Why am I in the classroom, why did I choose this profession?  I didn’t.  It chose me.  I remember the day that I decided to be a teacher.  This may sound hokey for some of you so hang on to your hats and reserve judgment, please.  I remember the day I decided to be a teacher.  I was in Heather Scott’s 10-2 ELA class, not as a student, but as an Educational Assistant, that day the heavens opened up, I could almost hear angels singing, but most importantly what I heard, what I knew deep down, was that this was where I was supposed to be; in the classroom helping children.  
    When I arrived in Ms Scott’s class I had been an EA for six years.  I was in many classes from grade 5 - 11.  I had seen many teachers. Some really great, like Mike Brown at the time I met him he was a grade 6 teacher at West Meadow Elementary School.  He taught me one of my most essential tenets - “it doesn’t matter what was said, what matters is what was heard.”  This means, “perception is everything.”  I LOVE that. I had also seen some not so great teachers - I like to think I am a consummate professional so I will not mention any names - but they taught me a lot about what not to do in the classroom.  For instance, if you have a student with ADHD in your class and he is new to the school do NOT bring a study carol in and stick him in it to keep him away from the other students - good grief! I can see Shelley Moore rolling her eyes and nodding her head right now.  I knew I could do better than ostracising students and I hoped to be as good as Mr. Brown.  
    I quit my job as an EA and enrolled in post-secondary (again) this time in hot pursuit of my passion - Education. When I was thinking of resigning to become a student I asked the veteran members of the school I worked at what their teaching philosophy was - no one could tell me.  I found that very strange.  I do have a philosophy, I developed it while at university and I still live it.  I aim to be respectful of every interaction I have with students.  My goal as an educator is to reach every student in my care.  That may have nothing to do with the instruction of the curriculum.  I have no idea what each child goes through just to walk through my door each day.  I aspire to reach my students in whatever manner they need on a daily basis.  That could look like an extension for no reason given other than a student asked and the look in their eyes tells me all I need to know.  That could mean that I take my lunch to help a student with a paragraph because they can't string three sentences together, let alone write an essay.  That may mean I give my sandwich to a student who does not have a lunch.  It could be as simple as a heartfelt hello. Recently, Shelly Moore summed up what I am talking about in a hashtag #connectionbeforecurriculum.  This has become my mantra.  
    I love connecting with my students.  I want to know what books they like to read - if they like to read. What sports they take part in or clubs they belong to. I get to know my students as people. I have attended hockey games, soccer games and dance recitals to watch my students do what they love. And I try to be as real for them as I can.  Dr. Jody Carrington says we can’t tell we have to show. I show them I am real, that I make mistakes.  When I do I apologize.  I let them teach me if I know what we are talking about is an area of interest for them. I am sincere. I really want to know what is going on with them.  The good, the bad, the ugly and I want to help and if I can’t help, I will find someone who can.
    This is my purpose - again judgers reserve judgement - I get a rush helping children.  I am elated if I can be the first person to introduce a concept to my kids (I call my students my kids), I am genuinely excited when a student can teach me something, and if I make a mistake I own it and humbly learn from it. I can’t imagine any other job in the world I would rather do. It is not what I do, it is who I am. I am a teacher.

​

My son just graduated a week and a half ago.  We found out two days before graduation that he would be graduating with honours.  He crossed the stage with cords draped around his neck.  I was super proud of his accomplishment.  I always wanted cords, but my struggle was real.  I did not have teachers who understood growth mindset to help me.  So I watched with pride and a bit of envy, as my son stood with his peers, recognized for his outstanding accomplishment of honours.

This chapter turns my idea of assessment on its head.  Boaler tells us that Carol Dweck, author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, suggests we tell our children that we are sorry they didn't get an opportunity to learn when they receive 100% on a test, because "mistakes cause [our] brain[s] to spark and grow."  Boaler believes that we need to construct class work that will challenge and cause our students to make mistakes.  These mistakes need to be embraced and shared.  If one student makes a mistake, chances are others have made the same mistake.  I feel this is so important.  My students need to understand that they are not alone in their struggles.  If we celebrate the mistake instead of admonish it, we begin to change the thinking around mistakes.  Therefore allowing my students to "spark and grow."

"If we believe we can learn, and that mistakes are valuable, our brains grow to a greater extent when we make a mistake."  Isn't that the goal of teaching?  Don't I want my students to learn and grow?  Therefore I need to shake off the desire for them to be perfect, get answers right, and instead, encourage them to get it wrong.  I think I have to agree with this theory.  If I look back and reflect on some of my greatest learning opportunity's, they invariably started with a failure on some level.  

My students need to feel "free to try different ideas, not fearing that they might be wrong."  This is a paradigm shift, that will have to start with me.  One trait that I make a conscious effort to exhibit in my classroom is my humanism.  I am a human.  I make mistakes.  I allow my students to see my human side.  I allow myself to be corrected and I correct myself in front of them.  If I lead by example, they will follow.

That's my view from the 86th pew.
​Michelle

I am very happy to start my summer pd.  I did, however, take a few days for myself first.  I am also happy to announce that I secured a continuous contract.  I will be changing grades, I will be teaching grade 6 in the fall.  This also makes me happy, an older grade and I will get to teach all of my 5s that are moving up.  

With this in mind, I choose Jo Boaler's Mathematical Mindsets to start my summer pd.  I will be teaching a PAT year and so I feel I need to step my math game up a notch, and this is just the book to help me do that.  Mathematical Mindsets was recommended by a friend who I consider a genius in the field of education.  I settled into this book today with great anticipation.  My goal is to read a chapter each day and blog my understandings to further guide my teaching practice.

The underlying principle of this book is that everyone can succeed when they employ a growth mindset, even at math.  Eight years ago I embarked on the adventure of a lifetime, my family and I decided for me to go back to school and get my education degree.  I was not university material, when I graduated from high school it was with very average grades, most likely around a 60% overall average.  However, when I entered university I did so with the mindset that I would succeed, and I set the goal that I would not get a grade less that a B-.  I worked very hard and received two scholarships based on my GPA. I now have a name to put on my attitude - I had a growth mindset when I entered university.  That mindset allowed me to successfully  in complete my degree.  I feel as if this book is speaking directly to me 

I was "that" math student.  I have my own math trauma story to share.  I was in grade 7, and my math teacher asked me, "How don't you get it?"  I didn't understand and he was unable to help me understand it.  I struggled with math right up to the end of grade 12.  I have had to devise unorthodox ways to arrive at a math answer.  I feel that because I struggled (notice the past tense) with math, that makes me a better math teacher.  I can see why a student doesn't "get it" because I was (again, past tense) that student.  I know the fear of standing at the chalk board trying to complete a math question in front of the whole class.  The strangest phenomenon happened, my brain just stopped.  Nothing.  Happened.  The paralyzing fear of completing a math question in front of the class, is not a feeling you soon forget.  For the record, I never make my students to that.  

I agree with Boaler's comment that, "learning does not happen only in classrooms."  I encouraged, in my end of the year report card comments, for parents to discuss math as it arises in day to day activities.  Students need to be aware that math is all around us, not just something that happens from 9:00 to 10:20 Monday to Friday.  Sometimes I would rearrange my classroom schedule and have math instead of a regularly scheduled class - the protests that arose from my students surprised me..."its not 9:00, we don't do math now!"  The panic was palpable.  I want my students to look forward to all of our subjects, I and they cannot afford to be afraid of math.

The study of neuroscience astounds me.  If I had all the time and money in the world, I would go back to university and get my neuroscience degree.  The mind is an amazing creature.  I embrace the fact that, according to Boaler, "with the right teaching and messages, [everyone] can achieve at the highest levels in school," and that, "any levels of school math are within [a student's] reach."  These are researched based statements and I agree, as I am living proof.  I aim to seek, in the following chapters the knowledge that I need to ensure that all my students, "learn math well, not only those believed to hold a 'gift.'"

I believe it is important for me, as the teacher, to remember to praise the work and not the person.  Instead of telling a student they are clever, I need to praise the process.  

One idea that challenges my beliefs is that maturity does not factor into the student's ability to learn the concepts.  Boaler tells us that if the student is unable to grasp the concept it is due to the fact prerequisite math has not been learned yet.  With my experience, I felt that I was  not "ready" to understand the concepts due to my maturity level.  Now I believe that given the time, help, understanding and practice I would have been successful.  That is my goal as a math educator, to help all my students understand and move forward confidently with their skills.

That's my view, from the 86th pew.
​Michelle

What I learned this week...set the bar high and your students will meet your expectations.  I was raised by a hard working pipeline welder.  My dad taught me old school work ethics.  He taught me if you are 10 minutes early you are on time.  His favourite saying when I was his helper was; “Big boy all night, big boy all day.”  He meant if you went out and partied all night, you got up went to work and worked hard all day.  He taught me to ask, “What else can I do,” when I had worked myself out of work.  I work hard for my students and I expect them to work hard for me.  We talk about the fact that their “job” is to be a student.  We discuss the expectations of being a student.  They are on time for class, prepared to learn, and they do their best - and that everyone’s best looks different.  My school is excellent at having school wide expectations.  So when my students reach me they have been practicing the expectations for five or six years.  Respect of paramount importance.  We practice respect of property, of self and of others.

This week we worked very hard on our understanding of Remembrance Day.  This is personally a very important topic for me to teach to my students.  We are another generation removed from the last World War and the significance of the lives sacrificed in the name of freedom cannot be understated or forgotten.  My nine and ten year olds do not have any first hand experience with war.  I can only tell them stories that I know, show them videos and talk about the importance of the sacrifices made.

We had our school Remembrance Day service today.  The high school next door, 12 Legion member  and many members of the community filled our gym to capacity.  The service was 45 minutes long.  That is a long time when you are ten years old.  Just before we went down to the gym I told my students that this was the most important assembly of the year and that it was extremely important  that they be respectful.  I told them they are representing not only themselves, but their school and their family.

My students didn’t let me down!  I was so amazed at the level of respect these young people exhibited.  They stood at attention (a skill we have been working on) for the national anthem and God Save the Queen, and they refrained from talking to their seatmates.  I had one teacher compliment one of my students who tends to be immature.  She overheard him say to a boy in another class, “you can’t talk, this is the most important assembly of the year.”  

When we got back to our classroom I made sure to thank my class and tell them how proud I was of their behaviour.  I am sure they think I am crazy - but I wasn’t able to get through thanking them without choking up, and just a few tears.  To be able to sit respectfully for 45 minutes is hard for anyone,  let alone if you are 10 years old. I set the bar high, gave them the skills required to follow through and they stepped up.  If you expect good behaviour you will get good behaviour.  I will teach this generation and infuse just enough old school work ethic into my students that they will be successful, not only in my class but they will have skills to be successful in life.  

That's my view from the 86th pew.

​

2B Can...a week in review.

I have decided to make blogging part of my professional growth plan this year.  It is actually reflection, disguised as blogging.  I feel an important way to as an educator is to take a look at what worked, what didn’t and maybe what I would try to do differently the next time.  As we all know the life of a teacher is incredibly hectic and I do not have time built into my day to pause for reflection.  So today is the first attempt at looking back  in order to make great strides going forward.
    Discipline, comes from the word disciple which means “to teach.”  I spent a lot of time disciplining this week.  There was a kicking-in-the-knee-before-school incident, we had a pushing-out-of-water-line incident, and the Applesauce Incident of 2015, will go down in infamy, of that I am certain.  These little incidents (or not so little if you happened to be the innocent soul who had an applesauce cup land on your head) actually take up a lot of my time.  
It takes a lot of time to round  up the parties involved.  All parties must be heard, a consensus must be arrived at, a judgement passed and a logical consequence to be carried out by the offending party.  I once overheard a very experienced and well respected educator discipline a pair of students.  What I heard this man say was that it doesn’t matter what was said, what matters is what was heard.  I was struck by how profoundly simple and accurate this statement is.  I heard that over ten years ago and I still refer to  it on a daily basis.  
I felt that I dealt with my students firmly but fairly.  The offending students in the Applesauce Incident of 2015 were required to wipe down the tables in the lunchroom.  
One strategy that I need to work on is the “or else” statement.  I have a student that shuts down when he is forced to work.  If he feels the work is too hard or if he just plain doesn’t want to work he doesn’t.  He also invented the phrase “passive aggressive.”  This week when he choose to shut down I told him (after all but standing on my head to get him to start work) that he was to begin work in 30 seconds or he would work in the hall.  I then walked away...thinking what the hell am I going to do if he refuses to leave the classroom when I ask him?  Luckily he started working within seconds.  I like that he choose to work on his own, but I have to research what the appropriate “then what” consequences should be.
That is my view from the 86th pew.  Michelle ​

****Please note this was originally written in April of this year - just re-posting:0) 

This past week I took over a grade 5 class.  The teacher has gone on maternity leave and I will be with these students until the end of the school year.  I feel very fortunate, as I have inherited a fabulous group of students.  I almost feel spoiled as I am used to junior high and high school students.  My students were welcoming, helpful and respectful.  Not once did someone roll his eyes at me – that is a novel concept.  What I am quickly learning about this age group is that my extensive vocabulary requires explanation.  Also, these students only have 10 years of background knowledge to draw from. 

            As part of my job, I must put the outcomes mandated by Alberta Education into child friendly language.  One concept that came up this week was that, “students will think critically.”  “What does ‘think critically’ mean?” a ten- year old asked me tentatively, no doubt anticipating an explanation that was beyond her grasp.  I was on the spot and had to think fast ( a trait that most teachers must possess – I am a work in progress).

            I was fortunate enough to take a Critical Thinking class at the University of Lethbridge.  This undergrad class provided me with a strong foundation of critical thinking, enabling me to teach my students to be critical thinkers.  Practicing critical thinking provides them with an entrepreneurial spirit, always digging, wanting to find more or better ways to arrive at conclusions.  The definition of critical thinking that I arrived at is that it is a way of thinking that is reflective, promotes further questioning, and helps you to arrive at a well-reasoned working conclusion for the issue at hand.  I need to memorize this definition, at the very least, it should be a poster in my classroom.  

            When I was put on the spot and asked about critical thinking I immediately thought about muddy waters.  I told my students that critical thinking was much like looking at the waters of a pond.  The water looks clear on the surface and we can't see that far.  But as we begin to question further, go below the surface of the water, we will see bugs and fish, snails, perhaps even some freshwater shrimp.  As we continue to question, and go deeper in the water, we come to the vegetation, then we come to the bottom of the pond, we dig deeper into the roots of the vegetation, the water becomes cloudy and it is hard to see.  As we question critically, sometimes we create more questions and it is hard to see our way to a clear answer.  Soon, as we reflect on the questions we have asked, we sit and think; the water stills, the silt returns to the bottom of the pond and soon the pond is clear again.  We now have a well reasoned, working conclusion for our issue.

            It is important for our students to be taught to think critically – which really means to question what they are learning.  In their learning environment, answers to questions are only a “Google search” away.  I need to teach students to think for themselves.  I am disappointed when a student only regurgitates information.  Gone is the day of purely memorizing information, we must be able to work with the information given and ask questions until we are satisfied, for the moment, until we can unearth new information for our questions.

            I hope my students question my teaching.  I am the first to admit I am not the foremost authority on everything.  I am not an authority on the Boreal Forest Region of Alberta – I have a good working knowledge however.  If a student asks a question that I don’t have an answer to, I tell them to look it up.  They go to the computer attached to the Smart Board and we all learn together.  I feel this is a valuable lesson to teach my students: 1) Always ask questions 2) Adults don’t have all the answers 3) We are always learning – even their teacher.

That’s My View From the 86th Pew, Michelle

Well apparently I can’t count, I said that my last post was for week 10, however this is week 10.  I am excited to share what I learnt this week.  This activity was a huge learning experience for me and my students and I would like to share it with you.

            In my grade four Science class we were wrapping up a unit called “Waste in Our World,” and as our final project I asked students to make a movie or trailer teaching other students in the school.  The science learning outcome 4.5.11: Identify actions that individuals and groups can take to minimize the production of wastes, to recycle or reuse wastes and to ensure the safe handling and disposal of wastes.  They were to use and iPad and the iMovie app for their creations.  This project as a whole was very successful but there were a few glitches.

1)      Planning:  we know as teachers that planning is paramount to ensure that our classes run smoothly.  I should have had students plan and write a script.  I happened to be away the second day of this project and that was the day that I wanted to check planning and scripts.  I should have insisted that the sub not hand out the iPads, hindsight is always 20/20.  Because the students were not fully planned they wandered without an end in sight as a result the project took twice as long as I had anticipated and planned for.

 

2)      Time for Project: This project should have only taken approximately three forty minute classes with two flex classes; just because that is how life goes.  This project took two and a half weeks to produce a two minute movie.  Honestly I feel that is a failing on my part. The students took advantage of the time I gave them.  In the future I will a strict timeline.

 

3)      Viewing Platform: I am not sure how I can get all of these movies that are on six different iPads to one central location and to allow for a screening.  FOIP is very strong and important to our school culture which prohibits me from showing their work on a larger platform.  Many students would like to share their work with their parents and I am unable to allow that.  I find the inability to share our work with a larger audience disappointing.

 

My students thoroughly enjoyed this project.  I liked that they could express their understanding in a manner other than pen and paper.  This activity allows for all students to participate and have an active role.  I will use this project again and I will be better planned.

That’s my view from the 86th pew, Michelle