That's all folks...no wait, that's not all

Well, I blogged about time back in September. And boy, how time has flown. Student teaching ended back at the beginning of December and the MAT program ended a few days later. When I think about how I felt about student teaching back in August, it makes me laugh. I was terrified. I had butterflies for weeks leading up to it. I think I had anxiety before the summer sessions even ended. I'm pretty sure I looked like a deer in head lights for a good couple of weeks once student teaching started too.

But once I got comfortable with the kids and the teachers, I really hit my stride. If there was any doubt in my mind about this career, it was solidified during student teaching. I absolutely love teaching. I love trying new things and giving students the opportunity to learn with me. I am so excited about my future as a teacher. The new adventure begins in January when I will get a new group of fifth graders. I know them and they know me, so I'm already ahead of the game. I'm looking forward to starting from scratch with them. I can't wait to set up my room and to create rules with them. That they believe in and want to follow. I think the rules and procedures part is the hardest part, but it's the most important. So that will be a top priority. After that, I'm looking forward to digging into the curriculum with them. But the groundwork has to be laid first. All in time.

The festivities begin next week. I have new teacher orientation on Tuesday and then I will be introduced to my class that same afternoon. Wednesday is a teacher workday, so I'm thankful for the time to move stuff around and load in all of my boxes. I have books and supplies I've been saving up for this day. I'm so looking forward to January 4th. I'm so thankful to Meredith for the wealth of education information that is overflowing out of me. I can't wait to share more teacher stories with you guys once the experience starts!

Where does the time go?

School officially started last Wednesday. August 25th to be exact. But teachers arrive at school about a week before the students do for teacher workdays. During that time, teachers sit through a number of different meetings - grade level, HR, etc. Teachers also use those workdays to get their classrooms organized and ready for students. Desk have to be arranged. Name tags have to be in place. Cubbies have to be assigned. Books have to be distributed. And so on. There is a laundry list of "duties" that have to be fulfilled before the students arrive. Honestly, those days seemed to crawl for me. The meetings were long and sometimes the content was over my head, simply because I don't have a personal connection to the school yet (because I don't have a "real" job). That's where time comes in. On the workdays, time seemed to crawl by. That's probably because I was so nervous and anxious about everything that we were doing. Needless to say, I had more time than I knew what to do with on workdays. But now it seems like the time flies by. Every day. I get to school around 7:45 or 8. And the students begin arriving at 8:45. Once they're at school, time disappears. Managing time has taken on a whole new meaning. I'm trying to figure out how to get transitions down to single digit minutes, so time isn't wasted in between subjects. And walking in the hallway. But that's so difficult. I know it's only the fifth day of school, but I'm anxious to work this out!
I have a much greater respect for teachers than I did before I entered this profession. I underestimated the amount of work that teachers actually do. And in the amount of time that they have to get it done. And instruction is so regimented with pacing guides and objectives, that it has to be time oriented. Becoming a master of time is a critical component of teaching. Transitions have to be short. Activities have to align with the standards and objectives outlined in the standard course of study. And they have to be precise, meaningful, and authentic. There's so much to think about. And so little time...

Please note that I am NOT complaining. I'm simply trying to figure all of this out. Time is important for every teacher. I think every teacher has struggled with the issue of time at some point in his/her career. And if not, I want to him/her. It's amazing to me how naive I was about teaching before now. Things sound so nice in books and on paper. But it is an entirely different experience when you're in the classroom all day, every day. And I've only been there for two weeks - 5 days with the students. I'm so excited about everything I've learned thus far and really looking forward to the ride student teaching is about to become. I start teaching my first subject on September 13th. Let the fun (and planning) begin!

Parlez-vous l'francais?

I know all of the kindergarten student teachers (and their cooperating teachers) are anxiously awaiting the arrival of their students tomorrow. But being a fourth and fifth grade student teacher, I have already almost hit the one week mark. It feels like a milestone. I've learned so much already, but I know I still have a long way to go. I still get overwhelmed when I'm sitting in the back of the classroom observing the students taking notes or listening to a lesson. I have questions running through my head almost constantly throughout the day. And if I don't have a question, I have an idea. Or I wonder if a certain idea would work with actual students in the classroom. Or I think about ways in which I could change a lesson, etc. I guess that's what the student teaching process is all about. I'm not complaining!

I would actually like to share one of those ideas here, to see what others think about it. I have a hard time integrating technology into Language Arts (beyond the document reader or projector). I had an idea over the weekend when I was working on my portfolio to actually create a classroom blog. But I wouldn't be the sole publisher on the blog. As a part of writer's workshop, students would work to create stories to contribute to the blog. Each morning, as a part of morning work, students could take time to type their stories on the blog. This could also carry over into our technology or study island specials as well. It's possible that students would also be able to write little summaries of what they're learning in the other subjects as well. Every student in the classroom wouldn't have a blog - this would be one blog for everyone! I would be able to access the blog, but so would other students (not the whole school or grade, just our class), my cooperating teacher, and parents of the students in the class. In my opinion, this is a great way to get parents involved in the learning process because every parent can't volunteer in the classroom. And let's be honest, we know we ask young children, "So, what did you do today?" they all get the same blank looks on their faces. I always think this is such a simple question, but it's not one most kids can answer quickly. I think this blog would be a great way for me to share with parents what is going on in the classroom, but students would also be able to share their stories and their work with their peers and parents. This would not be publicized on the internet, EVER! I understand the importance of privacy in schools. I'm not sure this idea will actually work out, but I'm hopeful I get the chance to ask. I'm excited about this idea, so I know kids would be. What do you guys think?

Also, today marked another important day in my life as a student teacher. We got a late add to the class. The new student is an English Language Learner. I like to think I have a lot of knowledge regarding ELL's because of the courses I've taken at Meredith. I also have some experience with Spanish. But today my eyes were opened. We are constantly reminded to remember that all ELL's aren't Spanish speakers. And that is so true. The new student speaks French. And I don't speak any! And neither does my cooperating teacher. When he first entered the classroom, he did not understand what anyone was saying, but we all made him feel welcome and did our best to show him around. Me and my cooperating teacher were using gestures and words to help explain what we were doing, where we were going, etc. But as the day went on, the student surprised me. I have never been more excited to hear English words come out of someone's mouth! The student was reading in English. He was reading in English and completing a worksheet ahead of his peers. This was an awesome experience. I'm probably naive because most veteran teachers have at least one student in their class every year that doesn't speak English, but this was a big deal for me. I'm looking forward to the challenge of creating lessons that he will understand. And I'm looking forward to stepping outside of the box to include him in activities in the classroom setting. I am actually really excited about this fall because I'm working with two ELL's. One student is in the silent period right now, so it will be interesting to watch him develop and grow as the school year progresses. It's going to be an interesting process, but one I'm looking forward to tackling. We'll see how this goes...

First "Week" of School

School officially started on August 25. It's a day I've been looking forward to since the MAT program started last fall. The first day of school was a bit sweeter due to the fact that Praxis scores came in the day before. And I passed! Of course that was a huge weight off. I don't think it's hit me yet that I could potentially have a teaching job in January. Whoa!

Wednesday was a day of rules and procedures. Obviously structure is essential for kids, no matter what their age. My teacher had a long list of things to go over on the first day. Needless to say, some things took longer than others. We didn't get through everything, but the first week is all about creating a safe place to learn, so we knew we could use Thursday and Friday to finish up as well. We practiced walking in a quiet, straight line, we took a classroom and school tour, and had some fun at recess. There were other activities in that list, but I honestly can't even remember what else we did (sad).

I felt a bit like a deer in headlights on Wednesday. I don't think it truly hit me that school was starting and I was going to be with these kids for the remainder of the fall semester. That's a lot to take in, but something I'm so excited about! And the more I think about, the more real it's becoming. Let the planning begin...

Thursday was a continuation of Wednesday. We reviewed our classroom rules and procedures, but also began teaching. Students worked on reading inventories and selected a book to begin reading. My teacher is having students read 40 books per school year, instead of reading a certain amount of minutes per night. The list is also separated into genres, to ensure that students are choosing a variety of books. I love the idea and think it's a great way to encourage students to read books that truly interest them. And they get to read 10 books of their choice. What's not to love about that?

We also worked on labeling supplies, which surprisingly, took a long time even when working with older students. I was shocked! Again, the first few days are all about setting guidelines and creating procedures for students to use throughout the school year when working on assignments, reading, etc. They have to know what the teacher's expectations are, in order to succeed. The students in my class are great - they are fast learners, which is a plus. Having a combination class is a huge bonus for the fourth graders in the class. They can look up to the fifth graders for guidance and support. I love that!

Friday was my favorite day of the week. Not just because it was Friday, but because we really got into true instruction. Because I'm working in a 4/5 combination class, students switch classrooms for math. The teacher I'm working with doesn't teach math, so I also move with the kids. It was great to meet a classroom full of new students (although I need to quickly learn 20 more names). I'm getting a rare opportunity to work with a variety of students that I usually wouldn't get due to the combination class. I'm looking forward to the challenges the math class will present, but I know it's going to be a great learning experience. We also worked on fluency during language arts - students worked with partners, filling out a fluency checklist. This was to help them understand the most appropriate and comfortable way for them to read a book. I also began doing a read aloud today, which was so much fun! I chose to read 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.' We made it through three chapters today. The students were begging me to read more. I love reading to kids, no matter what the age. This is a great way for me to begin making connections with them. I want them to know that I'm excited about learning with them this semester!

I'm glad the first week is already under my belt. It's been a little chaotic, but I know that's due to the fact that it was just the first week. I feel like I'm in my element when I'm in the classroom and I've already learned a lot about myself. I love interacting with the students, but I'm also excited about the fact that I get to learn and work with a veteran teacher (I'm really working with three different teachers). The entire staff at the school is fantastic! I have a lot of work to do as far as planning goes, but the hardest part is over; the meeting the students and wondering if they like me part.

I've put my classroom management skills to the test, but I'm also constantly thinking of ways I could do something differently or improve something. I have a list of ideas going, which I will continue to add to throughout the semester. I can't even explain how excited I am about this part of the program. I'm giddy every time I think about it. I hope the rest of the MAT girls have had a great first week of school as well! I look forward to hearing stories. I know this is going to be a bumpy ride, but the first week has been a truly rewarding experience. I'm looking forward to the semester long ride!

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

As a part of my summer vacation, Patrick and I decided to take a trip to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (this is what teachers do in the summer). We parked in a two hour parking spot, but little did we know, there was a lot more than two hours worth of "stuff" to see inside the museum.

I didn't really know what to expect because I don't remember visiting the museum as a kid. But as soon as we walked in the door, I knew it was going to be another great find to add to my list of field trip sites.

Here's a quick run down of the exhibits we explored.

The coast of North Carolina is featured on the first floor. Bioramas, as the museum labels them, are located throughout the museum. The ones on this level feature different birds, fish, and turtles of the coast. There's also information about weather and hurricanes and how those two things affect the appearance of the beaches in North Carolina. The information desk, museum store, and auditorium are also housed on the first floor of the museum. Behind the information desk, you'll find interesting items found in and around North Carolina - information about the state bird, soil from NC, and other animals and plants can all be found in this area of the museum.

As we ascended up to the second floor, we began to see different whales and other creatures of the sea, while also beginning to see exhibits pertaining to the mountains. The whales were fascinating. The best part about the museum is the fact that everything is so open. You can see different elements on the first floor from the second floor, which continues as you climb. The underbelly of the whales can be seen from the first floor, but they are much more impressive when you're standing on the second level, almost on top of them. You can also find an abundance of information about each whale on this level as well.

Once you circle around to the other side of the second floor, the mountains are on display. We saw more fish, turtles, and snakes on this level. There are so many bioramas with tons of information too - I felt like a little kid reading everything and discovering the different animals that live in various places in North Carolina. There are also rocks and minerals, information on mining, and plate tectonics on this level to help students understand how mountains are formed.

The third floor exhibits help students make further connections between the mountains and the sea. There is a great map on this level that shows students the different regions of our state - coastal plain, piedmont, and mountains. Walking through the second and third floor helped me see and understand how unique the state of North Carolina really is. Students can also learn about dinosaurs and fossils (prehistoric North Carolina). The coolest part about the third floor is the exhibit that features the Acrocanthosaurus, which is the most complete specimen of it's kind ever found (and it's in Raleigh). The exhibit is called "Terror of the South." In this area of the museum, students can compare and contrast different dinosaurs from this area.

I also liked the "Tropical Connections" exhibit. This exhibit is especially helpful for students in 5th grade because it's all about ecosystems. There's an interactive globe and other live animals to show students the differences between the various ecosystems on display. The mountain cove rounds out the third floor - there's a water fall, live fish and turtles, and an abundance of information specific to the mountains of North Carolina.

I was especially looking forward to the fourth floor because of the butterfly house. We walked through the arthropod zoo first, which features insects and bugs and the role they play in the life cycle. This exhibit was aesthetically pleasing, making you want to take a closer look at some of the (in my opinion) nastiest creatures on earth, including cockroaches, spiders, and mosquitoes. But like I said before, I was mostly looking forward to visiting the butterfly house, which sits in the middle of the fourth floor. It's a small enclosure where you can experience the tropics without ever leaving downtown Raleigh. There were live butterflies flying all around us, but we also got a closer look at a tarantula, a snake, and a sloth. The temperature was pretty steamy too (true to the tropics).

As a result of this visit and experience, this museum quickly jumps to the top of my field trip list for the Raleigh area (not surprising because it's the number one field trip destination in North Carolina). Students can learn about the regions of North Carolina in detail, ecosystems, interact with live animals, and also do many different hands on activities. The website has an abundance of information for the teacher to use prior to the visit, but also for use during and after the visit as well. It's important to do your homework in order to ensure that this visit successfully reinforces concepts taught in the classroom. I'm definitely looking forward to taking my first class to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. And even if you aren't a teacher, you should still visit the museum. It's always good to know about the area in and around where you live. The best part - it doesn't cost you anything!

It's a Blogging Life For Me...

When the topic of blogging came up on the first night of class, I was thrilled. I've had a personal blog for over a year now. I love the process of reflecting on life and sharing my thoughts with others. It's nice to know that friends and relatives can keep up with me by reading a bunch of words on a nicely decorated page. That's where this blog comes in. It's always interesting when you try to blur the lines between personal and professional. I've considered school my job for the past year because it's been so intense. Writing about school related things on the personal blog doesn't catch much attention. But that's why I was excited to create this "teacher" blog. Classmates and teachers care more about the content in this space because we can each relate to the material in some way.

I've enjoyed writing and reflecting on my experiences throughout the past six weeks. This semester has probably been the hardest one because the end is so close. Senioritis has kicked in and the fact that the classroom is so close makes the end seem even farther away. I can truly say that this space has made me think about tough topics in a more meaningful and insightful way. I also was more thoughtful in my blog posts because I knew other professionals and peers would be reading the content. I'm looking forward to using this space in the future. I want to share my experiences during the student-teaching process, but I'm also hopeful I'll use this space to talk about the job search, my first classroom, and other school and teacher related experiences. Who knows, this blog could end up being my classroom website as well!

Blogging for this course not only gave me the opportunity to reflect on my own experiences, but it also gave me the chance to see what my peers were thinking. My learning of much of the readings for this course was enhanced because I could read what others were posting based on the same prompts. I also enjoyed reading about my peer's experiences in the classroom. I found that some had similar struggles to my own, but others had great success. Getting the chance to share in these experiences in an indirect way gave me the opportunity to further reflect on my own classroom experiences.

The only way I think the blog hindered my learning experience was the extent to which I could share information. I obviously had to be more careful about the items I posted here because anyone can view or read the content. I wouldn't say I was less honest because of that...I would just say I was less detailed. And that's the way this blog will stay.

I came into this course with a love for social studies and history and I'm leaving with a profound understanding of what it takes to actually teach the subject in the classroom. I've learned from my teaching experiences that it's a huge challenge. Many teachers don't even make time for social studies in the school day. I look forward to tackling the challenge of integration - that's the most effective way to fit each of the subjects into the instructional day. I also hope to learn a lot more about myself as a social studies teacher. I will maintain high expectations for myself and for the lessons that I bring into the classroom, but I do hope my lesson writing skills when it comes to social studies, progress as quickly as this program has.

Thanks for everything!

The Potential is There

Teaching lessons in the classroom is one of the best ways to know if a lesson is successful. As you read in my previous reflection, my first social studies lesson looked great on paper, but when it was taught in the classroom, it was overwhelming to the students. There were way too many activities and I was expecting the students to remember way too much. So for the second lesson, I decided to use my reflection to create a minimalist lesson. I wanted students to have one topic or idea to focus on, with one main activity to help them understand the topic. Overall, I think I did a good job when considering my weaknesses from the previous lesson. But I still think I have a long way to go when it comes to writing great, meaningful social studies lesson. The potential is there.

Now for the details of lesson #2. Me and two peers decided we would teach a social studies lesson collaboratively. The challenge came when we were trying to find an activity that would keep all three teachers busy. The topic was geography, so we decided to teach states and capitals of the United States; the focus was northeastern and southeastern states. We came up with a game that used outlines of the states from each region, state clues, and blank maps. Students had just learned the northeastern states, so we figured they would be relatively successful with those. But as an added challenge, we chose southern states as well.

Challenges/weaknesses in teaching the lesson:

• Planning with two other people is always a challenge. We all have different ideas and opinions that we bring to the table. Three teachers was great for some aspects of instruction, but I do think this lesson may've been more effective had one person created it and taught it all the way through. I think we each had a different vision of how it would turn out. This was a great lesson on collaborative teaching in the schools though!
  
• The clues were difficult. We should've thought to write each of the clues on the board as the teacher read the clue from the note card. Students needed to see the wording of the clue while also hearing it read aloud. I even had a difficult time recognizing one of the states when the clue was read.
• I think the Smart Board would've made this lesson more fun. I think the students enjoyed how interactive the activity was, but our projection of the United States was too small. The outlines of each of the states didn't fit on the actual map, so we had students stick them on the screen beside the map. Again, this wasn't a huge weakness, but this is definitely something that would've made the activity more fun and engaging.
  
• Partnering students may've also made the activity more successful. Some of the students had a hard time identifying their state initially. To help with differentiation, I think partnering students according to their ability levels would've made that part of the process a bit easier for some of the students. Since there were three teachers, we each walked around and filled that role for students.

Strengths of the lesson:

• Well-planned and thoughtful lesson. The lesson was both fun and challenging for students. It encompassed states they had already learned, but also challenged them to identify southern states they hadn't yet worked with in the classroom. Students also had to work to identify the states on their blank map.
  
• Three teachers meant a lot of attention for the students. They enjoyed the lesson because they received positive attention from their teachers.
  
• The lesson was engaging and fun. Students were eager to participate. They wanted to come to the board to post their state on the map, but more importantly, they were eager to help their friends. And every student in the classroom raised his/her hand at some point during the lesson. Students were comfortable and excited to learn, which was fun to be a part of.
  
• Students were challenged. We caused a great deal of disequilibrium in some students. I think if we had the opportunity to follow-up with the students, we would've seen some improvements in the states and capitals that each of the students could recognize from a map.

Overall, I think this lesson was successful. There are clearly some things I need to work on when it comes to writing social studies lessons. I think writing lessons based on social studies and historical events has been one of the hardest tasks yet. I'm looking forward to tackling the challenge when student-teaching begins. I think the challenge with social studies lessons comes in trying to make a huge, complex idea or topic minimal and simple, so students can actually learn and understand it. I'm looking forward to seeing improvements in my own work and lesson writing because I know I have a great deal of potential.

Acceptance is the Key

Bias is something a teacher has to be aware of, almost constantly. When instructing students in the classroom, the teacher's main job is to reveal different perspectives and ideas about a variety of subjects. When a teacher presents ideas in this way, students hear and understand a number of different sides to every story, rather than one.

Children are egocentric in nature. When students enter the classroom the teacher must offer support and scaffolding in order to help students reach a more multi-dimensional perspective on the world and the people around them. Presenting a variety of different perspectives on tough issues in the classroom allows students to consider others' feelings and opinions about the same topic. It's also great to expose students to controversial topics. Students learn to acknowledge and discuss a variety of different opinions in a non-threatening, accepting environment, which becomes your classroom. Students learn the idea of acceptance of others even when they have a differing opinion from a peer or classmate. Furthermore, they learn to understand each other and may even become friends in the process. Activities that expose students to a variety of opinions about different topics initiate this kind of environment where students can freely share their opinions.

So, what should a teacher do in the classroom to encourage an environment that accepts everyone's opinion?

1. Students should be exposed to a variety of sources for information. The textbook should not be the sole source of information in the classroom. Allowing students to explore other primary and secondary sources is a great way to help them come to their own conclusions about complex current events and issues. This also helps students connect to the real world.
   
2. The teacher should create a classroom environment where students can openly express their opinions. Students should feel free to discuss their thoughts on different issues without feeling judged by the teacher or by their peers.
   
3. There's more than one answer to every question. This statement should be posted in every teacher's classroom. Students need to understand that there aren't dumb questions, but more importantly, they should know that every response and answer to a question is worthy of acknowledgment. The answer may not be something we thought of, but it definitely will send discussion into a different direction and should be addressed all the same.
4. The teacher should work to bring current events into the classroom whenever he/she can. By exposing students to these types of real world events, we're helping them make connections to concepts they're learning in every subject taught in school.
5. Learning becomes a fun process when more than one perspective is explored and discussed. Students have the power to transform the learning environment they're in, depending on the opinion or perspective they take on a subject. That's the best part!

Creating this type of environment makes students more aware of their surroundings. They can easily imagine themselves in someone else's shoes when they read a book about a soldier or talk about a controversial event that's currently in the news. Students are creative and can immediately picture themselves in the situation if they're provided the right kind of scaffolding from an early age. These types of experiences are essential and follow us as we move into middle and high school, college, and on into adulthood. This is the formative stage where students need to be given the opportunity to share in a supportive, accepting environment.

In my opinion, when we create this type of environment in the classroom, everyone is free to share. Children from diverse backgrounds will bring unique experiences to the table, which should be welcomed. Family life, culture, and home life can all affect the perspectives students have on different issues. I look forward to creating this type of environment in my classroom because where students feel accepted, they are more ready and willing to share on a variety issues. Acceptance is the key!

And a wordle on the topic of diversity and acceptance in the classroom.

Encourage the Questions

Backwards planning seems like a foreign idea. But after further reviewing the concept, I think many of the units we've created throughout this MAT program have used this same format. We start with the big, overarching questions, that lead us to our goals for the students, and then we eventually get to the individual activities and lessons themselves. We have to know what we want our students to learn first. That should be our ultimate goal when we begin planning every unit. In my opinion, the backward planning format gets the hard part out of the way. Thinking of essential questions is a difficult task, but by creating those initially, teachers make finding resources and planning activities a much easier process.

That leads me to the prompt for this week. Backward planning is a process explained in detail in Understanding by Design by Jay Wiggins and Grant McTighe. As pointed out in the pages of this book, questions are rarely the focus of a teacher's attention in the classroom. But that's the whole point of backwards design. We want to move towards a question focused environment, where students are constantly interested in asking more questions - How? What? When? Where? Why? Who? Questions are an essential part of the classroom environment and they're what fuel further learning and interest in a particular concept or subject.

So, "If the textbook contains the answers, then what are the questions?" Wiggins & McTighe

To me, this question seems backwards simply because I don't think any textbook has all of the answers. Textbooks, like any other book, are created by people and where humans are involved, bias comes into play. If a student believes the textbook is the only source for information in the classroom, the teacher hasn't done his/her job. Other resources must be brought in, in order to help students understand a lesson in a more complex, multi-dimensional way. When students are given the opportunity to read more than just their textbook, they see other elements of a topic that might be left out of the textbook. For example, in creating a unit about the American Revolution for fifth grade, I wouldn't use the textbook alone. I would also bring in actual documents from the war, short stories and books to help students make connections, and I might also consider having a historian visit the classroom to share his/her synopsis of the war with the class. By using a variety of resources, we're helping students ask more questions, which should always be our goal. When questions are asked, the teacher knows that students are eager to learn more. But the students aren't the only ones asking questions - the teacher also plays a vital role in asking and responding to questions.

So, what should the questions look like?

Questions should always be open-ended and thought provoking, where students are challenged to look outside of the textbook for answers. We don't want the textbook to be our students' number one source for information. And we shouldn't want the textbook to be their only source of information either. Some of the best stories about history come out of the actual mouths of people that lived during a particular time period. By sharing with students the different means to which they can find and receive factual information is an important part of our jobs as teachers. But I also think the way we get students interested in this information is by asking them more questions. We don't have to tell students where to find this information - we simply have to ask them questions that spark this kind of thinking. We have to encourage them to seek more details and characteristics about a certain topic on their own - outside of the textbook.

As teachers, we also have to remember that questions are an essential part of every unit and lesson we create. We can't be afraid of questions that go outside of our intended realm of learning within a unit. Every question is important and should be addressed. I say addressed because not answering a question is okay. Students have to learn that some questions cannot be answered. This will encourage students to research and explore certain topics on their own, outside of the classroom. Questions should always be asked and encouraged within the classroom. The way those questions are answered is up to the teacher and the students. Allow for creativity in both!

Ultimately, the questions that we ask are ones that students can continue answering and thinking about long after the unit is over.

High Expectations

I generally enter the classroom with high expectations. I like to think that every time I teach, I have the potential to learn something new that will equip me with another tool to add to my "teacher tool belt." Last Thursday was no different. I stayed up late finalizing my lesson plan, trying to think of each component of the lesson and how they fit together. Does the lesson flow? Do each of the elements connect? Are my goals reasonable? Is the lesson and material appropriate for fifth grade students? In answering each of these questions in my head, I was sure I had thought things through thoroughly enough to ensure that the lesson would be a success. But when I entered the classroom, everything changed.

My First Social Studies Lesson:
The lesson I taught last Thursday focused on geography in the United States. As an introduction, I chose to relate Louisiana to North Carolina, helping students see that even though Louisiana is almost one thousand miles away from NC, each of the states still share some similarities. By doing this activity, I was hoping to help students see that the oil spill has relevance in this state. Students colored in LA and NC on a blank map, filled out a Venn diagram with a partner, read a TIME magazine article for kid's on the oil spill, and also answered opinion questions about the spill during the lesson. Again, this lesson was all about the progression, going from a compare/contrast activity, up to the relevance of the oil spill on the lives of people from North Carolina. After I taught my lesson, I realized that it was over my students' heads. I had high expectations for my students, but they weren't entirely reasonable, considering I taught the lesson on the first full week of school.

I'm a planner and as you can tell from my lesson description, I had an abundance of activities planned. I honestly felt like each component of my lesson was essential in order to help students understand and connect to the gulf oil spill effecting the southern part of the United States. What I learned on Thursday is that teaching social studies is a lot harder than I imagined. It's easy to integrate other subjects in with social studies, but that makes teaching the subject a lot more complex.

Things I need to improve:

• I needed to use a book about the state of Louisiana that was on a fifth grade student's level. While I did the read aloud about the state of Louisiana, I should've had students jot down some of the state's characteristics. Expecting a fifth grade student to remember a list of characteristics and facts read aloud from a book is unrealistic.
  
• I over planned. Instead of choosing so many different activities, I should've focused my attention on one or two of the activities in order to help students connect to the material in a more effective and meaningful way.
  
• After teaching my lesson, I immediately wished I would've chosen the other states affected by the gulf oil spill to talk about as well. They were discussed, but students didn't learn anything about the other states. I could've focused my lesson on southern states...choosing important aspects of each state to talk about, while also comparing each of the states to North Carolina. That way, students would've been on their way to learning some of the states and their capitals in the southern region of the United States.
  
• I think I needed to be more directional and intentional with my activities. Rather than having students think about characteristics of each state, I should've stuck to the geographic characteristics of the state, helping them understand their cardinal directions, climate, and the type of ecosystem. Each of those elements is dependent on the specific area of the United States that's being discussed.
  
• I was naive. I thought each element of the lesson out prior to teaching, so I expected that students would understand the content right away. Specifically at the beginning of the lesson I should've helped students activate prior knowledge about North Carolina. I could've asked students questions about North Carolina, while writing the characteristics they came up with on the board. That would've helped them visualize the differences and similarities between NC and LA.

Things I did well:

• Thorough and thoughtful
• Organized and prepared
• Explicit, clear instructions
  
• Relevant activities/connections to real world
  
• Interdisciplinary - language arts, science, and social studies
• Students were given a variety of ways to respond to the material and content of the lesson - think-pair-share, small group, opinion questions
• Compare/contrast - requires higher level thinking skills

I can't say that I think my lesson was completely successful. Students learned about Louisiana and the gulf oil spill, but due to time constraints, I didn't get a chance to finish making the connection between each element of the lesson (this is a huge weakness). I think the activities were relevant and connected students to the real world, but I don't think I brought the lesson to an appropriate close because many of the students in my group had confused looks on their faces. That made me feel like a failure at the time, but I'm hoping that the experiences from this first social studies lesson will help me improve for my next lesson and into student-teaching in the fall.

I will continue to enter the classroom with high expectations because I think that's an important part of teaching. But I will also continue to be confident in myself as a teacher. One of the most important parts of teaching is trying new lessons and activities in the classroom. A teacher will never know if a new lesson is successful unless he/she tries it out with actual students. It may look great on paper, like this lesson did for me, but it could end up being a flop with actual students. In teaching this lesson, I learned the importance of actually TEACHING. I'm thankful for this experience, but I'm hopeful future lessons will be more meaningful for my students.

Annual Plan, Anyone?

When I was first asked to create an annual plan, I was clueless. As many times as I've been in the classroom, I've never seen an annual plan used. That's why it's been so difficult to tackle creating an annual plan for 5th grade social studies. And I only have to create instruction for the 3rd quarter! That said, I'm eager to learn how to create an annual plan that can be effectively used in the classroom. The idea seems simple and self-explanatory. But, creating a plan becomes tedious and difficult when you start adding in objectives and goals the students have to learn for an entire school year.


What are the benefits of using annual plans in the classroom?

1. An annual plan helps the teacher see the "big picture". Seeing the big picture is important for the teacher because there are so many goals and objectives to cover for each subject. The teacher can either choose to create a plan for one subject, or he/she can create a plan for each specific subject. I think I would use annual plans for each subject because that would help me see the areas in instruction that overlap. Interdisciplinary instruction should be incorporated into the classroom whenever possible - annual plans are a great way to see the connections between disciplines before the school year even starts. Talk about organization!

2. Using an annual plan also helps teachers clearly see the days and weeks that students will be out of school for holidays, teacher workdays, and early release days. Knowing how much time is allotted for instruction each school year is critical for the teacher to know. Creating annual plans can help the teacher see the time more clearly. The annual plan is the outline of instruction and can later be used to time out lessons and activities that will utilize the time most effectively. The annual plan is the pre-plan (the backbone of instruction).

3. When collaborating with my peers, Kristina made a great point about using annual plans in the classroom, which is the third benefit. Annual plans can be great resources to share with parents on parent-night. The teacher can share these plans with parents in order to let them know the progression of units throughout the school year. Parents might be driven to volunteer if a particular subject is taught when they're off from work, etc. Thanks for the great idea, Kristina!

What are the drawbacks of annual plans?

1. As I said above in number two, annual plans can be great organizational tools, but they can also cause teachers to over-plan. I like to think having an outline of my units for the entire school year would be enough for me, but I am a big picture person. I can foresee myself wanting to have units outlined and lessons planned before the school year even begins. This can cause a problem because I won't know my students yet. I need to remember that the annual plan is the outline and the resources and cooperative activities can be adjusted to meet the needs of any learner I come into contact with. The annual plan is the outline, not the end-all, be-all.

2. Think of the annual plan as a guideline. If it's seen as anything else, it can have the potential to make the teacher feel like a failure. Stay with me. If instruction isn't on track as far as the time element goes, or a unit seems out of place, the teacher has to remember that the plan isn't set in stone. Things can be moved and adjusted according to student achievement and understanding of the content. Again, the annual plan is a guideline! Don't get wrapped up in the details too early. Remember that elements of the plan can be shifted in order to meet the needs of the students, not the textbook or pacing guide.

What does this mean for my classroom?

I look forward to learning more about annual plans. I want to be able to interact with a plan and see how various objectives are broken down and put into quarters and units because that's been the hardest part, thus far. I also want to see the details teachers put into annual plans - what do the resource and cooperative learning sections look like?

After reviewing an actual plan and understanding the format a bit better, I can see the potential for using a plan in my classroom. I'm glad I'm getting the opportunity to create one with my peers because it seems like a laborious process. I'm looking forward to giving annual plans a try because I think the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks.

Historic Find

I like to think I'm connected to the blogging world. I have a personal blog and a lot of my close friends have blogs, so I often find myself discovering interesting articles or websites because of them. Today, I came across a random blog post entitled "Young Americans Don't Know Their U.S. History." Since I'm currently in a class that focuses on history instruction, this article caught my attention. I followed the link and discovered a Marist Poll. After reading the results of the poll, I sat and thought about the two numbers, 74% and 26%. I also read the question asked of the participants - "On July 4th we celebrate Independence Day. From which country did the United States win its independence?" I'm not sure what number shocked me more. The fact that only 74% of Americans knew that we achieved our independence from England, or the fact that 26% of participants either didn't know or named another country altogether (Spain, France, and Mexico were some of the countries mentioned in the poll). That still shocks me. This question directly relates to the original 13 colonies, so I guess I can see where someone would say Spain considering its connection to Texas and other western states. Regardless of the margin of error in the poll, the poll reinforces the importance of great history teachers.

I came across another Lauren Sausser article while I was still pondering over the poll results. The article I came across was entitled "Thomas Jefferson made slip in Declaration." I was drawn to this second article due to the fact that Independence Day was less than a week ago. The article reveals that while declaring independence from England, Jefferson slipped and called the American public 'subjects' rather than 'citizens' within the document. Think about that. Jefferson, among others, were working to create a document that would free the United States from English control, people that commonly used the term subject to refer to the American public. If you look closely at the document, you can clearly see that he wrote subject, but then quickly wiped his hand across the word, replacing it with citizen. Look at the images below. History at it's finest!









The Library of Congress released these images on Friday, July 2 just in time for the July 4th holiday. The discovery was made last year with hyperspectral imaging technology, using a high resolution digital camera. You can read the article in full from the msnbc website.

The results of the Marist poll, but also the new findings within the Declaration of Independence, prove the importance of great history teachers. As teachers, we have to stop pushing our social studies lessons to the end of the school day. Students are tired from a long day of instruction and teachers are often burned out. The key to keeping students engaged over a long day of instruction is by integrating subjects. As seen in a previous post, integration is a key part of a meaningful, well-planned social studies lesson. Don't forget that! The 26% of Americans that didn't know what state we achieved our independence from is reason enough for me to think critically about the ways I teach history in my classroom.

*Marist Poll information - 1,004 United States residents were interviewed. The poll was conducted over the phone from June 17-24. Participants were 18 years of age or older. I question the results of the poll to an extent because of the method does make me question the results of the poll to a certain extent. I think the information is still important to consider.

(Pictures featured in this post are from the Library of Congress)

NC Museum of History

I've lived in the Raleigh area my whole life, so I have enjoyed revisiting museums I haven't been to since I was in school. The expansion project at the NC Art Museum was impressive. The featured exhibits and artwork changed my opinion about art integration in the classroom. I was hoping my visit to the NC Museum of History would have a similar impact on me. Honestly, I can't even remember past experiences to the museum. The building hasn't changed much, if at all, and the replica of the Wright Brothers' plane is still hanging in one area of the museum, exactly as I remember it. The rest of my memories from the NC Museum of History have gone into long-term storage (it's tough to retrieve those)!

I had high expectations regarding our class visit to the NC Museum of History in downtown Raleigh. History is one of my favorite subjects, but I've never been a very strong history student. I'm not good at rote memorization or reciting dates and key events in chronological order, which is what a lot of teachers think history is all about. Chronology is important, but students have to know the events that make up certain wars or eras before they can put them in order. The Museum of History does a great job of teaching students about different time periods throughout the museum. One of my favorite parts was the 1920s drugstore, which was actually located on Fayetteville Street. There's a photograph of the original drugstore to give students an idea of what it may have looked like (since Fayetteville Street looks totally different today). The family that owned the drugstore gutted the building and gave many of the "insides" of the store to the museum. There's an old soda fountain, a cigar counter, a candy counter, and an area featuring medicines and other medicinal containers and bottles. This area of the museum fascinated me - it was like we had stepped inside the actual store. We were back in the 1920s looking at actual items that could have been bought back then. I think this would be a great way to integrate math and social studies in the classroom - students could consider the prices of items in the 1920s compared to the prices of the same items today. I'm sure the results would be quite surprising for elementary school students. Probably even for the teacher!

I also enjoyed the photography exhibit. As I learned last week at the NC Museum of Art, art can tell a very detailed story about a particular places' culture and the people that live there. The exhibit featured farm life in North Carolina and all of the photographs on display were from the Great Depression era. Again, students would get a great understanding of life during the Great Depression from the photographs displayed, but also from the various artifacts featured within this exhibit. Music and videos also portray life during this era as well. This was one of my favorite exhibits and really shows the power of photographs!

The Thomas Day exhibit intrigued me. I learned a great deal about who he was and I think he was an important figure in North Carolina, but I'm not sure how I could get a classroom full of students interested in an exhibit featuring a bunch of furniture. This is where I think the teacher has to do some homework, figuring out how to connect the NCSCOS standards to her students and to the actual artifacts in the exhibit. I want my students to get memories from their visits to museums, rather than just remembering the physical environment, like I did. Doing pre-museum activities to engage students in what they will be viewing and exploring at the museum is critical for an exhibit like this.

After thinking about my latest visit to the museum, here's where my expectations weren't met. First off, I wanted to see a larger exhibit featuring Native Americans from North Carolina. We have such a large Native American presence in this state, so I was disappointed to see that the two artifacts showcasing North Carolina's Native American history were in a hallway. I also wanted to see more of an exhibit showing the history of Raleigh and how it became the capital of the state. Again, Raleigh has a rich history, none of which is seen at the NC Museum of History which is right in the capital city. I'm hopeful with the addition of the exhibit, The Story of North Carolina: Forging Identity and Creating Community, more of that history will be explained in detail. I'm looking forward to visiting again because museums are like libraries - there's an abundance of information just waiting to be uncovered and explored!

And here's a little information for the teacher. The museum has a great website, which you can visit here. There are resources for lessons, pre-museum activities, and a tour checklist. For teachers that need professional development, the museum offers online teacher workshops. Other featured resources include History-in-a-Box kits, Tar Heel Junior Historian Association, virtual field trips, and NC History Resource Database.

History usually gets a bad wrap in the classroom. I'm sure if I asked many of you what your history experiences were like throughout school you'd either say you don't remember or they were boring/not fun. Teaching means the educator is taking responsibility for the content being taught - it's all about using powerful and effective resources in the classroom in order to reach each student. I'm looking forward to utilizing resources from the NC Museum of History's website in order to create a social studies environment in my elementary classroom in which students can't wait to learn!

It's all about integration when it comes to Social Studies!

Social studies is an integration of different social sciences under one umbrella. For that reason, teaching social studies effectively in the classroom means integration has to be a key component of instruction. In my opinion, each of the different sciences under the social studies umbrella create what we know as culture. The six social sciences studied under the social studies' umbrella include civics, anthropology, geography, history, economics, and sociology. See what I mean? Culture!

So what goes into creating a meaningful, well-planned Social Studies lesson?

First and foremost, I think students have to be engaged and interested in the content of a specific lesson. The teacher has to find a way to present the material so that it engages each student in the classroom. Creating an environment where students can personally connect to the content comes about when the teacher asks questions rather than telling the answers. Students shouldn't be sent to their desks to read about the Revolutionary War from their textbook. Textbooks can provide great background information for students, but should not be the sole source of information.

That's where hands-on activities come in - they are another key component to meaningful, well-planned social studies lessons. Instead of reading the textbook when learning about the Revolutionary War, students could plan a skit in small groups or each group could explore a cause of the war and present that to the class. These types of activities give students an opportunity to put their stamp on a lesson because they can be creative and imaginative. Students' individual interests are also showcased when hands-on activities are incorporated into lessons. Hands-on activities also help students understand and respect diversity - within their group, but also within the lesson or topic being discussed.

Integration is another important piece of a meaningful, well-planned social studies lesson. As I've seen in each of my field experience classrooms, social studies and science often get the least amount of instructional time. That's why integration is so important in the elementary school classroom - because time is limited! When teachers integrate lessons and units across subject lines, students get an in-depth understanding of the content being taught. Integration provides students with opportunities to read and write about a particular concept, understand art and culture, communicate and reflect on their ideas with their peers in small groups, make observations, and record data, all while studying the same topic across subject lines.

After each of these elements is explored in the classroom, I think field trips can be a great way to bring everything together. Field trips give students an opportunity to see history first-hand. I remember taking a field trip in elementary school to an open field. It sounds awful and boring, but I remember imagining the battle that took place on that exact field. I was standing where soldiers fought to preserve the freedoms of our country. That's a moving experience and one that I remember to this day. I know my teacher had great activities planned in order to get me to understand what took place on that field because it could have ended up being awful and boring. Field trips have to be planned effectively in order to affect students in this way. The teacher must plan activities where students can actively explore and engage in and with history.

Classroom visitors also seem to fit a similar bill. Getting an opportunity to listen to a Holocaust survivor's tale is far more engaging than reading an account from a textbook. Students need to be able to interact with history and I think classroom visitors and field trips are a great way to give students that opportunity. The teacher doesn't have to pretend to know everything because we definitely don't have all of the answers. When we give our classrooms up to visitors that can explain history in a more meaningful way, students' lives are changed because of the personal connections they can make with the story teller.

Meaningful, well-planned social studies units take time to plan and create because social studies is an intricate subject to teach. When creating a social studies unit or lesson, the teacher should carefully consider each student's interests, the types of activities that are incorporated into the lesson or unit, and if integration will be possible (because it should be!). These three components will help a teacher create a social studies unit/lesson that is meaningful and personal for each of the students in her class. Field trips and classroom visitors are also important to consider depending on the lesson or unit being explored. They don't have to be incorporated into every unit, but these types of activities provide students with unique ways to connect with history - past, present, and future.

NC Museum of Art

Today I visited the North Carolina Museum of Art. I was quickly reminded of past visits I had taken to the museum when I was a child. The building was old, brown, and relatively small, so it didn't take long to get through all of the exhibits. I remember when I was in elementary school I didn't have a huge interest in art, so this was probably one of my least favorite field trips of the school year. I know I'll have students in my classroom like me, not interested in art, but I'm hopeful I find ways to integrate art with the other subjects, in order to engage all of my students.

As many of you know, the NC Museum of Art recently expanded. I thought the building looked a little bit like a warehouse when we were walking up, but come to find out, the design is actually very scientific. The new building is 48-percent glass, which actually makes it a piece of art in itself (that's more my own opinion). Because of the large percentage of glass, the building allows enormous amounts of natural light in - it's actually northern light. When the sensors on the roof detect that too much light is coming in, sensors inside the museum, trigger curtains, which fall and protect the specific part of the museum that is exposed to the light. I had a hard time picturing this from the outside, so it was awesome to walk through the museum and see some of the curtains drawn.

We did a quick tour through the museum, about two hours, and received a lot of valuable information about the various featured exhibits. I'm intrigued by art - by its complexity and simplicity. It’s interesting to me how something so simple, like brush strokes on a canvas, can be featured in a notable museum. In one of the exhibits, we learned about math and art integration. Some of the pieces in this exhibit were really detailed and complex, while another, a simple blue parallelogram, stood out by itself because of its simplicity. I couldn't figure out how that figure was considered a piece of art or why it was featured in the museum. But that's how art is and that's why it's so awesome. One painting or picture can be considered art to someone and to another, it's just a few brush strokes on a canvas.

Ownership of the different pieces featured in the museum is interesting to consider as well. Try wrestling with the idea of actually owning a piece of art. What does that look like? How much does it cost? And where would the piece be housed? This is where the curator of the museum comes into the picture. They have an awesome job. Getting an opportunity to travel around the country/world looking for pieces of art to feature in the museum sounds like a great way to live. But again, cost intrigues me. I can't even imagine what a Monet costs. Or a Picasso. Bottom line, it's all about having an eye for art.

I also love history and seeing history through paintings and photographs. The exhibits that integrate social studies and the arts include the Egyptian, American, Ancient American, and European (there may be others). Giving students an opportunity to walk through the different exhibits and explore the cultures on their own is a great way to get students to think about the different cultures they've learned about throughout a specific lesson or unit. When students have the power to explore and learn certain things on their own, they are more likely to internalize the material, making it more personal and memorable to each student. I also think it's important to do activities post-field trip, in order to incorporate the new concepts and cultures back into the classroom setting. (This is important for any field trip)

After my visit, I'm also interested in various artists that I'm sure many of you have heard of. The museum features a Picasso, several paintings by Monet, and sculptures by Rodin. I never knew our Raleigh museum would feature such esteemed artists. 'The Thinker' is a sculpture by Rodin and is actually on loan from Stanford. There are a bunch of smaller sculptures by Rodin in various places within the museum as well. If you don't know anything about him, you should look him up. He's an intriguing man!

My impression of the NC Museum of Art has obviously changed. Now as a graduate student and adult, I see the importance of the arts and integration of art with other subjects. I look forward to watching the students in my class question the different pieces in the museum. I want them to be moved by the art in various ways because art is full of culture, emotion, and history. As with anything, it's important for students to have the opportunity to form their own opinions about art and it's importance, before we, as teachers, tell them anything about the piece. I'm looking forward to challenging my students to think about art in complex ways - giving them the chance to see how art fits with the other subjects learned in the classroom.

Please consider visiting the museum if you haven't been since the expansion. Visits to the permanent exhibits and the museum park are free. Check out the museum website to plan your visit - http://ncartmuseum.org/.



(Wikipedia images - The Thinker, Auguste Rodin)

Welcome!

Over the years, I've had a number of different blogs, but none of them have been subject or topic specific. In this space, I will share new insights I have with regards to teaching social studies and the arts in the elementary classroom. I'm hopeful what I learn will evolve into posts about the integration of social studies and the arts with the other subject areas - math, literacy, and science. I will also use this space to share articles and other educational materials with you that are pertinent to the elementary school classroom. Please visit on a regular basis. I assure you it will be worth your time!