Student: My aunt doesn't care if I work hard. Me: Seriously? Student: No, she doesn't care. As long as I get a D she is happy. Me: I don't believe it. Student: Test it out. Me: Whattttt? Student: Test it out. Call her and see. Me: OK we will.
And so we did and she really did care. She expected him to work his hardest and get good grades.
Thinking about this later, I wondered about how bad sixth graders want success. Have a look at the video below. How does this relate to sixth graders? Is success important when you are twelve? How can ideas from this video help a middle school student reach their goals?
Do you dare enough to dream? What is your dream? Although this clip is from a couple of years ago, the power of the song and the message hasn't weakened.
So you could open one that leads you to the perfect road
Like a lightning bolt, your heart will GLOW
And when it's time, you'll know
You just gotta ignite, the light, and let it shine
Just own the night like the 4th of July
What about it Reading Workshop students? If you could accomplish anything, what would it be? Ditch the limits. Don't let anything stop you, because you can do anything if you set a goal and work hard.
Want to know the results of the Midway Survey. Just look on the wikipage at Midway Survey Results.
Thank you for all of the parents that took the time to sit down with their child and complete the survey. Many of the goals are well-thought out, appropriate and attainable.
Congratulations to all of the Reading Workshop students for the successes you have achieved so far this school year. When you look at the list of the best thing that has happened in Reading Workshop, you see an amazing list of accomplishments.
I was sitting in the chair, getting my hair cut, having the typical casual conversation with the woman cutting my hair, when I noticed the post-it note with Nicole's weekly goals. As I looked it over, I started wondering about these goals.
Finally, I couldn't stand it any more. I just had to ask, and the following conversation took place:
Me: Did you write that?
Nicole: Uhhh, no.
Me: Your boss write it?
Nicole: Yes.
Me: So they tell you what your goals should be?
Nicole: Yep
Me: Hmmmm, I'll bet that motivates you.
Nicole: Oh, I don't really pay any attention to it.
And then I started thinking about students in Reading Workshop. I wonder how often my goals for them really don't have anything to do with their goals for themselves. When I am pushing my agenda of positive attitude and hard work equals success, I wonder how many students have other priorities?
As the teacher, I have a responsibility to have goals and expectations for my students. But if they are going to be meaningful, there must be some ownership on the part of the students and their parents. With this in mind, and reaching the halfway point of the school year, it seems appropriate to ask students to evaluate their year so far, and set some goals for the rest of the year.
This school year is half over/still half to go. As the new semester begins, take a minute to think about your goals. This poem, Mother to Son, by Langston Hughes describes facing the challenges to a greater life.
Well, son, I'll tell you:
Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
It's had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor --
Bare.
But all the time
I'se been a-climbin' on,
And reachin' landin's,
And turnin' corners,
And sometimes goin' in the dark
Where there ain't been no light.
So boy, don't you turn back.
Don't you set down on the steps
'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.
Don't you fall now --
For I'se still goin', honey,
I'se still climbin',
And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
What hopes and dreams does your family have for you? What challenges are ahead of you (stairs to climb)? What do your parents want to see you accomplish? How do they picture a better life for you? Do they see your life ahead half full or half empty? What successes do they hope for in your future?
Image from http://www.flickr.com/photos/renatela/265244280/sizes/s/
What issues are pulling you? What keeps you from learning? No one goes through life consciously wishing to fail. Everyone has thoughts of success. Some people just find it easier to overcome obstacles.
On Tuesday, as we returned from a week out of school for Thanksgiving break, the word for the day was "disjointed." The break was long enough that getting back into doing school seemed weird. Brains just did not seem to be working quite right. The tug of a week without in-depth thinking left many students and teachers walking through the day with a dazed look.
One of the biggest problems in attaining a high level of achievement is knowing your road blocks. In all of us, there is a constant tug of war between success and failure. In order to maximize the chances of winning, you must first know what is getting in your way.
What is tugging on your rope? How can you win the tug of war to succeed?
Her homework paper said she read exactly 30 minutes a day. She read exactly 10 pages each time. As I looked at the paper, I thought, "another fake reader. Why?"
The Read at Home assignment is meant to be low stress. All students have to do to get a good grade is read. And the more they read, the better the grade. And they can read any book they want. But still she chose to fake read.
I know grades do not matter that much to her. So why did she lie about her reading? I had already been watching her in class and could see that she does not like reading and has no interest in her book.
I wonder if she is a Will Smith fan? I wonder if she will believe him when he says she can succeed? I wonder if she has the guts to want to be something and the strength to chase it?
The student's task for the day was to pick one area that Will Smith discusses in the video and write a post in their blog. They could rewatch that piece of the video. The times are listed in parenthesis after the area.
It Can Be That Easy (1:00)
There's No Shortcut to Success (1:38)
Lay One Brick at a Time (3:00)
Focus on Making a Difference (3:48)
Represent an Idea/Possibilities/You Can Make What You Want (4:35)
You Have to Believe (5:00)
Nothing is Unrealistic (5:45)
Our Thoughts are Physical/Make a Choice (6:47)
You Really Have to Focus (8:08)
Attack Your Fears/"I Hate Being Afraid of Anything" (8:30)
Protect Your Dream (9:17)
You can check out their thoughts, ideas, and opinions by following the links to Student Blogs in the sidebar.
As the Reading Workshop students begin to blog regularly (see links in the sidebar), one might question, what do you want the students to get out of this project? How will it help them? Are the benefits academic and or social? Listed below are the goals and benefits of student blogs.
Goals with student blogs include:
1. Students will communicate effectively. 2. Students will share thoughts, ideas, and opinions, and support them with details that make understanding easy. 3. Students will become better writers, both in content and mechanics. 4. Students will become better readers, improving comprehension and the ability to read critically. 5. Students will share great books and enter into dialogue about them. 6. Students will use Web 2.0 technology as a tool to publish their work to share with their peers, family, and friends. 7. Students will finish the year of Reading Workshop with a published portfolio of their writing projects.
In addition to the goals for learning, there are other benefits to students. These include:
1. Blogging is fun. 2. Students can improve writing in an exciting and engaging manner. 3. Students can share their work with friends. 4. Students can comment on their friend's work, sharing thoughts and ideas. 5. Students can learn about using computers and web-based tools. 6. Students can show off their work to their parents, grandparents, and other family members. 7. Students can earn good grades for doing something they like.
Students were given excerpts from the President's speech and asked to respond. Many of the comments were insightful, and showed a real understanding of what it takes to be successful.
Excepts taken from Prepared Remarks of President Barack Obama
Back to School Event
Arlington, Virginia
September 8, 2009
And that’s what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education. I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself.
Every single one of you has something you’re good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That’s the opportunity an education can provide.
That’s why today, I’m calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education – and to do everything you can to meet them. (1)Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, (2) paying attention in class, or (3) spending time each day reading a book. Maybe you’ll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or (4) volunteer in your community. Maybe you’ll (5) decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all kids deserve a safe environment to study and learn.
Whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it. I want you to really work at it. But the truth is, being successful is hard. You won’t love every subject you study. You won’t click with every teacher. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right this minute. And you won’t necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.
So today, I want to ask you, (7) what’s your contribution going to be? (8) What problems are you going to solve? (9) What discoveries will you make? (10) What will a president who comes here in twenty or fifty or one hundred years say about what all of you did for this country?
Your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions. I’m working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books, equipment and computers you need to learn. But you’ve got to do your part too.
So I expect you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you. So don’t let us down – don’t let your family or your country or yourself down. Make us all proud. I know you can do it.
Cierra:
Barack Obama talks about how he wants children to do their best in everything that we do, and I am inspired to do my best finishing assignments and turning everything in.
Hannah H.:
Kids should stand up for other people that are being teased or bullied.
Jacob P.:
I believe that if you work your hardest you can be successful, and to work your hardest you must set goals for yourself. My goal is to give 110% this school year.
Jacob A.:
I think that paying attention in class is important because if you don't pay attention, you will not learn anything, and you will not become successful.
Kasi:
If you work hard, do your best, set goals, and always have a positive attitude you will be successful in life. . . If you get a good education in school, you will be successful when you are an adult.
Shaylee:
When I read this I thought, "we can make a difference, and we can make the World a better place."
Kaylee:
I agree when he said, "spend time each day reading a book." I think this can help you learn more words and help you like to read.
Zach:
I think that if you start something, you should work as hard as you can until you finish.
Justin G:
I think that people should listen to the good things that Barack Obama has to say, even if they don't like him. I agree with him when he says that when the going tets tough, you will have to keep on going. I think you should try your hardest, no matter what.
Garrett:
You have to commit to what it is you are doing. If you don't, you will not succeed. That one word, "commit" means a lot and makes a big difference.
Hannah C.:
The part that really sticks out to me the most is where he said, "Every single one of you has something you're good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is."
Hadley:
I have a goal: Make every day better than the last!
Madison:
If you set a goal, and try to reach that goal, you are pushing yourself to do better. If you set and reach goals, people around you will recognize your progress and be proud of you.
There is nothing like a nice long break to help feel rested and rejuvinated. BUT, boy is everyone slow getting started. It seems like brains are moving in super slow motion (mine included).
Students were eager to come back from winter break on Monday morning. Everyone had stories to tell from Christmas. There was a lot of bragging about winning at Wii and tales of who slept in the latest. By 10:00 though, students started to sag. Those that had been getting up at noon every day, looked sooooo tired.
Students wrote goals for 2009 in their online journals, but I am thinking maybe we should have waited a few days. The ability to think ahead and plan for the rest of the year seemed to be a daunting task for many. Just getting through the day seemed to be an insurmountable challenge.
The sluggish response after just two weeks off made me think about coming back from summer break. This losing momentum and loss of learning is the strongest reason the idea of year-around school often gets mentioned. I can't see that happening in the near future in Ohio, but it is an interesting idea?
What do you think? Should we avoid the summer slow slowdown and go to school year around?
What makes a great teacher--a list to live by! with thanks to Doug Johnson for sharing his idea
1. Interpersonal skills trump professional skills.
Students like the teacher, like the class, and like school. This happens because they know the teacher values them and what matters to them. They can tell this because they are treated with kindness and respect.
2. Give students a job and let them do it.
The teacher has faith in his students, respects their expertise, and lets them do their assignments without interference. Although he is there to help when they need it, students have the room to try new things, and can fail without being a failure. This makes the success students' success.
3. Be open and collaborative, but step in when needed.
The teacher values opinions and ideas expressed by students. Discussion and disagreement are valued and used in the process of learning. However, a level of control is expected and maintained.
4. Be visible.
The teacher talks to students, in the cafeteria, the hallway, on the way to the bus, between classes, and all of the non-class times.
5. Keep a sense of perspective.
The teacher realizes school is about the students. Academics are important, but not the most important thing. The "test" is important, but not the most important thing.
6. Finally, be a decent human being.
A single word to describe the teacher is "decent." The teacher doesn't lose his temper, put down a student, or treat anyone disrespectfully. His sense of humor is never far from the surface. He rarely accepts credit, but credits others for the school's wins. He is honestly humble and self-deprecating.
With this in mind, I thought about how this related to being a good classroom teacher. Now, I am not claiming to do these things--I am just thinking about goals for the new year (You don't suppose students will have to set goals, do you?) Wish me luck as I formulate my goals based on this list.
I was thinking about the role of this blog in my class. I was trying to decide if it was valuable, and if I needed to make changes or adjust my goals to better meet the educational needs of the students. Once I read this comic strip though, it all became clear. I am a blogging genius. As long as I just keep hacking away at the keyboard, I will achieve my goals, and the blog will be a success!
Seriously though, thank you for taking the time to read this blog!
I had an interesting conversation with a student yesterday. We were talking about being smart or being dumb. Is it a choice? It seems to me if you make smart choices in school, you will learn and become smarter. If you make dumb choices like not doing your work, not studying, and don't learn, you won't get any smarter.
What do you think? Will making smart choices as a student make a smarter adult? Can you control how smart you are? How much does hard work and responsibility have to do with getting to Smarter. Or, do you just get so much brain power and that is it?
Can you choose the road to Smarter? If you don't choose, do you crash into Dumberville?
What about when you choose the right road, you are getting smarter, and then this happens?
Have you mapped out your road to success? Where are you headed? Do you have a goal of someday living in Smarter? It may just be a rumor, but I heard that the people in Smarter have better jobs, make more money, have nicer houses, and drive newer cars. Anyone know if this is true?
Success is not brain surgery. The obvious thing to do is usually the right thing to do. And the right thing to do generally isn’t all that hard. I’m not saying you should do anything to be successful. I’m just saying that you have to get your priorities straight. Be clear about what you want to do. Then have the courage to roll up your sleeves and do it.
So the questions are, do you have it in you to be successful on the test? And, what do you have to do personally to perform at your best? What is your plan for success on Monday?
Megan dipped into the conversation at the table beside us. This guy said, "kids should want to go to school because they want to learn." Megan gave me a funny look and said, "How many kids go to school because they want to learn?"
On Sunday afternoon, we were at the Millstone BBQ in Logan eating BBQ left over from last night's rush. Laura and I took Megan, our 16 year old daughter and our niece, Lauren. We had just ordered, and our conversation wasn't keeping Megan too engaged, so she dropped into the next table to see what they had to say. And that is when she overheard this guy talking about students and their reasons to go to school.
Naturally, Megan's question caused me to think about my students and their motivation. How many show up because it is a law? Because they have to? Or because their parents make them? Do they really want to be there? How many are there because they have a ticket on the love boat, and they just want to see their crush? I know a few guys just want to play B-ball at recess in the intramural tournament. Who is showing up just to see their friends? How many are coming just to hear their teacher's funny jokes?
So, why is a twelve year old, sixth grade student coming to school every day? And what are they getting out of our school, this reading workshop, and our time together?
This blog reflects the thoughts and opinions of the author and is not, in any way, representative of any school or district. The purpose of this blog is to share information for educational purposes. Comments are the sole responsibility of their writers. The views expressed by commenters and those who link to this website do not necessarily reflect the views of this website.
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