Helping Students New to Town (#apr13)

As the school year is winding down in many places, it is time to think about September. I know that some of you are still doing state testing or feel like summer is still far away, but trust me, September is coming sooner than you think.

There is one piece of the start of the school year that needs special attention for those schools in small communities or those places with a vary low mobility rate. How do you welcome students who are new to town?

At my last school, this was a combined effort of the school and the PTO. The PTO mostly focused on the parents by sponsoring an open house for new residents and town organizations. This was held in the gym of one of the schools and featured groups of all stripes and the school principals. Rm my perspective, it was nice to meet some of the new families.

The other part of our plan was to welcome new students at the school. A few days before school opened, several student council members gathered in the lobby, set up a table of food, and waited for new students. Once we had a group, the students led other students on tours of the school. I mostly stood around the lobby and fielded the kind of questions that were answered at an orientation in the spring of course these parents were not in town then).

It was simple and direct. I heard from many parents and even a few students that this brief welcome was just what they needed to calm their nerves (at least a little) before the first day of school.

How does your school welcome those new to town?



Image credit cmatsuoka CC

Smile File to replace Written Praise (#apr13)

During this week's noon edchat, the discussion centered around what teachers and schools need from administrators. At one point in the duscussion, someone brought up the idea of keeping a file of written praise as a great way to help get through a tough day.


I wrote about this in July 2010, Written Praise. The only change now is to switch to the somewhat corny, but much catchier title, the Smile File.

teacher6th (@teacher6th) 4/26/11 12:36 PM RT @coreydahlevent: I save letters (and email) that are positive...that speak to what I strive to be. #edchat This is my "Smile File" coreydahlevent (@coreydahlevent) 4/26/11 12:37 PM @teacher6th I like the "smile file" idea. On occasion, I will look at my "atta boy" letters. #warmfuzzy #edchat

fliegs (@fliegs) 4/26/11 12:39 PM @teacher6th Smile File is a way better name than Written Praise. I just may borrow that. #edchat

I admit, I am not above a little corniness from time to time. 


I was also thinking that not only am I going to rename my own file, but in next school year, I am going to encourage all the staff in my building to keep their own Smile File. In fact, maybe this is the sort of thing that we can build with each child. It could be part of their portfolio over the years. The trick is that we, as the adults, will need to be sure that we are helping each and every child build their Smile File.


So, go add to someone's Smile File. I am sure that the smile will be returned.

Friends, My First Guest Blog (#apr13)

Now that we are way past April 13, I have the opportunity to introduce my first guest blogger. You see, my five year old daughter heard that Mommy and her brother were suggesting blog topics. She demanded to be included. I think that she is trying to drive traffic to her blog (once she creates one).

As this will be her first published piece, I have agreed to be something like a ghost writer.

***
Going to School With Friends
By Maya Fliegelman

I wish I could go to school next year with my friend Ariana. I think it would be fun to go to school with her. But, I am moving. I am moving to Vermont.

Q: Would it be good to go to school with a friend?

A: No. Going to school with my friend would mean that I would learn slower because I would be talking to her.

***

Out of the mouths of babes.

Recycled Wine, Home School Connection (#apr13)

Several years ago B.K. (before kids), I laughed heartily when my principal told me about his lesson that weekend. Apparently, his fifth grade daughter had just completed D.A.R.E. training at school. Well, that Friday night at dinner, the principal decided to have a second glass of wine. Right away, the daughter started in him. She told him that one glass of wine was enough and that it wasn't really that healthy to have a second glass. She had learned this at D.A.R.E. I thought it was hilarious that she would learn something at school and then try to teach her father - even lecture him.

As a principal, I think back about at story and I understand that the daughter's talk and lesson about what happened at school is one of the many reasons she was so successful at school. She knew that her parents we're interested in her schooling and in her learning. She knew that some of what she learned had connections outside of the classroom. There was lots of good stuff going on.

I often wonder if some of my struggling students ever talk about what they have learned at school. I know they talk about lunch, recess, and the funny stuff that happens. I know they report to their parents when they feel they have been wronged. In all my conversations with struggling students and their parents, I can recall very little evidence of talk about learning. Hmmm.

All these years later, it is my time in the sun. It is time for that principal of mine to laugh with/at me. You see, my daughter just learned about recycling and how important it is to the earth. That very night, she lectured my wife and me about recycling. She was taking what she learned that day and teaching us.

If only she didn't use that tone that made us feel so guilty.

Image credit flickr user mandymoo CC

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Making All Kids Feel Valued (#apr13)

Joey was a struggling learner. His skills were weak from several years of barely getting by, natural smarts without focus, parents who did not recognize his struggles, and falling just below the radar.

By fifth grade, Joey was far behind his classmates, sullen, and beginning to act out in class. His teachers had lost all patience with him and repeatedly blamed Joey and his parents for failing to to do their parts. In the middle of the year, Joey was sent to the office repeatedly for refusing to do his work in class.

It was at this point that I took a greater interest in Joey. One afternoon while sitting in the office with a pile of math work that he had refused to do, I asked Joey if I could help him. After several minutes of grumbling, I deduced that Joey did understand the assignment, that he thought he could do the work, and that he had a pencil. I asked him, quietly, if would do the work now. He did. I checked his work and helped him through some errors. I thinked him for letting me help him. He almost smiled, and I sent him back to class.

After a few days of this, and a constantly decreasing amount of grumbling and increasing amount of smiling, I began to talk *with* Joey to find out what I could. He confirmed my worst fears. Joey was not stupid or especially lazy or even unwilling. Joey felt that his teachers didn't like him. The problem was that all the evidence I'd seen backed up his assertion. His teachers never had a kind word for or about him and were still blaming him and his parents.

When it came to work on Joey's placement for sixth grade, I made sure to place him with a homeroom teacher and team that were especially good at connecting with the down and out boys like Joey. I also placed Joey with a special educator who got along great with his students (maybe at the expense of some teaching skill).

To make a long story longer, sixth grade was a completely different experience for Joey. He still struggled with academics, but he made considerable gains. Most exciting from my perspective was that he rarely got sent to the office the whole year. Joey had become a new person.

There are two main reasons for Joey's turn around. Joey gets the lion share of the credit; he matured. Right after that is that for the first time in a while, Joey had teachers who valued him for who he was. They made him feel good about being Joey.

Teachers don't have to like a student, but that student must never feel like the teacher doesn't like him.

How do you show your students that you value them? Did you ever have a student that you just didn't like? How did you handle the situation?

image credit http://www.frear.cr.k12.de.us/Pictures/teacher-student.jpg