Distance Learning- A Quick and Dirty Review

Distance Learning has been underway for a couple of weeks.  I have seen each of my classes twice on Google Meet.  Here are my thoughts.

1.  The students still crave being with their friends.  They are eager to have side chats and bring back a sense of normalcy in any way they can.  This mimics hallway and lunch room conversation.  Our school is going to plan lunch bunches to create space for students to have regular social interactions with their peers.

2. The students generally are not interested in showing their faces or letting us hear their voices.  About 10% of the students present in the class that show faces and share voices.  This may become more natural as we get more into the virtual classroom.  Based on the article I read about Videoclassism by Taharee Jackson, I am being very aware of requests that I make of my students.  I personally want to see their faces, but I want them to feel safe above all. 

3. Students are willing to ask about their work!  Yay!  The work that I have been giving to students is supposed to take 1.5 to 2 hours.  I usually have three or four activities.  Last week, students asked about the assignment related to the essential questions. They needed clarification and we were able to work through the material together.  I am so glad that they feel safe in this space. 

I think that overall, given the circumstances, this is all going pretty well.  I do want to see my students.  I miss them so much.  Currently, Maryland has only cancelled school until May 15th, but with 42/50 states being closed to the end of the year, it is likely that it's coming. 

The next thing that we need to figure out is how we will honor our 8th graders.  We are planning a slide show and maybe we'll show it during a virtual ceremony. 

Until next time!

Virtual Curriculum Planning- Romeo and Juliet

Our eighth-graders are about to begin the Love and Friendship unit, but they will do it at home. This unit is anchored around Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. A classic text that is also in the public domain...this is a no-brainer, right? Wrong.

This would have been my first time teaching Romeo and Juliet, and I was looking forward to it when it was going to be taught in a classroom with my students. Now that we are learning virtually, it feels very different. It feels overwhelming (sensing a theme in my recent posts?). It feels like I won't do the text justice (because there is no way I could). So does that mean we don't attempt it?

My content partner and I have been on video planning sessions for the past few days, and we have been grappling with this decision. Here's where we landed- we will do the iconic balcony scene and a couple of sonnets. Let me tell you our thinking, and as always, you can share your thoughts!

We are pushing work out to our students on a virtual platform on Mondays at 9 a.m. We can utilize a flipped model and provide videos and readings for instruction. Then we have one Google Meet session per class each week. The Google Meets are not mandatory. Students are to be given no more than 1.5 to 2 hours of work per class. In two hours a week of at-home, independent work, we think covering a scene and some sonnets is logical. I do NOT want my eighth-graders to leave middle school without experiencing Shakespeare. However, I also do NOT want to turn my students off by requiring that they tackle too much without in-person support. Shakespeare is intimidating, and we want to create a positive first experience. We know that they will get more exposure in high school, so we are seeing this as a way to generate some excitement.

I am getting ready to plan the first lessons in a four (or five) week mini-unit. The idea is to give a bit of background information about Shakespeare, The Globe Theatre, and any other pertinent context to appreciate and understand the text and time-period. The good news is that there are lots of virtual tools available. My first exciting find is the virtual tour of The Globe. And I'm sure that is just the beginning of a long list of resources that students can utilize.

Remember, our students need to be engaged now more than ever. A great way to engage is by offering choice. Create some parameters, but then let the students go down whatever rabbit hole they find most interesting. Let them become experts and come to the virtual sessions with information to share. It will be infectious and exciting. I hope it all works out the way it looks in my head, with rainbows and unicorns! Just kidding, I'm sure there will be bumps along the way, and I plan on updating you as I continue to experience them.

Stay well and comment below!

Virtual Learning Take One

Today we started virtual learning with our students.  We posted assignments; they went onto Canvas and completed assignments.  Our model has students receiving assignments at the beginning of the week and submitting them by 10 a.m. on Fridays.  Today, within 12 hours, there were over sixty posts on multiple discussion boards.  Next week is when we start Google Meet sessions.  I will meet with each of my classes one time per week.  I can't wait to see their faces, but for now, this will have to suffice. 

Our county decided to put a hold on grading for the moment.  We will close out the third quarter and give the students opportunities to improve upon their grades from previously submitted work, but this new stuff is currently not being graded. 

The students are learning for the sake of learning.  

My job right now is to create the assignments and provide feedback to enhance the learning, but not to provide grades.  This sounds okay in theory, but I ran into a problem today.  I did some math that I failed to do earlier.  I have over 100 students.  I created two discussion boards and two assignments, and that's over 400 assignment submissions.  And my students are obviously eager for this situation, based on all the "hits" I had today to the website.  I am happy that they are ready to learn and participate, but I need to make this more manageable pronto.

So, here's the new plan.  Next week I will provide four activities, but I will only collect and review two of them.  I don't need to check on their guided notes.  I will give them the structure, but they can be responsible for completing notes on their own.  The reality is that virtual school is NOT going to look the same as a brick and mortar school.  In the school building, I would be walking around the room monitoring the students during guided notes.  That is not feasible for a virtual setting. 

Teachers, set yourselves up for success!

Right now we are in the trial and error period.  We are all figuring out what is going to work.  How will we manage the stacks of paperwork that are piling up in our inboxes?  When we see something that isn't working, how are we going to attempt to fix it?  Don't get discouraged by this unfamiliar situation.  Channel High School Musical: "We're all in this together."  Give yourself grace and learn from your mistakes.  Figure out what works and what does not.  Implement change.  And of course, don't forget to maintain your connections and relationships with your students, because that really should be the focus!

In This Weird World, Write it Down!

I read an interesting article by Anne Bromley (UVA) back on March 20th about writing things down.  In this weird world...during this pandemic...write down your thoughts, feelings, joys, and troubles. 

It struck me as such an important idea and one that I have only halfheartedly followed.  

So today I tried something, and I wanted to share it with all of you.  I wrote a letter to my future self!  I actually did this earlier this year as part of a leadership professional development.  We wrote letters to ourselves in September and then read them and reflected on them in March.  This is an extended version of that idea.  You could do this for yourself by writing a letter and sealing it for a designated period of time, or you could utilize a website to help facilitate it.  I used the website https://www.futureme.org/.  On this site, you can write a letter and have it emailed to yourself in 1 year, 3 years, 5 years, or on a specific date of your choice.  I love this activity because it allows you to write and reflect on your present life and then read it at some point in the future.  I chose to send my letter to myself on June 13th of next year, which should be around when next school year ends.  Who knows what the next year will bring in terms of how education "looks."  We are about to start virtual learning, and it is possible that virtual learning will return in some way even into the fall of 2020.  This pandemic is turning our world on its side.  

I am also writing and reflecting by using an app to journal and write my thoughts.  I like the iOS app Day One.  It syncs between my devices and pulls in my Facebook posts, too.  

I want to remember this time.  

This situation is slightly reminiscent of one of my favorite books- Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl.  She was a teenager experiencing something unique and scary.  She had to hide while growing up and living in very close quarters with seven other people.  I know that what we are experiencing is a cakewalk compared to what people all over this world have experienced, but it doesn't make our stories less important to tell.  Write it down now so that in 100 years your grandchildren will have a record of it to share with their children.  You are in charge today of the primary documents of the future.  

So go write.  Share your joys, frustrations, thoughts, feelings.  Share what school looks like.  Share how much TV you're watching or how you are getting your groceries.  

Your story matters!  

In This Weird World, Let's Focus on Relationships and Engagement

We are living in a weird world right now.  It is a world characterized by staying home and covering our faces when we have to go out for essential purposes.  It is also a world that is transitioning to online learning experiences.  My county is calling it the Continuity of Learning model.  We are utilizing Google Meet in order to connect with our students.  We are posting modules containing assignments and discussions on Canvas.  There is so much that I don't understand about this world.

So what am I doing with all of that?

I am supporting my teachers and loving on my students.  

I have been the Teacher Development Liaison since the beginning of this year.  I absolutely LOVE this position because I get to support teachers.  This position specifically works with new/non-tenured teachers, but I have a personal love of technology, so the Covid-19 closure is allowing me to work with ALL teachers!  I have had one-on-one Google Meet sessions with teachers and walked them through their technology woes.  I am helping to solve problems, and it is so much fun!  The trick is how to do this at home while I am with my two littles (2 and 4 years old!).

How are you all handling teaching with your littles?  Give me your tips and tricks.  

I am also sending my students ALL THE LOVE!  I miss them.  I miss the smiles, the laughter, the tears.  I miss the go, go, go of being in a middle school all day, every day.  When will we return to normal?  My father-in-law said something profound the other day.  He said that this is not a "new normal." That is how I am getting through each day.  We do not need to live with this reality forever.  This will never be normal.  I WILL get back to my students and my school, someday!

I have our first module ready- I am currently teaching 8th grade ELA- and we are going to focus on self-care for week-one.  This idea stemmed from the fact that the students are also dealing with this crazy reality in this moment. They need an outlet to talk about what they are experiencing.  They need a safe place to say, "Here's what I've been doing for the past three weeks, and these are the things that are working and not working about it."  Self-reflection will help all of us...especially me!  We are having them make their own memes and then brainstorm some positive "self-care" practices through collaborative discussion boards.  I have high hopes for week-one.  I know that the students are craving time together, and so am I.

Teachers, I implore you to remember this time needs to be about relationships and engagement.  Let's bring our students in as a family and give them an opportunity to re-connect in a safe space.  Show them the LOVE.

Just for fun...here's the meme I created as an example for the assignment:

On another note, my professional life may change soon.  I am interviewing to be an administrator! I will likely be an assistant principal at the middle school level.  I am owning and believing that it will occur next year.  I know that working from home and supporting teachers in these new ways will only make me a stronger administrator, when that day comes.

And until that day comes, I will continue to live in this WEIRD REALITY by supporting my teachers and loving on my students.

Gearing up for a New School Year

I am getting excited about planning for the new school year. I have had my baby (she's 10 days old and absolutely perfect!), and now I'm ready to get back to work. The way my maternity leave is going to work, I am taking off just six weeks from my daughter's DOB. This means that I am missing most of teacher work week, but I'll still be there for the first day of school. I am thankful about not losing any time with my "work kids" because this will help us build relationships and momentum. This also means that I am looking to take advantage of my evenings through August when both kids happen to be sleeping at the same time (like right now!).

The first thing that I want to plan out is week one. I love some of the things that I did last year, so I want to start getting those things organized and edited.  Here's one of the things I did--

Since one of the main areas of English class is writing, I decided to do a writing activity to begin the year and get to know my students. This activity had multiple purposes: to show me their writing skills, to help me learn their names, to help them value each other and be culturally sensitive to unique names, and to teach them a little bit about me. I printed a front/back worksheet for a name tag. This worksheet also doubled as a name tag tent. When it was folded, there was a front and a back of the name tag tent. The front had a spot for the student to write his or her name and draw three visual representations of his or her interests. The back (the part facing the student), allowed for students to write three things about themselves, two questions about the class, and one academic goal or concern.

The back of the worksheet was a space to write about their names.

 On day one, they did the name tag part of the worksheet (front and back of the name tag tent). Then I read them a children’s book about a student who had a unique name and felt it made it difficult to fit in (Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes).

 We used this to discuss the need to value one another. On day two, I modeled for students by writing my own “name” story. This helped them get to know me a little bit better. Then students wrote about their names. They got to choose to write about one of three things: 1) share why your parents picked your name 2) share history about your name or what it means or 3) write a fictional tale inspired by your name (like Chrysanthemum). This name tag tent activity, both the day one and day two parts, helped me to get to know student interests, writing capabilities, and cultural backgrounds. It opened up dialogue between students and with me and helped to build a positive class culture from the very beginning of the year.

Here's the PPT that I used on day one to introduce this to students.

Reading in the Middle Grades

As much as I love blogging, I have found over and over again that life happens and blogging is the first thing to go.  I like to use blogging as a way to reflect on my teaching and make my teaching practices better.  This is why I really should make blogging one of my priorities.

Since my last blog post, my life has changed dramatically.  I got a new job at a public school, and I'm also expecting my second baby in July.  It has been an unforgettable school-year, and with just over six weeks to go, I think I should get back to blogging!

So let's talk today about reading in the middle grades.  My current position is as a sixth grade English teacher.  This seems to be one of the hardest grades to find books for.  The problem is that the students are still interested in the books that were popular in elementary school, but they are actually ready for some more advanced reading material, if they would just take a risk.  When we take trips to the library, my students often gravitate towards graphic novels and books in the Wimpy Kid or Dork Diaries Series.  I encourage them to (or force them to) pick chapter books, and most of the time these end of being forgotten in the classroom.  When the students aren't invested, they just don't seem to read the books.  For all these reasons, and more, if you can find a GREAT book for students in the middle grades, you take note.  I want to have a long list of recommendations that students can draw from so that when they pick up a "chapter book," they keep on reading it.  With that being said, check out a book review for a middle grades book that I recently read.

I recently read The Kingdom of Oceana by Mitchell Charles.  From the first pages it was clear that this book would be full of action and adventure.  There is a strong theme of sibling rivalry which is evident through quests that the brothers take in the historic Hawaiian setting.  With such a setting, it is no surprise that the reader is drawn into the story with magic, spirit animals, and a mysterious (and cursed) tiki.   For lovers of Disney’s Moana, there are many similarities in Charles’s adventure tale.  Thankfully, his tale is more developed, with a wider range of conflicts and characters than the Disney movie that shares a similar setting.  Charles also has a writing style that I appreciate as an English teacher.  It is fluid and descriptive and ultimately enjoyable.  However, I did feel that the book was a bit of a slow read.  The book felt very authentic, which translated to a lot of unfamiliar vocabulary that personally slowed me down.  I think this would also be true for a reader who is in the middle grades. Due to the wide range of characters, you should also be wary about putting the book down for any extended period of time.  Even over a week or two, you may easily forget significant people that will come back in the end of the story.  This is a plus for the Kindle version, because you can easily search for a character’s name and find out when and where you met that person.  I feel that this book is well suited to a school-age reader, but due to the complexities that I mentioned above, they may find it a frustrating read.  If they stick with it, I think your students will find that it is well worth the time and effort.  It is an unforgettable story!  And stay tuned because it appears that Charles is also writing a sequel!  Want more information about The Kingdom of Oceana?  Check out Charles’s website- http://kingdomofoceana.com/  

*Disclaimer- I received a complementary copy of the book for my honest review.