#Whatsup Wildcats - Classroom Edition

Watching students learn is fascinating. While I am a teacher and feel like I constantly facilitate and monitor learning, I didn't truly see and appreciate the process as much as I have this semester as I have focused on student learning during my classroom observations. While the month of February is always a difficult time to stay motivated, various classroom situations energized me this week and provided a much-needed reminder of the importance of the work we do. Here's the breakdown... I found joy and energy in watching students find happiness when they figured things out in class.  In every class I visited this week, students were critically thinking and creating. Every class. And I would also argue that a majority of students were fully engaged in their work. As I watched them work either individually, collaboratively, or with their teachers, it was really awesome to see how they worked through various activities and how they asked questions, persevered through challe...

As teachers, our 45 minute class periods fly by as we attempt to get through all of the learning targets and activities planned for the day. Our students, on the other hand, using a different tune when it comes to the passage of time throughout the day. While their day is very busy, they constantly complain that it "feels like the school day is never going to end" and that the "class periods are dragging." I always consider it an #EDUwin when one of my students tells me our class period flew by. That means they were engaged in the content and not thinking about when they get to leave. #whatsup This week, my classroom observations all shared similarities that created an engaging learning environment for the students. I would argue that every teacher had an #EDUwin during his or her class period as students were on task, invested, and motivated to complete various tasks. The class periods flew by, and students walked out the door with energy and new insights. Why, y...

With the addition of the Chromebook, one would think that students waste less time on the organization and management of paperwork. During my classroom observations this week, I noticed more than ever how much "stuff" students have with them on a daily basis - on their desks, in their backpacks, folded in books, in their notebooks, in purses, in pockets, folded in their Chromebooks, and so on. Their stuff  is everywhere. There is no one at fault for this, as the students travel to 6 different classes throughout the day and in most cases, are involved in an activity or sport after school that provides even more stuff  for them to keep and organize. As I discussed in my post last week, our students' typical day is action packed and full of content, assignments, and activities. If you really sit back and watch the students manage the stuff  that they bring with them from place to place throughout this typical day, it is amazing to see how students differ when it comes t...

Wow. Seeing my students in different learning environments this week has opened my eyes to a sophomore student's typical day at our high school. I must say, I am blown away by their daily schedules and the amount of content they learn each day. While I know they take 6 other classes throughout the day besides my English class, until you actually sit in some of these classes, it is hard to imagine what they are actually doing on a daily basis. This week, I had the opportunity to visit the following classes: AP Human, Chemistry, Health, and Creative Writing II. While the plan was to observe just one student, I was excited to see that each class I visited included more than one of my students. With this, I was able to touch base with multiple students later in the day about what they were learning in their classes. This opened up the chance for me to connect with more of my students and truly invest in their learning - not just in my class - and to learn more about them. As I sat ...

Have you ever wanted to do something awesome? Something that is fun, exciting, and provides an opportunity to grow? Every school year, I try to figure out something awesome that I can do to not only help our staff and students but also help me become a better teacher, coach, and leader at our school. Last year, as you all know, my "something awesome" was starting this blog and visiting classrooms around the building. It kept me motivated, excited, and present all year. The best part...I learned so much about teaching, learning, staff, students, and our wonderful school. This year, I have continued observing and writing, but it hasn't been as organized as it was last year with my weekly department highlights. While I have shared some awesome things happening at our school, I have still been brainstorming my "something awesome" for this school year.  As I reflected on first semester and the projects that I was passionate about, the Collaborative Learning Te...

"True beauty is born through our actions and aspirations and in the kindness we offer to others." ~Alek Wek With the chaos of finals, the end of the semester, and the added holiday stress, I am always thankful for some fun classroom events that boost positive energy and remind us that our students are pretty awesome. Over the past two years, I've been invited to visit the Peer Partners Adapted PE classes during finals week to judge their holiday dance competitions. Let me tell you...if you are in need of some excitement and entertainment during this stressful time, this is the place to be. I walked out of every period smiling ear to ear after witnessing the true excitement some of our students have for school and the passion other students have for helping and supporting their peers. Every year, the students in Mr. James Kennedy's Peer Partners class work to choreograph, practice, and perfect a holiday dance to perform for their class, peers, teachers, and teach...

The end of first semester is quickly approaching, and the students are in survival mode. Yes, my friends, final exams are upon us, and students are anxiously trying to finish up semester items and prepare for the various assessments awaiting them next week. As a school, we are constantly thinking about ways to alleviate students stress during this time of year. It is a daunting task; however, we fight the good fight and continue to provide time, strategies, and graphic organizers to help students properly and sufficiently prepare...without losing their minds. This year, I've been thinking a lot about how we can help prepare our students for performance-based assessments. For various classes, students are assessed on skills that cannot be measured on a scantron: Writing, speaking, collaboration, creativity, and so forth. While we can provide note-taking and graphic organizer-style resources to help our students prepare for these assessments, I observed English teacher, Mrs. Ally...