Blog 5: Behavior Management

I will not change any of my behavior management before break. My students' behavior up to this point hasn't changed, so I don't see any reason to adjust. That being said, we will spend the last few days leading up to break applying what they've learned about poetry to make their own rap. I'm hoping that this will sustain their attention through the week.

Blog 4: Active Engagement

I implement active engagement strategies in my classroom in a number of ways. Often, instead of presenting information to my students for their digestion, I will present a problem, usually a historical one, that requires their problem solving skills. Students work in groups to determine solutions for the best possible outcomes, and report back to the class on their findings. This kind of activity asks students to engage with one another, as well as the content, triggering activation of a variety of interpersonal and academic skills. It also helps to give students artifacts or manipulatives with which to problem solve or analyze. An object helps students train their attention to a specific focal point.

Blog 3: STEM

Finding entryways into STEM education in my classroom can prove a bit rigid in that I teach subjects that do not naturally lead to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. That being said, I try to incorporate opportunities for my students to work with technology as much I can. In our most recent class project, I gave my students the opportunity to research a global issue that they felt was important to them. In doing this, I realized that they hadn't the faintest idea of how to properly and effectively research on the internet. Students will encounter research prompts all throughout their academic careers, and with the broad scope in quality of information on the internet, students need to know how to sort through credible sources and those that are unreliable. Additionally, students can use a variety of multimedia resources to express their learning, such as producing YouTube videos, websites, blogs, and Prezis, all of which help prime students to attain technological expertise.

Blog 2: School Counselors

I have referred many students to our school counselor if it appears the student is in the midst of a time of crisis or distress. I had one particular student who engaged in some physically masochistic behavior. When we discovered this, we referred her immediately to our school counselor who then referred her to psychological health professionals. Though this seems to be the right move to make for her health and well-being, she was also taken out of school for two weeks, which to me, did not seem like the most helpful course of action--to isolate her from her friends, her teachers, and others who show her warmth.

Students at this age make rash decisions. They are just starting to have incredibly powerful impulses and emotions and lack the knowledge and experience necessary to safely navigate through this uncharted territory. Additionally, our school, which includes grades K-8, doesn't have enough resources to help all of our students in their time of need. With one guidance counselor and one psychologist to serve all grades, many students aren't getting the attention required to help them through their challenges.

Blog 1: Common Core and You!

Many people worry that American students will initially falter on the PARCC exam; they haven't had enough preparation; their teachers haven't had enough training or experience with the new standards. This is just a natural part of the process. If  PARCC accurately measures proficiency in higher level reading and math skills, and American students struggle, it gives us a clear idea as to where our attention as teachers needs to go.

There is the concern, though, of achievement-based funding and teacher compensation. Schools with low scores on the PARCC, teachers whose students score in the lower percentiles, will be at a disadvantage in distribution of funding. This is a legitimate concern. Is it fair to evaluate funding on PARCC scores? At this point, it may prove useful to find other ways of compensating teachers in which they feel they are not at a disadvantage due to Common Core's newness.