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The Happiness Project

1/30/2013

Once a month I meet with a group of friends for Book Club. We read a variety of books in all genres and the book we read this month was called The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. It was the author's one year study of how to increase your happiness and the benefits of doing so. This was the second time I read the book but, instead of finding ways to apply it to my personal life (which I could do quite easily), I found that I was looking for ways to apply it to my professional life--especially in the classroom.

A few sections of the book really spoke to me when I thought of how I could use the ideas with my students. Since I already love my job, I don't have to worry about my happiness level when it comes to getting up in the morning to go to work. But could I change the way I looked at some situations? Could I react differently to students' behavior? Could I change my perspective or my attitude to increase my daily happiness level at school? The author had some good ideas that I want to share with you here and try out in my classroom!

Goal #1: Act the way I want to feel
Gretchen Rubin suggests that when you act happy, you can be happy. I think that is a great idea! I know there are days that I just don't feel like teaching or I feel stressed and grumpy. If I let those feelings take over, then no one will want to come near me. Negative feelings are contagious--so soon we will ALL be grumpy and stressed out. That would not be a classroom environment that is conducive to great learning! By acting happy, even when I am not feeling my best, I can possibly change the atmosphere in my classroom in a positive way.

Goal #2: Do it now
I have a bad habit of procrastinating. I always think I will have time to "do it later" but when later actually comes, I am either too tired or something else takes a higher priority. This bad habit leaves me overwhelmed with piles of paper covering my desk and a nagging sensation in the back of my mind. If I just "do it now" and get it over with, I might save myself a headache later.

Goal #3: Let it go
Sometimes I get really stressed out by things kids do. When they are playing around with little toys (right now the culprit is origami stars and pointy fingers) or not following a lesson, I take it personally. Then I feel pouty and grumpy for the rest of the day, I get short with the kids and I lose my sense of humor...all because of a few origami stars! So instead of holding a grudge and feeling frustrated with them, I need to just let it go. They are being kids! Of course they would rather play with little toys than learn about fractions--who wouldn't?! Instead of making a mountain out of a mole hill, I can deal with the problem and then move on--no drama, no hurt feelings, just a loving re-direction of attention! I think that if I can let some of the little things go, I can spend my time tackling the important issues and we will all be a little happier!

Goal #4: Identify the problem
I love this one! Sometimes I catch myself complaining about "not having enough time" (see my earlier blog from January 28!) or something that isn't working the way I was hoping it would. I need to take a step back and identify the problem. What is it exactly that is not working? Do I need to start all over or will some tweeking solve the problem? A recent example in my room was the pencil sharpener. The handle wouldn't turn so the kids couldn't sharpen their pencils, which meant they couldn't get work done because they didn't have pencils to write with! I got frustrated because I attacked the symptom--kids not having pencils ready. When I finally addressed the real problem (a non-working pencil sharpener), the custodian came to the rescue and the problem was solved! In fact just the other morning, the teacher next door shared that she keeps a good hand sharpener in her pocket that she can pass out as needed. It is quick and quiet--another great solution to a common classroom problem!

Goal #5: Lighten up
I want this one to be my personal motto. In her book, Rubin refers to a study that says children laugh about 400 times per day and adults laugh 17 times. Talk about a discrepancy! When did we lose our sense of humor? As adults we take life so seriously but maybe we need to take a life lesson from the kids. We need to laugh a little bit more (okay, maybe a LOT more!) and remember that we spend our days with children. We need to remember to see the world from their point of view. So, to get you started, here is a joke that a student told me not too long ago: Why couldn't the teddy bear eat dessert? Because he was stuffed!

Goal #6: Enjoy the process
Teaching is an art and we have to remember that the joy comes from doing it. On the last day of school, I always ponder back on the year (with tears) about how fast it all went. The end is not the best part. The middle is. Once it is over, it is gone and we cannot get it back. We might as well enjoy the journey because that is where the memories are made.

If you are interested in reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, I am sure you will find some great ideas for increasing happiness in your life. I found it inspiring and motivating to try out some of her ideas...and it DID make a difference! Maybe I feel happier because of the strategies I have implemented or maybe just the act of thinking about happiness made it a reality (this was one of our discussion questions at Book Club). In the end though, it doesn't matter. I want to be a happier person so I can make the people in my life happier too. Happiness is contagious.....so I hope I am infecting you!

Share your ideas about happiness or strategies you use to improve the mood in your classroom! And don't forget to smile!

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The Weekend (Planning) Warrior

1/28/2013

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As I am now 13 years into my teaching career, there is still one aspect of the job that has not gotten any easier for me: Lesson planning. Although I enjoy planning out what my students will be learning, I dread the time that it takes to actually get it done. And I really hate that it has to take place on my weekends!

Lesson planning takes thought and organization. I have to think about the standards, the curriculum and individual students, while at the same time planning around holidays, staff schedules and school events. Lesson planning is a talent that, when it goes well, leaves me feeling brilliant and relaxed. However, when it hasn't happened or goes awry, it can leave me with the feelings of failure and defeat.

I wish I was one of those teachers who used the same plans year after year, but I'm not. I taught first grade for nine years, and while each year I taught basically the same curriculum, I never had the same plans. Each class is unique and I needed my plans to reflect the differences that I saw each year. Plus teaching the same things year after year can get tedious. Changing things up keeps me from getting bored! Now that I am in my second year as a 3rd-4th blend, I am finding that lesson planning is still as hard as ever.

So, why doesn't the planning get done during the week? The answer: TIME. There just isn't enough time during the day to get everything done. I arrive at school at 7:30 each morning just to have some extra time before school starts (teacher hours are 8-4) and I usually stay until 4:30 or 5. It seems like with all that time spent at school, I should be able to get work done--but unfortunately it still isn't happening. I get some planning done, but on Friday afternoons I am still taking work home with me. Let's take a look at my weekly schedule.

I get 30-60 minutes/day of prep time (depending on the day) where I can plan the week ahead. In theory this seems like a lot of time and even as I write it now I am thinking that. But the reality is that 30 minutes goes by fast after I drop my students off, check email, use the restroom and prepare for the lessons that are happening that day. Sometimes I have to call a parent or meet with my Principal. By the time I finally get settled to do some planning, I have about 5-10 minutes left.

I also have an hour after kids go home to do planning. Well, again, that is good in theory, but in reality, it doesn't usually happen. First of all, there are meetings after school on Tuesdays (all-staff), Wednesdays (4th grade PLC) and Thursdays (3rd grade PLC) which usually go over time because we have so much to do. That leaves me Mondays and Fridays....Mondays might work--and I DO use them. But Fridays? Who wants to stay late on a Friday afternoon? Plus I have to spend some time finding my desk...I mean, cleaning up piles of paper that seem to accumulate on my desk! Oh yeah, and also--I am tired!!! It takes a lot of energy to teach kids all day!

So that brings me back to my biggest complaint as a teacher: the amount of work I have to do at home on the weekends. I wish I could go home on Friday afternoons and leave my work at school, but that never happens. Even on a recent trip to visit family in California, school work came with me--I mean, what else is there to do on the airplane??

I know it sounds like I am whining, having my own Pity Party and complaining about "how hard my job is." But actually, I just wanted to give my teacher-friends a shout-out because only teachers (and their families!) know the true demands of the teaching profession.

I love my job and I could not imagine doing anything else. I also recognize that maybe I am not the best time manager (that is a personal goal I have set for myself!) and maybe I really CAN get it done during the work week. But for now, I am still working on it. So the next time your teacher friends complain about the amount of work they have to do, just know that they are probably getting it done on their own time and give them a hug or something!

We are the Weekend (Planning) Warriors....it's the only way to be ready for the week ahead!! Now if you'll excuse me, I have to change the laundry and then get back to work!

If you have any great time-saving tips that help you get your plans done, please share them here!

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Classroom Funnies

1/25/2013

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One of the best things about being a teacher is hearing the funny things kids say! In the past few days, my class and I have been doing a lot of learning (testing time is coming soon!) and a lot of laughing! Here are some of the classroom funnies that I have recently experienced:

The Donkey
Last week we learned about Martin Luther King, Jr. Since I teach in a Literacy Squared classroom (students receive English and Spanish instruction), I decided to read the story Feliz Cumpleanos Martin Luther King. In the story we learn that MLK was called Junior because his father had the same name. In Spanish the word hijo (pronounced EE-ho) was used. All of a sudden, a student says, "Teacher, it's like when you say the word "hijo," it's like you are saying it like a donkey. It's like you're making me think of Shrek. HI-jo, EE-ho!" The class went quiet and then everyone laughed, agreed and started braying like donkeys. Meanwhile I was laughing so hard that my face turned red and tears started rolling down my face.
We will never again be able to say "hijo" and not think of a donkey!

Chickens
So I guess this week we are on an animal kick because the next day, when I asked kids to get their "Book-Box-Books," I said it kind of fast. A student tells her neighbor, "Hey, teacher sounds like a chicken!" So of course, I had to say it again, "Book-Box-Books! Book-Box-Books!" and flap my arms like a chicken.
Again, we were left laughing and in tears. (Go ahead and try it--it really does sound like a chicken!)

Fame
Yesterday morning I was walking down the hallway to my classroom. A young boy was walking in front of me, maybe a kinder or first grader. All of a sudden, he turns around, his eyes get really big and he points at me. "Hey!" he says, "I KNOW you! You--You--You do the songs! I KNOW you!!" It was so dang cute! I asked him his name and shook his hand, then sent him back to class. I signed autographs and avoided paparazzi all the way back to my classroom.

* * *

Some of the best parts of my day are the moments when I let my hair down and just "be" with my students. It is during these moments that we really connect. They see me, not just as the strict teacher who gives them homework, but also as the fun teacher who loves to laugh and play. They know I will be tough on them, but they also know that I care.

I encourage you to enjoy those funny moments with your students. Sometimes they come at the weirdest times but don't reject them--embrace them! Go with the flow and enjoy that time with your class. Those are the moments that help you love your job and that students will remember forever....and you will remember them, too!

Do you have any funny moments you would like to share? Post them here!

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ClassDojo-a-go-go

1/23/2013

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Last week I was looking for some new ways to bring technology into the classroom. I stumbled upon a website that had "great apps for teachers." One of the apps that caught my attention was "ClassDojo."

This app is really fun! It lets you monitor attendance and classroom behavior. It also has a feature that lets you connect to parents--either via email or by printing off report pages to send home. I have only been using it for a few days, but so far my class and I are really enjoying it!

And it is easy to use: I created a free Teacher account and can log in from any computer. Then I designated a monster icon to represent each student in my class. In the mornings, I open up the account on a student computer and, as students do the classroom routine, they click on their monster changing it from absent to here (which is just a fun way to do attendance). During the day I can give kids positive and/or negative points based on their behavior simply by clicking on their name and choosing from the predetermined choices. At the end of the day, I can show the class how they did individually or as a group when it comes to behavior. We are setting a goal to get to 100% green!

At first it was a challenge to remember to give points out--sometimes I get so involved in teaching that I forget! To help me remember, I decided to reward the class at the end of each class period. When we finished with writing, I gave them a score based on their behavior. I did the same after math, walking in the hallways, after reading, etc. I also reward points when something great happens. For example yesterday I asked students to clear their desks and they did it immediately and quietly! I made a big deal about how great it is when the class listens and I elaborately gave points to everyone!

Another way to make it easier to give points is to reward the whole class at once (there is an option to do that!). Just click on the All Students button and give a reward (or a negative if things are out of control!) to everyone. This option makes it really easy to get points out to kids! I could even have a teacher's helper do that task.

At the end of the day, my class likes to see how they did. It is a great closing activity--I log in from my computer so it can be displayed on the document camera. Then we review our behavior as a class to see if we met our goal. For example, we decided that 80% positive behavior would be a good goal but when we pulled up the class score, we only had 77%. There is a diagram to show what the breakdown was so I praised them on their team work and participation, but we need to improve with the off task and distracting behavior. For particular students, I was able to print off their specific behavior chart so they could take it home as a report for parents.

The thing I am enjoying most about this computer app is the total buy-in of my students. They like the technology and the instant feedback they get about their behavior. They motivate each other to sit/be quiet/get to work hoping that I will notice and give them points. The classroom environment is full of teamwork and participation since they all know they each have a stake in the game.

I am enjoying the fun atmosphere that this simple app has brought to the classroom. It is an easy way to reinforce the positive behaviors that I already expect from them. It creates competition, which is motivating, and the rewards are specific and free!

Thanks for reading my blog...now I have to get ready to teach all my "little monsters!"

If anyone else is using ClassDojo or decides to try it out, post your comments here and let me know how it works for you!!

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Dream Teams

1/21/2013

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Recently I read an article (thank you Twitter!) which argued that the jobs of the future are going to need workers who know how to collaborte and work in teams. I thought about how true that was right now for me in my job and I realized that maybe my current system of "student collaboration" was not as effective or as helpful in preparing my students for the jobs of the future.

I already do a lot of team projects and I like them. They can be a great way to get kids to work together and, when the groupings are right, students can get some good learning accomplished. However sometimes I feel exhausted after a teamwork challenge and I wonder who is really doing all the work. As I monitor and re-direct students and groups, I see the usual problems: the Wanderer, the No-Worker, the Distracter, the Soloist, the Non-Listener, etc...The saving grace is always the one group who functions well together and reminds me that there is a good reason for team projects and that they CAN work.

After reading the article, I could see some flaws with my current system and I came up with some new strategies to try. I had an opportunity to try out my new plan on Friday as we did group work in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Here are some things I learned:

Let students make mistakes. Sometimes I intervene too quickly as students are working. I need to let them try out different ideas and determine for themselves the best way to solve problems. When I step back and wait, I find that they are fully capable of making good decisions.

Allow the end project to reflect its designers, not the teacher. As a perfectionist, it can be hard for me to let go of the idea that projects should look like what I would do. As long as the work fulfills the project requirements, the design should be up to the creators. Guidance and suggestions can be helpful, but students should be the ones to decide how their project looks.

Encourage the group to set up and reinforce the norms. As students came up to me complaining about their peers, I put the question back on them: What are you going to do to get that person to work? At first those kids were uncomfortable with the notion of holding their friends accountable. However as I watched the interactions, the ones who complained to me used different strategies to convince their friends to cooperate and, in many cases, it worked! I was then able to reinforce that student by complimenting the group or restating the goals of the project.

Give frequent and specific positive feedback. Instead of focusing on the negative behaviors of a few students, I spent my time praising groups for their awesome teamwork and reinforcing the behaviors I wanted to see during group projects. I complimented students on negotiating, problem solving, encouraging and helping one another, using respectful language, working as a team, completing the work, etc. The funny thing was--the groups who were already doing a nice job were even more motivated to earn compliments and they continued to work well together. The groups who were not on task quickly repositioned themselves so that I would notice those positive behaviors in them too.

The most important thing I realized on Friday, after observing my class come together in a positive and collaborative way, was that I have to trust my students. I have to trust that the behaviors I work so hard to teach them on daily basis WILL be used when needed. If I never give my students an opportunity to practice these skills, how will I (or they) know that they have really learned them? By providing safe and structured experiences for students to practice their collaborative skills, they are being prepared for the future. And isn't that what the teacher's job is all about?

Share your thoughts on collaboration in the classroom!!

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The Adventure Begins....

1/18/2013

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Welcome to my first blog post!

After debating many times with myself about whether or not starting a website and a blog was a good idea, I finally decided Why not? I realized that I always encourage other people to go out on a limb and try new things, but when it comes to encouraging myself, I don't do it. Fear holds me back. Fear of making a mistake, fear of looking foolish, fear of what other people will think, fear of success. It takes a lot of energy to be afraid though. So again, I asked myself Why not? It is time to put my fears behind me and just do it!

This is the beginning of a new adventure for me! It is a time to stretch my mind and grow, professionally and personally.

The process of building and publishing a website was the first step in my new adventure. In the last month, I have learned a lot about all the technology that is available for teachers to use with their students. It is inspiring and exciting! For example--I never knew that Twitter could be such a great professional resource! I have read dozens of articles tweeted by other educators that have changed my way of thinking and positively influenced me in the classroom. I also learned how to convert a song from iTunes to an MP3 (thank you online tutorials!). And I learned that building a website--though it is time consuming--is not impossible! Even though my technological knowledge is still pretty basic, this new learning has lit a fire beneath me!

This blog is the second step in my new adventure! Will anyone care what I have to say? Maybe. Maybe not. But is there any harm in trying it out? I tell my students that "writing is very important." What better way to practice my craft than to start a blog? This is a way for me to articulate the thoughts and ideas that float around in my head, which sometimes wake me up at 2:00 in the morning! And for some reason, it makes me feel smarter to write something down, to edit and revise. Of course, then I have to publish........

You are invited to join me on this adventure! Who knows where it will go, but I will enjoy the process of getting there and maybe someone reading this will be inspired to start their own adventure!

Happy Travels and Happy Teaching!!

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The Happiness Project

The Weekend (Planning) Warrior

Classroom Funnies

ClassDojo-a-go-go

Dream Teams

The Adventure Begins....

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