Making Our Voices Heard

In the need to blog from Blogging on the Bay, bgaskins says,

“I think in these times of Waiting for SuperMan and Oprah, we can’t stop our voices. We cannot be silent. We keep our focus on learning. We keep our focus on the student. We don’t budge.

In education the reformers have always been the silent ones who kept moving forward.

Our professional learning communities keep us moving forward. We support each other. We listen.”

I think this is absolutely right! I need to keep speaking up whether it is blogging or writing letters or speaking publicly. As a taxpayer and voter, I need to make my voice heard. Whether I agree with those in power or not, I have a right to voice my opinion.

I have learned that there are people out there that want to hear what I say. They also may not agree with what I say but it can get the conversation going. I may be able to change someone else’s mind or they may be able to change mine. But I do know that if we don’t start somewhere, nothing will change.

I have learned by talking to legislators that not many share their opinions like they should. I hear many people in the teaching field complain but when I ask them if they write letters, make phone calls, or share their opinions with the legislators, they always come up with excuses why they don’t or can’t.

I think I need to do more than just support others. I think I need to encourage others to make our voices heard. Just listening to each other isn’t enough. In order to make changes we need to push each other to take that extra step.

When I hear another teacher complain, I will do more than just ask if she has written letters or called someone. If necessary, I will help her do so. I will get her contact information and get her the address of her legislator. If I need to, I will help her draft a letter to voice her concerns.

Just encouraging each other and supporting each other is great but it isn’t enough. I need to do more. By doing more, I’m showing by example how others can do more. And if we all do more, than maybe we can make our voices be heard even more.

How do you make your voice heard? How do you help others make their voices heard? Please share!

Posted on the Successful Teaching Blog by loonyhiker (successfulteaching at gmail dot com).

Image: 'lauter protest'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/73603628@N00/365973056

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 11/4/11

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Cartoons for the Classroom – Includes cartoons and lesson plans.

Slime Kids – “SlimeKids features an extensive collection of book trailers organized by year and by grade level as well as numerous language arts-related games in such categories as spelling, typing, vocabulary and grammar. Additionally, the website showcases an array of exceptional literacy-related resources such as author and book review websites as well as superb learning tools including reference works and search engines.”

Study Blue –“ Make online flashcards with photos and audio. Prep for exams with personalized practice quizzes. Get reminders about when (and what) to study next, and study on your phone with free mobile apps. Your Digital Backpack™ is here. Free.”

Graph Words – visual thesaurus

Soapbox – “Teach more effectively. SoapBox is a controlled digital space, designed to improve student engagement by breaking down the barriers students face when deciding whether or not to participate in class, and gives teachers a concrete assessment of student comprehension, in real time.”

Posted on the Successful Teaching Blog by loonyhiker (successfulteaching at gmail dot com).

Original Image: Pat Hensley

Subjects a Student Should Study

In Which subjects should a student study?, Steven Horwich states,
“I believe strongly that we should allow students to experience the world and all of its many offerings – and then let the student tell us what they find of interest.”
I think this statement refers more to how the student learns rather than the specific subjects a student should learn. I thought about this question for awhile and just couldn’t resist giving my opinion on this.
These are the subjects I came up with:
1. Reading – learning to read and comprehend what is read opens the door to just about anything.
2. Math – basic skills will help anyone get further in life especially skills in computation, money, and measurement.
3. Science – learning how to make a hypothesis, experiment to find an answer, and analyze the results help lead to discovery.
4. Social Studies – I truly believe history can help us learn from our mistakes and successes. Geography is so important now that we can connect and collaborate with people all around the world.
5. Play – students of all ages need to learn how to laugh and enjoy life. We spend so much time telling them to get serious about their studies and to grow up that I feel we have forgotten that they are children and should be happy about themselves and the world they live in.
These basic subjects should be taught at every level and incorporate the student’s interest in the subject. As the student matures, these interests may change but I think the basic subjects will still pertain to any topic. In fact, their interests can tie these subjects together and make them more meaningful. If students feel that what they are learning is relevant to their lives, they will be more engaged and eventually become successful in whatever they strive to do.
What subjects do you think a student should study? Please share!
Posted on the Successful Teaching Blog by loonyhiker (successfulteaching at gmail dot com).
Image: 'Belinha has more than good looks'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/65768710@N00/2200198472

Everyday Dress Up - A Book Review

I recently read the book Everyday Dress Up written and illus. by Selina Alko which was mentioned on The Picnic Basket. This is the review that I gave the book (I am not being paid to give this review):

I thought this was an awesome book for young children to read. Growing up, I loved paper dolls and dressing up and I believe most children still do. This book focuses on famous women that are great role models for girls. The illustrations are colorful and appealing as well as the story. In the back of the book, there are short biographies of all of the women that are mentioned. By introducing these women to young girls, it is a great way to encourage them to shoot for the stars because there are so many possibilities for them. I also think boys and girls would benefit from learning about these special historical women so I would definitely give this book a 5.

Posted on the Successful Teaching Blog by loonyhiker (successfulteaching at gmail dot com).

A Day In A Classroom

I spent a day last week volunteering in my friend’s classroom. It was exciting to listen to the middle school students and hear them chatter about life! The best part of my visit was the first class when one of the students asked if they had a new student in the class (meaning me)! It made my day!

The school was clean and cheerful looking. Even the grounds were neat and decorated for fall. What a great environment for kids and staff to work in!

I was impressed by hearing the adult conversations going around me. It was towards the end of the week but I didn’t hear anyone complaining. There was no complaining about colleagues, policies or even students. There were conversations about lessons and strategies and student behavior. I don’t feel that any of this was acted for my benefit because nobody knew who I was.

In the classroom, I saw the teacher use the Promethean board as a way to enhance her lesson. It wasn’t used as the lesson which made me quite relieved. It was interesting the different ways that it was used to share information and help students see visuals of what the teacher was talking about. Students were engaged the entire time and I never saw any behavior problems whether they were working with someone or on their own. I even saw the way the teacher made accommodations for students who had special needs. Of course these were never pointed out to me but my years of experience teaching special education made me recognize this when I saw it.

I was able to file a ton of papers that needed to be filed while I was also observing the lessons and the students. Since parent conferences were taking place that afternoon, I was able to also put up a display of student work outside the classroom. Students showed their understanding of books they read in a variety of ways. Using fishing line and staples, I was able to also display a couple of dioramas that students made about their books.

The students’ behavior also impressed me. Whenever I helped students, they all thanked me. This was not something prompted by their teacher so I know this was their regular behavior. They were allowed to ask me questions when their curiosity got the better of them and their questions were appropriate and showed that they were interested in knowing more about me.

This visit made me willing to volunteer a lot more at this school. I think this atmosphere shows that there is great leadership at this school. The administration sets the tone for this school and it definitely shows. One Assistant Principal passed me and mentioned how good the display looked. I was quite pleased that he took the time to talk to me. I really look forward to having an opportunity to visit this school again!

Posted on the Successful Teaching Blog by loonyhiker (successfulteaching at gmail dot com).

Original pictures by Pat Hensley