New Idea

Woo!!  Two posts in one day.  No time like the present to get back into the habit.

I recently was going through my facebook news feed and came across a reference to Classcraft... a game that runs in the background while you teach.  As our school district has focused more and more on student collaboration (Tribes, Kagan), I have looked at ways that I can make these strategies meaningful and relevant in the classroom.  I don't just want these ideas to be something that I touch on but don't really implement.

As I read about Classcraft, I became very intrigued by the idea.  I won't summarize it here at this time, but do check out the website to see the basic idea.  I've purchased the premium version (I didn't want students to have to make in-app purchases with the freemium version) and will be setting this up with my homeroom tomorrow.  I'll share a few thoughts on how it goes later.

~Mr.T

Blogging Challenge - Day 8

I'll spare everyone the excuses... it's time to recommit, plain and simple.

I admittedly struggled with this one because I wasn't 100% sure just what I could add in terms of discussion.  That being said, a post of this calibre is probably just what the blogging doctors ordered in terms of getting this back into habit.

Behold... my desk drawers! Dunh dunh dunh!!

Exhibit A. Lots of spare rulers and other supplies for those occasional moments when kids forget what they need.  In spite of my best efforts, this usually means that I am continually replenishing my stock.  Basics like pencils are a particular favorite, hence their absence from the drawer entirely.  Additionally, I've got a couple of bottles of Mio, some medals won coaching last year's B Boys basketball team, and mainly random knick-knacks.

Exhibit B isn't much different, only that some of the knick-knacks are now bigger.  This one strikes me for the complete randomness of some of it.  A tennis ball (I don't even play).  A lock.  A flashlight.  Some old exams and a couple of phonebooks round out the collection.

Now for what this says about me as a teacher.  First, I don't really file a lot of material in paper form.  I try to get work back to students as fast as I can and remove as much clutter as possible.  I'm not always the most tidy of people and as I continue to teach, I realize just how important it is to not get bogged down by too much stuff.  Google Drive has made this a lot easier: instead of fumbling around for something, I can keep it stored in the cloud for easy access.  I do much better organizing things electronically than I do in actual space.  It kind of reminds me of a certain show I've been known to watch from time to time...

Another thing I think this says about me as a teacher is that I have learned to adapt in some ways by making most of what I do a public thing.  Let me explain.  When I was a kid growing up, the teacher's desk always seemed to give off this aura of power.  I don't mean that in a negative way, but I guess I often had a sense of mystery when I thought about it.  What could be inside?  What's so important that it has to be kept in those drawers and matching mini filing cabinets?  I may have inadvertently added to this feeling by keeping my own desk in elementary in a state similar to some unexplored tomb or catacomb.

Maybe I haven't kept much in my desk because it isn't necessarily where I want to be tied to when I'm at work.  Most teaching nowadays has me frequently roaming around the classroom.  I'm really only seated at the very beginning or end of class, or if there's something I need to get done (catching up on marking, finish a lesson plan, etc).  I'd like to think that as ,ore and more of what I do doesn't take place at my desk, I just haven't made it the kind of anchor that a desk has traditionally been.

Final thoughts moving forward.  I need to blog more.  I started this challenge because I wanted it to become a habit.  I've slipped... again.  I am recommitting to reporting my thoughts here on a regular basis.  To make that possible, I'm going to try to do a bit more sharing.  As I recently went through parent-teacher interviews, there were a lot of parents who were impressed to see what their kids were up to on their own blogs.  I'm going to try and share a bit more of what I see in the classroom to highlight the exciting things that we are starting to get into.  

More to come.

~Mr.T

Blogging Challenge - Day 7

Been missing for a few days, so here's a quick breakdown of the past few days.  I helped to supervise the first junior high dance of the year this past Thursday.  As I pondered and reflected upon the deep, emotional journey of 'turning down' and popping, locking, and/or dropping (I'm told in that order), I was reminded of how old I'm becoming, or, at the very least, how old I'm feeling.  Out of sheer curiosity I downloaded a free sound-meter and discovered that we were regularly hearing in excess of 100db: a level similar to that found in the use of chain saws and jack hammers.  I was even asked by a few students if I liked this kind of music.  It isn't.  But, it's nice to see the kids having fun.

On Friday, I was feeling a little bit off and could sense that another one of my colds was coming along.  Sure enough, I woke up Saturday morning sounding like death and with stubborn sinuses: the dreaded Man Cold had returned.

This did give me some time to think about today's topic, which has been appreciated as it isn't an easy thing to identify.  I've been fortunate to work with and learn from some truly amazing colleagues and friends.  It has been something that has enhanced my life, let alone my teaching practice.  While I can't possibly acknowledge every single one in this space, one that stands out to me at this time is Mr. Ripkens, whom I first met in my first year as a teacher in Slave Lake, Alberta.

More than anything else, this was a guy who offered me something that I really needed as I began my teaching.  Here I was in a new comunity I'd never heard of before I saw the job posting, and I had no clue what I was doing.  I was actually replacing a teacher who left quite suddenly after a few weeks on the job.  Needless to say, I was a bit overwhelmed.

When I had those moments where I felt completely and utterly over my head, Mr. Ripkens and I could grab some lunch, go out for wings, or just talk.  He was at the same stage in his career and he became someone that I could lean on to share concepts and ideas, refine lesson plans, and, most importantly, focus on myself when it was really needed.  I always had the support from home, and in many ways, Mr. Ripkens and I were very much the exact opposite of one another, but he became a great friend.  That makes those early years up north that much more memorable.

Seeing as how this post has been so delayed, I may have to leave it here and revisit the theme a bit later.

More to come.

~Mr.T

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

Blogging Challenge - Day 5

When was the last time you got this excited to see a classroom?

Today we get to spend a little bit of time looking at the wonder that is my classroom.  I suppose that I shouldn't be trying to sound sarcastic... but sometimes it isn't always the easiest thing to get worked up about.  It is, at the core, just a classroom, and I've never been the kind of person of person to get too worked up over appearances.  That being said, when I really consider that this is likely going to be a room that I'll be spending a fair amount of time in over the course of my career, I might want to start putting a bit more thought into how things look.

Random Thought: While typing that last paragraph, my mind started wondering just how much time I actually will spend in that room.  Assuming no room changes over the next 33 years (and retirement at 65), a rough calculation reveals that my classroom and I will be well acquainted for around 1785 days... nearly 5 total years of my life!  Interesting.

Without any further ado, I present my classroom.

Like I said.  Nothing too fancy.  Normally, the desks would be in pods of four, however, my homeroom has been doing some testing over the past week and I haven't really felt like moving everything back and forth.  As for the general decor, I have flags!  I need to credit former colleagues at RMSS in Slave Lake for pushing the idea for our social department.  The walls are pretty empty being early in the semester.  Work from students will gradually occupy the space as the year progresses.

I'm not really sure why, but for some reason, I've been hesitant to effectively utilize my shelf space.  Most of what's there now was there when I received this room assignment and I haven't exactly been thrilled at the prospect of going through someone else's work clutter.  While I've organized a few of my texts from University (to look impressive) and alphabetized my movie collection, I've mostly steered clear of this space.  I know that needs to change, but it becomes 'one-more-thing' to do in my already busy schedule so I let it slide.

Nathan Drake, Ganondorf, and Batman.  So cool.

Those who know me well understand that I'm a geek at heart.  Like the flags, things like this add to the personality of the room.  I really feel that these are the types of things that students remember when they think about their time in a classroom.  I couldn't tell you much about what I learned in high school physics, but I remember the teacher's Tesla Coil and other displays.  I'm often on the lookout for other little things that reflect me and who I am.  It has often been the conversation starter for many-a-student as we try to build a productive and comfortable relationship.

And then there's my desk.  I often gravitate towards a state of organized-chaos over the semester: I don't always know exactly where something is, but I know it's somewhere on my desk.  I'm making it a goal to keep things more tidy this year.  I have a few other things to personalize this space: family photos, movie posters, my Star Wars calendar, and other mementos shared with me from current and former students.  Again, this can be another conversation starter.  I've tried to avoid making my desk an intimidating space: I want students to be able to approach me.

When I look at these photos, there are a few things I'd love to see.  A condensed wishlist would include:

•  Computer / Chromebook Workstations.  This would be super helpful for those moments when students forgot to 'Share' their work, or have some extra time to work on their research projects without needing access to the lab
• Dedicated Reading Space.  I would love to not only have a thorough and varied book section right in my room, but a small area with a comfy chair or two where students could work or read.  This, for me, encourages the idea of doing more than simply reaching for that phone at the first opportunity.
• Tables.  Maybe it's picky but I would prefer to have small tables instead of desks.  I think the benefits far outweigh the challenges (test-taking comes to mind... an issue but workable).

Together, these relatively small cosmetic changes would help to foster the kind of learning environment I would love to work in.  A place where cooperation is fostered, where individual pursuits are a bit more encouraged, and where students can a lot less afraid to approach their teachers because they know a bit more about them.

Until the budgeting gods smile a bit more fortuitously on me, I suppose I should really should get back to that shelf, though.

~Mr.T