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Self-Starting

9/30/2016

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There is a sign in our classroom.  It hangs just beside the clock.  The sign says:
The teacher does not start the class.
The bell does not start the class.
You start the class.

When students arrive in the morning, we have a daily routine.  After they stow their backpacks and unpack anything they will need for the day, students are to open their Daily Thinking notebooks.  They fill out such information as their names, the date, the current books they are reading, and the website headline for the day.

Depending on the day of the week, they may also set a goal for the week, nominate a peer as a good citizen, and make a list of the multiples of a provided number.

Then they are expected to do any of the other work on their notebooks that is possible without teacher instruction. Much of the work is based in the areas of number sense and becomes progressively more difficult as we delve deeper into the school year.

With students coming into the room and getting class started by themselves, I can better greet them in the hallway every morning and get a feel for their attitudes for the day.  I can also take care of those pesky housekeeping details such as roll call and lunch count.
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"I Can't Believe I Shook Hands with Professional Musicians."

9/29/2016

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They came to our school as a part of Pro Musica Joplin.  They came to share their love for classical and jazz compositions.  They came to demonstrate their dedication to their craft.

They are Ilmar, Melissa, Jaime, and Felix - the Harlem Quartet - and when they visited our school, we received more than we expected.

But so did they.

The four members of the Grammy Award winning ensemble were unpacking and warming up.  We were the first to arrive.
Ilmar arrived at the door at about the same time as we. One of our students didn't hesitate to poke his hand in front of the violinist and welcome him to our school. He then proceeded to ask the Cuban native a question: "What is Afro-Cuban music?"

Now where did that question come from?  To tell the truth, earlier in the day we had studied the Harlem Quartet's About Us web page.  Hoggatteers took this short research and ran with it.  By the time we met the quartet, we were addressing them by name.  We knew them.  We had looked at their professional careers. We looked at their musical training.  We took note of their musical acquaintances.

Ilmar wondered aloud how fourth graders knew his name.  This kind of research simply isn't usually done.

Our research showed in the way our class viewed the ensemble; it was a notable difference.  They listened differently.  After all, we knew these people.  These weren't nameless people visiting our auditorium.  We knew who they were and where they came from.

And that changed how we listened.  Students kept rhythm with their fingers.  They looked at their neighbors to express satisfaction.  They visualized.

Afterward, they wanted to put our class' standards of operation into play:  they wanted to greet our guests.

I am reluctant to grant such a request.  I know the performers are winding down, that they are packing their equipment, and that they are having conversations with other adults who are highly interested in Pro Musica activities.  Still, at the same time, my students need real experiences.  It's one thing to greet the teachers in the hallway every morning; it's quite a different experience to shake hands with world-traveling performers.

A little Beethoven
An Afro-Cuban Selection
Sweet Home Alabama

I don't know why I am always surprised by these things any more.  Once granted permission to leave our straight lines and approach the musicians, Hoggatteers did not only shake hands and express their appreciation for their performance; they also carried on mini-conversations while there.  They even asked a few more of the questions that lingered in their minds.

After a short time, I called them away.  We returned to the classroom for debriefing.  The kids had noticed a difference in the types of questions they had for the visitors and the questions that were asked by students in other classes and in other schools (Three other Joplin schools rounded out the audience.).  They also recognized the attention they received by the performers.  During the presentation, Ilmar even mentioned to the entire crowd that they would play an Afro-Cuban piece, partially at the request of our class, stating that having elementary-aged students learn their names ahead of time was a first for the group.

Students also noted that the performers were looking at each other and commenting that they had never experienced this kind of reception before.  The experience, from start to finish, seems to have made a lasting impression on both performers and audience.  We felt good about it all.  We were energized.  We felt a little bit grown up.  It truly still amazes me how much teaching kids to properly shake hands and share a conversation changes them and their behavior and their self-confidence.  One student expressed what others could not:  "I can't believe I shook hands with professional musicians!"

​I suppose we will follow up on the Harlem Quartet.  Our class was asked to write to the musicians and to share our correspondence with Pro Musica.  Now I have to teach them to write coherent friendly letters.
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Misspellings V

9/28/2016

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What we have here is a
failure to communicate!

Find the misspelled word
in each 
of these pictures.

​Write and correct each word on your paper.
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Pro Musica:  Harlem Quartet

9/27/2016

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This Wednesday, our class will have the visual and auditory privilege of being in the presence of the Harlem Quartet.  Brought to our school by Pro Musica Joplin, the Harlem (String) Quartet has traveled the world "bringing a new attitude to classical music" (Cincinnati Enquirer).  The quartet is part of a 2013 performance of Hot House which garnered a Grammy Award.

Says the group's website:
The quartet’s mission is to advance diversity in classical music, engaging young and new audiences through the discovery and presentation of varied repertoire that includes works by minority composers.
Before we attend this educational concert to appreciate the music, let's get to know the musicians and prepare some appropriate and well-though questions (should we have the opportunity to converse with them).  The four members of the group are violinists Ilmar Gavilan and Melissa White, violist Jaime Amador, and cellist Felix Umansky.  Look at their About Us page to learn more about them.
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Sentence Surgery IV

9/25/2016

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Read the sentence below.  Do you see any problems?
why did you do that asked principal scoggins
Do not rewrite the sentence.  In fact, don't even fix the sentence.  Instead, on your paper, tell the writer three things that need to be corrected.
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More Mineral Mania

9/24/2016

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I enjoy the exploration part of learning, but it can truly be trying to the patient of a teacher who likes to be in control.  Allowing a class full of fourth graders the freedom to explore (within a framework) on their own is a brave venture indeed.

One student wants to to the same test to all 12 mineral specimens before moving on to the next test.  Another would rather do all the tests to a single mineral specimen before moving on the next mineral.  And the third kid just wants to be silly.  The teacher must be prepared in this type of activity to give space while at the same time regulating.  Like so many things in life, this requires balance.
That's OK.  What we're doing here is training children for adulthood.  I am reminded that at this age, our science and history lessons often open opportunities for discussion about etiquette and our place in society.

It's hard to believe there are this many balls to juggle in a lesson about rocks and minerals.  I suppose this career of mine is both a balancing and a juggling act.

And to think, I almost joined the circus instead.
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Bus Evacuation Training

9/23/2016

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This week students went through a brief bus evacuation training, facilitated by real-life bus driver, Mr. Anderson (left).  Students quickly heard about the emergency equipment on the bus, as well as the many exit possibilities in the case of an accident.
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Mindful of Minerals

9/22/2016

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These guys are using scientific processes and scientific tools to do the same types of things geologists do in their field studies.

Wednesday marked the first day of mineral examinations in Room 404.  Students used pen lights to observe reflectivity and luminescence in twelve separate mineral specimens.  They also did tests for hardness and streak color, as well as making observations of the minerals' textures, describing the smells, and their cleavage (For your information, that's the term for the appearance and pattern of the mineral's split from a larger piece.).

Kids are pretty eager to get their hands on these tools and specimens, and the paperwork can easily get overlooked.  I want them to take notes and describe the minerals.  Again, this is the real world, and scientists don't just conduct experiments without recording their results and findings along the way.  This also gets them writing in other areas of the curricula.
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Mathstakes:  Burrito

9/21/2016

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Mathstakes - or Math Mistakes - are an attempt to encourage students to find and correct mistakes.  Most are introduced with a visual prompt, but there is no other word prompt outside of the visual.  In addressing the visual, learners must first find, or construct, what they believe the problem.  They must then figure out what was done in the visual to solve the given problem.  The problem and solution are always provided in the visual.

After this, learners are charged with the task of determining whether the solution is appropriate.  If so, they must defend it; if not, they must explain - or teach - a better process.
Use your recording sheet
to report your reasoning
​for the picture provided:
  • Write the problem as you understand it.
  • What solution is given in the picture?
  • Decide whether the solution is (yes) or is not (no) appropriate.
  • In the box you chose, explain why you think it is correct or incorrect.  If "no", fix it.
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Sentence Surgery III

9/20/2016

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Read the sentence below.  Do you see any problems?
youll feel better when you tell he the truth
Do not rewrite the sentence.  In fact, don't even fix the sentence.  Instead, on your paper, tell the writer how to correct three of the errors.
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Grading System and Communication

9/19/2016

1 Comment

 
During the last school year, teachers and parents were surveyed about several of their needs and wishes regarding our school district.  One of the items for consideration was our grading system and the resulting quarterly grade card.  Overwhelmingly to some, parents thought the system of measuring by each state standard was hard to understand.  They wanted, instead, something simple and concise.  They just wanted to know where their children stand regarding the general curricula.
I get that.  The standards-based grading system we used was cumbersome to teachers and confusing to parents. Not only that, but the grades all sounded pretty positive, even when a student was, for lack of a better term, failing.

​
Mastery is good.

Nearing Mastery sounds pretty positive.

Progressing sounds like we're on the right track.

Developing seems as if things are coming along just fine.  Is Developing better than Progressing, or vice versa?

Even Insufficient Evidence appears to take all fault out of the student's hands; it's not his/her fault the teacher couldn't collect enough evidence.  Nothing to see here.
Our school's namesake, Cecil Floyd, was a real man.  A hundred years ago, he attended West Union School.  This is the report card he received when he was eight years old.  For more about the man, explore my website, The Cecil Floyd Historian.
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Cecil Floyd received grades of E (Excellent) and G (Good). A hundred years ago, he could have also made M's (Medium) or P's (Poor).
The communication of these grades was unintentionally dishonest.  They did not show a real picture of where the student's abilities were.  As a parent myself, I don't want to get bogged down in the specific, nitpicky details of every little learning intention and standard.  In fact, what I kind of want to know is where my children stand in comparison with their peers.  Are they average?  Above average?  Below?  Tell me where they stand in their ability to achieve in a broad job market.  Don't sugar-coat their abilities, or lack of abilities, by spinning things to make it all sound positive.  Give me the truth.

What does a parent see on that multi-page report card?  It was a bunch of educational jargon and trendy, educational bandwagon stuff to satisfy people who never met your child.  Did you, the parent, really take that report and do anything with it?  Did you find your child underachieving in a particular skill only to give him/her some one-on-one time until s/he mastered it.  Did you hand the report over to grandparents so they could pay a dollar for each of the 40ish "M" grades?

And while we're at it, could you ever brag to your relatives about making straight A's or making the honor roll?  No, you could not.  When granny asked how they were performing in school, all you could do was hem and haw about the convoluted grading system and talk about how the kid got this many M's and that many AM's.  Meaningless to grannies, right?

This year, we've made some changes to the grading system.  We've simplified it.  At the request of parents and educators, we are making a return to "letter grades".  Now your child will receive an A (90-100%), a B (80-89%), a C (70-79%), a D (60-69%), or an F (0-59%), based on class performance.  These grades will be averaged from daily work and tests in the classroom.  Simple.

The report card will be equally simple.  In addition to grades from Music, Art, Media, and Physical Education, and in addition to a few conduct grades, there will be a letter grade for each of five major academic subjects (Reading, Writing, Math, Science, and Social Studies).  No so-called levels of mastery, no whiz-bang jargon, no weird coding system.

But as we know, with grade freedom comes greater responsibility.  It is our job - parents and teachers - to open and keep open some distinct lines of communication.  It is still my responsibility to teach the state standards.  I will still administer the state tests.  I will still collect data.  In fact, I'd better not squander the activity, but always remain worthy of stakeholder trust.  If I'm teaching the curricula, engaging students, and keeping conversations with parents open, I will fulfill my duty.

Likewise, there is a responsibility for parents and administrators.  Administrators must support the classroom and have students best interests at heart.  They must help teachers teach, and they must help parents understand. Administrators are here to keep us all on track, to make sure our needs are met, and to identify areas that need our improvement.

Parents, on the other hand, are in unique positions.  More than others, you know your child.  Yes, I have 27 years of experience with children - all kinds of children - but I have never had your child.  In the same way, you and your child have never experienced me.  In short, we don't know each other.  Because of that, we have an obligation to trust each other.  We need to give each other the benefit of the doubt.  We should listen to each other.  Our direct lines of communication must remain open (Tools like ClassDojo help with that.).  When those lines are open and we remain receptive, all the best things can happen for your child.

When finally trusted as professionals, peers, and stakeholders - when we count on one another to do what is right to do - trust will return to us manifold.  It takes more than a written note or report card with a bunch of words to make this happen; it takes committed and connected adults working in orchestra for the betterment of our community.
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Sketching History

9/18/2016

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I wanted Hoggatteers to get to know Missouri's native peoples a little more intimately.  They did so by observing pen-and-ink sketches of tribal representatives and then reproducing the images with drawings of their own.  I wanted them to wonder about these individuals, their stories.

How did he get that scar?

Look at that furrowed brow.

Who gave him that peace medal?

What is she carrying?

Pencil sketches helped students with their wondering and helped them start creating characters for a writing piece.
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Rock Solid Observations

9/17/2016

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We finally had an opportunity to look at the rocks we found in a previous activity.  Each group had 12 specimens to explore and describe.  One by one, students added the rocks to their "journals".
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I was interested in seeing them work with their teams, as well as how thoroughly they observe things (They still need a guiding hand with their writing and reporting.).  The groups were talkative, but they were able to get quite a bit of information onto paper.
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​Along the way, we curiously dropped a piece of pumice into a cup of water and discovered that this rock actually floats on the water...at least until it absorbs enough water to change its density and cause it to sink.

​We will find the differences between rocks and minerals, next week, and I suspect students will enjoy the tests we perform on the minerals even more.
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Farewell, Dilon

9/16/2016

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Our class will miss the vibrant personality that came with a boy named DILON.  DILON has moved to another school in a nearby town, and is no longer a part of our class, but he will always be part of our family.  Farewell, Dilon!  OAHAAH!
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OAHAAH:  The Man Who Can't Be Moved

9/15/2016

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A while back, MACK spent a year in our fourth grade classroom.

​
He sat in our chairs.

He multiplied two-digit numbers.

He conducted cave tours.

He wrote stories.

He checked books out of the library.

He played on our playground.
Since then, MACK has grown in size and talent. Now he sits in chairs at Joplin High School, and he takes any number of courses well beyond our fourth grade curricula.

Last spring, my daughter and I saw MACK play a major role in the musical presentation, Guys and Dolls, where he excelled, and now, we find MACK the high school's JETHD cable television station (JET standing for Joplin Eagle Television) playing guitar and covering The Man Who Can't Be Moved, popularized by The Script.  JETHD is now on cable channel 60 in Joplin.
Once a Hoggatteer, Always a Hoggatteer!

​Do Hoggatteers have talent or what?
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