Educational Buzzwords...H: Helicopter Parents...um...yeah...

Examples of when 'helpful' parenting turns into helicopter parenting...some of these are from my own experiences as a teacher:

When a parent...

1] stays home from work to do their kids homework. How can you tell the parent did it? The references for the paper are all college education books that the student, when you ask point blank questions, has no idea what you are talking about.

2] calls you on your cellphone (when you didn't give them your #) at 10.30p to talk about the extra credit work you assigned so their kid can have an A- instead of a B+.

3] a kid turns in said extra credit late and the parent doesn't understand why the teacher won't accept it and then doesn't understand why the principal doesn't make the teacher accept it.

What can you, as a parent, do to make sure you aren't hovering?

How to be a helpful parent (the opposite of the dreaded 'Helicopter')

1] Work with your student and their teachers for a plan that best allows your student to grow at his or her full potential.

2] Schedule times to meet or talk. Most teachers don't even mind if you sit in on their classes, as long as you call or email your intentions.

3] Trust that the teacher knows what he or she is doing. When you feel that a teacher is bullying your child talk to them first, be honest and be up front, however, realize that the teacher will still want your student to turn in work on time, be respectful in the classroom and to reach his or her full potential.

College Students and Their Helicopter Parents

(wow, parents, wow!)

Five Words that even the Summer Couldn't Help Me Forget
(a post I wrote about more edu-words)

Pecha Kucha

[Source]

Ok, so my honors kids usually do a literary timeline about a month into this semester. We do them on the Promethean board and the info and results can be seen here and here. We usually spend a long class period (hour and 28 minute class period) on it, I monitor their progress as they use their books, notes et cetera to label and move things on the board. The results are nice, but over the years the timelines have morphed into something that I'm not sure is helping the students as last year they used their phones more than their notes and they argued more than they collaborated. I spent Christmas Break (show me a teacher who doesn't work on school stuff when they should be having time off and I'll show you how that's not really the case at all) trying to find a way to square that circle. I found this-a Pecha Kucha presentation. I'd like to give credit to the person who created this gem, but alas I can't as their name is not on it...anywhere. I decided that Pecha Kucha would be the way to go for literary timeline discussion this year...it only took a little bit of research...the short of which can be found below:

Pecha Kucha A gathering of ideas where each presentation consists of 20 images (at the least 14 images) for 20 seconds apiece, for a total time of 6 minutes, 40 seconds, if you have all 20 slides or images.

Can't figure out how to pronounce it? Start here! 

The long of which can be found here. This is an excellent place to get everything you need and more. There's not only the history, but there's also:

Getting Started
General Design Tips
Practicing
The Big Event
Ingredients and Video Examples

And, in bullet form:

• The Pecha Kucha style comes from Japan; it means "chit chat".
• Pictures only, no bullet points...programmed to rotate 20 seconds per slide.
• Just because you have 20 slides doesn't mean you have to have 20 points...what are the five-ten essential things you want to say.
• In my case, because there are no bullet points the students listening get to decide what is essential.
• There's no one way to give a pecha kucha (hmmm...is that supposed to be capitalized?).
• Look at Youtube for examples...here, here or here...these are examples I like (Pecha Kuchas explaining Pecha Kucha *mind blown*).

I created my own version of the Pecha Kucha guidelines from the ones I originally found (calendar can be found here), eventually I will perfect this Pecha Kucha I made to present the idea to the students.

I can't wait to see the literary timeline results!

Never Let Them See You Cry...ish

So, "The Today Show" had a poll today about crying in the workplace. I am admittedly against crying of any kind (yes, I know I have issues we can talk about them later), but I am especially against crying at school in front of people, especially when those people happen to be the students I'm teaching. 

Now, I LOVE interacting with my students and can get off-track with the best of them, laughing at their jokes, learning the lingo, 'friending' them on FB or doing the good 'ole follow back on Twitter, but there is something private and vulnerable about letting them see me cry. I'm not sure I want my students to know me in this way. Then it hit me and is still hitting me as I type this...I have cried in front of students. During the course of my 14 (almost 15) years of teaching I have cried several times in front of students. There are several different reasons I cried and there are several appropriate reasons to cry at the workplace. I'm not sure that all of my reasons are the most appropriate, but they did let me get to know the students on a more personal and compassionate level.

Let's break it down...

Reasons to NEVER cry in front of students

1. When a kid makes you so upset and hurts your feelings so much you just lose it. To teach you have to have a tough shell and the students have to know that while you love them they are teenagers and you are an adult. When you let one of them hurt your feelings so much that you cry you have lost the audience. Sadder still that audience tells the world that so and so made you cry and you lose credibility for years. I've seen this happen to nice, sweet new teachers. My suggestion: cry during lunch break or go to the bathroom. Or, you can do what I did my first year of teaching and tell a kid, "I promise you, you will cry way before I do." Yipes! I was one tough broad.

2. Over a boy. Or, girl for that matter. Keep your private life private. Now, this one I regretfully know from experience. Your kids know you better than you know them after all they get to study you for long periods of time every day. They know who you like, they know what you dislike and they know who you date...they've seen you out and about (this is especially true in a small town). So, when you and your man friend stop seeing one another, um, they know and when you start crying because you got to school late, burned your neck on your straight iron and just got off the phone with him before entering the building they know you are not crying because you can't figure out how to make your OHP work, it's because of said boy. Probably not a good idea that the kids know so much about you, am I right!? *looks away nervously* Cry in front of your friends instead...um... PS. I think it's OK to cry with your students if they are crying about a boy or a girl...I hate when girls make boys cry and usually also cry if a boy is crying in front of me.

Reasons where it is OK and should be encouraged to cry

1. When a student you know personally, or your students know personally, dies. In the past 14 (almost 15 years) 2 students died of cancer, there are been 4 suicides, a fatal accidental shooting, a murder and several car accidents where students I knew passed away. My heart breaks all over just thinking about these people who I loved so much-this is so tough. On days when things like this happen the show must go on, but you don't have to be a hard ass about it, trust me. I can remember so many times when kids have just stopped by my room while I was teaching to talk or to just find a quiet place after a tragedy happens. I didn't mind crying in the hallway or hugging or crying in front of a whole class at these moments. I also don't mind talking about how precious and wonderful each of them are to me, I don't mind talking to them about being safe because I love them...I don't mind crying a lot. "Why are you crying?" a student asked me one time, "You only met her once." I replied, "I am crying because I know you and you are hurting and that hurts me. I am sorry that I can't do more about it, but talk to you and cry with you." I meant that and still mean it.

2. When someone in your family is hurting or has passed away...I think this includes pets. I cried when my favorite cat died in the middle of the night and I had to go to school the next day. I cried several days before my aunt passed away and several days after I came back. When students asked why I was so upset I didn't mind telling them. Parents sent me flowers, students sent me flowers...even for the cat. I have never forgotten how kind these particular students were to me and I still see that kindness in them to this day (I think they're like 30 years old now!).

3. When something that you are teaching moves you. Every year I get a little misty-eyed when we read Our Town. I cannot help it. I love that play so much just talking about how important it is to live your boring life to its fullest, to talk about cherishing the stupid moments with family and friends so moves me that I can't help it. One year I especially lost it when a student talked about how much she enjoyed the bus ride to school because every morning she got to see the sunrise come up over the hills. What 15 year-old talks that way!? And, would I have gotten to experience such openness had I not already shared how much I love life via the reading of Our Town?

4. When the kids do something so AWESOME that you can't help it. Last year I had a particularly wonderful group of students I hated to see go. I got a little misty-eyed talking to them about how much I'd miss them. I've had students who never ace tests knock one out of the park...I couldn't help, but get misty-eyed talking about how cool that was. When kids are in shows that move me I'm so proud that I can't help but cry...sometimes I also squeal like a little girl especially when a student remembers what I like and buys said thing for me unexpectedly. Gosh I love my students so much!

OK, so I may have to take back what I said about crying in the workplace. I'd also like to apologize to the students that I cried in front of because of a 'boy' or two...and, if I could, I'd take back that venn diagram...you know which one I'm talking about...I was young, I'd like to say it won't happen again, but I'm still a bit impulsive at times.

30 Days of Truth: Someone You Need to Let Go or Wish You Didn't Know

I found this meme here and here.

Ten: Someone you need to let go or wish you didn't know

Ok, ok, ok...there is this parent of a former student. This parent was a royal pain in my behind for like 3 quarters of the school (ie. most of the school year)--I don't want to get into it, but, wow parents who teach, and obviously of lots of time to spare, can...can...wow! I tried deflecting, I tried being charming, I tried proof, I tried helping, I tried meetings (lots of meetings)...I screamed at home a lot. I no longer have that student in class (haven't for years). I wish I didn't know the parent, though. Sometimes I imagine that I run this particular person over with my car--Ally McBeal style with thumps and crunches and flailing...of course, that's when I realize that maybe I've been watching too many violent shows and movies. Um, I probably really need to let this person go though and stop giving this person the evil eye when I see this person in public (when you live in a small town seeing someone you despise in public happens more than I care to think about at the moment). Of course, living in fear of seeing this person in public was replaced by the evil eye and this deep-seated hate, which felt like a win, but I realize, as I type this, that it really wasn't...it just means I still think about the hurt and pain, but have found a different outlet.

I don't have to talk to this person to let them go, right, right??? I'm not sure I'm there yet...but, I suppose, I can stop that car fantasy and I suppose I can stop thinking of this person's name as a cuss-word.

I just wish I didn't know this person and then I wouldn't have to worry about letting them go. Ugh.

Ethan Frome in the Honors Sophomore Classroom

[Isn't this just the most delicious cover ever!? Source]

Ethan Frome

I read Ethan Frome for the first time in college and immediately fell in love. This book is written unlike any of Wharton's other books, but still contains some of the same themes of isolation and redemption. We read it with Our Town. Over the years I've taken to called this unit the Small Town Unit, as we explore the plusses and minuses of small town life and the gloriousness of being alive through these two works. I've read that a lot of 9th graders read this book. While they can read it and probably get it on some level, I enjoy teaching it to my honors kids at the 10th grade level. I think you need to have at least dated or experienced a little heart break of some sort to truly get into this novel.

Classic American Novel
Ethan Frome

• Delicious love triangle
• Individual vs. Personal Happiness
• the color red

Projects used:
Sadly, I have no idea where I got any of these sources, if you know or if the core of one of them is yours tell me...I love to give credit for things I don't totally create from my head. I do know that I've used the study guide from Glencoe McGraw Hill.

Ethan Frome and Edith Wharton notes
FOILS in Ethan Frome
Understatement
Frame Story
Agatha Christie writing prompt
"Man of the Hour"

Why I love this book: 
When I first read this book a million years ago it was Winter, and I've got to tell you reading a book about a man trapped in a small New England town as stark as its name just made that winter day all the more wonderfully bleak. I love that every year I teach this book I really can't decide who's responsible for Ethan's downfall...naive and desperate Ethan, love-torn and forlorn Mattie or cold and pathetic Zeena. This book can and should be read in one sitting and after you read it I dare you not to be upset with all three characters and I dare you to not look at a winter day a little differently.

Sample calendar with poems and short stories I pair with it:

55 Books in a Year: Book #57 Antigone and #58 The Woman in Black

Two Classic Novels

I read both of the books below for school. We were doing a new unit using Antigone and Persepolis and I read The Woman in Black for to complete the projects for our second independent read.

A Classic Greek Play
Antigone

• First heroine in literature
• Classic display of hubris

Projects used:
Adapted from Novel Units: Antigone Teaching Guide
The Oedipus Story
Persepolis Movie Questions
Irony in Antigone
Foils in Antigone
Antigone Structure-Summary Diagram
Persepolis/Antigone Pardon Essay
Allusions in Antigone

Why I love this book: 
I've always enjoyed the many aspects of this play as they are the first time ever to be seen. I like that when I read it the first time I really thought that Antigone was a strong, proud woman who stood up for her beliefs. I liked that upon reading it again I recognized that both Antigone and Creon could have changed their fates by listening to one another and I realized that while I didn't want to be Ismene, Antigone really isn't someone to emulate. She just seems stubborn and bull-headed. I wasn't really impressed by Haemon either.

A Modern Classic in the Gothic Style
The Woman in Black

• Includes several popular Gothic elements
• Classic ghost story

Projects used:
One-Pager and Single Page book

Why I love this book:
I like that I didn't even know that this book was published in the 80s, until I began reading it. I thought it was just a Gothic novel that I didn't know about. The build up to the end of this book was pretty gosh darned awesome. I kept on wondering what was going to happen and well, the ending does not disappoint in the sheer creepiness department.

Implementing New Units...gah!

So, I've been really busy since the school year started. One would think that after 14 years of experience, teaching would be a breeze. You would think that all I'd have to do is make copies and sit at my desk and, well, put my feet up.

But, alas, no...

I started writing this post in September and assumed that I'd have it finished in early October, but here we are. Anyway, I just wanted to show you a typical unit process.

And, I also wanted to say I'm thankful that I'm only doing this for one class not two, I'm thankful that I have two lovely ladies teaching the same class with me to help, and I'm glad that, other than our approach to grammar, the 2nd semester isn't full of drastic changes.

This is the book we used for our short story unit.
It's from the 1990s, my colleagues husband remembers
using it when he was in high school.
Frankly, I love this book, but I understand that it is quite old.

Planning a unit looks a bit like this:

1. Is there a test already created? If so, does it follow the CLEs, and, for this year, does it follow CCSS?
2. If not, create a test...which means we have to look at our learning targets and our ELOs. If not, revamp said test. Thank goodness this particular unit already had a test created like my 2nd year of teaching, shared with others and revamped my 6th year of teaching and only needed to be updated a little.
3. From the test create a calendar of what goes where (we're all about backward design)...for this unit that meant: 1] reading strategies 2] what stories or activities should be homework 3] what stories or activities should be completed in class 4] what's for enrichment 5] what's for remediation 6] what's for a grade 7] what's for practice and 10 years ago all of this looked different. Heck, 3 years this looked different. 
4. Create what needs to be created...when there are three people working together that's pretty awesome because you can divide the work load and, if you are the veteran teacher you can say, "Since I made ---, could someone else make ---?"
5. Implement said plan. This, of course, means writing new lesson plans or revamping old ones...ugh.

Here's are the lesson plans for this unit:

 

We've made three new units for 1st semester...you know and then there's the usual grading and such...it takes up a lot of time. My blog has suffered.

But, I gotta tell you, this has been one of the best year's of teaching EVER! Really! And, I thank my PLC for making that possible. We're quite a team!

55 Books in a Year: Book #43 Formative Assessment and Standards-Based Grading

Over the summer I went to Las Vegas for a JEA Advisers Institute. It was pretty awesome. Chris and I went a couple of days early and we played around and then when he left it was time for some learning.

One of the best sessions I attended was one about Systematic Grading presented by Sandra Coyer. If you are a teacher or know a teacher or read the news to learn about education you know that standards-based grading, common-core standards, holistic scoring, grading for learning, essential learning outcomes (ELOs), formative and summative assessments are just a few of the buzz words that have the education world in a tizzy. We're all (well save a few states, I hear) trying to move towards common-core as our common language and we're all trying to figure out how that will look in our classrooms. People seem to think that standards-based grading is the answer.

Hoping on this band-wagon is yours truly. I like that the ELOs that we've spent years, literally, perfecting become how and what we teach and we use this knowledge to grade our students, but I really didn't see how this would look in the classroom. Coyer's Prezi talks about several ideas that were swimming around in my head:

• that holistic scoring and standard-grading focus learning and make the goals for everyone easier to attain
• journalism classes are differentiated and prepare students for the 21st century better than most classes.

And, I wondered how that would look in my classroom.

There were so many thoughts and ideas and questions floating around that I had to find a way to focus. Formative Assessment and Standards-Based Grading is the perfect book for this.

Here's what his website says about the book

Benefits
This comprehensive guide:

• Identifies three types of formative classroom assessments that should be used in a comprehensive system and explains how to design them
• Explains the difference between “standards-based” and “standards-referenced” systems
• Explains why it is usually inappropriate to use the 100-point scale in conjunction with formative assessment
• Describes a systematic approach to the design and use of rubrics
• Presents four basic approaches to tracking student progress and provides reproducible grade sheets
• Discusses the use of technology in tracking progress and generating reports
• Addresses the issue of grades for teachers using formative approaches
• Includes an appendix that clearly explains the concept of effect size
• Provides exercises to help readers assess and reinforce their understanding of the new strategies

And, it has hand-outs that address all the mathy stuff! It's fantastic!

Here are the hand-outs we created for the students, and so far it's working like a dream!

Standards Based Grading Info
Standards Based Grading Scoring Guides

If you want more information about how we're doing standards-based grading in a school that does not feel free to email me for the details.

Links for more information:
21st Century Skills
Common Core Standards
Formative Assessments
Holistic Scoring
Standards-based Grading
Summative Assessments

My Classroom: A Walk-Through

Soooo...I've never introduced you to my classroom. I've had loads of fun in this room and this room holds loads of memories...a student had a seizure and hit a desk when he crashed to the floor, students created a rubber band chain that started in my classroom and went all the way through our commons and to the art hall (many, many feet away). The whole room had to be rearranged when I received my Promethean board. Yes, I have a Promethean board, a chalkboard and a whiteboard. I remember when I only had a chalkboard. We've hidden from intruders in my classroom. Children have shimmied out the window and shimmied in. During Publications we eat lunch in the classroom...when we've been overwhelmed and stressed we've also had group nap-time during lunch. I've made waffles, had "Soul Food" day and eaten many a cake (include my own birthday cake) in this classroom. I have tried to get my husband to kiss me in my classroom...he says he can't, it feels too weird...like a classroom.

All pictures were taken by my dear friend and personal photographer Amanda.

1. Chalkboard that is sometimes used as a corkboard
and my desk as clean as it's going to EVER be during the year.
2. Those are postcards that my niece and I put up about 7 years ago; I just add new places as I go.
Two bookshelves of 'choice read' books...all 731 on Classroom Booksource.
Pictures and magnets from various years of teaching. It's my cozy little area.

1. The bookshelf from behind my desk used to be in this area, now I have a cute little reading area.
I bought the pillows (one of a pig and one of a pineapple) at a garage sale...I only wash them once a year...
There's a  Beatles' poster given to me by a former student, a plagiarism poster, the American Flag for "The Pledge"
and my "Friends" poster I bought in London, England. I don't use the TV...ever.
Oh! and, I was teacher of the week one week last year, nice plaque, right!?
2. Here are the answers to my Monday post. My red lamp is for atmosphere.
On the whiteboard are my agendas for the day, notes from/to students (so I don't forget)
and there are Lila doodles from when we came into the building on Sunday...yes, on Sunday.
3.  If you look at my "We Can Do It" poster, you'll see that Rosie has a red mustache. One year a student used a permanent marker, although he thought it was a Expo marker, to decorate her.

1. Various movie posters (Becoming Jane, Elizabethtown, you can't see V for Vendetta), my homage to my hometown: a poster of Laura Ingalls Wilder, a Rolling Stone's poster of Bono from one of my student's last year and some desks.
2. American authors...Edgar Allen Poe is missing, but I have the raven...where is dear Edgar?
Several years ago I had a 'London pics' poster my college friend made me.
It got destroyed and the students who destroyed it made me a new one.
I also have a poster of Julius Caesar from the RSC, a poster of old Merry England and various pictures I took while in London, many are of The Globe.

1. "Sacred Cows make the tastiest hamburgers." ~Abbie Hoffman
You can't see them, but I have Mulder and Scully Barbie and Ken from a former student and there are various dolls, a moose, a stress Apple mutilated by one Publications staff, a Reese's Beanie Baby bear, The Green M&M and a Jane Austen Action Figure.
2. Globe lamp I got one Christmas from my mother, a picture of Lila when she was two months old, flamingos (read Jennifer Price's essay...it's hella good), a ceramic apple basket that at one time was full of cherry kool-aid--a Christmas present from a student--I love red kool-aid.
3. There are 30 lovely blue desk...these are the new ones, they are not as good as the old ones.
4. My Promethean Board...my pride and joy.

So, that's my room...I hope you enjoyed the tour.

I Wanna Go Home...

So, I'm in Chicago for a conference. It's my second faraway conference this summer. I gotta tell you I used to enjoy this little trips and would spend the whole summer blowing my extra money traveling. Last summer my kiddo and I traveled several places together and this summer I've had these conferences.

Here's what I thought would happen
1] I would go on my trip
2] I would read a lot...heck, I would catch up on all my reading on the plane and in the hotel room
3] I'd go to bed early
4] I'd sleep in
5] I'd take long baths
6] I'd watch TV

And, while some of those things happened in Vegas...I found they weren't nearly as fun as I wanted them to be. I've gotten used to...being interrupted during long baths or short showers and one can only watch so many "Law and Order" episodes uninterrupted before one gets scared of being in a hotel room alone. I know, I know...maybe I shouldn't have watched sooo many SVU episodes.

Anyway, I missed my kiddo. Heck, I missed Chris too, although he was there for all but the last two days, and we'd done some seen some awesome sites (such as the Hard Rock, the Hofbrauhaus, and Absinthe...all things we couldn't have accomplished with the kidlet with us)! And, although I went out with some ladies I met and we tagged around for lunch and dinner and such, I wanted to come home.

I was reminded of some of the terms (I'm only giving you the definitions, each one has a fun anecdote) Kristin van Ogtrop uses in her book, a book I go to for a laugh or cry when things feel a bit rough, Just Let Me Lie Down: Necessary Terms for the Half-Insane Working Mom:

Absentee Parenthood: The state of being that sometimes defines your life and is by turns depressing and wonderful.  There are wonderful things about being an absentee parent, namely taking business trips that involve staying in a hotel room all by yourself, or having vital work meetings that keep you from going on the field trip to the local recycling plant. ...There are depressing moments too...

Family-friendly living: The happy-sad reality that your family is actually much, much better off because you work. And we're not just talking about the money. 

Guilt curve: The process by which your feelings of shame and inadequacy about being a working mom grow and then diminish. In my experience, the guilt curve is a bell curve, peaking when your first child reaches kindergarten, with a long tail that lasts until the day of your funeral. 

Homeward bound: The powerful drive you feel to get back into your house at the end of the day. The drive is so powerful, in fact, that sometimes it makes you do things that are irrational or completely out of character.  

Kill the messenger: The action you must take in order to forget about the office for a time--that is, to remove your BlackBerry/iPhone/Treo/whatever from your person and store it as far away as your neurotic self will allow...Any working mom worth her salt knows that it's the integrate-separate ratio between work and home that determines long-term working-motherhood success.

Strangely, it's nice to have people to come home to, it makes me happy to know that I've reached that place in my life were 'having people to come home to' is something I cherish. And, while I feel like I can handle the duality of being a working mother, I really must figure out a way to be gone less next summer...or, take the kiddo with me!

I think I may like my family and I look forward to seeing them tomorrow...

The Makings of an Honors Teacher

A few weeks ago my department head was talking with me about our honors program. Next year we are going to incorporate another teacher at each of the grade-levels. This means that two of the programs will go from one teacher with the honors darlings to two. For one grade this will not be a change (seniors have both AP Lit and Comp and a dual credit class called Expository Writing) and for another grade it will be a blessing (two non-tenured teachers collaborating with two veteran teachers--thanks, Aimee--to build a strong freshmen foundation). For the other two grade-levels it will be a drastic change, as the sophomore and junior level have each had a teacher who's been at the level alone, relatively, for 8+ years.

I am one of those teachers.

Here's an excerpt of an email I sent to my prospective collaborator:

"Would you be interested? Know that I want someone to collaborate with, but I've been teaching that class for 12 years...um...er...so...I need someone who won't let me just railroad them..."

And, I meant all of what I said. I am opinionated, know my stuff and like my stuff, but really want someone who will challenge me and my way of thinking! Really, really...one, can, after all, get really stale...and, I'm so close to stale...

Which brings me to the conversation I was having with my department head. We were talking about how our department is young (in terms of length in this building I have 2nd place and I've been here 13 years) and with that comes some inexperience, but also many Millennial generation characteristics that annoyed us when they were students and that definitely annoy us now that they are our colleagues and peers. She said that she wanted the four of us (those of us who are old school...having been here long enough to be tenured) to come up with a list of traits that we emulate and hope to exhibit as honors teachers. Being Generation X, I researched, took notes, wrote in my journal, talked with my friends and came up with the following traits that I hope I possess and I hope that other honors teachers possess. Here is the umbrella from which I garnered these ideas, straight from my department head's brainstorm. She wanted us to focus on "Knowledge & Expertise / Craftmanship / Presence / Efficacy :) / Engagement / Relationships / Relevance / Rigor - what does rigor mean to us?"

Every Honors Teacher (or, as the articles will point out, any teacher for that matter)

1. "Love[s] their subject matter, and they need to love their students, and they need to love bringing them together."...these words aren't even mine, but they're soooo deliciously true. It's a given that teachers should love their subject, but many don't. A true honors teacher loves their subject, goes to conferences in the summer, seeks professional development and is always questioning--there's no such thing as a 'done' lesson plan/unit/activity.  If you love your students your students know. Even when you stop relating to them you go out of your way to find something that endears you to them...you get a Twitter account or talk to them about their music, movies et cetera, you read blogs. A student that loves you will do anything for you. You are honest with them, even if that doesn't always cast you in the most positive light.
2. Has high academic standards. You know what your subject is, you know what you want from students, never give up never surrender. If you don't know what these things are...take the summer before you start teaching to figuring it out. Yes, I said the summer, it will take the whole summer. What do you want to learn from your class (I found a love of certain types of non-fiction by teaching NF to my students)? What do you want your students to learn? Know this at all times! Be able to defend your high academic standards by citing your curriculum, common core, your own core...
3. Has created a world in their classroom that may seem at first intimidating, but is actually inviting and challenging. You are not your students friend, although they might think it and later in life you just might be. You know what rules are firm in your classroom and you know what rules can and should be bent. You understand that when kids say you don't teach is because you are teaching them all about #8. You live and breath the balance between intimidating and inviting and challenging. 
4. Plans and is always thinking about said plans. No plan/unit/test is EVER perfect and you get this. Nothing is ever finished. Part of the fun is the stress of it!
5. Can differentiate in the long term, in class at the spur of the moment and is willing to do so without 'throwing out the baby with the bathwater'. Read #4 again, now read it again and then read it one last time...drink it in. There are different levels of honors students...some will just want a grade, some will want to learn and some are just there because they're parents are making them. You have to teach and help and learn from all of these students. Be open to the learning and the challenge and the confusion.
6. Understands that the reward is not immediate or even noticeable. You understand that some students will never figure this out, you understand that some students will figure this out and credit another teacher, you understand that some students will figure it out late in life and write you the most exquisite email/letter/card. You live for these moments.
7. Knows when to let students do the thinking and they stand firm in this fact even if parents, administration and other faculty tell them otherwise. The goal is to make a thinker/maker/doer, not to please your community or to make sure that all of your students have perfect grades. You might see AP or common core as a guide.
8. Realizes that teaching honors is to teach students to: be self-reflective, reason, reflect, have a passion for learning, be independent and dependent...and this occurs all the time everyday. 
9. Is willing to risk. I've changed aspects of my class every year...I try new things, better ways to teach honors, teach a certain concept...I know that not all of these is always going to pan out, but I do them anyway.
10. Is willing to fail. I say willing to fail because if something doesn't work and you give up than no one wins. However, if you recognize where your failure lies and research and learn to do better than you and your students grow. It has taken me about 6 years to figure out how to teach grammar without losing my soul, I'm still tweaking the finer points and probably will be until I retire.

Articles from which I found ideas:
Teaching Honors
Teaching and Learning in Honors

Six Word Saturday #26

My life in six words
No grading during the upcoming break!

No grading during the upcoming break!
No grading during the upcoming break!
No grading during the upcoming break!
No grading during the upcoming break!
No grading during the upcoming break!

Must get to it, again...ugh.

Want to play along? All that's necessary to participate is to describe your life (or something) in a phrase using just six words. For more information, try clicking here. Feel free to explain or not explain. Add an image, a video, a song, nothing. The full list and linky can be found here. And, here's where I found it.

For the Love of Education!

Today was a professional development day. Having a day for professional development means that the students get a four day weekend and we get the pleasure of working within our departments and grade levels to improve and revitalize ourselves.

Truth be told, I don't mind PD days. There are kind of like going back to college, hanging with friends while we analyze content and expectations of ourselves, the students and the community (only better because I'm not just guessing what will happen I actually have some experience) and I always learn a little about myself.

Truth be told, I don't like PD days. There are kind of like going back to college, except for they aren't an easy A and I don't get the priviledge of skipping the class and bailing (not that I ever did these things in college!) when I get bored.

This years' focus *drum roll please*: Assessments

The positive of this focus: I am really glad we are going to get some hands on examples of how to implement formative assessments in our classroom. I can really use something that helps me determine what is of importance to grade, what should be used informally and what can be bumped up a notch. In all truthfulness I think all teachers can use a little more clear-cut guidelines of how to find out what is important without wasting our time in the classroom and at home...that just makes us better facilitators of learning and therefore our students attain more (right now my grade-level students are above the state average, but below--just slightly--of our annual yearly progress for No Child Left Behind), so we're doing good, but we could and should aspire to do better. That's what good teachers do.

So, what am I really writing about...I want to take this time to talk about a couple or three essays they had us read today.

1] Scenarios on the Use of Formative Classroom Assessments by Cassandra Erkens
Why I didn't mind reading this essay? They gave it to us as something that we could read on our own time or not. "No pressure" means I'm going to rise to the occasion...I'm funny that way.
What I learned? So, what did I learn from this article that I didn't have to read, but felt compelled to read because of their sneaky teachery tricks? We were supposed to read this keeping in mind that there would be somethings that we already do in our classrooms. I have used 'pre-test' for a grade and also to see where the students are in their learning. I love the idea of Laundry Day (read the article), as it sounds just cheesy and corny enough that the kid would have fun in my classroom. I have students do a self-analysis of most of the test we do first semester and most of the writing they do...it requires thinking but everything works out and the students really feel like they've learned. I've used optional homework, various homework, quizzes, and informal communication. I definitely use the traditional forms of the grading system and am glad that they work in the modern day classroom.

2] Helping Students Understand Assessment by Jan Chappuis
Why I didn't mind reading this essay? Because we jigsawed this puppy...ie. we didn't have to read the whole thing.
What I learned? Jigsaw is an amazing awesome tool for learning that I really need to use in my classroom more. When formative assessments are used properly students succeed on test and in the classroom. In schools that use assessments in this manner, the:

• Formative assessment began with offering students a clear picture of learning targets.
• Students received feedback on their work that helped them understand where they were with respect to the desired learning target.
• Students engaged in self-assessment.
• Formative assessment provided an understanding of specific steps that students could take to improve.

3] Formative and Summative Assessments Defined from Common Formative Assessment: How to Connect Standards-Based Instruction and Assessment by Larry Ainesworth
Why I didn't mind reading this essay? I really needed formative assessments defined clearly.
What I learned? There are three different types of assessments. We are really good at common formative assessments, we have aligned and use summative assessments...I really like the idea and want to have more classroom formative (ie. we don't grade them formally) assessments equitably across the grade-level in which I teach. I would also like us to have more communication across our grade-level about how we can help our students succeed in our classrooms.

And, I'm looking forward into delving into this topic more!

Five Words Even the Summer Couldn't Help Me Forget!

Note: if these five words aren't enough for you...use this lovely tool to create your own deliciously annoying Edu-term...Educational Jargon Generator

Intentional Non-Learner A student reluctant to learn or as they look in the English Department...a student who refuses to read the friggin' book and then can't do the friggin' homework and then friggin' fails his/her English class.

NCLB or No Child Left Behind The Wikipedia definition works for me..."NCLB supports standards-based education reform, which is based on the belief that setting high standards and establishing measurable goals can improve individual outcomes in education. The Act requires states to develop assessments in basic skills to be given to all students in certain grades, if those states are to receive federal funding for schools. The Act does not assert a national achievement standard; standards are set by each individual state." Frankly, an idea that works well in theory, but in practice means that the teacher is more responsible for the learning of the student, than the student is...

Tardy Sweep As a person who is never on time to anything I have a real problem with forcibly counting students tardy using a process referred to as 'sweeping'...it means I shut my door when the bell rings and let my students miss class time filling out a form with the principals (that's not the part I dislike). During my planning period, I get to 'sweep' the students to the designated area and wait for them to fill out the forms and then escort them to rooms in my area of the building. Tardy Sweeping does keep tardies down, REALLY, but it's an inconvenience and makes me feel like I'm treating the children, well, like children.

Authentic Instruction What the frick? Break those words down, please...um, isn't all teaching real...I'm positive I haven't seen any fake teaching practices. Authentic Instruction (yes, somebody got paid to think of this definition) is, in essence, instruction that challenges the student, has meaning beyond the classroom, includes all students equally in the process, and should be what all teachers do...even if they don't know what it's called.

and, my favorite!...note the dripping sarcasm...

Because Wikipedia can define it best!

Happy 13th School Year to ME!!!

What 'terms' of your profession do you find grating?