Yummy

Thought for the day

I have learned so much at the Teaching with Poverty in Mind conference. The conference was awesome! If you are working in a Title 1 or urban school this if the conference to attend. My plan this school year is to give my students Hope. Did you know that there are only 2 ways out of poverty for our students? Living in a two parent home and a quality education. I maybe unable to control who they live with, but I can control the type of education they receive.

Heading home

Chattanooga here we come.

Headed home tomorrow.

Finally finished

The conference is finished. I am on informational overload, but it was all worth it.

A very big bull!

Mooooooo

Texas

The Alamo

Texas

The Alamo was very interesting and informative place.

First day of Workshop 2

Tools for Maximum Engagement
Learning should be fun ! There are many different activities that teachers can use to get students energized about learning.
Teachers can use music and different movement ideas to encourage students to get out of their seat and become engaged in their learning.
It takes perfect practice and a plan of how it will be used.

Our presenter- Mr. Eric Jensen

Another Friend

Who does this look like?

Friends from our first conference

Dinner

Sea Island

Our last day for Teaching with Poverty in Mind

Day 4

Change can happen. You must have a plan and script what you are doing.

Kids living in poverty

For many kids living in poverty self control has to be taught it is not something that many of them come to school knowing.
You can teach self control by
               Playing Simon sez
             Asking a child to take in three deep breaths before getting in line.

What do you want to be when you grow up....

If many of us were asked this question when we were younger we knew we wanted to be doctors, lawyers or even teachers. However,  many kids in poverty just want a job not a career. They don't understand the limitless careers that are waiting for them. I asked my student this question and they told me gas station attendent or work at  a fast food restaurant.  These are all honest jobs and  I am by no means putting these jobs  down, but that was not the answers I wanted for that assignement.  My students had no knowledge of what was being asked of them.

As teachers we give students classroom jobs to be help build self esteem and character, but when have you  ever meet a pencil sharpner , caboose or line leader in the real world. Think about all the claasroom jobs we give students are these real jobs in the real world. So, how about assigning the classrom jobs real career names such as:
The pencilsharpner is the Carpenter or Lumberjack ( teachable  moment bc many kids have no clue what these careers are)
Person passing out sanitizer is the Health Inspector
Door holder is the Security/Police Officer
Person that turns of the lights is the Electrician

Think about all the exposure  and backround knowledge my students  are now getting as they learn about the different types of careers.

Do you have any good names for the classroom jobs in your class or can you think of some that I can use?
Once the students are famillar with the jobs they can interview the job they believe suits them.

Working Memory

Do you forget things quickly? I know my 2nd graders do!
To help  my kids strengthen their working memory I can/must:
     Remember that it must be taught
     Try to spell words backwards,  starting with 2 letter words and increasing the number of words once that skill is mastered.
      Give students two similar pictures and having them find what's different in each picture
      Playing add on games such as, l went to the grocery store and I bought. Everyone should remember playing this game as a child!

Day 3

Game time. Ready to learn.

The Wax Museum

John Cena and I

River walk

Encouraging students

Here are some things we can say to students when they answer questions. Acknowledge the students effort rather than the answer is right or wrong.

Change of state

We can change a student's state (attitude) by doing simple things such as humor or even movement

Fund for teachers

Meet some other teachers who received the Fund for Teachers Grant. They are from Wisconsin.

"They sweater makes me look huge!"

Day 2

Ready to learn some more information.

Thought for today

I must change as a teacher. I cannot continue to do things the way I use to. I can no longer use poverty as an excuse for not being the best teacher to my students .  The only way out of poverty for my students is a good education.

La Fogota

My first authentic Mexican.

Day 1

Awesome, I have learned so much.

Did you know that students in poverty experience chronic stress, thus affecting their behaviour in school.
Food for thought.

Day 1

Brittany looks ready

Our presenter

Eric Jensen. Will get a better before the conference is over.

Day 1

Ready for our first day at Teaching with Poverty in Mind.

There was a live Mariachi band at the mall.

Very large boots

NorthStar Mall

Out and about in San Antonio

Our hotel

Atlanta

The weather in Atlanta is not looking too good.

At the Chattanooga Airport.

Ready set go!

San Antonio here we come! Be there tomorrow with bells on !

Heading to San Antonio this Sunday I am so excited !  :-)

One week to go!

Celebrate our freedom

Happy 4th of July!

The count down is on....

11days to go

Any suggestions for restaurants, places to go and even things to do while in San Antonio? I know its going to be very hot, so I was told to pack lots of sun dresses and stay away from jeans. Any suggestions?

14 days and counting!!!

Fun Facts About Texas

1. Texas is popularly known as The Lone Star State.
2. The Alamo is located in San Antonio. It is where Texas defenders fell to Mexican General Santa Anna and the phrase Remember the Alamo originated. The Alamo is considered the cradle of Texas liberty and the state's most popular historic site.
3. The lightning whelk is the official state shell.
4. Texas is the only state to have the flags of 6 different nations fly over it. They are: Spain, France, Mexico, Republic of Texas, Confederate States, and the United States.
5. Although six flags have flown over Texas, there have been eight changes of government: Spanish 1519-1685, French 1685-1690, Spanish 1690-1821, Mexican 1821-1836, Republic of Texas 1836-1845, United States 1845-1861, Confederate States 1861-1865, United States 1865-present
6. The King Ranch in Texas is bigger than the state of Rhode Island.
7. During the period of July 24-26, 1979, the Tropical Storm Claudette brought 45 inches of rain to an area near Alvin, Texas, contributing to more than $600 million in damages. Claudette produced the United States 24 hour rainfall record of 43 inches.
8. More wool comes from the state of Texas than any other state in the United States.
9. Edwards Plateau in west central Texas is the top sheep growing area in the country.
10. Texas is the only state to enter the United States by treaty instead of territorial annexation.
11. The state was an independent nation from 1836 to 1845.
12. Texas boasts the nation's largest herd of whitetail deer.
13. A coastal live oak located near Fulton is the oldest tree in the state. The tree has an estimated age of more than 1,500 years.
14. Sam Houston, arguably the most famous Texan, was actually born in Virginia. Houston served as governor of Tennessee before coming to Texas.
15. Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in the state.
16. The first offensive action of the Texas Revolution occurred in Goliad on October 9, 1835 when local colonists captured the fort and town.
17. On December 20, 1835 the first Declaration of Texas Independence was signed in Goliad and the first flag of Texas Independence was hoisted.
18. The Hertzberg Circus Museum in San Antonio contains one of the largest assortments of circusana in the world.
19. The capital city of Austin is located on the Colorado River in south-central Texas. The capitol building is made from Texas pink granite. It served as the capital of the Republic of Texas in 1840-1842.
20. Austin is considered the live music capital of the world.
21. Texas is home to Dell and Compaq computers and central Texas is often referred to as the Silicon Valley of the south.
22. Professional sports teams include the Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Mavericks, Dallas Stars, Houston Astros, Houston Comets, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, and Texas Rangers.
23. Dr Pepper was invented in Waco in 1885. The Dublin Dr Pepper, 85 miles west of Waco, still uses pure imperial cane sugar in its product. There is no period after the Dr in Dr Pepper.
24. The first suspension bridge in the United States was the Waco Bridge. Built in 1870 and still in use today as a pedestrian crossing of the Brazos River.
25. In 1836 five sites served as temporary capitals of Texas: Washington-on-the-Brazos: Harrisburg: Galveston: Velasco: and Columbia. Sam Houston moved the capital to Houston in 1837. In 1839 the capital was moved to the new town of Austin.
26. The capitol in Austin opened May 16, 1888. The dome of the building stands seven feet higher than that of the nation's Capitol in Washington, D.C.
27. Texas comes from the Hasinai Indian word tejas meaning friends or allies.
28. The armadillo is the official state mammal.
29. Texas has the first domed stadium in the country. The structure was built in Houston and opened in April 1965.
30. The Houston Comets are the only team in the country to win four back-to-back WNBA championships. 1997-2000 Cynthia Cooper remains the only player to win the WNBA Championship MVP.
31. The worst natural disaster in United States history was caused by a hurricane that hit Galveston in 1900. Over 8000 deaths were recorded.
32. The first word spoken from the moon on July 20, 1969 was Houston.
33. Texas' largest county is Brewster with 6,208 square miles.
34. Texas possesses three of the top ten most populous cities in the United States. These towns are Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio.
35. El Paso is closer to Needles, California than it is to Dallas.
36. Texas includes 267,339 square miles, or 7.4% of the nation's total area.
37. The state's cattle population is estimated to be near 16 million.
38. More land is farmed in Texas than in any other state.
39. More species of bats live in Texas than in any other part of the United States.
40. Laredo is the world's largest inland port.
41. Port Lavaca has the world's longest fishing pier. Originally part of the causeway connecting the two sides of Lavaca Bay, the center span of was destroyed by Hurricane Carla in 1961.
42. The Tyler Municipal Rose Garden is the world's largest rose garden. It contains 38,000 rose bushes representing 500 varieties of roses set in a 22-acre garden.
43. Amarillo has the world's largest helium well.
44. The world's first rodeo was held in Pecos on July 4, 1883.
45. The Flagship Hotel on Seawall Boulevard in Galveston is the only hotel in North America built entirely over the water.
46. The Heisman trophy is named for John William Heisman the first full-time coach and athletic director at Rice University in Houston.
47. Brazoria County has more species of birds than any other comparable area in North America.
48. The Aransas Wildlife Refuge is the winter home of North America's only remaining flock of whooping cranes.
49. Jalapeno pepper jelly originated in Lake Jackson and was first marketed in 1978.
50. Thanks to: San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau, Rebecca Edinger, Brien Segers, Hill DeWolfe, Cari Murtagh, Eric Gomez, Valorie75, Mary Chastain, pkimbrel

History of Urban Reform

Urban Reform all started when two teachers working at an urban school in Chattanooga, Tennessee decided that something must be done to motivate and encourage their students to be successful. Students from urban schools face many challenges. However the teachers decided not to let the many challenges deter them from being the best teachers to their students.

            These teachers knew that “education is the underlying solution to poverty.” Their students needed motivation. Teaching students with low socioeconomic circumstances was no excuse for not being great teachers. A student’s true success can only be achieved with a quality education.  The teachers know this would have to start with them. So they applied for the Fund for Teachers Grant to attend the Eric Jensen’s “Teaching with Poverty in Mind” and "Tools for Maximum Engagement" in San Antonio, Texas. 

Excited!!!

We are truly excited about our trip and can't wait to go.
San Antonio here we come!!!