Imagine, if you will, this familiar scenario:
Teacher, holding up several Crayola markers without lids: "What happens when we don't put the lids on our markers?"
Class: "They dry out!"
Teacher, holding up the near empty cup where the Crayola markers go: "Where have all our class markers gone?"
Class: "They have dried out!"
Teacher: "Hmmmm...."

This is a daily conversation in the Kindergarten classroom - unless, of course, all of the markers have already dried out and it's only November and you are waiting for the New Year to try again, because you figure, "A new year; new markers; new goals." And, it's always a bit of an enigma because, clearly, the students demonstrate a knowledge that IF the lid is not put back on the marker, THEN it will dry out.

I was working with a boy who was colouring with markers and I noticed that many of the lids were at the bottom of the container and many were on but they had not been snapped shut. I watched him put the lids on, so I asked him if he knew about the "magic click". He shook his head so I demonstrated snapping the lid on all the way until we heard the 'click' sound. He definitely wanted to make those markers click, too, and he definitely tried to do it. He exerted all of his strength but there was no "magic click." He seemed disappointed so I suggested that he use the table top to help him, which worked. I remembered an article that I had recently happened upon (probably on Facebook) about youngsters coming to us in Kindergarten without fine motor strength, making them unready to hold pencils for proper letter formation, thus causing difficulty when they are writing and doing other fine motor activities, such as using scissors.

• The Guardian, Feb. 2018: www.theguardian.com/society/2018/feb/25/children-struggle-to-hold-pencils-due-to-too-much-tech-doctors-say

I realized that something similar was likely happening here... so, I studied the other children as they used Crayola markers, and sure enough, most of them were also putting the lids on (so they thought), but not achieving that "magic click." So, listen up Crayola! I get the purpose of the 'click', but children have changed, so this is now a design flaw. And, while you're at it, maybe make the markers triangular prism-shaped so they do not keep rolling off tables!

As a result of this observation and upon reflection, instead of shouting out, "I see markers without lids!" I will sit down at the creative table and do a mini-lesson to a small group, who can then act as the Marker Ambassadors to spread the word to the others.

All of the other kindergarten teachers whom I shared this epiphany with, said something to the effect of, "Oh, geez, I shout at them about that ALL the time!"  On behalf of all of us out there, I'd like to apologize to our dear students, who were indeed, to the best of their ability, putting those back on the Crayola markers... "We're sorry! And to make it up, we shall now play some games to strengthen those fine motor making muscles" (See above.)

This post focuses on pied colouring pages of seven Easter Eggs to paint.

One little girl (G1), immediately settled at the table, grabbed her paint brush and started filling up her eggs with colours.  Being the Arty soul that I am, I joined her at the table.  I started filling my eggs with patterns.  Two other girls came over  (G2 and G3) and they wanted in on this Egg-painting Extravaganza.  I gladly gave up my paint brush and used a pencil to fill in the rest of my eggs.

Now, working with water paints sounds simple, but it provides ample opportunity to problem solve: too much water results in a wishy washy colour; if you don’t rinse the brush well enough, the colours blend in the tray; you are limited by the colours in the tray,… or are you?!

G1 filled about six pages of eggs with solid colours before she was brave enough to try some patterns and colour-blending.  But she kept counting the eggs she had left to colour, thus working on her numeracy skills, naturally, without being instructed to do so.  This nicely illustrates how young children use their daily “play” activities as natural learning opportunities, and how a knowledgeable educator can use natural conversations to encourage the process.  This girl probably filled about 70 eggs, increasing her exploration and discovery as she proceeded.  

G2 was quite meticulous in her methods.  She only used one page of seven eggs, but she immediately realized that she could mix her own colours by layering them directly on her paper.  She discovered this by simply observing what happened when she placed the different colours beside each other.  (The colours blend where they meet, making a new colour.)  I said, “I love making new colours! It’s super neat because you can make your very own colour and then it’s fun to give it a name.”  She agreed.  I gave her validity of her process and provided an opportunity for higher order thinking.  She also stated she was going to make a lighter colour.  I asked her, “How are you going to do this?”  She proceeded to choose a lighter colour to mix with a darker one. These special moments of wonder and awe come so often in young learners as they engage in art (and play).  It happens naturally.  An educator’s skill lies in providing the materials for the students.  The educator does this with intent.  Of course, the young learners explore things that were not even thought of by the educator!  - This is true, you know it is!  And, of course, recognizing these ample moments for rich conversation to push their thinking further.
Now, back to our learning situation… I used paper towel to wipe excess water off my brush and  G2 noticed this method that I had subtly modelled.  She began to do the same.  She independently took this line of thinking further; she decided that she could mix colours on the paper towel before applying the process to her paper.  The final discovery she made was that she could paint her finger and press it to her paper, making mini-eggs, with a finger-print pattern.  I told her that was a great idea and I immediately did the same to colour the rest of my eggs. (Recall, I gave up the third paintbrush to G3 because I am a sacrificing teacher… ha ha!)
Throughout the whole situation, G3, very quietly, observed me, and she went about using the pencil to try her own patterns to fill her eggs.  She also tried what G2 did with her careful blending and finger-painting techniques.  I provided gentle encouragement and reassurance, and she became increasing braver in proudly showing her work.

The Goal of Educators: to nurture the belief in our students that “I can do ANYthing!”
Here’s another nugget of fine advice from Bob Ross, 
“The secret to doing anything is believing that you can do it. Anything that you believe you can do strong enough, you can do. Anything. As long as you believe.”
Young children really do believe that  they can do anything - watch them play and listen to them tell a story!  They have this bold and fiery attitude until they are told differently; life will tell them differently; as a teacher, I aim to nurture and develop it.


Even the boys, whom had gravitated to the intentionally-chosen computer game, were learning turn-taking, which is very hard to do - nobody enjoys waiting, but 5 year olds really hate it!  But these are some topics for another day and another post:)

"I'm a million different faces from one day to the next..."
​*Richard Ashcroft (The Verve) lyrics

Grade 6's... No! Not THAT assignment, again!
It's a really great assignment, actually, and as I know music theory (enough for grade 6), I'm able to help out.  Last year, I got left the same assignment, and the 6s had a lot of trouble, so, having recognized that the students would require assistance, I guided them through the instructions of the assignment, whole-class.  And, it was hard.  
​
Fast forward a year later, and I find the same assignment on the teacher's desk.  Yikes!  But this year, I knew that I should go over the instructions, plus review key concepts with the student before they started the assignment.  Alrighty, two minutes in, going strong, the kids are with me, someone has their hand up to inform me that they have already done this assignment.  Okay, yeah right.  I  wasn't born yesterday.  But she goes on with more detail... "the last supply teacher gave us the assignment, in fact, here it is!"  Okay, but still, I figured, it must be different, so I look and it is the same and the EA pipes in that, yes, that is true, indeed.  So, I am secretly so very pleased, and also a little put out for having no actual lesson, until I realize that we can do drama....

• 'Yes, Let's', a miming game:  Their core teacher popped into the class, on his prep, I might add, to get a message to a particular student, and unbeknownst to him, he fit right into our game as he mimed his message.  Of course, I drew attention to this, "Mr Dean is playing the game right!" 
• 'Energy Balls', in which students pretend to be holding on to changing and moving balls of energy.  It is an exercise in imagination, but I was loosing them, so I proclaimed it mental health music class, and gave the students a choice: read, do other work, draw, or they could work on a very hard halloween word search and maze worksheet that I had ready for extra-time fillers.  Note: I warned them that the maze may not even have a solution so do not get frustrated because, well, just don't.  One kid pipes up, all trying to be 'bad ass'... "what's this have to do with music?" to which I replied, honestly, "absolutely nothing.  So, by all means, feel free to repeat the other assignment, if you'd like!"  That was acceptable.  Another student, who is accompanied by a super EA but she was out of the room for a moment, choose to do the maze, even though he was left the iPad to use (because he deals well with structure and, in this case, all pretence of structure was thrown out the window long ago), well, after several warnings that this was very hard and I wasn't even sure there was a solution, he took on the challenge and the EA came back in the room and was very pleased that her student was engaged and happy. It also pleased her that the rest of the students were enjoying a mental health break because she said that they had been working very hard for a long while and they could use a little down time. 

* Source  of the above resources are - somewhere on the internet at some time, (i.e., not made by me but I don't know who made them).

One of the luxuries, I realize, of being (more than) "just" a supply teacher is being able to give them this 'relaxation' time... The demands of classroom teaching nowadays requires so much of one teacher - curriculum expectations, ministry/board demands, increased student needs, increased classroom sizes - it's often just too much for one human to handle, and it kills us, a little inside, each and every day that we don't get to spend enough time with each of our students; and the ones that justifiably need us more, get our attention more and the others suffer through, unchallenged... anyway...

I put on some Piano Guys and the 2 Cellos and they worked together to do the word search, maze or draw... and a couple kids chose to read their novels.  Plus, I received a request-turned-recommendation for another Piano Guys song, Titanium, and I promised that next time, I'd have it. (Note-to-self: obtain music file.) Specific curriculum expectations met = not so much; learning skill = many; mental health benefits = priceless (*insert mental health strategy link)

Two periods down... time for grade 8s.... music math... again, yikes; we did this last year, so.... I know where troubles may be lurking.  Again, review key concepts, and go... math & music connections come to life... another brilliant assignment, but head-hurting all the same:) They stuck with it and I interacted with them, offering help, but not lying to them... I admitted that I hadn't checked the second side yet and I had required many goings-over before I was certain I had the correct answers.  I joined the students in their learning journey, role-modelling perseverance. With grade eights, I call this class a success.  Plus, this batch of grade 8s are quite awesome:)

And then, Kindergarten!... (26 JK/SKs + 3 adults)
​Kindee's Songs: 

• Make a Circle
• Shake My Sillies Out

Then we danced and danced (music and movement) and listened to some more animal sounds and danced some more:

• Wild Things - The Learning Station
• ​Head to Toe Dance - The Learning Station
• Tappy Tappy  - The Learning Station - A focused listening and vocal play story song.
• The Giving Song, Thanksgiving Feast (the Learning Station), See you later and See You Later, Alligator! (Super Simple Learning) - Follow the leader around the room and into line and out the door and back to the classroom (for a super duper transition back to class)... 

What a super fun class!  Sometimes, I just can't believe that I am lucky enough to call this is my job!!

The second class of Kindergartens made it crystal clear that I would have to adapt the class; there were 14 JKs (3 & 4 year-olds) and no other adult... I quickly assessed that these little guys would need a more movement-oriented class... so... Kindee Boogee Fun Time! Concerned about the students running into each other, due to their lack of inhibitory skills, I needed a plan that would allow them to safely develop these lagging skills in a fun and engaging manner through movement and music.

In a spur-of-the-moment-get-the-class-under-control-act-of-desparation, I said, "Find a tile... it might be a blue one, or a brown one, or even one of the white ones... the only rule is that it cannot be next to another friend's tile.... name your square (mine is called, "Bob") and that is your square for the class."

Now, this is not a magical method by any means.  The three running boys still ran, but because the others were each in their place, it avoided collisions, and gave the kids a 'base' spot to gravitate back towards.  The naming provided ownership of their personal space.

Their behaviour was in no way surprising as they are only 3 and 4 years old, so what else would they, realistically, be doing? - New to kindergarten, some scared and anxious, nearing the end of the day and tired... poor little guys.  Which reminds me of one poor friend whose picture of his family, that he had been clutching so hard, had crinkled and wrinkled right in half.  He came to me crying and I quickly found some tape to fix his picture because that is what he needed right at that moment. ​

And, then these little kiddos surprised me, but good! I was so proud and impressed by them.  We got all lined up and I challenged them... "What if we were super quiet and we snuck right into the classroom and snuck right onto the carpet and sat down, without making a peep? Your teacher would be so surprised to see us all sitting there!"... well, they were well into this plan.  They were so super quiet that I was unsure that they were even behind me! And it would have worked, too, if their teacher wasn't looking right at us when we entered the room:)

My instructions: Review, on the board, rounding numbers (to tens, hundreds, thousands)...

As the students were finishing up their silent, okay, silent-ish, reading, I approached each table and asked them if they had a favourite number.  Then I told each to put it up on the board, anywhere, in whatever colour.  A stir began to be created as the students noticed something happening... ooooh, I created a bit of a buzz, I did:)
Then I asked a series of questions to gather knowledge of what the students already knew and what some of them may need to review further:

• What's the smallest number?
• What's the biggest number?
• What's the longest number?

Next, I gave the instruction to group the numbers together...

• 1-digit, 2-digit, 3-digit, etc
• one with a decimal
• numbers ending in 0
• numbers already rounded
• numbers needing rounding

Then, I just randomly asked them to round certain numbers:

• What is _________ rounded to the nearest (ten/hundred/thousand)?
• How do you know?

We came up with the rules pictured in the top left of the picture:

• 5 or higer, round up
• 4 or lower, round down
• If rounding to the nearest ten, look at one's place
• If rounding to the nearest hundred, look at ten's place
• If rounding to the nearest thousand, look at hundred's place

I was able to ascertain that the students had a pretty firm understanding of the concept of rounding, which was further substantiated when I circulated around the room whilst the students were working on their task:

The Rounding Game (left by the classroom teacher):

• Roll 2 dice & round to the nearest 10; roll 3 dice & round to the nearest 100; roll 4 dice & round to the nearest 1000. 
• They were to do each 2 times, but I'm seeing how you could easily vary this, as some of the students told me they did (after having played in the last class).

Here's a brilliant website: ​http://studentvote.ca with lots of useful teacher resources!  We had a bit of a discussion about Canadian Political Parties... just let me say, that's interesting with a bunch of 4th graders!  Too bad we ran out of time before they had helped me who to decide who to vote for:(

WHAT IS STUDENT VOTE?
Student Vote is a parallel election for students under the voting age, coinciding with federal, provincial, territorial and municipal elections.

The purpose is to provide young Canadians with an opportunity to experience the voting process firsthand and build the habits of informed and engaged citizenship.

Since 2003, 26 Student Vote programs have been conducted across Canada. In the last federal election, 563,000 students cast ballots from 3,750 schools.
​

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
Voter turnout in Canada has been declining for decades at all levels elections, particularly among young people.

Studies have also shown that habits of voting and non-voting persist over time, so if young people don’t vote now, there is good reason to believe that they won’t become voters later in life.

By practicing the habits of informed and engaged citizenship at an early age, students will be more inclined and prepared to participate in our democracy when they graduate high school.

​All the artists at the time were painting in the Impressionist style.  But not, Henri Matisse.  He used brilliant colours and made art like nobody else.  In fact, everybody made fun of Matisse and called him weird, and he said, "Thank you."  He did not want to be just like everyone else! What a brilliant way to draw a connection between a time in history to the students in today's classroom.

Seriously, (despite the purposeful blur) these kids were super into their artwork.  Each one of them did something different; and even the ones who were less sure of themselves, the ones who started copying one of the modelled ideas, ended up with something truly their own... creativity abound!

When the students bring me their finished, or in-progress piece, I ask:
What do you call your piece? - the answer tells so much (hitting communication and literacy curriculum expectations).  Students who love to tell stories have a chance to shine:)

I gotta say, what’s very, VERY BAD for education in general, is very lucrative for supply teachers! – 87 unfilled elementary jobs in HWDSB on Friday… If nobody wants to come teach at your school, maybe you need to do something differently…

I feel bad for Liette and Steve… no wonder they are no longer involved; I’d run too:)  (I have no idea the story there, but, “Thank you for what you do, you two!”

No phone support for the vital service that hooks schools up with their support staff… Schools that are not getting these positions filled are probably noticing how vital we, the occasional teachers, really are in the smooth running of schools (a little tootin’ of thy own horn, every now and again, is healthy! – Do it!)

Bump It Up!!!

It doesn’t matter what IT is; just bump it up, do it better, be a BETTER you!!!

I know my board, HWDSB, is all over T-LCPs. What the heck does that mean? Is it the same as SMART goals?  Luckily, in this technological world, a quick Google search found me all of the information I needed to the  billionth degree! So, I used my handy-dandycritical literacy skills to wade through theINFOWHELM, in so  doing, taking responsibility for my own professional development.

First, I found (and committed to memory) that T-LCP means Teaching-Learning Critical Pathways. Before I  wrote it off as ‘just another of those things that they are making us do,’ I decided to take a look at the actual  words to see if I could bring further meaning to the term…

Teaching-Learning recognizes the direct relationship between teaching and learning;

Critical means vital, necessary, analytical, skillful, judgement; and

Pathway indicates that there is an actual, mappable way to get there, i.e., it can be measured.

So, I found myself with an idea of what T-LCPs are all about. It seems we have a new way to think and talk about teaching and learning, and unifying what many teachers are already doing. But what does it look like?

So without any further ado, I present a summary of my research: Teaching-Learning Critical Pathways, in a nutshell…

• PRACTICAL, PRECISE, and highly PERSONALIZED classroom practices = increased ACHIEVEMENT for ALL students (REACH EVERY STUDENT)
• frequent, useful and usable feedback for students (teacher & peer)
• high expectations –> All students CAN learn and all teachers CAN teach to HIGH STANDARDS
• EMBEDDED PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
• small, focused and precise steps
• COLLABORATION allows:
  • everyone to be accountable for continuous improvement
  • interdependence of curriculum expectations
  • assessment OF learning(evidence, e.g., “Bump It Up” walls) and FOR learning (to guide instruction)
  • higher-order and CRITICAL THINKING strategies
  • reflection
  • creation of new knowledge and improved teacher practice
  • LEARNING IS SOCIAL… The wisdom of groups helps us to see a bigger picture, ponder questions we have not thought of, and explore possibilities.
  (from, Capacity Building Series, Secretariat, Spec Ed. #6, www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy and a T-LCP podcast that is no longer available, it seems.  Good thing I wrote about it here!)
  
  

Okay, that’s nice, but why?

This T-LCP process allows necessary flexibility in HOW we teach so that students achieve. It seems to tie in nicely with 21st Century Fluencies.

Students are propelled into a world of ever-increasing complexity. We have a moral imperative to prepare them to succeed. Most of them will have jobs that don’t even exist yet!! We need to embrace technology, as well as to teach them problem-solving and critical thinking. They require an education that has a solid foundation on basic numeracy and literacy skills, but also supports deep thinking and action, as well as an education that values and understands the human condition. We need to teach them to be responsible, global and digital citizens.

“We can’t solve problems using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” - Albert Einstein

“We must shift our focus from what cannot be controlled; from reasons why  things do not work, to what can be controlled; to the reasons why things do work.”- Dr. Asa Hillard

Thus, T-LCPs allow us to shift our focus from figuring out why students do not succeed/achieve, which are just excuses, to looking at why students DO succeed. Every student CAN succeed, so we must adjust the ‘How’.



And, that’s when the FUN begins!

Engagement – Equity – Achievement

It ALL Matters.

ryflinn said:
March 3, 2011 at 7:33 pm
I enjoyed this post and learned new information. The term 21st century learner is used so loosely that it is hard to figure out a clear definition but I can see how this process could help with the skills I hear associated with this term.

funtasticteachr said:
March 10, 2011 at 5:23 pm
Yes, it is something many boards in Ontario are doing… I think it is good because it is recognizing the “journey”, as well as the End-product. There is a lot of grumbling about it from teachers perceiving it to be extra work, but the good ones are already doing these things anyway.