How can a piece of cardboard become an inspiration for students?  Read on…

I finally got the big package in the mail: a large book that I can use to teach some reading strategies and skills to small groups. It looked like a good fine in the Scholastic catalog, so I used some of my bonus points to get it.

But I felt more like a little kid than a teacher when the book finally arrived. Why? I was more intrigued with the box than what was inside.

It’s a great box, really.  It is large, but thin; a tri-fold, much the size and shape of a presentation board you’d buy at staples, with a flap on the top and bottom which, when folded in to create the box, protect what’s inside.  I couldn’t bring myself to recycle it, so I held onto it for a few days trying to figure out what to do with it.  But, like so many things I have kept over the years, the box was starting to collect dust and get in the way.

At one point this week, during the famed elementary rug/meeting time, I decided to just get rid of the box, but I enticed my students first.

“Check out this great box,” I said. “It opens up, it can act as a display, is has fun pieces hanging down. Who wants this great piece of cardboard?”

Many hands went up, some faces got excited and others looked around in disbelief that a box could elicit such excitement.

Knowing that I had but one box and a dozen interested kids, I upped the anty. “If you would like this box, please submit your proposal in writing before lunch tomorrow.” …more disbelief…more excitement… (Fourth grade can be fun.)

I got my first proposal in minutes: “I want to make a display for immigration.  ~Rose”

“Oh, no, no, no. That is not going to cut it,” I exclaimed to my class. “One sentence is not going to get you this fantastic piece of cardboard.”  So, we talked about proposals for a few minutes.  We discussed the importance of presenting your ideas in a format that is worthy of being considered, how proper sentence structure and details would be imperative.  We discussed how some proposals might include an illustration to further articulate how one may use such a piece of cardboard.  Yes, I laid it on think, but the interested students rose to the occasion.

The next day I received 5 proposals, each one was well thought out and came from students of varying writing abilities.  Each idea was unique.  One girl wanted to create a study board that would display important information she learned in third grade that would help her with her homework.  Another wanted to research the solar system and present her findings.  One boy wanted it to create a fort, while another student had hopes to create an “imagination car.”

The girl who won the box was the one who wrote a detailed description of what she wanted to do.  The written proposal was accompanied by a detailed illustration of her immigration display, showcasing her family’s arrival to America and other related information.  I hope that pictures will be forthcoming as she promises to present it to the class when she is done.

It’s fun to do things like this every so often.  I’m always motivated by how some students thrive on mini challenges or out-of-the-ordinary ideas or activities.  It’s one of those fun parts of teaching – when we can inspire kids…and all because I had a piece of cardboard!

~EMP

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Original Artwork by AJ LaGasse

A windy road,
A straight shot.
Hills and valleys,
Easy peasy…

Regardless of how we get there – it’s a process!

Have you ever been in a situation where you knew where you wanted to go, you just had to get there?  Maybe you needed to complete a task and there were a dozen things to do in order to complete it.   Or maybe you had a destination, but the road to get there was long and winding.

I was just talking with a colleague the other day who was trying to decide what school she was going to send her Kindergarten aged son next year: the school at which we work or their hometown school.  She knew where they would end up sending him, but she still needed to inquire about what my thoughts were (since I had just made that decision this past year with my son) as well as ask others’ opinions.   She still needed to hem and haw about it, think things through and even do a little research.  It’s a process she can’t avoid.

Then there are those times when you aren’t sure what you need yet, you’re discovering your path every step of the way.  Maybe you are trying out a new way to cook an old favorite.  Or you are creating something from scratch, learning as you go.  Maybe you’re bringing up a child.

This whole new world I have created for myself online has been and is a process.   From the first community focused site I built using SocialGo.com to my present-day WordPress blogging site to whatever may come in the future… through Twitter and Facebook, Grooveshark and feed burners… everything is new territory that I need to learn and use as I continue this journey.  It’s a learning process for sure.  With every new idea, I find myself searching for more information, picking up hints and tricks.  This is a process that may never end!

To every thing of value there is a process and we just can’t avoid it!

You just can’t skip the process!

So instead – embrace it, trust it, know that it’s what you need at this moment.  If you need to do research into the night, then do it.  If you need to snuggle with your child, then do it.  If you need to give your students silent reading time in order to meet one-on-one with a student, then do it.  Take a moment to talk it out, write about it, create something, go somewhere – it’s all part of the process you need to take in order to get to where you want to go.

Enjoy the journey and don’t rush your process.

~EMP

Photo info and credits: ‘THE JOURNEY’ – Original Abstract Painting by AJ LaGasse -

Words from the artist about his painting, The Journey:

The title of this abstract art is a gentle reminder to try to be in the moment, and enjoy it — all the while trying to stay positive for the future. Of course this sounds very challenging while juggling life’s responsibilities – but you can do it!

Some day we’ll think back and wonder how we did it, but one thing is for sure — being optimistic can only help; it surely can’t hurt your progress, right?

A P.S. from me: Isn’t it amazing how when you trust the process, things just fit into place?  When looking for an image, I came across this piece of artwork – an abstract depicting The Journey.  ( I LOVE abstract art!)  But even after I decided to use this painting to accompany my post, I was intrigued to read about the artwork some more and heard the message of my post echoed in the painter’s own words about his piece.

Related posts:

1. Learning through the Creative Process
2. The Creative Process and Revision
3. The Creative Process is a Learning Process

Every year at this time, our fourth grade team starts to prepare our students for their “Fourth Grade Celebration.”  It is not a graduation, but rather a time when the students and teachers create a performance that celebrates their time at the Cashman Elementary School as they prepare for middle school.

Our theme this year is to perform a tribute to all the people at the school who have helped and guided the students through their elementary careers including teachers, staff and their families.  We are singing all Beatles music to help punctuate the points such as needing Help! along the way and working a Hard Day’s Night.  Two songs in particular, not only are fun to sing, but we are also adding in some dancing.

For Twist and Shout, we are choreographing a flashmob style dance to perform on video and play while we sing it live.  (There won’t be enough room in the cafe to do it.)  All this week students have been trying out dance moves to use and yesterday we, after being inspired by the parade scene in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, we tried out some “authentic” moves from the movie to incorporate into the dance.  Needless to say, it was fun!

The ending song is In My Life.  This particular piece is one where all the lyrics make complete sense and fit our purpose seamlessly.  The kids love singing it and are understanding the significance of the lyrics and what they mean at this time in their lives.  Yesterday, I asked for dancing volunteers that would be interested in choreographing a dance piece to accompany the instrumental in the song.  I told them this dance, unlike our flashmob scene, would have to be serious and sweet.  A handful of girls and boys stayed with me and another fourth grade teacher during recess to work on this short segment.

I had no plan, and that was perfect.  When you mix brainstorming with the arts, creativity starts to flow.

We asked them to try out some moves and if they were the right “feel” we were going after…great!  And so they did.  The kids started twirling and leaping, stepping and posing.  Chris (the other teacher) and I sat in the sun praising their wonderful movements as the students naturally started to create their own dances.  It was beautiful.  There were no arguments, just kind collaboration.  Each of the ten committed students knew they were all there to create something meaningful for the ones they love.

As we sat there watching, Chris and I couldn’t help but comment on how wonderful it was to just watch them take ownership of this and relish in the freedom (within a structure) they they were given.  And as I continued to reflect on this later, it just further solidified my own thoughts on how important it is to provide students this type of time – time when they can be freely creative.  (Freedom in Structure!)

~EMP

Want to get creative too?  Join educators in the MA/NH/ME area for three days of a Teacher Art Retreat where you can get inspired so you can be inspiring to your students!  …and earn professional development too!  Click the link to get more information and to register for this great summer opportunity.

Related posts:

1. When You Can Make it Jazz – Creativity through Rigor
2. Balancing Testing with Creativity

Over the last two weeks or so, my students had been making paper cranes for Japan as part of a the Students Rebuild project.  Here is the article my students wrote about the project.

Have you heard about the disasters in Japan? Here in Amesbury, Massachusetts, the students at the Cashman Elementary School are working on making paper cranes to raise money to rebuild Japan in their time of need. For every crane, two dollars are being donated to Japan. We are sending our 159 cranes to the charity Students Rebuild in Washington State.  According to Japanese tradition, any person who makes 1000 paper cranes will be granted one wish.  Students were inspired by the book Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. The goal of Students Rebuild is to reach 100,000 cranes.  All the cranes that are sent in will also be put into a work of art to be displayed in a Museum.  A crane can make a difference and so can you!

By: Helena M, Paul J, Jeremy I and Jackson W

I was so proud that they were able to create so many cranes!  Cranes are not an easy task, but some students really caught on and a couple acted as traveling teachers to other classrooms.  It was an amazing experience!

~EMP

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We are here to TRIC kids.  At least I know I am.  I’m a teacher and I do it all the time.  Yes, I TRIC them and I’m proud of it!

A few years ago I was talking with one of the (many) administrators I have worked with in my 12 years and he was talking about standards.  His newest idea at the time was to have teachers write down what standards they would be teaching that particular day as well as the essential questions we would be addressing.  “After all,” he stated, “We’re not here to trick kids!”

Now I, at the time agreed, of course.  There’s nothing wrong with students having an idea about what they will be learning, in fact, it may help some.  But after he left, my colleague turned to me and rolled her eyes.  “Are you kidding?  What kind of statement was that?  Of course we are not here to TRICK kids.”  And with a huff, she turned and left.

As I drove home that day, the conversation stayed with me.  Trick kids, trick kids… of course not, duh!  But then, my brain took a detour and started to make words from the letters of the word that was stuck in my mind.

That also happened to be a time in my career when I was looking for a new teaching job, so writing and revising cover letters was a nightly ritual.  That particular night, I had come up with my favorite sentence.  One that was inspired by the conversation earlier in the day.  No, I did not come right out and say I like to tric kids, but it was between the lines, so to speak.

I teach with a balance of traditional rigor and inspired creativity.

Traditional Rigor and Inspired Creativity – That’s my TRIC!

My whole purpose in the classroom is to make sure students get the skills they need through Traditional Rigor but I balance that by providing my students with the essential opportunity to be Inspired by the world around them and exercise their Creativity.  (At least, I hope that is what I do! )

The other night, during the #artsed chat led by Joan Weber,  she tweeted:

“You have 5 words. Why is #artsed important for children to have in schools? Can you narrow to 5 words?”

A few people tweeted back what their 5 words would be. Mine was this:

Opening minds and strengthening skills.

And after I hit the Send Now button, I was struck by the similarity those five words had to my four-word TRIC.  The arts have the ability to do both things: provide rigor and creativity; hone skills and inspire.

As I discover and  learn more and more everyday about arts integration, I am amazed at the possibilities.  For me, the arts hold the key as I do my best to keep TRIC-ing kids!

Do YOU like to TRIC kids too?  Do tell!

~EMP

Related posts:

1. T.R.I.C.ing Kids

I had to “go”, so I put down my paintbrush, excused myself from the table and found the bathroom.   It was small, but cute, and of course it was all painted.  We were, after all on a Teacher Field Trip in a pottery shop, painting pottery to be fired and brought home.  The mural amused me for the time I was in the little room and as I washed and dried my hands I noticed a small hand-painted sign hanging and it said,

There are no mistakes in art, just surprise ideas.

Immediately the quote resonated with me.  Mistakes!  We teachers were claiming to make them while we painted our pottery.  Yet we kept going; we worked with them.   And, if I do say so myself, our pottery came out quite nicely!

How many times have we seen a student making a “mistake” and throwing what they’ve done away only to start over?   (How many times have we been guilty of that ourselves?)  It can be truly amazing, though to see what happens when you don’t give up on something because of a small mistake, but instead work with it.

This is a shade different from the lessons we learn from our mistakes.  Like when we take take a wrong turn, use the wrong ingredient or wait until the last minute.  Those are the types where you might say, “I’ll never do THAT again!”

Instead, this is the type of mistake where you can be more reflective and instead of getting frustrated wanting to give up, you persevere.  This is one of the lessons you can learn through the arts.

Last year, I had my fourth graders do an integrated art project during our first-ever Studio Day.  Students were to create a folder to house a poem they wrote for their mothers for Mothers’ Day.  They were to use paint, sponges and templates to create a Frieze Pattern on their folders as part of their decoration.   During that time, one of my boys started over three times.  He kept “making mistakes.”

When I figured out what was going on, I intervened and said, “What are you doing?”

“I keep messing up.  I keep making splotches on my paper and it looks ugly!”

“Listen,” I said pulling his papers out of the recycling, “You need to pick one of these and work with it.  You never know, this mistake might be just what your painting needed.”

Reluctantly, he took one back to his table and started working.  He did work with it and in fact, it came out quite nice.  I showed him ways to make splotches into something by adding something here and doing something there.  He ran with the idea and others in the class took notice.

By the time we were done, the boy was pretty proud of his accomplishments.  He had stuck with it, persevered and worked WITH his mistake instead of giving up.

That’s one of the great things about the arts.  When you give students opportunities to really work with things and make mistakes in a non-threatening atmosphere, they learn to adapt and see things differently.

Mistakes become possibilities and students grow as learners.  Sometimes mistakes really can prove to be surprise ideas!

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