A Clue

Last week, I decided to give my 8th graders a day off reading and a day to play Clue - They were pumped!

A DAY OFF READING!!!

The next few class periods were filled with learning and insight, but not for the kids.  I'm  the one who did the learning that day.

The State of Minnesota has spent millions of dollars testing students every April to be sure schools are cutting the mustard, but I say why not take a look at Colonial Mustard to get "A Clue" at students' reading and perseverance. Reading rules to a game is a "real life" application of why it's important to read and read well.


Some students just dug into their work, maybe they didn't want to read the instructions for a board game, but they realized that they needed to get the task at hand done in order to play the game.  On the other hand, some students looked at me with blank looks on their faces and hollered out; "I don't get it".  These kids were waiting for someone else to explain the rules to them.

As we started to play the game on various spots on the floor, I noticed some students taking charge.  Some students would skim the rules again to be sure they were doing it right.  Some students had never played the game before and even though they had a hard time with the directions of the game, they watched what everyone else was doing and asked questions. I was proud of these kids, because even though Clue can be a difficult game filled with higher levels of thinking, it was these kids who decided that they were up to the challenge. I was most frustrated with the frustrated kids.  Students who didn't try because they were scared to try.  Students who hollered out "I don't get it" without reading the instructions.  Some of these kids just sprawled on the floor with their cards showing and complaining that the game was too hard.

Next year, I will requisition 6 or 8 Clue games.  On the first days of school, I will assign 4 kids to a game and watch how they play the game.  I will be able to learn their learning styles and levels of perseverance.  I will see which kids have parents who take the time to play board games with their kids.  I will see which kids need coaching through their reading assignments.

I will know more about my students and abilities from this than any test anyone could give them.

Carpe Diem

In Senior High English, we are writing our life philosophy essays.  I'm writing about taking life by the horns and living life to it's fullest. This is my first draft as I'm showing students my writing process. 

My life philosophy is to “Seize the Day.” Life is too short to waste watching television or being lazy.  Life is too short to not tell someone you love them.  Life is too short not to live life to the fullest and make a bucket list of amazing things to do.

          In Seth Godin’s blog post, “Welcome to Paris”, Godin explains how you only have limited time when you go on vacation and how wise it is to bring this attitude to everyday life.  We should look to the people around us and enjoy them and their ideas.  We shouldn’t waste time with our e-mails or facebook but look to real people and talk face to face.  Life is meant to be lived real-time rather than virtually.

          Robert Herrick’s poem, “To the Virgins, to make much of Time”, also offers the philosophy of living each day to the fullest;

          Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,

          Old Time is still a-flying:

          And this same flower that smiles to-day

          To-morrow will be dying.

Herrick tells us that the pleasures of today may be gone tomorrow, so we should get out and enjoy them while we can.  Enjoy the sunset before it turns into evening.  Dance while your legs still work. 

When I think of gathering flowers while I can, I think of my sister and how she slowly lost her eyesight.  She didn't expect to lose her eyesight - she just did as a result of the Graft Vs. Host Disease from her stem cell transplant. Luckily, my parents had taken my sister and I on many vacations when we were younger. Missi got to see Mount Rushmore, Washington D.C., Colorado, Hawaii, and Disney World before she lost her eyesight. Last year, my mom and dad decided to bring our entire family of 12 to Disney World this Christmas. My sister needed chaperoning.  She needed us to guide her way through the crowds and obstacles.  All I can think is how relieved I am that she got to experience the sight of Cinderella's castle while she could still see.

Personally, I try to work hard everyday to be present and helpful.  I want to remember every experience that I'm thrown into.  I don't want to take my life for granted. 

 Eventually, I will take this five paragraph essay and keep adding to it.  I want students to see how writing can be improved.  

On Grattitude

Earlier this week, I found this blogpost , "The Forgotten Thank You" by Nicholas Provenzano. It made me realize all that my students have done for me.

These past years, my days have been filled with a lot of personal worries.  When I mention worries of my sister's eyesight or struggling health, they listen.  You could hear a pin drop.  I'm so thankful that they care.  It makes all the difference in the world to me.

Some of my students share some of the funniest stories.  Some of the stories are told in front of the classroom, full of animation and giggles.  Not all students have the guts to draw in an audience, and when I come across a giggle or two within their journals or writing.  I smile.  Most of these stories are about snowmobiles or the evil of twerking.

Not all students share everything with me, but sometimes, they really spill their guts out. Kids go through a lot.  That's all I have to say about that. 

I could think of many  times they make me smile and bring real meaning to my life.  I'm so lucky to have one of the hardest jobs in the world.

Big Ideas

For the past months, Senior High English has had an interesting mix of ups and downs.  I find it interesting how kids can vary their maturity.  Some days, they're spot on, and I'm amazed at their abilities.  Others days, they get the cold-steely-eyed stare of a pessimistic literature teacher wondering what she did to deserve them.

Luckily, that literature teacher forgives and forgets and remembers that they are just kids.

Yesterday, we circled up and had a discussion of big ideas.  It always surprises me how deep these kids are and how some of them are really interested on what others think.

Is there destiny? Are we fools to think we have any control over our futures?

Is true-love predestined?

How did people first start talking about aliens?

I loved that the paraprofessional in our room opened up and started talking about her big questions. 

 I love this job.

Exercise has taken over my life.  Every free moment I have I find I'm finding a way to run.  I love it.  I never thought in my life I would write that sentence.  I remember seeing people run and thinking; "Crazy, who do they do it?" 

I started running for one minute. Then, I ran for a minute and a half.  I started running very slowly.  In fact, I'm still slow, but I can run for a full hour.  I'm faster.  I feel great.

I had to choose.  Would I blog?  Or would I run?  I decided to run, but I've missed blogging.  I think I now have the energy to do both.

Hooray!

We just finished reading The Giver in 8th grade. 

And Hooray!

Of course - not everyone cheered and the best parts - but those kids,  you know the ones...

The ones who yell out "I hate reading."

Those were who cheered at the best part ever in the book -

and even read ahead -

They even knew not to give the best part away - and definitely not the ending -  They did not give away the ending.

Now - I hope the next things we read hooks them just as much!

On helping ...

Tina decided we were going to be in the Uff Da Mud Run in Grand Forks, ND.  I'm not quite sure how she talked me into it - but she did.

I'm not sure I knew what I was in for until I paid the registration fee and starting reading about the different obstacles. I was scared to death.

Caron, Tina, and I trained.  We ran. And then, we ran some more.  We army crawled.  We swam.

Eventually...   they put the course map out.


View UFF DA mud run (public) in a larger map


In the back of my mind, I figured I would do some of the obstacles and support Tina and Caron as they managed the course.




 Every Thursday, we met at the park and ran the hills of Red Lake Falls.  I always knew they were faster than I was, but I plugged away.  I did what I could.

Friday night, Caron and Tina picked me up.  We registered for the race and went for supper.  We scanned the course took a big gulp went home and tried to sleep.

Jason brought  me and the girls to the starting line the next morning.  Natalie and I stood at the riverbank looking at the final swim when she turned to me and said "Mom, it's just sad."

"What?"

"I wonder how many people will drown today."

 IF that didn't comfort my anxiety for the day, I'm not sure what would.

Tina, Caron, and I started at the finish line pumped and ready to go!

We started over the first few obstacles of muddy rocks, hay bales, and increasing wall heights, and looked at each other and knew we were going to try them all.

I wasn't the fastest runner, but I had heart and determination, and I did things that day that I never thought I'd do.

What sticks in my mind the most is when I stood in line to climb a cliff and thinking that there was no way I'd do that.  In the back of my mind, I wondered how I was going to get out of it.  I watched Tina go, and then, Caron.  I decided that if they could do it, I could do it too.  I grabbed the rope and wrapped the rope around my wrist.  I climbed up  about 4/5 of the way and looked down.  I did not want to fall. I was so tired.  I looked up - it seemed so far.  I looked down.  I didn't want to go down either.  And, at the top my friends yelled "You can do it. You can do it."  And I went a bit further.. and then, arms hugged on to me, and they lifted me up the rest of the way.  I did it. 

In every day's struggles, I think of  reaching the top with someone's help.  I think of helping kids get to the top.  I'm more determined.