MCC Friday Reflections

My students created a game on the playground.  They made their own rules and figured out ways to be the best at this game.  Then came the challenge.  The girls challenged the boys to a marathon of this game.  Every day when we went outside they would situate themselves around this game.   As some time passed I noticed that the teams had changed.  It was no longer girls vs. boys.  They mixed it up.  With this change there seemed to be more comradery.  The game flowed more smoothly than it had before and rules seemed to be adhered to more diligently.   There are times in the classroom where the kids would prefer to be with their own gender.  We respect that.  There are times when the kids like to be with their friends.  We respect that too.  There are times, as well, when they let go of these notions and allow themselves to expand their horizons; including themselves among everyone...mal...

Every morning I sit outside my classroom and greet each student.  We exchange "good mornings" and they tell me what they are doing for lunch.  It's a nice time of day because I get to see each one of my students and connect with them, if only for a moment.  The day quickly gets itself into motion and the whirlwind of learning commences.  That initial connection in the morning is the spark that sets the tone of our day.  It brings to light the humanness in us all; kids are people too and so are teachers. As we get to know one another we find out more and more about each other.  I have the privilege of learning about 21 individuals...each with their own dreams and fears, talents and skills, highs and lows.  Each one of them comes to me day after day with a host of experiences from their lives; as do I to them.  Each one of them comes to me with a sense of self that has been in the works for the past 9-10 years; mine spans 45....

Five weeks of Reading lessons.    Five selections were read and discussed.         Skills and strategies were explained and practiced.              Review took place over the course of one week. Five weeks of Writing lessons.      Six papers in all were completed.          Six papers were edited and revised.               Writing techniques were taught and practiced. The time for my students to demonstrate what they have learned finally came.  The reading test had two selections to be read and questions followed; testing their ability to identify main ideas and details, draw conclusions, work with vocabulary words, as well as identifying themes.  A writing prompt was given and students were expected to create a paper using the te...

The sounds of children playing rush through my open window.  The cool air softly slips past the screen as the fall seasons begins to take hold.  If I stare long enough at the tree across the street I can almost see the leaves changing their colors.  Every so often a shrill of playful delight rings above the children's crowd noise.  And for brief moments there is a seeming silence when the voices all together quiet themselves.  It's as if there is a wave of commotion amongst them.  I know they are all doing something different yet from simply listening to them their sound echoes in unison. My classroom is still.  It's quiet and lifeless.  The children quickly left for lunch today and their "things" are still exactly where they left them.  Books over turned to save the place of the reader, open journals, pens and pencils randomly placed all rest on the desks.  Jackets hang limp over the backs of chairs. Snack containers, s...

The brain is an amazing organ.  It controls the entire body and allows for learning to take place.  It's also a very particular organ.  Despite the fact that it has millions of tasks to accomplish every minute it grows bored.  Yes...bored. Part of my job as a teacher is to stimulate the brains of my students.  To capture their attention and cause them to seek more information, to explore beyond their comfort level, and to see the world in a slightly different way than they have before.  Knowing that the brain gets bored easily when subjected to redundancy, a teacher employs many different strategies to combat that boredom. A new perspective must be provided to spark the brain awake!  Think of Fall, or any change of the seasons.  The beauty of nature elicits creativity and a renewed sense within the brain.  Fall's colors, Winter's pristine snow, Spring's vibrancy, and Summer's green all provide a new perspective. This wee...

Each child has one.  They all carry one around with them.  Sometimes they take it out during school; sometimes it finds its way out at home.  There are times when the child tries yet cannot find it.  There are times when it shows up in the most unexpected places.  When pushed to extract it, they often resist.  When encouraged to experiment with it, they often oblige.  It what's inside all of them...all of us, for that matter. The inner writer. We spent a week with Lincoln School's beloved poet, Bill Buczinsky.  A man after the writings of a child's heart.  A man with exuberance, skill, talent, and energy.  He lights up the school with words, sparking the writer in each of our students.  He brings to the table a pencil and paper, mixes in some words, and dabbles with meaning.  He throws around metaphors while delivering the idioms, and he does it with fervor and a passion that's unmistakable. My students'...

I drove to work this morning at just about the same time as I always do…between 6:30 and 7:00am.  The roads were different this morning.  It seemed as though everyone was just a touch more polite; a tad more gracious; a bit more forgiving. September 11 th, 2001 remains in the hearts and minds of so many.  The common thread of 9.11 weaves its way through, around, and between us all.  During stop lights I would look to my right and left at the other drivers.  Most other days I would see people talking on their phones; either hand-held or through their Bluetooth.  I would see people singing along with their music or they themselves glancing around at the other drivers next to them.  This morning, however, I saw none of that.  Every person I saw this morning was strangely silent in their car.  Their faces showed thoughtfulness.  Their expressions were placid.  Their demeanor's were peaceful. The common thread seemed t...