POP!

I recently attended an in-service titled "Nonviolent crisis intervention"
The course focused on preventing a crisis situation in a school and how to deal with it when it happens. It was great and since then it's had me thinking about a great many things.

The course utilised a model describing the escalating behaviour of a child from 'normal'
Those being:
Level one - Anxious.
Level two - Defensive.
Level three - Acting out.
Level four - Tension reduction.

The main concept is to avoid getting to level 3. There is always something that happens to get there so there is opportunity to intervene to stop it. The trick is figuring out what it is.

A debrief.

Sometimes.... children act out. Sometimes... they swear at you. Sometimes... they become non-compliant. Sometimes.... they lash out at you physically. The question is.... WHY? The biggest thing I got from the course was thinking about the predecessors leading up to it.

The analogy used goes something like this.

Imagine your negative emotions are like a balloon. Every time something 'negative' happens the balloon fills with just a breath of air. Seems fine in theory, I mean you'd need a lot of puffs of air to fill a balloon... but what happens when it fills to capacity? yep... POP!

The analogy was used with the story of a child. It was a school morning for the child and he arrived to school late. On this morning, the child 'explodes' when the teacher asks him for a late note. Why would he do that?

Predecessors.

These might be:

* Child abuse - sexual, physical, mental, emotional.
* Witness to parent abuse by other, e.g. parent or step parent.
* Broken families - missing parents, guilt because maybe they had a part in split (in their mind), resentment toward parents for it happening. My parents mustn't love me.
* Resentment and blame for new 'step' parent. Or, guilt because they like new 'step' parent and feel like they're acting like a traitor to parent.
* Parents alcohol/drug abuse.
* No money. No food. No lunch for school.
* Unstable home life because they move a lot. Have to start new schools regularly.
* Unstable parenting - many times they have to become the parent for younger siblings. This leads on to things such as being late for school, missing out on excursions or missing school altogether.
* Living in foster care or with other relatives such as grandparents, aunties and uncles etc.

I am motivated to write this post because as I was sitting there listening to these case studies being read during the course I couldn't help but think of my own childhood. I won't go into detail but many of those predecessors were a part of my childhood. However, I never acted out at school... how come??? The only way I can describe it is that school, to me, was my sanctuary. It's where I let out all the air from my balloon.


And what about resilience. If nothing else my home life taught me resilience. I think resilience is extremely important but how is it taught? Is it taught? Or just learnt?

Ya know what I've learnt??? It's this.
Sometimes things happen to parents and they lose their way. They still love their kids.


Sometimes being a teacher means we have to make sure kids know they're loved and they're important.
It worked for me. So much so I became one :)

Digital resource keeper

How frustrating is it to keep track of all your stuff?!?!

Program...
Class profile...
Reading records...
Reading levels...
Scope and sequences...
Resources...
Worksheets...
Website favourites...

I have struggled to find a way to keep my programming neat and accessible. I've found the solution (I think). I recently (and by recently I mean TODAY!) started a live binder to put it all in one place... Miss K digital resource.


The benefits: (That I can see so far).

You can make it private to maintain privacy of students.

You can upload files.

You can place links to websites.

It's easy to edit.

If you move classrooms or schools - it's still all there and you don't have to start over again (particularly great for website favourites).

The drawbacks: (That I can see so far).

Initially, it's time consuming.

It's a 2 step process, having documents on your computer then uploading them.

If you want your supervisor to have access to it, you will have to make it public. This complicates the privcacy issues. You can work around this by using initials instead of children's names.

Anyways, it's worth a look :)

Literacy learning centres...

It's been a long time between posts... Did I mention I now teach year 2?

Reading groups. I can hear the groans now (most especially from the beginning teachers like myself). It's all well and good to find books that are appropriate for the child, at their level, prepare comprehension activities etc etc. Each day the teacher reads with one group of children. That's about 6 kids, which is currently one quarter of my class. Soooo... what do you do with the other three quarters of the class??? If they are not occupied and engaged, forget having any opportunity to listen to one kid read let alone 6. Yes, they will be approaching you asking about flute lesson, and telling you that Billy's rubber was on their side of the table and Billy won't move it. Or can they turn the fans off because they're cold. Or "how do you spell because?" (By the way, an acronym we use to remember how to spell because - baby eats custard and uncle sells eggs. Very useful). I digress.

The biggest problem is making sure the 18 members of the class who are not reading with the teacher are not going to be interrupting you whilst you are reading with your group. This is why I am writing this. PLEASE someone out there, share your ideas!!! This is what I have discovered so far.

Firstly. I got a crown. You see queens have very important jobs, and when a teacher is listening to children read, that is a very important job. So, I become a queen for a little part of the day :D
The crown is a signal to the children that they cannot approach me and ask any questions, that my entire attention is focused on that small group for that part of the day. Sometimes... just sometimes... I forget to take it off and head outside the classroom for recess (NOT a good idea!).

Secondly... now this is where I want as many ideas as I can get my hands on. A plethora!!! The more the better. Independent and engaging activities to keep those little cherubs busy.

My mini collection so far:

• Yes / No card sorting - I got this resource from K-3 teaching resources. Pretty good because 2 of the sets can be used for any book.
• Rhyming words puzzles - another K-3 teaching resource. After the kids solve it they write all the words in their English book.
• Word walk - give the kids a clip board and a piece of paper. They walk around the room and write as many words as they can.
• Story mapping - the character, the setting, the problem, the solution. Lots of scaffolds of this one.
• Blackboard - I have some mini blackboards, using them can be varied. Example, have the kids write some words around the room backwards and then swap with another group member and write them the right way, or with rainbow chalk.
• Magnetic letters - make words using mini white boards and coloured magnetic letters. Practice addition and substitution strategies. Write down the words you make.
  
• Create a find a word - using words from their reader for the week.
• Beginning / middle / end - self explanatory. I have a few scaffolds for this one varying between drawing a picture about each part, picture with text or text only.
• Book review - Explain what the book was about. Where was it set? Who were the characters? Did you like it? Why or why not? Draw a picture of a character you would add to the book.
• Word detective - another K-3 resource. Good for developing phonemic awareness.
• Alphabetise word cards - put some word cards in some gift bags. The kids take them and put them in alphabetical order. Write them in their english book after they have worked it out.
• Colourful characters - draw a picture of their favourite character. What is their name? Write a sentence about why they are their favourite character.
  

That will do for now...
Our stage meeting this week is about this very topic. Should be interesting. I will share, I promise :)

jinxing it.... hopefully not.

We have all heard that saying 'oh no you jinxed it!' Well this post is written to test the theory. It has nothing to do with teaching per se.

I just thought I'd mention something interesting before I elaborate. I've noticed something about teachers.... they tend to marry other teachers! Especially the men!!! What's with that?!?!

Also... where do these superstitions and jinxings come from??? For example... walking under a ladder. It's long been regarded as bad luck, but why? Some believe that in the medieval times a leaning ladder was thought to resemble a gallows, so if you walked under a ladder you were guaranteeing your own death by hanging. Another theory is that the shape formed by a leaning ladder is a triangle, and the triangle is the symbol of the Holy Trinity. Therefore, by walking through the triangle, you are violating and desecrating God. Some interesting trivia.

Anyway. My personal life. I'm dating somebody new, and he came across my blog. He noticed that while I was in my last relationship I didn't blog and he had some smart alec comment that went with it. However, he also noticed that just a few weeks after the one time I did blog whilst in this relationship we broke up. He seems to think I jinxed it...

I hope he's wrong, because so far he's pretty fantastic. But.... I have to test the theory. I thought I better do it before I fork out cash for a Christmas present.... before making plans for New Years etc.... makes sense right?

Ok... about to publish....

*closes eyes and waits*

Spelling fun

One of my favourite lessons is spelling. We do still play this game "Spelling Postman." I recently went to a stage 3 classroom to observe and the teacher was kind enough to share some resources with me (some spelling activities).
In preparation for next year, I've made up some cards with these and some extra activities on them. I thought they might make a fun 'mystery' spelling activity to do each day.
I have the files as word and pdf. Let me know if you'd like them. Also, if you have any ideas to add PLEASE share!!!
Ang :)

Judgement free...

I've been going to the gym alot lately. Mostly, it's an escape and the feeling you get after you exercise... even though at the time it's not so pleasant. It's a high.
I generally escape to the circuit in the corner. Yesterday I was staring into space... as I quite often do! I noticed a sign up on the wall.

"we are a judgement free health club"

My mind went off in all sorts of tangents. Judgement free.... hmmm. Is anyone EVER REALLY judgement free??? No way!!! The second we meet someone we scan, we assess, we judge.

It made me reflect back to work. What is the background of a teacher? Are teachers all the same? Do we all think the same? Teach the same? Heh. I've been teaching such a short amount of time and I already know the answer to that. Hellz no we don't!!!

I've been questioning my career choice. I know... already!!! And why is that you might ask. It's easy. I don't feel like I fit in. This has me thinking about what it is I am supposed to fit into. Today, I share my background.

Briefly. I was born in Campsie. My mum was a cleaner who cleaned hotel rooms in Kings Cross, my dad an electrical mechanical engineer in the army. We lived in Liverpool and Holsworthy for a while... then my parents split up when I was 5. I had a step father, whom I hated from the second I met him. I never grew a liking to him and when he left when I was 15 I was elated. I haven't seen him since.
My dad. I adore! I wish there was something I could do that would make his life the happiest he could imagine. He's happy I think. I love him to bits and would do anything for him.

Now to the nitty gritty stuff.

My mum. It is from her side of the family that I inherit Aboriginality. In the photo (Day of mourning 1938), the tall man up the back left is either my great grandfather or great uncle. Growing up in an Aboriginal family... well it has its challenges. My family is very much extended the house was always full... of cousins etc. How many people do you know live in a 2 bedroom house with around 8 people? I know what you're thinking... alcohol, domestic violence, drugs, social security... the list goes on right? Yea, it was there in abundance. I lived it, and I still see it.

My aunty and mother, they were taken away from their family when they were 6 and 8 respectively. They grew up in an institution. Imagine that for a second. Growing up in that environment. No bedtime stories. No cuddles. Their identity was hidden because it was looked at as shameful. See, I was a very confused little girl growing up because my mum told everyone she was Maori... it wasn't until I was much older she embraced her identity. I didn't catch on so quickly, it wasn't until I went to university and learnt about the history of Aboriginal people and why my 'story' was actually rather 'common' in regards to Aboriginal perspective.
Oh, about that. University. It seems I am the black sheep in my family. No one else in my family, cousins included, has finished high school let alone uni. I didn't have to go to uni, I had a full time job, 5 kids, married etc... here is why I decided to become a teacher.

One day I was driving home from work, I saw my cousin walking on the side of the road. It was a ridicilously hot day, I pulled over to give him a lift. I asked him where he'd been etc... he'd been working and was on the way home. I asked him why he didn't catch a bus. His response was 'I can't read the bus timetable' ...
I was stunned. There, sitting beside me was my 20 something year old cousin. An Aboriginal man, who couldn't read a timetable. Surely that is a basic skill everyone learns??? Oh yea, but you have to go to school to learnt that kind of stuff. Did you know... schools aren't a very welcoming place for many Aboriginal people??? There is alot of history that is passed down. It's not forgotten and the stigma is still there. My quest to become a teacher began.

Now i'm there and it is not exactly all smooth sailing. I'm thinking it would have been easier to stay scanning and packing as a checkout chick. I am questioning my life goals. It seems everything I had planned is falling apart. For example, my last post... regarding being besotted and in love! OVER. And I still don't know why.

My work situation. Let's just say there are actions people make that create a feeling of exclusion. It's exactly the same thing that happens in the playground at school. I remember when I was 5 and in kindergarten, there was a girl named Lucy who wouldn't play with me if I turned up at school with milk still on my face from breakfast. I was paranoid about making sure my face was clean every morning, and she'd inspect me to see if I was 'worthy' when we lined up every morning. I remember my mum telling me that Lucy was being horrible, and if she was a proper friend she would play with me anyway. Milky face or not!!! This is my dilemma. I had it in my head that it was expected that work people would be 'friends'. That has proven incorrect in many cases as there are still 'Lucy's' around even as adults... I have discovered there is judgement. I don't fit the criteria. Maybe I should go to work with milk all over my face???

It is a teachers job to teach tolerance, understanding, and acceptance of differences. To teach something you have to know it? This goes back to one of my old posts about why so many people didn't like school. Do the children feel judged too???

My goal in writing this. Judge less. Listen more. Look more. Think more... for yourself.

Time flies when you're having fun???

I've been away! Over 9 months since my last blog.
Let's get to the point... what is the cause of this??? Oh yes, it's a man. Getting a bit gushy for just a second... I'm in love.... nawwww.

That's a whole 'nother blog right there!!! So, to the people who have kindly asked if I was intending to return to blogging. Here I am.

Moving on.

Well so much for the first YEAR out huh!!! The intention was there I swear. Reality got in the way, and I thought uni was going to be the hard yakka!!! Bleh... first year! My god I blinked and it was over. But oh my lordy did I learn some! This blog, however, will focus on the attitude people have toward teachers ( Déjà vu... isn't that what the last post focused on???)

Babysitters! Oh yes, there are parents out there that think of us as just this. I think alot of this comes down to past experience with teachers.

I had a conversation with a peer some months ago. We were talking about how we provide engaging learning experiences, and he said 'seriously, I don't know how I learnt to read. My teacher always sent us to run laps around the oval'... notice he used the singular word 'teacher' not 'teachers'
More recently I had a conversation with a friend who was showing me some old school photos. He said 'that teacher was a drunk. He made us play heads down thumbs up all day'.... this same person is one of those people who refers to me as a 'babysitter' ... it makes me crazy I tell ya!!!

It is interesting how our past experiences stick with us. See for me, I remember the acts of kindness my teachers displayed. It makes me smile every single day when one of my former students greets me with 'hello Mrs Kind' ... the sweetest thing :)
Did these people with negative opinions of teachers not have any 'good' teachers??? Or is it simply one rotten apple spoils the whole barrel???

Something to ponder.