Summer is Here!

This post was originally written for and posted (without the photo :-) on The Dock for Learning.

     It's May! Summer is Coming!

While I do love teaching and enjoy my job greatly, it is stressful being responsible for little humans all day, and one of the perks of being a teacher is having the summer “off.”  (In many ways, it’s not really “off,” because we usually find ourselves preparing, planning, and participating in teacher enrichment types of activities.)  

    So, May is here and summer is coming.  What will you do with your time off?  Here are several options and suggestions for ways you can spend those precious three months. 

1.  Relax.  We are responsible for our students about seven hours a day, and that can be stressful even if we really enjoy what we do.  If you’ve ever been a secretary, cashier, or builder, you know the difference.  Take a few days or a week to just relax and spend time doing things you love to do but don’t always have time for during the school year. 

2.  Set some educational goals for next year.  I usually find the area I’m weakest in and work on that.  One year it was teaching science, another year it was art, and this year I think it’s going to be organization.  Read books, research and get ideas, ask other teachers questions, and work on improving that area. 

3.  Plan some teacher enrichment activities.  This is always one of my favorites.  I plan to go to seminars, camps, and museums.  I usually try to travel to at least one new place.  I want to have more knowledge and experience next year than I did this year.  I want to have more interesting stories to tell my students, and I want to model for them what it’s like to be a lifelong learner.  

4.  At the beginning of August (or earlier if you’re ready and in the mood), go into your classroom and gather any new books you’ll be using.  Plan to take them home where you can look them over at your leisure.  Sit at your teacher’s desk for a while and look around, visualizing where you might move desks, furniture, or a bookshelf.  

5.  Gather materials.  Go through the science book and gather everything you will need for every experiment and put it in a bin to take to your classroom later.  I also try to find brain games, interesting books and puzzles, or science or history items to add to my classroom.  

6.  Plan and prep.  About two weeks before school starts, I like to make sure I have my ducks in a row.  I double-check all the books, tests, etc. and make sure I have everything I need.  I like to figure out how many pages I would need to cover in a day in order to finish the books by the end of the year.  I’m not a “book finisher,” and I will gladly stop, slow down, or back up if my students are not comprehending what I’m teaching them, but I have found that usually we can indeed finish our books on time if we stay on track and focused all year round, and don’t get sidetracked with all kinds of bunny trails and waste time in class.  

The summer months fly by, but if we have a plan, set some goals, and use our time wisely, we can make the most of them.  We can feel relaxed, refreshed, organized, and ready to go in August if we spend our summer months well.  Happy summer!  

Make Like a Tree and Leave

     The other day I went out to check on my sheep and gather chicken eggs when I could not help but notice beautiful autumn leaves drifting down from above my head.  I instinctly began picking them up, like I do seashells at the ocean shore.  Red ones, yellow ones, half green and half brown ones.  Oak leaves, pecan leaves, what are these funny ones?  My pockets were full.

      I went inside and placed them in my huge white teacher’s bag.  It is full of all kinds of stuff-- usually papers to grade, zillions of pens, Advil, anti-itch cream, Frosty coupons, a sharpie, my camera, my clipboard, my choir music because I can’t learn the last page of that hard song, food, my coffee cup, and now, leaves. 

      The next day I gave every student one of each kind of leaf I had gathered.  We examined them, drew pictures of them on the board, taped them to paper, and wrote their names next to them.  I grew up in Texas, but I never knew the difference between the leaves of a red oak and a white oak until yesterday.  We discovered that two of the unknown leaves were aspen and sweet gum.  

      The following day the students showed up with baggies of leaves-- one of each kind for each one of their classmates.  We added magnolia leaves, holly leaves, cedar “leaves”, and maple leaves to our collection.  Then we put them in between waxed paper and ironed them on top of an old t-shirt.

      My husband walked in the room to get a book and asked me, “What are you doing?”   I told him we were ironing leaves.  I felt a little silly, but anatomy can wait for another day or so.  We are having a wonderful time examining different kinds of leaves.  

Falling Down the Steps While Having a Golf Disc Thrown at My Head

     Once again it was time for our fall disc golf excursion.  We picked a course in Temple which we had never played before.  It was a beautiful, crisp fall day.  The man picking pecans on hole 6 didn’t mind us a bit.  We just yelled, "Fore!" and kept going.

     Ladies in skirts and veils on disc golf courses always attract a lot of attention.  We only had a few photos snapped of us this day. 

     The ponds claimed three of our discs, but we reclaimed them.  

     We always take time to notice interesting science--like this spider web,

and this eagle--just kidding, sort of.  It was an eagle kite, which one student retrieved and flew.  

     And there are always ample photo opportunities, including the now-obligatory disc golf on girls’ heads shot.  

     I actually fell down these limestone steps while trying to hurry and get this photo and get out of the way of the gentlemen who were throwing frisbees at our heads.  Ok, only one of them threw one, and my husband made the rest wait until we were safely out of their line of fire.     

Native American Art Project

     I am always looking for different art projects.  I like them to be creative, tactile, and not involve too much sketching and or painting, although we do some of this too.  I learned how to make these back in Girl Scout Troop #257 - Hurrah for Mrs. Tillman -- back in the 1970s.  Traditionally a Pueblo Native American Indian or Spanish craft, they are easy and fun to make.  

     The first day I showed the students how to make them.  An older student helped me make popsicle sticks pre-tied together to make it easier for the younger students.  Then I left all the yarn and extra sticks on the table the rest of the week.  

As usual, the students came up with their own variations including tiny ones made with toothpicks,  different color combinations, reversing the weave so that it comes out three dimensionally, and even large ones made of all one color.  

      We learned two other facts about Ojos de Dios, or God’s Eyes as they are traditionally known.  

      

      1.  They do not make good boomerangs.

      

      2.  My husband also learned how to make these in Spanish class when he was in school.  He loved making them so much he had his mother buy him several different colors of yarn so he could weave more at home.  He was in the tenth grade.  

 

Mission: Teacher Mind Clearing at Mission San Jose

     

    What teachers should do before school starts and on holiday breaks:  take at least one little vacation.  For us that meant a quick visit to see family in San Antonio where I was raised.  Our first stop was at Mission San Jose.  We enjoyed an educational documentary and then roamed all around the peaceful grounds.  The church was magnificent and is still being used today.  

 

    






Next we went to the Sunken Gardens which used to be a stone quarry.  It is now a beautiful park.  Minds cleared, new ideas discovered; we were ready to start another year.  

Paper Bag Tree Art

     This was a super-easy, creative, fall art project made from a simple paper bag.

Disc Golf: HOLE IN ONE!

      There are always those few “firsts” of the school year.  The first test, the first one hundred, and the first hole in one.  At our school, that means a disc golf hole in one.

      We have our very own little five-hole disc golf course right here at Lott Mennonite School.  You see, our principal enjoys playing disc golf, and he taught the students how to play.  When some of the playground equipment broke and needed replacing, someone suggested getting more than just our one disc golf basket.  It worked.  Now we have five.

     The first hole is about a hundred foot par two where the students tee off from the school entryway between the columns.  Every break, at lunch, and recess we hear “fore” yelled every time the front door is opened.  Our principal kindly offered 32 ounce Cefco drinky (as we call them around here) as a reward to anyone who could get a hole in one.    There have to be witnesses, of course.  So, we all rejoiced when a high school freshman got the first hole in one of the year.  His choice: Dr. Pepper.

An Informational and Inspirational Thanksgiving Party

     The day before Thanksgiving break we wanted to do something a little different and a little fun.  The teachers made apple cider and little snack mix cups, and then the students came in and sat down.

     Next we read stories to them.  Only these weren’t just any stories, these were stories and reports our high school students had written.  All the high school students sat at one table, and after I read each story or report, the other students had to guess which one of the high schoolers had written it.

     Two of the readings includied creative writing assignments-- one based on an Anabaptist man in Switzerland who was captured, persecuted, and died for his faith, and another about a rich prince who choose peace and poverty over riches because of jealous competition.

     The reports were just as good.  We heard
about jars of pickles left along the Oregon Trail, why Horatio Spafford wrote his famous hymn, and the degradation of society in the 1950s and what caused it. 

     Everyone enjoyed our little party and had fun guessing who wrote what.  It is good to do something different, especially when the younger students are being exposed to good writing and are inspired to higher aspirations for their futures.

How to Make a Medieval Money Pouch

This was a simple little art project which also doubled as an honor roll party necessity --  a medieval money pouch.  We learned about these in history.  Before pockets were invented, people carried little pouches around their waists or necks and used them to carry money or other necessities.  

We purchased some felt at Wal-Mart and drew circles on it about twelve inches in diameter.   The students cut out their circles and then measured about two inches around the edges, marking it with pen to make a smaller circle.  Next they cut little slits about two inches apart on the smaller inside circle.  We gave each of them a long piece of twine and they “sewed” it in and out of the slits they had cut to make a drawstring.   Instant (almost) Medieval money pouch. 

Later that night at the honor roll party we gave them washers which they used for coins to buy items for their dinner as they traveled around to different stops at the Choose Your Own Adventure Honor Roll Party.  

$100 for Christian Aid Ministries

For several weeks now our elementary students have been collecting money for Christian Aid Ministries (CAM).  And they’ve been doing it by earning good grades.  They “earn” 

25 cents for a 97-100%, 

10 cents for a 94-97%, 

5 cents 90-93%, and 

1 cent for an 85-89%.  

It totals on average about $8 a week, comes out of my spending money (I feel that is a very small sacrifice), and is a wonderfully fun time of the week for us all.

I total up their earnings for the week, which are based only on their English daily grades, spelling tests, and an occasional science or social studies test. 

Each student has a little bank into which they put their money.  They also have a tally sheet to update their amount each week, which not only helps their math skills, but also keeps them accountable.  Then we exchange five $1s for a $5, two dimes and one nickel for a quarter, and so on.

This past week we reached the $100 mark and had a little celebration.  I made them “100” cookies using a piece of Hershey’s chocolate for the “1” and two Lifesaver gummies for the “0”s.  

      On our chart we added another Bible for someone in China, and half of a chicken for a poor family halfway around the world.  

The students love it.  They are making good grades and blessing others in the process.  Yay for “100”s.  

        P.S.  Credit for this idea goes to Esther Raber at Osceola Christian School.  

     

The Caboose Leaves the Depot

The graphics editors and editor-in-chief hard at work.

      Our sixth issue of the Cotton Caboose is hot off the press.  It includes stories about a runaway horse and buggy, Rosebud's wonderful new librarian, and Dr. Patton, a Dr. Pepper copy which was bottled in Rosebud from 1904-1926.  By the way, if you find one of these old bottles they are worth around $700.  

      If you would like a copy of the Cotton Caboose please let us know; we'd be glad to send you one.  

Leverage - How to Get Students to Do What You Want Them to Do

The definition of  the word “leverage” used figuratively is “the power to influence a person or situation to achieve a particular outcome.”  

For a teacher it would probably read something like this:

“the power of a teacher to influence and motivate a student to try diligently to learn in school, apply themselves to their work, and to achieve good grades.”

We believe that there are three kinds of leverage; parent motivation, teacher motivation, and relationship motivation.

 Parent motivation

This kind of child has a parent who really cares, and the child knows it.  The parent expects their child to make good grades, rewards them when they do, and punishes them in some way if they do not.  They regularly ask their children how they are doing, help them study, and communicate their expectations to them.  The parent has already done all the motivation work and the teacher doesn’t usually need to do much of anything.

Teacher motivation

These types of students really aren’t too concerned about their achievement in school until the teacher stresses it.  Then a “light” seems to go on in their brains and slowly they start more paying attention, making comments, answering questions, and “connecting the dots.”  When this happens, they bring me pictures they found in other books they are reading on their own about things we studied at school, their grades improve, and they seem to genuinely enjoy school. 

Honor roll parties are a really big deal at our school.  We go to a lot of trouble, but it works.  The students really want to make honor roll.

There are many ways for teachers to do this, and these will be presented in another post entitled, “Student Motivation.”  

Personal relationship 

This last group of students are the hardest to reach and motivate.  Their parents don’t sincerely value education.  They give their children the impression that things like trucks, hunting, and making money are way more important than school.  And the students believe it.  We have actually had a parent seriously tell us that he only let his children go through the eighth grade because,  “We like to keep our children a little dumb,” he stated.   We were aghast.  

So, this third group is not motivated by their parents, neither are they usually motivated by any rewards the teacher presents or offers.

But, we believe that with 99% of students, there is some way to reach them.  I have done some strange things to try to figure out what each student's motivation was.

Sometimes it just takes letting them know that you care.  Ask them if they turned their work in.  Call them to you privately and show them their grade.  Tell them you think they can do better.  Repeat for a few days and sometimes this will work.  It helps if you have previously taken an appropriate interest in them, have asked about their family and hobbies, and talk to them outside of school.

Every once in awhile this won’t work either.  Here are a few ideas to try if plans A, B, C and D haven’t worked yet. 

Put his (or her) desk closest to yours and keep a close eye on him, encouraging him to get his work done, and to do it well.  I once had a little one who never got his work done.  We tried everything.  No reward motivated him.  He was very smart and could easily finish, yet he never did.  I put an extra desk adjacent to mine.  At lunch and through choir he would sit there, and he finally began getting it done-- albeit two hours later.  Then I had the “desk idea.”  When I went across the room to teach the older students, I would drag his desk over there.  I would diagram a sentence on the board for the eight graders, then take a few steps over and keep him focused on his paper.  After a few days of this he began finishing his papers on time.  I would grade them quickly and then announce his 98% or 100% to the older class, which would then cheer loudly for him.  It worked.  He began finishing his work on time, without dragging the desk across the school, and making great grades.

Offer small personal rewards.  Tell the student, “If you can get your work done with an 85% or above all week I’ll buy you your favorite mini candy bar,” or stickers or any little thing.  No, this isn’t permanent; it is just to “get them over the hump” so that they realize they can achieve if they just try a little harder.

We also use what I call “positive peer pressure.”  I once had a student who was very hard to motivate.  I had tried just about everything.  He was twelve, not a child.  At first he never even finished his work.  I would have to go and dig it out of his desk after school because he never turned it in, and he’d get about a 50% because only half was even done.  I tried the front desk thing and that helped a little.  We kept him in from recess if his work wasn’t handed in.  He gradually began finishing his work, though it still took a lot of effort on our part.  Then one day we had a great breakthrough.  I graded his paper and saw that he had gotten a 97%.  I was shocked. As he walked by my desk at lunch that day I called him over.  I showed him his grade with a big smile.  Then I unknowingly, almost on accident, fixed the whole problem.   I told him that he’d gotten the highest grade of the day.  That did it.  From then on he finished on time, with very high grades, and often asked me if he had the highest grade of the day.  I would have never figured that one out if I had not persisted in trying to figure out what specific thing would motivate him.  I was glad I did, even though it took a few months to figure it out. He has continued to make fantastically high English grades for the past three years.  

 Good teachers don’t give up, they just keep trying different approaches.

So, what motivates your students?  Is it their parents? Do you have extrinsic motivations as a teacher which motivate your students?  Or do none of these work and you have to figure out what works for one of them individually? I encourage you to try.  It could make all the difference for that one starfish, or student.  

Freddy the Frog Visits Lott Mennonite School

We offered to mail a package for our terrific first and second grade co-teacher, Miss Delores Strite.  It was a very strange package.  It contained a journal and a frog.  She said we could look inside it, so we did.  

The frog was “Freddy the Frog,” and he began his journey in Missouri.  He is being mailed to different first and second grade teachers around the states.  The students are encouraged to write in the journal that travels with Freddy to tell what adventures he had that day.  

Freddy the Frog had a band-aid on his back and looked a little, well, loved.  I decided to read the journal.  Here are a few interesting adventures Freddy has had on his travels thus far.  

One student gave Freddy a bath and then put him in a warm oven to dry him out.

Freddy climbed a tree with one student.

He helped weed and water the garden.  He got wet, but I don’t think he was subjected to the hot oven that time.

Freddy got a 100% on a test.

Freddy played the piano.  

Freddy went bird hunting.

Freddy tried on a covering.  

He milked a cow.

He fell off a rip stick.

He played football and got hurt.  The student who had him that day is the one who put the band-aid on his back.  

One student wrote:  “The van got a gas leak and about exploded.  He [Freddy the Frog]  got to see the police car and fire truck that came out.  He fell off the bridge at the park.”

Freddy certainly has had some exciting adventures.  He is now on his way to Virginia Beach.  Thanks to Gina Kauffman at Farmington Mennonite School in Farmington, Missouri for starting Freddy on his journey.  Our first and second graders really enjoyed having Freddy the Frog at Lott Mennonite School for awhile.     

Things Teachers Should Do on Holiday Breaks

1.  RELAX.   No one has his hand raised, no one needs your  immediate attention, no one has a trauma (hopefully), and you can just be a normal human for a few days.  Enjoy it.

2.  Go on a long drive and clear your head.  We decided to drive to Florida to visit Grandma.

3.  Experience something new.  Go to a museum, go hear your favorite choir, or visit a landmark.  We choose to go to the beach since Grandma lives about twenty minutes from one.

4.  Spend time with your loved ones--real human beings.  This holiday season marks the first ever in which toys lost in popularity to technological gadgets for Christmas gifts.  Our local newspaper was full of letters to Santa which boldly declared, “I want an XBox and an iPhone.  I have been good.  I deserve it.”  

Whoa!!!!!

I don’t deserve anything, only God is good, and I am so over technology.  Not only does it distract us, taking precious time away that we could be spending with our loved ones, but also it throws so many temptations our way, causing many to sin.  Instead we have played Rummicube, Bananagrams, and spent hours on the beach together hunting shark’s teeth.

So, fellow teachers, relax, take a drive, do something different, turn off the gadgets, and spend quality time with loved ones.  You only have a few days before all the hands will be raised, everyone will be needing your attention, and there will probably be a few traumas.  But all of those are a different kind of fun :-).