Bellringer

I decided that this year I am going to have students tweet their brief responses to some bell ringers. I'll create a hash tag that they have to add with their response. After, I can storify them, or put them into a paper.li newspaper to publish to all the students across the different sections to have them reflect on what their peers also wrote.  Here is a link to some of the bell ringers I have so far. Please feel free to use them. The maps are from a great site, twistedsifter.com. The writing prompts are mainly from www.writingprompts.tumblr.com. Some are my own original ones as well.

What do I really want you to learn

Dear Students,
As the year is coming to a close I have been thinking a lot about what I hope you have learned this year. This year, more than any other year, I am thinking about what I want the lasting impact of this class to be. Since I will be leaving this school after 9 years and teaching in another country, I have been getting very nostalgic of my time here. There are so many wonderful students here that I will miss deeply. Having said that, there are a lot of things I hope I have taught you, whether I had you this year in class or in the past, coached you in a sport or after school, or just talked to you in the hall. Here are a list of things that may not be measured on standardized tests, but I hope that you have learned this year.

Compassion. I hope that I have taught you compassion. I hope that I have modeled compassion toward you and others. I hope that you have learned of others that exhibit compassion throughout history, in our world today and that compassion is something you will make part of your life. I hope that you will show compassion to all those you encounter. I hope you remember that everyone is dealing with something, some worse than you, some better, just depends on a given day. You will not have a perfect day, week, month, year, but you can have a perfect life. Compassion is key to that perfect life. How you treat others is a direct link to how you treat yourself, so you need to have compassion for yourself. Don't be too hard on yourself. Remember to always take a step back and breathe when things get tough.

Questioning. I hope that you have learned to ask questions. I hope you have learned to question what you know, what others know and what others tell you. You always have a right to know the truth, and you must always search for that truth. Don't just accept other opinions as facts, find out where they got their information. What is their source? Is it credible? Why are they saying what they are saying? What do they have to gain/lose? Question why you are learning what you are learning. Question why decisions are made for you, about your life, without your input. Question what the government is doing, keep them honest by voting. Ask questions when you don't understand, because chances are others are also lost/confused. Questioning makes you wise, not dumb. Intelligent people got that way because they asked questions. Also, when someone questions you, don't back down. Don't change your beliefs just because you are pressed with a challenge. If you believe in what you are saying, and you have questioned yourself, stay strong. When you question, you learn. Never stop learning. You'll never know everything. You can always learn more, and you can learn from unexpected sources. Don't be too big to accept knowledge from someone. As a teacher, I have learned so much from you, the students, and a lot of that comes from asking questions. Ask questions, some answers will amaze you, change your way of life, and shake your hold world up.

Do something you are scared of doing. I am moving to a country I have never been. That scares me. But that is ok. Life is an adventure. Do things that you haven't done before. Go places you haven't seen. Don't be complacent. Talk to those you haven't had a chance to. Play a sport you haven't tried, if you aren't good at it, who cares, the fun is in the trying. You only do this once, so you need to take risks. Calculated risks. Research things first, of course, but don't live your life scared to try. It isn't as fun in the stands as it is on the field, or court, or stage. 

Be better than you thought you could be. Never be satisfied with the status quo. Challenge yourself. Reward yourself when you are successful, but don't live for one accomplishment. You can have many accomplishments. Keep stretching. Keep pushing. Nothing great ever happens without people trying, without people getting uncomfortable.  You are truly amazing. All of you. You each are unique. You have special talents. Some of you know those talents, some of you are discovering those talents, some of you will discover them later in life, but trust me, you have them. Don't let the fact that others will try to hold you down stop you from be as great as you can possibly be. People will always tell you no, it is your job to tell them, yes. At the same time, don't be a dream killer to others. Help when you can, encourage always, smile often.

Finally, don't give up. As I said earlier, people will say no. People will say it can't be done. If it is something you truly believe in, it can be done. It may take more work, it may take more effort, it may take more time, but it will be done. Plus, an added bonus is that those things that take more work, are more rewarding when accomplished. There have been countless roadblocks for famous people in history, as well for us regular people, and it is possible to come out on top, with hard work, perseverance and patience. I know those three things are tough, but it is worth it. 

Again, it has been an honor and a privilege to be your teacher this year. I appreciate all you have taught me. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors, wherever they make take you. If you ever need a hand you know that you can count on me. 

Trade Simulation or War Games

For the last few years I wanted to do an end of the semester trade simulation and I haven't been able to find one that wasn't online (we aren't 1:1). I finally decided to take the time to create one.
I set it up so each team, I wanted 2 or 3 at most to a team, was a different nation. They received a sheet that had the specifics of their nation. For instance, birth rate, death rate, GDP, resources and type of government. It also listed allies and enemies. The first step was for them to read about their nation and the others, design a flag and pick a country name. Next, they had to answer some questions about their country and the philosophy. I had each group decide on a president and a press secretary. At the end of each days simulations they would have the president give a speech, and the press secretary answer questions from the group.
Next, was the fun part, letting the students loose to start wheeling and dealing with each other. It was amazing to see them in action. The higher order thinking skills were on display as they worried about their choices for their nation and the implications of each deal.  There were some pretty heated arguments and some lying and backstabbing, but hey this is the world of politics.
For the next few days I put a list of game changers on the board. The first day Game changerswere full of surprises. As they went around making deals, I followed playing devil's advocate.
The same thing happened on day 2, 3, 4 and 5.
Overall, this was really a great week. The students were very into making deals, and things got heated at many points. It was great to get to walk around and strategize with the students.
If you have any adjustments or suggestions let me know.

Why do we do what we do?

It's been a while since I wrote a blog post, and I have had many ideas go through my head for topics, but none seemed to inspire any real thoughts for now. Perhaps in the future they will, or perhaps they will go off to retire at the Shady Oaks of Random Thoughts retirement home.  Anyways, this past week has been our testing week at school. As always, this is a point of contention for teachers as we debate the merit of the tests, what is it proving, how responsible should teachers be, etc. But this is not a post about those tests. This is a post inspired by the testing days that led me to think of so many other things as well.
Why do we do what we do at schools? What are the motivating factors? Is it for the best interest of the students or is it the way we have always done things? Do we do it just to say we are doing it?
For me, I think it is the latter. We set up our testing days at our school with juniors through freshmen testing, seniors completing "community service" one day and college visits the other. On paper, this seems like a great plan, however the problem is in the execution. This is not well thought when put in action. We test the freshmen and sophomores just to say we tested them. They are told their scores, after their schedules for the next year are already determined. They do not analyze their scores or see what they need to improve on for their future. We do not discuss the tests in any form. So it begs the question, why are we testing them? If this was truly to help the students, we would analyze the results and compare the data and figure out how best to help these students. But, like so many things, we do it just to say we are doing it.
This is frustrating to me. It seems like a simple solution to help these students. We are spending thousands of dollars to have these tests scored by GAINS, and yet, we are not getting anything but test boredom out of the students.
Why is it that we can be doing things in a school that are good, yet they never reach the point of great? Why do we have meetings that are about changing schools, and yet no changes ever get made? Why don't we make the changes that we need? What are the roadblocks? In the world of education where decisions need to be made at the speed of light, can we afford to take light years to change?  How can we justify not doing anything when the livelihoods of our students are at stake?

Music brings emotion to your lessons

Today I started teaching about Vietnam. I always like to open this unit with music. There are so many great songs and poems written about this time period. I have a Livebinder that has links to the YouTube videos, with lyrics for most.

I like to start off reading Masters of War by Bob Dylan. It is a powerful piece that really gets there attention. We have a lot to discuss after about what does it say about the war, and the feeling of the author. It is a great point of view piece to discuss the difference between the politicians and the people. We also compare and contrast it to the wars today.

We follow up with Travelin Soldier. I play the Dixie Chicks version, because I find the violins and Natalie Maines voice are hypnotic.

Then there are other songs. But that isn't what I wanted to write about. Today, after going through this ritual I noticed a student in the back, with tears in her eyes. After class she came up to me for a hug, she has a brother serving in the army. She and her friends stayed and talked about it for a few minutes, and as she left she said "I love this class."

Wow. It was amazing. It was touching. Another student asked to keep her copy of Masters of War. She said it was the best thing she had ever written. Another asked to redo it for their own mix.

The music made students who never talk come alive. It made them identify to the time. They made connections to what is happening today. They felt it. They could transcend time and be in the heart of the protest movements.

What more can we ask for?

Getting students interested in voting or It's your Civil Duty!

As a high school history/economics teacher we discuss a lot about voting. We discuss the history of it, when people received the right and how suffrage does not equal suffering. We discuss the important issues, we take our political profile quizzes. We discuss current political leaders and the job they are doing. But I have realized that this does not mean people will grow up and vote.

In order to get people, whether students or adults, to want to vote, it is like anything else, they have to know how it affects them. They have to feel the impact. They have to understand the difference they can make, and most importantly that it isn't a waste of time. There is a reason so many more people vote for American Idol or the Voice, because it's quick, and the results come in quick. It didn't waste their time.

As a teacher, I need to do a better job, everyday, illustrating the importance and relevance of voting. But I also need the media to do the same. We have to stop making elections a reality show of dirty laundry, because no one wins. People are dissatisfied with the candidates. They are angry that they are all crooks. They do not trust them, therefore, they do not vote. But the alternative is worse. We have to step up.

Again, my students tell me they are scared to make the wrong choice, so we must help them to understand themselves, their choices, and their outcomes. Make them understand that they are the difference.

Injecting human feelings into teaching

I am starting to teach my unit on civil rights. This is the 9th time I have taught this, yet I still want more. I don't want this to be the same lesson they have always had. They know the big players. They know the outcomes. But what about what they don't know?
This is when I decided that I would again, make this about them as individual students. They need to be connected. They need to feel the impact. They need the empathy to combat their perceived apathy.
I don't think my students are apathetic for the record. I think they just don't know. One told me today she would want to vote but is scared to make the wrong choice.
I was convinced yet again we need to teach them how to find answers, not what the answers should be.
Back to the civil rights. We started off with a discussion. What does civil rights mean? We say it. They've heard it. But what does it entail? How do we define it? This was eye opening in itself. The silence that faced me from my always very outgoing class. It made me think what do we want them to learn compared to what are they actually learning?
We have to take time to really assess this. Not always with a formal evaluation but even with an easy conversation.
I brought in music today to tell about Emmett Till. This was our opening lesson. Tomorrow we discuss sit ins and freedom riders. I want to focus on the nameless who make an impact to help convince my students they can do the same.

QR codes

Today I used QR codes in the classroom and it went really well. For those of you that don't know what qr codes are they are this and they are used on many products and by all sorts of different businesses. They are a great way to share information without having to type the link into a computer, or in my case, instead of printing multiple copies of items for my class.

We are studying the Cold War, and I wanted my students to have color images, and we have no color printers/copiers in my building, so I decided I would use the technology in their pockets. I created a few quotes as well as some pictures and Youtube videos on the Cold War and different speeches. I also linked up primary sources to QR codes.

To create a QR code you can use Bitly. I pasted the link into Bitly, and then copied it. From there you can paste it into the toolbar and add .qr to the end of it. This creates your QR link. I then copied those onto a Google doc to not waste paper when printing!

Next, I wanted to make this into a fun scavenger hunt. I printed the QR codes and put them on construction paper. I then hung the construction paper all over the room. Let the games begin!

Are we afraid of the truth?

Today I. American History we had an amazing discussion from my bellringer. We are finishing up WWII and starting the Cold War. When the students came in the room I had on the board the saying
Are we afraid of the truth?
As always I let it sit with them while they yelled out their answers. Then came the discussing. This discussion became one of those great discussing days that last the whole hour and when the bell rings the students and I are shocked that the hour has passed.
It was amazing to have them asking questions of each other and of me. It was great to have the chance to challenge their thoughts and have them challenge each other.
The students brought up many examples from their personal lives where are you they wouldn't want to know the truth. We discussed these topics. Then we took it a step farther into history and government. We discussed how transparent the government should be. There were a variety of responses to this which was perfect.

Then I brought up the drones and patriot act. Since my students didn't really know about these they were shocked. It led to a great discussion about why they don't know and one of my bright students brought up that they all know what the Harlem Shake is, but they don't know about drone attacks. We talked about the google announcement that the Feds can get access to google search records, and I pulled up my google history. This led to a great discussion about digital citizenship.

Overall I was so proud of their discussion and it reaffirmed my belief that students can be mature enough for these types of discussions and they need chances to be challenged and to challenge others.

Fear of failing my students

I have been thinking about this blog post for some time. I didn't know how to start it, or how to say what I was thinking. I had written a few different openings, and then selected the whole thing to delete. I have decided it is most important to be honest.

I am scared of failing my students. I am scared that I am not preparing them for the future. I am scared that I don't have enough time with them to get them to be ready. The future is ever changing  so how can we as teachers ever be sure that we are preparing the students?

I am trying to remember what happened to me in high school to prepare me to be a successful adult, and I am drawing a blank (it has been almost 15 years since I graduated...yikes).

Now, I know that I am trying. I know that I am not alone. I know that I am making progress. But I also want to let teachers know that they are not alone. I know some people are scared to incorporate new technology or to try new things in the classroom, like flipping their class, or giving more student control, so I want them to know it is ok to try and fail. It is better to try and fail, because then we are making our best attempt to prepare our students.

If we don't try new things, and continue to live in the bubble of "its what I have always done" then we can be sure we are failing our students. If we don't push ourselves out of our comfort zones, how can we expect our students to do the same?

When I get scared, I think of the times my students have made progress, big or small. I go through my saved emails from the students. I remember the times they drew their own conclusions that I would have never thought of. I look at the projects on the wall, both physical in my classroom and virtual walls, and reflect on how far they have come through the years. I think of the projects they chose to do that I would have never come up with, like the stop animation, sock puppets, songs etc.

When I get scared I remember I am doing my best. I go on twitter and find new ideas and share my concerns with my #PLN. I look for their advice. I look for their guidance.

When I get scared I make sure I remember to reflect. I go back and write about what I have done that has worked or hasn't worked. I figure out why it didn't work and I make adjustments. I blog. I share my concerns with my husband who is also and educator.  I try to remember that their are skills that remain constant, and those are thinking and questioning skills that they can use forever. I also know that it is about the respect, trust and relationships the students build in the classroom, with fellow students and with me. Those relationship skills are important for their future, and can not be taught by a text book, but only with modeling.

When I get scared, I back up. I take a few moments, minutes, hours, days, to myself. I know that I can't be any service to my students if I burn out.

When I get scared, I don't give up. I don't say it is easier to hand out worksheets and book work and accept the status quo. I don't do this because then I will know that I have failed. When I stop growing I fail.

Personal Finance Lessons

As I posted earlier, in Economics we have started our extremely important unit on personal finance. I wanted to share with you the youtube video that hits home the best with my students about paying off credit cards. This video is quick, but so effective. After watching my students were in shock, which ultimately was my goal.

My personal finance prezi has a link to this and many other great video clips. I usually take over a week to go through the whole prezi. It contains information on saving, budgeting, credit cards, credit score, identity theft, investments and retirement.

I also am having the students create their own video song parody's again for this unit. I did this last semester and it was a huge success. We published those videos to youtube. Here are some examples, like Give Me The Credit Boy,  and Someday-Retirement Plans.

I also have found some great infographics that I am having the students analyze to learn more about the habits of Americans.  I have posted these below.

This is one about the personal finance lessons that the Simpsons teach. 

Infographic on the state of Health Care in America. 

New graduates guide to personal finance.

A look at what healthcare procedures actually cost. 

Infographic on Student Loan Information 

Infographic on American Spending Habits. 

Infographic on parents talking personal finance with their kids. 

Infographic on saving money.

Create your own "textbook"

For World War II I gave my students some essential questions and big ideas. I decided this year that instead of doing the traditional go through the battes we would be doing different activities. One of them will be for the students to create their own digital textbook. This can take on issues from the war that the students deem important as well as those from the essential questions. We are also doing a little competition where the best group will get a badge on Edmodo, for a little extra fun. 

To start, we went through the EQ/BI and discussed the points. Then, we brainstormed what was wrong with textbooks today, for example point of view. Then in groups, the students brainstormed what they would want from a textbook.

Next up will be the research. The students are going to find primary sources, rewrite accounts, and find pictures and videos to include in their digital text. We are going to upload the PDF into Flipsnack for the finished product and share.

For the contest, we are going to tweet out the links and see who gets the most positive feedback on their product, from our class and others.

Listening to the groups today, I am very excited to see the finished product. The students were coming up with great ideas about different POV and different groups of people to get perspectives from, some that are never addressed in textbooks.

Teaching the Holocaust/Meaningful Experiences

This year I wanted to try something different when teaching the obviously important lessons of the Holocaust. I have been feeling that students are not getting the full feeling of it, since they have been taught it for so long. I had been thinking that they are desensitized to it, because of all the violence they see on a regular basis. Most of all, I think they are detached from it, since it is history.

So, I decided to contact the Illinois Holocaust Muesum to find out about getting a speaker. Now, at my school, we are not allowed to have field trips-importance of state testing all of that-so I couldn't bring them to the museum. We also are "too close" to the museum for them to send a speaker out. Enter technology.

Today we Skyped with Max Epstein, a survivor. I cannot even begin to describe the impact of his talk to us. This man took two hours of his day to discuss with my two different classes his time in WWII. He discussed being at the camps, he was at 7 different ones, and his time in the ghettos. But what was most influential, was his discussion on the lessons he learned. He spoke to my students about a SS guard who was nice to him, and helped him, and from this he learned never to judge people by their affiliations. This was such a powerful message for my high school students. They live in a world that is all about judgement. They are living in a world where bullying is running rampant. To hear this man say those words truly impacted my life, and the student's lives.

It was an incredible day. After the class, one of my students stuck around. She wanted to thank me for bringing such a moving experience to the class. She said she was so excited that she would be able to tell her children in the future that she was able to speak to a Holocaust survivor. She wanted to tell me how important his words were to him. I almost cried.

The world can be brought into the classroom. There are no limitations that can't be overcome. We, as teachers, have the power to bring in meaningful experiences. The kind that make your former students say "why didn't we do that when I was in your class" because each year you get better as a teacher. Mostly because each year they deserve more. The students deserve our best.

Using Infographics for Personal Finance Lessons

I have a confession, I am an infographic junkie. I can't get enough. I love the visual represenations they provide. I love statistics. Combining catchy pictures and statistics, well that is just a dream come true.
This week in my Economics classes we are starting, in my opinion, the most important topic I teach, Personal Finance. We are beginning to talk about the labor market, and I have found some great infographics on the topic.
Here are a few of my favorite.

Stressful Jobs
Men and Women in labor Market
Educating the workforce
Jobs of the future
Jobs of the future
Those are just a few. I will keep adding to them this week. I love using them and having the students come up with inferences and essential questions based on the information. It is amazing to see how much they understand by using these sources.

Women's History Month

It is almost Women's history month, or as we know it around here, March. Last night it was #sschat and #engchat monthly meet up for #engsschat, and it was centered around Women in History. It was one of the most riveting chats I have  participated in. I was so enthralled in many conversations I didn't realize the hour was over. It flew by, as per usual for #sschat nights. But this one was a little different. I started off the chat thinking it would be another great night of crowdsourcing lesson plans, which it was, but it also had another element.

The discussion turned to women in the media, politics, stardom etc. After the chat was over I kept thinking about it. @EDSITEment brought up Seth MacFarlane's Oscar hosting, and all of its offensiveness. I woke up this morning still thinking about this, and was even more bothered that more people are not commenting on it. Why are we not in an uproar? Have we become desensitized to this behavior? Are we saying this is ok? Are we expecting this treatment now?
Why is it that we don't mention singers like Adele, without discussing her body? Why don't we comment on the pant suit that Lindsey Graham is wearing like we do Hillary Clinton? Why is it that women are striving to "have it all" with a career and oh my, a family to boot, when we never hear about men striving for this feat of "having it all."

I think one of the main things that has been bothering me is I am struggling to see how we make this change. I am also struggling with the fact that women are not helping the case out. When we look at women's magazines, ads, tv shows, etc, it keeps painting the same picture of what we "should" want.  I know it has been 50 years since Betty Friedan's Feminine Mystique, but at times it doesn't seem that long ago.

I see this in my own life. My husband and I are not having children, shock, gasp, what. Any time someone hears this, because they have continuously asked me when the kids are coming, they resort to "you might change your mind." And yet, my husband does not get asked when the kids are coming.

I know having this month dedicated to Women's history is a great start. But we need to focus on the equality issue all the time. When there are only 4% of CEOs that are women, and women only make .77/1.00 of men, (and that number is even worse for women of color) we have an issue. When there are only 97 women in Congress, or 18.1% and yet women are over 50% of the population, we have an issue. When Congress won't vote for the Equal Rights Amendment, or the Violence Against Women Act, or the politicians (male) keep speaking about a women's right to choose, we have an issue.

How do we stop having a need for a Women's History Month and just have women taught throughout the year? How do we get the media to get on board with this idea? How can we convince our young girls that they need to be strong and have celebrated women heroes? I would love some feedback on this topic. Am I going overboard?

Big ideas and essential questions

Throughout my teaching I have been striving to make sure my students are engaged and that the learning is meaningful to them. As is true for any teacher I want to avoid the dreaded:"why do I have to learn this" question. I have been focusing on essential questions and sweeping big broad ideas that can be connected to their immediate lives.
For example, instead of teaching WWII by focusing in battles I found these big ideas and Essential Questions that can lead to more student led discussion. (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YB79j7UBaeq0_3ZzaReLe5_QAR5rpV1WMc_GrI5thaw/edit?usp=sharing)
By doing this I can focus on the broad picture and make sure students have authentic reasons to learn the material. Then I can focus my lessons on keeping students involved and not just passive learners soaking in a lecture. We were able to have some great discussions based on these ideas and the students are able to draw there own conclusions and more questions from these sentences and questions.

Defeatist Attitude: I don't think so.

It happens in education. People get defeated. This can be teachers, students, parents whomever. It happens. We feel we have lost. We give up. We don't feel like trying anymore. We run out of time, energy, patience whatever.

But here is the thing.  We can't. We can't give up. If it isn't working, we must fix it. If we run into a wall, we need to go over it, around it or if nothing else through it. We can't stop working to be better. This means as teachers, students or parents, we must always be reaching for more. We can't stop because it gets hard, or we're tired of hearing the excuses. Those are just excuses in themselves. We must push through.

Teachers, we must not get caught up in the bureaucracy of our career field. We must not take no for an answer when it means the engagement, education and betterment of our students. We have to be always advocating for our students.

I know it is frustrating trying to change something and not getting a response, but really every time we push forward we get a little farther. Change will not happen overnight. You have to work for it. And believe me, the accomplishment will be worth working for.

Students, don't give up. You will get it. You will feel accomplished when you do. That feeling of accomplishment will stay with you and will push you through your next big challenge. Persevere.  Nothing worth getting isn't worth fighting for.

So don't give up. We can't. We won't. We must go.

Students can adapt

This past weekend I went skiing for the first time, yep you read that right, a 31 year old out on the slopes for the first time. My knees are intact, my pride-not so much. I did realize a few things though, as the young children were flying by me. Children have less fear. They haven't been corrupted by all the thoughts of what could go wrong, torn ACL, brain injury and what have you. They just think of the fun. I saw 5 year olds learning to ski for the first time that morning, and then later that day, they were like pros, as I, and some of my friends were pizza wedging the whole way down the green hill.

I realized, kids will adapt, because they are not guided by fear so much as the shiny newness of something. When I try a new lesson in class, I may be hesitant, but the students will dive in. They want to be the first to understand something. When I give them a new website to try, it doesn't take long to they become pros at it, and learning more about it then I ever dreamed of knowing.

My students have been working on a few new projects, some that I have never done before in class. I have been throwing new things at them all year, and they pick them up and run with them. In years past, I was afraid to try new things. What if it failed? What if they didn't get it? What would other teacher's think?  Now, I have started the lesson planning process with less fear, and more results in mind. I have taken on some of my student's fearlessness-some, I repeat, some.

I have been in meetings with other teachers who are hesitant to try new things, especially technology in the classroom. They come up with all the excuses I did. I want them to know that it is ok to be fearless. If you have the intentions of what is best for the students, and want to create engaging lessons that reach them, it is ok to fail sometimes.

The students may surprise you though. They are truly fearless. Let's keep inspiring them to be this way, pushing them, challenging them to work hard and work outside their comfort zone. Don't stop with a small resistence, believe in your cause, your lesson, and make it work.

State of the Union

Tonight my classes are going to be having our first live tweeting session while watching the State of the Union. We are going to be doing this while working with our new friends at McKeel Academy in Lakeland, Florida. I am so excited to have this opportunity to inspire the students to branch out, and to also be able to comment on something so important.

I am excited to see what they will think about the President's address tonight. It is so important for them to start paying attention to the world around them, and by adding this fun element, I hope that it is the push they need. Plus, it'll be great to hear (read) different regional views on this topic in real time.

This is just one more instance of how much I have gained from being a teacher on twitter. I am so grateful that I took the very small leap to branch out and collaborate with such wonderful educators around the globe.

Getting excited

We are moving forward with our class collaboration with McKeel Academy in Lakeland, Florida. My students are so excited about the new relationships they are forming nits amazing how small this world can be. More importantly they are excited about learning which is so contagious. When they are excited other students are excited. And then I get excited. What could be better than that's

Great day!

Today my students were able to Skype with Dennis Dill's (@dennisdill) classes in Lakeland Florida. It was so amazing. The Students were so excited and a little nervous to "meet" these students. I loved hearing the questions that both sides had for each other. The excitement from the room is still resonating. This was the first time all year none of my students were absent. They were so excited to be doing something new and exclusive to their class that they had to be there. It was incredible. It just goes to show you that we need to come up with interesting interactive lessons like this across the board to keep students engaged.

I am excited to start the next step of the process. We are going to team up our students to complete a pbl on the Harlem renaissance. The possibilities are endless with what we can do. The students could participate in a twitter chat with each other. They are going to be sharing documents via schoology (@schoology) and perhaps google drive. The lessons they can learn are countless. I love knowing that this use of technology can open them up to parts of the world they never have been before.

Skype: Mystery or not

As a high school teacher just outside Chicago, I often lose track of how much my students have not been exposed to. After participating in many twitter chats, I have heard a lot of teachers talking about using Skype in the classroom. Most of the teachers I have heard (read-feels like I am really talking to people on twitter, not just typing at them!), are elementary teachers. I would love to be able to do this in my history or economics classes.

So I need some help. Are there any high school teachers out there that are located around the world, even in other parts of the United States that would be interested in Skyping during the school day? I was thinking of some ideas that could be discussed, but I would be open to almost anything.

I would love to get opinions on the 2nd amendment/gun control. I wonder how students in rural areas see this as compared to inner city.
I would love to talk about legalization of marijuana, would be interesting to talk with students in areas it is now legal, or border towns.
I would love to discuss immigration policies. We are almost 40% Hispanic, so I think this could be useful.
It would be great to talk to international students about any of the topics in history, and how they learn about them. For instance, I would love to skype with students in Germany or Japan about WWII.
I would love to talk to other Economics classes about the current state of the economy and how the recession has effected them.

These are just a few ideas. If you are a teacher, or know a teacher that would be interested, please let me know. I also would be interested in talking to other adults in the different regions of the world about these issues, and experiences.
Lets collaborate and open the world up for our students!
I'm on Twitter @NaughtonBecky.

How far we have to go

Today in economics we were earning about the black market. To get us started, I posed questions about the black market for body parts. I posed a series of ethical questions and we had some great discussions. Then I asked the question about having a global market for trading body parts. In all 3 of my classes I received the same responses. They were all against it, but to for ethical or human rights reasons, but because they didn't think we'd have compatible organs because they may eat differently. They all said we looked different so the organs would be different.
It really made me realize how little Americans know about other cultures and how I have to do abetted job of openings their eyes.

One of those days

Today in Chicago the temp reached 65 degrees which is clearly warm for January in Chicago. Of course that means unseasonable temps in the classroom. My room was a balmy 89 degrees when I came in. It made it a little more difficult to teach but overall we adapted because that's what we do.
Teachers adapt. Technology fails-lessons must go own. Students don't do reading homework or watch the flip class lesson-we roll with it. Not enough supplies for the brilliant project you came up with-switch it up.

I find the world is made up of two groups adapters and complainers. (Side note I tried to think of a word that was similar to adapt in a negative way but couldn't. Heat is turning my brain to mush)

Some teachers can role with these changes others must complain about them to anyone who will listen. I find that the longer I am in the building the more complaints I hear. My first year I was oblivious.
I guess this is why, once agin I am plugging twitter as professional development. There you can surround yourself with positive people trying to make a real difference. How refreshing, and on a spring day like today-oh wait it's winter- I need that.

What an opportunity

I'm writing this in the el home from school after another great week with my amazing students. Today, while I was subbing for our sociology teacher during my off period I had a chance for some reflection. The students were doing this great project where they look back at old yearbooks and look at culture changes. I grabbed the yearbook from my first year. I started looking at those students from 9 years ago wondering where they were now and what they have done. I started thinking of all the students that I have had an opportunity to help learn something, about school, themselves, their future or anything. I was overcome with the number. I don't claim to have touched all their lives, but it did make me want to try harder to do so now.

So when I was ready to leave today at 3:15 and three students asked me to stay and work out I couldn't help but say yes.

And then I realized, as 6 or 7 more came in to work out, how much these students have helped me learn and grow.

The power of twitter!

Today I tried three different ideas in my class that I had learned from my #pln on twitter. By participating in some chats regularly over the last school year my repertoire of lessons has grown more than in my previous 8 years of teaching. If you aren't on twitter and haven't been convinced by your colleagues let me add my plea to theirs join. Don't be overwhelmed. Start slow or fast. Pick your pace. Don't be scared.

Today on American history I did my first edcafe thanks to Michael and Katrina (@42ThinkDeep and @katrinakennett). It went good. I would almost give it a great but there were a few groups that may have needed more prep time. It's ok, I'll remember it for next time. I had them at the end record what they learned and what the still had questions about on a post it note that they stuck to the door on the way out.

In my economics class we are just barely into our supply and demand unit. I had them create memes thanks to an idea from Heather (@irishteach) who said she was doing this for WWI propaganda posters. I had them create those on the non price determinants of demand. They loved it. They turned out really well too.
Once again I'm so excited that I have had opportunities to get such great ideas from such a wonderful source and group of educators who are so willing to share their great ideas.

Teaching is so much more than in the classroom

Today was one of those days. It started out with a student coming in before school upset over a fight with their girlfriend. Then, a student upset over a family problem. Next came the ever classic trouble with people "saying stuff" that isn't true. Followed up by two scenarios I've never encountered, tutoring a student in absolute values and biology (I teach history) followed up with some conversations on how to be healthy.

Teaching is so much more than what happens in your classroom. It is not just planning engaging lessons about our subject area and then going home proud of ourselves for teaching the all important causes of WWI. It is being so much more to these students.

Don't get me wrong, I have no delusions of every teacher taking on these extra roles. But the good teachers, no the great teachers, who have the lasting, life changing effects on students do take on these additional parts of the job. In fact, they do because the students know they can come to them for this help so they are called on for this more. They know you respect them so you will respect their problems. They know you care about them so they trust you and ask for your help.

It always amazes me the things my students go through. I don't remember having it this hard. They are forced to grow up so much faster than I did. I don't know what is different but I know it is something.

I know there will be teachers who disagree with this idea that we need to be more for our students. However, I know that my job is important, my subject matter is important, but most importantly my students are important. I will be here for them to gently guide them, sometimes more pointedly guiding them, and to help them with whatever they need. If I can't personally help them, I will do my best to find them someone who can help.

I know there are so many other great teachers out there who take on these extra parts of the job, and I have "spoken" to many of you on twitter so I know you are out there, so I wanted to say I appreciate you. I appreciate the extra miles(s) you go. Even if we are bashed in the media, by our friends and maybe even our families, I appreciate you and more importantly your students appreciate you.

Students will surprise you

It was just another day at school. I taught supply and demand as well as WWI. As the last bell rang I was sitting at my desk reflecting on the day and my door flew open. In walked two junior boys from the basketball team.

"Are you going to the game tonight?"
Me: "yes, I was planning on it"
Them: "good. We are playing tonight"

Now it must be said these are great kids, but they don't often get time to play. The excitement in their faces was contagious. They were so proud of themselves and how hard they have worked and how the work paid off. They couldn't wait to share that accomplishment and they stopped by my room, and I am sure others, to share their joy. These two gentlemen and I have had many conversations about playing time, practicing hard and not giving up over the course of the last few years.

That's the thing with students. They want to be successful. They want to work hard. They want to accomplish their goals. We have to give them some tools to build their dreams. They will put in the effort when they can see the plan and take part in its construction.

The effort they put in to working toward their goals is refreshing. They need guidance and support from us. It may get tiring but we can't give up. There may be bureaucratic red tape and gossip among teachers. There may be staff that aren't there for the right reasons or they have forgotten the real reasons they got into it. But all that needs to be forgotten as we push and pull and prod and cheer our students on to their goals.

Open letter to our government and media

As I sit here watching the inauguration coverage this morning, on our day off for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's birthday, I can't help but have a mix of emotions. As a teacher of social science I often have discussions in class about politics and the future with our future voters. Over the past ten years of my career I have noticed a huge change in how cynical and disheartened these young voters are becoming. They don't believe that they can help make a change by voting. They don't believe in the government setting out to help their lives get better. They believe that the politicians are all corrupt and selfish. So here is where my plea to you comes in: help change their minds.

I am asking to tone down the rhetoric that has been ratcheted up to sell ad space and copies. Politics should not be a reality show. Just because that is what gets the ratings for entertainment shows does not mean that we should turn our government into the same. Government is not to entertain us but to keep us safe and our country moving in the right direction. The media's job should be to inform without bias, not stir up a fight. We should call out the lies not perpetrate them further. The journalists are our eyes and ears to what is happening in government. We depend on them for the truth, not emotionally charged tirades. With all the access to "news" both real and made up, we need a string media to discern what is real and provide the people with strong sources of truth, not truth as you want to see it.

Throughout history people have fought for the right to vote. We have a democracy set up that allows power to be transferred peacefully, which is a feat so great that many countries never achieve it. As a teacher I try to impress this on my young students, the great futureof our country, and yet I'm me with opposition at every turn. It is getting harder for me to stand up for the government when every time I read the papers or watch the news it is a nonstop blame game. How will we continue to strive for excellence when we vow to go against anything the other party says? How is it that on this Inauguration Day we are already starting to speculate about the election of 2016? Why do we need election cycles to be so dramatic? Why can't it be honest debates for about 6 weeks prior to the election where we can get a clear view of the candidates positions, beliefs and solutions?

I'm asking for your help media officials, news team members and of course the government. Please don't create drama when civil discourse is better for he country. I'm not watching a sitcom I'm watching our great nation. Please help restore the faith in the government by working together on solutions. We expect this of our students in elementary school, sure.y we can count on you to do the same. Government should not be like the Super Bowl, World Series or any other sporting event with a win at all costs mentality. There are dire consequences for this behavior that include people getting discouraged and not voting. That letter after your name (R) or (D) should not mean more than the ones before (Sen. or Rep.).

We need these young citizens to see all the good the government has one, is doing and can do more of in the future. There are some truly amazing historical decisions made that have made our lives better. There are so many more decisions to be made. I am not saying healthy debate is bad, but it has to lead to decisions and compromise not name calling and ultimatums.

In order to keep this country great we depend on our future generations to continue our great traditions of government. We cannot afford to lose them while they are young and so hungry to learn. We must restore their faith.

Beginning of a new semester

I think it's so important in the beginning of the semester to create activities for your class to do to work as not only a way to teach your subject but to also get to know the students. The faster you get to know them the less behavioral problems you will have in class. This shows the students you respect them as individuals and respect them. It's also fascinating to see how different each student is from one another. This is also a good chance to share with them a little about yourself.

Brain Exercise

Every now and then to introduce a section/chapter in a survey way I try to come up with a game to play. I "stole" this from a teacher in my building.

First, the students get into groups. Then, I hand out some questions about the chapter, this time I did WWI. The students answer a question, then comes the fun. I give each group a Reebus puzzle they have to solve. They have to solve the puzzle before moving on. After they solve it, they get a point. The team with the most points gets a badge on Edmodo.

I have done this a few times, and it is always exciting. I will admit it is exhausting running around the room handing out puzzles, but it is so great to see their brains working in a different way. They work together to solve the puzzles. They also get so excited when they get it right. This gives students who don't get a lot of "wins" in the classroom, a chance to do something else to succeed. Overall, students end up leaving with some historical knowledge, brain teasers, and most importantly they work on self esteem and collaboration.

What more could we want?

World War I

Today I started introducing my students to World War I. We talked about the "Great War" first by going through this prezi, that shows all things that are "Great". We had an amazing discussion about the use of this word, and how easily we throw it out there. There truly is nothing better than have an intelligent discussion with my students. I am so impressed with how far they have come since the beginning of the year, and I love seeing the wheels turning in their minds.
After, we discussed the MAIN causes of the war, (you know, Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, and Nationalism). Then the real fun began. I had them create nursery rhymes about these causes. They wrote them in pairs, the created big posters to put up around the room with their rhymes, and presented them to the class.
We wrapped it up with a picture of trench foot  and a picture of the men in trenches and had them write creative stories, which I am trying to do more of in class.

Such a successful day. Now, back to work on my creative writing prompts, I love the excitement of a new idea and how time can fly by when you are immersed in something, and how the ideas can keep flowing.

Great teaching

I read an article today about 9 characteristics of a great teacher. This got me thinking about my own journey to be a great teacher for my students.
I was actually thinking about this today while I was standing in the hall between periods. I found myself thinking about how much more comfortable I am with myself now 9 years in compared to my first year. This ability to know who I am and what I want from myself helps me to do the same for my students.
This has not been an overnight change, nor has it always been easy. I now know more about where are you to get help when I need it, twitter pln I'm talking to you, and I know that it is ok to ask for help. Those first few years I was young and scared that if I had to ask for help I would be seen as weak. I now know how silly that is. A great teacher knows when to seek advice and knows who to go for it. If you don't your students are the ones who are losing out.
Also, through these nine years I've learned what my classroom personality is. This helps me with classroom management, problems are almost nonexistent. I've realized students, other teachers are going to have different opinions than myself, and that is great.

Keep pushing yourself to be a great teacher. I know I am.

Writing prompts and inspiration

I tweeted this week at how amazed I was by @lukeneff writing prompt page. I was so in see I became inspired to create some of my own. I worked on them for a while yesterday and came up with some I like. I'm going to keep working lady and then I will post a link to them.
But it really got me thinking how inspiration can strike anywhere. Seeing another teacher's great work made me want to do better.

This what twitter does for me too. I am having conversations daily with teachers all over he world. I am able to share my ideas, and get new ideas to try. I am having discussions about pedagogy, sharing news articles, giving and getting advice.  Every day of the week there seems to be a great chat to  get  involved in. After an inspiring #sschat or #21stedchat I am excited to try out new ideas. I can't help but feel like my teaching has improved on a daily basis because of  sharing ideas.  I know it may seem overwhelming at first when you start tweeting, but that is the beauty of twitter. It is a buffet of knowledge. You can take what you like, and create your own meals to share. Jump in! don't be scared. The same can be said for our students too. They need to collaborate and see what their classmates are doing to be able to push themselves to be better; to self motivate.

And after all, isn't that what we want our students to learn?

Writing

I am still trying to figure out how to incorporate more creative writing in my history classes. I think I have been trying to force it so today I decided to let it flow more naturally. I want to give them the options to do on their own. I want them to blog and find it enjoying like I have. I hope that by starting them off it'll be something they can use in their lives forever.

History mad libs

Today I tried something new, love these days. As a way to start diving into imperialism I took a primary source and removed all the names, countries, and dates. I then had the students in partners work to try to figure out what the reading was about and to try to fill in the blanks. It went well. There were a few who didn't want to guess and be wrong and needed some encouragement to try, but overall they were really interested and engaged. I was impressed to hear the thinking as they worked through the reading together. They were asking questions of each other trying to put some historical context on the reading.
If you're interested in the actual assignment let me know.

Imperialism lesson

Today we started imperialism in American history. I did some new ideas with some old ones as well and it really worked out. I introduced it by doing a picture opener. I cropped a picture of the USS Maine explosion a few different ways, showed bits of it to the class a little at a time then they guessed. I had some great guesses. I then wrote imperialism on the board and had the, guess the meaning a by showing them a wordle. After I had them write phrases using just the letters in imperialism describing what it meant. Overall, they were very into the lesson and brought up many ties to today (talking about you Guantanamo Bay).

Edmodo

Today we are finally back with students! I am so energized by their enthusiasm to be back, and I really want to capitalize on it. We are starting our adventure with using Edmodo, instead of our school website we used first semester. Already, the students are loving it. They love the simplicity of it, and how many functions it has to offer. I was really impressed with how easy it was for students to sign up, having never used it before in a class. I also like how easy it is to create badges, assignments polls and more. I really like all the choices that it gives the students to communicate with their classmates and me. It is exciting to see the possibilities that this great site has to offer.

First day jitters

We had our institute today which was very productive. And now it is time to think about the new semester starting tomorrow. I have been teaching 9 years and the night before the new classes start I am always filled with that nervous energy. It is like Christmas morning for me every year. What will the new classes bring? Will they respond to the course changes? Will I be able to challenge them enough? Will they enjoy my amazingly hilarious jokes? (Do I have amazingly hilarious jokes ready?)

No matter how much we prepare and question and reflect we will always run into something unexpected. In my opinion, that's what makes this job great.

Anticipation:worth the wait

After a brief discussion this morning on twitter with @ShawnMcCusker, I realized what I wanted to blog about today. The power of anticipation. He had tweeted a blog post of mine about an assignment I use in Economics, with fake money. We were tweeting about how one of the best parts of the assignment is that students know about it before they are in my class and look forward to it. The power of anticipation.
As I was thinking of this topic, while preparing some meals for this week, I began thinking how anticipation is in all parts of our lives, both positively and negatively. I am anticipating a busy first week back, so I am preparing some lasagna, and other meals that can be cooked quickly after my husband's basketball practice and games. I know that if I don't I will be anxious and even a little stressed. So I thought about that in regards to students. If they are not prepared and are anticipating this, it can make them anxious about coming to the class. If they anticipate being bored in a class, they may skip it to fill their time with something more interesting. I want to make sure my classes are filled with the positive form of anticipation, where the students are exited to come to class. The kind of anticipation that makes them want to explore the material more and share their findings.
This reminds me of what I read in Teach like a Pirate by Dave Burgess (@burgessdave). He writes of starting off the year with anticipation. He wants the students to be anticipating what's to come all year, so he ends lessons with teasers for the next class. The build up can hook the students so they are excited for more.
This is the same idea that tv shows use. At the end of the show they tease us with next week's show, because waiting 7 days without knowing what is coming is not good marketing. If I anticipate what the show is going to be about, I'll make sure to tune in next time. And isn't that what we want from our students, to be excited to tune in next class? So I will make sure to tease the next lesson. I can give them the juicy gossip of history in a small dose, so they want to come back for the full story the next class.

Alumni joy

Today we had our alumni game for the boys and girls volleyball teams I coach. I had about 30 former players there and it was great catching up with them. It's crazy how you spend so much time with these students and then they leave and you don't hear from them as much. It was great to hear all the wonderful things they have accomplished and to go back in time remembering the seasons past. They do start running together after 9 years! Reminded me once again why I live what I do.

So e of the group at the end.

One size does not fit all

I had the chance to have lunch today with a friend and her two teenage daughters. These two amazing sisters couldn't be more different. The younger one outgoing the older more reserved. They each have different interests in sports and music both however deserve to have the very best education and more importantly a teacher that understands one size lessons do not fit all. We have to,as teachers, do our best to reach the students, all students, in any way we can. Yes we have to deal with the standardized tests that politicians have put out. But we have to remember we aren't teaching for the politicians, we are teaching for the future of politics, and any other field for that matter. Our everyday interactions with students must be worthwhile for them and that means we have to reach them where it matters most to them.

Airports and education

I was going through security at the Melbourne airport in Florida, leaving the beautiful weather to head back to frosty Chicago, when I couldn't help thinking of the similarities in air travel and teaching. There are things we have to do that don't make sense anymore, turn off phones on take off, take off shoes through lines, just like in education. We do things for a false sense of security. Or because it would take some, gasp, work to change. (Standardized testing I'm talking about you!)

Find your inspiration

Today I was inspired. Not that is anything new or even blog worthy, but it was the way I was inspired and the de thoughts that came after that was so meaningful. It was a reflective type of inspiration that was so great I couldn't wait to write this blog.

Every year at this time my husband and I leave the cold, gray, windy Chicago to visit my dad I the beautiful, warm Vero Beach, FL on the Atlantic. As we were out running today in the beach the inspiration struck me. Running for me has always been inspiring. It is the way my head gets cleared and how in tune to my body that I get that opens my mind for inspiration. Today was a little different as it wasn't just a new lesson idea that hit me but a series of ideas that made it so I almost sat right down on the beach and wrote is blog on the beach in the middle of my run. That is inspiration.

I was so struck by the sand and the ocean and the symbolism of it all. How every time the waves came in it left a clean slate. How that could be the start of each new class that I teach. That there is always a chance to improve. I continued my thought train to think about the unknown treasures that lie in the ocean and on the beach. I saw a few people scouring the sand to unearth these treasures. I thought of my students and how we as teachers are like these beach combers. We are looking to unearth treasures of knowledge with our students. I also got to thinking about theses treasures wondering where they have been and where they will end up. Again, I couldn't help but draw the parallel to our students and how I could keep this in mind when creating lessons.

I then came upon some footprints. There were two sets, a child and adult. I began thinking about who they were and what they were thinking as they were on the same path as I was. I began thinking about how different we are as children as compared to ourselves as adults. The child's mind is so open for learning, discovering and creating and somehow we lose that as an adult. I want to keep this in mind as I teach. I want to remember these footsteps.

But perhaps the most inspiring to me was my husband, iRyan. As we were running together, as we always do, I couldn't help but be inspired. In college Ryan had a new kind of surgery on his hip called a free fibular graft, which replaced his dying hip bone with his own fibula. And yet, he has run two marathons and runs miles every day. I know that he has pain every so often from this, but he doesn't let it stop him. It's hard for me to understand this pain as I have only rolled an ankle, but I am inspired. He reminds me that even if it gets hard, or painful, we can carry on.

What's your inspiration? How do you keep it close?

Why I'm not setting a resolution

I don't believe that setting a resolution on the first is the best way to go for me. Don't get me wrong, i gave done it. And like 92% of America, or whatever the latest numbers are, I too, have failed at it. It is easy to get discouraged when you set something up to fail. The pressure of the "one chance to succeed" is too much.

Here's the big secret: You can change your behavior at any point in time. It doesn't have to be the first of the calendar year to get better. You can decide to be better and then achieve it. By waiting till the first of January you have said to yourself you need a gimmick to achieve something. To me, as a teacher that seems to go against what we are telling our students on a daily basis. We expect them to get better every day, to try something new and challenge themselves frequently. As a teacher it is my job and duty to continue to model that for my students by my own behavior. You don't have to keep failing because it isn't the "right" time to change but you do have to keep trying so you can change.
Since I have had a week off of school I have been reflecting about the past semester and what my goals are for the next semester. I will revisit these goals frequently throughout the year. They will be amended and evaluated to make sure they are serving their intended purpose. They are there to help not to set me up for defeat. That is the difference between goals and resolutions. Goals are positive by nature and help you be the best you when they are set up right. When evaluated and reflected on, when set personally and deliberately goals are what can help you be better. Isn't that all we can ask, to be the best version of yourself?