THE HOGGATTEER REVOLUTION
  • Homeroom
  • Orientation
    • Class Handbook
    • Family Involvement
    • Meet the Teacher
    • Place in the World
    • Teachers: File Cabinet
  • Positivity
    • Insightful Poetry
    • Inspirational Prose
    • Meaningful Quotes
    • Positive Behavior Conversations
    • Scripture Studies
  • Exploration
    • Celebrate Good Times (Come On)
    • Cerebral Cinema >
      • Hoggatt-Made Videos
      • Mood Music
      • Music Appreciation
      • Positive Behavior Conversations
    • Coursework >
      • Cultivating America
      • Focus on Science
      • Let's Communicate
      • M4+HEM4+1C5
      • Missouri, USA
      • Recess Bell
      • Scripture Studies

Interviewing:  Entering a Room

4/30/2018

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In the recent interviews to find someone who will be a high quality assistant principal, the team asked our candidates a series of questions to get a conversation going.  We had a pretty pool from which to select our next administrator.

The team stood upon the arrival of our external candidates.  Upon their entry into the conference room, we approached each candidate and shook hands.  Most candidates handled this in stride, but I was looking for something different.  While finding people who could deliver eye contact and firm grasps was easier than expected, the conversation during handshakes was interesting.  Some candidates performed as expected, but some were slightly impressed by our teachers' use of Greeting Others.  We want a new administrator who will appreciate the intricacies of our system.

It was interesting to see the team discuss each candidate.  In some, they noticed eye contact.  In others, however, they noticed interest.  Note to someone in future interviews:  it's not all about you.  Oh, I know we're vetting you. We need to know you.  We need to see your personality and your professionalism.  But we also need to see that you are interested in our current organization.
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Professional Pet Peeve:  Stop Professing Martyrdom

4/29/2018

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Our friends in the military, along with their families, have sacrificed time, money, and family to serve our country. Yes, they are compensated, and yes, they have benefits beyond their tenure in the military, but theirs is still a sacrifice - sometimes a lifetime sacrifice, and sometimes a sacrifice of life.

Our neighbors who serve in the dangerous jobs of law enforcement and fire and rescue are certainly underpaid, and in many cases, under-appreciated.  Yes they receive paychecks and benefits, but their service is honorable, and other than a few bad apples, they do so out of a sense of service to their fellow man.

Spend some time in Branson, Missouri.  Attend a show.  Just about any Branson show.  You will soon come to a point in which veterans are asked to stand to be recognized for their service.  Nowadays, that  recognition is being joined by applause for our police officers and fire safety personnel.  As it should be.

These are the people - men and women - who occasionally risk their lives in their jobs.  They approach situations that could at any moment become dangerous to them and to their surroundings.  Any traffic stop could be volatile. Any fire can become explosive.  Loss of limb, voice, and life can be a grenade away.

And then there are teachers.

It is becoming more and more apparent to the general public that teachers are not only underpaid and unsung, but that they sit in positions of possible danger.  The service provided by educators to the children of this nation is more than a babysitting role; it is to improve the lives of those children and to improve the progression of our great nation.  Teachers save the world from ignorant mistakes.  We teach children how to be adults, how to recover from mistakes, and how to press forward through adversity.  We also do our best to eradicate illiteracy.  Education is a service industry that feeds all other careers.

Then there is that little part of the teaching profession which includes the protection of our youth.  We conduct fire, storm, and earthquake drills.  We take temperatures and bandage wounds.  And in the most extreme cases, we lock our classrooms down, hide from weaponized intruders, and stand between a gun and our students.  Watching the news, we come to believe that such an incident could occur any time and any place.

But they don't stand up in Branson for teachers.

In some ways, we feel left out of the hoopla.  It's no one's fault, but we get the point that we feel we're being slighted.  That's why you'll see so many teachers who get angry at legislators.  That's when you start to see teachers holding snotty signs in protest of low wages or poor working conditions.  That's when you start to read all the social media posts about teachers using their own money to supply their students, posts about how we don't really get paid for those weeks in the summer when we don't report to the classroom, and more posts about how we deal with other people's children in a broken society.

Education is a different world.

But I don't suppose that means we need to act like victims.  The Woe Is Me mentality does little to benefit us - outside of getting senators to call us whiny babies.  At some point, when we lose our professional facade, we begin to look like every other "entitled" group of people.

Let us not lose the concept of humility.  When we do our jobs well, work on effective methods of public relationships, and positively affect our students, our reputations will be held in higher esteem than when we yell chants at politicians.  We do well to dress professionally, speak eloquently, and intelligently cultivate relationships with all kinds of people (including politicians).  We do well to refuse to be used as political pawns and fall into public relations traps in the media.  We do well to remain positive representatives in our profession, and refuse to shriek our anger in what looks like blatant selfishness to the general public.

In short, we have to be careful with our image.  Things can go negative in a heartbeat.

Not only that, but we can't let people hear us whining about kids, families, our own low pay.  That will most likely only succeed in further separating us from the people we're trying to impress.

Our jobs aren't necessarily deserving of special songs and applause in Branson.  We're not defending our country against invaders, and we're not running into burning buildings, and shouldn't be seen as trying to grab attention away from those go do.  Our jobs are tough.  We're stressed.  We're jumping through hoops from all sides - state standards, federal mandates, local school board policies, administrative micromanagement, and helicopter parenting.  But I hate to think my job is any more deserving of accolades than the NASA engineer, the carpenter, or the clerk at Sears.  Each has his/her own stresses and reasons to deserve applause and award.  Our jobs are just different.

Instead of acting the martyr (in any career), let us seek to understand others and be understood by others.
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Change on the Horizon

4/28/2018

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At last week's Joplin School Board meeting, our assistant principal, Ms. McCombs, resigned.  She has worked with Cecil Floyd Elementary School for about six years, first as a teaching and learning coach, and then as the assistant principal.  Our previous principal, Mrs. Hennessey (now Willey) brought Ms. McCombs on board following some rocky times in our school and in our district.  Both Hennessey and McCombs can be attributed with the recovery of a positive school culture.  They recognized a great need for team cohesion, and I recognized the nature of their leadership.

Ms. McCombs will soon find herself at the helm of a different school, Benton Elementary in Neosho, Missouri, where she will captain as the new principal.  Our wish for Ms. McCombs is for happiness and smooth sailing in her new adventure.

In the meantime, a group has already teamed to interview and identify the best possible replacement for McCombs.  A pool of candidates who applied for the assistant principal position at Cecil Floyd was interviewed, during the last three days.  It was important to all involved that we find a person who will help us continue to move forward in our own quest to be the best we can be at Cecil Floyd.

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Slowing Down Time in Writing

4/27/2018

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This is an interesting thing to explore in our writing.  It takes longer to tell some parts of the story than others. Generally, the faster things happen in the story, the more we should decelerate the scene.

I like to write in slow motion, and this video explains my thinking in this regard.  When I read and write, I see things as they occur.  As much as it might disappoint my fifth grade reading teacher, I do not speed read.  Why would I?  I want to relish the scene about which I am reading; why would I want to skip right through without connecting emotionally, without seeing and smelling every aspect of the scene, without hearing the dialog, or without feeling the pain, the joy, or the impatience of the characters.  No, I believe writing is only good when I make a personal connection to it, and I cannot make a connection with a speeding car.
Slow it down, fellow writers!  By doing so, you place your readers smack in the middle of the story, rather than alongside.
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This Is a Test...It Is Only a Test

4/26/2018

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Here are some of my thoughts from a few years ago.
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There is a comic circulating through social media.  In it a teacher is confronted by her students with the following question:
Is this the test to test us for the test to see if we are ready for the test?
It would appear to many, both inside and outside of education, that testing has taken the helm in our schools.  The pendulum certainly seems to be swinging in that direction.  Blogs with graphics like these dot the internet:
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Next week, our class will experience MAP (Missouri Assessment Program) testing.  This test has become the test that we constantly refer to in our state, and because of this, we test consistently to test to see if they are ready to take the MAP test.

This may not be the forum to discuss current testing trends.  It is the forum to communicate my desire to teach my students to want to learn for the sake of learning and bettering themselves, and not simply to pass a high-stakes test.  That doesn't mean we're not going to put forth our best effort to do our best to put our best foot forward, which is our goal for all of the things we do.  I can't help but think of Abraham Lincoln's quote:
Whatever you are, be a good one.
That's basically what my dad always taught us boys - to always do our best, to always be the best we could be - and it's something I want my own children to learn.  While we really do not wish to fail, we also do not wish to achieve anything less than our best!
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Rules of Civility:  No. 63 and 78

4/25/2018

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​​​When George Washington was about 16 years old, he set about to copy 110 Rules of Civility from a school book.  The exercise was intended to improve his penmanship while at the same time develop his character.  While some of the Rules are obsolete, a few of them are quite relevant today.
​Here is a rule that speaks to the fine art of being humble:
A Man o[ug]ht not to value himself of his Atchievements,

or rare Qua[lities of wit; much less of his rich]es Virtue or Kindred.


*   *   *   *   *
​

Make no Comparisons and if any of the Company be Commended

for any brave act of Vertue, commend not another for the Same.​
Humility is a virtue that increases your worth with others.  We recognize humility in our class.
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  • It is acceptable to be proud of your achievements, but it is not acceptable to openly brag as if you are generally better than another.
  • Accept that you are not going to be number one at everything you try.
  • Do not let your intelligence get in the way of treating people with manners and kindness.
  • Compliment others when they succeed.
  • Let people have "their moments" of success without bringing up others who might have accomplished the same level.
  • Help others when they need guidance (when it is appropriate).
  • Keep an open mind and consider that other people have ideas and valid opinions, too.
  • When possible, use the contributions of others in your conversation.
  • If you have to tell everyone that you deserve recognition, you probably do not; when you are great, others will see it without you telling them.
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The Testing Camera

4/24/2018

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As we are in the midst of state testing, I thought I should repost this from a few years ago.
A million assessments - whether formative or summative, whether pretest or posttest, predictive or summative, common or unique - cannot give a complete picture of a child, adult, or anything in between.  I constantly remind myself that our children are more than numbers on a data document and much more than a line on a graph. Educators are in the business of inspiring human beings to want to improve themselves; we should not be in the business of plotting points and constraining students to a single position on an assembly line.  I do not believe all students are the same, like the same things, or are motivated in the same manner.  On that note, you might enjoy the accompanying video at below.

Peter H. Reynolds, creativity advocate and best-selling author and illustrator, and co-founder of FableVision Learning, has created a new animated short called The Testing Camera — a whimsical poke at high-stakes, standardized testing and a reminder that real assessment is as easy, and — at the same time — as challenging as getting to really know the gifts and talents of every child.

“We’ve gone through a very test-centric decade which, in my opinion, has consumed a lot of time, energy, and resources,” Reynolds shares. “Many teachers have had to adhere to new mandates and measures that require a ‘teach to the test’ approach. Public schools redirected funding for art, music, theater, libraries, field trips, and more. It’s a discouraging picture for those trying to reach all children in creative, engaging ways.”

Reynolds, who is known for his books encouraging creativity, The Dot, Ish, Sky Color and The North Star among many others, penned this whimsical and poignant story about a young girl named Daisy who, dismayed at her art class being canceled, nervously faces her turn with the “Testing Camera.” This huge apparatus snaps at her with a few blinding flashes of light. Weeks later, her father’s reaction to the test results surprises Daisy in a most wonderful way.

“This is my gift to educators to remind them to follow their instincts and remember why they got into teaching in the first place: to see the potential in every child, to nurture those emerging gifts and talents, and to change lives,” Reynolds shared.

The film was produced by FableVision, the transmedia studio in Boston founded by Peter and his twin brother, Paul Reynolds, author of Going Places and the Sydney & Simon series. The Testing Camera was directed by John Lechner with music by Tony Lechner, and animated by a team of young animators interning at FableVision for the summer. Broadway actor Chester Gregory lends his voice to the project.
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Rules of Civility:  Nos. 43-46, 48, 64, and 83

4/23/2018

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​​​When George Washington was about 16 years old, he set about to copy 110 Rules of Civility from a school book.  The exercise was intended to improve his penmanship while at the same time develop his character.  While some of the Rules are obsolete, a few of them are quite relevant today.
Making mistakes can be aggravating; recovery is sweet.
Do not express Joy before one sick or in pain

for that contrary Passion will aggravate his Misery.


*   *   *   *   *

When a man does all he can though it Succeeds not well

blame not him that did it.


*   *   *   *   *

Being to advise or reprehend any one,

consider whether it ought to be in publick or in Private;

presently, or at Some other time in what terms to do it

& in reproving Shew no Sign of Cholar

but do it with all Sweetness and Mildness.


*   *   *   *   *

Take all Admonitions thankfully in what Time or Place Soever given

but afterwards not being culpable take a Time [&] Place

convenient to let him him know it that gave them.


*   *   *   *   *

Wherein wherein you reprove Another be unblameable yourself;

for example is more prevalent than Precepts.


*   *   *   *   *

Break not a Jest where none take pleasure in mirth Laugh not aloud,

nor at all without Occasion, deride no mans Misfortune,

​tho' there Seem to be Some cause.​

*   *   *   *   *

When you deliver a matter do it without Passion & with Discretion,

howev[er] mean the Person be you do it too.​
Failure may not be an option, but making mistakes along the way is inevitable.
​What does this mean for the manner in which our class operates?
  • Identifying a mistake in an indication that you are learning and growing.
  • Learn from the mistakes of others.
  • Be not afraid to publicly admit you have made a mistake.
  • Cheer for others when they identify their mistakes.
  • Do not laugh at a mistake someone else had made.
  • Do not make fun of someone when s/he misspeaks.
  • Accept criticism as it is intended - to help you improve.
  • Study the reason for your mistake and make changes for the next time you attempt to use the same skill.
  • Treat other people in the same manner in which you would like to be treated.
  • When you have mastered a concept, consider how you may assist another student to do the same.
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Our Reaction to Gravity

4/22/2018

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I can't express enough how much my students make me proud.  Perhaps I gush about it too much, and maybe you think I'm not genuine in my gushing, but I contend that both of those are wrong.

This week, I had the honor of presenting my personal account of teaching in a classroom four miles from the 1995 bombing in Oklahoma City for the 23rd time. On the anniversary day, Thursday, students in Mr. Culbertson's class joined us to hear about the event that changed our lives.  Then, the next day, Mrs. Mouton's and Mrs. Nold's classes came over to hear about it, as well.

I don't know how this year's presentation was different (I don't think it was.), but Thursday's group, which included Mr. C's and my students, reacted superbly.  Mrs. Pearce, our school counselor, joined us.  She has never heard my account, and I was nervous that she was going to say that it was too much for fourth graders.  On the contrary, when I asked if I had kept it appropriate, she said, "Absolutely."  Pearce was impressed with the way that our students empathized with the people affected by the bombing, and she remarked about how she watched students physically realize the gravity of the situation.

I, too, was impressed.  I know that my class is an anomaly in this - that many of the members are quite sensitive, but when a situation like the OKC bombing is presented, I should hope that those sensitivities reveal themselves.  The event is a tearful one, and I'd say around 90% of our classes on Thursday were crying.  We emptied two boxes of tissues.  Don't get me wrong - I don't want to gloat about making my students cry, and it is not my goal to send them home with uncontrollable sobbing.  What I like to see is my students sharing an experience.  I like seeing them put themselves in the shoes of the needy and the suffering.  I enjoy watching the compassion rolling off of them.

When I came to the image of a firefighter peering into the face of a baby, I shared my personal connection with that baby, telling the classes that my wife was holding that little one-year-old just four days prior to the April 19 explosion.  After an extended pause, the story sank in.  AALIYAH immediately jumped into action, distributing tissues to her peers.  Her method of reaction was to serve others, and she was relentless in carrying out her self-imposed task.  And while a casual observer might not think that's a big deal, a critical observer recognizes the importance of such a reaction.

PictureThe Oklahoma City National Memorial
When a couple of the boys realized they were both crying, they reacted by putting their arms around each other.  Later, we would watch Garth Brooks' video for his song, The Change, in which the inspiring words were reinforced with video from the 1995 event.  In the video, I watched the same reaction from grown men involved in the rescue and recovery in the building.  It's important to me to see such reactions.  It encourages me that this generation has not become so calloused to the violence in the world that they have put personal feelings and compassion aside.

Assistant Principal McCombs came in for the Friday presentation.  Something was different about Friday though. When we came to emotional sections of my presentation, my presentation failed to strike the same chord with the other two classes.  Maybe it was because it my second time through it in as many days.  Maybe it was because of the chemistry of the other classes.  Nevertheless, Ms. McCombs confided in me that she was so thoroughly engaged that the morning passed in the blink of an eye for her.  She felt the class - which consists primarily of lecture by the way - was incredibly engaging.

In thinking of the two days, I still see a difference in the Hoggatteer Experience.  With a lot of work, and with eight or nine months passing, our class has the unique ability to think in terms of service and compassion instead of selfishly wondering what's in it for them.  They are less interested in the broken buildings and more interested in humanity and life.

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I relate my story with the idea that one person did one bad thing on that day - one really bad thing - but that thousands of people stepped in to work thousands of good deeds as a result.  I like to remember what one daddy told reporters.  With both of his children in hospital rooms, a camera shoved in his face, this man was asked what he thought should happen to Timothy McVeigh, the young veteran who committed the atrocity.  His response resonates with me to this day:  he said (paraphrased), "I don't have the energy to hate that man [McVeigh]; all of my energy is being focused on loving my children."  A similar, also positive message is presented in my first book, Crumbling Spirit.  The short book, told through the eyes of a fourth grader, roughly follows my own experience, and expands on the idea of resilience - that we are not victims if we are truly survivors.

If our attitudes can be trained, I like the direction in which we are headed in our classroom at the end of the hall.

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Rules of Civility:  Nos. 33-42, 59, 65-67, 72-76, 84, 85, and 88

4/21/2018

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​​​When George Washington was about 16 years old, he set about to copy 110 Rules of Civility from a school book.  The exercise was intended to improve his penmanship while at the same time develop his character.  While some of the Rules are obsolete, a few of them are quite relevant today.
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These are the rules that govern proper conversation:

They that are in Dignity or in office have

in all places Preceedency

but whilst they are Young

they ought to respect those

that are their equals in Birth

​or other Qualitys,

though they have no Publick charge.


*   *   *   *   *
It is good Manners to prefer them to whom we Speak befo[re] ourselves

especially if they be above us with whom in no Sort we ought to begin.


*   *   *   *   *

Let your Discourse with Men of Business be Short and Comprehensive.

*   *   *   *   *

Artificers & Persons of low Degree ought not to use many ceremonies

to Lords, or Others of high Degree but Respect

and high[ly] Honour them, and those of high Degree

ought to treat them with affibility & Courtesie, without Arrogancy.


*   *   *   *   *

In Speaking to men of Quality do not lean

nor Look them full in the Face, nor approach too near them

at lest Keep a full Pace from them.​

​
*   *   *   *   *

In visiting the Sick, do not Presently play the Physicion

if you be not Knowing therein.


*   *   *   *   *
​
In writing or Speaking, give to every Person his due Title

According to his Degree & the Custom of the Place.


*   *   *   *   *

Strive not with your Superiers in argument,

but always Submit your Judgment to others with Modesty.


*   *   *   *   *

Undertake not to Teach your equal in the art himself Proffesses;

it Savours of arrogancy.


*   *   *   *   *

Let thy ceremonies in Courtesie be proper to the Dignity of his place

[with whom thou conversest for it is absurd to ac]t the same

with a Clown and a Prince.


*   *   *   *   *

Never express anything unbecoming, nor Act agst the Rules Mora[l]

before your inferiours.


*   *   *   *   *

Speak not injurious Words neither in Jest nor Earnest Scoff at none

although they give Occasion.


*   *   *   *   *

Be not froward but friendly and Courteous;

the first to Salute hear and answer & be not Pensive

​when it's a time to Converse.


*   *   *   *   *

Detract not from others neither be excessive in Commanding.


Speak not in an unknown Tongue in Company

but in your own Language and that as those of Quality do

and not as the Vulgar; Sublime matters treat Seriously.


*   *   *   *   *

Think before you Speak pronounce not imperfectly

nor bring ou[t] your Words too hastily but orderly & distinctly.


*   *   *   *   *

When Another Speaks be attentive your Self

and disturb not the Audience if any hesitate in his Words

help him not nor Prompt him without desired, Interrupt him not,

nor Answer him till his Speec[h] be ended.


*   *   *   *   *

In the midst of Discourse ask [not of what one treateth]

but if you Perceive any Stop because of [your coming

you may well intreat him gently] to Proceed:

If a Person of Quality comes in while your Conversing it's handsome

to Repeat what was said before.


*   *   *   *   *

While you are talking, Point not with your Finger

at him of Whom you Discourse nor Approach too near him

​to whom you talk especially to his face.​


*   *   *   *   *

When your Superiours talk to any Body

hearken not neither Speak nor Laugh.

*   *   *   *   *

In Company of these of Higher Quality than yourself

Speak not ti[l] you are ask'd a Question then Stand upright

​put of your Hat & Answer in few words


*   *   *   *   *

Be not tedious in Discourse, make not many Digressigns,

​nor rep[eat] often the Same manner of Discourse.​
There is so much to say about the art of conversation as we will learn it in our classroom:
  • Speak in turn, with permission only.
  • Sharply track every speaker with your eyeballs.
  • Give full attention.
  • Stay on the topic.
  • Avoid repeating ideas and statements that have already been expressed.
  • Stop talking when you do not know what you are talking about.  Listen instead.
  • Do not talk just because there is a lull in the conversation or presentation.
  • Do not interrupt a speaker, whether in formal or casual conversation.
  • Think before you speak.  Speak with distinction, not so quickly that others cannot understand your words.
  • Your elders get to speak first.  When an adult is talking, children stop talking.
  • Respect personal space when talking to someone.
  • Listen more than you talk.
  • Do not argue; learn to disagree with respect and dignity.
  • Do not ever try to show off what you know that others do not know; be humble.
  • In this class, the teacher is the class clown:  do not try to win that title from him.
  • Teasing and sarcasm are often used when someone is comfortable with you; strive to understand the difference between these and comments that are mean-spirited.
  • Keep you comments clean and appropriate.
  • Cursing is inappropriate, and words that simply replace cursing are also discouraged.
  • Refrain from pointing at people.
  • Do not be crude.
  • When you have something to offer, please do so.  Do what you can to face your shy nature and conquer it.
  • Dominating the conversation is off-putting and tells listeners that you only value your own ideas.
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World's Fair 2.0:  Initial Research

4/20/2018

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Here at the culmination of another school year, my class is attempting to understand the complexities of the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis.  We started by researching David R. Frances, the president of the exposition.
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Following their research, students considered the leadership abilities of their own classmates.  They wondered if certain members of the class could pull off leading teams of workers and organizing a map and schedule full of activities.
In the remaining days of the year, we will pool all of our skills
​to develop our own World's Fair for a new century.
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Oklahoma City Bombing:  23 Years Ago

4/19/2018

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PictureOne student recently visited the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum first hand.
​April 19, 1995.  Twenty-three years from today.

Twenty-three years ago, a young man named McVeigh parked his rented moving truck on the street behind the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. Inside the truck, a bomb would soon detonate and change the lives of countless people.

One hundred sixty-eight people dead.


I taught second graders just four miles away.  We heard the explosion.  We felt the concussion.  We experienced the emotions.

Confusion.  Fear.  Confusion.

I will relay my story - my personal experiences with the 1995 terrorist attack - today.  My experience with being the one responsible for leading the school into a red alert, locking the outside doors.  My wife's experience of holding the one-year-old who was infamously photographed in the firefighter's arms.  My grandmother's experience of panic, thinking "they" were "blowing up Oklahoma City".

It is a history that needs to be remembered, studied, and learned from - one evil act counteracted by hundreds of thousands of generous responses in return.  This, like Joplin's response to the tornado, seven years ago, was a defining moment - a moment when we found out who we were.  In Oklahoma City, they call that response "The Oklahoma Standard".

We will look at my pictures of the Oklahoma City National Memorial, today.  I'll take our fourth graders inside one of the best museums I've ever experienced.

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Book:  Soar

4/18/2018

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Here's this year's token Mark Twain award nominee about a team sport.  It was a decent read, but somewhat anticlimactic.
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From the author's website:
Jeremiah has a lot of heart, which is a little ironic, since the heart that beats in his chest is a transplanted one. For a sixth-grader, he's very wise. When his adoptive dad, Walt, has to make a temporary move to a small, baseball-fixated Ohio town, it seems like the perfect opportunity for Jeremiah to make use of his can-do attitude to revive the nearly defunct middle school baseball team. He's too sick to play, but he loves the game, and he's an incredible coach. He also brings those same brightly inspiring skills to bear on his across-the-street neighbor, Franny, who's suffering from a loss that involves her absent father... An outstanding, tender exploration of courage and the true nature of heroism and, for good measure, a fine homage to America's game, as well.
Had the main character been a female, the voice of this author would have seen more authentic.  Author Joan Bauer writes female characters better than male characters.  In addition to this, I wasn't satisfied with the ending, as I was still concerned for Jeremiah's condition after I read the last word.
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Rules of Civility:  No. 32

4/17/2018

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​When George Washington was about 16 years old, he set about to copy 110 Rules of Civility from a school book.  The exercise was intended to improve his penmanship while at the same time develop his character.  While some of the Rules are obsolete, a few of them are quite relevant today.
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To one that is your equal, or not much inferior

you are to give the cheif Place in your Lodging

and he to who 'tis offered ought at the first

to refuse it but at the Second to accept

​though not without acknowledging

​his own unworthiness.
​Rule 32 makes us appreciate appreciation:
  • Always show appreciation for the act of giving.
  • Say thank you immediately upon being given something by another person.
  • Offer your seat to a visitor to our room.
  • Treat others the way you wish to be treated.
  • Accept thank yous with grace, returning with a mannerly You're welcome.  No problem, You bet, and Yeah is not an acceptable reply.
  • Be humble.
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Electrical Circuits:  Mystery Circuits

4/16/2018

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I gave the class access to 12 mystery boxes.  Each box has eight touch points on the top.  Through their own investigation, and without peeking inside the boxes, teams identified which sets of touch points would complete circuits.This was simply an application to reinforce the idea that a circuit will not provide power if interrupted.  Some of the boxes had one or two combinations that would light their bulbs, while others had as many as four or as few as zero.
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