Break the Rules!

Inspired by wonderful educators and thinkers I've met on Twitter, Pam Moran, Ira Socol and their work with schools here, I went out on a limb and broke the rules last week! I was further inspired by the work of Michael Thornton shown here.  After privately testing to be sure that the dry erase markers wouldn't stain the desks, I carefully planned my surprise.

As I talked with students at the beginning of the day about our plans, I casually walked up and began to write on a student's desk, sharing that I had been invited to discover a new way to illustrate our learning. Gasps and giggles erupted as I showed how I could erase my work easily. "When can WE do that?" was of course, the next question.  And, by the way, this question has been asked nearly every day since.

During math, our lesson ( as described by our curriculum) required students to practice drawing lines of different lengths. This was the perfect activity to practice measurement, both drawing these lines, reporting their lengths in different units, and then later measuring and calculating the perimeter and area of their desks.

Enjoy a few pictures, with faces omitted due to school policies.

There is something really fun about "breaking the rules!"

Students all brought in old socks the next day in anticipation of needing more erasers :-)

100% of the students are engaged when we write on desks!

I'll take that heart as a symbol she is having fun!

Students who often draw other pictures instead of answering problems on white boards did not get off task.

By the way, the marker wipes right off and if there is residue, dry erase cleaner or disinfectant wipes get the surface clean!

Recognize

This morning, instead of writing, I recorded a very brief AudioBoo entitled: Recognize.

listen to ‘Recognize’ on Audioboo

Today I invite you to recognize your hard work, your dedication, your passion and to recognize those traits in those around you. 

5 Myths We Must Combat to Foster Kindness in Kids..

In preparation for today's New Teacher Chat on, "Teaching Kindness," I have been thinking a lot about how we, as educators, can influence the development of compassion in our students.

As I walked for miles today through a beautiful quiet forest, I thought about some of the places I have worked where students often did not have their basic needs fully met. I tried to remember if I had the same issues with kids being mean to each other as I hear about and have experienced in many schools. Ironically, I don't believe that students were less willing or able to practice kindness in the most impoverished schools. Actually, in my experience, the less economically advantaged students were often more able to share and offer empathy, when given the tools and opportunity to do so.

 As I pondered deeper, I reflected on some of the beliefs that get in the way of expressing kindness. Some of these ideas I've heard from teachers, and some by students. If we are to combat a "me, me, me" mentality, we must figure out what we can do to remove the barriers to kindness in school.  Many of the barriers stem from faulty thinking, and in order to actually promote kindness, we must challenge these myths:

• Myth #1: Being kind makes you weak. Many of us fall into the habit of thinking that being giving and accommodating means that we are doormats. This is not the case at all! Giving of ourselves, within our means, helps us stay healthier and happier.  We can model this for our students and support them when they reach out to give to someone. Sharing stories of our own strength through giving also provides a positive model for our kids.
• Myth #2: There isn't enough to go around, so if I give up something, there will be nothing left for me. We often latch onto things or opportunities because we are fearful that resources are limited. While sometimes this is the case, often it is just a reaction that we have learned. As a middle kid in a big family, I am often guilty of thinking that I must quickly get what I need in case it disappears. We can reassure our students that there is plenty of our attention to go around.
• Myth #3: I am too busy. Acts of kindness do not have to be planned out for months, nor do they necessarily require a great deal of time. I have given students "homework" where they have to do an act of kindness once per day for a week and then record it.  At the end of the week we talk about our experiences and how we felt afterward.  Kids are quite impressed by how quick and easy it is to take a moment to extend a helping hand.
• Myth #4: Being nice to that person means that I will become unpopular. For this one, I say: so be it! Take the risk! If others shun me because I reach out to someone else, then who has the problem? Not me! In class, we talk about the risk of being an "upstander" when someone is being bullied or harassed. We also roleplay situations to give students the tools and words to stand up for what is right.
• Myth 5: Being available and giving means that I need to be a martyr. You can't truly help others unless you take care of yourself first. Practice those acts of kindness on yourself, by giving yourself an extra 5 minutes of quiet time, or a teeny bit of extra whipped cream on that dessert.  Teach your students that they can be kind to themselves AND others. 

How do you model and teach kids to be kind? I would love to hear your ideas in the comments section below!

Starting the New Year WIth a New Sentence

With my wonderful PLN on Twitter, I was talking about ways to start the New Year other than the traditional New Year's resolutions. Thanks to a conversation with my friend, Ally, @FlyontheCWall, I decided to be brave and begin a new exercise in 4th grade the first day back from our winter vacation and completed it the following day.  As it’s a new year, it’s always a great time to re-examine goals and ideas about who we want to be.
I began by challenging 4th graders to think and brainstorm about who they want to be in 2012. I asked questions like:” What is something you want to be able to say about yourself?” “What is a quality or an action you want to be known for?”

We watched this brief video, based on Daniel Pink’s, “What’s Your Sentence?”




What's Your Sentence?: The Video from Daniel Pink on Vimeo.


The next day, students took their brainstorms from the first day and wrote “their sentences”. Below are some photos of the results. Pretty impressive, especially for 4th graders! Such a positive way to begin 2012!

As you start 2012 with your students, how will you inspire them to make choices that lead them to who they want to be?

5 Surprise Gifts on a Sunday Afternoon

It began with a simple request from my sister in law: "Hey, Joanie, do you want to join us tomorrow singing Christmas carols at a party for the Ambassor of Kenya to the U.N.? Her neighbors go to our church and work with her, and she wants some singing at her party. We don't really know what to expect..but it will be fun to sing as a family."

The "all of us" meant my musical Patitucci family: my brother John, a bass player, his wife, Sachi, an amazing cellist, their musically gifted daughters, Gracie and Bella, my sister Renee, a professional singer, and her family, my sister Mare ( another talented singer) and her family and I, with 12 of us altogether singing. Since my sister, Renee is music director of their church, and John and Sachi are professional musicians, their friends invited them to sing. Even though I do love to sing, I must admit that I get a bit intimidated by my siblings' talent, though I couldn't miss the opportunity.  

Fast forward to the Sunday afternoon….

We arrived about 20 minutes early, pulling up to a beautiful house in a neighborhood in Scarsdale.  We sat outside around the corner, not wanting to arrive early and inconvenience anyone. We practiced a bit to be sure we all knew each song. This was going to be fun! I had no idea what an inspiring time it would be..

 Here are some of the serendipitous gifts of our afternoon:

1. Ambassador Josephine Ojiambo was a wonderfully gracious host. Although my brother's friend Karen had given us a quick briefing about how to show respect by greeting her with the proper title, we were all a tad nervous.  Ambassador Ojiambo insisted that we eat before we sang: delicious Kenyan food. She personally took my niece's plate and gave her a sample of each special dish, explaining what each one was. We learned about white corn being a staple food and chapati, a delicious bread, as well.

2. Not only did we get to sing carols for Kenyan Ambassador Ojiambo and her family and friends,  but  also for her friend: Ambassador to the U.N. from Nigeria, Joy Ogwu.  We were fortunate to talk with her after we sang; she is quite an inspiring woman: a leader among the female ambassadors to the U.N. as well as a member of the Security Council. She shared that she was about to lead some very important talks about arms this week, and felt so grateful to be at a party, relaxing and recharging for her busy week.

3. As we sang, I felt overcome with joy. With my brother John next to me, and my sisters in front of me, we shared smiles and tried to hold back spontaneous giggles as we recalled the Christmas carol records of our younger days.  Sharing music with my brothers and sisters is something I miss so dearly, as we live across the country from each other.  After several encores, Ambassador Ojiambo thanked us; I whispered a message to my brother that we should thank her for the gift that she had given us in her invitation.  Tears welled up in all of our eyes as we shared our thanks with her.

4. After being invited to stay at the party, and meeting many of the friends and family members of Ambassador Ojiambo, we sat by ourselves as they all disappeared upstairs to prepare a song for us. Little did we know that minutes later we would be singing and clapping along to songs from Kenya. They even made a percussion instrument out of the dome from the cake! It was a joyous time of sharing.

5. As we said our goodbyes, I was touched by the grace and warmth of our host. Ambassador Ojiambo told us that the afternoon far exceeded her expectations. We had made her birthday/Christmas celebration memorable. We left, uplifted by our experience. What was to be an hour of caroling turned into an afternoon of music and sharing. Priceless memories for all of us!

A Christmas Letter I Won't Send

The Christmas Letter I Won’t Send ( but should?)

Dear Family and Friends,

I hope this holiday season finds you joyful and well, basking in the glow of a year of fond memories of time with loved ones, as well as of inspiring moments spent making a difference in this crazy world of ours.

I pray that your family is healthy. I know that many educators like me spend holidays fighting the myriad of germs that threaten to invade our bodies after being around germ-spreading little ones all day. Of course, you know that I wouldn’t trade “my kids” for anything.  Despite spending many Christmas eves coughing and sneezing my head off, I still sleep peacefully, knowing that I have lived out my passion by being with these kids each day, often caring more than some of the people who perhaps can’t, due to the daily struggles they face.

So back to that making a difference part. So often it seems as though we believe that it takes a grand act to "make a difference." Maybe you went on that one week mission with your church, posted hundreds of pictures on Facebook, as we all applauded your generous and courageous spirit. I probably even clicked “like” and added an honest, inspired comment.  Or maybe you sent in a donation to a local charity. Of course you can celebrate such a gift! I challenge myself, and all of us, to seize opportunities each and every day to share moments of kindness and generosity. You just never know when you may be giving someone exactly the words they need to "keep calm and carry on" in this very trying time. 

When those holiday bell ringers seek my spare change on a cold winter’s night, I smile and say that I am a teacher, who devotes myself and my change each and every day through the time, care and my own “change” I spend on supplementing my classroom to make learning joyful.  I give of myself all year round, 24 hours a day to this profession, as I spend nights dreaming of lesson ideas, ways to meet challenges with students, and worries about keeping my job.  I know thousands of other teachers who similarly give of themselves thanklessly each day.

At this time of year, as many of us send those “family lists of accomplishment” letters, cleverly designed to make us feel like our lives are worth a darn, my heart is peaceful, knowing that despite the many frustrations and barriers in my profession, I am doing exactly what I was meant to do. I hope that as you reflect on your year, you celebrate those gifts you share each day, and also that you are following the call in your heart. 

At this time of reflection and new beginnings, may you search your heart and check it twice. Are you on the path that brings you meaning and joy? How are YOU sharing your gifts with the world?

The Gift of Blogging

Yesterday, I was invited by my wonderful friend Greta to participate in the #Rockstar Meme - How Blogging Rocked Your World . Her beautiful post, about her journey as a blogger, inspired me to think deeply about the role that blogging has played in developing my voice, both as an educator and as an advocate for kids. 

My first response, I must admit, was one of feeling a bit overwhelmed with the task. Being succinct about subjects I am passionate about is not a strong point for me. I decided to write out a mind map and approach this task much in the way I encourage my students to plan out their writing.

As I drew out my concept map, I decided to use the Showme app to talk about my experience, instead of putting my thoughts into paragraph form. I took a picture of my map, inserted it into Showme, and took it from there. I hope you enjoy the results!

 

As the challenge has requested, my final step is to ask other inspiring bloggers to share their stories. I am tagging these individuals, who have shaped my blogging and thinking in recent months:

 Lisa Dabbs @teachingwthsoul 

 

 John T. Spencer @johntspencer 

 

 Patrick Larkin @bhsprincipal

 

Tracy Watanabe @tracywatanabe

 

Linda Yollis @lindayollis