Back to School - Be Courageous

Be Courageous

This year I decided to set my classroom rule up based on one idea. Be courageous.

After discussing this with my classes , I shared a video about Zach Lederer. I have found that sports offer so many lessons about life, and had recalled seeing this video, Zaching: A Display Of Strength And Courage

 on ESPN. The symbol Zach uses in the video inspired me to share it with my class and encourage them to use it as a symbol of our team.

My Student’s Courageous Moment:

Tessa’s (name has been changed) class was the first one I shared it with. At the time, I wasn't even thinking about the background of the students in my class. I was thinking about what my transition would be to the class, questions I may have to answer, and just being a teacher at that moment.

After the video, I asked for some thoughts from the class and Tessa was the first to share – she said, “That happened to my brother.” Tessa’s brother had undergone brain surgery to remove a tumor when he was a student in my class a few years ago. My heart sank and I struggled to come up with the right words.

Fighting back tears, I replied “I know. He’s pretty courageous isn’t he?” She smiled, nodded her head and softly said, “Yeah, he’s very courageous”. This may have been one of the most touching/powerful moments I have ever had as a teacher and again it reminded me of what teaching is all about.

We never know the impact we will make on our students. We need to be courageous in the face of all these changes and tough times in education and do what is right, and often not easy for us to do.  Choose to be courageous today.

What Will Your Verse Be?

What Will Your Verse Be?

10,175 minutes

“Food for worms boys…we are all food for worms.” Not a rather jovial thought, but as Robin Williams so eloquently stated in one of my favorite educational movies, Dead Poets Society, the thought hits home. We only have so many days on this planet – what are we going to do with them? We only have so many days with our students, what are we going to do with them? As a sixth grade teacher I will meet with my students 55 minutes a day for 185 days. Will I make each day memorable for every one of the students who will be learning in my class this year? I get to do sixth grade again; they don’t.

  

YOLO in Latin

Carpe Diem. Seize the day. My plan this year is to truly focus on what my students are learning and allow for them to take advantage of as many opportunities for learning as they can. I created a livebinder for my students and parents to provide them with the resources  I will be sharing this year. 

One of the key aspects of my teaching this year will be what I call “The Learning Code”. Check it out here

The Learning Code

That Summer Wind

Like painted kites, those days and nights went flyin’ by- a great verse from Frank Sinatra. It’s exciting to think that in a few short days, I’ll be standing in front of one hundred plus students – eager to start their middle school career and "write" their verses.  As I look out at their faces, I will see eyes filled with hope, anxiety, fear, and expectations. I will smile and think to myself, “Let's make some moments."

As I think back on the last fifteen years in education, it’s those moments that I recall – the laughter, the tears, and the relationships that were built, both with my colleagues and most importantly with my students. As I tell the new teachers, and some of the rather seasoned ones,  remember these moments – our students will not always remember what you taught them, but they will always remember how you made them feel, and most importantly, they will not forget the moments you create for them. 

How will you make moments this year? What will your verse be?

So Many Colors In The Rainbow

Join the Parade

“Your son marches to the beat of a different drummer, but don’t worry, we’ll have him joining the parade by the end of the term.” These are the opening sentiments to Harry Chapin’s 1978 folk song Flowers Are Red.

Here’s the video of him performing in 1981. I like this version because he offers the background to why he wrote the song. (The actual song begins at 1:51)

Here is a link to the lyrics as well.

What Does Our Palette Look Like?

Teaching is an art (and yes, a science). In the world of high-stakes testing, does it make sense to continue to tell experienced teachers how to teach? There are schools where teachers are told "these are the most effective strategies you must use with kids", "these are the programs that you must do with your students", without ever seeing them in action, or seeing them in action only through compliance, rather than real engagement. Does a one size fit all program work? What is the cost of this to our kids? Do we do this to our students? Do principals do this to teachers?

 A Blank Canvas

As each new school year starts, I tell my students this is a new year – the past doesn't matter. You start today to make this year a memorable one, to create moments that you will never forget. I get to do sixth grade again next year, you don’t. This is the time you can start to paint the portrait of an amazing sixth grade year. As an educator, what do we want our students’ portraits to look like?

Painting is fun – shouldn’t teaching be fun? Learning be fun? There must still be a way for us to see:

There are so many colors in the rainbow

So many colors in the morning sun

So many colors in the flower and I see every one

The Hardest Days

It happened

It was our last “real” class of the year and one of my students approached me with tears in her eyes – “Mr. Storm, I’m really going to miss you- tomorrow is going to stink.”

That evening I went home and drew one of her favorite cartoon characters and added a quote to it:

The next morning I handed my student this picture and could tell it was what she needed to get through the day. There were a lot of tears, but mixed with those tears were big smiles.

It’s moments like this that make me realize why I teach.

Finding Your Purpose and Meaning

When I was hired for my first teaching job I picked up a book that would forever change my outlook on teaching and on life; Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom. It's  helped me get through those last days - both professionally, and personally.  If you haven’t read it, you should.

One of my favorite quotes from that story is this:

"So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning." (p.43)

15 Goodbyes

Over the past fifteen years of teaching, I have had fifteen “last days of school”. Fifteen goodbyes, fifteen have a good summers, fifteen see you next years, fifteen of the hardest days of the school year.

Teaching is about developing relationships. I am lucky to have found the purpose and meaning in my  life, and it’s called being a teacher.