It’s always great to hear successful stories from other teachers.  It keeps us motivated knowing that we are all working hard to reach our students.  Today, Iris Yuan brings us successful teaching strategies and tips from two great educators.  We hope you are enjoying your Teacher Appreciation Week! ~EMP

Teachers face a wide number of challenges both in and out of the classroom. Below, two amazing teachers share strategies and tips that have proven successful in their teaching careers. Jamie Nestor has worked with students from grades 5-12 for over ten years, teaching Latin and Ancient Greek.  Aaron VanderYacht started out as a Teach for America corps member eleven years ago, and now teaches reading, writing, and math in grades 4-12.

For Aaron, a successful lesson revolves around the mindset of his students.  He recognizes that every student does want to achieve more, so he takes the time to assess each student’s attitude, strengths, and weaknesses from the start. Meanwhile, Jamie uses a “student-centered” approach, so that her students have more control over how the curriculum runs.

“I start by activating prior knowledge – figuring out what students know when they come to me.  Then, I identify misconceptions and work to deprogram them and build upon truths,” says Jamie. She would also take note of what type of learner the student is, such as auditory or kinesthetic.

The next step is to keep the student motivated and engaged.  To accomplish this, Aaron uses funky colored pens or paper, stickers, jokes, and laughter throughout his lessons.  He notes, “As much as a 9th grader might try to pretend that he doesn’t care about some silly sticker, you can bet that somewhere in there he’s excited.  Nowadays, I love to carry around stickers, stamps, and other simple rewards.”

Despite these efforts, it is inevitable that some students feel lazy or unmotivated at the start of the lesson.  Usually, it’s the, “I’m never going to get this, why bother…” or “I don’t need any help, I’m fine.”  To counteract these attitudes, Aaron makes sure to highlight positive progress along the way.

“Even when working with a student who is really struggling, I try to constantly create ‘positive sandwiches’.  This means that I will start most of my comments to a student by highlighting something positive (‘I see your organization is really clear in this paragraph.’), follow it with constructive feedback (‘I see you tried to add a detail from the paragraph, but this detail doesn’t directly support your topic.’), and then finish with a positive comment (‘Let’s look back at the text, because I saw that you did a great job of highlighting a lot of important details.’).  When feedback is ‘sandwiched’ between positive comments, problematic reactions are less likely to ensue later on,” he says.

Another common challenge is figuring out how to adjust these strategies from an individual level to a classroom setting.  “It takes careful planning, strategy, insight, and adaptability to anticipate and provide what each child in the room needs for the best learning outcomes,” says Jamie.  “That’s why tutoring is so great.  In a 1:1 setting, I can build a relationship with a student more quickly, and with that, perceive what that child needs. I can then provide that learning space more immediately and with undivided attention.”

Regardless of where the lesson is taking place, getting direct feedback from students at the end of the day is vital to moving the lessons forward.

“One of the best things that a student can say to me is, ‘That was easy!’  I always respond by saying, ‘Of course it was, because you practiced and put in hard work so that it would be!’  It’s especially meaningful to me when I hear this after a student has taken a major test or quiz.  Knowing that he or she is able to sit with their work and feel confident and relaxed is what makes teaching exciting,” says Aaron.

Iris Yuan is an Education Consultant at Tutorspree.com, a website that aims to rebuild the tutoring system and make it transparent for the educational community. Follow @tutorspree on Twitter for more information.

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This Thursday, April 26th, is Poem in Your Pocket Day. This is such a fun way to celebrate poetry during National Poetry Month.

For this day, you find a poem or write a poem and keep it handy (in your pocket) so that you can read it to anyone and everyone you come in contact with during the day.  It is a great activity to share with your students.  This year my entire school is getting involved!

Here are some great resources you might find useful.

Information for Poem in Your Pocket Day

Example Poems for your pocket: (Just print, cut and carry.)

Unfortunately, PIYP Day sometimes lands during a school vacation or on a day that is inconvenient for you, your class or your school.  That is the case for my school this year.  (We have two first grade classes who are going on a field trip, but are excited to join the poetry fun.)  So we decided to change the date to Wednesday instead of Thursday.  Even though we will be celebrating this on a different day, the effect will certainly be there.  We could also encourage students to continue the celebration of poetry on the actual day by carrying their poem two days!

I can’t wait to see how it all pans out tomorrow in our school as children and adults of all ages share their favorite poems with one another.  I’ll be certain to comment with updates.

In the meantime, please tell:  Do you like this idea?  Do you celebrate PIYP Day?  Would you?  How?  What’s your poem you will keep in your pocket?

Keep a poem in your pocket
and a picture in your head
and you’ll never feel lonely at night when you’re in bed.
The little poem will sing to you
the little picture bring to you
a dozen dreams to dance to you
at night when you’re in bed.
So–
Keep a picture in your pocket
and a poem in your head
and you’ll never be lonely at night when you’re in bed.
-Beatrice Schenk de Regniers

Independent Project Series - Poetry Project

In this independent project, students will create and study poetry for a period of time. This project is differentiated through work level and reading level and is great for Poetry Month (April) or any time of the year. Use this for individual students or your entire class. Included are teacher instructions for implementation of both appreciation and creation of poetry, explanation of easy, yet creative poetic forms to introduce to your students, reproducibles and engaging activities for students, a rubric for assessment, plus live links to other resources. Part of the Independent Project Series for grades 3-12 (14 pages)
Price: $2.95

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Today’s Guest Blogger is Jan Pierce from Elementary Education Degree.   With the end of the year around the corner, it seems like a great time to try a new arts integration idea.  She provides you with 10!  Let us know if you try something out.  ~EMP

With all the studies out that show how arts can benefit students, many teachers are looking for simple ways to integrate the arts into everyday classroom activities and lessons. Here are ten ideas that can be used for almost any subject and various age groups.

1. Put on a Play – Have your students write a short play about something they’ve just learned – it could be an event in history, a story they’ve read, or even a science concept. They can even design the costumes and set pieces. This would be a great presentation for a parents’ night, or you could video the play and put it on YouTube (with parents’ permission).

2. Sing and Dance – A great way to get younger students to remember a concept is to get them moving. Have them make up a song with movements related to a newly-learned concept. You may want to use a song they already know, such as “Happy Birthday” or a nursery rhyme song.

3. Publicity Stunt – Students can make brochures, posters, or even commercials promoting something they’ve learned about. You could break them up into teams to encourage competition (for example, igneous rocks vs. sedimentary, or Patriots vs. Loyalists). Older students may even be familiar with design software like Photoshop.

4. Mini Art Museum – Introduce students to works of art that line up with your curriculum. Many famous scenes from mythology and literature have been portrayed in art, and it’s also a great way to see how people lived at different times in history.

5. Artsy Social Studies – Integrate art, music, or theater history into your social studies lessons. For example, you could listen to some jazz from the 1920s while discussing the Harlem Renaissance, or look at WPA posters as you teach your students about the New Deal.

6. Tessellations – It seems more difficult to think of a way to integrate art into a math lesson, but tessellations are a fun way to do it. Introduce the tessellations of M.C. Escher and then challenge students to make their own. There are many tutorials about tessellations online to help get you started.

7. Take a Trip – While a trip to the local science or history museum is always valuable, continue taking an art-related trip too! An art museum may have a certain section or special exhibition that goes along perfectly with something you’re learning about. You could also see a play related to your curriculum at a local college and community theatre.

8. Writing Prompt – Use a piece of art, a photograph, or a musical selection as a writing prompt. This lets students’ imaginations run wild and will definitely provide a spectrum of responses.

9. Soundtrack – Have students put together clips of music to illustrate a story, a historical event, or even a scientific cycle and have them explain why they chose each clip. They could also pair the music with a slideshow of photographs, works of art, or abstract images.

10. Collage – This is a wonderful way for students to create art even if they can’t draw. They can make a collage representing any number of topics, such as a time period in history, the culture or environment of a geographic region, a certain family of animals, or a work of literature. The possibilities are endless.

Jan Pierce is a 4th grade teacher who has over 20 years of experience in the classroom. She also owns the site Elementary Education Degree for students interested in earning a degree in elementary education.

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The other day, while presenting to a group of teachers in Michigan via Skype, I was asked, “How can a teacher get started on creating an arts integrated lesson?”  My presentation was on this topic, but there seemed to be a need for more of a step by step approach.  So, for those of you who are just getting started or need a jolt to add more arts integration into your repertoire, here are the four steps I recommend.

1. Think about what lessons, projects or units of study you teach.  (content vocabulary, science or social studies unit, literary devices, math concepts)  What lessons are getting tired and need more life?  What do you do well and want to make even better?  What is something new that would lend itself well to the arts?
2. Brainstorm art forms that may work for this particular lesson. Look for the “elegant fit”.   In other words, don’t force it.  Sometimes an idea just comes to me, other times I have to think things through or bounce ideas off of someone else.  Is there a song that can be composed?  (Think lyrics, instruments, or sounds.)  Is there a visual piece of art that could be created?  (Think illustration, diagram, 3 dimensional figure, etc.)  Could your students tell a story or act out a concept?  Could your students move in a way that would deepen their understanding of what they are learning?  (Consider movement in science or interpreting vocabulary.)  Think about your own interests/talents and those of other teachers you can work with.  If there is an art form with which you are more comfortable, start there.  Otherwise you can experiment a little bit with another art form.
3. Check out the art’s standards. See what speaks to you in terms of what may work and fit with your lesson. The language of the standard may lead you in the right direction. Also check in with an arts teacher to see what your students are learning with them.  If, for example your art teacher is teaching your students about shading, maybe your students could create a still life of something you are learning in science.  If your music teacher is teaching your students how to play the xylophone, allow them to use that musical instrument to create an ostinato of a song to express their understanding of concepts.  Remember to place both the content standard and the art standard at an equal level.  When I create arts integrated lessons, the two standards are displayed side by side.  Here is an example:
4. Go for it!  Just do it.  Implement the lesson and allow yourself (and your students) time for reflection on how things went.  Make a few mistakes if you need to.  It’s no biggy. It’s all part of the process.

Two real life examples:

Erosion Blues – This is a lesson I have already done.  For a full explanation of it, please go to this post.  Basically, my students learned the form of the blues and wrote original lyrics containing science vocabulary from our unit on land and water.  Want to hear our recording?  Go HERE!

Erosion Art – This is a lesson in the making.  Again, I would be integrating with the concepts learned during our land and water unit, but the art form would be visual art instead of music.  I recently learned about a British artist named Andy Goldsworthy who, “is interested in the ‘movement, light, growth and decay’ of nature. He exploits its vital impermanence: changes in season, weather and terrain.”  (Source)  I know there is an elegant fit here – a great lesson that needs to be created, a wonderful experience that my students should have.  I am still in the research and standard finding stage with this one.  I’m not sure if I want my students to study his work, create their own artwork or do both.  There will be more to come with this one.

In my next post, I will discuss much more about arts standards and how to choose ones that will work for you.  (Consider this part 1 of 2.)  For many more articles on the topic of getting started (or staying the course), please click the “Getting Started w Arts Int” tag.

In the meantime, please share how your ideas on how to start creating your own arts integrated lesson.

~EMP

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Today, Daniela Baker from the consumer credit education website, CreditDonkey shares some easy-to-do activities that will help develop the creative side of your child.  Enjoy!  ~EMP

It is important for parents to understand that physical development and cognitive development do not occur at the same rate.  While physical development may progress over a period of years, creativity peaks during the early childhood.  As the parent of a young child, it can be exciting to know that you are witnessing the most creative period of his or her life! Creativity is shown by your child’s ability to take current information and make new connections. This differs from knowledge which is the process by which we store information for future use.

According to Arlene F. Harder, MA, MFT, in her book Distinguish Between Your Child’s Needs and Wants, it is not necessary to buy expensive toys to develop creativity in your child. However, you do need to provide your child with a rich diversity of experience that encourages them to develop creativity in different areas.  Creativity takes many forms: art, dance, music, writing and it is important to expose your child to each so they may learn where their special talents lie.

Ask open-ended questions.  When your 2 or 3 year old toddler asks a question, resist the temptation to provide a direct answer. In many cases, your child has already developed their own theory so reply with an open-ended question, such as “What do you think is the best way?” or “Why do you think that happened?” His or her answer may be right on target or be a theory based on some combination of their past experience Keep in mind that the logic of children may wander way off course but this is to be appreciated and enjoyed as it provides you a wonderful window into their thinking process as they develop the cognitive skill of cause and effect.

Encourage Creative Thinking. When you have time during the day, show your child an everyday object and ask how this could be used in different ways. For example, a cup can be used to drink milk, hold pennies, or be even act as a flower pot!  This activity encourages your child to apply creative thinking to common objects and events in their daily lives.

Read Stories. Dr. Seuss’ Cat-in-the-Hat series is one of the most beloved children’s stories of all time.  Who else but Dr. Seuss can make “green eggs and ham” sound like a delicious breakfast? The idea of Green Eggs and Ham expanded into a sixty page story teaches your child how to think-outside-the box and make connections to one central idea.

Engage in Dramatic Play. Dramatic play provides an opportunity for your child to take internalized thoughts and act them out in social situations. For dramatic play between parents and children, ask your child to tell you a story and then act it out among family members Expect that your child will take the director’s role and change the scenario as s/he watches their ideas come to life. Act out all new versions so your child can see how their different ideas play-out in the “real-world.”

Make some music.  All children love to make music with unusual items! For example, place some pennies in a empty soda can for home-made castanets. Alternatively,  turn over some Tupperware for a fun drum set. Have the whole family join each with each member playing a different instrument.”

Engage in art-based activities. Art activities are the classic means to develop creativity in children. The activity needs to focus on the process, not the product. Encourage your child to combine material in unique ways. The following are some ideas for children of different ages:

• Provide a two year old with pre-cut shapes such as squares, rectangles, and triangles made out of multi-colored construction paper which they can the glue together an a large piece of cardboard.
• Provide a three-year old with a mound of play dough which they may shape and offer some raisins, cheerios, marshmallows, and jellybeans to stick into it.
• Provide a four-year old with different color ribbon from which they may create flags or banners.
• Give a five year old a collection of pre-cute magazine picture and have him glue the pictures together into a montage.

Each of these activities focuses on the process of creating, rather than the materials used to create. This is an important distinction because what a child learns about their abilities while exploring and engaging in creative activity is an invaluable learning tool.

Photo Credit, girl drawing.  Photo Credit kids playing music.

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