I follow this blog titled "Teaching Paperless." The other day I reiceived and email from this blog with the following challenge:
You have been put in charge of creating a brand new education system. Whatever you decide will be done. You are the monarch. You have unlimited resources and everyone is mandated to do your bidding (and they love you and think you are a genius).
And they are waiting to hear your concept.
One caveat: This being the 21st century, you have to explain your entire concept in 21 words or less.
Hmmm... I wonder how people responded? I thought. So, I went and checked it out. I mean, wouldn't you? There were all kinds of posts, some very intellectual, some not, and others very humorous. I enjoyed reading them all.
WELL, this morning I had another email from this blog site. This time it was the author of the blog making his 21 words or less statement. Actually, he said it in one word...love.
Here is a quote from his site:
Let that be the foundation and you'll see humility. Start with humility and you'll see authenticity. Let those be your guide and you'll have paradox. Real paradox. Start with paradox and you just might have something that's sustainable.
This got me to thinking about 1 Corithians 13:1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
He so right. It starts with love. Not just any love, mind you, but God's love.
Here's a challenge: Read 1 Corithians 13, the entire chapter, and ask the Lord to show you His love so that you can love others like He does. I don't want to be a clanging cymbal or a loud gong.
Life isn't about how far you climb up that ladder, the possessions you own, or knowing the "right" people. It's about love, Christ's love.
1 John 4:19 We love, because He first loved us.
Joey, I loved you and will miss you.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
A Role Model
I was coming in from car rider duty at the end of today and I started thinking about a particular student. As I climbed the stairs to my classroom, I pictured this student in my mind and all the struggles he has been through this year. I took a deep breath and let out a sigh, "What a role model of forgiveness he is."
Let me start by sayting that he hasn't always been treated with respect and accepted by his peers, and yet, he comes to school with a smile on his face and an amiable disposition. He doesn't tell on the other children when treated wrongly. He doesn't return insult for insult. He doesn't gossip. He doesn't seek revenge. Instead, he stands strong by being kind and forgiving. He doesn't try to "fit in". He is who he is and he is fine with it.
I have such respect for this boy, that I find myself becoming his defender, but he doesn't need that from me because he forgives. I saw this in action when a couple of students made fun of him. I stepped in and made them apologize. Instead of seeking revenge, he responded to their apologies with, "I forgive you." Other students have told me that they have seen him offer compliments to those who insult him. They, too, were impressed.
He has so much wisdom for being so young. He lives the example of what Christ wants us to be...forgiving.
Let me start by sayting that he hasn't always been treated with respect and accepted by his peers, and yet, he comes to school with a smile on his face and an amiable disposition. He doesn't tell on the other children when treated wrongly. He doesn't return insult for insult. He doesn't gossip. He doesn't seek revenge. Instead, he stands strong by being kind and forgiving. He doesn't try to "fit in". He is who he is and he is fine with it.
I have such respect for this boy, that I find myself becoming his defender, but he doesn't need that from me because he forgives. I saw this in action when a couple of students made fun of him. I stepped in and made them apologize. Instead of seeking revenge, he responded to their apologies with, "I forgive you." Other students have told me that they have seen him offer compliments to those who insult him. They, too, were impressed.
He has so much wisdom for being so young. He lives the example of what Christ wants us to be...forgiving.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Going Ape
This has been a very busy week, but hey, it's Friday and all is forgotten. I'm looking ahead to next week. Roller Coasters! Not the real things, but good substitutes. My students are heading into the next science unit titled Motion and Design. We will be studying different types of forces and their affects on objects. So, what better way to learn about force than studying roller coasters. Because we can't go experience the real thing, my students are going to be building their own. And get this. The mighty coasters will be made of card stock. How cool is that! Well, they are pretty excited and ready to get started. unfortunately for them, they have to have a test over the science unit we are getting ready to finish up BEFORE going wild with the coasters.
The other day, I was talking with a parent. She told me that her child was sooo excited about this next unit that he's been on the computer researching and looking at roller coasters ever since I mentioned it last week. That was very encouraging to hear. In fact, when a student gets excited about learning, it's ALWAYS encouraging. Learning is so much fun and seeing my students hunger after it is better than BBQ Pizza... and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE BBQ Pizza (Needless to say, I was very disappointed when Pizz Hut discontinued this item.).
You can probably guess that I'm just as excited as my little darlins' when it comes to this next unit. In fact, I'm constructing my own roller coaster at home. Made of paper, of course. I plan on bringing it into class...if it's presentable. I'm thinking of BBQ Pizza as my roller coaster's theme. Then again, I might settle on something more simple, like Wolverine. He's my all time favorite X-Man comic hero. What am I saying! Why don't I just make my theme a mixture of both. A picture of Wolverine scarfing down a slice of BBQ pizza. How awesome is that! STOP THE PRESSES! I've got an even better theme...Planet of the Apes (The Charleton Heston version). OMG! That is probably my most favorite movie of all time. I watch the marathon every year. Can't get enough of the Ape. Yep, I think that's it. I'm going "ape" for my coaster.
I plan on posting some killer photos of their creations. So, be on the lookout.
TTYL
The other day, I was talking with a parent. She told me that her child was sooo excited about this next unit that he's been on the computer researching and looking at roller coasters ever since I mentioned it last week. That was very encouraging to hear. In fact, when a student gets excited about learning, it's ALWAYS encouraging. Learning is so much fun and seeing my students hunger after it is better than BBQ Pizza... and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE BBQ Pizza (Needless to say, I was very disappointed when Pizz Hut discontinued this item.).
You can probably guess that I'm just as excited as my little darlins' when it comes to this next unit. In fact, I'm constructing my own roller coaster at home. Made of paper, of course. I plan on bringing it into class...if it's presentable. I'm thinking of BBQ Pizza as my roller coaster's theme. Then again, I might settle on something more simple, like Wolverine. He's my all time favorite X-Man comic hero. What am I saying! Why don't I just make my theme a mixture of both. A picture of Wolverine scarfing down a slice of BBQ pizza. How awesome is that! STOP THE PRESSES! I've got an even better theme...Planet of the Apes (The Charleton Heston version). OMG! That is probably my most favorite movie of all time. I watch the marathon every year. Can't get enough of the Ape. Yep, I think that's it. I'm going "ape" for my coaster.
I plan on posting some killer photos of their creations. So, be on the lookout.
TTYL
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Never say "Yes" to a question you don't completely hear.
The other night I was dining on some chicken at Chick-Fil-A. Hmmm...imagine that? Well, as I sat in the booth savoring the spices of my poultry sandwich, I was not alone. A friend and collegue from work joined me. We were talking about this and that when she brought up an event that happened at school earlier that day. The Marine Corps Jazz band came and put on this amazing performance for our students. She expressed how much she enjoyed the "New Orleans" style music. I had to agree, it was fantastic! However, her facial expression changed from one of excitement and pleasure to disgust within a nano-second as she brought up a particular happening during the performance. But, before I tell you what that "happening" was, let me do some prep work to add some flare to her uprising.
As mentioned, the Marine Corps Jazz band played some awesome tunes for our students the that day. The music was loud, the teachers and students were clapping, and everyone was in good spirits. At one point in the performance the band danced down the center aisle playing their tunes. They convinced some teachers to join them. It was great fun! No, I wasn't one of the "dancing" teachers. Moving on. The performance continued and the teachers glided back to their duty stations making sure no one got out of hand. The end was near. This is where the story takes an unexpected turn.
As the band was playing their final piece, backing down the middle isle, a student came up to me. Remember, the music was loud so it was hard to hear. I leaned down to hear what he was asking, but couldn't understand him. So, in teacher fashion, I said, "WHAT? I can't hear you!" He repeated the question and this is what I heard. " Mrs. Brown, can I rown?" Being the expert interpreter of children's questions, I took that to mean , "Can I go to the bathroom?" My response was "Sure, go ahead." The performance was almost over anyway. And "go ahead" he did. Right to the middle aisle in front of the freshly starched Marine Corps Jazz Band. Not the bathroom, that is, but a break dance move called "the worm". Yep, doing "the worm" in front of the Jazz Band while everyone was watching. My jaw dropped to the ground, but I couldn't say a word. I gave him permission.
Now, back to Chick-Fil-A. My collegue and friend went on to explain how appauled she was at the sight of that student doing "the worm". She didn't know it was my student. "How disrespectful." She iterated. " I can't believe a student would do something like that!" I winced, not because I was offended, because I was caught. At this point I'm thinking should I agree with her and cover-up my sin or confess. Well, I did the admirable thing and confessed. She gave me this look like, "What?" I quickly defended myself by saying, "The music was loud. I thought he was asking to go to the bathroom."
To all those who desire to to work with children, never say "yes" to a question that you don't completely hear.
LOL!!!!
As mentioned, the Marine Corps Jazz band played some awesome tunes for our students the that day. The music was loud, the teachers and students were clapping, and everyone was in good spirits. At one point in the performance the band danced down the center aisle playing their tunes. They convinced some teachers to join them. It was great fun! No, I wasn't one of the "dancing" teachers. Moving on. The performance continued and the teachers glided back to their duty stations making sure no one got out of hand. The end was near. This is where the story takes an unexpected turn.
As the band was playing their final piece, backing down the middle isle, a student came up to me. Remember, the music was loud so it was hard to hear. I leaned down to hear what he was asking, but couldn't understand him. So, in teacher fashion, I said, "WHAT? I can't hear you!" He repeated the question and this is what I heard. " Mrs. Brown, can I rown?" Being the expert interpreter of children's questions, I took that to mean , "Can I go to the bathroom?" My response was "Sure, go ahead." The performance was almost over anyway. And "go ahead" he did. Right to the middle aisle in front of the freshly starched Marine Corps Jazz Band. Not the bathroom, that is, but a break dance move called "the worm". Yep, doing "the worm" in front of the Jazz Band while everyone was watching. My jaw dropped to the ground, but I couldn't say a word. I gave him permission.
Now, back to Chick-Fil-A. My collegue and friend went on to explain how appauled she was at the sight of that student doing "the worm". She didn't know it was my student. "How disrespectful." She iterated. " I can't believe a student would do something like that!" I winced, not because I was offended, because I was caught. At this point I'm thinking should I agree with her and cover-up my sin or confess. Well, I did the admirable thing and confessed. She gave me this look like, "What?" I quickly defended myself by saying, "The music was loud. I thought he was asking to go to the bathroom."
To all those who desire to to work with children, never say "yes" to a question that you don't completely hear.
LOL!!!!
Friday, February 25, 2011
Math Night
Yep, a night of math.What fun! Especially if it's done carnival style. I always expect the worse and sometimes get surprised. Well, the other night was a one those few moments where all my worrying was for naught. It was just a fantastic night. I've embedded the video to share with you. However, let me say one thing before you enjoy the festvities (virtually, that is.), I was not the creator of this art work. A parent, a few teachers, and I took the pictures and my students did the rest. Two of my students used their recess and specials time and cranked it out. I am so proud of them. They worked so hard. Enjoy!
Friday, February 18, 2011
Structures
Let me start by saying that I'm so proud of my students. We started a project about a month ago that has required a lot of work, determination, and collaboration. There was a lot math involved, as well. They built these structures out of cardboard to use for our Family Math Night and for their carnival game on probability we are studying in Math. The structures were mostly designed and built during their Engineering class. However, there were some complications and delays and parent reinforcements were called in to help surpervice during recess and related arts. All in all we had a great time building these works of art. Below are some of the finished products:
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| The Tank like Space Shuttle |
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| The Barn |
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| The Cottage |
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| The Castle |
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| The Train |
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| The Pirate Ship |
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Auditioning for the Blog
Writing this blog has been so much fun. In fact, I've grown quite addicted to it. So much so, that I let my students in on it. Being in a good mood and all of that, I decided it was time unveil to them the blog that was about them. I knew they were going to to be a little, "What!" but none the less I had to share.
I wanted to introduce them to it slowly. So, I began by talking about authors and how they write from their own life experiences. I rambled on about Tolkien and his childhood and how his ideas for TLOR could have from those experiences. I reiterated that all good writers do this (You see what I'm inferring,don't ya?). After the prep speech, I type in the address for this blog and display MY writings from My life experiences. They read the title of the last entry. "The Number 2?" Someone questioned. "What kinda title is that?" Then they started to read it. "Hey! That's about us!" "That happened yesterday." I interjected amongst all the surprised looks and comments, "See,authors write from their life experiences." Um, that point suddenly became irrelevant now that they saw my entries were all about them.
After the initial shock of "What!", they requested that I read all of the entries to them. As I read them, they tried to guess who they were about. They "hit the nail on the head" every time. Of course, when I read Hair there was a boy who disagreed with my analysis. He admittedly responded with, "I wash my hair everyday!" He's a rare breed. Then there were the boys who wore the description like a badge of honor. "Yep, that's me." They said proudly. OK, so the blog was a hit. That was a relief. Opening Pandora's box can be a bit scary.
Now for the finale. "I want to be in your blog." A few of them told me. In fact one of them said, "I'm going to go home and think of some funny things to do in class so you will write about me." Well, little did she know, that statement alone was all that was needed.
LET THE AUDITIONS BEGIN!
I wanted to introduce them to it slowly. So, I began by talking about authors and how they write from their own life experiences. I rambled on about Tolkien and his childhood and how his ideas for TLOR could have from those experiences. I reiterated that all good writers do this (You see what I'm inferring,don't ya?). After the prep speech, I type in the address for this blog and display MY writings from My life experiences. They read the title of the last entry. "The Number 2?" Someone questioned. "What kinda title is that?" Then they started to read it. "Hey! That's about us!" "That happened yesterday." I interjected amongst all the surprised looks and comments, "See,authors write from their life experiences." Um, that point suddenly became irrelevant now that they saw my entries were all about them.
After the initial shock of "What!", they requested that I read all of the entries to them. As I read them, they tried to guess who they were about. They "hit the nail on the head" every time. Of course, when I read Hair there was a boy who disagreed with my analysis. He admittedly responded with, "I wash my hair everyday!" He's a rare breed. Then there were the boys who wore the description like a badge of honor. "Yep, that's me." They said proudly. OK, so the blog was a hit. That was a relief. Opening Pandora's box can be a bit scary.
Now for the finale. "I want to be in your blog." A few of them told me. In fact one of them said, "I'm going to go home and think of some funny things to do in class so you will write about me." Well, little did she know, that statement alone was all that was needed.
LET THE AUDITIONS BEGIN!
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