SCHOOL'S OUT! ARE YOU?

The 2014 -2015 school year has ended! This year was filled with a lot of challenges and changes. I was exposed to a number of new learning experiences which I must admit will impact my pedagogy in the future. As we met for the last time as a faculty I had to restrain myself.

It was kind of strange because a part of you just wanted to run, skip, and shout for joy......and that's exactly what I did at the end of the meeting!

I worked hard and now I am prepared to play hard after getting some much needed sleep. 




Though I would like to entertain the idea of "spending the whole summer in bed" like Chip there are things we have to do as teachers to prepare ourselves for the upcoming school year including professional development. 

Until then, I will be languishing on the beach soaking up some sun while enjoying music and food. 

How about you? School's out! Are you?

Petreno

WHY BOTHER?

As the school year comes to a close, final exams are being administered. Students are also preparing for state exams at the high school level and the jitters about passing or failing becomes a reality. How do we help those who have not been doing as well as they should have during the year to pass? Conversely, how can we help those who have been trying their best to do the right thing but end up failing anyway? Why bother?

This is a question that comes to mind at the end of a marking period, semester, and the school year. Why bother? For some teachers, this would not be an issue if students were paying attention, completing homework, taking advantage of all available services outside of the classroom such as tutoring and prep classes. Whereas students feel overwhelmed with all the expectations both in and out of school that they feel that giving up is their best option. How do we change this paradigm? Is there something that we all can do to create a win win situation? Can we set each other up for success?

It's the end of the year so why bother? 

Taking the time to reflect on this question can give us insights into both teacher and student practices that can be used to inform instruction in the future. Did we differentiate enough, offered multiple entry points in our lessons, provided scaffolds? Were assignments challenging, timely, and fair? How did the school support the teaching/learning process? What can be done differently? Why did students not take advantage of the opportunities presented to them? Carefully examining the answers to these questions is critical.

Consequently, this end of year reflection will result in a plan of action that not only inspires and motivates but will empower you to become better at your art. Additionally, "thinking outside of the box" will provide a more enhanced instructional environment. 

Petreno

So......how did you do this year?

The 2014 -2015 school year is almost over. How did you do? What were your greatest challenge? How did you celebrate your successes? Did you achieve all your goals? Finally, were you able to adjust to changes without losing your "cool" and professionalism?

This year was challenging for me. There were a lot of changes! I had to adjust to trying new things, finding solutions to problems that worked only for a short while, and coping with the loss of a student and colleague. I was pushed to the limit and I must admit that throughout it all I learned some valuable lessons. Lessons about trust, believing in oneself, learning from failure, and to expect the unexpected!

In trying to survive the "daily grind" we may often forget the small things in life. Sometimes we fail to see the good in others but quickly see their shortcomings. Every day is a blessing and LIFE IS A GIFT TO BE SHARED. As teachers we are given opportunities to share our lives.      

Reflecting on this past year, let us be kind to ourselves. We impacted lives!

So.....how did you do this year?

Have a Great Week!

Petreno

THE SUMMER CHALLENGE..........Engaging students as the summer approaches

Summer is fast approaching! Teaching at this time can be extremely challenging. The days are getting warmer and longer. Students are more interested in planning their summer escapades rather than being engaged in the classroom. While this is not true for all, there is a notable decline in students' motivation. This is even more evident at the high school level. 

Is it possible to increase students' motivation at this time of the year?

According to Allen Mendler, in engaging students we must examine our relationships with students, articulate the relevance of what is being taught, provide opportunities for students to demonstrate responsibility, plan for challenging activities that will allow students to experience success in a safe and fun atmosphere. The benefits of using these as guiding principles when you are planning for the next few weeks will yield positive results. You will be amazed at the level of your students' engagement and how much you have enjoyed the remainder of the year as well!

Engaging students  as the summer approaches can be a challenge but utilizing a few approaches such as Project Based Learning and Meaningful Engaged Learning may be a good start. 

How do you cope at this time of the year?

Have a Great Week!

Petreno 

Educating Students Who Live in Poverty

Last night I was privileged to be included among a group of educators recognized for the work that we have been doing with our diverse student population. Like all honorees, I was surprised and humbled as we sat and listened to how our work have impacted the community.

The event was organized by the District's Title 1 Executive Board Officers and General Parent Leaders' Council.Title 1 refers to the federal funding of schools in low income neighborhoods. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the purpose of Title 1 funding, “is to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high quality education and reach, at minimum, proficiency on challenging state academic achievement standards and state academic assessments.”

As I spoke to the other teachers present, I immediately recognized the passion we all shared for learning and seeing our students succeed. Though our profession requires dedication and a lot of hard work, we can all agree that we will continue to do what's best for our students. 

I would like to thank and encourage all teachers to continue to challenge, nurture, and prepare our children for the future. Educating students who live in poverty should be everyone's top priority. Let us continue to do what we can today for tomorrow. 

                                              

Happy Teacher's Appreciation Week!

Petreno

How Can We Create Safe Havens for Our Children?

A few days ago I witnessed a brawl among several students. I was impressed with the manner in which it was addressed by other peers who got involved in separating the parties. This was true citizenship! How can we create safe havens for our children?

One would have thought that schools would be immune from violence. However, this is not the case! Over the years we have heard of school shootings, mass massacre, and kidnappings. Why is the school no longer safe? How does this impact teaching and learning? Can learning take place in environments that are unsafe?

According to Maslow, the need for safety is imperative before self actualization can be achieved. This then require schools to pay close attention in creating an environment that is conducive to learning. The school has become a microcosm of society. As a result the schools will have to come up with novel ways to ensure that students feel safe. In some schools this is elusive. Is it then dependent on the adults in the schools to ensure that a safe haven is created?

The task becomes even more overwhelming in our inner city schools. Some schools have shown that the establishment of strong relationships with the community, parents, and students will impact safety. While in others safety is an issue and can be strongly correlated to the climate and adults' expectations of students in the building. Can this be the answer? If expectations are changed......can a safe haven be created?

What are your thoughts?

Petreno

Learners for Life

A few weeks ago I was privy to a conversation among a group of students discussing the value of their current educational experience. The essence of their discussion was that they are essentially doing whatever it takes to pass their classes so that they can graduate. I could not help but to think that these students were in "survival mode". They further admitted that they do not remember what they have done in most classes.

Though I can identify with these students I can vividly remember some of the fun times I had in some of my classes and the indelible learning experiences that I shared with my peers. Looking back, I now realize that these lessons were ones in which I could relate to my everyday reality involving various "hands-on" as well as "minds-on" activities. These lessons were taught with a passion by creative teachers who never failed to piqued your imagination or stretched you to your mental limits. They were always "setting us up for success". As a result there was a thirst for more knowledge. On the other hand, there were those classes that you dreaded and time just seemed to drag. These were of course the least intellectually stimulating!

I know it is a struggle in today's classroom to accommodate all the given dictates that at times squeezes the joy out of learning but how can we bring the "wow" factor back.... not only for the students but ourselves? What can we do to show students that learning is fun? Most importantly, will we be able to develop and sustain independent, critical thinking lifelong learners? 

Or will we be constantly plagued with questions similar to this parent as a result of student apathy?

The task is not an easy one but I believe one in which we can begin to change one student at a time by getting to know them individually, not superficially through data but in simple ingenuous ways similar to #IWishMyTeacherKnew. The challenge will ultimately be in addressing students' needs.

As you prepare for the coming week let's think about how we can truly nurture learners for life.