Hello Spring!

The month of March has been a fast paced month that has flown by much quicker than expected. I've always heard that October and March are the two longest months for teachers because there are no breaks and they are usually tough transition months. October is where both kids and teachers have settled in and the "newness" of school has worn off and March is that last full month of prep before CRCT testing that is  filled with a lot of pressure. Despite the pressure, I'm really proud that I have pushed through this month.

As far as my highlights, I've really enjoyed the new teaching model that  my colleague and I have adopted through co-teaching. It has been a great experience to be able to observe a veteran teacher and co-teach with her. We've had the opportunity to both lead lessons and support one another during our instruction. With our  new model, we have been able to maximize our learning time and spend much more time teaching in small groups. I've seen this positively impact my students academically and have seen growth through the impacts of student learning this month. This year I feel I have really gained much more support through my community of teachers than I did last year. I have found myself reaching out more for support when I need it, socializing more with my co-workers, and learning from my colleagues.  It's been a rewarding experience to be able to collaborate or sometimes just vent with those who know exactly how I feel and recognize the challenges I face. For that I'm thankful for the time I've had to connect with my community of fellow teachers.

I have to admit that the pressure of CRCT is getting to me a little. I felt fine about it until our most recent data presentations at school when our principal asked the whole third grade team if we felt that we were projected to do a lot better on the CRCT then the previous year. He was really impressed by our presentation and with the effort that we have been putting in with the kids therefore, the expectation is high. I worry that because of the behavior problems third grade has faced this year (my class in particular),  that we have wasted much instructional time. Although things are getting better I wonder is it too little to late? But I'm trying to put those thoughts out of my mind and push through these last few weeks. I pray that these next few weeks my students and I can really use the time we have left and really do some intensive learning. I want them to succeed so much and excel not only on the test but in life like I know they can. I hope and pray we can do this! :)

Pedagogy of the Oppressed: chapters 3 & 4

After reading chapters three and four of Pedagogy of the Oppressed, what stood out for me was the importance of dialogue and empowering our students  by developing their critical thinking. Freire states that “love is at the same time the foundation of dialogue and dialogue itself” (Freire, 1970, p.89). When  my students and I have open dialogue during a lesson or through personal discussion, learning takes place with both students and the educators because both sides are contributing to the conversation.  It is not a transfer of information in which one person holds more knowledge than others, but rather it’s an opportunity in which we are all learning from each other. Freire states  “…this dialogue cannot be reduced to the act of one person’s ‘depositing’ ideas in another, nor can it become a simple exchange of ideas to be ‘consumed’ by the discussants” (Freire, 1970, p.89). When we attentively listen and respect one another’s opinions, we are ultimately showing how much we value and love one another. When we talk together I realize that my students are filled with a lot of prior knowledge and experiences. We draw on these experiences and knowledge in all areas of our learning. Having these experiences helps me to understand  how my students view and see the world.  

Freire also talks about the importance of leadership. As teachers we are called to be leaders in the classroom. Freire states that “leaders do bear the responsibility for coordination and, at times direction—but leaders who deny praxis to the oppressed thereby invalidate their own praxis” (Freire, 1970, 126) . If we do not serve our students by exchanging in meaningful dialogue we deserve our students and ourselves.  The earlier  we can enforce a dialogical practice within in our classrooms and with our students, the more empowered our students will become. Through dialogical learning, students develop their critical thinking skills.  Freire states: “If revolutionary leaders deny [higher level thinking] to the people, they impair their own capacity to think without the people, nor for the people, but only with the people (Freire, 1970, 131)

As educators I realize that we are placed in a unique position to utilize our classroom as an equalizer for our students. We have amazing opportunities everyday to highlight our students’ voices and to empower them.  We can prepare our students not only to liberate themselves but to also become great leaders. 

March already?

Wow! February has flown by! with February being a short month and extra snow days, I can't believe we are already in March. As we approach Spring, I think about the progress that I have made with my students so far and where I hope to take them in our last few months together.

I have to celebrate the growing interests I see my students  in math as we talk about geometry and measurement. Also their interests in Social Studies as they begin to make personal connections with historical figures. It's rewarding to see my students' interest increase. One thing in particular that I have changed is creating a smoother transition from my whole group to small group/independent instruction. From reading my coach's feedback, I realized I was releasing students too soon to work independently that they would often become lost or confused during the assignment. Since I've increased the "gradual release" model , I have prepared my students for greater success in the classroom. In Social Studies, I have taken lessons a little deeper by allowing students to make personal connections with historical figures and allowing them time for discussion. It was wonderful to hear my students talk about what they had learned about the civil rights efforts of previous leaders and connecting them to their personal civil rights.

 Our work with our action research project has increased opportunity for my students to create social change. When my students realized that we were going to do a fundraiser to raise supplies for our classroom they were very excited! My students instantly wanted to take on leadership roles to lead the effort of fundraising and they eagerly begin discussing the ways having supplies in our classroom could improve their classroom atmosphere. After being worried about the direction my action research project was going, my students and myself have become very interested in the possibilities of changing our class.

Lastly, I have to celebrate a young girl in my class named Asia. I haven't talked about her much in my blogs but she is someone that I come home thinking about almost everyday lately. Asia is a fun- loving, sweet and smart girl who is very thoughtful. One day she bought me an Oats and Honey breakfast bar from a fundraiser because she noticed that I eat one almost every morning. She is also the child that stops by my classroom every morning to see if she can help to sharpen pencils for me or prep work for the day. Overall, Asia is a great student with a caring spirit. Like many of us, Asia also struggles with her own personal issues. She was heavily bullied at one of her previous schools and has issues of anger and trust. Asia has had outburst against students, stormed out of the classroom and has even threatened another student. She expressed to me at her previous school that she was bullied by a sibling pair and in one of her previous classrooms, she lost control of herself and knocked over chairs and desks in her class. Needless to say if we were still doing the DRC, Asia would be the student I'd highlight. Last week, she and I had a private conversation before class started and I told her to let me know when she feels those rages of anger and to tell me if someone bothers her before she takes matters into her own hands. A few days after our conversation my class was out on the playground. One of my boys mistakenly threw a ball that hit Asia. Asia stormed towards me infuriated assuming that he had singled her out and attacked her on purpose. After she told me what happened,  I did something that I think threw her a little off guard....I thanked her. I told Asia that although she was angry she made the choice to come to me and talk to me about rather than impulsively react. I told her she made the right choice. Afterwards I told her to take a few deep breaths and explain to me what happened. Long story short...the boy was able to explain to Asia that he was aiming the ball at another boy to catch it and he mistakenly hit her, he apologized and Asia accepted. This was a HUGE step for Asia. She has been carrying around the emotions from being bullied with her all year. She has often found it difficult to trust her other classmates and control her anger. For her to make the conscious decision not to give in to her emotions when she was feeling angry was something to celebrate.

 Looking back I wished I had began to understand what Asia was struggling with earlier in the year. I realized it was because a lack of developing close relationships with my students and understanding who they are is people before rushing to teach them. One quote that has resonated with me in our course reading is from William Ayers "The first and fundamental challenge for teachers is to embrace students as three-dimensional creatures, as distinct human beings with hearts and minds and skills and reams and capacities of their own, as people much like ourselves" (Kridel, 2009). For the rest of the year I want to focus on understanding my students more not just as students, but what lives they have outside of the classroom, their past and their dreams for the future.  As I think ahead, I know next year when I return for a third year of teaching, I want to make sure I take more time to understand who my students are as young people, what they heart, what scares them and what they hope for. I believe if I establish those type of relationships earlier it will be amazing year.

Pathways...

I remember last year when I realized that I would be transitioning from Pre-K to an elementary classroom one of my biggest worries was being faced with the Common Core Standards. Prior to changing grade levels, I often heard colleagues at my school express their un-satisfaction with the standards. Many of them felt that the standards were too unrealistic and rigorous for students to achieve.  Others felt they were too tedious to achieve all by the end of the year. Needless to say when I realized I would be leaving the world of the pre-k standards that allowed kids the freedom to learn through play learning and learn social and emotional skills, I was not thrilled. My vision was that I would begin teaching students in a way that emphasized the mastery of standards rather than learning for the sake of learning.

Now that I have had almost a year of experience with the common core, my main challenge that I have faced this year has been teaching the standards as I learn them.  I’ve felt that I have not had the opportunity to spend time reading all of the social studies and math  standards, understand what they mean, figure out how teach them and what it would look like in my classroom for students to master these standards.  It wasn’t until reading the first five chapters of Pathways to the Common Core, that I felt that I had begun to understand the common core standards.

  I enjoyed the authors’ initial discussion in the book about viewpoint.  Before discussing the standards, the authors recognize that it important to address our attitude about the standards first.  “If we are going to play a role in shaping the future, then we need to take the Queen Mother’s advice to heart. We need to see hope and opportunity” (p. 8). Paralleling our attitude towards the common core with the story of Queen Mother and Cory Booker helped shaped my attitude about the standards before continuing to read the book. Before finishing chapter one , I had more of an optimistic attitude that I could find the positive in the common core standards and use it as an opportunity to push my students to be successful.

Throughout the first five chapters, the authors unpack the reading standards of the common core which really helped me to understand exactly what my students are expected to know, demonstrate,  and the reasons why these standards exist. The book also provides examples of how to teach these standards.  A few excerpts from the book confirmed what we have already discussed in our courses and have learned from each other. For example, the authors place emphasis on book clubs, text sets, and incorporating books based on student interest. “You might watch videos of students engaged in high-level partnership or book club conversations…” (p. 29). “Certainly, when teachers select texts to read aloud to the whole class, it is usual to think of those selections as creating a text set that readers can later thing across…” (p. 64). “Readers should have the opportunities to choose from a wide range of high interest texts” (p. 70). Some areas that I realize that I need to implement more of in my classroom is the increase of cross-curricular, analytical nonfiction reading. The authors suggest that in order to analyze nonfiction text we must move away from reading for information and move towards comparing authors perspectives and point of views. I love the example that is given about how fifth graders would understand the American Revolution. “Fifth graders in a CCSS-aligned classroom will read speeches made by Patriots, look at propaganda on the part of Loyalists and Patriots, weigh the reasons people took sides in the war, and imagine themselves in the shoes of people who hold different views on this topic” (p. 20). As a social studies teacher this really helps me to learn how I can tie in reading standards to social studies by teaching them analyze and compare text. I also appreciated the tips that were provided on how to put more high interest and right nonfiction books into kids hands (pgs. 91-92). One area of the book that I’m still questioning is the commentary on leveling books. “If someone has told you that the Common Core requires that you level books by this or that system, the truth is that the standards recognize the limitations of all existing leveling systems…” (p. 35). I’m wondering what are the limitations of leveling? Most of what I’ve heard about leveling is that it is a positive way to help students continue to practice reading on their level and progress them to the next level. I’m interesting in learning more about the research about the limitations of leveling books.

Overall, I’m really excited about Pathways. This is a book that I can foresee will be a helpful reference for me to use throughout my teaching career. It not only helps to explain the standards but teaches me how to teach them in a meaningful and personal way for my students. I’m looking forward to reading more!

Pedagogy of the Oppressed Intro to Chapter 2

After reading Pedagogy of the Oppressed for the second time I have a better understanding of Paulo Freire's work and what it means for me and my students.

When I consider Freire beyond my TFA commitment, I think about how my practice will change moving forward. I know I want to stay in the classroom for a few more years and I want to apply some things that I have learned throughout our courses, especially our work with Freire. Looking forward I want to do a better job of incorporating my students’ culture and experiences. I want to move away from the banking style of education and give my students the opportunity to contribute their knowledge on a daily basis. I want my students shared experiences to be a norm in the classroom. Freire states that with the banking notion of consciousness “the educator’s role is to regulate the way the world ‘enters into’ students” (76). I’m less interested in implementing the way I see the world to my students but more interested in knowing how my students view the world, what they value, and their opinions.   

Taking our Critical Pedagogy course has brought light to how the educational system is structured. Our educational system is often compared to the social structures of our society in which our students are often oppressed and have very little opportunity for choice or freedom of expression. I realize that within my classroom I am able to break down these barriers.  As I think about the action research project my students are crafting, the ultimate goal is to give my students the opportunity to be empowered to create change. I also want them to have a sense of security in their classroom where they have the freedom to express themselves. In the classroom my students are thinking of ways they can create projects in their class to improve their class environment. I realize the empowering my students to create change in their class can help empower them to create change outside of the classroom as well. Freire states that “in order for the oppressed to be able to wage the struggle for their liberation, they must perceive the reality of oppression not as a closed world from which there is no exit, but as limiting situation which they can transform” (49). I want my students to realize that they can transform their world and become change agents not only for their classroom but beyond their class as well. 

Time is definitely going by faster this second semester and spring is fast approaching! After some restful breaks (both expected and unexpected) I had some time to regroup, relax and spend some much needed down time. I have to say the first day back, the kids were definitely on a snow day high from their time off and were very off the wall their first day returning. However, today was much better. 

So far in my classroom I feel on a daily basis I have a MILLION things to get done! Not only do we have so many things to cover between now and the end of the semester but I'm still trying to squeeze in much of my action research project. Although the project is moving at a snails pace, my students have made some progress to working towards a better classroom environment. They have created their promises for their class constitution board (positive promises they've made to themselves and each other on how they will act and speak to each other in class), and we have also created a citizenship board in the class that praises those moments of positive behavior. I realize that I have to move things along though and we must get in our small groups this week and begin the first stage of our planning. After reading the U.N. Rights of Child, I realize how powerful literature can be to drive the action research process. After reading the Poverty, Power, and Action Study I became really motivated to incorporate literature to motivating my students. 

As far as behavior goes, we definitely still have our up and down days. However, I've been really proud of myself for staying consistent with consequences and rewards and remaining steadfast. I realize that even with push back, my students need consistency in their lives at school. I'm also continuing to learn my students more and more each day. I'm starting to love spending time with them and enjoying our conversations together which has developed our relationships and trust. 

I'm continuing to push forward and can't wait until SPRING arrives :) 

Book Blog Critical Framework-Ashley

    While reading Critical Framework,  one of the studies that stood out for me was the Poverty, Power and Action Study highlighted in Chapter 2.  The study focuses on the right to health and well-being of children. While reading this study I enjoyed how both teachers focused on providing students access to information that was important for them to know. The book states that “Article 17 of the United Nation Rights of the Child states that ‘children have the right to get information that is important to their health and well being’ “ (Allen & Alexander, 2013, p.22). In addition to bringing students’ attention to what was important to them, the teachers also incorporated literacy to show how poverty is perceived through books. In return the students became very excited about their participation in the project and the teacher allowed them the freedom to choose which entity they wanted to take on.  Later on their idea of creating the Plants for Peace Project was born from their interaction of literacy text.

    When I think about the connection between my students’ project and the study from the critical inquiry framework, I think about the possible strong impact literacy can play a role in their projects. In the case study of Neher and Smith, literacy played a role in getting students excited about their projects and coming up with the garden themed project. I believe the same can happen with my students. I think gathering books about classroom culture, friendship, respect, etc… can expose students to various ways these characteristics are expressed throughout text and to get them excited about implementing the same within their classroom. I believe incorporating the same approach will guide students in the direction that they want to go for their projects and create the framework for the small groups to impalement the project.

    Lastly, I reflect on the U.N. rights of a child and I think the right that aligns most with our class project is Article 12 which states: “Respect for views. Children have the right to say what they think should happen and have their opinions taken into account” (p.19). Respect is something that we have discussed a lot about in our class and it is something that will probably be one of the key focuses of our project. Introducing students not only to the terminology of respect, but also exposing them to their right to have it, is a very powerful tool that I believe will help drive our class project.