The Bent Nails

I watched The Music and the Spoken Word this afternoon.  It was actually an older one--#4308.  I really liked the story Lloyd Newell told about a gentleman named James.  It is a reminder that our weaknesses and imperfections as educators don't need to hold us back from making a difference in the lives of our scholars. 


"...while building a new home for his family, James had a life-changing insight. He remembered his grandfather showing him how to carefully pound out the kinks in old, bent nails so they could be used again. And so he gathered discarded nails around the building site and started to straighten them—one by one. He found that many of the rehabilitated nails worked just as well as new nails. In fact, it was the kinks in the shaft that helped them take hold of the wood." 

Cesar Chavez Day

Presidential Proclamation -- Cesar Chavez Day

CESAR CHAVEZ DAY, 2013

- - - - - - -

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

 

A PROCLAMATION

 

Every year, Americans all across our country pause on March 31 to remember a man who made justice his life's calling. Growing up the son of migrant farm workers who lost everything in the Great Depression, Cesar Chavez knew hard work and hardship from an early age. He labored long hours for little pay, taking odd jobs to help his family get by and forgoing a formal education to follow the crop cycles. But where others might have given up or given in, Cesar Chavez never lost hope in the power of opportunity. He lived each day by a belief as old as America itself -- the idea that with courage and determination, any of us can reach beyond our circumstances and leave our children something better.

 

More than anything, we remember Cesar Chavez for lending voice to the voiceless. When no one seemed to care about the invisible farm workers who picked our Nation's food, beset by poverty and cheated by growers, a courageous man dedicated to dignity stood up and spoke out. Alongside Dolores Huerta and fellow organizers, he rallied a generation of workers around "La Causa," marching and fasting and boycotting for fair pay and protections on the job. They fought through decades of setbacks and fierce resistance. But through every trial, Cesar Chavez refused to curb his ambitions or scale back his hope. Step by step, march by march, he helped lead a community of farm workers to make the change they sought.

 

Cesar Chavez's legacy lives on at Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz, his home and workplace, which I was proud to designate a National Monument last October. It also lives on in those who remember his central teaching: that when workers are treated fairly and humanely, our country grows more just, opportunity becomes more equal, and all of us do better. Because even with the strides we have made, we know there is more left to do when working men and women toil in poverty without adequate protections or simple respect. We know there is more to do when our broken immigration system forces workers into a shadow economy where companies can ignore labor laws and undermine businesses following the rules. Fixing those problems means securing what Cesar Chavez fought for at La Paz. It means taking on injustice, making sure hard work is rewarded, and bringing more Americans into a rising middle class.

 

In 1966, when Cesar Chavez was struggling to bring attention to his cause, he received a telegram from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. "As brothers in the fight for equality, I extend the hand of fellowship and goodwill," he wrote. "We are with you in spirit and in determination that our dreams for a better tomorrow will be realized." It is a story that reminds us how here in America, we are bound together not by the colors of our skin or the languages we speak, but by the values we share and the brighter future we seek for our children. So today, as we honor a man who risked everything to stand up for what he believed in, let us reflect on our common cause and recommit to moving forward together -- as one Nation and one people.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 31, 2013, as Cesar Chavez Day. I call upon all Americans to observe this day with appropriate service, community, and education programs to honor Cesar Chavez's enduring legacy.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this

twenty-ninth day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.

 

BARACK OBAMA

National Turn Off the TV and Read Month

From http://www.lessonplanet.com/article/english/promote-outside-reading-and-genuine-response-with-book-reviews

Promote Outside Reading and Genuine Response with Book Reviews

Take Part in National Turn Off the TV and Read Month while engaging your class in authentic reading and writing.

By Noel Woodward

Posted March 27, 2013

While this may not be the case in every eighth grade class, I know that in mine, when I mention that we are going to read, there is a collective groan. And yet, when I say we are going to watch a movie, most of the class whispers, “Yes!”
I want my students to read and enjoy reading, and I would like “yes!” to be the reaction to reading. With National Turn Off the TV and Read Month just around the corner, there is an excellent opportunity for increasing interest in reading. Participate by making independent reading a requirement and wrap up the reading with book reviews.

Tapping into Student Choice

Start off your unit by explaining the purpose of reading in place of watching television and then ramp up your out-of-class reading requirement. One way to engage students in reading is to provide some choice. Have them choose their own book to read. As long as it is class-appropriate, it is allowed. You might also have readers choose a book that is related to your current unit in order to deepen their understanding and give more purpose to the reading.
While it may be impossible to prevent children and teenagers from watching TV entirely, they will have less time to do so if they are reading (especially if they are interested in what they are reading). Give your class three weeks to read, and spend the last week writing book reviews.

Book Reviews as an Authentic Reader Response

After reading their book of choice, have each individual write a book review. A book review is different than a book report, since it is a real genre that can be found outside of the classroom. Everyone makes judgments while they are reading, and with book reviews, class members can express their opinions in written form.
Book reviews can be scaffolded, depending on the level of your class. You might start off by showing a series of models and real-life book reviews to your learners. If your class is advanced, let them take the reins and write their reviews in a way that makes sense to them. For learners who need more support, you might provide an outline with sentence starters and a place to fill in necessary information that is included in real book reviews. Either way, make sure your book reviewers have a chance to share their work with classmates and possibly a larger audience.

Publishing Inside and Outside of the Classroom

The final touch to make this experience authentic and effective for your students is to publish their work. Many young writers complain that they just read and write about what they read, with no real-life application. Publication is definitely authentic and rewarding. Learners will love seeing their name and work in print. Here are five ideas for publishing book reviews:

1. Have each class member print out a copy or send you a copy of their review. Create a class book review binder, or bound booklet, and place it near your classroom library. Learners can read the review of a book before choosing it to be their next reading book.
2. Contact a local bookstore and ask if they would welcome reviews of books they have in stock. Stores often have bulletin boards and some shops have websites and blogs where they post information about their products.
3. Create a class blog and post book reviews. You can provide your class with the URL and writers can view their own work as well as read and comment upon the work of their classmates.
4. Send book reviews off to journals. Publications, such as NCTE’s Voices from the Middle, accept work from young writers and publish their work.
5. Involve the whole school and display book reviews in the front office. Writers can show their work off to their friends each time they walk by.

Resources

Class Collection of Book Reviews
This lesson lays out a plan for keeping class members engaged in reading and reviewing throughout the year. Writers are required to post at least two book reviews online. Once posted, other pupils access the reviews and provide feedback.
Common Elements of Various Books
From the New York Times’ The Learning Network, this detailed plan asks readers to not only share books they enjoy, but to also make connections between different works of literature. The culminating activity is a book review that stresses common elements and themes among several books.
Reviewing Historical Fiction Books
Engage your class in historical fiction. Young readers choose a historical fiction book from a variety of provided choices. Once they have read their book, pupils write a review and post it on a class timeline according to the time period of their chosen work of fiction. This lesson provides an effective way to teach book reviewing as well as the genre of historical fiction.

Invisible Baggage

John Florez: It's the invisible baggage that prevents learning

By John Florez,      Deseret News

Published: Saturday, March 23 2013 12:00 a.m. MDT

 

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These are the kids who must endure the “invisible baggage” they carry on a daily basis — poverty, hunger, poor health, whether it be mental, physical, or emotional, vision and dental problems, no clothing, cramped housing, homelessness and no transportation.

 

 

We want all children to come to school ready to learn, but what about those that are not? What about those that come to school every day with backpacks full of "invisible baggage?"
They are the survivors who make it to high school. They show perseverance, the gift of life and hunger for knowledge. They show what the resiliency of the human spirit can do in spite of all odds. They come to school eager to learn, though overloaded with the “invisible baggage” they carry on a daily basis throughout their young lives. Because they seldom complain, some teachers driven by timelines and test scores overlook them. And those that do see a kid in need of help — where do they turn to help them?
These are the kids who must endure the “invisible baggage” they carry on a daily basis — poverty, hunger, poor health, whether it be mental, physical, or emotional, vision and dental problems, no clothing, cramped housing, homelessness and no transportation. They have no adults that can take them to or pick them up from school because they too are struggling to obtain the daily necessities to survive. They often have single parents who hold two jobs and have little time or energy to help their child with schoolwork.
Unlike most homes, there are no reading materials, books, newspapers or computers to use as learning tools, yet schools are structured where it is assumed that such support exists at home. Many of these children live with adults who are experiencing their own troubles, unemployment, divorce, drugs, alcohol, physical and mental health, and domestic violence. While we still have images of dinner table talk with children, for some there is no dinner, and no talk.
With the new economy, our schools are not organized to deal with many of the challenges parents face in educating their children. The old assumption that all children come ready to learn is not true. We now have more single parents and/or two parents working trying to make ends meet, more latchkey and unsupervised children, and schools are stuck in an old economy. School counselors now seem to be in a never-ending cycle requiring them to spend more time checking credit and graduation requirements, and completing Student Education Occupation Plans, than getting to know individual students’ needs.
So if a family or a student needs help with the “invisible baggage” that holds them down, who in a school is there to help? While there is panoply of social agencies and professionals to help, students and parents must discover them on their own. There is no one to reach out to who could help them navigate through the field of specialists. We have created an industry of specialists to help families, where individuals are processed, rather than actually helped to deal with the daily problems of meeting their basic human needs. You can’t learn on an empty stomach.
Everyone says, “It’s not our problem, it’s the family’s,” yet we spend more money on social agencies that purport to help needy families. History has shown hiring individuals as paraprofessionals from the same community who care, understand and have experienced similar problems, are often best able to help unburden families of the “invisible baggage” their students carry so that they can succeed in school.
It’s time for our education system to step up in a way that helps students and families empty their backpacks of their “invisible baggage” so that all children come to school ready to learn.

 

 

Monolingual vs Bilingual

From www.technovatetranslations.com    See an enlarged chart at http://www.technovatetranslations.com/infographics/monolingual-vs-bilingual.shtml

Great Websites

From www.lessonplanet.com

 

Best Websites for English Teachers

Bookmark these grammar, writing, and literature websites to build your teaching arsenal, making life just a little bit easier.

By Stef Durr

Posted March 22, 2013

The Internet truly is the information highway. As a teacher, you can search for lessons, ideas, videos, organizational tips, reference guides, and the list goes on and on. With time constantly eluding me, I started bookmarking the websites I visit most frequently. Divided into three sections (grammar, writing, and literature), below are some websites you might want to bookmark as a language arts/English teacher.

Websites to Focus on Grammar

Should one write a while or awhile? When does one use the passive voice? Is toward or towards preferred? Even the most knowledgeable teachers get confused when it comes to the nuances of grammar. Whenever I need clarification, I turn to one of these websites.

• Grammar Girl is my first go-to website if I have a question relating to grammar. Her search tool is efficient, her explanations are clear and easy-to-read, and she provides strong examples. Also, a new addition to the website is an audio explanation for several of the topics posted. Visual and audio learners delight! Just take a look at Grammar Girl's comparison of affect and effect to get an idea of what this site has to offer.

• The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) is my second choice. Not only can you access information on MLA and APA formatting, but they have an entire section of their website dedicated to grammar. While this site requires more time to read and process the posted information, it is accurate and lends itself well to reteaching.

• The Center for Writing Studies at The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign will give you a quick, concise answer. Their grammar handbook is organized by parts of speech, phrases, clauses, sentences/sentence elements, and common usage problems.

• HyperGrammar, an electronic grammar course, can help students struggling with grammar. Information is organized logically, presented clearly, and there are practice opportunities for the user. Direct high schoolers to the website to review basic punctuation, pronoun usage, verb moods, misplaced modifiers, etc.

Websites to Focus on Writing

Whether the focus is on creative writing or academic writing, it can be a hard skill to teach. Along with practice, these websites will help develop your class’s writing skills.

• 6+1 Trait Writing focuses on the six traits of writing (ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions). The traits are defined and linked to the Common Core. Best of all, you can use the lesson search to identify grade level and find lesson plans based on the traits they address. Definitely a comprehensive website!

• Unique Writing Prompts will engage your writers. Using images, posing questions, and giving your class creative freedom will lead to much more interesting writing than the “What did you do this weekend?” or “Who is your favorite band?” prompts.

• Two-Page Document will help students master a basic paragraph before they can successfuly write an effective essay. The formula they use is assert-illustrate-analyze, and would serve a high school population well.

Websites to Focus on Literature

Help your students choose independent reading books, find resources to supplement your literature lessons, and browse a compilation of graphic organizers.

• goodreads is the perfect website to help students in choosing their next independent reading book! Sure, they’ll have to create the free account to access the page, but there’s a higher chance they’ll find interesting books by identifying those they did or did not enjoy. This could be a great tool in the classroom!

• Web English Teacher allows you to select the author of whatever novel, short story, or poem you’re reading in class and access a list of associated resources. I like this site because basic information like chapter summaries are usually posted, but other resources, like teacher resources or YouTube videos, are also pooled.

• Scholastic has grouped together a collection of organizers for all sorts of reading activities. Graphic organizers keep learners focused and help them categorize, manage, and analyze information presented in a text. 

Humor Activates Child's Brain

HealthWatch: Stanford Study Shows How Humor Activates Child’s Brain

February 1, 2012 9:50 AM

 

 

STANFORD (CBS 5) – It has long been known that humor is an important component of emotional health, affecting relationships, brain development, and even physical health. Now, though, for the very first time, Stanford researchers have begun to understand specifically how humor activates different areas in a child’s brain.
The research has important implications for understanding development. Humor is the entryway into the social world, notes neuroscientist and child psychiatrist Dr. Allan Reiss.
“How you relate to peers, how you understand your peer group, how they relate to you, whether they are accepting of your participation, and humor definitely plays a role during childhood,” said Reiss. He believes that humor helps make people resilient, improving their ability to cope with stressful circumstances.

“If you can interpret a difficult situation in a humorous way, as opposed to just ‘this is a terrible fate befalling me’, that could make a significant difference in how your brain and body responds to the difficult situation,” Reiss said.

Findings reported in the “Journal of Neuroscience” show that some of the same brain circuitry that responds to humor in adults already exists in 6 to 12 year-olds.

“(It is) in a less mature state than adults, but it is already present in children ages 6-12,” said Reiss, senior author of the study. “That’s really interesting.”
For the study, children watched short video clips while their brains were scanned with functional MRI. In children, as with adults, the funny videos activated the brain’s mesolimbic regions – the area that processes rewards.
Reiss said that comes as no surprise given “that people go to comedy clubs, they seek out humor in their personal lives, they look for companions or mates that have a good sense of humor.”
There was also high activity at the temporal-occipital-parietal junction, a brain region that processes incongruity or surprise. “A lot of humor is, in fact, incongruity,” explained Reiss. “So you expect something to happen and then all of a sudden there’s a twist, something completely different happens and that’s what makes many jokes really funny.”
Reiss speculates that people who handle humorous surprises well probably do a better job coping with life’s unexpected challenges. He believes this study opens the door to additional research on the development of humor.
“How does a brain that processes humor more effectively, or more robustly, correlate with a child’s quality of life, with temperament, with adaptation to stress?”
As to whether some people are just born with a great sense of humor, Reiss said probably not. Sense of humor, like other complex human traits, is part nature, part nurture. You might have a biological predisposition, but with the right environment you can also refine it. In other words, there’s hope for all of us. Given the stressful times, we might all benefit from a little more humor.

To see a video about his, visit  http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2012/02/01/healthwatch-stanford-study-shows-how-humor-activates-childs-brain/

Comedy in the Classroom

Comedy in the Classroom: 50 Ways to Bring Laughter Into Any Lesson

Posted by Lisa Chesser on Monday, March 25, 2013

During a recent class session, my students stared at me with blank expressions, glassy eyes, pasty and pale skin, and jowls drooping. I think I even saw a string of saliva hanging from the corner of one student’s mouth.
I was reviewing plot structure. It was perfect except for the fact that I was boring them to death. So I blurted out, “No wonder you like The Walking Dead, you look like zombies.”
Suddenly, the students sporadically kicked and jumped and held their stomachs while laughing. Maybe it was because I was no longer talking about plot structure, maybe it was because I mentioned their favorite show, or maybe it was because they liked it that I finally connected with them.
We spent the rest of the class learning plot structure while laughing about episodes of The Walking Dead.
Inside a classroom, the air thickens with time and words and problems and thoughts, lots of thoughts. Sometimes, there’s a need to break the boredom. The best break is laughter.
Humor in a virtual classroom enhances students’ interest and participation, according to a study conducted by Ohio State University professors of psychology, Mark Shatz and Frank LoSchiavo. Another study shows how it promotes brain activity. See HealthWatch: Stanford Study Shows How Humor Activates Child’s Brain.
There’s no better way to gain the upper hand than with a twist in words, a light-hearted joke, or an outright laugh.
The difficulty always lies in the delivery and the willingness of the teacher to seriously bomb. So, if you’re willing, try out some surprisingly simple and often unique ways to bring laughter into your lessons.
Only one rule really needs to be followed here. Never ever use humor at the expense of a student’s self-esteem. Joking with them is one thing. Putting them down is another. The classroom is not a comedy club. The use of comedy in the classroom is meant to engage students, draw their attention to your lesson, and offer inspiration.
1. It’s a Pain
First and foremost, all comedy arises from pain. Nothing really is as it seems so to laugh is the way we deal. If you aren’t comfortable with confronting your pain then none of this will work. On my first day teaching, I heard some students making fun of me. It stung a little. I hadn’t heard those comments since I was, well, in school.
So, I decided to deal with it. I brought it up in class without naming names. “It was interesting to hear a couple of girls make fun of my curly hair. I hadn’t had that happen since I was in school. You should’ve seen me growing up. I had an Afro, wore bell bottoms, and danced to the Jackson 5.” Some students giggled, a few burst into laughter, but mostly they felt comfortable with me. They also learned that there was no use in using their condescending tactics on me, which is a great lesson for kids who get bullied a lot.
2. Establish Rapport
Once you get to know your students, it will be easier to kid around with them. Finding out their sensitivities and difficulties helps you to twist them around into something positive and laughable. So, ask a lot of questions. Even come right out and ask what makes them laugh.
3. Lighten Up

First and foremost, education is serious business. When I see that a sixth grade student can’t even read at a third-grade level or barely knows multiplication, I’m startled, saddened, and outraged. But, I realize that no one’s learning anything without enjoying the process. That’s precisely when I start joking around. I work at the lesson until I can get students to succeed then I start teasing them and joke around with them. It’s always positive. I ask, “What were you whining about? You kids are crazy. That was outrageous. When I’m wearing bifocals and walking with a cane you better visit and read to me.”
4. Be You
Too often, teachers are the joke to students, so the sooner you make fun of yourself, the better. Of course, you have to be strict and enforce your rules, but slip some self-deprecating remarks in there right from the start and students will know you’re for real.
5. Be Honest
The best comedy stems from blatant honesty. Telling students that you once walked from the bathroom through half of a school day with toilet paper hanging from the back of your pants doesn’t just garner laughter at a humiliating moment, but it makes them feel not so bad about their daily disappointments.
6. Be Weird
There’s absolutely nothing more refreshing than a strange teacher. Wear your bell bottoms or your bow tie. The hair that flies everywhere or the bright yellow shirt makes students giggle and feel like they’ve met a real character.
7. Use Voices
Changing the pitch of your voice wakes students up from their daily trance, and it might just make them laugh too. You really don’t even have to be good at it. In fact, the worse you are, the better. They’ll start giggling immediately and all you have to do is explain that it’s your teacher voice. That’s the way teachers sound right?
8. Use Improv
Improv involves creating games in the classroom and letting the students take it from there. A lot of the ideas in this article thrive on improvisation, but a great resource for improvisational games is The Second City Guide to Improv in the Classroom www.amazon.com
9. Wear T-shirts
You know the T-shirt you love to wear but think it’s better to dress like office personnel instead? Go ahead, wear the Darth Vader shirt that reads, “Stay Calm and May the Force Be with You,” or the shirt with Strawberry Shortcake on it. I never saw the students more interested than when I wore a black T-shirt with “Ssshhhh Be quiet” on the front.
10. Use Dave Barry
Columnist Dave Barry’s sometimes dry, many times quirky and shocking humor makes for great laughs and stimulating classroom reads. He hits on almost every subject. Just make sure it’s appropriate for the age group, which is usually sixth grade and up. Check out his story on DJs and Democrats. www.miamiherald.com
11. Comic Strips
Political Cartoons and most comic strips for that matter make great classroom posts and good lesson starters. So post it, share it, and if the students don’t understand the humor, explain it. www.gocomics.com
12. Tongue Twisters
At think.com find tons of tongue twisters such as “A big black bug bit a big black bear, made the big black bear bleed blood.”
13. Slapstick
Not of the Three Stooges brand but emphatically physical, slapstick delivered by the teacher draws fits of laughter. If you’re the kind of teacher that can move through the class and climb on tables, this provides students with entertainment and laughter. When I went to an awards ceremony for Excellence in Teaching, bestselling author and teacher Ron Clark spoke and told inspirational stories as he jumped onto tables. All I could think was that he was crazy, and I could never do that. But, some teachers can and should. www.ronclarkacademy.com
14. Cup of Tea
During one class, the students and I were trying to figure out how to set ourselves up for reading with a British accent. So we decided to say, “Cup of tea,” with our pinky raised as if we were preparing to take a sip of tea. It worked and it gathered laughter for the first twenty minutes of class. If you’re reading about the English, use an English accent. If you’re reading about the Southerners in the United States such as Alabama, use a Southern accent.
15. Be Gross
Tell them about the time a bird pooped on your head when you were talking to that person whom you adored. Or, ask why students pick their noses right in front of you, even when you look at them, your eyes widening, hoping for an end to the madness.
16. Be Messy
We are all a mess sometimes. When your papers go flying or you trip, don’t profess defeat too soon. Maybe you’re used to being orderly, but that can’t always happen. So when you’re messy, enjoy it. Show them you not only have grace but can laugh at yourself too.
17. Be a Sad Clown
When you don’t feel well or feel sad, masking it with more rigid schoolwork may not help anyone. If you don’t have the energy to present an all out lesson, then clown around a little while you do more routine work. Say, “Sorry we’re doing this, but I realized when I almost left the house with my shirt on inside out that you weren’t going to learn anything if I tried to work on something else with you.”
18. Misery Loves Company
When you’re all miserable because it’s Friday and you know you have to come in on Saturday for tutoring or you’re in your final three weeks of standardized testing, be miserable together. Flash your basic anger at the system and watch the smiles appear. Sometimes I simply ask, “What are we all doing here?” That gets the juices flowing and twists into hilarious stories from everyone.
19. Heal Wounds
I found a student in tears and when I sat to talk to her I found out exactly why. Some students go through horrors that no one should ever have to endure. Yet, here they are. By the end of our two-hour chat, I told her how excited I was to be her teacher and that she’d better be there when I start crying later in the year. We were laughing so hard and blowing our noses at the same time.
20. Make & Break Rules
Let’s face it, rules make no sense sometimes, and sometimes they’re downright ridiculous. I had this rule that students weren’t allowed to chew gum in order to make myself seem strict.
However, it backfired. Students started treating it like an addictive drug habit. They snuck around handing out gum, and they started chewing it in my class to see if I could catch them. I thought it was hilarious. One class period I announced, “Whoever’s chewing gum, spit it out right now.” Twenty-seven kids stood up and spit their gum out one by one into the garbage.
21. Music
A math teacher recently said the line goes in one direction and the class started giggling and singing a One Direction song. When students dance in their seats, giggle, and sing, let them because it’s a way of pulling them into the lesson.
A few years ago when Miley Cyrus was still popular and I was teaching students about learning from mistakes. I said, “Everybody makes mistakes.” That was it. The whole class bounced in their seats, sang in unison, and laughed. I obviously didn’t plan that, but it was a great moment in a lesson otherwise lost to glances out the window.
22. Charades
This was actually something I learned when I lost my voice. I had to do a lot of writing on the board, but for some things I simple mimed the meaning and students guessed. When I’m tired I use this too. For instance, I wave my hand forward to begin the pledge. They look at eachother then I point and they begin. I motion for them to check IDs. They giggle and check. It’s interesting how sometimes teachers don’t need to say anything to get the most attention.
23. Reality T.V.
Kids love to talk about talk shows, reality shows, and the latest popular drama. So let them, and then work some humor in by asking why they need to watch Jersey Shore or is it necessary to watch every episode of American Idol? If you act as if you were so surprised that they got you off topic then move them back to the lesson, they feel like they manipulated you so that they’re the one’s in charge. To them, that is success.
24. Impressions
Some of the worst impressions are some of the funniest. I often have my own terrible impressions of super models. Sometimes students like to shoot you down and do their own impressions. Good, as long as you’re in control and everyone’s laughing.
25. Give False Consequences
If students are acting up and jumping out of their seats, which usually happens with the after-lunch crowd, then give false consequences such as lunch detention or detention in general. In about five to ten minutes, take it back because they were so good after all. It often turns into a game of them quieting down for five minutes at a time, complete with giggles, but keeps them under control.
26. Try Five Guys

Five Guys is something I came up with after a kid decided to make fun of me for yelling, “Guys!” every time the class was too loud. After getting over it, I realized it’s a great way to control the class. If they get Five Guys (the restaurant chain that President Obama loves–laughter), they get lunch detention. No one ever gets to the fifth one and everyone enjoys the game.
27. State the Obvious
“I’m standing here waiting for you to listen.” Hushed laughter fills the room. “Do I look angry enough for you?” Giggles pepper the room.
28. Faux Pas
There are those awkward moments when either a teacher or a student breaks a social norm or doesn’t use proper etiquette. In the middle of a lesson, a student got up and started talking to me about her cat. I really don’t know why. Everyone’s eyes were shifting back and forth including mine. Snickers followed.
The awkwardness of it made for an even more interesting lesson. Students kept raising their hands and saying something about their cat or dog. The student then became the cat kid and liked it. I’m always careful to gauge the students’ feelings when joking around. If they don’t like it, it’s just not funny.
29. Dude
I sat in a class where an older teacher said, “Dude, what are you doing?” The laughter flew through the room. Teachers using vernacular particular to the students sounds ridiculous but amusing to them.
30. Use Situational Comedy
In situational comedy, you’re presented with a group of characters who embody completely different personas, which is exactly what makes them so funny. They clash and crumble while one character (you, the teacher) or one situation (the classroom) puts them back together.
31. Use Irony
“I hate school,” I announced quite matter-of-factly one day. Almost in unison, my students shouted, “But, you’re a teacher!” I said, “Exactly.” This started a spirited comic fest that lasted the whole of the year. They were very interested to know how a teacher could justify this. I sprinkled in answers to their questions throughout lessons to keep them interested in what I really wanted them to learn.
32. Use Sarcasm
Use it and use it often. Sometimes students are perplexed by it. Other times they mimic it. The bottom line is that sarcasm is a survival mechanism for most teachers. “I can see you’re enjoying the unique flavor of the eraser on that pencil but lunch will be here soon.” A student who doesn’t know that he’s lost on the eraser instead of the lecture will return quite nicely to paying attention and most of the time you get his attention for good because he’s startled that you noticed at all.
33. Use Theatrics
There’s nothing better than good theatrics. The dramatic way you love your subject truly entertains students. Be passionate and they may laugh at you, but remember, that’s what you want. In the novel Wednesday Wars, the Language Arts teacher’s obsessed with Shakespeare. Her obsession makes for great comical moments.
34. Dark Comedy
This is humor at the expense of a ridiculous character tormented with bitter irony. Guess who’s the ridiculous character? You, the teacher, and, well, bitter irony shouldn’t be too difficult to discover. Sometimes share, sometimes don’t.
35. Use Antics
Teachers can be childish. So at those moments revel in the idea that you might just be adding some interest to your persona. All the things we shake our heads at in children are the same things we adore doing ourselves:  screaming as we run, throwing fits when things don’t go our way, making a mess and not cleaning it up. Use these antics wisely. Throw a fit when they don’t do well on an exam. Stomp your feet then throw a stack of papers on the floor. Attention and grins will follow.
36. Challenge Flaws
I always struggled with spelling. That’s why I’m so good at editing. That’s also why kids have so much fun editing my sentences on the board. I make mistakes and welcome their criticisms.
37. Use Fear
Some of the funniest moments arise out of fear or anxiety. When you or the students encounter it, remember your humor when appropriate. Bringing up your irrational fears is a great equalizer. If you’re afraid of the ocean and you mention it when reading or teaching about aquatic life, students will giggle but also covertly relate to it.
38. Use Hope
There is a hope that there will someday be a world with no school, no lessons, no homework and a hope for some students that they might grow up to be a Professor of Video Games and Technology, which may actually be a reality someday. But, they still have to graduate high school to get there. To get what they want, they need you. So ask that inevitably difficult question: What do you want to be when you “grow up”? The answers alone supply giggles galore, then let the rest take you to the points you want to make.
39. Use the Extremes
No two kids are alike and some are so different you wonder how they ended up in the same realm let alone the same classroom. Take the two extremes and put them side-by-side. One will dominate and the other will clash and vice versa. It makes for great humor as long as you keep it under control.
40. Switch Perspectives
Sit in the back of the class, in a student’s chair, and be the student. We’ve all had students present before, but try having them control the classroom and you become the spectator. Students love it and love to mimic the teacher even more.
41. Worst Moments
Teaching kids to laugh at themselves gives them a sense of power over those moments when they lose all power. Have them make a list of their worst moments and write about why it’s funny now. If there’s no time to make a list and write about it then talk about it throughout a lesson.
42. Sponge Bob
When I first started teaching, a student told me his favorite teacher was one of the science teachers. When I asked why, he said it’s because he talks about SpongeBob. My eyes rolled to the sky, not out of frustration, but because I was thinking of ways to work him into my classroom lessons. If you actually watch about five episodes, you’ll find something. The language, the drama, the conflicts, and the science of it all makes SpongeBob a great teaching tool.
43. Superhero
Ask students who their favorite superhero is right in the middle of a lesson. Watch the eyes sparkle and adrenaline rush. Students pop up in their seats for this one. The laughs begin the minute they blurt out their favorite one and describe why. Then tie it into what they’re learning.
44. Vampires
The girls swoon over vampires and the boys hate them, at least that’s what they pretend to feel. The fact that it’s a topic everyone’s obsessed with makes it too useful not to try out. I usually start by saying, “Vampires? Have you not had your share of blood. Do you need to drain me of all my life energy?” Then, they jump in with stories and giggles.
45. Favorite Comedies
Ask students what their favorite sitcoms are then use it to teach. Have them act out a scene from the sitcom that fits the concepts and problems into one of their favorite episodes.
46. Dinosaurs
Much of the time the students believe teachers to be dinosaurs trapped on their island even if you’re fairly young. So, use it to teach and laugh sometimes.
47. Seriously?
We all experience the Seriously? Moments. Classrooms are perfect breeding grounds for them:  The student whose pencil drops one too many times and the girl who flips her hair between seconds. Everyone notices it. Just add a Seriously? And the class trickles with laughter.
48. Little Liars
Students lie, a lot. Sometimes I catch them. Sometimes I don’t. However, I tend to be hyper aware of it, so I often ask, “Are you lying?” which can cause a riot of talk that often ends in bursts of laughter either through criticizing me or through attempts at proving innocence.
49. Bathroom Breaks
The lies we tell make for great segues into and out of topics.
The “I need to go to the bathroom” emergency excuse that gets told every class period gives you an excuse to laugh. I sometimes ask if they’ll do the bathroom dance to make it more believable. The extroverts do it. The introverts smile and say please.
50. Lights Out
A great way to control an older group of students is to treat them like they’re in Kindergarten. When they’re yelling and talking and the “look” doesn’t get them then turn the lights out, begin counting, and command that they put their heads down. The giggles and squeals of laughter make it fun and you regain control of your class.

Cited From: http://newsroom.opencolleges.edu.au/features/comedy-in-the-classroom-50-ways-to-bring-laughter-into-any-lesson/#ixzz2OXgsQfu2

The Gorilla Experiment

I watched the BYU Devotional speech this morning given by Gordon Limb on March 5, 2013.  He talked about the gorilla experiment in his speech which can be found at the following:  http://theinvisiblegorilla.com/gorilla_experiment.html

This is a great reminder not to become so focused on something that we miss the most important things are invisible to us. 

There is even a book called The Gorilla Experiment.  Info about this:

Reading this book will make you less sure of yourself-and that's a good thing. In The Invisible Gorilla, we use a wide assortment of stories and counterintuitive scientific findings to reveal an important truth: Our minds don't work the way we think they do. We think we see ourselves and the world as they really are, but we're actually missing a whole lot.

We combine the work of other researchers with our own findings on attention, perception, memory, and reasoning to reveal how faulty intuitions often get us into trouble. In the process, we explain:

• Why a company would spend billions to launch a product that its own analysts know will fail
• How a police officer could run right past a brutal assault without seeing it
• Why award-winning movies are full of editing mistakes
• What criminals have in common with chess masters
• Why measles and other childhood diseases are making a comeback
• Why money managers could learn a lot from weather forecasters

Again and again, we think we experience and understand the world as it is, but our thoughts are beset by everyday illusions. We write traffic laws and build criminal cases on the assumption that people will notice when something unusual happens right in front of them. We're sure we know where we were on 9/11, falsely believing that vivid memories are seared into our mind with perfect fidelity. And as a society, we spend billions on devices to train our brains because we're continually tempted by the lure of quick fixes and effortless self-improvement.

The Invisible Gorilla reveals the numerous ways that our intuitions can deceive us, but it's more than a catalog of human failings. In the book, we also explain why people succumb to these everyday illusions and what we can do to inoculate ourselves against their effects. In short, we try to give you a sort of "x-ray vision" into your own minds, with the ultimate goal of helping you notice the invisible gorillas in your own life.

10 Ways to Use Bilingual Books with Children

by languagelizard on May 16, 2011

Research continues to show that support for the home language is an essential element in supporting children’s academic skills. Parents who engage with their children in their home language through discussion, reading books out loud and in everyday activities help children to do better in school, even if the school language is different from the home language. This is in contrast to research many decades ago that encouraged parents to speak the community language at home with their children, believing this would strengthen their children’s academic language skills. We now know that this past research was flawed and that, in fact, the opposite is true.
Bilingual books are wonderful tools to help create a bridge between languages. They give teachers the opportunity to educate children in the school language, while at the same time they foster an appreciation for the home language. Bilingual books encourage parents to continue using their home language, knowing that it will benefit, not detract from, their children’s school language learning.
Below are 10 tips on how teachers and parents can use bilingual books in the classroom and at home to help children excel in language skills as well as to encourage cultural appreciation.
1 ) Teachers read bilingual book out loud in the school language while parents read the same book out loud at home in their language. Did you know that parents who read to their children in a home language can actually help strengthen their children’s academic skills? It is true! This is in addition to many other benefits, such as strengthening the parent-child bond through shared language and culture.
2 ) Teachers read bilingual books in the school language and show the words written in the other language. Teachers can use bilingual books not only to introduce students to languages that use the Roman alphabet, but also to those languages such as Arabic and Chinese that use different symbols and characters. Seeing that languages can be written using a variety of letters and scripts helps children understand that sounds and words can be represented in diverse ways.  As the teacher reads the bilingual book aloud, she can point out the different words or symbols in the second language.
3 ) Read bilingual books that highlight different cultures. When teachers select bilingual books that focus on different cultures, traditions and customs, they are helping children feel comfortable with cultural diversity. It is a gentle way for teachers to cultivate multicultural awareness and appreciation in their students.
4 ) While reading the story in the school language, pick out a few key words in the other language. The idea here is to stimulate curiosity and interest in language, not to confuse the students, so keep it to a minimum. By periodically using words from other languages, the teacher shows the students that an effort is being made to understand their languages. When we make this kind of effort, it indicates that our students’ languages are of value and worth learning.
5 ) Parents or volunteers read a bilingual book to the class in one language. Have parents of the students volunteer to read bilingual books in their languages out loud to the class. Afterward, the teacher can read the same book out loud in the school language. This strengthens an appreciation of family and community in the classroom, and provides parents the opportunity to offer something in which they are experts: their language. If parents are unwilling or cannot volunteer, find other teachers who know the language and can read the book out loud.
6 ) Encourage students to write their own bilingual books. After reading a number of bilingual books out loud, work with students to help them create their own bilingual books. They will feel empowered by the fact that they can speak more than one language. Even if they can’t read or write yet, teachers and parents can work together with the students to write down the words in each language while the child provides the pictures for each page.
7 ) Allow children to pick out bilingual books from the school or public library. Having the option to choose our own books is very empowering. Teachers and parents should contact their school and local libraries to find out if they have bilingual books available to borrow. Teachers can also develop classroom “lending libraries” with bilingual books. The benefit of having children pick out bilingual books is that both family members and teachers can engage with children using the same books.
8 ) Ask questions and encourage discussion in both languages. Bilingual books provide the opportunity for discussion on the same topic in more than one language. Teachers can promote discussion in the school language while parents can encourage it in their language. Teachers can send home a list of discussion topics for parents to utilize at home if they wish. Meanwhile, parents should feel encouraged to share conversations from home about the target bilingual books with their child’s teacher.
9 ) Encourage children to read bilingual books in both languages. If children can read in both languages, then they should be encouraged to do so, even if one language is stronger than the other. In fact, understanding the story in the stronger language can promote comprehension in the weaker language. Teachers and parents can help this language transfer by encouraging students to read the stories out loud to them as much as possible in each language.
10 ) Bilingual books provide an opportunity to have fun with language. Having fun with our languages is the most important part of language learning and utilization. Bilingual books provide a springboard for this on many different levels. Discussing the various topics, the words, the different written scripts, and the funny letters in a language’s alphabet are just a few ways teachers can make languages fun and exciting for their students. Parents can help their children learn about the school language by asking questions about words, pronunciation and more in the bilingual books that their children bring home. In our effort to reach language mastery, we often forget that enjoyment is the most important ingredient for language success.
These are just a few ideas on how to use bilingual books with children in the classroom and at home. The goal is to help our children embrace all of their languages so that as they grow they will be able to use these languages with confidence and pleasure in the many multilingual and multicultural situations in which they may find themselves. Reading and enjoying bilingual books is one great way to help our children achieve this goal.

Fascinating Science

This is NOT a reptile! This is the larva of the Hemeroplanes triptolemus moth. In its larval form it is capable of expanding its anterior body segments to give it the appearance of a snake, complete with simulated eyes. It's mimicry extends even to the point where it will harmlessly strike at potential predators.

I "liked" Awesome Science on FB  ---https://www.facebook.com/ScienceIsSeriouslyAwesome   --   It has some information such as this that our Esperanza scholars (and educators!) will probably find fascinating. 

Why Your Child May Not Graduate from High School

[Felt this was something to think about]

Community Editorial: Why Your Child May Not Graduate from High School

Spring 2013

Written by  Melodía Gutierrez

15 March 2013

Forty percent of the students pictured at Backman Elementary in the image above will not graduate from high school. Our state legislature continues to ignore this achievement gap in the academic performance between at-risk minorities and their white classmates. Parents, teachers and elected officials should be outraged that nearly fifty percent of Latino, Pacific Islander, African American and Native American students will drop out of high school.
These statistics beg for something to be done. In recent years, much of the legislation that is presented to address the achievement gap rarely makes it out of committee hearings, and consequently to the governor's desk to become law. Currently, Utah's legislative session is in full swing and despite legislation on classroom sizes and funding, there is not a single piece of legislation that tackles the injustice of this vital issue. Lawmakers have offered no solutions and worse, many simply don't see the achievement gap as an issue.
In mapping out the economics surrounding the achievement gap, we get a better sense of what leads to this disregard of many students. Governor Gary Herbert's budget for the 2014 fiscal year almost entirely neglects Title I schools, like Backman Elementary, that are identified as schools with large at-risk student populations. In his budget, Herbert sets aside $10 million for early intervention programs. While that amount sounds like a good start, it won't even cover expanding all-day kindergarten to all of our at-risk children, which would go a long way to providing our children the basic skills needed for educational success. For the children left out of all-day kindergarten—disproportionately minority students or students from lower socio-economic status—they begin their educational experience behind their peers and, as the evidence shows, they often stay there. Another token offering in Herbert's budget is the $3.9 million allotted to deal with the "educational needs of at risk children." Again, these millions are not enough to make any meaningful and desperately needed education reform, but merely allow Herbert to score some political points while conveniently serving as a distraction from the real problem.
Worse still, while these small expenditures are added, Herbert's 2014 budget makes big cuts to Head Start programs and Title I funding. Backman Elementary Substitute Teacher Cori Redstone explains, "Governor Herbert supports cutting Head Start and Title I funding for these kids. I strongly disagree he is a friend of education. 70,000 kids living in poverty will lose their access to early reading. Head Start makes a huge difference in their lives." Of course, those most affected by these cuts are those who need this funding the most.
Achievement gap avoidance will only create problems for the entire state of Utah. Minority students are struggling to meet standards in math and are barely meeting standards in reading and writing. 64 percent of Latino students are passing reading and writing exams, with just 47.7 percent succeeding in math. Black students average the same as Latinos in reading and writing, but only 45 percent succeeded in math. Native American students only average 62 percent passing reading and writing, but their math scores are frighteningly low at 44.7 percent. All this data indicates that our minority children are not prepared to enter college or the workforce, which leaves us to wonder why our students of color remain excluded from their shot at American Dream. Herbert's educational priorities encouraging students interested in math, science, technology and engineering may be needed skills for the jobs of the future, but by failing to address the achievement gap, he lacks the foresight to be inclusive of our minority and less advantaged white populations that are slated for marked growth within the next decade.
Utah's avoidance of the achievement gap issue is hazardous for our communities, our future economy and for our families. Every student lost is a future denied, a hope extinguished, a dream shattered. We can no longer afford to pretend this isn't happening, the achievement gap must become a top priority now so that each child pictured above has a chance at success and a chance at the American Dream.

Safe Schools through Invitational Education

Creating Safe Schools through Invitational Education. ERIC Digest.

Author: Purkey, William Watson

When asked what they expect from their schools, most parents, teachers, administrators, and students will answer: "I want my school to be safe." Unfortunately, there is ample evidence that schools are not as safe as we would like. The National Center for Education Statistics 1998 Report showed that one in ten schools in their sample reported at least one violent crime over the past year. Fifty-seven percent reported experiencing at least one crime incident that was reported to law enforcement officials (Morrissey, 1998).

To promote school safety, educators have relied primarily on traditional law enforcement methods, including metal detectors,security guards, closed circuit television, locking all doors and windows except one or two entrances, and conducting "shake-down" searches and locker checks. These law enforcement methods rely heavily on surveillance, penalties, and punishments, such as suspensions, expulsions, alternative school placement, arrests, and fines placed on parents or guardians.

While sometimes effective, traditional law enforcement methods applied to schools carry major negative side effects. These include a significant financial burden, a reduction of time for classroom instruction, and a decline in teacher and student morale. Metal detectors, security guards, surveillance cameras, locker checks, and body searches create a pervasive atmosphere of apprehension among faculty, staff, students, and parents. The purpose of this digest is to present an alternate approach to creating and maintaining safe schools called "Invitational Education" (Purkey & Novak, 1996; Juhnke & Purkey, 1995; Shoffner & Vacc, 1999.)

OVERVIEW

Invitational Education provides a framework for making schools a more exciting, satisfying, and enriching experience for everyone - all students, all faculty and staff, and all visitors. This framework goes beyond reforming or restructuring; its goal is to transform the fundamental character of the school. Invitational Education asserts that everybody and everything in and around schools adds to, or subtracts from, school safety. It centers on four guiding principles of respect, trust, optimism, and intentionality.

1. Respect: Everyone in the school is able, valuable, and responsible and is to be treated accordingly.

2. Trust: Education is a cooperative, collaborative activity where process is as important as product.

3. Optimism: People possess relatively untapped potential in all areas of worthwhile human endeavor.

4. Intentionality: Safe schools are best realized by creating and maintaining inviting places, policies, processes, and programs and by people who are intentionally inviting with themselves and others, personally and professionally. By centering itself on respect, trust, optimism, and intentionality.

Invitational Education provides a common language of transformation and a consistent theory of practice.

HOW INVITATIONAL EDUCATION WORKS

The "Five P's" of Invitational Education, standing for people, places, policies, programs, and processes, provide the means to address the global nature and symbolic structure of the school. It expands the educative process by applying steady and continuous pressure from a number of points, much like a starfish conquers oysters.

THE STARFISH ANALOGY

Starfish live to eat oysters. To defend itself, the oyster has two stout shells that fit tightly together and are held in place by a powerful muscle. When a starfish locates an oyster, it places itself on the top shell. Then gently, gradually, and continuously, the starfish uses each of its five points in turn to keep steady pressure on the one oyster muscle. While one point pulls, the other four rest. The single oyster muscle, while incredibly powerful, gets no rest. Inevitably and irresistibly, the oyster shells open and the starfish has its meal. Steady and continuous pressure from a number of points can overcome the powerful muscle of the oyster, and by analogy, the biggest challenge in schools, that of school safety. Here is how the Invitational Educationstarfish looks when the "Five P" approach is applied.

THE FIVE POWERFUL P'S

The following activities illustrate how Invitational Education is woven into the fabric of the school.

People: Faculty and staff work as a school family. Activities include training in stress reduction and conflict management, long-term relationships between faculty and students, courteous staff, and respect for everyone. Special attention is given to personal grooming and professional dress.

Places: Careful attention is given to the physical environment, including adequate lighting, well-maintained buildings and grounds, clean rest rooms, attractive classrooms and cafeterias, and displays celebrating student accomplishments. Ways are found to enhance the physical environment of the school, no matter how old the building.

Policies: Attendance, grading, promotion, discipline and other policies are developed and maintained within a circle of respect for everyone involved. Families are kept informed through newsletters, bulletins, phone calls and meetings. Every school policy is democratically developed, easy to understand, and made available to everyone involved.

Programs: Among the many programs that help to create safe schools are community outreach, wellness, and enrichment opportunities for everyone in the school. Programs that involve parents are strongly encouraged. Guidance counselors play a central role in arranging beneficial programs.

Processes: Process is the way in which things are done in the school. A democratic ethos is valued along with an academic orientation. All activities and procedures are designed to honor and include everyone. Ideas, suggestions, and concerns are welcomed in the inviting school.

To date, Invitational Education has been successfully applied to over 140 schools throughout North America. The success of these programs has been documented and described in professional research articles (Clover & Alexander, 1992; Stanley & Purkey, 1994; Purkey & Strahan, 1995). For detailed information, please contact the International Alliance for InvitationalEducation, c/o School of Education, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, P.O. Box 26171, Greensboro, NC 27402-6171.

CONCLUSION

Rather than relying on one program, one policy, or one process, Invitational Education addresses the total zeitgeist, the spirit within a school. It has a wider focus of application than traditional efforts to make schools safe. It is concerned with more than grades, attendance, academic achievement, discipline, test scores, and even student self-esteem. It is concerned with the skills of becoming a decent and productive citizen in a democratic society.

Filling in Thought Holes

This is great.  It fits well with Carol Dweck's work on mindset. 

 

Filling in Thought Holes: An Invaluable Social and Emotional Learning Lesson

March 8, 2013 | Renee Jain

Image credit: iStockphoto

"I didn’t get invited to Craig's party . . . I'm such a loser."
"I missed the bus . . . nothing ever goes my way."
"My math teacher wants to see me . . . I must be in trouble."
These are the thoughts of a high school student named Jeremy. You wouldn't know it from his thoughts, but Jeremy is actually pretty popular and gets decent grades. Unfortunately, in the face of adversity, Jeremy makes a common error; he falls into "thought holes." Thought holes, or cognitive distortions, are skewed perceptions of reality. They are negative interpretations of a situation based on poor assumptions. For Jeremy, thought holes cause intense emotional distress.
Although all kids blow things out of proportion or jump to conclusions at times, distorting reality is not innocuous. Studies (1) show that thought holes can provoke self-defeating ideas (i.e., "I'm a loser") that trigger self-defeating emotions (i.e., pain, anxiety, malaise) that, in turn, cause self-defeating actions (i.e., acting out, skipping school). Left unchecked, inaccurate thoughts can also lead to more severe conditions, such as depression.
Fortunately, with a brief social and emotional learning lesson, we can teach students how to fill in their thought holes and view the world in a more accurate light. The lesson begins with an understanding of what causes distortions of reality.

We Create Our Own (Often Distorted) Reality

One person walks down a busy street and notices graffiti on the wall, dirt on the pavement and a couple fighting. Another person walks down the same street and notices a refreshing breeze, an ice cream cart and a smile from a stranger. We each absorb select scenes in our environment through which we interpret a situation. In essence, we create our own reality by that to which we give attention.
Why don't we just interpret situations based on all of the information? It's not possible; there are simply too many stimuli to process. In fact, the subconscious mind can absorb 20 million bits of information through the five senses in a mere second. By intelligent design, data is filtered down so that the conscious mind focuses on only 7 to 40 bits. This is a mental shortcut.
Shortcuts keep us sane by preventing sensory overload. Shortcuts help us judge situations quickly. Shortcuts also, however, leave us vulnerable to errors in perception. Because we perceive reality based on a tiny sliver of information, if that information is unbalanced (e.g., ignores the positive and focuses on the negative), we are left with a skewed perception of reality, or a thought hole.

Eight Common Thought Holes

Not only are we susceptible to errors in thinking, but we also tend to make the same errors over and over again. The next part of the lesson outlines these common thought holes; this familiarity makes it easier for students to identify and avoid distortions in the future.
Seminal work by psychologist Aaron Beck (2), often referred to as the father of cognitive therapy, and his former student, David Burns (3), uncovered several common thought holes as seen below.

1. Jumping to conclusions: judging a situation based on assumptions as opposed to definitive facts
2. Mental filtering: paying attention to the negative details in a situation while ignoring the positive
3. Magnifying: magnifying negative aspects in a situation
4. Minimizing: minimizing positive aspects in a situation
5. Personalizing: assuming the blame for problems even when you are not primarily responsible
6. Externalizing: pushing the blame for problems onto others even when you are primarily responsible
7. Overgeneralizing: concluding that one bad incident will lead to a repeated pattern of defeat
8. Emotional reasoning: assuming your negative emotions translate into reality, or confusing feelings with facts

Filling in Thought Holes with the 3Cs

Once students understand why one falls into thought holes and that several common ones exist, they are ready to start filling them in! When faced with adversity, students can evaluate thoughts using the 3Cs:

• Check for common thought holes
• Collect evidence to paint an accurate picture
• Challenge the original thoughts

Let's run through the 3Cs using Jeremy as an example. Jeremy was recently asked by his math teacher to chat after class. He immediately thought, "I must be in trouble," and began to feel distressed. Using the 3Cs, Jeremy should first check to see if he had fallen into one of the common thought holes. Based on the list above, it seems he jumped to a conclusion.
Jeremy's next step is to collect as much data or evidence as possible to create a more accurate picture of the situation. His evidence may look something like the following statements: "I've always received good grades in math class." "Teachers sometimes ask you to chat after class when something is wrong." "I've never been in trouble before." "The math teacher has always been kind to me." "The math teacher didn’t seem upset when he asked me to chat."
With all the evidence at hand, Jeremy can now challenge his original thought. The best (and most entertaining) way to do this is for Jeremy to have a debate with himself. On one side is the Jeremy who believes he is in big trouble with his math teacher; on the other side is the Jeremy who believes that nothing is really wrong. On paper or mentally, Jeremy could use the evidence he collected to duke it out with himself! In the end, this type of disputation increases accurate thinking and improves emotional well being.
In this lesson, students learn that thoughts, even distorted ones, affect their emotional well being. They learn that accurate thinking is a tool to redress or avoid thought holes. Above all, they learn that one can choose which thoughts to focus on, and in this, there is power. As the pioneering psychologist and philosopher, William James (4), once said, "The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another."

Massive Success

From InformedEd

20 Quick Actions You Can Do Today To Set Your Classroom Up For Massive Success

Posted by Julie DeNeen on Tuesday, March 19, 2013 · 

When the school year begins, teachers spend a lot of time getting the classroom ready, planning lessons, and getting to know his/her students. The following list includes 20 ideas that you may not have thought of in terms of a successful classroom arrangement or organization.
Each item takes no longer than an hour and can make a big difference throughout the year.

Action #1 Set up your classroom in an “active learning” format (15-30 minutes)

Traditional classrooms are normally arranged in a linear format with all the desks facing one direction. Studies suggest that creating a room with no “obvious” front helps students to take a more active role in learning, rather than looking to the teacher.
If your room allows it, arrange the desks in small groups with no obvious front. You can do your instructing from the center of the room instead.

Action #2 Stop starting the day with roll call (5 minutes saved)

To get the day off on the right foot, start with an inspirational quote or quiet meditation. Roll call is a tedious necessity, but you shouldn’t have to take up time in your day to do this. The beginning of the day is the most crucial moment for getting off on the right foot. Why not have a sign in sheet when kids walk in? If that doesn’t work, assign a responsible student the task of taking roll while you are doing the morning routine.

Action #3 Set up a system for makeup work (1 hour)

With a class size of 16 or more, chances are one or two students will be absent at least a couple times a week. Setting up a system for makeup work ensures you aren’t wasting class time (or your precious after school hours) trying to compile worksheets and assignments. In Harry Wong’s article about classroom management, he gives examples of teachers who designed a bulletin board with envelopes that contained the day’s work.
When a student comes back, they go to the board and take the assignments they missed.

Action #4 Define Class Rules (15 minutes)

When the school year begins, take a few minutes out of your day to sit with your students and design the class rules. Students are more likely to follow class protocol when they have been involved with the creation of it. Use positive rules like “speak kindly to one another” rather than “Don’t make fun of other kids.”
Once the rule list is made up (i.e. on poster board), have each student sign the bottom of it like a classroom charter.

Action #5 Develop a plan for quieting the class (10 minutes a day for a few days)

How many minutes are wasted trying to get a loud and noisy class to pay attention? The best way to quiet a class is to develop a specific routine from day one. Once you’ve come up with a plan, practice it several times – WITHOUT further lecture and instruction. For example, if your procedure is to clap twice and raise your hand, do this and wait for as long as it takes until all students are paying attention.
Keep practicing until they’ve gotten it down to a reasonable response time. If you lecture them in the middle of the practice, they will come to expect that.

Action #6 Share control with your students (no extra time needed)

Create flexible lesson plans that allow your students some level of control. For example, if your math lesson is about fractions that day, after your fifteen minutes of instruction, provide a list of three different activities they can choose from. Another way to share control is to list the topics for the day and allow them to vote on which topic they would like to tackle first.
The more involved your students are in the learning process, the more likely they are to pay attention and stay motivated.

Action #7 Pay attention to noise and light surroundings, which may distract learning (30 minutes)

Teachers only have so many resources and control over the actual classroom structure. Using throw rugs and curtains help to diminish excess noise from hallways or in the room. If you have a reading area, why not set up a table lamp from home for more cozy lighting? It may not seem like much, but the environment plays a big role in a student’s ability to concentrate.
Do you or your parents have any old furniture at home? Adding a chair or couch to a silent reading area will greatly enhance your student’s willingness!

Action #8 Deal with smartphones from the first day with a proactive plan for integration (10 minutes)

Whether you like it or not, smartphones are working into younger and younger hands. Some schools may have a ban on smartphones altogether, but if your school does not, consider creating a plan that uses smartphones in the classroom. Banning them will only give you a headache as you spend hours trying to referee, confiscate, and deal with unruly students. Who wants to waste time doing that?
Why not create a smartphone area in your classroom? Everyone must put his or her smartphone there at the beginning of the day. For five minutes before lunch or after work is finished, they can go over to that area and use it for research or educational gaming. When you work with your students, you might find they are more apt to compromise as well.

Action #9 Create a list of “question words” that help you with effective questioning (10 minutes)

Create a board or poster with excellent words to use in questioning your students. These words can be used not only for instructing, but when students are asked to question each other. The NDT Resource center has an effective list of words to remember.

Action #10 Involve students in the development of their classroom look and feel (10 minutes)

There is a lot of pressure on that first day of school to have everything looking colorful and sparkly. Rather than using your classroom preparation time to decorate bulletin boards, create a board for each group of desks in the class. Post a note that says, “To be designed by group….” and on the first day of school explain that each handful of students will be required to decorate and design a board throughout the year.
Perhaps you’ll have a contest every quarter or some theme they must work within as they display their work. Not only does it create a fun group assignment, it is a great way for kids to take pride in their work. Get your students into the activity by assigning team names for each group.

Action #11 Create a risk reward procedure to encourage kids to not fear mistakes (15 minutes)

Creating a safe learning environment takes some work. Students will be more apt to risk mistakes or error if they know that you are not just looking for the right answer, but for students who are actively involved. Create a risk reward protocol that recognizes those students who go out on a limb to answer a tough question, even when they are wrong. It can be as simple as pinning a student’s name to the blackboard to recognize his or her willingness to try on any given day.
When you reward a student’s willingness to be wrong in front of the class, you level the playing field between gifted students and the ones that struggle to keep up. Click here to learn more about the value of mistakes.

Action #12 Make a daily evaluation sheet for your students (30 minutes)

It takes a bit of work to create an effective evaluation sheet, but once it’s done, you have a valuable tool to use throughout the year. Each day, your students can quickly evaluate how they felt the day went- in terms of assignments, lessons, effort, and behavior. This sort of self-evaluation engages them to look closely at their own progress.
It also gives you a sense of how accurately they perceive their learning and the ability to intervene if necessary.

Action #13 Create a corner of the room for personal needs (30 minutes)

Kids don’t stop being kids once they enter the classroom. I remember how distracted I was in the winter when I would have chapped lips or a stuffy nose. Perhaps you can have a small bin for each student to fill with Band-Aids, chapstick, tissues, etc. This way, they can easily get on with their day even when they might be feeling less than 100%.
Having an individual container ensures no one is cross-contaminating each other. You may think, “But that is for the school nurse!” Check out my article on the importance of teaching holistically.

Action #14 Assign a videographer of the day to take a few minutes of footage of learning (30 minutes)

Why would you need footage of your classroom? Because it is a fantastic way to give your students feedback without having to say a word! Use a smartphone and assign a student the task of recording a lesson, group work, or presentation. At the end of the week, your students can watch themselves in the “act” of learning.
If you have kids who struggle to pay attention, it’ll be perfectly obvious on the footage without you having to say a word. Then, at the end of the year, you can make a montage of your class. It’ll be a cherished memory for them- and you.

Action #15 Start a reference collection area (1 hour)

Most classrooms have an area dedicated for books right? How about adding to that an area for kids to post their notes or study sheets? This works best for older students, but if you have the option for a small printer/copier in your room, put it near a bulletin board and allow students to make copies of their study guides and notes and post them for other kids to use. It’s just another way for your class to take pride in their work and foster a community of help and support.

Action #16 Peer-to-Peer support and accountability (30 minutes)

Students do well when they have input from both an instructor and their peers. At the beginning of the year, assign peer-to-peer support teams of two. Throughout the school season, these two people can help with correcting homework, providing feedback and support, and that occasional accountability.
When you feel like you can’t get through to your student, a peer just might.

Action #17 Set up a teacher blog or online portal for communication with parents (1 hour)

Some schools have great content management systems that give teachers a place to connect with students and parents. Utilize these resources as much as possible. However if you don’t have that option, you can set up a free blog on WordPress to journal classroom progress and events. Parents can then subscribe to the blog and get updates about important happenings.
Since a blog is public, this is a place to showcase the class work, not to discuss private matters like discipline or grades.

Action #18 Assign student jobs in the classroom (30 minutes)

This goes along with shared control. Each student should have a job in the class. Typical student jobs include erasing blackboards, sharpening pencils, passing out papers, etc., but think a bit outside the box. Why not assign a student to take attendance, collect makeup work for the absent students, grade homework, or even teach a lesson?
Assigning some instructive roles to your top students will not only increase their aptitude, it gives the other students a chance to hear from a different perspective. Finally, one of the best places to test someone’s knowledge of an area is to have him or her teach it.

Action #19 Enlist parent help (30 minutes)

Do you have parents who work in interesting professions? Perhaps a doctor, musician, or journalist? During your back to school evening with your students’ parents, pass around a signup sheet asking them to commit to coming into the classroom to talk about their career. If that isn’t possible, maybe you can set up a Skype session so the students can interact with him/her online?
The ultimate goal of school is to prepare children to be effective members of society. Get them excited about work early!

Action #20 Use a learning styles assessment (1 hour)

At the beginning of the year, you have a classroom of students that are virtually strangers. The time you take at the beginning to understand HOW they learn is not wasted. Try out Diane Heacox’s book called Differentiating Instruction in the Regular Classroom for ideas about how to test your students’ preferences.
What about you? Do you have any tips for classroom success that you’d like to share? Let me know in the comments!

About Julie DeNeen

Julie DeNeen has her bachelor's degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of New Haven. She spent several years working for a local Connecticut school at the district level, implementing new technologies to help students and teachers in the classroom. She also taught workshops to teachers about the importance of digital student management software, designed to keep students, parents, and teachers connected to the learning process.