Johnny Tremain and other interesting stories....

I have been reading the old Esther Forbes book, "Johnny Tremain" ever since I assigned it to my eighth grade American History class.  I'd forgotten how much I love this story! I read it when I was in 5th grade and then again several years ago when I took a writing course and had to read my favorite childhood story for an assignment.  It is the story of a young silversmith apprentice set in Boston in the days before the American Revolution.  Johnny is the main character and he is quite on his way to becoming a master silversmith.  However, one day he burns his hand with melted silver causing a serious defect which ends his dreams.  He wanders the streets of Boston, ashamed, and looks for other work which he cannot seem to obtain due to his maimed hand.  Things take a turn for the worst and then for the better as Johnny makes new friends, helps in the fight for independence and discovers who he really is.  I have fallen in love with this book all over again and I am hoping my students are enjoying it as well.  Time will tell, as they will be taking a quiz on it when school resumes, and in the end they will be doing a project regarding Johnny and his tragedies and triumphs.    This is what I love about teaching....it gives me a chance to be a learner as well.  It allows me to relive the love of history that I left behind when I graduated from college so many years ago.  Teaching Social Studies has given me a new perspective on the world and what makes it go 'round.  For instance, Geography has never really been one of my favorite subjects, but in teaching it to seventh graders, I have found a new appreciation for the subject.  I have surprised myself in that I find I enjoy not only teaching map skills, but enjoy relearning them as well.  I have relearned so many facts about countries that I would never dream of visiting, and now I want to travel the world. I want to visit Egypt and Rome and Greece and the Middle East and lots of other places!  (In the past, the only two places I wanted to visit outside of the US were Ireland and Austria).  I may never get to visit any of these countries but the possibilities somehow make life more  interesting and exciting.  It makes me a better teacher because I want to learn as much as I can and teach as well as I can.  In the seventh grade class the students will be embarking on an adventure with a  displaced young Mexican girl named Esperanza.  The story of a wealthy child leaving her ranch in Mexico for a Migrant farm in California due to a family tragedy is what I chose for them to read in "Esperanza Rising".  I am enjoying this read as well, though I am slower at reading it than I am "Johnny Tremain".   Teaching geographic themes is the point of this exercise, however, I am hoping the students willl value reading it  for pleasure too.  Sixth grade World History classes are reading "The Trojan War".  This is not Homer's version, but a novel by Olivia E Coolidge.   It starts with three Greek Goddesses and how they manipulated Paris, the tragic hero of the story.  We have only read the first 3 chapters but the students have loved it so far.  With all I am able to teach and do, I feel especially blessed as a teacher and as a learner. As silly as it may sound, and with my love of reading and learning,  I feel I have been given a second chance to enjoy life (and learning). I only hope my students feel the same about their own learning in my classes

It's not cool

I am usually a very laid back, easy going kind of person, but sometimes I do lose my cool.  Yesterday was one of those times and it has been bothering me ever since.  I  had "lunchroom duty" last week and it had been reasonably uneventful until yesterday.  I was on my way into the room when I heard the distinct sound of males shouting and laughing and then a huge crash.  It freaked me out because it sounded like glass breaking and I thought maybe one of the boys had fallen through a window or some such horrible thing.  As it turned out, three of the high school boys were goofing off and one had slammed the refrigerator door so hard, while showing off, he had broken one of the shelves and knocked some of the items off.  Laughter filled the room which had begun to fill up with students.  The boy didn't even worry....he just walked away laughing and strode to his table.  My school is a small private school and doesn't have a very big lunchroom.   The kids usually put their lunches in one of two refrigerators.  Now one was damaged.  I called the three rowdy students over and told them to fix the shelf, but it was completely ruined and couldn't be fixed after all.  I told them all to follow me to the office at which point they began arguing with me.  For some reason at that precise moment, I realized that I had one last nerve and they were on it.  My fuse blew (which I hate) and I told them they better follow me to the office or they would risk suspension.  They complied.  Once we got to the office, I told the principal what had happened and ofcourse the boys denied it.  "I just shut the door and the shelf broke," said the main offender.  At that point I totally lost my cool.  (Oh how I really hate that!) "You slammed the door while showing off for your friends and didn't even care about the damages you caused," I spat, rather loudly.  "I have had it with you boys acting the way you do.  You are supposed to be leaders and you act worse than second graders," I continued.  One of the boys stood there with his mouth agape, eyes huge, staring at me.  The principal was silent for a few minutes (I think even he was shocked that I was "acting out").  He finally said that the boys would have detention and be grounded from free play on Monday.  They contiued to argue.  "But we didn't do anything," they protested in unison.  Oh...my...blood...pressure!  One of my pet peeves is when people do not accept responsibility for their actions.  Just ask my children how that plays out!  Another of my pet peeves is disrespect for others.  My parents introduced  that concept to me as I was growing up, reinforced it, and I have carried it with me. Respect is important in my book....don't disrespect parents, teachers or others.  Kids today both refuse to accept responsibility and show amazing disrespect and it unnerves me.  Well, not to beat a dead horse, but I totally lost my cool and then I felt guilty for doing so.  I hate that flaw in me.  I have to grow thicker skin.  But, alas, I fear I will never change.  I went as far as to buy these same boys a soccer ball (I donated it to the school really) because they like to play soccer during free time after lunch and they always had to depend on someone to bring the ball.  They said thanks, but in my book, actions speak louder than words.  This job is something I chose to do.  And for the most part I love it.  But I hate losing my cool and I hate allowing my blood pressure to rise over something that may not have been a big deal.  But, frankly, it was a big deal.  Give 'em an inch, they take a mile.  I will continue to be who I am and occasionally I probably will lose my cool, but I am determined to teach and succeed.   

The Palestinian Depkeh

Several weeks ago one of my seventh grade students, whose country of origin is Palestine, asked me if she could show me a video on YouTube. The video was of a wedding dance called the Palestinian Depkeh which she said was awesome. I didn’t really want to pull up YouTube on my classroom computer so I promised her I would watch it at home if she wrote down the name for me. She did….and ….well, I broke my promise and forgot to watch the video. As soon as she saw me on Monday…Ofcourse….she asked if I’d watched. Sorry…..I forgot. She looked so dejected and disappointed. I had hurt her feelings. So, I promised again I would watch at home.

When I was raising my children, one of my goals was to try to never make promises I couldn’t keep. I reached that goal at times and at times, not. So, I should have learned right?……but…..again…I forgot.

So, my sweet little (and this child is so sweet it melts my heart) student asked yet again, and again I had to be honest. Nope…..I forgot….but I will watch. She finally stopped asking…..and I had that little slip of paper on my dining room table with the words “Palestinian Depkeh” written on it in her handwriting. Oh the guilt…..I can see those eyes looking at me….dejected. I don’t really know why she wanted me to watch it, but I finally remembered to check out the video. I was not disappointed. What an awesome dance! The dancers were dressed in traditional costume, and holding hands in a semi-circle, they danced around the floor for at least 10 minutes or more. It was amazing to watch…..not a missed step…..not a beat skipped. The footwork was mesmerizing. I watched it twice. I found another video of the same dance but this one was of a lone girl dancing the depkeh in a parking lot with a Palestinian flag. It too was mesmerizing and this girl was incredible at performing this dance. I found it a little weird that she was dancing in a parking lot outside of what looked like a Chinese Buffet…..and that she was using the flag as a prop…but none the less….it was worth watching. As I said, I couldn’t figure out why my student wanted me to watch the video but she was thrilled when I confessed to her that I had finally watched and that I had found an even better video as a result. Her smile lit up the room! I have always been an open minded and accepting of others, and in teaching, I am learning as well. From that little incident, watching a Palestinian Depkeh, I found that we are all the same even though we are different. We all like to dance at weddings and parties, and some of us even like to dance in parking lots. The dance is different but the happiness is the same. I never would have thought to watch a “ritual” dance of another country on purpose….but I am more than glad I did. Thank you, little student, for teaching me!
'Til next time…..Happy Tales!

Don't wish your life away.....

...and other wonderful sayings like that come from my Dad, whom I often find myself quoting to my students.  My dad, who passed away in April after a short battle with cancer, had countless witty sayings and quips that come to my mind in many cases.  For instance, whenever we would say something like, "I can't wait until Christmas," Dad would retort with "don't wish your life away".   I have said this to my students many times when they have expressed the wish that it was Friday or the weekend, and so on.  I frequently say it to my children and grandchildren as well, and I always find myself saying, "as my father would say..."  One day last week we were talking in eighth grade history class about certain people in England who would indenture themselves to escape poverty and to gain passage to what they thought would be a better life in North America.  One of the students asked,  "Why is there poverty anyway?"  After discussing the possible reasons why, I told the class, "As my father would say, the rich get richer and the poor get kids."  They all looked at me sort of confused but then seemed to get that it was somewhat of a joke.  We moved on.   Another day, in the same class, we were discussing kidnapping regarding the explorer Jacques Cartier who, on one of his expeditions,  kidnapped two Native Americans to guide him up the St Lawrence River.  The subject turned to ransom for some reason and I told the students that my dad used to say that if any of his kids were ever kidnapped, the kidnappers would have to pay our parents ransom to take us back.  The students cracked up!  I am sure Dad was just saying that, but since my parents had eight children, maybe not!  Another day it was the subject of moving away from your homeland and settling in a place far away and getting used to a new life (regarding the settlers of Jamestown and Plymouth).  As always with this class, we got a little bit off topic and began talking about times they'd moved in thier lives.  I told them that once when my sisters and I went to summer camp,  my dad told us, "We may not be here when you get home because your mother and I are going to move and not leave a forwarding address."  Saying things like this with a twinkle in his blue Irish eyes, Dad would always  make us laugh, something he was very good at.    One of the students mentioned that I always talk about my dad.  Yep....I do......and sharing his witicisms with the students I have grown to love keeps his spirit and sense of humor alive for me.  Until next time.....happy tales!

How do you solve a problem like Maria?...

..How do you catch a cloud and hold it down?....   This song, made famous by "The Sound of Music", is what I think of every time I walk out of  my 7th grade Geography class.  I don't particularly like Geography to start with and teaching it is a challenge at best, but I try to make it as interesting and thought provoking as I possibly can for the students.  But this class is a little different.  Actually, they are impossible!  Since day one they have been hyperactive, noisy, rowdy and unable to understand English, it seems.  At first only the boys were rowdy , but it seems the girls have followed suit.  I have to admit I have grown to love every one of them in time, but still.......  I have tried everything to get them to calm down and pay attention. (I am not the only teacher that has this problem with the 7th grade class).   Some things, such as making them write classroom rules 5 times each or sending them to detention (well, only one of them) or giving extra homework have worked...for about 30 minutes, if that.  I have lectured them, appealed to their sense of responsibility, threatened to call their parents, sent some of them to the principal, held up a sign that says "Quiet Please" (like a Kindergarten teacher) .....nothing works!  They are all quick witted, smart and full of energy.  They literally exhaust me!  Anyway, I have recently started making the rule breakers write the meaning of the word "quiet" 100 times each.  Repeat offenders have had to write the meaning of the word "respect" 100 times as well.  It was working.  They were finally behaving and learning.  Yesterday I gave them a map skill activity (including coloring and making a key)  that I thought would be fun.......but what did they do?   They acted like Kindergarteners! First they complained, then they started arguing over crayon colors and sharing and who had the best map...and, oh my goodness! We got through it though.  Today we started our lesson and it was going really well until they all started talking at once, laughing and just generally acting rude.  I stopped mid-lesson and had them all take out a sheet of paper and a pencil.  They freaked out because they thought they knew what was coming....write the meanings 100 times!  Then they started begging and pleading..."please, teacher, we won't talk again, please!"  Ha Ha (insert evil laughter here)!   I stared them down.  I told them to write their names on the paper.  The groaning and pleading continued.  Then, in a soft voice, I said, "This is an open book pre-test.  Write the meanings of the definitions for this chapter and answer the questions in the review."  18 pairs of huge eyes were starting at me.  A collective sigh filled the room and they were finally quiet!  They began working diligently.  I burst into laughter.  They all looked up.  "I wish I had had a video camera," I said.  "You should have seen the looks on your faces; it was priceless!" I then told them that I would have posted it on YouTube with a caption that read..."My seventh graders....speechless at last!"  They all laughed until I told them to get back to work. They know I'm easy and they know I love them, but I just don't know what I will do with them.  I will keep trying everything in my bag of tricks and then some.  Something is bound to work.  In the meantime..."how can you hold a moonbeam in your hand"?    Happy Tales!

What are weekends for anyway...

...That is the question I ask myself on Saturdays when I give up my time to do lesson plans.  I am excellent at multi-tasking, so I can also clean house, do laundry and sometimes surf the internet while I am doing the plans.  Not exactly at the same time, but I do split the time up for each of these.  I guess I just pace myself.  Actually doing lesson plans is fun for me.  I love to learn and I am actually learning (or rather re-learning) while I plan away.  The World History classes are studying ancient Egypt and the textbooks are older than I wish they were, so I do a lot of research on the internet in order to supplement my lesson plans.  I have found some great sites and lots of information that isn't in the text.  Information I can share with my students that will stimulate their thinking and help them pay better attention to the subject.  I am finding that ancient Egypt was an amazing civilization.  No one really knows how the pyramids were built so precisely and perfectly, but the ancient Egyptians seemed to have had incredible engineering, architectural and math skills. The people were very intelligent.   Most of the pharaohs fascinate me and I love researching them and reading thier stories.  There is one in particular that I became fascinated with; the first female ruler in history.  This female pharaoh, Hatshepsut,  lied and connived her way into being a pharaoh by saying that her father and the gods had appointed her after her husband (and half-brother) Thutmose II had died.  Though she posessed great beauty, she dressed like and bearded herself like a male pharaoh and was adressed as "His Majesty". She actually became pharaoh in place of her stepson, Thutmose III, because he was only a boy when his father died.  Even after Thutmose III came of age, Hatshepsut continued to rule Egypt.  Under her reign, Egypt became wealthy and prosperous through trade, military expeditions, mining and agriculture.  She was also known for her building activities.  She had a beautiful temple built and dedicated to herself.  She also began the practice of building obliques, or great monuments. Supposedly, Hatshepsut's name and likeness was removed from all Egyptian history by her stepson when he came to power after her death.  Was that his way of getting back at her for "stealing" his position?   Historians actually believe that Thutmose III wanted to relegate Hatshepsut to her correct status of co-regent so that he could claim that the succession of pharaoh ran from his father to him with no interference.  In any case, it was interesting reading and research.  Since I love learning and reading, it was perfect for me to take a little side trip into the life of Hatshepsut.  I probably won't spend too much time on this female pharaoh with the class, as we will have many pharaohs and much history to cover while we are learning about ancient Egypt.  But....it will be fun to throw a woman into the mix.  Happy Tales!

Youth is Wasted on the Young....

     This quote, in my opinion, was spoken in truth by George Bernard Shaw.  The reason I quote it is because it reminds me that there is a lot to be said for wisdom and longevity. 
     Take, for instance, my sixth grade World History class.  They are at the tender age of  "11 - going on 12".  We have been studying Mesopotamian Civilizations and have just finished a unit on the Sumerians, who were, by all accounts, the first to use writing.   We learned how only the wealthy boys went to school and when they graduated, they  became scribes.  These were highly regarded traits in Sumerian society, as the scribes could read and write and usually gained important and  pretigous employment positions.  The schooling was difficult, lasted from sun rise to sunset daily and discipline was harsh and most often physical. 
     As we were discussing this topic, one of the sixth grade boys remarked that it wasn't fair that the Sumerians had "invented school".  Always trying to teach the students to use critical thinking skills, and also hoping to challenge them to think outside of the classroom, I led them on a discussion about what they wanted to do when they finished school.  I asked, "Do you want to be a cashier at MacDonalds or did you have something else in mind?"  At first all of the students liked the idea of MacDonalds.  "Hey, you'd get free hamburgers and french fries for life," one remarked.  They all loved that idea and each had to chime in and add a comment.  I was finally able to rein them back in and each student answered the question more seriously.
      Not one of them wanted to work at MacDonalds, but everyone of them wanted to be some sort of professional....doctor, archeologist, dental surgeon, teacher, detective, computer engineer, etc.  We finally concluded that each of them would need much more education for the jobs they hoped to secure in the future.  They all agreed that education was important, although being sixth graders, I don't think they wholeheartedly believe that schooling  is of the utmost importance.   Ofcourse they don't, they are 11, after all!  There is more playing to be done and more hamburgers and french fries to be had! 
     In any case, the seed has been planted.  That's my job!  I love this age and I have to admit that sixth grade is by far my favorite.  So, as  most of us do when we grow older, they will come around.  But I still think age is wasted on the young! 
Happy Tales!

My first blog

Well...this is my first blog of sorts.  I have blogged before but never really stuck to it, so maybe this will be different.  My teacher friend, Auburnchick, blogs and she talked me into this venture.  So here goes....
I am a first year teacher (sort of) and the interesting thing about that is that I am not a recent college graduate, nor am I one of those young, fresh out of college, starry eyed teachers who know little about the world.  I graduated from college in 1980 with a degree in Social Sciences including a double minor in Psychology and Sociology.  I had originally intended to become a teacher, then, half way through college,  I decided I wanted to be a family counselor, thus the degree in Social Sciences, etc.   Life can be funny and it had a way of taking me in other directions.  I did enter the working world after college as a state worker in the Food Stamp Office.  A friend lured me away from that promising career by asking me to teach at his school!  I took that job offer, and with a (3 year) temporary teaching certificate from the state of FL, I began teaching Special Education - Emotionally Handicapped in 1982.  The first year I taught at a middle school and had 13 students in a self contained classroom - mostly boys.  I had success with the class in that I was able to teach all subjects according to individual education plans for each student and I had excellent rapport with the kids, many of whom had severe emotional and behavioral issues, as well as learning disabilities.  The second year I taught at an elementary school and it was tough to see the kids I taught, from grades 3-6, with so many problems.  I just didn't feel prepared for facing the emotions these issues stirred in me and after the second year, I decided not to continue.  I had 3 young children of my own and was a single parent as well, so I wanted to maintain my emotional well being for my children's sake.  I eventually went into sales and customer service where I remained until earlier this year.  As a natural writer, I did take a stab at newspaper feature writing and column writing for 4 years and was very happy in that choice.  However, in 2009 I decided to pursue my teaching certificate once again, passed the program with straight A's, took and passed the state exams and began searching for a teaching position.  The school I am teaching at is a private school, the kids are great (which for my age is a blessing!) and I couldn't be happier.  So......I am now blogging about the world of teaching for a five time grandmother!  I hope I give you some laughs, some smiles and the feeling that it is never too late to follow your dreams!  Happy Tales!