At my school each classroom is themed as a college or university to make our students aware of college at a young age and encourage them to see themselves there. My classroom is themed after Cleveland State University (CSU). This week I am teaching my students about the Viking (our mascot) Virtue of Courage. I was so proud today when I had a scholar, who is currently in the middle of a custody battle and appears to have sustained some type of emotional disturbance, wrote his name on his paper for the first time.
This week I just wanted to regale you with some things I have caught my Vikings saying....
At a conversation I had during lunch:
Student 1: My grandma ran over a deer and it was dead
STudent 2: (continuing the conversation?) and my brother got a buzz lightyear for Christmas and we had to go clean out our closets to make room for the new toys
Me: How could I be a better teacher?
Student: Taller lockers. I am big and tall, see? (stands up to show me)
Student: Miss Scott can we snack up the chairs?
Me: snack them up or stack them up?
Student: snack them
Me: Yes you can STACK them.
Now to the tougher part of my job. I have a student who has missed over 10 days of school (1/3 of the year so far). After talking with mom, I found out that she is the victim of domestic violence and currently being stalked by the father of her son, which was her excuse for not bringing him to school. I decided to call everyday at 7:00 am to make sure she was on the bus with her son. The student is in my lowest group and has yet to independently write his name. He came to school today, but we have a long road ahead. Please pray for the mom and the son.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
I just can't stop thinking about the paint
9.11.12
It all started when my friends Montre, Ryan, and Chaos (named changed) had to sit out of free choice at the end of our day last Friday because of hitting, bumping, or talking out turn more than once throughout the day. I went to the carpet where they were commiserating with each other to talk with them about how to change their behavior so they would get to participate in fun activities next time. I sat down with Montre first who was crying. I first employed what I am calling the (patent pending) Miss Scott breathing routine... talk 3 deep breaths, get a tissue, by the time you walk back I need you to tell me what is the matter in an adult voice. Next, I told Montre he was sitting out because he had pushed past his neighbors to get back to his desk. When I asked him why he did it he said that he was trying to get back to his desk because I had told all the students to get there quickly. I asked him if it was ever ok to push someone to follow another direction (ethical dilemma for a Kindergartner). He said no and I proceeded to ask him what he would do next time. He told he would "wait patiently" until all the other scholars (what our school calls students) to get back to their desks before he tried to get back to his. I told him I was proud that he had come up with what he needed to do next time, but that he was still going to have to sit out of painting (our free choice for the afternoon) because of his actions. I moved on to my next sobbing Kindergartner to discuss why he was sitting out of painting. About 3 minutes into my conversation with sobbing Kindergartner number 2 Montre crawls over to me looks up at me with bloodshot eyes and tear stained cheeks and says.... "I just can't stop thinking about that paint." with all the sincerity a 5 year can muster. I had to hold in the chuckle building inside so he didn't get the drift that I didn't take his emotions seriously. I told him he was just going to have to try and change how he was thinking.
And so begins a new week just waiting for more great stories to unfold. I'm praying especially for ideas to reach a Chinese student I have who speaks almost zero English and is incredibly active. I have been unsuccessful so far in keeping his attention for an entire lesson.
It all started when my friends Montre, Ryan, and Chaos (named changed) had to sit out of free choice at the end of our day last Friday because of hitting, bumping, or talking out turn more than once throughout the day. I went to the carpet where they were commiserating with each other to talk with them about how to change their behavior so they would get to participate in fun activities next time. I sat down with Montre first who was crying. I first employed what I am calling the (patent pending) Miss Scott breathing routine... talk 3 deep breaths, get a tissue, by the time you walk back I need you to tell me what is the matter in an adult voice. Next, I told Montre he was sitting out because he had pushed past his neighbors to get back to his desk. When I asked him why he did it he said that he was trying to get back to his desk because I had told all the students to get there quickly. I asked him if it was ever ok to push someone to follow another direction (ethical dilemma for a Kindergartner). He said no and I proceeded to ask him what he would do next time. He told he would "wait patiently" until all the other scholars (what our school calls students) to get back to their desks before he tried to get back to his. I told him I was proud that he had come up with what he needed to do next time, but that he was still going to have to sit out of painting (our free choice for the afternoon) because of his actions. I moved on to my next sobbing Kindergartner to discuss why he was sitting out of painting. About 3 minutes into my conversation with sobbing Kindergartner number 2 Montre crawls over to me looks up at me with bloodshot eyes and tear stained cheeks and says.... "I just can't stop thinking about that paint." with all the sincerity a 5 year can muster. I had to hold in the chuckle building inside so he didn't get the drift that I didn't take his emotions seriously. I told him he was just going to have to try and change how he was thinking.
And so begins a new week just waiting for more great stories to unfold. I'm praying especially for ideas to reach a Chinese student I have who speaks almost zero English and is incredibly active. I have been unsuccessful so far in keeping his attention for an entire lesson.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Monday, September 3, 2012
September 3, 2012
A Letter to My Former Students
Dear Upward Bound students-
I look back at my years tutoring, directing and teaching you fondly but now with a twinge of regret. I'm sorry I tried so hard to get you to like me and be my friends rather than be your teacher. I'm sorry I didn't make my expectations clear and your pathways to achieve them clearer. I'm sorry for the times I didn't understand all the difficulties you had going on at home and I hope you have learned to overcome them. I know that you learned, but I also know that you could have learned so much more if I had known what I do now, then. My promise to you is that I will keep striving to become a better teacher.
Sincerely,
Natalie Scott
The benefit of hindsight is that it is 20/20. In the few years I have had teaching I feel that I have learned so much, which is wonderful and terrible. I sincerely hope that as I was learning I didn't permanently damage any student's learning. However, the only way to get better is to keep practicing and implementing feedback from my more experienced counterparts.
Now on to a new story from thew week:
The past 3 weeks school has been in session I have had several run ins with a particular student on the subject of controlling her tongue. I will call her Diamond for the sake of the story. The first time she spoke out of turn I gave her a check, then another, when she got the third and had to move to yellow on the behavior tracker she started to cry which mellowed into a pout for the rest of the day. Seeing that mere checks weren't the way to change her behavior I tried to explain to Diamond how disrespectful it was to speak during another scholar's turn or when the teacher was talking since one of our core virtues was respect and I had been highlighting it in our community meetings each day. This only produced more tears and pouting. Next, I tried snagging her in the morning while she was going to her locker and talking to her about how she was a leader in the class and that everyone would do whatever she did. (Diamond just didn't realize what a climate changer she was.... check out Pastor Josh's sermon http://www.elimgospel.net/media.php?pageID=146) I thought that talk would turn the tide but Diamond was swiftly back at talking at inappropriate times giving her opinion whenever she felt like it. Last Friday, Diamond got to red on the behavior tracker before half the day was over and she was a melting, pouting, crying puddle at her desk. I decided to try a different tactic. I asked her why she wasn't allowed to talk when others were talking and she whimpered that she would get a check. I wanted her to see past the checks to why it was disruptive to her and those around her so I decided to make her the teacher and I would pretend to be her as a student. She attempted to teach the lesson and I talked when I wasn't supposed to. Diamond gave me a check to which I replied with crying, pouting, and entirely over dramatized carrying on. Diamond started to smile and I asked her about how much teaching she was able to accomplish while I was crying. I think she started to see how her actions impacted those around her. I would love to say by the end of the day Diamond spoke and kept quiet when she was supposed to, however, she only made it back to yellow by the end of the day. Apparently, this is one of those times when I will have just have to keep using my imagination for creative ways to teach controlling one's tongue.
SUGGESTIONS PLEASE!
A Letter to My Former Students
Dear Upward Bound students-
I look back at my years tutoring, directing and teaching you fondly but now with a twinge of regret. I'm sorry I tried so hard to get you to like me and be my friends rather than be your teacher. I'm sorry I didn't make my expectations clear and your pathways to achieve them clearer. I'm sorry for the times I didn't understand all the difficulties you had going on at home and I hope you have learned to overcome them. I know that you learned, but I also know that you could have learned so much more if I had known what I do now, then. My promise to you is that I will keep striving to become a better teacher.
Sincerely,
Natalie Scott
The benefit of hindsight is that it is 20/20. In the few years I have had teaching I feel that I have learned so much, which is wonderful and terrible. I sincerely hope that as I was learning I didn't permanently damage any student's learning. However, the only way to get better is to keep practicing and implementing feedback from my more experienced counterparts.
Now on to a new story from thew week:
The past 3 weeks school has been in session I have had several run ins with a particular student on the subject of controlling her tongue. I will call her Diamond for the sake of the story. The first time she spoke out of turn I gave her a check, then another, when she got the third and had to move to yellow on the behavior tracker she started to cry which mellowed into a pout for the rest of the day. Seeing that mere checks weren't the way to change her behavior I tried to explain to Diamond how disrespectful it was to speak during another scholar's turn or when the teacher was talking since one of our core virtues was respect and I had been highlighting it in our community meetings each day. This only produced more tears and pouting. Next, I tried snagging her in the morning while she was going to her locker and talking to her about how she was a leader in the class and that everyone would do whatever she did. (Diamond just didn't realize what a climate changer she was.... check out Pastor Josh's sermon http://www.elimgospel.net/media.php?pageID=146) I thought that talk would turn the tide but Diamond was swiftly back at talking at inappropriate times giving her opinion whenever she felt like it. Last Friday, Diamond got to red on the behavior tracker before half the day was over and she was a melting, pouting, crying puddle at her desk. I decided to try a different tactic. I asked her why she wasn't allowed to talk when others were talking and she whimpered that she would get a check. I wanted her to see past the checks to why it was disruptive to her and those around her so I decided to make her the teacher and I would pretend to be her as a student. She attempted to teach the lesson and I talked when I wasn't supposed to. Diamond gave me a check to which I replied with crying, pouting, and entirely over dramatized carrying on. Diamond started to smile and I asked her about how much teaching she was able to accomplish while I was crying. I think she started to see how her actions impacted those around her. I would love to say by the end of the day Diamond spoke and kept quiet when she was supposed to, however, she only made it back to yellow by the end of the day. Apparently, this is one of those times when I will have just have to keep using my imagination for creative ways to teach controlling one's tongue.
SUGGESTIONS PLEASE!
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