Paper Work is Easy, Kids are...Complex

My next few semesters consist of some child psychology and education philosophy courses. I’m really looking forward to the child psychology, I think I need to spend some time focusing on behavioral cues of children and how to warrant their respect and attention.
I have probably mentioned before that I really don’t get to spend a lot of time around children. This is a large source of anxiety to me considering that every day is going to be spent managing a large group of children, by myself, in less than two years!
The holidays are a time when I get to practice on my all of my cousins’ kids. I observe, try to engage them in conversation about what they are learning and think of creative ways to get involved in their activities. But who am I kidding really- they probably think I am a major dork. They are on vacation and there are presents and cookies involved so the last thing they want to do is talk to some “old woman” about school stuff. I’m afraid I just don’t have one of those “everything comes natural” personalities around kids. Is this something that will develop with experience? I’m kinda hoping so.
Teaching, I realize, involves quick wits and thinking on your feet. I think that it's in large part important to dealing with the unpredictable nature of children as much as it is a part of the profession in general. It’s strange that the top complaints of most teachers are the administration and the loads of paperwork- but that doesn’t scare me (probably because I have spent the last 12 years in the corporate world- politics and paperwork are, unfortunately, part of my daily life.) What scares me is the thought of a bunch of little people discovering my weakness and then walking all over me. Please, someone, validate this as normal pre-teacher anxiety!
Since I am a very cerebral type of person, I hope that studying child psychology will inevitable help me gain some confidence in this area, although I think my senior year of immersion in the field will be my best chance at developing a sense of comfort with this.
Does anyone have any great tips to share on how to earn the respect and attentiveness of a class? Some of the good pieces of advice people have already offered me are:
1. When trying to get a child to follow your lead- offer two options so that the child will feel like he/she has control over a situation, yet still the comfort of structure.
2. Show respect by not embarrassing a child in front of his/her peers
3. Allow children to talk about their emotions and explain their reasons before determining an appropriate punishment.
4. Show humility- admit that you make mistakes and be willing to laugh about them.
I have held these pieces of insight in the back of my mind because I think they make a lot of sense and will be valuable things to use when I am faced with challenging situations in the classroom.
What do you do when you have a child that just refuses to listen? I have a friend whose daughter is like that. She is completely strong willed and I sometimes wonder if she ignores adults because she is testing them or if she just completely tunes us out and is in her own zone. There have been some occasions where I was able to get her attention by casually saying that we wouldn’t be doing something she was looking forward to that day if she didn’t listen now. I really don’t like using this technique because to me it feels like blackmail, but psychologists and other experts say that the system of reward/ punishment is not blackmail and is a completely appropriate technique to use with children. During my observation hours I witnessed the use of this technique a lot and I often hear or read about teachers using this. I have to say, with my friend’s daughter it worked. It seems to me that if you begin to rely too much on something like this, the rewards/ punishments will have more control over the classroom than the teacher does. There has to be a more empowering way than the fear of losing or the hope of gain that works just as well. I hope to find answers to these questions in my class…

CatchUp

I’ve just been through a week of hell in my personal life, and trying hard to play catch up this week since finals are next week. Sometimes I just don’t feel up to the task of pursuing a new career while trying to juggle everything else in life. To all those aspiring teachers who are going to college fresh from High School- don’t give up, it’s so much harder to go back later on in life! So many people told me that when I was young, and yet I refused to listen. Boy, do I regret it now!
So this past semester hasn’t offered me very much to contemplate as far as education goes, in fact at times I feel like it’s offered me nothing more than an opportunity to complain about a horrible math course! Soon that will be all over and I can move on to better subjects.
Starting in January I have a child psychology course that I am looking forward to. Hopefully it will lead to some writing inspiration.
Just one last reflection on math though- because I have been reading in other blogs that math topics in many districts start as early as kindergarten! When I first read that, I thought it was crazy. I couldn’t grasp the concept of teaching kids who, developmentally, are still trying to master activities of daily living, to “reason mathematically.” After taking this course though, I can’t help but wonder- if they were doing this back when I was in kindergarten or first grade, would I better be able to grasp mathematical thinking? My problem with the course has not been understanding how the problems are solved, when given a solution, but rather the fact that I would never have conceived of that solution on my own. Somewhere, my brain lacks a neural pathway between taking a problem, and using mathematical reasoning to solve it. Maybe exposing children at a very young age to math is not such a crazy idea after all- I have a much more open mind about this now, and have been challenged to come up with ways to explain difficult concepts to young children, as I have to develop those to make sense of it in my own mind. So something good did come out of the experience, but I am still ecstatic that it is nearly over now! The course was 2 semester’s long and I am ready for it to be done….for good.
On a light note, my cousin’s son lost several of his baby teeth in a school playground accident. He was so devastated because the teeth were lost in the grass and he wasn’t going to be able to put them under his pillow for the tooth fairy. His first grade teacher (bless her soul) sent him home with an excuse note to put under his pillow, so he could still get credit for all the teeth! So cute :)

What I Learned in the Crappiest Math Class Ever

How did I ever survive academia without the internet? Its hard to imagine there was a time when this priceless resource was not available.
I have come to appreciate the internet immensely thanks in part to the most expensive, crappiest math class in the entire universe. I have just earned some confidence points because I realize that I single handedly (well, using the internet) taught myself college algebra and geometry over the internet. I wouldn't say that I have made myself into an A student because that is, well, a lie, but I did manage to pass placement exams with flying colors and get by the crappiest math class in the universe with a B.
The unfortunate thing about the crappiest math class in the universe is that it was supposed to teach me how to take very complicated algebraic and critical thinking skills and simplify them so that an elementary student could take from it the basic curricular knowledge required at what ever grade level it may be. I did not get that from this class. If I could write a letter to the author of the textbook (which I might just do that) I would tell him, in a nice way, that he failed miserably at providing the tools necessary to translate difficult mathematical material into fun and understandable material appropriate for a classroom full of young children.
It wasn't all for waste though, I did manage to find some of the most wonderful math resources available in the internet, written by people who know how to turn a difficult concept into something relatable and easy to comprehend- a skill that lies at the core of teaching.
I plan on going through my archives during my winter break and posting some of the websites I have used that have great images and explanations of elementary math topics. I think some of these would be great classroom resources, especially of you have a smart board or monitor projector available for class use. Links to follow soon...

Seriously?!?

All of you working in education must be exhausted! As if your job isn’t tiring enough, you probably have to expend any little bit of energy left defending that what you do is worth your salary to taxpayers who think teaching is “an attractive job” or “not worth what they make.”
Yes, those quotes were taken directly from the mouths of a couple of my co workers who make probably more than most teachers, yet spend a good 2-3 hours out of their 8 hour work day to have discussions about such political issues as teacher making too much (one of these people I often find sleeping at his desk- $60,000 a year to talk politics and sleep at his desk- now that’s an attractive job!)
I can often ignore their political rants, but when teachers come up, I can’t control my urge to defend the profession. It’s absolutely amazing the misconceptions people have about what teachers do. I actually believe that they think teachers work from 8-3, drawing rainbows and playing with toys, then go home early watch tv and get a good nights sleep for the next day of childish fun for a way too big paycheck; counting the days until all their unnecessary days off. They have no clue. In fact, I strongly object the quote about teaching being “an attractive job.” I can say, as a person preparing to teach, that there is nothing “attractive” about it, which makes me respect the people who choose to do it all the more. What is attractive about mounds of paperwork, discipline issues, state tests, laws, difficult parents, and long days- all this for a pay which is really pretty measly? In one of the most affluent districts in my state, the average salary for an elementary school teacher 20 years (not 5 not 10, not even 15 but 20 years!!) into his/her career is $65K. That is probably considered a pretty high pay, but in reality, we aren’t talking about a lavish lifestyle here. Isn’t a teacher entitled to have a house, a safe car, healthy food, and some spending money for (dare I say it) enjoying life?? A $65k salary pretty much is necessary to have those things. I can’t believe that people would even suggest that teachers do not deserve to live above a poverty level.
I could go on an on…and on… about this topic and the numerous arguments I have engaged myself in with these very ignorant people I work with but I am going to cut it out now before I get any more upset than I already am. I would just like to add that as a tax payer myself, I am happy to see my money going to such as an important job as caring for and educating children. I think teachers deserve way more and that there are far too many people making far too much money doing things that have been negligent and harmful to our society. Knowing what teachers do day in and day out, I would say this even if I wasn’t going to be in this profession. I just have to get that off my chest, no one at work will even listen, arrgh! I really hope this is the minority opinion, but something tells me I will encounter these types for the remainder of my career.

How Do They Decide if You Can Be a Teacher? With a Test, of Course

This weekend I had to take a state exam. I showed up at the testing location thinking this would be a fairly simple procedure, but to my surprise there were hundreds, easily a thousand, teaching candidates waiting in a line that wrapped itself around the building. We were all herded in, only identified by the number on our admission paperwork, and directed to various rooms where our tests were passed out and one universal set of instructions were read over the intercom to the entire facility.
For the first 3 ½ hours, I was feeling pretty good, excited because this is the first official step on the road to becoming a teacher. I finally am in the last month of completing my general education and will be moving into the nitty gritty (that’s what I like to call my education courses). But by the last hour and a half I panicked. I still had a 4 page essay to write and the entire math section. I turned my test in 30 seconds before the “put your pencils down” announcement. I’m confident I passed, won’t know for about a month, but it didn’t seem very difficult, just long and mentally strenuous.
As I sat for five hours in an ergonomically incorrect desk and chair combo, my arm, hand and wrist feeling arthritic from the constant grip of the pencil and slowly losing the feeling in my right leg, I couldn’t help but think that this is just not natural, and it’s not an effective way of determining one's academic capabilities. At some point my focus shifted from the test to the multitude of sensations occurring in my body. There was no time or opportunity for a break, they don’t allow you to get up and walk around. Studies have already shown that the brain needs intervals of rest, it’s not designed to focus on one thing for several hours straight. How can students be expected to perform their best under those conditions?
Maybe some day we will have some educational leadership that will recognize that the results that the states want on tests, to prove that their students are more educated than another state’s students, or that the US is more educated than China or whatever it is exactly that they are trying to prove by forcing students to take so many tests, are not going to come from making students to sit in unnatural positions for ridiculous periods of time to the point where their brain can no longer function in an efficient manner. Sometimes it’s good to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes to get an accurate portrayal of what they go through. I did that this weekend with my test, but I wonder if the people responsible for requiring state testing in schools ever have to take standardized tests themselves. Maybe we should put them under annual testing requirements and see what happens.

Thinking About Politics: Schools vs Media

I currently work in an office where some people express strong political opinions which are highly offensive to others in the office. In the spirit of diplomacy, I suggested to my boss that there be some sort of policy set in place about having those types of discussions in public areas, where people have to hear very offensive things about themselves and their beliefs.
My suggestion was shot down because “placing any limitations on what discussions can go on in the office would be an infringement of freedom of speech.” Well that is true, but shouldn’t, in all technicality, conversations in the office be about work related topics?
Of course I began to question how I can use this in teaching. Elementary school is where children get the earliest foundations for their political perspectives. It is where they learn about the origins of our country, presidents, different parties and view points. It’s all very basic and un-controversial at this level. It is simply facts and history. So where are the seeds that bloom into strong political opinions coming from?
As a person who really tries to keep a flexible political position, I tend to look at everything from an objective standpoint. I believe that even if we don’t agree with something, we should always respect the fact that other people have their own opinions and be mindful of that. Taking a position of extreme resistance does not foster positive change, germane debates or the team work that is needed to prosper as a country. The major flaw, in my mind, is our inability to listen to one another, work together for the common good and be respectful of each other.
Children are so impressionable at a young age that I fear the damage that might be occurring in their sponge-like brains with the massive opposition that is present in the political realm these days. In many cases, this is what they are witnessing in the media and in their personal lives.
I see an opportunity here for teachers to have a strong influence on setting the stage for more diplomatic thinking in future generations.
I know that many teachers probably already use techniques to teach respect and effective communication in several areas of the curriculum and classroom culture and I have read about and seen some really great uses of diplomacy by teachers. I do believe that there is a benefit to tying this concept specifically to the curriculum which discusses politics, since the impact of media when it comes to political issues is so overpowering. I have seen people who are good and kind turn into a completely different person during a political debate. The topic is heated and people often unconsciously throw all reverence out the window in the midst of it. By tying the two ideas together at a young age, a neurological connection can be made so that when the topic of politics comes up, a natural response would be to listen with consideration and have effective discussions, rather than trigger feelings of defense, opposition and anger.
It may sound strange to suggest that our responses to politics are deeply rooted into our nervous system, but if you stop for a moment to think about your natural reaction to anything political related, you might find that it mirrors some early memories of parents, teachers, community members or other influential people and occurences in your life.
I just wonder if the way we teach politics in schools today directly influence how tomorrows’ politicians will interact with one another, how citizens will vote, and the reputation and direction of our country as a whole. Are we letting the media have more of an impact than schools when it comes to learning how to address opposing viewpoints? I tend to think that media perpetuates the cycle of resistance and opposition to each other when, in reality, what we need is more cohesiveness. It’s something to think about…

Teachers as Dream Enablers

I just read a very inspiring post by blogger Marnee Brick about teaching children to set achievable goals towards their aspirations.
I don’t think there is a person out there that goes into teaching because they love paperwork. I don’t think they do it expecting daily respect and professional recognition. And I definitely don’t think anyone does it for the money. I think people go into teaching because they really want to do something that will have a positive impact and that they want to impart the knowledge they have acquired so that someone just starting out in the world will be a little wiser, a little more prepared for the road ahead.
Even though I am not yet a teacher, I can already tell that it is going to be hard to stay focused on the real reasons I wanted to go into this profession.
In her post, Brick stated,

We need to encourage children to believe that there is a place out there beyond their reality and that they hold the power within them to be the change.

This touched something within me. It really makes you stop and think about what we teach through our attitudes and responses.
I believe that some of our responses are so completely engraved within us that unconsciously we perpetuate self defeating behaviors. It’s a cycle, passed down from generation to generation, it infiltrates the messages we receive from all around, in life, in the media, in literature. We learned from observation, as did our parents, and their parents and so forth that there are limitations, that certain things are hard or impossible. We learn what to expect from life, what we deserve and don’t and how to blame others or consequence for things that, in reality, are in our control. We make excuses, blame, complain and give in all the time without giving it any second thought. This is self defeating behavior and the cycle has to break somewhere. Just think of all the positive changes that could be accomplished, on a global scale, if all people were proactive, took responsibility for their own actions, set personal goals and stopped making excuses or trying to place blame.
On a small scale, teachers have the opportunity to impart this change one student at a time. It comes from exactly what Marnee Brick’s post was all about: Teaching students that they can make their dreams come true and giving them the tools to close the gap between a wish and reality.
Its really worth some consideration to think about how, as a teacher, we can incorporate these tools into daily curricular activities so that they become second nature to students; because, in reality, we don’t know if they will get the necessary reinforcement from other people in their life, we don’t know what kinds of behaviors are being modeled for them and we don’t know if their future teachers are going to reinforce the concept of setting big goals and making them reality one step at a time.
I love every time I hear a story about someone who worked hard to become successful and followed their dreams, despite growing up in poverty, or having a disability, or any other limiting circumstance. When I hear those stories I know that there was someone in their life who was encouraging and modeling positive behaviors throughout their childhood.
It’s one of the most important things we can teach children, that they can be anything and that their dreams are achievable, but they have to know that it’s a process, and it involves proactive effort, that no body is going to make it happen for them.
Thanks to Marnee Brick for writing this, I have been in a bit of a slump lately and this really helped me to consider some of my own big dreams and the steps necessary to make them happen.

I Don't Know Nothing About Anything

I just had a conversation with a co-worker that left me feeling like I don’t know anything. Truth be told, I really don’t know a lot for a 31 year old woman, I am not very “worldly” I am not one of those people who know a lot of random facts about various things, I don’t have incredible street smarts, and my book smarts are lacking as well.
What I do have is an analytical mind. I question everything. And I can read people pretty well, I have a knack for understanding the human psyche. I hope that these are qualities that will help me to be a good teacher. I hope.
I guess the conversation with this co-worker set my confidence off balance a bit because she is one of those people who is a bit of a know it all, and seems to find a strange enjoyment out of “one upping”. She always has this condescending tone to everything she says and I really don’t like talking to her about teaching because quite frankly, she ruins it for me- drains any ounce of enthuisiasm I have from my mind and drives in all the negative things about the profession (her mother was a special ed art teacher at an inner city school and apparently had some very bad experiences- because I only hear about how horrible it was.) Then, she always ends the conversation with one last little jab, something like, "but who knows, maybe your experience will be different," right before she walks away. I've had similar encounters with her many times, but today she really attacked at a different level. Normally she just paints a depressing image of the profession, but today she called me out on my competency. And that is why I am left writing this post, now critical of my own beliefs about myself.
The truth of the matter is that nobody is capable of “making” another person feel anything, feelings come from within, they are not forced upon us. All she has done is brought to the surface some weaknesses deep with in me. Whatever her reasons for being the way she is are surely self satisfying and have nothing to do with me at all, yet I feel so exposed for all that I am not.
I am, underneath it all, a bit of an optimist (or naïve) though and I want to learn and grow from the way I am feeling right at this moment. Maybe that is what sets teachers apart from other professionals, is the desire to turn anything and everything into an opportunity to learn something, and that’s exactly what it comes down to.
I feel a strong pull towards teaching because I see life as one giant opportunity to learn about one's self. I will never think that I know everything, I don’t believe it’s possible. I will know much more in ten years from now than I do at this moment but it will still only be a minute fraction of all the things there is to learn from life.
If I can impart this passion for seeking knowledge to students, then I feel I will have done my job, but then there is the reality. Sharing a passion for knowledge within the public school system is just a side issue. My technical job, as I am coming to find out, will really be to teach children random pre-determined facts about various subjects so that they can pass several tests. It’s these pre-determined subject areas that concern me the most.
I am not an expert at history, geography, math or science. Literature and reading have always been my thing because it is the only place where my lucid thought process serves me well. But I learn quick and even more quickly when I am in a position to make another understand. I have 2.5 years left in my college career, and by the time I complete school, I will have a greater general knowledge of these subjects, but it’s likely that I won’t be an expert in every subject I am expected to teach. Going into teaching, I figure this is normal. I figure that I might, at times, have to learn and master the material myself just days before I teach it. And I am good at this, I am good at researching and developing a mini expertise on a specific subject.
I am well aware of where all my many weaknesses are, in subject content and in confidence. I work on it every day. I read, I listen I think about everything that might effect me as a teacher. Yet somehow, I let a mere conversation get under my skin. And honestly, it has forced me to confront my lack of knowledge. Do I really know enough about life to teach?
That is where I am at today. I haven’t decided if questioning my own adequacy is a good thing or a bad thing-after all, questioning oneself is the catalyst for continual improvement and growth. Maybe I should just take a step back and start focusing on improving my basic subject knowledge. Maybe I just let my excitement to reach the end result get the best of me, that I am not taking in the important milestones along the way.

Tools for Managing Attention Disorders

A while back I saw a news story about teachers who are using balance balls in class for students with ADD and ADHD, autism and other attention related problems. My initial thought was that it's a great idea in theory, but I wondered how distracting it would be for other students. I imagined the children fighting over who would get a turn on the giant inflatable ball and the jealously and outbursts that might occur over having this in the classroom. I also considered the potential liability, after all rolling off one of those onto a hard floor or against a desk leg could pose a problem- you know, broken noses, limbs, cracked teeth, ect.
I use a similar therapy tool for my back problems. Its a balance disk, which can be used as a seat cushion with the same benefits of the larger ball, and is much more discreet and transportable. While searching online for a picture to show a friend what I was using for my back problem I found several reviews by teachers who said they use these disks in class for students with attention problems, instead of the balance ball, for all the reasons I described above.
The teachers writing the reviews say that the balance disk help students stay on task and are much less distracting to other students. From all I have read, this seems to be a valuable tool to keep in the classroom.
I am intrigued by some of the creative ideas that are used by teachers to solve difficult problems in the classroom. Despite all my training in massage therapy, I don't know that I would have ever made the connection to utilize this therapy tool in the classroom, but it completely makes sense!
Have any of you used the balance disk, ball or a similar item to help students with attention problems? Have you found that it helps students focus or that it just becomes another distraction? What other suggestions do you have for working with attention problems?

Nerves and Jitters

Last night, when I should have been catching up on endless piles of homework and studying for my impending midterms, I decided to blow it all off and play on the internet- just for a little while. Well, a little while turned into almost two hours once I discovered a video documenting the first year of a new teacher. What an informative, terrifying, motivating and enlightening little piece of cinema that was!
It followed a first year teacher through her new teacher training, planning, first day with students, meeting parents, observations, school at various points in the year, new pregnancy (yes, what a surprise that was for her to have an unexpected pregnancy thrown in there!) It reminded me that no amount of preparation can really calm the nerves and jitters of that first year.
I became so engrossed in her nervousness just watching it that I was relieved when I was able to float back in my body and remember that I still have 2+ more years to prepare for that moment.
This girl seemed like such a good teacher, but she ultimately ended up leaving the profession for a while to stay at home with her baby. There was a lot of talk throughout the film about teacher retention and how many new teachers don’t make it in the field because it just wasn’t what they were expecting. This girl was certainly not disillusioned, in fact she reminded me a lot of myself. She was also fortunate enough to have an extremely supportive school district. I couldn’t believe the extensive support network and resources provided to new teachers. I can only hope I am so lucky as to have that support my first year!
I just can’t help but wonder why she left teaching though? I suppose that much of it has to do with being a new mother, and maybe that is what gets to me- since I am waiting to have kids myself until after I finish my degree. Will I also feel this way? From my perspective now, I know I need to work in order to help pay the bills, and I have always thought teaching will provide me with much more time with my kids than my current career, since I will have holidays and breaks that coincide with my childrens'schedule. But will this practical thinking get tossed out the window once I hold my own baby for the first time? Maybe age has something to do with it. The girl in this video is only 23, where I am several years older and would like to get moving with my career before its time to retire (and while I still have time to save for retirement!)
And speaking of parenting, I also have a new teaching anxiety- parents. I am sure that as I get to know some of the parents, this anxiety will dissolve a bit, but as district taxpayers, they all will essentially be my boss, and on top of that, the most precious person in their life will be in my care. I don’t know, but I think parental anxieties might trump all my other anxieties at the moment! I am trying to think of some things I could do before starting to teach where I will get some experience communicating with and working with parents in an educational setting. Any suggestions? Would tutoring give me this opportunity? Or maybe volunteering to help out with local school events?
I am glad I stumbled upon this video though; I hope I can find some others like it. It gave my the inside perspective that I am always looking for. If there are any other ELED students reading this, I highly recommend watching this documentary for a very candid representation of what to expect that first year.

Another Band Aide...

The concept of making the school day longer and keeping schools open on the weekend really, really upsets me. I’m not even teaching yet and it still upsets me.
From the teacher perspective- I can’t help but wonder how they expect teachers to work 13+ hour days, manage to plan an prepare for said 13+ hour days, then throw in an extra day of work on top of each week and several days more per year. Does this profession not already have one of the highest burnout and lowest retention rates as it is? Are they planning on compensating teachers for this extra time- and what about a teacher’s family, will teachers be able to even maintain a family of their own with these kind of professional obligations?? I feel my blood pressure rising just thinking about this...
What about students- Why is childhood no longer valued? Children need to experience imaginative play, social interactions with their peers and they need an opportunity to explore the world on their own. They are already faced an adult life sentance of 50-60 years of working long hours and growing unhealthy from lack of movement and high levels of stress- I am so completely opposed to taking away the experience of childhood- it’s a time to be treasured. There is so much to learn in those moments which can not be taught in school. Plus, how is a child to remain engaged in learning for 3 MORE hours a day? They need to burn off that energy. They should not have to sit in class for 10-11 hours, then go home, eat, do homework and sleep. Play time is essential to a child’s health and well being.
The list of reasons why this is just another band aid on a much deeper wound could probably go on and on. And what about the expense? I understand that parents these days have to work long hours and sometimes multiple jobs to make ends meet, but keeping schools open longer, later and for more days per year costs more money, which means higher taxes, which equals more economic woes for American families. Why, when it comes to government, is it always quantity over quality? I just don’t get it. It seems that there are so many more logical and effective ways to restructure education… but what do I know. I am aware that there are two sides to this argument, but I have to agree with many teachers when they say that the people who make these decisions are not thinking about what it takes to carry them out, and those who are left with the massive responsibility of this task do not get adequate input in the decision.
I apologize for this very venting post, but this has been bothering me all day since they were talking about Obama's plan on the news this morning. I can only imagine all of you have strong opinions as well. Feel free to share your point of view, I am open to hearing it, whichever side you take.

Virtual Classrooms

Benefits of online learning:

1. Formulating your own idea- the conceptual understanding of the information being given is not censored or colored in any way by the person teaching it. The student must strive to create their own conclusions.

2. Research skills- Since questions can not be answered simply by asking someone the question, research becomes the medium for finding answers. The student must learn to wade through the plethora of information available to determine what is legitimate and unbiased.

3. Time management skills- Pacing yourself to stay on task and adhere to an abstract schedule requires disciplined use of time.

4. Self Assessment- The student learns to question one’s own understanding of the course content and adjust their focus accordingly. This creates an awareness of the student’s own strengths and weakness and allows for learning to take a meaningful direction.

5. Quality over quantity- Students learning on their own can pace the class according to their own needs as opposed to the classroom environment where classmates understanding or lack of understanding dictate the pace of the course.

Drawbacks of online learning:

1. Autonomy- Hours in a virtual classroom often leave a student feeling lonely and disconnected from the peer-student and teacher-student component to learning.

2. Lack of validation- Validation is an important component to staying on track. Without outside validation, the student may be unaware that their conceptual understanding is not on track.

3. Inside the box thinking- Sometimes students need a fresh, objective explanation to see outside of a self imposed box of thinking in order to pass on to a higher level of thinking.

4. Monotony- Online learning is hard to differentiate. Students must devise their own creative use of content in order to appeal to Multiple Intelligences.

5. Distractions- It is easy to allow distractions to break the pace of learning. In a traditional classroom setting, the student is committed to a time and place devoted to the study of course content. In a non-traditional setting, the student has to manufacture an environment and maintain a schedule despite many opportunities to fall of task.

Although elementary school is not likely to ever take place in a virtual classroom, it is likely that many students will, at some point in the educational process, be exposed to the virtual classroom, so it is important to find ways to incorporate some of the skills necessary for success in the virtual classroom in elementary education. Things like research skills, time management, self assessment and creative thinking skills are just some of the things that I want to instill in my students.
Sometimes I wonder, by the time this generation of elementary students reach college, will earning a degree through virtual classes will be the norm? I have seen, in just the past few years, opportunies for online classes, degrees and blended format programs become more readily available and accepted. What does the future hold? It is very likely that some of the skills required to succeed in the virtual classroom will make the difference between a student finishing college or dropping out.
Sometimes I feel inadequate to the challenge of teaching children in this new technology based society, which is still somewhat an unfamiliar world to me. My experience of teaching is going to be so different from my own memories of elementary school teachers. I am sure that many of you feel the same. Other times, I feel like putting off college until later in my life and getting to experience these virtual classrooms for myself has been a blessing in disguise.
For experienced teachers out there, how has the trend toward technology in the elementary classroom changed the way you teach? Has becoming a technology driven classroom been more a challenge or has it made teaching more fun and interesting? I am interested in hearing about your experiences.

Not-Textbook Moments

I read and study and observe to prepare myself for the textbook responsibilities of teaching, but I don’t know how to appropriately prepare myself for some of the moments that require something not textbook, but rather leading from the heart.
There was an instance in a nearby community a couple years back where a little girl was killed by her own father. At the time, I was still practicing massage and a client of mine was a teacher at this little girl’s school. Talking about it even several months after the event occurred, she could barely hold back the tears.
I myself remember being in grade school when the space ship Challenger was launched. I remember the buzz around school because a school teacher was to be sent into space and all the teachers talking about what a historic and wonderful moment it was. It was such a big deal that we watched the launch in class. I don’t think that any of the teacher’s were prepared for dealing with the events of that day.
These are a couple instances when teaching crosses into a different place- and it’s a place that no amount of planning and preparing can help. When I read the blogs of various teachers, I see there are smaller instances that happen on a daily basis where teachers have to deal with the unpredictable and unfair circumstances of the world.
Somehow, I don’t think that they teach appropriate responses to things like death, abuse, neglect, and other circumstances that effect today's children. I think that we all hope that we will go our entire career without having to face any tragic circumstances, but it is likely that we will have at least one student, if not more, that will need our guidance, support and stability.
I am curious if any of you have had to deal with difficult situations, and how did you help your student(s) through it?

Out From Under the Paper & $25 Richer

In follow up to a previous post about getting organized, I decided to put some money where my mouth is. I went to the store after work Friday and bought some essential organizational tools- file folders, sharpies, labels. I salvaged some paper ream boxes from work, then, feeling like a bit of a hermit this weekend, I spent most of my spare time working my way through piles of papers and stuffed cabinets. I got all my files cleaned, sorted, labeled and filed. I made space for storage, organized my books by subject, and created a nice, large work space for my homework, complete with easy access to any tool I might need, computer and a large white board. Plus, I found an overpayment refund check from back in June- bonus! Ahhhh! It feels so nice to sit in that space and bask in the glorious cleanliness and order. I almost convinced myself to take a personal day today just so I can enjoy my new office.
In the book I am reading, the author suggested a website called www.123sortit.com for tips on getting organized. I did use some of these tips. I have a tendency to try and achieve advanced organizational skills when in reality, I am not as experienced of an organizer as I would like to be. I wouldn’t say that I am an amateur, but more of a mid-level. If organizing was high school, I would be a sophomore, in May, getting close to junior year. I left out all the bells and whistles this time, like buying special containers, color coding devices, fancy portfolios and binders and other random things that caught my eye at the supply store. When I buy these things, I find that they are waste of money for me. Simplicity is key.
I have decided that the most valuable organizational skill is creating a good filing system. Paper seems to be the x-factor for all my organizational mishaps. There is just too much paper to deal with all the time. Some papers are important others are a waste of a poor tree's life. Somehow, I tend to get confused/ overwhelmed by paper and save useless things, while losing track of very important things. A simple but effective filing systems changes all this and makes the paper manageable.
When it comes to organization, there are two main things I want to remember for my future teaching years: 1) Keep organized files and 2) Group things in meaningful ways. If I can manage to do this, I think I will be fine (dealing with all the paper anyway- everything else, who knows!)

A Place in the Tribe

I am currently in a literature course which is a study of various pieces of literature by or about Native Americans. I have always had a deep curiosity in the cultures of Native American people, and I think that most elementary age children also find learning about those cultures interesting.
While reading some of the material for the class, I started to really focus on the traditional/ historical descriptions of the tribe community. I think there is a lot that can be learned from it, such as the idea of having a purpose, or responsibility within the community. An example is evident in the following quote from Lame Deer, Seeker of Visions by John Lame Deer and Richard Erdoes

“Crazy Heart was a shirt-wearer, which was a great honor. He wore a yellow-and-blue shirt fringed with locks of human hair. He was listened to in our councils and the people sought his advice on all matters of importance. Good Fox, too, was respected for his wisdom.”

In our own society, respect is dictated by things such as wealth, status and power. In modern day, these forms of respect beget each other. Think about teachers, for instance, who work tirelessly to support children in the learning process so that they may grow up and have opportunity in the world; yet do this for little pay, and little respect within the society in general. I don’t know how many times I have heard people refer to teaching as "easy work", and complain that teachers make "too much money for what they do." Yet someone who is nearly criminal in their business life will make multiple millions of dollars and have unwavering respect.
In historical accounts of Native American tribe cultures, a job was dictated by your natural talents and skills, not your level of education. Respect was always given for your contribution to the community, regardless of job. Status was not about what position you held or what you owned, it came from sharing your wisdom.
Imagine if our own society treated people in this manner, if everyone had an opportunity to contribute based on their abilities and be respected for their contribution. Imagine how uplifting it would be to be honored and respected for the wisdom you could offer, even if that wisdom came from street smarts rather than an Ivy League education, or higher education.
We may not be able to change the way the world operates, but at least teachers have the opportunity to create a more welcoming community within their own classroom. This reminds me that every child has something to contribute to the classroom community and I think it’s important to find the good aspects of behavior and build its strength, rather than focusing on the negative end and treating it as a problem- this could be an approach to behavior management. For instance, if there is a child who is constantly disrupting class by talking or passing notes, this child could be recognized as a natural communicator (something that may be a disruption at times in school, but is actually a great attribute in the "real world") and given the job of reading class announcements, writing things on the board, delivering messages, or other things that utilize the skill of communication. There might be other students who would shy away from some of those classroom jobs because their talents lie elsewhere.
Since I don’t have any practical experience to apply this to yet, this is just an example off the top of my head. But I would like to remember what I learned from Native American tribe communities- to seek to find a role for everyone based on their strengths and to honor and respect all strengths (even when they appear at first as negative qualities) and help to guide them in a positive direction within the community.

First Day Fun Idea

I was reading the Sneaker Teacher’s blog, where she wrote about a German tradition where children receive a large cone full of goodies on their first day of school. I never heard of this before, but what a great tradition! I really love the underlying idea that the start of a school year can be made extra special and exciting through something as simple as this.
I thought this might be a great tradition to start when I start teaching, to help kick the year off to a good start and make a connection with each student. A good Americanized version of the German “Schultüte” that she spoke of would be a special package full of school related goodies.
The key, in my opinion, is to make each package as individual as I can. This may take a little time and effort, but I think that it sets a nice tone for the start of the year if each child feels like they have been personally acknowledged by their new teacher.
I can start with medium sized paper bags, markers, stickers, glitter, glue and puffy paints to decorate each bag a little different from the others, starting with their name written in puffy paint. I might get some ideas on what I can draw or make reference to on each child’s bag by reviewing the child’s file to see if any of their interests are evident (this might also help to familiarize me with the students.) The idea is that each one is different so that when they receive them and compare with their friends, they can identify that theirs is unique.
Next, I can fill each bag school items- a notebook, some pens and pencils, erasers, crayons, ect.- (I can go to the dollar store or shop sales to try to find fun designed supplies for cheap.) I can shop at resale stores to find books for cheap and get a different book for each student (which can then be used for an assignment that first week.) I can also put other items that will be part of their daily life- such as their homework folder- in there as well, rather than passing them out separate.
The one concern I did have about this was, especially when I am a new teacher, losing control of the room when the kids are excitedly going through their goody bags. To combat this, I was thinking I could integrate it with the explaining of certain classroom rules and procedures.
I was thinking that I could come up something, using a poem or riddle format, that explains what the contents of the bags are going to be used for throughout the school year. We can open the bags together as a class, and I can read off each item, have the kids take that item out of the bag and we can go through the procedures regarding that item, for instance pencils- I might have a riddle like:

These special sticks have all been blessed
To help you do well on your test.
Just in case you change your mind
They can help you hit rewind.
But if you study hard you’ll find
You never need their other side.
What are they?

The kids can have a little fun guessing what, in their bag, solves the riddle, then we can go through the procedures regarding sharpening pencils, if they forget their pencil or lose it- procedures about borrowing, ect. This will give the kids a chance to ask any questions about procedures as well.
I can type up a motivational letter which talks about what a wonderful school year ahead of us and highlights some of the fun moments of the year to put in their homework folders and read with their parents. I might also have a short, personal handwritten message as well- maybe inside their notebook saying how much I am looking forward to reading their journal writing, or a nice message inside the cover of the book I give to each student. Then after we open their bags, I can give them a little time to decorate their own homework folder.
I think that this would initiate a fun and exciting start of the school year for the kids and be a unique way to hand out materials and discuss procedures.

Thoughts on Attention and Perception

“The important thing to remember with humans, in such cases, is that we are never dealing with concrete realities. What we are dealing with is perceptions.”
-www.educational-psychologist.co.uk/attention.htm

I once read a book called Time, Space and Knowledge by Tarthang Tlku. It explored the concept of perception and reality in depth and made me wonder, is there even such a thing as reality, or is all of life strictly perception based on what we have been told our entire life and what we “perceive” to be true?
The quote above was taken from an educational psychology website. The article was about children who seek attention through bad behavior. I suppose there are many reasons why children might act out, but I wonder if most of it, in a school setting, does come down to attention.
Up until school, a child (in ideal circumstances) is the center of their universe in many ways. Their needs are taken care of in every possible way which leaves them little to concern themselves with other than their own exploration of the world around them. This is undoubtedly perceptual- the child perceives the world as a place where there is no concerns regarding survival. School is one of first experiences of children where they are removed from that perception and become responsible for themselves. I tend to believe that survival instinct kicks in a bit with this perceptual threat to the life they have grown familiar with. It is also one of the first experiences where they are compared, evaluated and sharing space with many others experiencing similar changes in the pattern of their perceptions. Then throw in the heightened sensory awareness of children. What a confusing experience this all must be perceptually!
I have often thought that if a child was acting out in class, and I felt that it might be for attention, that a positive way to give them attention and get them involved would be to give them a special part in the lesson, such as acting out a process, holding a visual aid, writing things on the board for me, ect. I still think that in some cases, this might work, but I really didn’t consider the importance of individualized attention. Maybe some children act out because they are not only seeking attention, but are having difficulty adjusting to a social setting. I don’t mean this in reference to Asperger’s as much as I do to just the perception of transitioning to an environment where there are many people.
Children can be so shy at times around new people, and I think that this has a lot to do with the experience of socializing still being unfamiliar. Some kids might have more experience with this, but others are developing their social perception at a much slower pace. If all children require a certain level of attention, and each requires it in a different way, how- as a teacher- do you address and become sensitive to the perceptual needs of each student without throwing the entire classroom dynamic off balance?
The article on this website suggest a technique. It requires setting aside “special time” and giving several verbal cues before, during and after special time. This is supposed to register with the child, perceptually, that that their need for attention is being filled. This also has to occur on a regimented schedule in order for it to be effective- it's great if your the parent or even a nanny or sitter, and you can give methodical and regimented, undivided attention to one child. However, for teachers who have several students, curriculum standards and very constrained time, something like this isn't all that feasible- yet poor behavior for attention persists and something must be done to get it under control.
I brainstormed how this same idea of individual attention might be adapted into the classroom more easily. Maybe during a daily activity, or a transition activity, I could seek out the students who require this special attention to ask them for help with a special task. Maybe educational times can be turned into individualized time, like when doing reading assessments, I can provide something special to make the time seem personal and unique, like a princess crown or special "reading ninja" headband for a child who needs special attention, so that they feel there is something unique about their time with the teacher. I suppose there are many small creative ways that individual attention can be percieved by the child, without requiring me to have a designated block of time.
I think it’s a topic that warrants some more research…

Time to Get Seriously Organized

I know I am getting a bit ahead of myself, but I had a 40% off coupon, so I purchased the book: First Year Teacher's Survival Guide by Julia Thompson. Many a time I have been at the book store and flipped through the pages and thought it is a very thorough and well organized manual with lots of good resources and tips. I have been reading a little bit here and there as a break from the more intense information from my textbooks (sometimes textbook reading can be so strenuous!) I can not believe how detailed this book is! Even more, I can not believe all the little tasks are involved with teaching, it’s no wonder that all you experienced teachers live by lists!
I have always been a list maker- grocery lists, lists to remember what I need to take care of at work, lists when I am packing for a trip or preparing for an big event. But those are just occasional things. I also try to keep a date book with my schedule mapped out but somehow I just never manage to keep up with it on a regular basis. Reading this book, I have become increasingly aware of the fact that I need to fine tune my organizational skills before I start teaching. It seems that, in this field, it is not sufficient to be just good at organization and time management, you have to be diligent and become an expert at it or you risk being completely overwhelmed.
I decided that I am going to start making a list for almost everything. I found an old steno pad in my desk which has perfect columns for list making. I also received in the mail a school day planner from Nestle (a promo thing that came with coupons for Nestle products.) This thing is great because it has the entire month on a one page view, in a vertical list with each individual day listed and several columns for filling in daily tasks. I am going to use this to help me with time management. I have three courses right now, all of which are Independent study courses, so I will create a detailed schedule, much like creating units and lessons, which I will follow diligently for staying on track with class work and deadlines. I think this will be a good way to hone my mental organizational skills.
Space organization is another thing. I am usually quite good at planning this, less good at keeping up with it. I would be that teacher who puts off opening mail and sorting through it, or filing papers in a timely fashion. I would keep up with the essential things, like grading papers, keeping notes on important correspondence, school records and other required paperwork, but I would put off non-essential tasks, the stuff that doesn’t have a deadline. At home, I always have all my bills paid on time, but I have bags full of other random mail and papers which need to be filed that I don’t need to deal with right away, so I put it off until it becomes to large a job- then I am even less likely to deal with it! This procrastination has to stop now, before I take it with me to the classroom.
All in all, I think it’s a good idea that I purchased this book now, because it’s been a real eye opener and I have some work to do on myself if I want to have a successful career!

A Road Map to Memorization

This book, Strategies for Great Teaching: Maximize Learning Moments by Mark Reardon and Seth Derner, has some really good lesson ideas. I picked it up at my library and I think it’s definitely one I will spend the money on to have as a reference in my own collection. I am only about halfway through, but I already have fallen in love with a lot of the ideas presented
One of the chapters was about using maps. You deliver the instruction and then use the idea of map making as an engaging activity to solidify the information learned in the lesson. During the instruction, students are asked to take notes (the book also really focuses a lot of attention on teaching effective note taking techniques). Then, when introducing the activity, you show and discuss some examples of different kinds of maps and how they might be used in the context of the lesson. They also suggest that you have a self prepared one to show as an example. Then students can work alone or in groups to create a map which organizes and expresses the concepts learned in the lesson in a memorable format that also creates a visual organizer for the material. It could be a road map, a treasure map, a world map, an agricultural map, ect. The possibilities are only limited by the imagination. I immediately thought of game boards when I read this and I remembered in high school a project where we had to create a board game which was similar. I also thought of Candy Land, Life and a game I used to play when I was a kid called The Unknown Game. All of the boards for these games were a kind of map. They had specific destinations and paths to follow. There were some shortcuts and/or bridges connecting destinations. I thought that one way I could personalize this idea of making a map would be to create a foundational map, much like the game boards mentioned, which have standard routes, bridges connecting locations and shortcuts, and have the kids fill in the information from their notes using that foundational map. I thought that this might help teach them how to organize their own notes, how to make connections between material to find ways that ideas can be “bridged” together and how to recognize when shortcuts are appropriate. I also like the original concept of having them come up with their own map, plus the maps could then be used for a bulletin board display. I definitely will start to look at maps in a different way and hopefully begin to brain storm some different ways they can be used in lessons.
I obviously don’t have to plan lessons yet, but I do think about it a lot. Partly because I know that sometimes lessons need to be planned “on the fly” and because I know that planning an effective and engaging lesson might come second nature to a lot of experienced teachers, but when I am student teaching, and a new teacher, and when I am being observed the first few times, I am going to be thankful that I did a lot of research when I had the opportunity to and I might even appreciate the innocent and creative perspective I offered myself back when I didn’t worry about things like standards and just had ideas for the sake of thinking they sounded cool. Then, once I do learn the required curriculum and standards, I will have some idea on where I can apply all these fun activities!

An Abstraction of "Paragraph"

"I didn't have the vocabulary to say "paragraph," but I realized that a paragraph was a fence that held words. The words inside a paragraph worked together for a common purpose. They had some specific reason for being inside the same fence. This knowledge delighted me. I began to think of everything in terms of paragraphs. Our reservation was a small paragraph within the United States. My family's house was a paragraph …. Inside our house, each family member existed as a separate paragraph but still had genetics and common experiences to link us. Now, using this logic, I can see my changed family as an essay of seven paragraphs: mother, father, older brother, the deceased sister, my younger twin sisters and our adopted little brother."

This quote was taken from Superman and Me, an essay by Sherman Alexie,which was published in the Los Angeles Times, April 19 1998.

I just loved the way Alexie built upon his concept of a paragraph. As adults, it is hard to put ourselves in the mind of a child. It’s hard to imagine what those first moments of understanding a word, a sentence a paragraph and an entire work of literature feel like. It’s difficult to remember a time when we first put it all together and it became something meaningful.
The exploration of reading by Alexie, who grew up on a Reservation in Spokane, WA, was self lead and built on genuine curiosity in the meaning of the strange lines that covered the pages of his father’s books. I love the abstract thought that went into associating a paragraph with other meaningful groupings in his life. I think this is an excellent example of the kind of thought process I want to aspire to instill in students.

Mathmatical Difficulties

My break is over and school is back on. One of my classes is the second half of a math for elementary school teachers course. This section is also twice as long as the summer section was, so I have been excited that I will have the time to really think about what I am learning and ask myself, “How will I apply this in the classroom?” instead of just flying through in order to test on time.
After one week, my excitement has already begun to wane. I feel massive frustration right now. The content itself is nothing difficult. What causes me problems is the method. I just can’t believe how much math has changed since I originally learned. I keep reverting to old ways, and I can’t seem to internalize the new techniques, even though they are probably much more efficient and easier.
Furthering my frustration is the fact that all the classroom sections of this course are during the day, when I am at my full time job, so I had to take it independent study. I did meet with an instructor to discuss the issues I am having and she basically told me not to worry about if I get the problems right or wrong. It's only about the method, focus on learning the methods to have as a tool for teaching different learners. But how am I supposed to teach it to someone else if I don't understand it myself first?
I’m freaked out right now about teaching math someday. I'm not clear at this point why so much emphasis in this course is placed on using the specific methods outlined in the text. Does the curriculum dictate the specific method that you have to teach, or do teachers have the leeway to teach any method as long as the objectives are accomplished?
I need to find a way to just let go of my preconceived ideas of how to do this and try to put myself in the place of a student learning this for the first time. How would I want the teacher to explain this to me? I even went to the extent of buying a white board so that I could work through it as if I was explaining it to a class; sometimes teaching something helps me understand it better myself.
Letting go of the way I think things should be taught (based on the way it was taught to me) is something I need to work on, its one of my weaknesses and its not going to help me in the classroom at all- especially because the world has changed significantly since I learned, just take technology for example, I didn't learn on computers in elementary school. I need to be prepared to deal with all different kinds of learners and situations.
Maybe a good way to approach methods class is to go through the Multiple Intelligences and determine how I might teach single concept to the different types of learners. Or maybe I should create three or four imaginary students, with different learning challenges, that I can use as a practice model throughout my course. What ever I do, I think I need to place some focus on learning about differentiated instruction to help me to break out of my own patterns of thinking.
What kinds of challenges have you encountered with differentiated instruction in your classrooms?

Inspiration is Any Where You Want it to Be

I’ll admit that I am strangely intrigued by ghosts. I watch every supernatural, ghost hunting show I can find. But recently, I found one that has taught me something about teaching- I can and do find educational opportunity in the strangest places!
I was at the library and came across a DVD of a show called Psychic Kids. Basically, the show is about parents who contact a famous psychic/medium and his psychologist associate because their child claims to be seeing ghosts or having some experiences of a paranormal nature that has been affecting every part of their life and their family’s life and they don’t know where else to turn for help.
Each show takes three families who are in a somewhat geographically similar area, and has them meet at a central location, which also happens to be a “paranormally active” location, for a weekend retreat. The psychologist works with the parents and the kids to help sort out their frustrations and fears and the psychic helps the kids learn how to deal with their sixth sense and confront their fears. All the while, the children are encouraged to form a bond so that they can develop relationships with other kids their age who understand them, since bullying is often a problem for these children among their peers.
I used to think that being a parent instanty made you a good teacher, something that concerned me because I am not yet a parent. But when I watch the parents in this show, confused about what their child is experiencing, frustrated about their inability to “make it better” and desperate for any help they can get, I realize that being a parent and being a teacher are two different things. While they may contribute to some areas of the other, they are essentially different entities.
In this show, the psychic (who can be compared to a teacher) has the unique challenge of setting the children free to explore their sixth sense (new knowledge) in an environment which provides them ample opportunity to interact with their psychic ability (the classroom). The children (students) sometimes let their fear and anxieties take over and they become terrified and want to run (refusal to learn, behavior management problems). The psychic (like the teacher) realizes that the parents, being emotionally attached, may comfort the child rather than give them the push they need to confront their fears and anxieties and move past them and that he/she needs to take on a stricter role which empowers the child rather than removes responsibility.
But most important of all is validation. On the show, once the child moves through their fear, the psychic validates that fear but express pride in their ability to move past it and builds their confidence by focusing on their accomplishment of moving past the fear (reward through positive reinforcement). He always does this with the parents present, which makes the child feel more validated and more confident (having the student present for parent-teacher conferences).
So in a nutshell, what I learned is that as a teacher, I need to remain somewhat emotionally detached so that I can do the difficult job of being tough enough to challenge students to move past their fears and discover their potential. After they complete the challenging task, I need to validate the original fear and follow it up with recognition of accomplishment to make the child realize that some things in life will require that we push ourselves further than we think we can go, but that the rewards are lasting and worthwhile.
I also learned a little something about dealing with parents. On one of the episodes, the parent of one of these children held very strong religious beliefs that conflicted with what the psychic does and caused him serious concerns over whether he could help the child the only way he knows how with out disrespecting her mother’s beliefs. It reminded me that I will likely face parents of different belief systems than myself. Sometimes we have to force ourselves to be the more flexible person, the more open minded person. I have to be prepared to work within the comfort zones of those parents whose cultural beliefs may differ from mine, regardless of what my personal feeling is about that, my professional responsibility is to educate myself on their beliefs and teach that child within those beliefs to the best of my ability.
So there you have it! I have turned my guilty pleasure of watching ghost stories into a rich, educational experience. I no longer have to feel bad about indulging in it (when I probably should be working on homework instead!)

Holistic Element 5- The Most Important Quality Comes From Positive Intention

The official definition of tone (according to the MSN Encarta online dictionary anyway :) is “the general quality or character of something as an indicator of the attitude or view of the person who produced it.” I think it sums up perfectly the idea of what teachers want to convey with the careful planning and setup of their classrooms each year. In therapy, tone refers to the emotional atmosphere of a person or space. Much like teachers preparing their classroom, therapists carefully plan and prepare their space as well. Both have the same purpose, to create a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere in which to accomplish a particular set of goals. These last few posts have represented the thought process that I went through when creating my therapy room and an exploration of how I can use those same ideas in my new career, when I am preparing for my first classroom full of students.
I’ve never viewed anything as being one dimensional when I was a therapist. I always believed that everything was comprised of several layers that work together to create the big picture of an experience. I strived to reach my clients on all those layers so that at least for that moment they would feel that all the aspects of their being were nurtured and respected. I think that is the same thing that teachers want for their students.
The entire train of thought, which was all triggered by a simple statement about using red pen to grade papers, in a book I was reading, reminded me that I need to bring my therapist qualities with me into my teaching career, because all the qualities and knowledge I acquired from that experience can be translated into different areas of life and help enhance my teaching on a different level than the education I am receiving in school now. It adds another layer to my education that I am fortunate to have and another set of tools I can use later- A reminder that no experience is without purpose.

Holistic Element 4: The Art of Mood Manipulation Through Sound

I have been thinking a lot about sounds in the classroom because I have been exposed to mixed views about it. In several books I’ve read, and some blogs, teachers talk about how they play classical music, or relaxation music, in the background of certain classroom activities. Others use active and uplifting music to wake up an under stimulated group. Both these ideas appealed to me.
I remembered how, back in my therapist days, I would very carefully choose the music I would use depending on what type of therapy I was conducting, and/ or the specific client I was seeing. The rhythm and sounds of certain music had a profound effect on the outcome of the session. Some people needed certain music to achieve a level of comfort and relaxation, such as a soft acoustic guitar, Native American flutes or a harpsichord. Sometimes I needed a certain flow or sequence to carry out a specific therapy and would chose music with appropriate movement and fluctuation to mimic the movements and timing of the technique I was using. Sometimes either my self or the client felt anxious or stressed, and required the steady, rhythmic percussion of tribal drums to center oneself. Choosing the right sound became an art that enhanced the outcome of the therapy.
Now, as I attempt to pull experiences from my former career to see how they might apply in my new one, I wonder if sound can be used in a similar fashion to enhance the learning experience. I myself would probably have a tendency to use the same genre of music that I used during my therapy career since I have studied and experienced how the various sounds and vibrations of the music are supposed to effect the listener. I imagine that understanding this could be a useful tool to have in the ‘teacher’s toolbox” for certain days when you just don’t know what else to do to help calm children and get them to focus; or alternatively, how to get them to wake up and participate!
All relaxation music is made with a specific purpose in mind. For instance, percussion sounds are earthy and grounding. In therapy, they are used to bring the mind and the body back into harmony, as we have a tendency to become too much in our head. Soft percussion in the background might help with daydreaming students who can’t seem to focus on the lesson, or might also be good for activities during logic based subjects such as math and science.
Native American flutes and string instruments have a lulling effect. In therapy they are used to induce reflectivity, and disconnection from problems associated with the physical realm, the idea being to connect the person with the bigger picture of life. On days when kids are wired and wild, this type of music playing softly in the background might help calm them down and stimulate intellectual thinking. Also, it might be good music to have playing at the very beginning of the day as children enter the classroom, get situated and start working on their beginning activities- as a method of helping them release any problems that they could be bringing with them from home that morning.
There are also many complex scores of music in this genre that consist of many different instruments and sounds, and fluctuate in intensity but maintain a constant flow from song to song. In therapy, this type of music is used to create a sense of unity and cohesion throughout the entire session. It marks a distinct feel of coming full circle, a beginning, middle, and end. In the classroom, this could be useful during a specific activity that can help fuel creativity and provide a constant sensory indicator to help keep the children on task from beginning to end.
Are any of you already using music or sound to enhance learning? If so, I would love to hear how you use it!

Holistic Element 3- Classroom Color Therapy

In my opinion, color & light are so prominent that I think I could probably write and entire book about all the ways they could be applied to the educational field alone! I never understood, although I can fathom it has something to do with cost and efficiency, why schools always seem to have that horrible overhead fluorescent lighting which is known to cause stress and anxiety. I also will never understand why they don’t build all classrooms with windows. But again, it probably comes down to money and some would probably say that the people who design the buildings don’t really know anything about creating an ideal environment for learning, which is why teachers have to work so hard to create one :)
There are multiple theories about colors, but when I worked in the holistic health field, I was predominantly interested in color as it relates to the stages of development and life force. For the new age familiar, the foundation for this was the chakra system. In this system, color was tied to specific states of beings which people naturally pass through and revisit at certain points in their life and in ideal circumstances, all these elements would be functioning simultaneously and completely in balance- but we don’t live in these ideal circumstances. Behind this theory is the idea that with a trained eye (and maybe a certain intuitive sense) that one could find where the imbalance is and certain various techniques can help bring balance back to that aspect. One of the methods of bringing balance back involves the use of the color associated with that state of being. Here is a brief explanation of what each color relates to and an example of how I think it could apply to the classroom:

• Red- relates to our basic, primal instincts related to survival. Depending on the stage in ones life, these instincts have a tendency to change- something to be considered when using this color in the classroom. The younger the child, the more dependent they are on adults to fulfill basic needs, so this color, for young children, could represent a fulfillment of those needs and provide them with a sense of security and comfort where with older kids, say middle- high school, this color could evoke more aggressive behavior.
  
• Orange- relates to the primary social group- family. The color orange can create a real sense of belonging, but again, age is a factor- too much orange with high school kids, because of their maturity level, could induce a natural instinct to procreate.
  
• Yellow- relates to expanding out into secondary social groups, the confidence to become more independent. This is something positive that I would want to bring into a classroom environment, but too much yellow could make the environment too socially oriented. This is where color usage can get specific. For instance, during a group discussion, having a solid yellow screen saver projecting behind you or using yellow paper for a group activity can help set the mood for class participation and sharing of ideas.
  
• Green- relates to qualities associated with the heart- the capacity to care deeply and feel love and compassion. Green is a good color to use if you have a special area of the classroom designated for children to go and settle disputes. If you have a “time-out” desk, it might be helpful to have a painting or picture taped to the desk that has a lot of greens (and blues which I explain next) for the child to look at while they are taking the time out as these colors calm emotions and encourage healthy communication.
  
• Blue- relates to communication. Blue is a good color to have regardless of the group age since communication is so vital to just about anything.
  
• Indigo (basically a deep purplish blue)- relates to understanding and encourages those “aahaa!” moments where you really “get” the meaning. This color would make a good background for educational bulletin boards, construction paper cutouts to use for math to demonstrate concepts, carpet, or pillow colors for a reading area- to name some ideas I have had.
  
• Violet- relates to wisdom and the acquisition of knowledge. Every classroom should have a generous amount of violet throughout (in my belief).

The possibilities using this system of belief are really only limited by ones own imagination. There are so many ways to apply this, even the color the teacher chooses to wear that day could have a profound effect and the way a certain child reacts on that particular day, or on the group’s ability to concentrate and how well they absorb the lessons. It would be interesting to experiment with this!

Holistic Element 2: Smells That Stimulate Learning

Aromatherapy is a branch of holistic health that studies and practices the effect of smells on our physical and emotional health. This for some reason has been a controversial subject in the healthcare field. I happen to believe that smell does affect mood & functioning for a couple of very practical reasons. 1) Senses tend to trump one another. For example, when I try to read a book and someone has the t.v. abnormally loud, I have a hard time focusing on the visual input of the words from my book because my audio input has taken over control and is dominating all my senses; it makes me very frustrated and irritable. This really can apply to any of the senses- if one is being stimulated at an abnormal level, all of our energy seems focused on that stimulation and it takes conscious effort to neutralize this and direct our focus someplace else. 2) Have you ever eaten something you loved when you were sick, then later, when you are healthy, the smell of that same food makes you feel horribly ill? This is evidence (in my opinion) that smell triggers a memory. For some people, certain smells may be linked psychologically to a traumatic experience, something I experienced with clients as a massage therapist.
With respects to the classroom environment there are a couple applications that I might consider: 1) avoiding scents that may cause distraction or trigger negative response and 2) using subtle smells to trigger a desired response.
Something about smells though that tend to be overlooked is their origin. Most commonly encountered is “fragrance” which is full of man made chemicals. I suppose I would say that I have a tendency to believe that these chemicals are far more harmful that we think. With Autism, ADD and ADHD and learning disabilities on the rise, my thought is that these “fragrances” would fall under the first group of scents mentions, those that may have a negative response or become distracting. This would mean that commercial, scented products should be eliminated from the classroom as much as possible. Imagine the heavy chemicals that are already used to wash the school surfaces! Those we can’t do anything about but we can eliminate any other synthetic scents and even avoid wearing perfumed body products as well.
True Aromatherapy, on the other hand, might be a useful tool for establishing mood. Pure essential aromatherapy oils which are created from a very specific distillation process of plant oils, are subtle (almost undetectible even) and can stimulate certain parts of the brain that increase academic functioning, increase concentration, or calm hyperactivity. For instance lavender can be both calming and refreshing, sandalwood helps with focus, ylang ylang can ease tension and anger and both rosemary and peppermint bring concentration and mental clarity. What I am not sure of is school policies however aromatherapy is quite subtle and there are very safe means of utilizing it, such as a diffuser fan.
The oil is dropped onto an absorbent pad and a small fan gently blows the aroma out. Unconventional, but it could help to set the mood in the room for learning.

Holistic Element 1: How's the Classroom Chi?

When considering the elements of the environment one should think about the placement of objects and movement of the room and how that effects concentration for a child. Teachers already struggle with using their space in the most effective manner, but applying some of the concepts of Feng Shui could help by maximizing the effects that special arrangement has on the demeanor of its occupants. Traditional Feng Shui could be practiced if you’re a purist, but there are ways to pull some of the main concepts without knowing very much about the traditional practice. There is as much value in the idea as the practice. The idea I am focused on has to do with appealing to the senses and creating ease of movement within a room. One of the first thing a student, parent, administrator or another teacher experiences upon entering your classroom is likely to be visual. I like to imagine standing at the threshold of a classroom and seeing it as a whole, much like viewing a painting, we first look at the collectiveness and then allow the eye to be drawn to certain specific elements. In designing a room, we should consider what it looks like as a whole and where the eye is naturally drawn. Is it a pleasing experience, or does it feel forced or disturbing in some way? Do I sense obstacles, imbalance or obstruction or does my eye flow naturally from one location to the next with ease? This is a small detail that can have a giant impact.
It is well acknowledged by most that a clean and orderly space allows for mental clarity as well. I personally can not think clearly or function smoothly when my own home is in shambles, but when it is clean and organized I am able to carry out other tasks with ease. Cleaning and organizing can be somewhat of a spiritual experience. Students also need a clean and organized environment in order to focus on the task at hand.
Creating a compositionally balanced space, it helps to think in terms of that space, regardless of shape, as a circle; because that is how you want the visual elements and the energy of the room to move. Take it a step further and you could arrange your activities of the day to follow that same circular pattern, giving students a sense of “coming full circle” by the end of the day. As with all circular patterns, the circle has a center point off which everything else is based. What would you want the center point of your classroom community to be? In my own classroom (someday) I would want the center point (inner circle) of my community to be its people- myself and the students, the medial ring to be our individual work areas, arranged according to when and how they will be used, and the outer ring being the culmination of all our work (bulletin boards and decorations). I would probably organize my displays so that the work displayed behind a work area is representative of what was accomplished in that area, and the most important general community information located in the front, behind the central point. My hypothetical room might be arranged something like this:



Depending on how much time and interest you have in creating an energetically appropriate space, you could include some of the traditional elements, including having certain relics in the room, placed strategically, having certain areas face in specific directions, hanging mirrors to create openness. A book on this topic might be good summer break reading! The point is, by setting up the environment with these unseen forces in mind, whether you believe in them or not, could help set a calm and peaceful atmosphere in the classroom that has an unexplainable effect on the students. It’s worth trying!

A Holistic Approach to Teaching

So much emphasis is placed on method and classroom management that it didn’t occur to me to view teaching from a holistic perspective. What triggered this train of though was something I read in The New Teacher Toolbox : Proven Tips and Strategies for a Great First Year by Scott M. Mandel (which incidentally is an excellent book- well organized, with simple tips and strategies that can easily be integrated into your own personal style of teaching.) It was a section about grading papers using red ink pens and the negative association we have, as a society, for certain colors and symbols. Also, the cultural considerations regarding colors and symbols, which need to be considered as classrooms become more culturally diverse. This information added an entirely new layer of considerations to be made when creating a classroom community.
From a previous career of mine in massage therapy, I have a tendency to consider the many unobvious forces which have an effect on people. Put aside for the moment those we can not alter too much such as the constant bombardment of invisible electrical stimulation from our wireless world, or the toxic fumes that have permeated the air we breath (those things have to have some effect on our physiological functioning, and concentration!) There are those that we can control in the classroom environment though. After a bit of contemplation, I realize that the same considerations I made when manufacturing an environment conducive to physical and emotional healing with massage and bodywork can also be the foundation for creating an environment conducive to learning- the five elements of a holistic classroom:

1. Arrangement of elements in the environment (Feng Shui)
2. Smells (Aromatherapy)
3. Light & Color (Aura)
4. Sound (Vibration)
5. Tone (Emotional Atmosphere)

I think the ultimate goal of most teachers each year is to have a classroom full of engaged students, who are happy to be a part of the community and eager to participate and learn. I hear teachers constantly looking within themselves wondering if they have done all they can to create this environment- “Are the lessons interesting and engaging?, Do I have the necessary materials?, Do I have the appropriate knowledge? Have I planned carefully? Do I model the behaviors I expect? Do the students respect me?” But sometimes there are other elements that are not obvious and not considered that effect the way a person feels. I want to explore this topic a bit more. I already know from previous experience that the application of these elements is more extensive than you would think, so I have decided to write a separate in-depth post about each element- a holistic classroom series.

Modern Day Considerations

I’ve decided to challenge myself a bit when it comes to literary analyses. Part of my education to be an educator required that I choose a concentration area. As much as I wanted to fill the great need for math and science teachers, humanities has always been my passion and strong suit, so I chose English as my concentration.
I do love my reading and writing, probably in a different way than many others. I have long time been a big fan of the non-fiction genre, as my desire to learn overpowers my desire to escape into a good novel, although I also enjoy the latter. As a result of my obsession with non-fiction reading (and believe me, it goes way, way back- to childhood really) I am not well read in the fiction genre, and less well read in many of the classic junior novels that will likely be part of the curriculum I will someday teach.
I decided that in order to familiarize myself with popular junior novels, despite my lack of time for recreational reading, I will start getting books on CD from my local library and listening to them when I am in the car. While listening to them, I can begin to think about questions I might use in discussions with my students, if I were to teach this book.
I started this yesterday with “The Giver” by Lois Lowry. I am only a few chapters in but I already have some great ideas of critical thinking questions that I might pose to my class. But one thing I didn’t expect was to have all kinds of thoughts regarding the actual experience of listening to audio books as opposed to the experience of reading them. Back when I was in school, cliff notes were the only cheater we had to reduce the work of actually reading a book (now I relish in the thought of reading for homework!) But in this day and age, there are so many new ways for children to access information that I feel it necessary to ask myself, “how would I handle this in my classroom- if children choose to listen to books instead of read them.” It also makes me wonder how teachers are already dealing with this situation.
I can see that there may be both positives and negatives attached to audio books.
The first positive that pops into my mind relates to accommodation for disabled students. If I get to choose a book to use for a lesson, it would be beneficial from an inclusion perspective to choose books which are readily available in audio format.
Another positive would be to utilize the audio format in collaboration with the text to help students integrate the material with both visual and auditory sensory input.
On the negative end, the experience of listening to the audio book tends to color the readers perspective of the characters, much the same as watching a film about a book does. The reader on the audio book adds his/her own voice to the characters and reads in such a way that the listener begins to model the character to match the readers voice, instead of using the tone, imagery and characteristics of each character to create an impression of their own.
Also on the negative end is the affect on technical details, such as becoming more fluent and learning new vocabulary and synthesizing the material, lack of retention and the ability to “space out” or get distracted when not focusing visually on the text.
In the age of technology, there are many other considerations to make when developing lessons and assignments in order to ensure students do not short change their education by using technology as a shortcut. Even reading has become techno-fied (yes, I made that word up).
On the other hand, for teachers, all this technology can be an incredible time saving method of staying fresh and current on the curricular material and obtaining new perspectives and ideas on how to approach discussions with students.

It's Never Too Early...

Veteran teachers and principals advise applicants to be ready for some common questions that will be asked during a teaching interview. I am quite a ways away from the interviewing process, but it's never too early to start preparing for those inevitable questions. The hardest for me has always been the one where I am required to gloat about myself (I'm actually quite humble) so I have compiled a list of some of my positives that will be useful to teaching. Hopefully I will have more to add to these later.

5 personal strengthes that will help make me a great teacher:

1. I am passionate about learning- I just can’t seem to stop myself. This is evident in the fact that I have 3 more years until I can even begin teaching yet I already have been reading and planning for my first job. What can I say, I like to be prepared!

2. I’m middle aged- occupationally speaking. I am at this beautiful point in my working career where I am young enough to bring excitement, fresh ideas, and energy to my career yet experienced enough where I have a solid work ethic, multiple life experiences to draw from, collaborative experience and last (but certainly not least) a strong sense of responsibility and accountability.

3. Personal experience- As a returning adult student, I know the importance of education and the pursuit of knowledge. I understand the value and purpose in encouraging children to seek higher knowledge and the challenges they face if they don’t, therefore I have incentive to help them make good choices.

4. I am equally practical as I am creative- I can balance my perfectionist with my artist to develop learning experiences which are engaging and yet very structured.

5. When it comes to Multiple Intelligences, I score (equally) highest in interpersonal and intrapersonal skills giving me a strong understanding of myself and others, a natural ability to read people, and a natural tendency toward critical thinking skills. Understanding oneself is a prerequisite for helping others grow and develop.