Urban Reform: July 2013

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Sunday, July 21, 2013

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.

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Headed home tomorrow.

Finally finished

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

Friday, July 19, 2013

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

Thursday, July 18, 2013

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.

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

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!