Get Blogging, Mr. Thompson!

It would be super easy to just let this whole blogging thing curl up and die.  Like Voldemort in "The Deathly Hallows: Part 2"... only less gross.  I can't help but feel, though, that the insight I can gain from a little bit of reflection far outweighs the extra time I might gain to do something more lazy.  And I really like being lazy sometimes.

Once again, I find myself needing to recommit.  Here are a few quick thoughts...

READING

It didn't take long into the semester to introduce my Grade 8s to my grand plan of reading more books over the course of the year.  I've even had some successes.  Most of the kids appear to enjoy the time that they get to read something that they are interested in.  Some books have become quite popular, possibly necessitating the need to secure additional copies.  Perhaps more telling, though, is the fact that a handful of students who were convinced at the beginning of the year that this just wasn't for them, have found themselves regularly buried in a book... and even liking it.

A bigger challenge has been the regular implementation of the 'Reader's Notebooks'... an idea that seemed simple enough in it's execution.  I would purchase a simple notebook for every student (which I did), and then I would collect them at the end of each week.  I would then read and respond to every single entry shared with me.  This, however, has proven to be more difficult than I had planned on.  The first time I read through them, for example, it took me over 5 hours to do so.  While the feedback from students has been invaluable, I have sometimes struggled with the prospect of occupying so much of my weekends with these notebooks.

Overall, I'm happy with a lot of the things that I have seen so far, but I have to admit, that I can approach reading with a more positive attitude in spite of the day-to-day that can sometimes sap the class and I of our enthusiasm.  I can't just provide the time to read and act with a seeming indifference when it's time to move on.  

There is still work to do.

JOURNEY

I recently took to a little bit of time to play through a game on PS4 called "Journey."  I remember being intrigued by the concept when the game first released on PS3 in 2012.  I just never got around to it.  Well, it was free last month with Sony's monthly subscription program... and I like free things.

This would be what I would call an 'artsy' game: not a genre that I've always enjoyed in the past.  The objective isn't always abundantly clear other than seeing a giant mountain in the background and knowing that's where you need to go.  There's no traditional action or combat... it's just... a journey that you're on.  And I quite liked it.

I'd recommend this one for those who have yet to take the plunge.  It only lasts about the length of an average Hollywood film, but it left me thinking quite a bit about the presentation and, admittedly, the emotions I felt.  I have also found myself playing the soundtrack in the background while doing some work or when I've needed some quiet time.  It has been quite therapeutic.

I'm already telling myself that I need to experience it again... once I take care of those Reader's Notebooks first.

SO MANY MOVIES!!!

It's a very good time to be a fan of geeky movies.  I have a few on my radar, and by that I mean I actually have a countdown on the whiteboard in my classroom.

ONE LAST THING...

It's my intention to start providing some more 'educational' insights and not just make myself some sort of middle man between YouTube and my very limited audience.  I did come across this last gem which I en joy watching with my boys.  My body is too 'big-boned' and I'm too scared to do this for real.  Videos like these will be the closest that I will likely get to thrill seeking for the rest of my life.

More to come...

~Mr.T

I love you, Lego...

This is acceptable.

~Mr.T

Here We Go Again...

Well.  Not much to say here that hasn't already been said.  So... here's a picture!

If I'm being honest, and I really should be here, I think that I'm more occupied with trying to come up with something insightful or entertaining to impress other people with instead of just writing.  This is a blog that not many people will see, and more especially when I'm not even working on it.  I need to practice what I preach to my students and just get into the habit of reflecting and getting my thoughts out there.  I won't promise that they'll be in any logical significance or order, but if the goal is to write then I will have at least achieved that.  

What's Your Star Wars Number?

I can't really begin to describe just how absolutely psyched I was to see Star Wars Episode VII.  From the moment they first announced the project in 2012, I was thrilled to be able to see a new, updated effort to revive a franchise that I have loved since I was very young.  I have vague memories of seeing bits and pieces of Episode IV as kid when Super Channel was more of a thing.  It just stuck with me and I grew up loving those movies, and ultimately felt the disappointment that many other fans experienced with the Prequel Trilogy.  I enjoyed them, but not in the same way, and Episode VII represented a chance to rekindle that feeling of wonder and amazement that I remember feeling as a kid.  And boy... did it live up to the hype.  

I bought my tickets for opening night a full two months before the release and had a countdown in my classroom where I eagerly ticked down every single day.  By the time opening night arrived, I couldn't stand the thought of having a terrible seat and waited with a few friends for over 2 hours outside the theatre (so worth it).  From the moment the lights dimmed until the credits began to roll, I couldn't help but feel like they had done what they set out to do.  I was excited and overwhelmed, in fact, that even though I got home quite late in the evening I couldn't fall asleep and just sat in my living room trying to process all the excitement, anticipation, and new questions that I had.  Two days later I saw it again.  And again.  And ultimately enough to tie my previous record for most theatrical viewings of a film, which remains at 5.

Excessive?  Perhaps.  Do I regret it, though?  I think you know the answer.  And only 321 days until Star Wars: Rogue One! (Yes... I have another countdown up...)

The Witness on PS4: I Want That!

With limited time and a more discerning eye, I'm often on the lookout for new gaming experiences that will be different from the standard fallbacks that so often dominate the industry (looking at you, CoD).  This is a new release that has really caught my eye, and I'm actually thinking about incorporating some of this into future blogging just for the heck of it.

Here's a trailer.

I can't say if it's necessarily featured in the game, but I'm also really liking the music.  Something about a good cello evokes a certain grandness that I've always enjoyed.  The song can be found here.

Project-Based Learning: I survived!

At the beginning of the school year, our middle school team was able to take advantage of a two-day session that gave us an introduction to Project-Based Learning, or PBL.  At the time, I wasn't 100% sure how I felt about it... I liked the idea of seeing kids take ownership over their own learning but I wondered how successful some would be with the lack of traditional structure.

A colleague and I came up with the idea of focusing on the Age of Exploration and having kids plan out their own voyage to the New World, based on the context of being in Europe/Spain shortly after the return of Columbus from his first journey to the Americas in 1492-1493.  We would supplement their traditional learning about what happened with story excerpts to help paint a clearer picture of what life at sea would have been like at the end of the 15th century, have students write their own journal entries documenting and describing the experience, and ultimately pitch their proposal the Catholic monarchs of Spain.

Having tried the idea and processed the successes and failures, I can at least say that I'm not a PBL noob.  I played around with a new approach and learned some things about how I need to approach this context in the future, as well as how I can more effectively foster that understanding within my classroom.  I suppose it's a good thing that I didn't feel like I was so done with it, and I've actually been thinking a fair amount about how I can improve the project moving forward.

I don't always take the chance to play in the classroom.  I still worry more than I should on whether or not I've sufficiently covered required content and just how much of a balance I can have between student and teacher-directed learning.  I'm glad, though, that I tried.

I Bought a New Minivan

Pretty self-explanatory, but it's the first brand new vehicle that I've ever owned.  It was definitely time to put our previous van, a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan, out of it's misery.  After putting nearly 150,000 kms on it, the time felt right.

So I got me one of these bad boys...

In my defence, minivans are very different from when I was a kid.  They're cool now... right?

~Mr.T

The Force... It's calling to you.

Considering all the drama from last night's election, this was a nice surprise to help take my mind of things and get me excited.  Sorry... get even more excited.

58 days to go!!!

Blogging Challenge - Day 6

Mentoring has often been one of those topics that is easy to understand on the surface, but difficult to truly recognize, let alone master.  For the sake of clarity, a quick Google search reveals that mentorship involves the sharing of wisdom and knowledge to someone of less experience.  Perhaps even more importantly, though, is that true mentorship occurs when someone is guiding another person.  This isn't a simple matter of giving instruction and turning the student loose.  To be a mentor means so much more: it means that both are active participants in the required learning.

Take the example shown above.  In "The Empire Strikes Back" (easily the best in the series), it showcases the continued desire of Luke Skywalker to become a Jedi.  He knows that this isn't knowledge he can just read from a book.  No.  Luke understands that he needs the guiding influence of a Jedi Master so he seeks him out.  As he begins his training, it is important to note that Yoda is with Luke nearly every step of the way, providing instruction, encouragement, and words of caution.  This is a clear example of what I would consider active mentorship.  Well... now I've got that out of my system.

When I reflect on my own life, I'm often overwhelmed at just how many true mentors have been a part of it, even especially when I didn't recognize it.  My thoughts often turn to my dad, a man who worked hard at his career and really tried to maximize the time he had with us as a family in his time off.

Apologies in advance for the grainy quality of the following pictures:

Dad and I fishing near Elkwater

Enjoying some Christmas presents

While I was looking for a few examples in the old photo album, I also remembered playing basketball as a kid.  My dad loves sports and he tried to pass that love on to each of us, along with the sense of dedication that would be required to succeed.  I can remember many nights where I would finish a game or practice and, after everyone else left, he would have me practice shooting, my lay-ups, or some other skill that he felt needed some work.  I can remember hating it some nights... a lot of the time I just wanted to get home to bed and I had already done enough.  However, with time I began to understand that it wasn't ideal to just do enough: I needed to push myself and I needed to take things further than I was often willing to go.

Now as a teacher, I'm faced with the daily challenge of motivating my students, and myself, to go beyond what is merely acceptable.  I need to push myself to go beyond simply going through the content, which can be relatively easy.  Teaching needs to be much more than just giving them the answers and turning them loose on the next grade.  If we are to be mentors, we need to get involved.  We need to get right in the middle of the action and participate in what our students are doing.

This is much easier said than done.  Everyone has their bad days.  There are times when, like many others in my profession, I just want to hide behind my desk and will those minutes to go by faster.  There are times when I am not as patient as I need to be with every single student.  And, perhaps, more often than I should, I simply do enough.  It isn't that I don't work hard at my job but I need to remember in those moments that teaching shouldn't just be about me: it should ultimately be focused on my students.

Earlier when I discussed what I love so much about teaching, upon further reflection I now realize that those treasured experiences that I enjoy so deeply are when I am being a mentor and more than just a teacher.  That isn't to say that teaching in any way is lessened when that ideal is not reached, but it reminds me of why I got into this in the first place, and what I need to commit to keep reaching for.  In many ways, it puts me right back in that empty gymnasium all those years ago.  Try and try again.

~Mr.T

First Step into a Larger World...

One of the things I was able to fit into an already chaotic schedule at the beginning of this school year was a brief introduction to Kagan cooperative learning.  While I'm certainly no expert, I can say that I am very intrigued by the concept and how it could affect the management of my classroom.  Today marked the first foray into something new.

My humanities classes and homeroom have been organized into groups or 'pods' of four.  Before organizing the seating, I gave students a chance to indicate to me who they would like to work with.  I tried to ensure that they have one 'friend' in their groups.  The rest are theoretically new faces, or at the very least, someone that they might not visit with all that much.

I really like the idea of being able to have built-in groups.  This leads itself nicely into greater interaction among students, relieves some of the pressure of having to work by yourself, and will make for a more enjoyable year in my opinion.  While we still have a few kinks to work out (mainly keeping conversations at a workable level which is understandable), I'm actually quite excited about what this will mean for my teaching style and how I can help to get ALL students engaged in their learning.

And... I got an opportunity to refer to Star Wars!  Win win!!

Cheers,

~Mr. T