Perseverance

Lets face it, we all make mistakes. Our world is not perfect, and neither are we. We learn from our mistakes and they help us become who we are. This week a word popped into my head that wouldn't leave-persevere. I instantly thought about school, work, home and everything else that we all juggle in our daily lives. We run into difficult times more than we want to admit. We hit that road block and wonder how will we continue...some how we get up the next day and we push through, we persevere Not only do we persevere but our students do as well. They make mistakes just like we do-we are all human. They encounter tough times, they struggle with learning, they battle with making friends...they are humans learning how to deal with "life." We deal with life by persevering- it's important we share and grow with them while they do themselves. As stated below, mistakes are awesome! They are how we learn. We are allowed to make mistakes. They are allowed to make mistakes. These moments give us, and them, the opportunity to grow stronger and be better than they were yesterday. Success is earned through trying, what we do daily. We try to instill all the academics they need to know along with proper social and behavioral skills. I can honestly say we do a great job in doing so. Is it easy, no...but is it rewarding, yes. Remember to persevere but allow our students to do the same. It's no longer a weak word, or made to make us feel enabled, it here to allow and teach us all to learn! 

"Remember that the road to success is filled with failure — teachers’ and students’ — and that the key to success is persistence. Take chances, reflect, grow… and have a wonderful, learning-filled school year!"

When I was teaching in the classroom I always told my students, “Mistakes are awesome! They’re how we learn!” But when it came to embracing my own mistakes as a teacher, those felt like a whole different beast. Those didn’t feel awesome. But they were how I learned.

If we truly hope to help our students succeed, making mistakes and persevering in front of them may be one of the most important skills we model and pass along. According to Angela Lee Duckworth, a University of Pennsylvania professor of psychology who has done fascinating and extensive research on success, the most successful people have “grit.” Duckworth defines grit as “passion and perseverance for very long term goals.” This could easily be a definition of a successful teacher: When faced with challenges, effective teachers let their passion guide them as they persevere to find the right solutions.

My Personal Lesson on Perseverance

When I think about my first year of teaching, I always think about Kara*. Kara was an avid reader, a critical thinker, a brilliant problem solver, and a little girl with severe behavior challenges. On a near-daily basis, Kara threw tables and chairs. She hit kids sitting next to her without warning. Kara was the most challenging student I’ve ever had, but she was also the student I learned the most from.

As a first year teacher, I struggled to know how to support Kara while meeting the needs of the rest of my students. I did everything I could think of to help Kara succeed in my class. I tried a behavior chart. Not the solution. Kara tore it up on the third day and every day thereafter. I tried sending her out of the room at the first sign on misbehavior. Not it either. Kara started walking out of class on her own. I tried sending Kara to another teacher, having her act as a special helper, and dozens of other strategies. But none of these approaches were quite right.

Then I got closer. I decided Kara and I needed to work on our relationship, so I offered to have lunch with her as a reward for good behavior. After sharing this new idea with Kara, she had two amazing days. We had lovely lunches together and I was sure this would work. But a week into this new approach, Kara went back to her disruptive behavior. On days when she didn’t earn special lunches, she exploded.

The special lunch approach made me realize I needed to show Kara unconditional love; I needed her to know that I would spend special time with her no matter what. I wouldn’t leave her when she misbehaved and I wouldn’t give up on her. I decided to institute special lunches with Kara that weren’t dependent on her behavior. Through building a relationship built on love, I was able to slowly guide Kara towards positive behavior. I had finally arrived at a workable strategy after many failed attempts.

The Big Lesson

You want students to wrestle with a problem and stay with it

Successful teachers try and try again. We encourage students to persevere through challenges, knowing that struggle creates opportunities for growth. As 3rd grade teacher Jen Saul says, “You want students to wrestle with a problem and stay with it.” The same is true for teachers: We make mistakes and learn from them.

I believe that there’s no one right way to teach and that no one approach will work for all students, classes, and teachers. To meet the needs of diverse students, strong teachers build up tool kits of strategies to experiment with. When coaching new teachers, I often feel bad that I can’t guarantee the success of a certain strategy. But so much of teaching is trying, failing, reflecting, and improving.

https://www.teachingchannel.org/blog/2013/09/18/lessons-in-perseverance/

Survival!

Good morning, 

Hope everyone had a nice weekend. I went back and forth on what to write for this week's MMM because we all know there are so many pressing topics-testing, literacy framework, challenges, schedules, and the list goes on and on. I stopped and thought, wait-I knew what we needed....a how to survive the end of the year craziness. We are all busy, stressed, and worried. These feelings are the same ones that arise every April/May in a teacher's world. We need to take one day at a time. Every day until the end is "crazy"- I know you realize that, and we do as well. Every day there is something going on, whether it be big or small; we need to breathe and realize it's one day closer to summer. We have to work together and end the school year with a smile. I was reading articles and instantly found the perfect one, which is below. Please enjoy :) 

15 End of the Year Survival Tips

With just a few months left until the end of the school year, you may already be wondering just how it is possible to get to the end without becoming batty. With spring and warmer weather still to come, students continue to have their own excuses for not putting 100% effort. And of course, there are more non-school related activities that may distract them. Perhaps you already for example, teach fewer students because of some of these “distractions.”

So how can you keep it together and still thrive in the classroom? This guide will show you how:

1. Don’t fight the system.

When it comes to canceled lessons and other unpredictable and school-related matters, there is really nothing you and I can do about it. Keep your cool and continue as best you can. As the old saying goes, “pick your battles wisely.” Fighting the system will only make your job harder but there are plenty of things you can do that aren’t just about surviving in the classroom.

2. Don’t Compare Yourself to Other Teachers.

So what if other teachers seem to have better control of their classes? It might take you an entire year to develop a classroom management plan that is effective for your class, but again, so what? You are unique.

3. Stick to teaching core subject skills until the very last school day possible.

The trick is to continue teaching important educational and subject skills (not just those that are test-related) in a fun and motivating way. (see #9,#10)

4. Set your intentions for success.

Set your intentions for success especially during the last few months of the school year when time and curriculum constraints and high-stakes testing can wear you down. As Suzanne Lieurance says, “have every thought, statement and action reflect that all day long. Teachers know that they generally get what they expect of their students. What someone says about you can help you create a totally different and new expectation for yourself – so get a friend to write out a positive statement about you. Then notice how you strive to LIVE according to that statement every day.”

5. Balance Your Life.

Don’t compromise on fun and meaningful activities that make you feel good about yourself. Start each day in an empowering and confident way. Don’t succumb to the pressures but rather accept them for what they are, realizing that they too, shall pass.

6. Hang Out with Supportive and Positive People.

In times of difficulty, you’ll need a supportive network of teachers and other professionals with whom you can reach out, vent and share your successes.Professional isolation, especially towards the end of the school year, is an enemy. Plus, you’ll probably get some nifty ideas for your own teaching.

7. Start Your Day in a Positive and Affirming Way.

Remember the law of attraction – positive attracts positive. Don’t say: “I wish my classes were be easier to teach at this time of year” or, “I wish I didn’t have to go through this…” because you’re still focusing on those negative elements and affirming to yourself that they are there. Instead, focus on the positive in your teaching: the ability to inspire and motivate students and teachers.Write down these affirmations in a place where you can see them every morning as you begin your day. They might even empower you.

8. If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Join ‘Em!

Participating in school and field trips is a great way to experience school culture in a refreshing way. Students will appreciate it, too and may perhaps view you in a different light.

9. Adapt

Adapt classroom management skills and instruction to suit new classroom situations. This requires a great deal of flexibility and teacher intuition to know what skills you need to be using at a given moment. For example, if you find yourself teaching a small class for one lesson, provide interesting and well-paced lessons to suit small groups of students. Click here to read my article, “Tips for Motivating Small Groups to Learn.”

10. Have Lots of S.O.S. Kits!

Some classes may need a Plan B and even Plan C. There’s nothing wrong with over planning.

11. Think Outside of the Box.

When planning interesting and motivating lessons, ask yourself: what resources are available to you? You may wish to use the computer room to supplement a reading lesson. Click here to read “5 Lesson Planning Tips on How to Use Technology Successfully in Your Classroom.” If you don’t have a computer room available at your disposal, plan games as part of authentic instruction. (Don’t overdo them, either!).

12. Praise, praise and praise!

Use a lot of positive reinforcement to suit the ages of the students you teach. A little bit of praise will go a long long way.

13. Plan.

Have a Plan to Prevent Your Rules From Coming Apart.

14. Keep a Reflective Teaching Journal.

Writing about your teaching experiences helps you acquire objectivity and clarity especially on those difficult and unpredictable days. Five minutes is sometimes all you need!

15. Have Fun and Interesting Review Sessions.

Have practice and review sessions of the material you’ve taught. There are so many many ways in which to do this but choose those activities that speak to your teaching style. For example, you could have a game or mini-competition. Show a film to reinforce important themes or concepts followed by a worksheet. Use songs to review grammar structures and vocabulary. Have a textbook treasure hunt. The list is endless.

And remember, students will always continue to try and push the limits. That is just their nature. So make sure you understand your own rationale for what you are doing in the classroom.

You can teach with confidence and successfully when the going gets tough.

So work it!

http://teaching.monster.com/benefits/articles/8205-15-end-of-the-year-survival-tips?page=3

Comprehensive Literacy Framework (CLF)

Over the next few weeks of the school year, we will be introducing a comprehensive literacy framework that the elementary schools will be following beginning next year.  This framework will outline different components, strategies, and delivery methods of the language arts block that teachers can follow.  Staff will be provided with professional development in each of these areas for a deeper understanding of the comprehensive framework.  Many of you probably already do a lot of this in your classrooms.  You may have heard this referred to as balanced literacy.  We decided to call it comprehensive literacy framework instead of balanced.  Comprehensive means “complete and broad” as opposed to the word “balanced” which can lead some teachers to believe that each component of the framework is given equal time. 

We are providing you with a graphic to look over prior to tomorrow’s Tuesday Morning Meeting.  We are very excited to have this framework, as many times, teachers are not certain on how to fill the 90 to 120 minute language arts block.  

 

Below is graphic displaying the components of the comprehensive literacy framework:

We hope you have a great week.