Welcoming the Kids and Other Thoughts

 For many of us, the school year begins tomorrow, though I understand that others of us have been in for a week already.  What matters right now isn't so much the thoughts of 'am I ready?', or 'OMG!! forgot to copy (insert handout name here)!'  What matters is a direct collary of the old adages 'put your best foot forward' and 'first impressions are the ones that last': how you make your kids feel on day one will effect the whole year that lies ahead.
  Did I always get this?  No, I did not, and after a couple years of following the advice of 'never smile before Thanksgiving', I chucked the whole unhelpful lot into the bin and started over.  You see, I was working exactly counter to my personality when I tried to project the image of hard-but-just-and-don't-mess-with-me.  I was looking for a way to be myself and be effective at the same time.  That's when my headmaster introduced me to the works of people like Dr. William Glasser, and others. 
  I'm not going into detail what these philosphers/researchers have discovered about how we deal with our kids-you can read and discover for yourself.  What I learned was that a classroom environment that is welcoming, open, and friendly works better than one that is not.  (I can hear the facepalms and 'well, duhhh!' )  It makes sense, though, doesn't it?  It really boils down to treating our kids as we would want to be treated ourselves.  Think about a job that you really hated.  What was it about that job that made it the worst?  Was it the nature of the work, or the hours you put in?  Think about it: what would have made that job more bearable?  I'm willing to bet that the majority of your thoughts revolve around how you perceived the environment, how you were treated, and/or if you felt appriciated.  All these work together to make up our quality world, and when something is out of line we don't do as well as we could.
  Are our kids any different?
  Most of what I'm about to say has already been said in many places, media, and modes, but it bears reapeating.  Be welcoming.  Be at the door of your classroom, or arrival duty place, each day, every day.  This goes beyond the physical location.  It is more than a matter of projecting the image.  It means to live that moment and your philosophy fully.  Our kids, especially at this level, can spot a fake in the next county.  Shake everyone's hand as they come in and be sure you left any emotional baggage in your car or whatever vehicle you use to get to school because the kids will pick up on it.  Greet them in a completely friendly, open way.  You may be the first person in their day who is glad they're around.  Have a wake-up exercise ready for them to do as they come in.  In my case I use a review question as an 'entry ticket'.
  How is your room arranged?  Is it in neat rows and columns of desks?  Is it in clusters?  If the former, that's great for efficiency, but gives the impression that your kids are industrial units with specific points to occupy and nowwhere else.  Do you have fun or inspirational/character affirming posters?  I have a few, here and there, but the most important stuff on my walls and boards comes from the kids themselves.  It's not my classroom, but our classroom. 
  How about your expectations.  When you go into a place what makes you feel wanted/appriciated/respected (and therefore less likely to break a rule)?  I have seen classrooms where The Rules are posted and written in such a way that, were I a ten-year old, I would feel guilty just for breathing and would look for ways to get out.  The student handbook is read out in a way that would make Moses returning from the mountain look like an amateur, along with dire pronouncements of what the kids can expect to have done to them if they blink without permission. 
  Really, folks.  Some of you are saying that you were brought up this way, that it taught you respect for the law, etc., and that you turned out great/look at what's happened since we became lax....  .
  I submit that there are other factors involved, here, and I'm not going into them just now.  In my classroom we design expectations to coincide with school policy, and focus on the do's rather than the don'ts.  It's as simple as that.  I don't read out my rules, I discuss them and work with the kids to understand, then model and teach those expectations.  I let them know how I feel, and, most imortantly, listen and respond to them. 
  Enough for now-there's food for thought for a bit.  There's work to do for both of us and the day's getting on.
  As always, my door is open (that means you can comment if you want to).  :)

Beginning the Adventure

I suppose "beginning" is a rather poor choice of words, but it's appropo for this time of year.  In reality, this is my seventeenth year of teaching, and eleventh year in middle grades.  This year I have a sixth grade crew in a STEMcentric school.  The curriculum is great, divided into very reasonable chunks, and I'm in the process of balancing time with objectives.  It's an exciting time of the year, and no mistake.

You, who are veterans, know the feelings I'm talking about.  You wake up (if you managed to sleep with all those ideas running around your head), full of energy, full of hope, and full of determination.  Anything is possible, all is probable, and it's up to you to make it happen.  If you're new to the profession, there's likely a bit of anxiety there, too.  Relax.  This is not only normal, but can work for you.  Tell the 'gibbering monkey troop' in your head to be quiet, and look at what your heart is trying to tell you.  Open your mind and see that the anxiety is really just a mental checklist running through your head on overdrive.  Get together with your mentor, if you have one, or get one if you don't, and work through your concerns. 

This level we teach within is sometimes called the critical middle.  So much happens during these three, short years.  Let's get prepped, get pumped, and get movin'!

Appologies for the brevity, folks, but there's work to do!
See you next time... .

Back in the Saddle!

You have to admit that today's market for educators is pretty wild.  Much depends on where you live, what you're certified for, and what you're willing to do or where you're willing to go to persue your craft.  The search can be maddening, but perseverance will win over despair every time.  This seems to be the time of year when districts are looking, and hiring, with haste, so get your name out there!  This brings me to the point of this blog.

Yesterday, after a month of looking, posting applications, revising the ol' CV, and all the other full-time tasks associated with the job search, I was hired in by a school system to teach my first love: middle school science.  After a decade (well, seven years) of teaching students at risk of not graduating, I'm back in the regular classroom.  I'm sure that those of you readers that have been in my position recall the relief, the shocky "I did it" feelings, then the scramble to get the loose ends tied up.  This is a time of new beginnings for all of us in the field at every level, from pre-k right on through to post-doctoral lecturer. Lets make the vow/intention/promise to make this the best year ever!

The other point behind starting these posts is to begin to fulfill a dream of mine.  The main philosophy that I've held since my first professional position (1990) is that a strong, effective middle grades program will so prepare a student for success in high school that the plethora of remediation/recovery programs can be reduced if not eliminated.  Having spent most of the last decade in these programs, I will say that they are needed, and, with the right leadership and right headspace within the faculty, work.  To those who work within these establishments: "GoGoGo!  Don't give up or let the kids give up!"

What I'd like to start here is an open forum for teachers of all levels and styles to discuss, plan, kvetch, and share what _really works_ in your classrooms.  We all know that there are no single solutions to any of the problems our kids face or the challenges of today's classrooms, so let's collaborate, jaw, and throw the pies around to see what sticks. 

My door, as always, is open....