Preposition Poem About Baseball

This poem was written by one of my 4th grade students. It wasn't a school assignment. He was beginning his summer workbook that his mom requires him to do, and I think it was an assignment from that. Still, I love this. I wish I'd written it.

Into the ninth inning,

Up to bat,

About to swing.

Below the zone, ball one.

Inside the zone,

Off the bat,

At the crowd,

Over the wall,

Around the diamond,

Across the plate.

Walk off home run.

Seussical Jr - SUCCESS!

I directed a 6-8th grade production of Seussical Jr. this weekend, and the kids were fantastic!

Here is the entire play:

Philosophy of Christian Education

Education is good and important, but education is not the answer for spiritual transformation in students. Thus, Christian education is more than just knowledge. I would go further to say that Christian education is more than just a moral setting. Many parents place their students in a Christian school because it is considered a safe environment physically, spiritually, and mentally. In response, Christian educators are often caught up in the moralities and knowledge desired by Christian families. What we miss is the importance of the work of the Holy Spirit both in the transformation of lives and the growth of wisdom in our children. The Holy Spirit is above education. Knowledge is commendable, but it will not breed spirituality.

We cannot be the Holy Spirit, but we can be instruments of Him.

As a Christian educator, my goals include the following for my students:

1. The fear of the Lord (This is the beginning of wisdom)

2. To know God (not just know ABOUT Him)

3. Receive and communicate the Gospel effectively

4. To display the existence of God

5. Use knowledge and education as a way to worship and honor God

1. The fear of the Lord - I want my students to understand that God is the omnipotent Creator of the universe. He is to be revered and respected. We are the creation, not the creator. When we understand that---whether children or adults---we view the cosmos in a different way.

2. To know God - I want my students to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. We can know what God has done, but to call Him Lord and Savior, and to commune with Jesus---oh, what transforming power that will have.

3. Receive and communicate the Gospel effectively - Within a Christian school setting, we have the open opportunity to clearly explain the Gospel to students, as well as demonstrate its power. The Gospel is not just for the "unsaved." The Gospel should be the foundation for each educator and each student. Live the Gospel and share the Gospel.

4. To display the existence of God - Our purpose as believers is to bring honor and glory to God. Knowledge and order are a reflection of the Almighty.

5. Use knowledge and education as a way to worship and honor God - I do not want my students to earn a grade. I want my students to grow and learn. I am constantly reminding them that school is about the process, not the product. This carries over into spiritual lives. We are not trying to make cookie cutter Christians who look good on a shelf. I want my students to go through processes of failure and success that build them into better students. As students learn the processes of learning, we share and learn from our struggles and mistakes. When students are successful, they give honor to God. I tell them their final product is a gift to God. A gift that is only possible because first God led them through the process. Thus, God gets the honor and glory in their successful work, and in turn, they lay it before the Savior as thanks. What a way to worship our Savior---through education.

If I want to be successful, I too have to know my life is a process not a product. Christian education is not about morality, but it is about spiritual growth. I will fail and struggle, but I will give the honor to God for what comes to me in my classroom and in my life. I must daily rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to give me strength and wisdom as I am His instrument.

This year's first student anecdote

My students were presenting group projects about their assigned Maryland region. They had to tell about the natural and man-made features as well as the people and cities. One student mentioned the tourist industry.

"What is a tourist?" I asked.

The student replied, "They drove the planes into Twin Towers."

And thus begins another year in my 4th grade classroom.

My first earthquake

We had just started our history lesson. I teach in a modular, so it's common for the room to shake when someone is running in the hall or when the outside door slams. I figured someone was running. Then it got louder and stronger. My mind moved to thinking a truck was pulling near the building. Then as I saw the speakers swaying and the room tilting back and forth like a boat, I thought TORNADO? But then I looked outside and everything was still. That's when I realized it was an earthquake.

I squatted down to the ground without saying a word and most of the students followed my lead. When a couple boys tried to joke around, I told everyone to be quiet and sit on the floor. It only seemed to last 15 seconds or so, but it was all such a blur as I was trying to figure out what was even going on.

We all ended up in the field next to the school until school was dismissed.

Teacher Post

It was the end of the day. I was "so done" with my students not listening and not participating. My patience had been exhausted, but these kids needed to have this information for their history quiz. I asked a question and two kids raised their hands.

I grabbed a bag of jolly ranchers out of my desk and asked the question again. Suddenly, every kid was trying to find the answers. Hands were up across the room. Genius.

After we'd finished the lesson and packed up for the day, I pressed my luck. "Ok, so what have you learned in this chapter of history?"

A very perceptive student answered, "I learned that if we're really bad all day, you will bribe us."

stuff students say

1. Earlier in the week, a student pronounced "Jacques" as "jackass."

Today was career day...

2. When asked, "What can you do when you're 18?" a student replied, "FACEBOOK!"

3. After a martial arts instructor gave his presentation, a student asked, "Did the guy who started it know Jackie Chan and his dad---what's his name---Bruce Lee?"

today in my christian classroom

As a teacher, I'm tired of students turning in work that's messy, lazy, and absolutely not a true portrayal of their knowledge and ability. No matter how many times I repeat, "Do your best. Go over your answers. Check your work. Make sure you didn't skip any questions," at least one---and usually more---student fails to adhere to my advice.

My students had their first test over two-digit multiplication. I was nervous for them. I knew they had the ability in them, but so many were constantly making careless errors in their daily practice. I decided to present them with a new point of view.

"When your parents buy you something to make, what's the first thing you do when you are done creating it?" I asked them. I then demonstrated for them. I held my two hands up in front of me, as if to hold some new little creation: "Look what I did! I made this for you!" The students smiled and agreed that's exactly what they would do.

I told them, "God has given you the gift of learning. When you take a test, when you do a homework assignment, when you complete classwork, I want you to think of it in that same way. I want you to say, Lord, look what I can do! Look what I'm doing for You!"

I want my students to see schoolwork as an opportunity to worship God. They are fulfilling a purpose much higher than completion... a purpose much more important than a grade. They are laying before their God the works they have done in His honor.

The students turned in their tests, and I eagerly graded them. I have 15 students. There were 14 A's and 1 B.

I believe the Lord will say to them, "Well done, thy good and faithful servant."

Misinterpretation

This last week in Bible, I was teaching my 4th grade students about the miracles Jesus had performed. The Bible curriculum categorizes the miracles into four groups. Power over Satan, Death, Nature, and Disease. I had the students draw a picture of a miracle Jesus performed in each of these four categories.
As I roamed the room looking at their interpretations, I took a second glance at this particular picture.

I apparently did not enunciate.

Classroom Moments

"Miss Syd, I got my pencil stuck in the pencil sharpener," my student tells me. He tried sharpening a pencil that was obviously too small to be sharpened anymore.

"I didn't know it was going to get stuck," he pleaded. I used a bent paperclip to stab the eraser of the pencil, and then proceeded to pull out the tiny pencil.

This is where I turned into Seth Myer mode... "Really?" I said, looking at the pencil, and then back at the sharpener repeatedly. I then measured the pencil with my fingers and compared my finger-measurement to the sharpener. Again, "Reaaalllly? Really? Seriously? really?"

The student continued to state he did not know the pencil would get stuck. I couldn't stop laughing as I retold this story to his mom.

My Plan

To complete my master's degree, I have to create a professional project in lieu of a thesis. This project will be an 8 hour training session for my colleagues. The biggest piece of enlightenment came to me during our study of cooperative learning. Not having an undergrad degree in education, I was never made fully aware of the difference between group work and cooperative learning.

When my professor approached the topic of cooperative learning in the classroom, she fascinated me with her connection of the classroom to the body of Christ. In my paraphrase, this is what she said, "Each person is individually responsible for his or her own actions, but the bigger picture is to see that everyone in the group succeeds; each part of the body has a role in this success. The foot, the hand, the eyes, the mouth ... are all important, and although they may have different responsibilities, every single piece is necessary, and it is vital that these parts all work together in unity."

The goal of my professional project will be to train the teachers to create this atmosphere of unity in the classroom, using the example of the body of Christ. As Christians, we should already be striving to work together in community, in unity. We should want others to succeed as much as we want to be successful ourselves. Christianity is not a competition. Neither is education.

I want my classroom to be effective in teaching children to take personal responsibility for their role as an individual, but also as a citizen. Students need a deeper understanding of how their actions do not merely affect themselves. I intend to incorporate cooperative learning skills and activities to build this atmosphere where students learn to work together so that all have the opportunity to be successful citizens.

Done!

All I have left is my major final project. I have all A's for this semester, not counting my lab which has not been graded. I think I even got a 4.0 in one course. Woo! We don't meet for our big final project until June 11 or so, so I have a month and a half to get my butt kicked by the gym.

My abstract for my spring lab

I'll probably rewrite it a few times before I'm actually done.

This study is an action research project that has been completed in a fourth grade classroom at *********. The purpose of this project is to examine cognitive development, instruction, and assessment in the classroom setting, specifically in the subject of reading. The initial research includes a preassessment of student performance. Curriculum for a four-week unit is then designed based on the results of the preassessment. At the halfway point of the unit, a formative assessment will reveal student progress. Continuing the action research, the teacher will evaluate the curriculum and adjust the final two weeks based on the formative assessment as well as other informal assessments that have taken place throughout the research. The process employs effective curriculum design both to determine the needs of the students effectively and successfully meet those needs using both traditional and alternative methods.

Teaching myself as I teach 9-10 year olds

"Love your enemies."

"Bless them that curse you."

"Do good to them that hate you."

If someone steals your stuff, give him the stuff he didn't steal.
If someone slaps you, turn the other cheek.

We need to act, not react. Our actions should not be determined by someone else's actions.

I quoted to my students. Then I said to them, "It's easy to read your Bible, sing a song, and go to church." I held up my Bible: "But this is the Jesus you are saying you want to follow."

Man, I was talking to myself there. The students were in shock. They know the Jesus that forgives, but they do not know the Jesus who expects us to put ourselves last. I sometimes wonder if I even know that Jesus. Don't I have rights? Don't I deserve something?

I told them, when we are faced with these situations... we need to see them as opportunities to bring God glory and not as situations where we are being offended.

Tough. It's tough. Holy Spirit, help me.

This Week In Teaching

Since I only have nine students, I feel like I have more freedom to try fun activities with the class. They all get along really well, so even though they are competitive, they don't argue when we play games. That makes my life so much easier, and it certainly makes class much more enjoyable.

One of the games we played this week was snakes and ladders. You know---it's a ripoff of Chutes and Ladders. Or maybe it's the other way around, and I just wasn't aware. Anyway, I put a giant game board on the interactive board and split the class into 3 teams. In order to roll the dice, the students had to pick a card that had a punctuation mark on it. Depending on the punctuation mark they had, they would have to come up with a proper sentence to match and also tell what kind of sentence it was. If they succeeded, they would roll the (electronic--push a button on the board) dice to move their game piece. The kids had a ton of fun, both moving the pieces and making up ridiculous sentences. And maybe---just maybe---they learned something, too!

We're going to begin writing a descriptive paragraph, but at a fourth grade level, the average kid doesn't have a brain full of frolicking adjectives. It's sad (and frustrating!), but true! I did my best to come up with creative ways to make them enjoy being descriptive.

1. We watched a clip of Willy Wonka, where he sings Pure Imagination as the children roam around the candy-made factory, tasting all the delicious trees and flowers and grass. You get the picture. As they watched, I asked them to write down things they would see, smell, taste, hear, and feel while they were in the factory.


Although they enjoyed watching the clip, the attempt at helping them be descriptive was a failure. I got answers like, "The factory was cool. There was lots of candy." AAAH!

2. The next day, I decided to play Taboo with them. This would force them to describe things without saying the words they would normally want to use. They did not even realize they were being descriptive. Yay! Somewhat successful! After we finished the game, I gave each of them an individual card from the game. They then had to write a paragraph describing the word the best they could, but still not using any of the taboo words on the list. Some of them asked for more cards and made a few paragraphs.

After they finished, I read the clues, and the students got points for all the kids who were able to guess the right word.

3. Today, I was teaching sequence in reading, so I broke the kids into groups to create a 3 to 5 motion handshake. As they were practicing, I decided to involve description into this activity as well. They returned to their seats, and I made them write out (in sequence) a description of how the handshake was to proceed. I read the descriptions to other groups, who tried to perform what I was reading. This helped the students see the need to be specific and detailed when writing---otherwise, the audience might not see the same thing you are trying to convey.

All in all, the kids had a fun week, and so did I. Now, I have to get back to finishing my first paper for my master's class. Lord, help me!

Conversation with Student

Kid: What are we doing?

Me: We're going to do social studies.

Kid: Good! Finally something decent! What are we doing after that?

Me: We're going to clean instead of doing grammar.

Kid: Good, that's even decenter!

Me (and Ryan, who was in the room): Um, maybe we won't skip grammar after all.

Who writes this stuff?

For years I taught from A Beka reading (which is awful, by the way). The stories were extremely boring and outdated. When you have outdated reading materials, the lingo tends to lose some of its meaning. This was especially true with A Beka reading. It was annoying to read a story with third or fourth grade students only to hear them snicker at the word gay or the boy named Dick. I mean really, you just can't give that kind of story to a kid. It's only natural for them to react.

We have new reading curriculum this year, and so far the kids have thoroughly enjoyed every story. We look forward to reading time, which is kind of a new feeling for me since I've only ever dealt with A Beka.

Today's story had a word or two that needed some explanation, but still, it was handled much better than in the past. First, the word manure showed up. I've learned to just let the kids laugh at this kind of thing because, well, I'd laugh if I'd read it in fourth grade! Then the word derriere showed up. Now, this is my fault because I explained to the kids the English meaning of the word. They got a kick out of it. One boy was so excited to use the word. Is that bad? Or am I expanding their vocabulary? I'm going to go with the latter.

One of the other words was chit, which merely made me cringe as the students read it, fearing they would mispronounce. I don't think any students actually reacted to that word. Then, there was a part where the French man referred to something that had the word retard in it. He was speaking of people being late. I explained the evolution of the word to the class, and they were all somewhat understanding.

Well, I'm finished writing this manure, and I need to get off my derriere before I am en retard for my practice this evening.

It's Complex!

This week, my students are learning about dependent and independent clauses for the first time. I never know how hard it will be for students to grasp a new concept, especially in grammar. They seemed to do well with compound sentences, so we moved right into complex sentences.

There are times when I plan out activities for lessons, and there are times I completely teach on the fly. In my experience, the planned stuff tends to bomb more often than my improv. I don't think I had any plan for complex sentences except to go over the definitions and see if they could figure it out from there.

The main thing they need to know is that dependent clauses cannot stand alone while independent clauses can. When they are combined, they form a complex sentence. However, there's another rule that I was sure would throw them off. If the dependent sentence comes first, there has to be a comma to separate the clauses. There is no comma if the independent clause comes first.

How is a fourth grade student supposed to remember all this and be able to apply it?

As I was teaching, I decided to draw a character on the interactive board. I wrote a D on his shirt, and I gave him a Santa hat. He was Danny Dependent Clause. I, of course, then drew Izzy Independent Clause. Each of them had SP on their hats because they both have subjects and predicates, but Danny also had several flags in his hand. On each flag was a subordinate conjunction (when, after, before, if, ...).

I then told the story. Poor Danny is dependent and he absolutely cannot stand alone! He must have Izzy! Poor guy! He had a sad face. Izzy had a happy face. She was independent! She could stand alone if she needed to! Whenever she leads him, they are happy and complete. But if he leads, he needs the help of a comma to get her to follow because she'd rather be alone. Either way, when they go on dates, things get "complex."

It was the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard, but the kids got it. I was amused by my own silliness. So far, the kids have been very good at finding the I/D clauses. Tomorrow is the quiz, so we'll see how it goes. I'm a bit nervous because they seem to bomb whenever I have high hopes!