Why I Love It When My Students Come Back to Visit

I was always happy when students came back to visit, and it was usually the most heartfelt and touching moment. I am glad to witness students growth and maturity. When kids become teens, they might become disobey, but it view this process positively as a nature adventure in life. Therefore, I love my kids and they are always welcome back to say hi and share their lives and stories with me : )

I miss them.

I work closely with my kids, generally for several years. And then, they are gone. And I miss them. Every year I rework my program, my department, and my life to fill holes that kids leave when they graduate. I have to find someone to do the jobs they did, for me and for the program. Who is going to be the lead technician? Who is going to be the one who welcomes in the new kids? Who is going to be the student voice when I am making decisions? Who is going to be the one who makes us laugh?

I get to see who they are becoming.

One of the things I love most about teaching high school is watching my students grow and become adults. Once they graduate, though, I stop getting to see that process. When kids come back, I get to hear about their lives and see how much they’ve changed.

My former students are the best role models for my current ones.

In my program, we tell stories about former students: the time B ripped his pants on stage during a show and handled it beautifully; the time C started the year in tears because of stage fright and ended the year with two shows under her belt; the way J ran everything and knew where everything was. These kids are the heroes of the department, and when the new kids get to meet them, it continues the tradition of learning from people who have been their shoes.

They remind me why I teach.

As someone who gets super focused and uptight, having someone come in who is there just to be happy and enjoy themselves reminds me of the fun parts of my job and to have fun with my students.

These are my kids. They will always be my kids.

Reference: https://www.weareteachers.com/former-student-visits/?fbclid=IwAR0BdsvZRju6vGOe8V1aJzVVN4p28Xq24Rg3JS80e2YDQsO49oesYe7nsCE

5 Teacher Tips to Create a Culture of Literacy in Your Classroom

Bring these ideas to life in your classroom to create blossoming reading communities for your students.

1. Start the Tradition of Book Talks

A Book Talk consists of someone (a teacher or student) sharing a book they’ve read with the intention of convincing a potential reader to do the same. These talks should go beyond saying, “I love this book,” by giving the class insight into what to expect from the plot or the characters.

It’s best to deliver a Book Talk with passion. Use a voice filled with excitement. Hold the book in your hand and always leave your listeners with a cliffhanger. These can be such powerful exercises to inspire and influence the class and their future reading.

2. Breathe Life Into Your Classroom Library 

Creating an inviting classroom library is a great way to keep students engaged with reading. Something as simple as displaying new books every few weeks can gain the interest of readers. It takes time to build a classroom library, but you can still use your school or local public library to consistently keep your classroom updated with new texts.

Seasonal themes provide great opportunities to update the books and decor in your library. This helps ensure that the most important part of your classroom always feels new and captivating.

Looking to stock up on a budget? Here are 100 amazing books under $5.

3. Give New Titles the Superstar Treatment 

Showcase books in new ways to create a sense of wonder. Before you introduce new books to the class, give them the superstar treatment: Spotlight books in the morning and during independent reading time by projecting the book cover. This can transform your whiteboard into a beautiful billboard!

With dramatic displays like this, readers can see the books before they are shared, and it builds interest — giving books that extra “wow” factor.

4. Keep Track of Classroom Read-Alouds

Document your reading journey visually throughout the year. A bulletin board display of your shared reading not only looks beautiful, but it makes a wonderful teaching tool. It can lead to conversations about an author’s craft, common themes, and genres that the class still needs to explore.

Your students will be amazed to see all the books they read throughout the year, and that excitement can further encourage their own reading. (Laminate the titles so you can use this display year after year.)

5. Create a Mystery Book Box 

Draw students in with a Mystery Book Box. This is simply a box that is mysteriously filled with read-aloud titles. A book is blindly selected from the box and then shared with the students. Reveal the Mystery Box only a few times a year to preserve its charm with students. In particular, this is a great activity for the beginning of the school year!

Here are a few tips to integrate a Mystery Book Box into your classroom:

  • Preselect your read-alouds for the week. Having trouble picking a favorite? These read-aloud favorites for grades PreK-3 has awesome titles to help you out.
  • Place the books inside a decorated, mysterious-looking box.
  • Tell the students a fun story about the origins of the box. Maybe an unknown person left the mystery box in your classroom? Create a fun catch: On the days the Mystery Book Box appears, you can only read one book a day, otherwise, the box will lock and the books will stop appearing.
  • Each day, pull out a random book with excitement (desk drum rolls are optional!) and share the book with the class.
  • At the end of the week, see if the students can find any common themes with the texts you shared or ask them to describe which story they enjoyed best with their classmates.

Sharing books with your students is one of the most important things teachers do. These ideas can help build an exciting culture of literacy in your classroom and a true love of books.

Reference: https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/teaching-tools/articles/5-teacher-tips-to-create-a-culture-of-literacy-in-your-classroom.html?fbclid=IwAR1Ea15_56n6ytPJRf0S41rwkCE_0kE2gTQh-IvAlvI93KrHNO1K1NkT2no

Recently… some thoughts

I have not posted so much these days. The first reason is that I have a large gap between courses and courses, so I just work on preparing teaching material tests days. I chatted with my cousin this morning. I suddenly realized that she has been stuck in her marriage so much which leads her complaint about traditional concepts and upbringings. She regrets about conservative  family education and her choices of being obedient. However, on the other hand, except the event that my aunt stole my student loan, I am grateful for everything my family have offered me especially LOVE and the OPPORTUNITIES of STUDYING ABROAD & PURSUING my TEACHING LICENSE.

Also, I have to admit that a teacher’s influence can be proud and life-long. I am lucky to have such supportive teachers all along the way of my leaning and teaching journey. Here are three pictures that represents my moods and thoughts.

  1. Pay respect and shout out to of all my teacher supporters at home, at school, at far afield for their contribution and dedication…

2. A reminder for myself: HEAL & MOVE ON…

 

3. To my students and future students: please do remember before you leave this class always remember I LOVE YOU, YOU MATTER, YOU CAN DO ANYTHING, & I BELIEVE IN YOU.

20 Tech Tips for Teachers

 

Top 20 Tech Tips for Teachers

20 Tech Tips for Teachers

I could talk about these tips all day with in-depth detail, but to keep this from growing into another accidental eBook, I will just give you a brief description. If you want to dig deeper, check out the additional links and resources provided, as well as the Shake Up Learning book!

DOWNLOAD THE PDF INFOGRAPHIC: Top 20 Tech Tips for Teachers

1. Shift Your Mindset

Mindset is the biggest battle to overcoming technology fears as well. I hear this phrase all the time, “I’m just not good with technology?” Make up your mind to be positive. The classroom is full of obstacles; technology is no different. Maybe you aren’t as quick to learn with technology as your peers, but never let that become an excuse. If your mind is holding you back, you have some internal work to do. Take the time to reflect on your current mindset and approach technology with a positive and flexible attitude.

2. Take Risks

The magic happens outside of your comfort zone. Don’t be afraid to step out and try new things in the classroom. Model risk-taking in your classroom. Let your students know when you fail or make a mistake so that they understand that is okay. Find ways to push students out of their comfort zones, give them new ideas, perspectives, and ways to approach a problem that can help them see the value in failing forward. Taking a risk during the learning process is a gamble, but one that can pay off big time. The difference is that a risk in the classroom may not guarantee success, but if truly guided with purpose toward the learning goals can garner valuable learning along the way.

3. Start With the Why

When you are planning a digital learning experience, be goal oriented! Begin with your learning outcomes, not the technology. This idea is perhaps the most important tip of all. Everything we do as teachers should always come down student learning and doing what’s best for kids. Just because you are using technology doesn’t ensure you are meeting any objectives or learning outcomes. If you cannot explain how the digital tool enhances or improves the learning experience, you are just using technology for technology’s sake. If this is the case, start over!

I can’t tell you how many conversations I’ve had with teachers that have started with this question,”How can I use [insert digital tool name] in my classroom?” The question should never be how to “fit” this awesome new tool into your learning experience. The question is always, “What are the desired student outcomes? What do you want them to understand and be able to do?” Then you find the best tools in your toolbox to help you get there.

4. Get Tech in Student’s Hands

Modeling is great, especially when it comes to technology use, but it is way more important to get technology into the hands of learners. Often times and with good reason, teachers can become overprotective of the technology in their classroom. Sticky fingers and clumsy hands can make you resistant, especially if it something you purchased with your own money. But if you really want to see an impact, that technology needs to be in your learner’s’ hands. Give them guidelines, show them proper use, then trust them. I see this a lot in situations like a one iPad classroom, or even when SmartBoards were popping up everywhere. The teacher became super savvy with the new technology, and the learners were engaged and excited to see something new, but don’t forget our purpose. Get technology in the hands of learners, even at the cost of giving up control.

5. Shop for Tools Like You Are On Amazon

There are so many devices, digital tools, learning ideas and gadgets to choose from in the twenty-first century that it can be overwhelming. Too many choices is a good problem to have! When it comes to the digital tools that you have discretion over, shop for your learners like you are on Amazon! You may actually be on Amazon, the App Store, Google Play, the Chrome Web Store, etc. Read reviews, talk to friends, get ideas from blogs and social media. Shopping is no longer a blind act. We can gather information on just about any idea or product, and we should find out what other teachers recommend. Find out what you can before you ever click download! Find out what you can before you decide to use it on your device and in your classroom.

6. Don’t Get Swept Away By New Tools

I am very guilty of this one! It’s easy to get swept away by new digital tools. I am often an early adopter and the first to sign-up to try something new; but if you are always trying to integrate something new, you run the risk of focusing too much on the tool and not enough on the learning. Give new tools time grow and evolve. Often times you will find that new tools that start off as free, could suddenly require a fee the day you decide to integrate into your classroom. Or worse, the company went under, and the tool is no longer accessible. New tools and ideas are part of what makes the 21st century so exciting, but we must be cautious when jumping into something new that hasn’t been proven or tested.

7. Be Consistent

When technology changes so fast, and new digital tools become available every minute, it can be tempting to try something new in your classroom every day, but learners need consistency. We all know how frustrating it can be to try something new that requires additional set-up time and then doesn’t really do everything you had hoped. Risk-taking with new tools is great, but not every day, that would risk too much instructional time. Stick with your tried and true tools, that your learners already know how to use. Then sprinkle in the new stuff! Be consistent so that your students have an opportunity to learn in-depth, focus on the learning goals, and become savvy with the best digital tools. Balance tried and true tools with sprinkles of new stuff to keep it interesting. You don’t want to be so consistent that it becomes predictable and mundane.

8. Don’t Integrate Too Many Tools At Once

Start small. Along with being consistent, resist the urge to integrate too many digital tools all at once. App-smashing is fun if guided by purpose, but if you try to do too much at once, you risk shifting the focus to the tool and just using technology for technology’s sake. If you love tech like I do, it can be easy to keep adding more ideas and tools to your lesson. But you should gradually build your student’s digital toolbox. It doesn’t have to happen in one day!

9. Don’t Be Afraid to Let Your Students Teach You!

Our students have a lot of knowledge and skills, especially when it comes to technology. Long gone are the days of the teacher being the gatekeepers of knowledge. It’s okay if you don’t know the answer when it comes to the technology, and students will love the chance to help teach you! As you are designing your learning experience, and you wonder about how a digital tool works or if there an app for that, ask a student! And even if they do not know the answer, they will be willing to help you figure it out!

The other thing that I love about talking to students about technology is they always show me something new, some new app, some new trick, that my adult world hasn’t seen yet. A lot of our students have their finger on the pulse of what’s hot, what’s right now, and while that may not always have a direct implication in the classroom, it could! Don’t immediately dismiss a tool because you think it isn’t educational. They will prove you wrong every time!

10. Utilize Student Tech Experts

It’s a myth to assume that every student is comfortable with technology. We still have a huge digital divide. But there are experts among us in our classrooms that can help bridge that gap. So not only should you leverage students to help you learn new digital skills, but you should also use them as go-to experts for other students in your classroom. This kind of leadership can be a very empowering experience for students. It can also help those with inclinations toward technology to explore their passions and interests, and it can definitely help get more girls and young women interested in technology as well.

Depending on how many savvy students you have in your class, this could be a permanent role or group, or even a rotating job for students in your class. Be careful though; you don’t want to force this role on any student who is uncomfortable or shy. At least initially, this should be a volunteer role. This idea can also be taken a step further by establishing a student help desk, genius bar, or Chrome Squad for your school. (Learn more about developing a student tech team for your school from this blog post series: The Chrome Squad.)

11. Ask Three Before Me

In my classroom, I would often deliver small group instruction while the rest of the class worked on other assignments, stations or learning menus. It became difficult to manage questions while I was working with my small group. Some learners just naturally go to the teacher with every little problem, and often times, these questions are easily answered by other learners in the classroom or found online. By implementing the, “ask three before me,” strategy my learners helped each other problem solve and complete their tasks and assignments, while I focused on my small group. This, of course, works well when digital tools are involved. If a student forgets how to log in, or where the rubric is saved, they can easily ask another student instead of interrupting the teacher. TIP: You can also make YouTube and/or Google Search one of the “three,” options to ask for help.

12. Use Digital Tools FOR Learning

When technology integration began to enter our classrooms, and a dedicated computer lab was all the rage, most used it as time to type a paper, do some research, or to create some type of end product like a PowerPoint or Brochure. But with so much technology at our disposal, and hopefully the end of trips to the shared computer lab, teachers should be integrating technology and digital tools throughout the learning cycle. Let’s maximize these tools to engage students from beginning to end and beyond, not just summative products.

13. Use New Tools to Do New Things

Think beyond using digital tools to complete only traditional assignments such as papers and reports. Use digital tools to do new things. Just going paperless or digital isn’t enough. Use some of these new tools to go further, go deeper and extend your students’ learning. Reach beyond what you think a digital tool can do and should be used for, and challenge your students to demonstrate their learning in a new way.

14. Give Students Voice & Choice

Giving students voice and choice is a vital component to creating student ownership of learning. There are many ways to do this. This may be as simple as giving them a choice in the digital tool they use to demonstrate their learning, or it could involve more student voice and choice like incorporating Genius Hour into your curriculum. For me, learning menus (aka choice boards) helped me to find easy ways to give students more choice in their assignments and provide a more flexible learning path. It doesn’t have to be complicated, but you will be pleasantly surprised at the outcome and the depth of understanding when you give students a little extra room to make their own decisions in their learning.

15. Get Organized

One of the best things you can do as a facilitator of digital learning is to organize the information, directions, objectives, and resources online for your learners. Giving learners ONE central location or website will make your life so much easier and will allow learners to focus on the learning tasks—and to help you keep this learning experience as paperless as possible! This is their one-stop-shop! Consider using Google Classroom, WordPress, Blogger, Google Sites, Weebly, or Wix as your classroom hub.

This one location is what I like to call, “The One Link to Rule Them All!” Don’t over complicate your classroom. Make it easy for you and your students. Use this central, “hub,” to give students everything they need: information about assignments, additional resources, enrichment activities, due dates, links to important school and campus information and web pages, classroom procedures, class rules, syllabus–anything and everything should go in your one-stop-shop and b organized for easy navigation.

16. Package Your Online Assignments

Don’t miss out on one of the BEST things about managing assignments online! When you create an assignment online using your preferred tool, be that Google Classroom, Canvas, Edmodo, Blackboard, Google Docs, Google Sites, Hyperdocs, whatever…give learners ALL of the information online. Give them detailed directions, the rubric, the due date, detail collaborative expectations, where and how to turn it in, what to do if they finish early, EVERYTHING you can think of! This will save you so much time answering questions. Learn about the ten things to include in your assignment package.

It is also convenient for absent work and demanding parents. This can also serve as documentation, a record of your lesson plans. You can fine-tune it and revise as you see fit throughout the assignment.

17. Don’t Assess the Bells and Whistles; Content is King

Technology can bring some excitement and engagement to student products and projects. But when it comes to assessing student work, always remember to go back to those learning goals. What was the original purpose of the lesson? Was it to include three animations in a PowerPoint? I hope not! The fun little extras, the bells, and whistles can give something special to a project, but that is most likely not your end goal.

Steer clear of rubrics that rely strictly on numbers, like the number of slides, the number of pictures, etc. Instead, use a rubric that focuses on the content and skills that the lesson was designed to teach.

18. Publish for a Global Audience

Every student should have the opportunity to publish for a global audience on a regular basis. Find ways to flatten the walls of your classroom and allow learners to publish their work, their writing, their videos, their projects, their creations, or even a full e-portfolio online. This will change the quality of their work and help them build a positive online presence. See my previous post, Every Student Should Publish for the World for more ideas and tools.

19. Always Have a Plan B

I say this one ALL THE TIME! No matter how much you prepare ahead of time for any lesson, even the ones that don’t involve technology, things do not always go as planned. We have all experienced those times when the technology doesn’t cooperate: the Internet connection or wifi is down, the website you were using crashed, the video you were going to play is blocked, the digital tool you planned to use is no longer free. It happens to all of us! That is why it is crucial to not only think on your feet, but to also have a Plan B. Plan B doesn’t mean a completely new lesson plan, but it does mean knowing what you will do if the lesson just isn’t working out. Sometimes this means going back to pen and paper. Sometimes this means going back to a tried and true tool like Google Docs. Being flexible is nothing new if you are a teacher, integrating technology is no different. Be prepared to transition to Plan B before you lose an entire instructional period.

20. Share Your Voice

I am a firm believer in sharing your story, your reflections, and your journey, and this is something we can also cultivate in students. This is a different type of sharing than sharing for collaboration and feedback. This is about sharing something more personal: the story of your learning. Reflection is an important part of the learning process, and when you are bold enough to share an honest reflection about your fears, what went well, or where you failed, it helps students cultivate a growth mindset. They begin to understand that the process, the good, the bad, and the ugly were all part of the learning journey. Help students to document their learning, reflect, and share with the world continuously.

Reference: https://shakeuplearning.com/blog/top-20-tech-tips-for-teachers/?fbclid=IwAR3fa42CyIJTqc7nJ5lhugsciDDVZtHA1b7q52YdOI1-tXinQDSh4QaQJlM

Teaching and Modeling Gratitude in Elementary School

Lessons in gratitude help students develop social awareness, a key component of social and emotional learning.

“Children learn more from what you are than what you teach.” —W.E.B. Du Bois

1. Encourage gratitude to peers. Every morning, students begin their day with a soft start to ease into our space by doing choice activities such as building, making things, reading, drawing, or playing games together. Before they put things away, they are always encouraged to thank classmates they spent time with. This builds a sense of gratitude for quality time spent and sends them into their day feeling appreciative and appreciated.

Similarly, anytime students work with a partner or in small groups, they are reminded to thank their partners.The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) framework asserts that this helps to develop students’ social awareness in “understanding and expressing gratitude.” What a gift it is to learn and be together!

2. Explicitly demonstrate and model gratitude during Community Circle. After our soft start, we always meet in our Community Circle. By making a small shift in the language, you can incorporate gratitude. For example, on Mondays, instead of asking students to share a highlight from their weekend, I ask them to share something they are grateful for from the weekend.

Also, each week, we practice sharing gratitude on Thankful Thursdays. Here, we choose a different focus each time. Some examples are: what are we thankful for in ourselves, family, friends, nature, water, or how we feel in our class.

Community Circle time gives me a phenomenal opportunity to regularly share my appreciation for how much I love being their teacher, how thankful I am for who they are, and how grateful I am for the fun and joy we have together each day. Every day, we experience heartwarming, reciprocal feelings of being seen, heard, valued, and appreciated. What a gift it is to be their teacher!

3. Express gratitude for leadership qualities as classroom management. In my first years of teaching, I used to call the names of students who were yet to follow expectations, which made it a negative interaction. Later in my career, I would say, “I like the way [insert name] is sitting quietly,” in order to encourage compliance from others who were not yet ready. But when I learned that students are not there to please me, I changed my words to explicitly and specifically thank students for things like their gift of attention, for being ready to learn, and for working diligently toward their best.

I discovered that one of the most effective means for classroom management was to notice, name, and nurture the positive behaviors I wanted to see by expressing gratitude. So I now thank students for being leaders. I say, “Thank you for being a leader by doing the right thing (or for being a role model).” It’s a simple change in my choice of words in the form of gratitude. I give positive attention to those who are responsible and respectful. The others quickly notice and fall in line.

I truly believe all students have leadership qualities. If you search for a list of leadership skills, children already have many of these. It’s up to us to showcase, cultivate, and appreciate them. I wrote a blog post called “The Gift of Leadership” about the five aspects of developing these skills in the classroom. We need to see their potential first, believe in them, nurture their potential, explicitly teach leadership skills, and provide opportunities for them to showcase these skills.

Students love being called leaders. In fact, when they notice others demonstrating leadership skills, they now will say to each other, “Thank you for being a leader!” It brightens the room and brings a smile to faces every time. What a gift our contribution is to improve classroom culture!

4. Share gratitude in feedback. My routine for feedback regularly begins with an expression of gratitude. I love to recognize students for their effort and dedication to their learning and growth. Whether it is feedback on their writing, a math assignment, or an assessment, anytime I provide written or verbal feedback, it includes a statement of gratitude.

This appreciation goes a long way in nurturing their well-being and hard work ethic for future learning. What a gift it is to have students who love to work hard!

GENEROUSLY GIVE THE GIFT OF GRATITUDE

The gift of gratitude is as much for others as it is for you. Think about how warm your heart feels to express and receive appreciation. These positive feelings help to provide an optimal culture for learning, growth, and well-being that brings joy and appreciation to everyone in your classroom community.

Gratitude is meant to be shared, so express it and give it freely and generously. The more grateful you are for the many gifts you discover, the more plentiful and joy filled your life will be.

Reference: https://www.edutopia.org/article/teaching-and-modeling-gratitude-elementary-school?fbclid=IwAR2ZWSIAceTzTdkDEvoRnvgQAV3W1GoNkHsZZxGUpvZ4kQUBKT5CSvVAcv8