Pinterest is a Teacher's Best Friend!

Well a whole school year has gone by and, as you can see, I failed miserably at keeping an updated blog about the ongoing happenings in my classroom.  To my defense, I had a classroom of 28 kids to teach while being pregnant; then I had to figure out this whole mommy gig with a newborn.  Add in the hours where I can get a little sleep, and there's not much time left for blogging.

This past year has flown by.  It seems like just yesterday I was greeting my new students and dealing with the crying and separation anxiety that comes with the first month of school.  The way my students transformed this year was remarkable, to say the least.  I thought last year's results were pretty significant, but this year they were blown out of the park.  Only 3 students did not make their end-of-year goal for reading growth.  The end-of-year reading level for a Kindergartner is level D.  18 of my students surpassed that goal and are now reading at a mid-to-end-of-year first grade level.  It's exciting to see how far we can push them, but it also helps me see that, for next year, we don't necessarily need to push them that far.  Next year I want to focus more on the depth of reading, instead of just the skills they need to know to pass the next level. 

After taking 10 weeks of maternity leave, I went back for the last 4 weeks of school.  I have to be honest and say I didn't really want to come back.  I was simply looking forward to the summer I'd have back with my son and I didn't plan to think about teaching again until August.  Of course, that all changed as I started talking to one of the Assistant Principals about different ideas for next year.  These past two years I've seen myself grown into a better teacher.  However, I've constantly struggled with compromising the vision I see for my classroom against the vision my school has.  I understand the need to push our students' rigor.  They're already entering into the school so far behind that we need to catch them up as fast as possible.  But along the way I feel that some developmentally appropriate practices and social/emotional lessons have gotten pushed aside. 

The past two years I've felt like a cookie-cutter teacher of what my school has trained us to look like.  I've learned how to make measurable and rigorous lessons.  I've learned how to push the bar for academic and behavioral expectations.  But this upcoming year I finally feel like I can become my own teacher.  I have enough confidence in myself now to take the goals that my school wants to see in my classroom and still do things my way.  I'm excited because this means my classroom and my teaching will look significantly different than it has the past two years. 

Of course, this also means I need to have a clear plan in place before I even walk into the school - which is where Pinterest has come in handy.  I'm only two days into my summer vacation and I've already been pinning ideas up a storm for Guided Reading, Literacy Centers, Classroom Organization, Math, and Writing.  Pinterest is seriously a teacher's best friend!  A good teacher always knows not to reinvent the wheel, but to borrow from other good teachers.

So without further ado...here are some of the ideas I'm most excited to implement next year:

More Hands-On Learning!

 Matching Upper and Lowercase Letters

Slap the Sight Word!

Sand Writing

Putting the Alphabet in Order

My Long Rant...

This week I had the opportunity to be a part of a forum about teacher issues, led by Michelle Rhee.  If you've never seen Waiting for Superman, or you have no clue who Michelle Rhee is, she was the controversial Chancellor of DC Public Schools, who fired principals and teachers if their schools were consistently under performing.  She now runs the organization, Students First, and is basically my all-time hero when it comes to education reform.

I waited to write about my experience with Michelle until after I saw Education Nation's 2nd Annual Teacher Townhall that was on MSNBC today, and I'm glad that I did because it gave me a greater perspective.  The most pressing issue that Michelle spoke about was the last-in, first-out policy.  With education being cut out of states' budgets, schools are constantly having to let-go of more and more teachers.  Sadly, most states follow the last-in, first-out policy, which is based strictly on seniority.  The argument is that we're losing too many new, good teachers to off-set the budget deficit, instead of taking quality into account.  If there was a performance-based evaluation in place, less teachers would have to lose their jobs as it would be teachers of various pay-ranges.

This is not to say that all senior teachers should lose their jobs.  And it's not to say that all new teachers should stay.  It should be based on quality.  This is an overarching issue that, I believe, needs to be in place regardless of layoffs or not.  As a teacher who has performance-based evaluations consistently being performed in my school, I see it as highly effective.  We are teachers.  We are professionals.  I expect to be paid based off of how well I perform - not how much I know or how long I've been working.

Evaluations aren't a way to weed-out the "bad teachers" either.  It's a way to help you grow.  As an example, we're now 4 weeks into the school year.  I've probably had an administrator in my classroom at some point in the day at least 2-3 times every week.  Sometimes I'll get feedback as a quick email stating the "glows" they see in my classroom and the "grows" that I can keep working on.  Other times it's a formal observation where they were looking for targeted points in my instruction.  I truly appreciate knowing I have administration that are in my classroom and seeing what I'm doing.  I feel confident enough in my instruction that I'm happy for them to see the great work my kids are producing.  But I also greatly appreciate the feedback that I receive to help continue to push me and my students.  For instance, after reviewing a lesson my assistant-principal saw, and going over some of my concerns, we were able to come up with a concrete plan on how to focus on my 11 struggling students who still, for the life of them, cannot tell me one letter of the alphabet (even though I've been pounding A in their heads for 4 weeks now!)  We were also able to work out how I could push my other students even further, by having them start to blend sounds, etc. while I focused on my intervention group.

I get severely disheartened when I feel like I work for a school with an effective model, and I come from inspiring talks with Michelle Rhee - only to continuously see comments that immediately bash any idea that goes against the status-quo.  It's constantly an "us vs. them" mentality that is getting us nowhere.

Michelle Rhee vs. The Unions.  Public Schools vs. Charter Schools.  Old teachers vs. New Teachers.  Democrats vs. Republicans.  It goes on an on!  We're all teachers!  None of us got into this profession for the money or because we're so well-respected.  We love what we do.  We love our kids.  Please view me as a fellow teacher and give me the respect that you ask others to give you.  Understand that we're all trying to help our kids succeed in our own ways.


I understand teachers who are hesitant because they feel evaluations will be a popularity contest.  But there needs to be multiple measures in place to see what makes a great teacher:

• Administration Evaluations
• Peer Observations (We have board certified teachers who could conduct these)
• Test scores (evaluating not just the end result, but the growth of the class)
• Student/Parent Feedback - did your teacher explain this concept?  Did they help you understand what you did wrong?  Do you feel your teacher cares about your education?
• And also taking into account all the other extracurricular activities the teacher may be doing to help the school that is outside the realm of their contract.

After watching Education Nation, I actually felt encouraged that so many different teachers seemed to be on the same page.  Teachers want more pay, and realize there need to be evaluations in place to earn that pay.  Teachers want more ways to be assessed than simply standardized tests.  I'm hoping we've reached a point where we can start to come together to work out these issues, and remember that these changes should be made for the betterment of the students.  This is not going to be a quick fix.  There are too many issues that need to be changed for this to all be covered under one new policy.  As Michelle Rhee said, "if you want the changes to occur, you have to be in it for the long haul."

I feel like I'm just getting started.

Quote of the Week:
Me: What do you want to be when you grow up?
Student: I want to be a race car driver because they get all the girls!

What a Difference a Year Makes

A new school year started this week.  I entered this school year feeling completely prepared - but prepared for the worst.  This time last year, I was having anxiety attacks every night, trying to figure out the mass mayhem that was my classroom.  I would psyche myself up in the car going to work everyday, only to feel a sense of overwhelming dread when a select-few students entered the room.  My classroom was loud, chaotic, and (at times) violent.  About three weeks into the school year, my principal sat me down and frankly told me that there was no way my students could learn in that environment.

I've just completed my third day of the 2011 school year and, to give you a glimpse of what my classroom is like now, I have not had to call for outside assistance once.  So far (knock on wood), I've had to deal with tears - but no temper tantrums.  My biggest acts of defiance have been swiftly solved with a chair, a timer, and a five minute time-out.  Today, my students sat in a circle and we were able to hold a discussion about hurtful words that are said to each and what it means to be kind.  We were also able to do a Math activity that involved using manipulatives with partners on the rug.  Truthfully, my only issue with my classroom right now is that they're all chatterboxes!  To have this be my biggest issue three days into school is a miracle!  Last year, I was not able to do any of what I mentioned above until mid-October!

And it's not just my classroom that's made a noticeable difference.  The entire school atmosphere has drastically shifted.  At the beginning of last year, we were new teachers, and a new school system, turning around a failing school.  If you walked the hallways, you'd hear drill sergeants in each classroom, trying to prove who was the boss.  It took a long time to build relationships with the students and the families.  When it came to our high expectations, it took an even longer time to get the students and parents on board with our program.  But by the end of the school year, I felt we had made huge accomplishments.

Every single student I saw on the first day of school seemed excited to be back and ready to learn.  Returning students walked down the hallways and followed classroom procedures as if it was any other school day, and they hadn't been away for two months.  The energy in the school feels different; it feels like a community.

This is why I teach.  It's one thing to describe such an amazing transformation - but to actually see it, feel it, and be a part of it is something that can never be properly put into words.  It lifts my soul.

While I can easily admit that I am on Cloud 9 from the amazing first week I've had, I am still completley realistic.  I understand that tomorrow I may walk into the classroom and receive the biggest temper-tantrum from hell.  But it's okay.  I can handle it.  Just as I've watched my kids grow and learn, I can look back and see how much I've grown as a teacher.

To use a chant that my Kindergarteners do...I think it's only fitting that I also give myself a "pat, pat, pat on the back, back, back for a job well done - uh huh!"


To close-out this entry, I'd like to give you a peek into my classroom....

The Word Wall

Those "presents" are actually hiding the computers.  When the kids are ready to use them, they'll get to unwrap them.

Notice the make-shift window above my desk, since I no longer have any windows.

Our Reading Tracker

Our Math Trackers - the goals are on the apples and they'll earn an apple in their basket when they accomplish that goal.

Our Writing Tracker

Lastly, if any of you have been following along with my Facebook updates throughout the year, you know that this blog entry would not be complete without a quote from my student.

Quote of the Day:
Me: Can you tell me what sound H makes?
Student: It makes some sort of African sound.

"Education is the Civil Rights Issue of Our Time."

Last August, I started a journey like no other.  After teaching as a Preschool teacher at a Head Start in Los Angeles, I decided to uproot myself across the country and join a charter school that was turning around one of the most violent and under-performing elementary schools in the city.  After completing my two-year commitment with Teach For America, I thought the task-at-hand would be a piece of cake.

Four hours into the first day of school, as I locked myself in the classroom closet and wept, I realized just how big of an undertaking this would be.  My students knew less than the preschoolers I had taught previously.  They had practically no social skills.  And some were extremely violent - not only to other children, but to adults as well.  Did I mention I was teaching Kindergarten?

Throughout the year, my Facebook statuses became littered with the countless quotes my students would provide me each day.  Some were horrifying (ie: One of my five-year-olds holding a Bible in his left hand, while giving the middle finger with his right hand, and telling another student, "I'm gonna kill you, n*gger!").  But the majority of them were amusing, as I was given a glimpse into a five-year-old's logic on diversity, racism, and poverty.

I received countless comments on my posts, telling me I should start a blog about my classroom.  However, I didn't actually consider it until the end of my first year teaching; at the end of such a difficult year, when I could stand back and see such amazing accomplishments my students had made.  My 24 students, who came into the school year not knowing any letters or sounds, had finished Kindergarten on grade level.  (In fact, two-thirds of my class actually finished at a mid-year 1st grade level.)  To say that I was proud would be an understatement.  However, looking back at the entire process, I thought, "How the hell did I do that?"  "What happened again in October to make me finally love my classroom?" "What worked in the classroom?  What didn't?"

A wise and veteran teacher told me that she kept a journal each year she taught to help her reflect on the success and failures in her classroom.  So without further ado, I bring you the journal of my Kindergarten classroom.  While I enter this school year much more prepared and confident than last year, I am sure there will be many mistakes, heartbreaks, and laughter along the way.  My hope is that you can live vicariously with me through my journey.


One final, but important thought before I close out my first entry...

I am a teacher at a public charter school that has been highly publicized for its success in academic gains and closing the achievement gap.  I am damn proud of my school and the work I do each and every day. 

However, with all of that being said...I am not saying that charter schools are the answer.  I am, in no way, saying that my teaching or my school is "better."  But what absolutely infuriates me, are the countless comments I hear downplaying the achievements we've made, simply because we're a charter school.

So let's get the facts straight:

• Last year, our school had a lower withdrawal rate than the previous years.  We absolutely do not kick out students for behavior issues.  All means all.
• Statistically, we have more students with IEP's and special needs than the average public school.  And yes, all of those students are accounted for when it's time for standardized tests.
• Yes, I am a part of a school that pays-per-performance.  And I couldn't be happier.  After receiving numerous observations, coaching feedback, and constant instructional support to help make me a better teacher, there are no surprises when it comes to my end-of-year performance summary.  I know exactly where I stand and the specific goals in place to help constantly improve my teaching.

The entire education system is in a state of disarray. It is absolutely unacceptable that only 10 percent of kids who enter Kindergarten in my city will eventually graduate high school and go on to college. 10% is failing. And it's the comments I see on various education sites that boil my blood:  

"It can't be done in public schools because they kick out all their bad kids and send them back to us." 
"Those charter schools are run like a business, they know nothing about education."

Well, obviously we know enough to see that if something is broken, you need to fix it.  The house is burning; either get out or save it!!!  Again, I'm not saying there's a cookie-cutter answer for how to bridge the achievement gap.  However, something desperately needs to be changed because the longer we wait, the longer we continue to fail our nation's future.  It's time to stop pointing the finger, placing the blame, and making excuses!

For all intents and purposes, I don't plan on this blog to be politically-focused.   Although, I do give fair-warning now, I am so completely passionate about this issue that sometimes I will get on my soap-box.

It is merely my hope that the day-to-day occurrences in my classroom can give you insight into the needs of my students in a low-income area.  I also hope that it will inspire you to see that no matter the difficulties my students face, high achievement can not only be accomplished - it's expected.