backgroung
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
For the love of blogging...
1. The last few days I have spent a ridiculous amount of time assessing how I feel about our state assessments. I have decided that I am going to appreciate them for what they are: a snapshot of a moment in time. Are they imperfect? Absolutely. But guess what, so am I. So is everyone that I can think of. It isn't ideal, but it is what it is...
2. I appreciate the test writers. Here is why. They are people. They are doing the best they can. If I were in their shoes, I would hate my job. The funny thing is this. We (teachers) get so upset when we have parents who belittle us or say mean and rude things to us, but so often during the testing season, we turn around and do it to our fellow educators who are trying their best to write something that may be flawed, but the best they have to offer.
3. I appreciate my school more than I every dreamed I did. That sounds like a given to anyone who knows anything about Hawk Elementary. It is the most amazing campus I could hope to be a member of. (Yes, I know I ended with a preposition) My colleagues are learners; my administrators are warriors; my families are amazing; and my students are daredevils.
4. My teammate is the best teaching partner I could hope to have. She is thoughtful, funny, smart as a whip, and truly caring for all of our students, past, present and future. I didn't really have to be reflective on this one. I have known it for the 4 years we have worked together sharing those students and creating good citizens, kind humans, and well educated kids!
5. My Do the Write Thing team makes me laugh and challenges me to think more deeply about my instruction and be more reflective on my practices and what I truly believe to be what is in the best interest of my students and my fellow educators. I am constantly reflecting on the time I spend in their company. Having rich conversation is what helps me to learn and grow to be better.
That's a lot! I guess what I am getting around to is to say that I don't think I will quit my blog after midnight tonight. I find this platform as a really great space for me to share my thinking, imperfect as it is, and be accountable to myself, my family, my school, and my community. This month has ROCKED!
Sincerely,
Tara Reed
Monday, March 30, 2015
Active Monitoring? - Day 30
This process of allowing the student to be in charge of the learning, while staying alongside offering that strong sample and providing feedback to move the learner along until they achieve success is what I try and do with my students on a daily basis. It wasn't easy to keep my enthusiasm when I had given Brody feedback time and time again, only to have him fall one more time. However, I know it was much more stressful for him.
I believe in this model. I think the only way to ensure student success at anything new is to take the time to offer them ample opportunity to practice and become more confident in their abilities. Our students are much more able than we tend to give them credit for being. I know I am often quicker than I should be to offer the answer that I am expecting, rather than waiting for the student to create that learning on their own.
Perhaps my active monitoring should be more with my own practice. I enjoy looking at the strong samples of my very intelligent and passionate colleagues. I appreciate when I receive feedback on ways to improve my craft, and I seek opportunities to practice what I learn to develop independence. After all, I am a learner too!!
Sincerely,
Tara Reed
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Day 29 - Targets
I am very fortunate at my school to have an administrator who is an expert on how learning targets should be created and used in the classroom. We have spent time as a campus working collaboratively to determine what the best targets have in them and how to use them effectively in the classroom. I believe that my students are better learners when they know what to expect. I know that in my own professional development, I am better able to attend to the learning at hand when I know what my end result with be. I see the benefit of having that target in mind along the way to use as my guide and help me determine where I am in relation to that target. I want the same for my students. I believe they are better equipped to focus on what is to be learned when they aren't worrying about what is coming up next and how it affects them personally.
This week (Monday and Tuesday) my fourth graders will take their state assessment in writing. What will my learning target look like? I am still thinking about that one. I have 13+ hours to figure that one out. :)
Do you post learning targets in your classroom? If so, what do those targets look like?
Sincerely,
Tara Reed
Friday, March 27, 2015
Mom
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Day 26 - Thankful for smiles
First up was the smile that came from my 6 year old as I offered him a piggy back ride down the stairs. I didn't realize I would need to store this smile for later, but I'm glad I did!
Next came the smile from a very sweet little girl I met with early this morning. She came in grinning and happy to see me. Thank you, Avery, for giving that smile to start the school day.
Another awesome smile came from the best teammate ever. Her smile came during one of those moments when we were very seriously talking to a child and trying to make the other one break into a grin and lighten the mood. Thank the teaching gods for Melissa.
The shy smile of a student who wanted to know if she could share a great book series she discovered. Yes please!!!! Now I have a new book to check out from the library!!!!
When the storms come, I want to choose to be thankful for something. Today, I am thankful for smiles!
Sincerely,
Tara Reed
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Roger the gerbil - Day 25
I am so thankful to have this reminder of Roger and his quirks. It seems ironic that this particular poem came the day before we said goodbye to our old friend.
Sincerely,
Tara Reed
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Inspiration and the Wobble - Day 24
Sincerely,
Tara Reed
Monday, March 23, 2015
Day 23 - Revitalized!
I was so happy to see my students this morning, and I could tell that most of them returned with a pep in their step. That makes me smile. There were plenty of new haircuts to compliment and battle wounds to fuss over. Each child had a story to tell. What a great opportunity for them to add to their own Slice of Life journals! I can't wait to read them and respond. They love when I give them a note back, and they can see that their audience was interested in their writing.
I'm so glad we came back on a high. I wish it would last for the remainder of the year. Maybe it will... stranger things have happened!
Sincerely,
Tara Reed
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Day 21
Friday, March 20, 2015
Day 20!! Car trips and memories #sol15
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Tenacity, Day 19, #sol15
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Confessions of a voracious reader Day 18 #sol15
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
I hate the internet! #sol15
My friend, Mandy, teases me and my problem with technology. I just figured out Google docs last year, and it is still mystifying. The Cloud?? Don't even get me started. I am not allowed to talk about it in front of my teenage daughter. She has threatened to throw out any Apple products I own if I don't figure out how to use them properly. I guess my point is, why must everything be so difficult? I want simple. I just want something that works when it is supposed to work and work like it is meant to work. I really don't think that is asking too much. Do you?
Thanks for reading my rant. Sorry for the negativity, but I give up! (not really, I'll be here tomorrow with a new attitude!)
Sincerely,
Tara Reed
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Anniversaries #sol15
Sincerely,
Tara Reed
Friday, March 13, 2015
Capes of awesomeness #sol15
It would be cool if we could all walk around in a cape and feel awesome. I want my students to realize that they are the real Powerful Mavericks. They are the ones who are putting in the work to be the best they can be. Over our spring break next week, I am going to create some sort of mini cape for them and give them to my students before we take our state writing assessment on the 30th and 31st. Maybe that will remind them that they are powerful and capable of flying to the highest places imaginable in their very own awesome and glittery capes of knowledge :)!
Sincerely,
Tara Reed
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Great day for poetry... #sol15
Sincerely,
Tara Reed
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Read to Self #sol15
My love of reading is important to me. I want my students to feel the same love of books that I feel. During the school day, we are always talking about books. If I ask my kiddos what my favorite thing is, they would probably answer reading. They often comment that my name is a perfect fit, even if it is misspelled. Sometimes former students will stop in to share what they are reading, so I know that my book love has carried on to some of these kiddos. I wish that all kids loved to read and would grow to be voracious readers. I firmly believe that my job is to help my students find their niche as readers and develop that love at least a little more deeply by the time they leave 4th grade. If I can accomplish that, I have made a difference!
Sincerely,
Tara Reed
Monday, March 9, 2015
Change #sol15
Gushing #sol15
I am so thankful to my friends for challenging me and supporting me along the way. You guys make this a worthwhile experience. I would highly recommend it to everyone I know. Take a chance and try something new. You never know what you will learn about yourself or someone else.
Sincerely,
Tara Reed
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Sticks and Stones #sol15
This morning, I was watching a news story on the march at Selma. I can't even pretend to understand what it took for people to march there. Their bravery and dedication to a cause much larger than themselves is inspiring. While I do not have a personal attachment to that march, it still moves me to tears when I see the images or hear the words surrounding that day. I can't help but wonder if that march would have ever happened without the words of Dr. King and other civil rights activists reminding people of their worth in the world and insisting that a change be made. I know that Dr. King's words changed a nation. That is powerful.
Napoleon Hill, a now deceased author on success, said,"Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another." Those words still ring true today. It is a heavy burden that educators carry with them every day. Our words set our students up for success or failure. While I realize I am an imperfect teacher, I do hope that more students feel that I am in their corner than feel I don't believe in them. It has taken me some time to realize the power of my words. I used to believe that my students weren't really moved by my words; however, I have come to realize that my opinion matters to them. That is an amazing power that I do not take lightly.
My goal is to be more judicious with my own words. I want to grow thoughtful, well-adjusted, hungry for knowledge citizens of our nation. I want my students, and my own children, not just to accept someone else's words, but form their own opinions and their own words. When they realize that their words are powerful, then they can decide for themselves how best to battle those sticks and stones.
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Lazy Saturday #sol15
Sincerely,
Tara Reed
Friday, March 6, 2015
Poetry is for 4th graders... #sol15
My students' love of poetry is such a contradiction to my own feelings. I love reading the beautiful words and carefully crafted text, but I am scared to death at the thought of writing it myself. I think I have too many years under my belt to approach it with the same wild abandon that I see when my students give it a try. What happened? When did I become so guarded and worried about how my words would be received? I am so thankful for this blog opportunity. It is already giving me more confidence in my ability to write. Who knows, maybe someday I will jump in with my students and give it a try...maybe.
Sincerely,
Tara Reed
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Snow Day! #sol15
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
He's 19??? #sol15
I guess all of that is to say this... Please enjoy the time you have your kids at home when they are little. Just stop the madness and sit down and read with them, play ninjas, snuggle, or just be together. It will pass before you know it. The good news for you guys with teenagers, they WILL come back to you, I promise!
Sincerely,
Tara Reed
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Making orange juice #sol15
Today was a make orange juice out of oranges kind of day (see how I very cleverly turned the lemons to lemonade analogy into oranges to orange juice for the sake of the Slice of Life Challenge), so let's just skip to the end of the school day... My LA teammates and I did some intervention together with a small group. Originally, the three of us came in with less than happy hearts. Our plans were shot, and we were scrambling. I have to say, however, that for me, it quickly turned into orange juice. While the three of us were sitting with our 8 or so kids, we made it kind of like a campfire moment. We all gathered in a circle and just talked about what the word 'narrative' means and what good writers put into narratives. We discussed what it should look like or sound like when you are writing about a small moment and how to know if we are 'doing it right' Were we thinking about seed stories or big ol' watermelon stories? Our small group became more animated and engaged the more they talked and we listened. I realized today that I don't do enough listening to my students, and it really is ok if the way they interpret my fabulous and meticulously planned lessons do not exactly match my vision for the perfect day ;).
There are always going to be oranges, so I need to work harder on making orange juice!
Monday, March 2, 2015
Colleagues #sol15
Sunday, March 1, 2015
Nerves and Reflection
Today I woke up with a stomachache. I know the cause. Stepping out of my comfort zone causes me all sorts of stress. Over the years, I have tried to attack this type of stress like a Bandaid - just pull it off quick and you won't notice the pain! :) My friend, Tenille, challenged me to participate in the Slice of Life Challenge. I am a writing teacher, so this should be a breeze. Oh wait. Yes I teach writing, and somewhere in a deep corner of my heart I may have considered writing for other people to see, but blogging every day for a month is giving me a giant case of nerves and doubt. What if I fail at this? Are there "rules" for blogging? What will happen if no one looks at my blog, will I get my feelings hurt? How will anyone even know it is out there? What if, heaven forbid, I make a grammar or spelling error??? Yikes! After all, I am the self-imposed grammar queen of my school, so I would imagine there will be someone out there looking for mistakes in my commas or semicolons...
All of this discomfort about sharing my writing with the world leads me back to my students. If you are a teacher, you know how most things you do in life wind up reminding you of a student, lesson, or class. While I sit here riddled with doubts, I am reminded how often my own students have probably sat in my classroom with the same feelings running through their bodies. Have I been the teacher who alleviates those fears and empowers them to give it a try? I hope so. I preach to them all year that words are power. Words give them the ability to change themselves or the world. I know that every year I watch my students in June, full of their newly complete 4th grader selves, reflecting on their early writing pieces with awe and laughter at how "bad" they felt they were. They are then able to look at those pieces through an editor's eye and see the errors or places that some revision would have been a good idea. We talk about how they weren't "bad", they just didn't know everything they needed to be a fourth grade writer back in August. I know they learn, I just hope that they also felt like I was in their corner, and they could do anything with the power of words.
I'm going to thank my friend, Tenille, for challenging me (as she always does) to move away from where I am most comfy and at least try to share some of what I see and feel as I move through this month. I know it won't be perfect (I'm going to try and deal with that) and there will be some errors (please forgive them).
Wish me luck!!
Sincerely,
Tara Reed