sending homework home over Thanksgiving week. That would be crazy. Who does that? I'm sending each of my hungry learners home with an "Keep Your Game Tight Pack". Each one is chock full of neat math games and skill builders that are going to help them keep their minds sharp over the week off. 

After doing my grades this week I know who NEEDS a pack and who will DO a pack. Shocking and sad those two people aren't the same. There are some who'll do any extra work I send home. I really heart those kids. They want to get the most out of 4th grade. Then there are those who need every extra bit of help I can give them. I really have a heart for those kids. So I have the packs ready and during Family day tomorrow I'm going to roll up on mom/dad/grands and put said package in their hands. I'm certain they'll appreciate the help. My kids that will do the work will just get their pack on Friday. Since I haven't received one phone call to complain about the work I've sent home I guess I'll just keep piling it on. Surely I can get one call my Christmas. 

The next 4 weeks is going to be tough. We have Thanksgiving week then 3 weeks then Christmas week. It's going to be tough keeping them all in the game. If this week was any indication I'm going to have to keep my own game tight. I start back at Crossfit South Cobb Monday. Can't wait! The game plan for the kids is to keep them going. I have a ton of out of class activities and we're going to exhaust them all. No long term sitting and getting antsy. We may bundle up and get outside or we maybe in the Kindergarten class teaching a 5 year old how to multiply. Something, but what we're not going to do is give me 1 more gray hair in my beard.

I'm pushing the envelope

My school isn't the most affluent. My kids don't come to class with the latest and greatest gadgets, cell phones and wads of disposable income. So why did I just roll out on-line homework that can only be done from the class website? Because I don't embrace excuses, only solutions.

Each kid has to go to a particular website and complete 3 10 question math assignments by Friday. All assignments are within the kids abilities and just reinforce what they've learned last week. 

I did a non-scientific survey of the class and about 40% of my students have readied access to the internet. The others did the deer in the headlights when I told them "so what are you going to do, because your homework all needs to be turned in Friday." In all fairness I did give them the option of doing their homework in class or in the computer lab during the week. I have set up time for all kids to go to the media center to complete it during class time and on Wednesday during after school tutorial. I'm certainly interested in how many will go to the library, which is 2 blocks from our school and get it done. And even though I want to not have paper to grade, I made a few copies of the assignments to pass out on Thursday if I see that some kids aren't making the effort. Each week I hope to get fewer and fewer excuses and more solutions. I'm also interested in seeing how many parents call, write or visit me about my new project. Pretty sure they're going to find this a hoot. 

I have some "Go Getters" in class and I know they'll find a way and not come to be with reasons why they can't. I want those kids to rub off on those who are already thinking of reasons why they can't get the work done. I'm going to keep highlighting the solution finders rather than invest time in the excuses. 

The grade level is doing a two week project as well. Each kid is going to have to spend $1,000,000 in their community helping others and making their area better. The assignment ties in Social Studies, Math and it has to be written/typed out. We're giving them 2 weeks to complete, but the students have benchmarks everyday/week. This project doesn't get class time, but when we go to the library I'll certainly encourage them to use their time checking on various parts of their project. 

Asking better questions in class

It's so easy to blame everything under the sun for why kids don't learn. I caught myself the other day in faculty meeting realizing that I was blaming the kids for their not getting a concept. But truly the power is mine. I have the power to not blame, but to take responsibility for the kids learning or not. So rather than asking "Why won't these kids get this?" I started asking "What can I do to help these children learn this concept?" The first question made me a victim while the second question put all the strength in my hands to deal with the issue. 

When I swapped from finger pointing to looking for solutions I gave myself permission to find an answer not wait for someone to fix the problem for me. Now in all honestly, I'm still trying to find how to reach each of the 64 kids I have to work with. Some are ready to learn and are rocking and rolling. The others...not so much. But I take responsibility for that and I also know that I can find a solution.  I know that I can find the way to teach each of them and that I will. It's just a matter of time. 

Let's see how the kiddos respond. 

Proper prepartion prevents poor performance

This week's been good. I've done a fairly good job preparing and planning out my lessons. Since each class is 90 mins not planning right can really ruin the day. Going to really blow their minds when I roll out their official homework website. (Need to find out how many have net access at home, before hand.) I wanted to be able to work on next week's lesson a week in advance. I haven't gotten organized enough for that yet, but I certainly don't plan to be waiting until Saturday to turn them in either.

Working on getting the kids into a more streamlined routine. To much time is lost getting "settled in" when the classes switch and transition. One thing I did was put the kibosh on students leaving from my homeroom only to return in 2 minutes to their first class with me. I didn't realize that was happening, but once I put that on pause a lot of the "extra-ness" that started the first class ceased. Now to get the restroom silliness under control. SMH

Pencil-gate update. The first day I went through 25 pencils in a day. Day 2 I went through none. I started charging the kids rent to use my pencils. They had to give me a jacket or a book to use my pencil and they'd get it back once I got my pencil back. Shockingly I haven't lost 1 pencil in 2 days. Also a lot of kids are finding pencils to use. Shocking.

Long division problems video

Here's a video courtesy of Khan Academy. Parents use this to refresh on long division. You're little learner will think you're a math genius. 

Sad heart

As my 4 year old reminds me that she has homework, my mind drifts to my 4th graders who leave their's on their desks in the class. #Gottodobetter