Just the Right Amount of Challenge

I've been thinking quite a bit about creating just the right amount of challenge and even "stress" for learning as I've been reading a lot about "good stress" in helping kids strive to be their best.
What are your thoughts?

10 Important Ways a Positive Climate Can Impact Learning

I am so excited, and to be honest, completely and utterly nervous, to be presenting on Saturday, January 8, 2011 at the Reform Symposium Worldwide e.conference!

Below you can watch the interview of introduction done a few days ago with my wonderful friend Greta in Argentina. I loved talking to Greta, but I think that in the self-consciousness of being video-interviewed, I missed sharing some ideas about what I hope to discuss in my brief 30 minute presentation!





In any case, here are 10 points I hope to address in next week's interactive discussion in Elluminate. I hope you will join me!

1. Positive emotions "broaden and build" our capacity to think. For more information, check out one of my favorite researchers, Dr. Barbara Fredrickson, author of Positivity. 
2. We can teach our students the value of positive thought patterns and how to control the downhill slide that happens when stress or anger short circuit our thinking.
3. Routines and classroom rituals can be mindfully designed to elicit more positive experiences which make school a place kids want to go.
4. Celebrating mistakes, through modeling and discussion, can go a long way in reducing fear and encouraging students to take risks in learning.
5. Novelty is a powerful force in awakening parts of the brain involved in memory storage. Why not start a lesson dressed up as a literary character?
6. Positivity does not mean being happy all of the time. What it means is that by carefully creating an environment that seizes opportunities to promote learning in a fun way, we can then raise the bar and push our students to learn at their highest potential. 
7. Relationships that are built in a safe learning community can handle the necessary self-reflection, constructive criticism, and peer feedback that lead to growth and development. 
8. Test stresses and other issues related to grades and standards can be mitigated through humor.  Before our "big" standardized writing test, I took pictures of students peering over privacy screens making the silliest, most terrified faces. The laughter that followed as we looked at the pictures helped us keep the test in perspective. 
9. Celebration Smores: after our big week-long battery of standardized tests, I suprised the students with "celebration smores." They made funny faces out of mini marshmallows and choc chips on their graham crackers. Some students took the opportunity to try and melt their smores in the sunshine! 
10. Students love jobs related to promoting a positive classroom environment. In my class, the weekly environment engineer may share a humorous, fascinating, awe-inspiring video clip, photo or story with the class.
 

I would love to hear your thoughts and stories about the power of creating a positive learning environment. Care to share?

Optimising Our Potential in Education

Optimising Our Potential - Education - Browse - Big Ideas - ABC TV
This panel discussion highlights many instrumental factors in inducing well-being in kids at school and at home each day. Watch and listen as Judy Willis, MD and teacher, Arthur Costa, Professor Emeritus in the CSU system, Philip Heath and Dr. Toni Noble discuss with Richard Aedy, of ABC radio Australia how we can maximize brain functioning through utilizing cooperative learning, novelty, and humor in the classroom.
Let me know in the comments section what you think!

Connecting Across the Globe with Song

I wish I could start by sharing the video of  beaming faces and beautiful voices of the students who sang to us and were our audience via Skype on Thursday.  The energy and pride of these 5th graders, who took the stage, singing to us in English, and ending with a beautiful song in Spanish, was quite powerful. Unfortunately, because of privacy rules, words will have to describe the exciting 20 minute call between my 4th grade class and Greta's 5th grade students in Argentina on their last day of school before summer vacation. I am positive that the students depict the scene way better than I could, so here is a post from  Alex, who went home and blogged even though school was over.
It was priceless to be the first class that these students had ever Skyped with in the U.S. I hope that my students found the experience to be equally memorable. 
Thank you Greta and your fantastic students for sharing such a special time with us!

Surrounding Ourselves With Others Who Bring Out Our Best

As I scan the list of "Best Teacher Blog" nominees on Edublogs, I am honored and humbled to be among teachers I admire, learn so much from, and share with on Twitter.  For once in my life, the competitive spirit in me does not seem to be caught up in whether or not I win. In fact, I feel like my blog has been somewhat neglected since school started, due to my other responsibilities, including blogging for my class. I am simply proud to stand among all of these wonderful educators who share stories of challenges, strategies, and successes so selflessly and openly.
My thoughts today center on the importance of  surrounding ourselves with inspiring people. My meaningful connections with my real life educator friends, as well as those through Twitter and reading blogs all facilitate my growth and performance as a teacher. By performance, I don't mean an outcome like student test scores on standardized tests. I am speaking of the daily, "stepping onto the stage" in the classroom, in the countless interactions with students, parents, and colleagues. As a teacher, my words, actions and plans are held under the highest scrutiny at times, because of the power I have to influence my students. I consider this power a huge responsibility, made easier by the wonderful teachers I am honored to include in my Personal Learning Network.
I also must add that my loved ones completely understand and support my passion for education. They empathize when a student or parent interaction leaves me unsatisfied or upset. They also encourage me to step up to the plate and take on more challenges. I could not be the teacher I am without them.
How do you surround yourself with others who bring out the best in you? What am I missing in this discussion? I look forward to sharing more with you.

Bullying and Crazy Aggressive Driving: Synonymous?

 I have started recording some of my thoughts on my morning drive. This morning's tangent was about the issue of bullying as related to adult behaviors like tailgating. Let me know what you think!

Visual Reminders

This student is becoming more aware that she needs to slow down and be careful with directions! She often works speedily!

This student understands the need to stay calm for a test!

This student doesn't talk very much in class but would like to more!

As you can see, slowing down is a goal for several students in my class!

Side conversations take away from our learning. Why not share your great observations and thoughts with everyone?

Yes, it's another reminder to work slowly and steadily.

This student is not happy when his/her desk is messy!

This student knows the importance of cooling off when upset.

The picture above refers to a student who wants to go even faster with math facts!

This student wants to remind herself to calm down at times and not get over excited and disruptive.













At the beginning of this week, fresh and energized by their long weekend, students discussed strategies to help them achieve the learning and behavior goals they set for Quarter 2 and beyond. All agreed that a visual reminder of a picture and/or words might direct us to be mindful of “how” to achieve that goal. What’s my goal in this? I want students to become more aware of and actively participate in the actions that lead them to increased engagement and meaningful learning!


The pictures, affixed to their desks and shared above, reveal the keen awareness of our learners. They know “what” they want to work on and are working on “how” to carry it out. I am very impressed by the students in my class!