Sometimes We Succeed

Something that I really want to incorporate more into my blogging are strategies and activities that I use in my classroom. While this may technically be considered a "lifestyle" blog, I think that still works because teaching is a huge part of my lifestyle. Let me back up and tell you about my teaching/educational history.

I attended the University of Missouri for my undergrad. I changed my major to education at the beginning of my junior year, meaning that I graduated in five years instead of four. During my undergrad time, I was very sick, but I managed to make some great friends and learn a lot from a few really well-known players in the education world (Dr. Carol Gilles, anyone?). It was actually in my undergrad that I started my very first blog, if you don't count Xanga. I student taught at a Middle School in Blue Springs for my final semester. After I graduated from MU, I spent the summer trying to find a teaching job and failed. I was devastated. I was fresh out of college, I was motivated, and I was a terrible interview. No wonder they didn't hire me! I ended up taking a job as an Assistant Site Coordinator for a Before and After School Program in Lee's Summit for a year while I took graduate classes online through UCM. That year was also the year that I decided I was going to make something of myself. I applied for and was accepted into MU's teaching fellowship program, allowing me to teach full time as well as earn my Master's Degree. It was the best choice I ever made. I moved to and completed my fellowship in Chillicothe, MO. I taught (and Praxised into) secondary English, allowing me to meet a few great mentors and even more great students. When Fellows was over (and I had written/defended my thesis - HOLLA!), I interviewed at a number of places and wound up being offered two jobs within two days and having to choose. I chose Cameron High School in Cameron, MO, allowing me to live in the city with my husband and still work in a smaller, more intimate district. I took and passed the K-12 Mild/Moderate Cross-Categorical SPED test this year and have also signed my contract to return for the 2015-2016 school year.

Over the course of this school year, having transitioned to the Special Education setting, I've had to drastically push myself to change my way of thinking and my way of teaching. Something that I would have had students do last year in class may not be appropriate at all this year. I have found that changing my thought process on what expression actually means has been the ticket. Do students NEED to write something in order to express their ideas or point of view? Can they draw it? Can they create a video? Or a playlist? Can we have class discussion? Can they make timelines? Thinking outside of the box has been the name of the game, and sometimes we succeed.

Here are a few of the things we've done this year:
CHARACTER DRAWINGS: One of the activities students completed in class this semester was creating character drawings based on textual evidence. I ensured them that grades would be based on accuracy and effort, not artistic ability, but they all did a great job! They completed drawings over three main characters, as well as two additional characters who hold importance in the text.

LEISURE READING TIME: Lately, students have been asking to "get comfortable" while they have time to read in class. Laying on the ground is more comfortable that sitting in a chair, but hey, whatever works!

 

SCENIC DRAWING: Something else we have focused on while reading our novels has been illustrating various scenes from the text. This has allowed students to express how they visualize what is happening as we read.

 

MONTHLY RESPONSES: Monthly responses are one of my favorite things that we do in my labs. Each month they have to respond to a prompt on an appropriate (and provided) piece of paper. So far this year they have shared their favorite Halloween memory (October), something they're thankful for (November), their favorite Christmas gift they've ever received (December), goals for 2015 (January), things they love (February), and reasons they're lucky (March).

  

MOVIE TRAILERS: This has been a personal favorite of mine this semester because of my broadcasting background. The boys in my 5th hour put together a list/story board of photos and videos they wanted to take in order to create a movie trailer for the book we just read in class (Unwind). We spent the better part of a block day walking around the school and yard gathering these things. They spent the next day editing it together in class. They really liked this too, because it was something new and different.

  

Teacher friends, I ask you, what are some of the fun, relevant activities that you have your students complete in class?? I'm always looking for new, fun ideas to get kids connected to what we're doing!