something new....

Ugh...some days I wish I had all the money in the world.  I mean that.  But not necessarily for just anything....for supplies.

I happily discovered that my students were proficient on this pretest for the unit.  And I mean PROFICIENT!  I had a lot who knew what theme is and how to find it.  I love finding out that these guys get it and know what's going on.

So, to change it up I decided to do something different.  While some students still need a little extra support, I'm going to have others do a novel unit.  I chose two books, "Wednesday Wars" by Gary Schmidt and "The Outsiders" by S.E. Hinton.  I'm going to have some students in each book and I "borrowed" some study guides to help the kids understand the book better.  I'll be working with them too; checking in, asking them questions and talking through any issues they have.

I'm excited about changing this up a bit and I hope the kids like the change too.  So far, those guys jumped right into the books and they seem to like what they're reading.  I'm hoping they continue feeling this way.  I'll keep you updated!  :-)

learning new stuff...with friends....

I love learning new things...LOVE LEARNING NEW THINGS!  So, when I found out I could take a class about Anne Frank, I jumped on the chance to sign up, spend 10 hours in a room and give up an entire Saturday. 

Now I'm sitting here and everything I keep finding out I'm pretty impressed with.  Especially right now - we're going through different technology sites to use to teach this, I'm signed up for Edmodo to share ideas with these teachers and I now have been introduced to Animoto and Glogster.

I love teacher sharing days when everything actually seems relevant and worthy to take an entire day to learn.  I'm also sitting with two really nice teachers - one who's very excited to learn about everything and the other who is passionate about the subject....these guys get me jazzed and excited to learn as well.  They are a breath of fresh air and really help me get out of my funk of the end of the year "blahs".

thoughts on a rainy Sunday....

I've been delaying to talk about some things that are happening in our building because there has been so much drama...good and bad.  I just want to post my views, but not for any specific reason other than to post my views and give my thoughts....

So, we've gotten a kind of fruit basket upset as it were for next year.  One of the 6th grade teachers is moving up to the 7th grade and one of the 7th grade teachers is moving to 6th grade.  I can't say that I am unhappy about this move...in fact, I'm joyous.  I don't say this with any kind of meanness...it's just that the teacher that is moving down has...well...been difficult to teach with.  While I believe that he has a lot of knowledge...I'm not sure he was willing to share it.  He could've made our literacy team pretty strong, but chose to do the opposite...he made it much it much harder to do our job.  I really wish it could've been different.  There's a lot that I would like to say - but I'll just leave it with that.

The woman that is moving up from the 6th grade, I believe, will finally make our literacy team cohesive.  She has a personality that is much more compatible with me and the other two teachers that will remain in the 7th grade....actually, anyone could've been moved up from the 6th grade team and we would be fine, but I believe a change will be good for all of us.  What I'm really excited about is getting on top of playing to our strengths and helping our students out.  I'm looking forward to see what we can really accomplish.  We all have ideas that we've been starting to bounce off of each other and each time we do, I get a little more excited and positive about next year. 

For the past few years, I've been struggling and unhappy.  It hasn't been just one particular thing...each year it's different and the more frustrated I get, the more I am looking at what else I can do.  Frustratingly, I really don't know what I else I would do.  One of the things that has kept me in the profession as long as I have, has been the relationships I've forged within the staff at my school, but this year - even those seem to be a point of contention.  I've been somewhat unhappy to learn how difficult friendships can be when aspects of people's lives change.  How one thing can change opinions of colleagues that we've known and been closely associated with for many years.  How one thing can make us forget that we are not perfect.  How we know that we don't have to agree with everything that everyone does, but that NO ONE is perfect. 

I'm hoping things can get better....that a summer can refresh and let us forget a bit.  I'm hoping that my situation will help renew me.

why can't we all get along....

What do you do with that staff member or members that just can't seem to get along with others? The one that constantly has to have drama or be drama? And no, the answer I found out is not to threaten to run them over and then back up to see if you got them....even if you want to. :-)

Last week was full of stress...I found ways to help myself reduce it a bit - exercise, spontaneous dancing in the hallway, pranking other staff who are ok with pranking - DANCE DARES!

But I'm still having issues with one member...one member that I can't figure out. Just when I thought everything was good and perfect this person goes and literally yells at another member of our team. His treatment of her was nothing short of unprofessional...talking to her like she's not important and has no value.

This person, by his actions, deems himself to be all powerful and knowing - like he's the wizard himself! What's sad is that he continually alienates himself from the rest of us. And while - as he states constantly, only has so much time before he retires - makes it hard for us to be a cohesive team. When we have the opportunity to work together and do what's best for students - he chooses to do what he would like to do. It's hard for me to confront this sort of behavior because it's easier when he's not around - at least personally...but it does hurt our team because he does have experience.

I hope that eventually we work things out because we need him and whether he wants to admit it....he needs us.

thoughts on a Tuesday after a bad week....

Well, it's April....it's not quite as close to the end, but the kids are starting to act like it is. This is the time of year I struggle with...not the beginning or middle, but the end. It's the time where you're hoping what you've been doing all year will not get lost as they finish up their year. It's the time where you are constantly giving them the "evil eye" as they act like we've taught them nothing all year. The weather is nicer - not that this winter was bad - and the days are brighter.

Last week was ITBS or what we've now named the Iowa Assessement. Last week was also my week to "hate" people. We put sooooo much emphasis on these tests that not only do we make the kids nuts about them, we make ourselves nuts too. Nothing is ever smooth during these and it doesn't help when communication isn't high on our priority list. We just want OUR test to go perfect and everyone else be hanged.

To me...this is one of the greatest examples of how these tests make our profession a dog-eat-dog world. At a time where we should be collaborating and sharing information to work together for our students - ITBS is the time where everyone just wants their scores to be the ones that shine. Soon new legislation will make our willingness to work together impossible as we compete for our salaries with our peers. I'm afraid of this...I like working with some of my peers...I like having conversations to help each of us think outside the box or build on skills that the others have taught.

Teaching used to be a profession where you just closed the door and did your own thing...thankfully, it's moved away from that. We talk to each other more, work together, build on each others' strengths....etc. We work as a team. I don't like to see where education is going if we lose this.

I hope that we will recover soon from the fallout of the testing that we did last week....I'm ready to move on to something more positive.

Dear UNI President Ben Allen....

Dear President Allen:

I am a proud UNI alum with degrees from the College of Education. I have a B.A. from UNI in Elementary Education and Music. I also have a Masters degree in Reading Education. When I was in high school and was thinking about going into education the only school I thought of was UNI. I knew that the university was well known for their education of future educators. I feel as though I received a wonderful experience there. My professors were always accessible, helpful and knowledgeable in their field of study.

As I read your letter I was concerned as to your statements regarding the lab school. You stated that you were not sure if the “lab school was the best model for future teachers”. I beg to differ with your statement. When I was a student at UNI, one of the places a student wanted to go was the lab school. The elementary is set up in an open concept. My first teaching job was in Minneapolis, Minnesota. When I was approached about teaching at an “open” school, they asked me if I’d even seen this concept…because of my experience at Price Lab, I knew it well.

You stated that there are many schools within a 30 mile radius that are interested in having UNI students as practicum and student teachers. While I believe this is true, I also remember trying to get placed in schools around the area only to find that they were not available because too many students needed a placement also. However, having the lab school on campus meant that you could still find another placement. Also I believe the level of diversity at the lab school far exceeds any of the schools in the area. Students of international faculty, different races, religions and backgrounds all attend the school. It is probably one of the more diverse, smaller schools in the state.

The next point I would like to address is the fact that the faculty at the Lab School are UNI Faculty. To suggest that the school may not be the best place for future teachers is offensive. These teachers are required to have a Masters degree. They need to be open minded, knowledgeable in their field, and principled in their own academic world. They are models to the education majors that pass through UNI on their way to becoming teachers. They are a part of the UNI faculty. If you are proud of your university faculty, you should be proud of them.

I hope that you carefully consider your decision of eliminating the Lab school. It is not only a school, but a place where future educators can experience “real world” teaching. I believe that I would not be where I was today in my career without it.

Sincerely,

Jill Dykstra

hope...

Right now the kids and I are reading "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Meyers...I really like this book. I'm able to see parts of myself in it. I'm hoping the kids are too. I'm hoping they are able to make connections to it...that they see that all authors aren't perfect....that they can tell their story and it not be perfect.

I try to get my students to see that teachers aren't perfect either and that we have our own stories. I tell them things - I want them to understand that when they feel they are angry all the time, feel like they struggle constantly, and don't seem to have a purpose sometimes...that it will get better....that we, as adults have had this struggle too. I try to explain to them that their words mean something....the way they speak will effect others. Using the "n" word in the halls is not ok...in whatever form they use it...that calling something "gay" - isn't ok either. I often find myself on my soapbox hoping that what I say is making sense to them. And also give it to them from my far from perfect life....

So, let me explain this. First of all, I grew up in a small town where I was the minority population...ok, there was one other girl in the town that wasn't white...but we were both adopted. My family is almost completely white...with the exception of one cousin, who was also adopted. I grew up thinking I was white. I know what you're thinking, "What?! How can that be? Didn't you ever look in a mirror?!" Yes, I did...and physically I knew I wasn't white, but in my mind's eye...I looked like everyone in my town and family.

When I turned 18 and went to college - I found out I was Asian! It was a big eye opener for me. I found out what racism was and experienced it on a first hand basis. It was a crazy time. There were some funny instances...my first weekend on campus I had a girl approach me and ask me if I knew where I was going or if I was lost...you know in that very loud, slow voice? She assumed I couldn't speak English. I had some not funny instances - ones that hurt not only my person but my soul. I came back from class one day to find racial epithets on the board outside my door, I was called names by white students on campus and was told to go back to my home country once from an open window as I walked on campus.

These things taught me that no matter how long I will live in this country, I will never be seen anything more than a foreigner in, what I believe to be, my own country. It also taught me to be open-minded to people that are different than me...to truly listen to those who have an opinion...to try to see the different sides of conflicts. I know that's probably not what you were thinking, but I've also learned that people react to what they perceive is the truth until they are convinced otherwise.

Don't get me wrong...I totally fought injustice in my own way in college....and most of it was physical. I believe that my aggressive and sometimes violent way of teaching people that I didn't appreciate their ignorance wasn't the best way of educating them....but sometimes it takes maturity to get there.

I've just been frustrated lately. The students aren't being taught to respect adults. They show no respect when they tell us to "f-off" and are just told not to say those things....they don't show respect when they stand there rolling their eyes and looking bored as we try to educate them how not to run down the hall like a screaming banchee....they don't show respect when they make fun of their peers and adults and don't expect to called out on their imperfections....they don't show respect when they degrade other genders or their own gender by using names to describe that person.... We're starting to become a generation of people that don't know how to interact kindly with others.

I'm hoping that when I talk to students that I teach, that they see things I've had to learn is something they may have to learn as well. I hope that maybe having me tell them again and again will hopefully rub off. I just keep hoping....