Earlier this week, I invited students to explore the notion of creating a class creed or contract by examining ones we found online and then brainstorming ideas for what they valued and wanted to include in a collective belief about each class. Not only was I highly impressed by the thoughtfulness and insight the students demonstrated in the discussion, but the final products for each hour were distinct and reflective of the class “identity.”
Similarly, my belief that I too should be an active writer, a participant in our learning community, I crafted a Teacher’s Creed of my own. In complete this exercise, I found that this is something I would like to repeat each year and wonder how interesting it will be to see how my beliefs, expectations and vision change…or remain the same over time.
My Teacher’s Creed:
I believe in the power of each person’s potential regardless of the beautiful differences that distinguish us one from another. I aim for excellence and hold my students in high regard. I bring my entire heart, mind, and soul into the classroom and long for my students to do the same. The ferocity with which I detest indifference, apathy, superiority and indolence is equaled only by the intensity with which I will support courage, creativity, respect and integrity. I believe my students are a reflection of my success. I aim to empower each student so he may know that the choice of failure or success is within his control.The pages of my life’s story are forever being written and revised with the introduction of each new character and the changing of every scene. I am humbled to be joining these students as we encounter the twists and turns of this yet unknown tale. I am a teacher.
First Hour: We believe school should be a place that values both learning and laughing. Our time beyond the school day is just as important to our education. We believe that the work expected of us at home should be related to how we chose to use our time in class. We should be heard and considered. We should have a say in how we learn and what we learn. We should be treated fairly, which may not always be equally. We are in control of where we go in our lives because the choice to fail or succeed in our rests in our hands. We should do the best we can to be alert and focused within the school setting. Our measure of success is more heavily weighed by effort, and if we try, we cannot fail. Assessment should part of our everyday learning process and not an isolated test or quiz that we fear. We have the power to make choices. We are Portland Middle School students.
Second Hour:
We believe that the decisions we make today will affect our whole lives and how far we go in our education and behavior can determine how far we go in our lives. No matter who we are, we all should have some set standards. Regardless of what others do, we pledge to follow our own code of conduct. We are like individuals with our own talents and abilities. We will treat our fellow classmates with respect and actively help those in need. We hope to reach for the stars academically, morally, and ethically to be the best we can be. We should live life to the fullest because today will never happen again. We can accomplish more together than we can independently. Working together we have the power to change the world. We are Portland Middle School Students!
Third Hour:
We believe we can all be challenged to the max over time. We believe that hunger inhibits our learning. We believe that seventh graders should have first lunch. We believe that it’s not easy being cheesy. Everyday mistakes are part of our learning experiences. If we don’t hold back, we can complete anything. We believe that what we think is the bare minimum of what we can actually accomplish. We are Portland Middle School students!
Some of my students from last year might remember my infatuation with creating word clouds using Wordle. There are so many educational possibilities for this type of organization and classification. Last week in class, I asked my 8th grade students to write down individual lists of things they were looking forward to this year, and things they were nervous about.
I’m so excited to learn and share with these new students! Be sure to check back often to share in our adventures!
butterflies of anticipation in the wee hours of Tuesday morning.
the throes of an allergic onslaught and thwarted head cold.
admiration of my colleagues.
sheer excitement at the possibility each day has to offer.
total pride in my amazing students.
complete and utter vocal chord exhaustion.
a renewed passion for my must-have coffee and French Vanilla creamer each morning!
inexplicable awe at the opportunity I have to work with such talented young people each morning, and continue that journey with my own precious children each afternoon.
There’s nothing better than the first week spent getting to know new students, sharing in their stories and welcoming them into mine. Together we are crafting a tale that will reveal itself to us as we collaboratively read, think, revise, edit, analyze and construct meaning throughout the coming months.
If you would like to join us on this amazing journey, check out this video that is not only timely but one tangible way you can help make a difference in so many lives! Have a wonderful weekend!
Check this out, I’m getting the hang of blogging! You would think that as a recent college graduate my technology skills would be stellar, however I must admit that this is my first blogging experience. I can tell that one of my many challenges this year will be keeping up with the very tech savvy Mrs. Cornwell! With that being said, what an amazing opportunity I have been given to learn a thing or two (or a hundred) from an amazing teacher and respected colleague. When it comes to technology, it I believe that it is my job as a teacher to learn everything I can, and be familiar with the latest and greatest our world has to offer. An increasing amount of students consider themselves digital learners and as a teacher it is of the utmost importance to me to appeal to all of my students’ unique learning styles. Kids today use, understand, and love technology and what better way to reach them in school than to incorporate something they enjoy?!
I consider myself pretty comfortable with technology. I am young enough to have grown up with computers in school and in the home, however I still feel I have a lot to learn and my skills could definitely use some tweaking. It is my personal goal this year to learn as much as I can about technology through the multitude of resources I have available to me. In addition, I hope to incorporate these skills into my teaching as much as possible. Students–I’m expecting you to hold me accountable for this
Thank you Mrs. Cornwell, and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd hour for inviting my 4th and 6th hour to join you on your blog. This is a wonderful opportunity for our classes to connect, and I look forward to updating frequently.
While we have been at school for the past couple of weeks preparing the room, the lessons, and ourselves for the start of another year, it wasn’t really real until yesterday. Hearing the clink of locker doors, the buzz of nervous excited students and the gentle reminders of parents, made it very clear this was truly happening….and I couldn’t be more thrilled! I’m always amazed at how much the students change over the summer, and seeing a few of you last night was further proof that so much can happen in a few short months! I can’t wait to meet each of you!
With sports practices in full swing, and the long weekend on the horizon, many families were unable to attend our back-to-school night. Rest assured that the paperwork will be sent home with your student next Tuesday. For students in my class, here’s the presentation I gave last night. While you’ll be missing my witty remarks that make a few jokes (such as my affinity for baking necessitating my need to enjoy running!), I think the gist of the message stands alone. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me! This was meant to be an overview – a very general overview – of what each course looks like, and a full syllabus is available as well.
To view the presentation, keep clicking the “play” button and you’ll scroll through each part.
*Email subscribers, please click to our blog to see the presentation!
Have a safe and happy Labor Day weekend! See you Tuesday!
As the start of another school year is approaching, I cannot help but embrace those feelings of possibility and excitement. There’s something about fresh notebooks and sharpened pencils, shiny hallway floors and new bulletin boards that holds such potential. This year, we have an exciting opportunity to put technology to work in our classroom, thanks to a terrific giveway made possible through a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) grant at our Intermediate School District (ISD). Therefore, seeing the video below has refueled an already intense passion to engage students on many levels through the use of technology. Please take a few minutes to watch.
With the daily use of a projector and wireless keyboard at our disposal, I truly hope to be among the 14% who allow students to embrace their skills as digital natives and encourage those who are still uncertain to try. With your support this year, we can make a marked difference in the lives of our students!
We have begun our time together with reading the novel Phoenix Rising written by Karen Hesse. This novel is rich with vivid vocabulary words and figurative language (similes, metaphors, personification, etc.). The story is engaging for students as the main characters are children of a similar age.
The first unit I’m covering in the 8th grade English course is a collection of entries written based on the letters in the words “Middle School.” This unit is a modified version of one I found on a terrific website where students wrote one entry for each letter of the entire alphabet. Taking the timeframe into account, this shortened project still offered the same benefits in a more approachable manner.
As a class, students first participated in an activity that highlighted their similarities and differences with their classmates and helped them think of descriptive words. We then brainstormed possible topics students could use to write about for their various letters. Students then began writing an entry for each letter that shared something about them during their middle school career.
Purpose
Students will write an autobiography using the letters of the word “Middle School.”
Students will describe significatn life events and interests.
Students will assess their entries using a checklist.
Formatting
1″ margins on all sides
Title in 24pt font, bold, centered
Body in 16pt font, left aligned
Due Date
Friday, December 19th (unless student has a planned absence, then it is due before they leave)
This project is worth a total of 75 points.
60 points for the completion and quality of each entry.
10 points for making use of class work time and computer lab time.
5 points for spelling, grammar, mechanics and presentation of project as a whole.
Other
Students will have had a total of 6 days in the computer lab to work on this writing project. We have worked on revising skills such as using action verbs, vivid words, and varying how they begin their sentences. We will likely revisit these skills several times throughout the school year so students continue to see theconnection within their own writing.
While I spent the fall on maternity leave with my new baby girl and busy toddler, I fell into a nice daily routine. Meals, activities, playdates, snacks, naps, books and favorite shows were all part of our world. Evenings spent processing photos and publishing blog posts of our latest news were commonplace. Slowly, that schedule began to shift.
Now, two full weeks after returning to work, we’re settling in. Earlier bedtimes (for the kids at least), alarm clocks, lockers and hourly bells now dictate our days. I’ll admit that there are times when I think back on those days and yearn for the simplicity they held. Yet, I also find fulfillment and excitement in witnessing the growth of my students. I’m quickly learning that it’s all about balance and when equilibrium is achieved I’m a better teacher, mother, wife, friend – and the list continues.
In these weeks before the holiday break, I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know my students and establish the classroom routines that will carry us throughout the remainder of the year. I’ve been highly impressed by how receptive the students continue to be considering the change they’ve endured this year.
In upcoming posts you’ll learn a bit more about the projects we’re currently working on in class. I strongly encourage you, whether you’re a student, parent, friend or relative, to join in the conversation here! If you see something you enjoy or find helpful, please let me know! If you stumble across something you dislike, do the same. The beauty of this medium is that we can all contribute at our convenience and work together ot create a resource for one another.
I know I haven’t posted in a long time, not to say that there haven’t been several blog-worthy happenings or topics to choose from. Let’s just say I’ve been rather preoccupied with keeping pace with planning, teaching, grading, assessing, adjusting, planning, teaching, re-teaching, assessing…
Today it was a simple statement, alive with the random quality that makes middle school such an adventure, and I couldn’t let it slip away without giving it just a bit of attention.
As I called roll today, I had students give me a noun – just to be sure they still knew what nouns were now that our Daily Grammar Practice has been completed for the year. Many students said the names of their friends, random animals, and the other most popular topic was food. Which prompted a certain student to pipe up a few minutes later saying, “I’m so hungry I think I could even eat a vegetable.” The seriousness with which the line was delivered made it even better. And then (as is also true in middle school) after a moment of silent contemplation, he vocalized that no, he really didn’t think he could eat a vegetable, but he was extremely hungry.
I’m amazed by how much this job both gives and requires of me. I never feel like I’ve “arrived” because I put so much of my success on the work of the students, which is uplifting and utterly degrading at times.
Here, in the final weeks of the year, I find myself still searching and longing for those days when things “click” and when I can see the learning taking place all around the room. There’ve been glimpses here and there. I know that more are on the horizon, waiting to show themselves through random statements spoken in an otherwise silent classroom.
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