How can you do it all?

One of the most overwhelming things about becoming a teacher is wondering how you are going to do it all. How am I going to meet the needs of each and every one of my students? It seems near impossible and it seems that we are going to have to really know each of our students really well. One of my past teachers mentioned how she tried to do this. She thought it was helpful to carry around post-it notes with her throughout the class. Anytime she noticed something about a student, their interests, their struggles, etc. she wrote it down on the post-in with their name on it. At the end of the day she got out this big binder with those clear protectors and each student's name with many other post-its was on it. This is where she kept all her notes about each student. Whenever she had parent/teacher conference she would pull out the binder and she would have many things to talk with parents. I never thought much about this idea until last week's class. It seems to me like a genius idea.

I really want to be an awesome teacher and want each of my student's to feel like they are my favorite student. I had many teachers that made me feel that way and I wonder now how many other students thought that they were their favorite.

ESL

While I was doing my reading for my ESL class, I couldn't help but realize that all of the strategies we can use for ELLS, we can use with each of our students. One of the biggest things I noticed while reading was that students learned their second language so much quicker by talking. This got me to thinking about all the opportunities our students have to actually talk while in class. Sure this varies from class to class, but I honestly think that most students don't do a lot of talking in class. It could be for various reasons like shyness or that there just are not those opportunities to talk.

I reflected that this is just another reason for us as teacher to implement morning meetings. It is so important for students to learn to communicate with one another and also for students to learn different social skills such as looking into each others eyes while talking. It is especially important for ELLs to get talked to directly. Sure they will learn the language by observing, but more importantly, they learn so much more when someone is talking directly to them.

I am so happy that I have learned about morning meetings and am more excited to continue to see the benefits of it! I think it will all in all make me a better teacher.

PS 22 Chorus

In differentiation this week, we were shown the PS 22 Chorus.
This is their story...

This story was very touching to me. I absolutely loved it! I love the part where the principal of the school says that no one in the chorus has had to go to summer school. They are all excelling in school. It is amazing to me how caring so deeply for your students can go a long way. Mr. B had no idea that doing what he did would end up like this, he just cared for each of his students and loved his job. 

To me, Mr. B differentiates naturally. He can see what each of his students' needs are and he makes sure to meet those needs. I hope to one day be the kind of teacher that touches the lives of my students. I know that I had teachers like this and am so grateful for them. 

YouTube Videos of Morning Meetings

Here are some good examples of morning meetings.

The students are learning great communication skills.

Sylvia Long

Last week during Differentiation, my class got the opportunity to listen to Sylvia Allan, the principal of Vineyard Elementary school. It was such a fascinating class discussing the importance of morning meetings. I had never really thought of morning meetings being some amazing thing in the classroom. To me it mostly looked like it was fluff. I never really understood the benefits until Sylvia Allan came and told us what amazing things morning meetings can do.

Sylvia uses morning meetings in her elementary school. The entire school gathers together Monday mornings. She said that it is the only time that 100% of the students are successful. I loved the way she said that.

Going back to when I said that I thought that morning meetings were 'fluff,' well they definitely are not. They can be a great educational tool.

The model we are using in class is called the creed model. The following format is

• Greeting
• Sharing
• Group Activity
• News/Announcements

Sylvia Allan follows a different format. 

• Class Creed
• Greeting (Mornings only)
• Pledge
• Memorization
• Class Business
• Vegetables
• Dessert
• Medicine
• News
• Share
• Class Cheer

Her format gets the kids thinking and they learn a great deal in the process. I love that she has the students memorizing by simply just reading the poem over each morning. She doesn't want them taking it home and practicing. She makes it all so doable in her class. 

Sylvia talked about how her morning meetings got the students to trust her. They knew they could talk to her about anything and she would help them. She made a point to not embarrass anyone in her class. 

In the end, Sylvia had me thoroughly convinced that I would implement morning meetings in my future classroom.