The Cat in the Hat Has A Lot To Say About That!

Just today as I was walking down the hall to get my students from lunch, I heard another student shout “Hi. You were the Cat in the Hat”. He waved to me with a great big grin on my face. I said hello back and couldn’t help but smile as I recalled our Read Across America celebration in March.

I dressed up like the Cat in the Hat. My student intern dressed up as Thing 1 and her friend, a student intern in another classroom, dressed up as Thing 2. They thought I was kidding when I first suggested the idea! Wrong! Let me tell you… those two have commitment. They spent the night before going from store to store looking for the proper attire.

Back to Dr. Seuss…It was a great time. The third grade, fourth grade, and support teachers did an excellent job planning, organizing, and carrying out the event. I heard numerous positives.

What really got me thinking were the comments like “We should be professionals. The dress up days are for the kids.” Initially, I was a hurt by this comment. After some reflection, I decided I should welcome disagreeing viewpoints. Everyone has his or her own opinion and that’s ok. When others disagree with me, my actions, or my beliefs, it is not a personal attack. Disagreeing viewpoints push me to reflect on why I believe what I do and why I do what I do. Are my beliefs truly in line with my actions? Do I have good reason for it? Is it what is best for kids?

I admit I take part in our dress up days at school. I don a hat on Hat Day. I have worn my pajamas on PJ Day. I find that my students respond favorably. They want to know about me as a person. They want to know about my life. It builds our relationship. It’s part of creating that positive classroom environment. It gives us shared writing experiences. I don’t agree with the traditional “Don’t smile until Christmas.” adage. Do you?

What are ways (big and small) that you develop strong relationships with your students?

Two Puppets and a Cup of Enthusiasm



Ms. DiMaria and Kerby

Yummy! I just finished making Scotcheroos for our Reading Council meeting tomorrow. We’re having a salad and dessert potluck to judge entries for the local Young Illustrator’s, Young Author’s, and Poetry Cabaret competitions. As I was mixing my ingredients, I thought about the ingredients of a successful minilesson. Yes, minilessons should be short and snappy, focused and explicit, and connected to prior learning. But what else? Still thinking about yesterday’s post on enthusiasm, I pondered how enthusiasm is a key competent in any successful endeavor in the classroom.

Mrs. Kolbach and the Tooth Fairy

Writer’s Workshop has always been a favorite time of the school day for me. My enthusiasm usually spills over to the kids and they excitedly get down to the business of writing. They view themselves as authors and beg to share their pieces during our share time. Today Ms. Kolbach presented a minilesson that had two additional key ingredients- enthusiasm and novelty by way of …yes… you guessed it- puppets. Ms. Kolbach wrote a script for two puppets and together the puppets taught the kids about dental health. The student’s hung on the puppets’ every word. It was a very effective mode of delivery. Well done Ms. Kolbach!

What are some effective ways you have delivered new content to students/adults?

Enthusiasm

Educator and Puppeteer Markie Scholz

I am always energized by the many opportunities for professional development in my district. One such avenue is our local Reading Council. Last week we had the opportunity to hear educator and puppeteer Markie Scholz. We had the delightful opportunity to hear and speak about using puppetry to enhance our teaching. But wait…that wasn’t all! We also had the chance to make our very own sock puppet. This was quite the experience.

My student intern, Ms. Kolbach, wasn’t able to attend the meeting last week and missed out on all the fun. It was student intern, Ms. DiMaria, to the rescue! Luckily, Ms. DiMaria brought her own supplies and expertise to our room. Ms. DiMaria, had such a good time that she worked with Ms. Kolbach to make a puppet for her dental health unit this week.

One of the things that Markie said was that “Enthusiasm is everything.” So true! It reminded me of one of my favorite quotes by Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” How has enthusiasm made a difference in your teaching?

To find out more about Markie and her puppets, visit her website at http://www.dragonsaretooseldom.com/markie.html. Check out the cool “dragon cave” (geodesic dome))where Markie lives with her husband, Dick Termes, artist and inventor of the Termesphere. Markie’s site even includes directions on how to make your own sock puppet. Trust me, it’s addicting. It’s not just for kids or educators in lower elementary. Did I mention that Ms. DiMaria is an intern in a fifth grade classroom! And while your surfing the web, be sure to visit Dick’s site at http://termespheres.com/. Be prepared to be amazed.

  

Ms. DiMaria and Ms. Hoscheid ready to embark on some fun


  

Partners necessary: Mrs. Tautkus rolling a sock on my arm


  

Mrs. Tautkus gluing away


 

Proudly showing off our creations



"I'm new. I'm trying." Button

People who comment that teachers only work 8-3 five days a week with summers off obviously don’t know any teachers! (That’s a whole other post.) Anyhow, Friday nights have become one of my major planning times, often staying until 9:00 at night. Quite often I get together with one of my colleagues, Mrs. Tautkus. Yesterday we stopped by Taco John’s for a quick bite to eat. The young man at the counter greeted me with a smile and I couldn’t help but notice the button he was wearing. It read: “I’m New. I’m Trying.”

I chuckled and imagined myself wearing that same button at school. Although this is my tenth year in education, I continuously find myself saying “I’m new at this. I’m trying.”  Education is all about trying new things, changing what isn’t working, improving what is, meeting the diverse needs of students. This year, as every year, is filled with a long list: going deeper with formative assessment, improving my questioning skills, mentoring a student intern, bringing two nationally known artists to our school for the Artist in Residence program, experimenting with how project based learning looks and sounds in first grade, discovering possible hero stories, taking on recycling projects, trying my hand at blogging, and much more. Things don’t always go as planned. It isn’t always neat and tidy. Things don’t always work out. It isn’t always comfortable. However, I’m learning and my students are learning.

I have a feeling even after 25 years of teaching, I’ll still be saying “I’m new at this. I’m trying.” What things are you trying this year? How is it going? I would love to hear from all you brave people trying new things.

Now, if anyone knows where I get one of those buttons...

“It is alright to try and fail, but don’t fail to try!” –unknown

Student Intern

Knollwood is a Professional Development School and is in a partnership with Black Hills State University. The mission of the College of Education is to prepare competent, confident, and caring professionals. In an effort to reach that goal, BHSU has prescribed to a new model which imitates the medical model. Elementary Candidates are placed with the same teacher for both the Student Teaching Practicum and the Student Teaching Internship. This year long residency involves two professionals (mentor and intern) sharing the classroom. This is my second year as a mentor in the program and I am extremely pleased with the process.  Last year was a positive experience for everyone involved- the students, my intern, and me. This year promises to be the same.

My intern this year is Ms. Kolbach. She has a true passion for teaching and a genuine love for kids.  I am proud to mentor her in this learning journey. I know the students and I are going to learn as much from her as she will from us. Ms. Kolbach has already shown great desire and commitment to gain as much from this experience as possible.  In fact, we even got together before school year officially started.



Ms. Kolbach and Mrs. Roller at Alternative Fuel this summer.





Mentors, Mrs. Roller and Mrs. Tautkus, with their interns, Ms. Kolbach and Ms. Hoscheid.