It is 4 a.m. and I am heading out the door for St. Pete Beach, Florida.
Unfortunately, I will not be able to blog the last day in March because I will not have my computer with me. Thank you to everyone who has followed along. My vacation officially starts when I hit the post button. I am signing off... but just for now! I will be back :) I hope everyone gets the recharge they need and has a Happy Spring Break!
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This whole experience has been an incredible one. I am beyond proud of myself for trying something new and forcing myself out of my comfort zone. I have learned lessons I never thought I would if I never participated in a Slice of Life.
I think it is important to express what you are doing in your classroom to help other teachers, and to reflect on your own teaching. I have learned so much about my own teaching through my posts. For example, I see myself writing about being patient, then think to myself, “I need to do this more in class with this student”. It forces me to get my thoughts down and then act on them. Writing in this blog also gives me a chance to share my ideas with anyone who wants to listen. In teaching, you hear teachers say, “we need more TIME”. It is so true. I constantly feel like I am catching up or trying to quickly explain an idea to my teammates. Blogging gives me a chance to express myself and share my ideas/thoughts on my teaching. Lastly, blogging gives me the opportunity to reflect on my life. Believe it or not teachers have a life outside of school. I try really hard to keep the stresses of my personal life at home, but it is really nice to be able to just write about my feelings. It is the perfect journal. Then, hearing everyone's confirming, kind responses warms my heart and lifts my spirits. There are so many benefits I have found and honestly, not one negative! I thoroughly enjoyed this whole experience. I challenge you to join A Slice of Life next year! I have decided to keep blogging about my teaching moments, teaching tips, and the people that I love so much. I will probably only post once or twice a week, but will tweet my posts on Twitter if you want to keep following :) Thank you to the support of my coworkers, principal, and family throughout this experience. Twitter : Ms_Emrich All students are special.
They are each unique. I treat them all with respect. I am their greatest critique. They are perfect in their own way, I learn something about them day by day. They grow in so many ways, I love to see them soar. Why am I writing this poem? To show you they are more. Happy Hump Day!
My excitement and nerves have been skyrocketing for Spring Break. Excitement and nerves? Some of you may be wondering why I am pairing those two emotions together and I have the reasons why! The obvious excitement rushing through my body is because I am going to be reunited with the beach. The sun beating down, warming me to the core is my favorite feeling. Hearing the waves crash against the sand. Smelling the fresh air that is incomparable to home’s. People watching and seeing nothing but smiles on stranger’s faces. If only I could pick up my life and move to a beach house on an island I would be my happiest… but wouldn’t anybody? The nerves? Well, about a week ago the doctor decided to go through with my Mom’s clinical trial treatment for her Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. To start off she takes an oral pill everyday. This is supposed to cause some bones aches, nausea, etc... (nothing she can’t handle). Then, she should start the IV drug mid-April. However, like I have said before and will say again, cancer is not that simple. This past week she has been moving around like a 99 year old woman. She can barely walk, she could not sleep through the night, and she was in an incredible amount of pain. How in the heck is she going to travel to Florida with all these side effects? It would be difficult. And as her caretaker, helper, best friend, and daughter I started panicking. Waking up Monday morning, she was nervous to go to work, because sitting down for too long hurt. She sits all day, designing on a computer. I asked to take a look at the joints that were hurting her only to feel my heart drop into the pit of my stomach… “Mom! Your ankle! Why is it so swollen?!” I reached harshly in a way that made her jump. “I know! I told you it hurts, look at my elbow and wrists.” She replied back. As I examined the rest of her body we both came to the conclusion that this was not right. Something was wrong. I think she needed that conformation. We planned for her to go in late to work and see the doctor immediately. Of course, her doctor is on vacation, so she had to see another. They agreed that these side effects were too severe and she should stop the oral drug. She was to return the next morning for labs... Returning the next morning her labs seemed to be okay, so the doctor told her to continue taking the medicine. Complete frustration took over my body. I was honestly a wreck all day. Waking up today, I decided to try another outlook. There is really nothing we can do. She has to fight this off and if the doctor says it is safe to return to the medicine then we just have to trust their judgement and if the pain returns maybe I can convince her to just not take it until she gets a hold of her doctor. Am I still nervous for this trip? Yes. But I am going to let my feelings of excitement overpower those nerves. At least I get to go on this trip, with my amazing Mom, and get some much needed relaxation for the both of us. Staying positive is a powerful thing. When last summer came to an end and the staff at Irving Elementary came together I can remember a TED Talk that our principal showed us to kick off the year on a positive note. The lady presenting shared something she told her students at the beginning of the year that is so simple, it’s impossible not to try in your own room. This is what I told them before we created our classroom rules together:
“I have a secret to tell you all. Do you promise to keep to between us?” I quietly asked the class. Heads started bobbing up and down, a wave of yes’s travelled through the room. “Ms. Kusel and I picked you all to be in our classroom. We looked at all students in second grade and chose the kindest, smarted, most special students to be in this class.” Their eyes widened. “You are all the smartest and most unique students we have ever met and we NEEDED you to be in this class! We truly have the perfect class.” The looks on their faces confirmed it was working. They seemed to have their heads held high proud to be “chosen” to be in our class. The truth is Ms. Kusel and myself would love and accept any student placed in our class, but this is a fun way to push your students to believe they are as special as you know they are. Fast forward to a week ago, our class needed to review our classroom rules. When I came back from being gone for two days I decided it was the perfect time to reflect and review the rules we created. I also reminded them that I chose them all to be in this class; that they are all smart, capable, special, caring, different students I wanted and needed in my class. Their reaction this time around was even more special. I think because they are so familiar with each other now, along with being more comfortable in our room, they owned this statement more. They forgot, but once reminded again they really believed it - which they should! We got lucky with a caring, smart, loving class of 19. I decided I am going to create an opportunity for my students to write in our own class blog. I think this will be extremely beneficial for them. A class blog will be a fun way to practice writing about whatever they want in a place we share together. This will build a sense of community for our students. Our blog will give them opportunities to comment, share, give constructive feedback and reflect on our writing. Here are the steps I will be taking to set this all up.
I am thrilled to see what the students come up with. I hope they enjoy it and learn as much as I have throughout this experience. I will link their blog below. If you are teacher blogging, how are you transferring what you have learned into your own classroom? Every once and a while I will be taken over with this immense feeling of happiness. I feel like such a dork when I realize how giddy I am, but it makes me smile to reflect on all the reasons why.
I love my life. Some may think that is a selfish, or snobby thing to say, but I have worked hard to get to where I am today. Since college, I have vowed to end any toxic relationships in my life. And since then, I have only allowed in people who truly love and care for me as I do them. I do things that I know will make me happy and stay away from things that I know will stress me out. Because of this I am just happy. I love my very, very small family. I love my friends. I love my boyfriend. I love my job. I love my school. I love my district. I love the people I see day in and day out. I have never been able to say those things all at the same time. Thank you to all the amazing people in my life that make me love everything about it. Imagine an adult bringing you into a room, sitting you at a desk, and asking you to write a poem.
What do you think you would do? I would probably say something like: “Why?” “A poem about what?” “What kind of poem?” “Who is going to read this poem?” “What is the purpose of this?” I am sure these thoughts go through our students heads at times throughout the year in writing. We all know it is a best teaching practice to model a skill or concept that you are teaching your students. We know it is important to give concrete examples to begin any lesson. But what I have learned is especially important in writing is to write what you are expecting your students to write, and then share your writing with them. Sharing your own writing with your students is powerful. You are teaching them that you, too, are a writer. If they see you excited about writing, and share some writing of your own they will be inspired in the task at hand. When given a concrete example of the writing task, that you have written, you are giving them the opportunity to ask questions, comment on what they notice, and brainstorm how they might write it themselves. They can visually see what is expected of them. Your students, who look up to us teachers oh so much, will be motivated to try their best in their own writing. Now, imagine an adult bringing you into a room, sitting you down, introducing themselves, asking you to write a poem but then stopping to say, “Let me show you what I wrote. If you have any questions, let’s discuss.” I would be more willing to put myself out there to write my own poem with seeing the direction this person invisions. Firm. Strong. Independent. Diligent. Serious. Resourceful. Courageous. Inspiring. Intellectual. My Grandpa. My Grandfather started off weightlifting in his basement when he was about 15 years old. Just starting off, he turned to health magazines for help. He created his own weights with homemade cans of sand & cement and cable-chest expanders. Around age 18 he was recruited for the U.S. military. He was stationed in Germany. While he was stationed he participated in weightlifting exhibitions throughout Europe with teammates such as Tommy Kono. Throughout his weightlifting career he had many accomplishments, too much to list. I chose these important accomplishments that attributed to his current nickname, The Legend.
My grandpa worked out with Chicago Bears players such as Stan Jones, Dave Whitsell, Doug Atkins, and Ronnie Bull, at the Irving YMCA. George Halas was looking for ways to improve the team and my grandpa was his ticket. After inviting my grandpa to meet with him he asked him to come up with a training plan for the team. The Bears won the championship that same year, proving the importance of strength training and my grandpas knowledge of it! In 1971, the Bears officially hired him to become their first full-time strength and conditioning coach, making him one of the first strength coaches in the NFL. He coached for about 20 years, then moved onto administration work. About 14 years later he was asked by the Strength & Conditioning Coach, Rusty Jones, to return to the weight room to help the players with their training. At age 77, he returned to the weight room, excited to have the opportunity to once again share his vast knowledge and experience in strength training with the athletes. He is STILL at age 87, about to be 88 in April, in the weightroom with these players sharing everything he knows. In 2008, the Chicago Bears honored their longest tenured employee by naming their weight room after him. It is called the “Clyde Emrich Weight Room”. HOW COOL!? He has over 60 years of weight lifting experience and continues to be the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Chicago Bears at age 87! You go Grandpa! Clyde Emrich, my grandpa, a living legend, is a member of the USA Weightlifting Hall of Fame, the Illinois State Weightlifting Hall of Fame, the USA Strength and Conditioning Coaches Hall of Fame, and the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame. He is known as "The Legend". In the times I have visited him at work, Halas Hall, everyone that passes addresses him as “The Legend”. So suiting for such an incredible man. Every time I see my grandpa I learn something new about his incredible life. He teaches me a new lesson I will value and cherish forever. Grandpa Clyde, you are my inspiration in everything that I do. I would not be the person I am today without you. When choosing a read aloud or mentor text it is important to pick books that your students will enjoy listening to, send some sort of message, and teach them different ways of writing.
First, students should enjoy the books you chose to read to them. Every class is different. Unique in their own way. You need to chose books that are tailored to them. For example, one of my students LOVES Goosebumps books. He has read a ton of them. He also writes his own scary stories. I chose to read aloud the Eerie Elementary series every Friday for the students. My student learns new ways to write his scary stories and is thrilled to listen. My other students pick up on his excitement and they cheer every Friday when I get it out. Second, the books you read could send an important message to your students. There are so many books out there that have different morals and lessons to teach. They have different audiences and themes. The books you choose to read to your students can help mold your classroom community. An example of this in my class is something we did with our read alouds in the beginning of the year. We have an amazing, smart, sweet student with diabetes. In the beginning of the year his Mom was concerned that he would be picked on because of his size and the fact that he did not want any of his peers to know about his diabetes. We assured the mother that our classroom is a family that supports one another. In order to make this student feel comfortable and teach the others that we are all different and this was okay we carefully picked books to read aloud. We read books about being different. We wanted to teach them that being different was unique and a great thing! We read books such as, “Thank You Mr. Falker”, “Hello, Goodbye Dog”, “We Are All Wonders”, “My Brother Charlie” and “I Can Be Anything”. There are so many more we can add to this list, but we picked those because they were specific to our students. The last book we chose to read was “I Am Ari” about a girl with diabetes. This student quietly sat observing how his peers would react to this story. His peers had awesome questions and supportive comments to share about this girl. Our student did not feel comfortable at the time speaking up, but now he is not ashamed of his diabetes and is his own unique star in our class. Lastly, reading and writing are intertwined. Books that you read aloud to students should be teaching them different writing genres, formats, and styles. Whenever we teach students a new concept we start off by showing an example and modeling that skill. The same goes with writing. We need to show students examples of the type of writing and then dive deeper into the different author styles and formats. When I say format I mean the way the author presents the writing. If they do not see examples of these, they might not know that they can get creative with their writing. Giving as many examples as you can through books is never a bad thing. So next time you are picking out a read aloud or mentor text make sure you ask yourself:
Happy Reading :) |
AuthorI am a second grade teacher at Irving Elementary School in a co-taught classroom! Archives
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