Greg Mortenson’s Talk - November 11, 2010
I couldn’t agree more with Greg Mortenson’s discussion of the “power of the pen”, a concept that all educators are familiar with, put simply and to quote the old School House Rock mantra, “knowledge is power”. What comes to mind when most think of power is physical strength, natural power such as electricity or gas fuel, or even political or social power? In the loosest terms, the latter is what I believe what Mr. Mortenson was discussing, a kind of social power that gets people acting and talking and making a difference, but it goes much further and deeper than just that. My understanding of this “power” is the power of influence, and how in the right hands and with just the right usage and implementation of words, people with this power can quell wars, save lives, and bring down empires. Knowledge of the world and its workings can grant an individual an immeasurable power.
Ancient civilizations that had gained knowledge by studying the land and the world around them, gained the power to growing crops and domesticate animals, which allowed these civilizations to support more members, grow in size and influence spreading their knowledge and culture to the surrounding lands and peoples. These ancient civilizations with the power of knowledge also had the power of influence on others. Knowledge can be used by an entire society to gain influence. Not only to satisfy their own needs but to spread their knowledge and influence onto others as well as to use others, to gain their others and apply it as their own, to construct a growing network of sharing and gaining knowledge from those around them.
This knowledge, influence, and power can be passed down generation-to-generation, much like that of an heirloom or the passing of power as leader of an empire. As long as the knowledge is kept in practice is power will continue on through the ages to be shared, cultivated, and even expanded upon if used appropriately. If the knowledge is not perused or regularly used in practice the knowledge can be lost, as well as its power.
Mortenson discussed how people with this power were reluctant to share it with others, that if they were to share their knowledge, their power, others would try to take that power away from them, but as I had mentioned before, I believe that sharing knowledge and power can only aid society as a whole, but compassion is needed as well. A desire to share knowledge and power, not to force it or manipulate, but rather influence and aid. Manipulation of others is an act that does not promote knowledge, does not share or aid.
This whole blog update is beginning to run away from me, as I stand here preaching from my soapbox. Simply put to wrap things up, I believe that proper and true knowledge aids and benefits all peoples, it lifts and progresses all people as a whole. There are no haves and have-nots, this knowledge and power is something everyone can share and gain from.
The Resident Artist – November 5, 2010
Our school holds a “Book of the Month” program on the first Friday of every month. The principal will read a book, either over the school’s media network, broadcast in to each classroom or in the auditorium in front of the entire school. If the students have read three books for the past month, they receive a brand new book and a pencil, as well as a handshake from the principal. In the past month, a book I illustrated has been published (“Our World”, http://tiny.cc/3ukls). When I received my copy of the book I showed it around to the other first grade teachers and they suggested that I show the book to the principal. I was skeptical at first that the principal would find any interest in my book, but I knocked on her office door and introduced my book to her and she was very excited and supportive. She asked if I wouldn’t mind sharing the book during the upcoming book of the month program, as well as sharing how I became a book illustrator. I was so… speechless for one, as well as quite honored! I prepared my portfolio of images, and on Friday, the entire school met in the auditorium for “Book of the Month” and I showed my book as well as gave a brief talk on how I became an illustrator. Then the principal read the book to the school, and when it was time to give out the books and pencils, the principal called me back on stage to help her, I was the “guest of honor”!
After that week, every student I would pass in the hall would greet me. I was somewhat of a celebrity. Previously I was known for using my artistic talents for dressing up classroom doors and bulletin boards, but now students can put a name to the face of the man who every so often is cutting out new shapes for the 1st grade hallway bulletin board or taping a new holiday design to a classroom door. Of course I wave and greet the students back but I have never had this kind of attention before. It’s really a unique and special feeling having peopled you don’t know greet you or remark, “He’s an artist!” Yes, I have greeted students I had never been previously introduced to beforehand while working at the school (mostly siblings of the students in the classroom I was assisting in) and it really does take you off guard. No other job I have wormed at really gave me such a unique sense of community and togetherness as working at an elementary school.
Tootsie Roll Jars - November 22, 2010
We have a behavior management method using Tootsie Roll Jars. Each jar is roughly the size of a 12oz can of soft drink and the lid has a slot for money to be deposited into, like a bank. We award the students plastic play money for displaying positive behavior. A penny for following the rules without having to be told on any occasion. A nickel for receiving a compliment from another member of the faculty or staff outside the classroom for displaying exceptional behavior.
A dime for completing a book report on your own (every morning we read a book to the students and during the day during their free time they have the option of writing a book report based on the book that was read, or even a book that they have read on their own. A book report consists of the book title, author, illustrator and two sentences describing what the book was about and their favorite part). And a quarter if the student has gone the entire day without receiving any checks at all. When the student has saved $1.00 worth of coins they are allowed to “buy” an item from the classroom prize box.
I must say I a quite impressed with this behavior management system. Not only is it based on rewarding positive behavior, but it also teaches students counting/money value as well as the economics of weighing behavior versus consequences and rewards. The students are allowed to count their money at their desks during their free time and can figure out on their own how much more they need before they reach $1.00. Usually, by the end of the week, most students have earned enough to get at least 1 prize from the box (while a few of our exceptional students have enough for 2 or 3 prizes). All of their leftover change is carried over to the next week and they can begin saving up for the next prize box offering. Both my mentoring teacher and me will always have a pocketful of plastic change to award the students for good behavior. I know that this does clash with the school’s “Blue Eagle” reward system (students receive a Blue Eagle when caught being good, they may put their name on their Blue Eagle and place it in a box in the cafeteria for a prize drawing every Friday) but in most cases when we present a student with the Blue Eagle, they request a coin instead (a nickel in most cases), which we allow. While Blue Eagles are drawn and are random (granted the more times you are caught exhibiting good behavior you will have more chances to win the drawing) rewarding coins the students can manage their rewards on their own terms and has a more immediate and direct correlation between good behavior and rewards.
Mr. Sanders in Charge – December 1, 2010
In just a few weeks, I will be in charge of the classroom I have been placed in. The students have already established a “hierarchy” of power in their own mindsets, that the mentoring teacher is “above” me, so the students do not have to show me as much respect. This of course this simply will not do.
Any intern will tell you that as soon as their mentoring teacher leaves the room with just them in charge, an immediate shift in student behavior occurs. When faced with these types of… well, outburst is too harsh a word, but rather, behavioral slips, it is best to nip these problems in the bud. My cooperating teacher had a parent meeting with the principal and I would be in charge of the room between 10:00 to 11:00. At 10:35 the student line up for lunch so at 10:00 I began to line them up to use the bathroom before lunch. I was not pleased with how the students loudly rushed into line, and were constantly conversing with one another, loudly I might add. This was not the kind of line that I would be taking into the hallway. I had every student return to their seats and informed them that we would not be using the bathrooms until the ENTIRE class lined up quietly and calmly.
We practiced lining up again, row by row. The first row walked calmly into line, the second row walked calmly into line, but by this point the first row began to talk in the line as well as the third and fourth row still in their seats. I dismissed the entire line back to their seats. I informed the class that we work as a single team, and that everyone needs to work together to help follow the rules. We tried again, and still there was talking. And again. And again. And again. The clock read 10:26. We had been spending nearly half an hour on lining up correctly. By this point in time, the students were quite… annoyed by the fact that they had to keep returning to their seats, and it was nearing time for lunch. I informed the class that we would be practicing lining up AFTER lunch (the student’s recess time) if they could not line up quietly and properly. We lined up one last time for the bathrooms, which was still only 80% up to my expectations, but a routine must be set. I will not have the students in my classroom embarrass me in the hallways. The first few days I am in charge of the room I will practice routines and expectations until the students see that I am not one to be pushed aside or disrespected. The only person’s time and efforts they will be wasting will be their own for misconduct. I do realize that positive behavior reinforcement will be implemented during my instruction, I am much enjoying our Tootsie Roll banks behavior management plan we are currently using in the classroom, I must be sure to reward good behavior when it is exhibited!
My First PTO - December 7, 2010
Sure I have attended a few parent teacher conferences in the past before, even the back-to-school meet-the-teacher day, but nothing was quite exactly like my first PTO. I had never attended PTO previously because I had always had classes on previous PTO nights, but this was at the end of the semester during finals week, so I had the night open and free to attend a PTO. It was eye opening to say the least. The children so were so excited. The majority of the students form my classroom to show up were ones that were already in the after school WINGS program that runs until 6pm (when the PTO began). This PTO was special, it was the school’s holiday PTO. The students were performing holiday carols, poems, and original performances. I arrived around 5:15pm and the school was relatively empty. We had our 9 students who were attending in the classrooms, my mentoring teacher had given the students dry-erase boards to practice writing or drawing (mostly drawing holiday related pictures, labeling a few of them), while I showed the students how to make paper snow-flakes. At 5:45pm, we headed to the auditorium, which was still relatively empty, but right at 6pm, the levy broke. Parents, family, friends and students poured into the auditorium. Teachers and administration were lined against the walls giving all available seating to students and guests (with even a few guests lining the back walls).
What surprised me the most was the volume. No, not the number of people, but the amount of noise in the auditorium, even during performances. This is what stuck me as the most unpredicted, but when I see the parallels between the social behavior of the community and the behavior of the students in the classroom, it made sense in a way. Volume control is one of our classroom’s most prominent issues and when the community cannot maintain a focus of attention or volume during stage performances, how can one expect the children meet a teacher’s expectation to display volume control in the classroom during instruction. Needless to say, if I were to come up with a new theme for a community advocacy program it would be proper public volume etiquette.
This is something that really struck me, as my first PTO meeting, and just another insight of how the behavior of a community can directly affect the behavior of the children growing up in the community. I don’t mean to impose my own personal standards onto those of an entire community but if it can help with promoting successful classroom behaviors and conduct it is something then I can’ simply ignore.
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