A Study in Contrasts

Last month I spent two days at a neighboring elementary school to meet a requirement of my internship. The first day I shadowed the principal. I arrived just in time for lunch duty. I donned my apron, washed my hands and took my place in the cafeteria. In short order I fell in love with several darling second graders. Their energy was frenetic and contagious. They needed help opening tough lids, asked to go get catsup or a napkin, and even wanted to touch my shiny blue shoes. Later that afternoon I wrote a letter to parents notifying them in writing of their kid’s suspension. Who knew elementary kids got suspended?

The following week I was principal-for-the-day at the same school while their principal was at a conference. That day at the elementary school contrasted sharply with my usual gig at the high school where my morning had started with kids, drugs and suspensions. At the elementary school I had a couple of fires to put out, drama to confront and one 3-part mystery to solve. I took a complaint from one girl who was being teased in PE class. She had a special arrangement with the teacher to run less than the other kids due to health reasons. The boy called her a “cheater” because she finished the run first. Mind you, there was no prize or trophy for coming in first. But, given our competitive nature, he felt wronged and she had her feelings hurt.

The mystery surrounded $20, a phantom hand-held device and a waterproof flashlight. I interviewed the three kids in question and straightened out the confusion. I taught one kid that he needed to see the goods before forking over his cash. Life lessons 101.

I love high schoolers and their host of problems and drama. I love to watch them grow from insecure 14-year-old kids to sure 18-year-old young adults. While I had a blast at the elementary school, I’m not sure I’m willing to trade the big kids for the younger ones…yet.

“Empacó sus ganas de quedarse…”

For my Spanish 3 IB class I have created a theme around social issues, including immigration. In Spanish 2, students watch the film La misma luna and and answer questions related to it. The movie is also a good starting point for a discussion surrounding immigration and the issues that face people who leave their homeland. I think that the IB class is a good place to further explore the human side of this topic. They’re mature enough and open to discussing controversial this more than my other classes may be.

I introduce the topic with the short film Schwarzfahrer (literally “Black Rider” but also the term for someone riding without a ticket). Even though it is in German, it is a great vehicle for discussion. Students discuss (in Spanish) the use of black and white film, the year the film was made and its relevance today, who the Schwarzfahrer is, the various people and their reactions (or lack thereof) on the bus. I love hearing the students analyze the film. They notice things that I don’t and ask great questions.

After discussing the film, we listen to the song “Mojado” by Ricardo Arjona. (I usually have to fight tears in the opening verse because the lyrics and music are so heartbreaking.) Again, I have a series of questions designed to promote conversation–what do certain phrases imply, why does he refer to “Neptuno,” etc. We also work on new vocabulary that I take from the song.

The last piece that I bring in is the chapter from Sandra Cisneros’ The House on Mango Street called “Geraldo No Last Name” or “Geraldo sin apellido” in Spanish version. To introduce the literature, I show a photo from 9/11 of victims’ shoes lined up along the street to discuss the uncounted victims of that day. Students may not realize that many people who were killed in the attacks were undocumented workers and therefore uncounted in the death totals. I tie this in with the chapter about Geraldo, who has no papers and dies in an accident. I use a good-old KWL sheet to generate questions surrounding Geraldo’s life and have several of my own questions.

To wrap up the unit, students are going to design a project related to a social issue. In the past I asked them to find a  song that spoke to them related to an issue. I want them to be more creative this year and produce something of their own.

Projects, proyectos, projets…

Over the past few years I have implemented project-based assessments in every level of Spanish that I teach. I think that I have come up with some great ideas, but after reading Apple’s Challenge Based Learning white paper and working through three days of IB MYP training I need to work on being more systematic in presenting the project. To use a colleague’s words, I need to unpack the assignment before I hand it to my students. When I have laid out the steps for my students, they have been more confident in their approach and successful in producing their final product.

Over the past week I have been revising old project-based assessments that my colleagues and I will assign this year. I prefer these types assessments to traditional exams for a number of reasons. One, they are authentic by design. Students may one day have a job where they have to create a multi-media presentation on a given topic. One project that I have planned for September involves students creating a presentation about a Spanish-speaking country. Their presentation can take any form that the students see fit. Their audience is potential study abroad candidates. Students will brainstorm, collaborate, create and share their ideas and projects.

Another benefit of project-based assessments is that students have the unique opportunity to take what they know and love, whether it’s music, technology, or art, meld it with what they are acquiring in Spanish class and then produce an authentic product. I love to see kids shine and project-based assessments afford them this chance.

Click to read my Don Quixote assignment and hear an amazing project from one of my students from last spring.

Shared Histories

I just completed the first 6 credits of my principal licensure program. The first course was on school culture and climate. We discussed our schools’ cultures and how to establish or improve them. The topic of shared histories came up frequently and made me think of my own friendships and histories that I share with others.

I try to spend every 4th of July in Vail with my best friend of almost 20 years and her twin boys. We met at CSU, where my current classes are, in a Latin American literature survey class. The beauty of a long-standing friendship is that we have a rich history together that strengthens our bond. This past weekend she reminded me of a trip that she and my son took in 1998. I went to Cornell for a week on a grant project with SDSU and she drove my son to my parents’ house in Colorado. Her trip was traumatic because 1) she had my son in her care and 2) the weather was horrendous. I-90 had closed due to snow and ice so they had to spend the night at a hotel. They made it safely the next day, with my then 4-year-old son exclaiming, “Kristin! You did it!” when he saw his grandparents’ town on the horizon. What struck me the most was that she and my son share a history irrespective of me! It seems so obvious, but didn’t ever cross my mind until now.

One of the hardest parts of starting any new job, whether in a school or not, is taking in the history. Before this class I didn’t really think about my school’s history.  I love new things and change so much that I often forget to honor the past. I recognize now that it’s important to honor long-timers while welcoming newcomers by providing a venue for storytelling and sharing. I find that I learn the most about school and colleagues at our retirement parties at the end of the year.

The post in which I procrastinate

I have 20 more writing proficiencies to grade, yet I cannot disconnect from the interwebs. I keep finding new tools to play with. So far today:

• I made this for the Juanes song we’re working with in Spanish II, thanks to Sherry Amorocho
• I created the QR code for this blog (no reason to do so, really):
  
• Discovered Wiffiti, thanks to Sherry Amorocho

Back to the grading and laundry now.

The post in which I praise Twitter

I first heard about Twitter when the news broke about James Buck using the micro-blog to announce his arrest in Egypt last year.  Sure, it piqued my interest, but I thought blogging was gratifying enough that I didn’t sign up at the time. I had no idea what I had been missing. I resisted for a few more months then jumped in with both feet during the vice presidential debates at the end of September. I had a blast writing about the Palinisms and Joe le Plombier, amusing myself greatly.  As I’ve amassed a solid number of followers and engaged with several of these folks online and face-to-face, I thank Twitter for helping me love my job again.

Granted, I’ve always enjoyed teaching, but until recently it had been missing that certain je ne sais quoi. I don’t always get the mental stimulation and challenge in the classroom that I need to thrive. Like my students, if I’m not engaged, I grow bored. Thanks to Twitter, though, I am re-invigorated. I learn something new every single day, “meet” people from around the globe and am challenged in different ways. I follow smart, forward-thinking, innovative people who enjoy sharing and building their own knowledge.

A short list of what I’ve gained in the past few months:

1. Colorado Learning 2.0, a great un-conference of like-minded people from all over the country, not just Colorado. I am co-chairing the committee for next year. Join us on 02.20.2010 at Loveland High School!
2. VoiceThread
3. Lesson plan ideas
4. Assessment tools
5. Countless iPhone Apps
6. Netroots Nation
7. FTW
8. #Hashtags
9. Recipe for fresh collard greens
10. Money and bread-baking tips

The post in which I introduce myself

I’m making the transition to a profession blog. One where I write about my experiences, good, bad or ugly, in the teaching field. My other blog, the personal one, tells tales of dating, knitting and mothering.

I came by teaching naturally.  My grandmother was a junior high English teacher (bless her!) and always said that teachers are born not made.  I was definitely born to be a teacher.  I find myself teaching everywhere I go.  I think I have an invisible stamp on my forehead that screams “ASK ME!”  Out of all the people in my aisle at the grocery, I’m the one they ask to find bread flour or jello.  Then they ask me why bread flour is different and I tell them.  During a job interview once I taught the president of the community college how to use his email.  (That’s a story of what not to say at a job interview.) I have no qualms about admitting that I’m bossy.  I am: I’m a first-born and a Capricorn, after all.

I love to learn. I started teaching myself Spanish when I was in second grade. My parents were both taking Spanish courses at Fort Lewis and would tell secrets (or so we thought) at the dinner table. I informed my younger brother that I would learn Spanish to put a stop to the secret-telling.  I did. I used my mom’s college text and memorized dialogues and vocabulary lists.  I finally took Spanish formally in seventh grade and didn’t stop until I had a Master’s in language and literature.  My Master’s paper is titled A Sociolinguistic Interpretation of So Far From God (a novel by Ana Castillo).  I had a blast writing it and should have tried to publish it.

Now I get to combine all of my passions. I teach Spanish to a great bunch of kids; I present to colleagues; I get new ideas from my online network that keep me fresh and on my toes. I love my job!