I cited this chapter 2 in my summer class(Theory and Practice with students with high incidence disabiltites)papers quite a bit! In my opinion learning can be fun, but fun takes work on a teachers part.
It is also a very good point that Mendler makes about praising a student if they have used the right strategy, even if the answer is wrong..although usually when the strategy is used, the answer is correct. However, if the focus is on praising only correct answers, students tend to fall out of the habit of using the strategy. Fern's reading and comprehension strategy was such a great one!
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Monday, July 23, 2012
Yahoo, I can blog! This makes me smile cause as we all know, technology is not an area that I excel. Reading the first chapter and reading all of your posts reminds me why I wanted to teach. My goal was to guide and help my students learn in a very positive and fun way plus develop strategies with our lessons to make my students want to come to school and learn. Over the years, I have lost site of this goal and am eager to start a new year with many changes to help me rekindle my love of watching students grow and the love I have for this profession. My students expect and deserve a wonderful day when they walk into our school. A positive attitude is my choice so there will be a lot of smiling this year. I have heard that smiling is contagious!
Also, last year, we would start our day with a joke or if our lessons became to intense, we would stop and tell a joke. Laughter always brought us back in focus with our lesson and accomplish our tasks with ease.
Also, last year, we would start our day with a joke or if our lessons became to intense, we would stop and tell a joke. Laughter always brought us back in focus with our lesson and accomplish our tasks with ease.
Chapter 1 - just a couple thoughts
Well, I think I finally got this blog thing working … maybe ... I hope. We shall see. So even though we are already on to chapter 2, here are a few thoughts I had about chapter 1:
Well, I think I finally got this blog thing working … maybe ... I hope. We shall see. So even though we are already on to chapter 2, here are a few thoughts I had about chapter 1:
“Laugh with your kids. Enjoy their quirky ups
and downs.” (page 10)
The quote itself actually made me laugh
as I was thinking, “And boy do we have some quirrrrrrrky kids!” But ya gotta
love ‘em for who they are. It’s a little more challenging with some than with
others but it is said that “a merry heart doeth good like a medicine”, so I agree…
laugh with them whenever you can. It just might be the best medicine for everyone!
I think this
is a big part of why being an elementary school librarian is a good fit for me.
I love books. I love kids. And lucky me, I get paid to (among other things) instill
the love of the first into the second!
“Most days you are the best person to
congratulate yourself on a job well done.” (page 12)
So true! Although sincere praise
from others is always encouraging ... and I'm thankful for those who do encourage me at FDES ... who other than me really knows what I
do or what I’ve set out to accomplish on a given day, or with a given child? So I guess a well-deserved "Yay me!" now and then is a good thing.
Chapter 2
Chapter 2: Strategies for Working With Difficult Students
This chapter was packed with suggestions and strategies. I liked the way Mendler divided the chapter into Prevention strategies and Intervention strategies. Certainly the more time we initally spend on prevention strategies and on addressing the author's 6 Pillars for Success in our classrooms, the less time we will spend dealing with difficult behaviors later. When you think of a challenging student that was difficult to deal with, could you have done more to prevent the behavior? The author suggests projecting confidence, setting up clear, specific expectations and letting students know that you will not spend precious class time handling poor behavior. He also suggests working twice as hard to connect with irritating students. I loved the reframing strategy and the 2 minute intervention. I challenge you to implement one of those two strategies in your classroom this year!
We've all worked with difficult students and we know that they need consistency and support. Too often, school is the only consistent, positive environment they encounter. We need to plan intentional ways to set these students up for success each day. What will you do in your classroom?
Stephanie
This chapter was packed with suggestions and strategies. I liked the way Mendler divided the chapter into Prevention strategies and Intervention strategies. Certainly the more time we initally spend on prevention strategies and on addressing the author's 6 Pillars for Success in our classrooms, the less time we will spend dealing with difficult behaviors later. When you think of a challenging student that was difficult to deal with, could you have done more to prevent the behavior? The author suggests projecting confidence, setting up clear, specific expectations and letting students know that you will not spend precious class time handling poor behavior. He also suggests working twice as hard to connect with irritating students. I loved the reframing strategy and the 2 minute intervention. I challenge you to implement one of those two strategies in your classroom this year!
We've all worked with difficult students and we know that they need consistency and support. Too often, school is the only consistent, positive environment they encounter. We need to plan intentional ways to set these students up for success each day. What will you do in your classroom?
Stephanie
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Chapter 1 Attitude
I 100% agree that attitude can make or break the moment, the day, the year, or the success in general of ourselves and our students. Trying to maintain a positive attitude can be a struggle at times but my dad taught me from a very young age that even when you are unhappy, force yourself to smile because sooner or later you won't have to force yourself to do it anymore, your attitude and mental state will catch up.
Taking over mid year for Beth this year, with my first time being in my very own classroom, was an extremely stressful thing for me. There were many moments when I definitely wasn't feeling extremely positive. I remember one day at the very beginning of me taking over I was super frazzled and stressed out and I was sitting in my rocking chair looking at all of these expectant faces sitting on the carpet staring at me. And for some reason, this little tidbit of advice crept into my head and even though I didn't feel it, I decided to run with it. I told them all I wanted to see their smiles. A handful of kids readily gave it to me, and those who didn't, their classmates and I all insisted until them smiled as well. Eventually we had a whole room of kids smiling. One of my more challenging students asked me why we were smiling and because I had no other answer, I finally just said "Because we are happy!" Without even realizing it, that became the motto of our class. It got to the point where if we were having a particularly stressful day, one of the kids would raise their hand and ask if we could "do the smiles". Inevitably this one student would ask again "why are we smiling?" and the whole class would resound with "BECAUSE WE ARE HAPPY!" It was shocking to me how much they got into the idea.
It really made me realize how important it was to them to have that positive environment and I thought it great that they would initiate it themselves.
It is funny how they always seemed to know when to do it. Almost always after the whole class had to be spoken to for behavior in the cafeteria or specials, and morale was particularly low, someone would chime in requesting the smiles. It was nice for them to be lifted up again, knowing that even though they may have been reprimanded, life goes on and they wanted the positivity to remain.
I know keeping a positive mental attitude is something I need to continue to work on, but I have to say, it was great this year having the kids there to remind me.
Taking over mid year for Beth this year, with my first time being in my very own classroom, was an extremely stressful thing for me. There were many moments when I definitely wasn't feeling extremely positive. I remember one day at the very beginning of me taking over I was super frazzled and stressed out and I was sitting in my rocking chair looking at all of these expectant faces sitting on the carpet staring at me. And for some reason, this little tidbit of advice crept into my head and even though I didn't feel it, I decided to run with it. I told them all I wanted to see their smiles. A handful of kids readily gave it to me, and those who didn't, their classmates and I all insisted until them smiled as well. Eventually we had a whole room of kids smiling. One of my more challenging students asked me why we were smiling and because I had no other answer, I finally just said "Because we are happy!" Without even realizing it, that became the motto of our class. It got to the point where if we were having a particularly stressful day, one of the kids would raise their hand and ask if we could "do the smiles". Inevitably this one student would ask again "why are we smiling?" and the whole class would resound with "BECAUSE WE ARE HAPPY!" It was shocking to me how much they got into the idea.
It really made me realize how important it was to them to have that positive environment and I thought it great that they would initiate it themselves.
It is funny how they always seemed to know when to do it. Almost always after the whole class had to be spoken to for behavior in the cafeteria or specials, and morale was particularly low, someone would chime in requesting the smiles. It was nice for them to be lifted up again, knowing that even though they may have been reprimanded, life goes on and they wanted the positivity to remain.
I know keeping a positive mental attitude is something I need to continue to work on, but I have to say, it was great this year having the kids there to remind me.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Chapter 1~Attitude
I think ATTITUDE is very important in maintaining a positive environment within the classroom
On a side note..... I am so excited this year to have my OWN group of kids once again. I truly missed my morning meetings with my kiddos! That to me played such a positive impact in my classroom~, en. From our joke of the day to our group discussions about what was going on in their lives always set the tone of the day. As they enter the classroom each day, I always try to say something positive to each and every student. I will admit, even with my most challenging students, it can be difficult at times and sometimes it takes awhile to gain their trust-but I wholeheartedly believe if you maintain that positive attitude it will win them over. I came across this little note to students on one of my favorite sites (Pinterest)...
Dear Students~
1. I believe in you.
2. I trust in you.
3. You are listened to.
4. You are cared for.
5. You are important.
6. You will succeed.
Love, Ms. Young
If you have a positive attitude you’ll believe and act as if
all students will be successful in your class. If you have a positive
attitude there are no losers in your classroom despite what you’ve might have
heard. Students will live up to your expectations. Think and act
as if students are trouble, believe me they probably won’t disappoint you. I truly believe that a teacher's positive attitude does cause a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events, and outcomes. A teacher's positive attitude is a catalyst and it sparks extraordinary results.
On a side note..... I am so excited this year to have my OWN group of kids once again. I truly missed my morning meetings with my kiddos! That to me played such a positive impact in my classroom~, en. From our joke of the day to our group discussions about what was going on in their lives always set the tone of the day. As they enter the classroom each day, I always try to say something positive to each and every student. I will admit, even with my most challenging students, it can be difficult at times and sometimes it takes awhile to gain their trust-but I wholeheartedly believe if you maintain that positive attitude it will win them over. I came across this little note to students on one of my favorite sites (Pinterest)...
Dear Students~
1. I believe in you.
2. I trust in you.
3. You are listened to.
4. You are cared for.
5. You are important.
6. You will succeed.
Love, Ms. Young
Chapter 1: The Big Picture - Attitudes and Strategies
I remember few details from the New Teacher Orientation meetings I attended in 1988. But one thing I will never forget was something my elementary supervisor said. She spoke to a room full of new recruits - about 85 of us entering the profession in that large, Maryland school system. In her loud, energetic voice, she said, "there's something I want you to be sure you do the first day of teaching - let the kids know you care about them and can't wait to spend the year with them! Make them want to come back. Smile and have fun!" She went on to say that if we did those things on day 1, we were sure to have a great year!In Chapter1, Mendler calls attitude the "fuel that makes the engine go." He goes on to suggest that "we can choose how to be with our students, colleagues, and parents, no matter who they are or what they do." That supervisor was talking about the same thing, back in 1988: attitude. Will you choose to find the positive in the challenges of a new school year? Will you delight in the thrill of teaching a new group of students or will you complain about their lack of skills? Will you roll your eyes when a colleague struggles with an issue or will you offer help?
What role do you think attitude plays in the overall success of our school? What do you think about Mendel's suggestion that we Play, Make Their Day, Be There and Choose Your Attitude?
I look forward to reading your thoughts!
Stephanie
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