A Giant Slice of Pi!

Happy Belated Pi Day! We were too busy celebrating yesterday hence the belatedness. But I am proud to announce the class record for reciting digits of pi. Drumroll… 108 digits! Here are a few more ways we celebrated.

Me and Paula Deen.

I’ve been rather amazed recently by all of the media coverage of Paula Deen’s type II diabetes and her new position as a celebrity endorser for a diabetes drug. The criticism has been harsh at best and mostly well-deserved. Turns out though, Paula and I have something in common. As I took a minute today to do some organizing in my classroom “closet”, I took note of what was taking up the most space. It was a frightening portrait of how I am personally contributing to the obesity of American youth.

Ms. Cap: 6th grade teacher, junk food pusher.

See the thing is, I’ve never found a reward that works as quite instantly as a jolly rancher or a starburst. Nor have I found a fundraiser that seems to rake in the cash quite a quickly as chip sales in the lunchroom. Using junk food as my bribe, I have kept students engaged, I have given them a needed pat on the back, and I have raised over $350 for the Spring Carnival and Student Council.

Certainly, I use moderation – candy is given as a reward twice a month and no more than 2 small pieces, chips are sold only on Fridays. We do yoga almost daily and talk regularly about food choices, calorie consumption, and daily physical activity in health class.

But I also can’t seem to break my dependence on these cheap, easily accessible treats. And so I wonder, is my use of junk food a useful classroom tool or damaging vice? Am I just as buttery as Paula?

Achoo to you too

I was not going to get sick this year. Really I wasn’t. I swallowed enough of that tasty vitamin c powder. I’ve done my best to eat more vegetables. I’ve gone to bed before 9 PM on several occasions. I’ve sprayed down my classroom with Lysol. I’ve stocked up on hand sanitizer. And I’ve told the universe in a stern teacher voice that I simply won’t get sick.

But three days ago it stared to creep in. A tickle then a cough. By yesterday my cough was steady but still soothed by a handful of ricola. By today I was hacking rather uncontrollably and I felt like my face simply might explode.

While attempting to organize and calm the 41 students in my class today, I must have growled a bit too loud and that’s when the coughing fit started. Gasping for air, I cursed the universe and my immune system. I vowed never again would I trust CVS brand vitamins.

Then I looked up from my tissue and realized that I was staring directly into the face of the germ filled culprit. There he was, Jason G., red table seat #2, all around good kid, coughing onto his desk, germs flying through the air. He caught my eye as we coughed in unison. I’m pretty sure he smiled at me then, an “I got you” smirk.

So listen up germ spreaders of the 6th grade, you may have won for now but my fight is far from over. I’m buying antibacterial wipes in bulk next time.

remembering MLK.

I hung out in Kindergarten today for just a bit to help out a neighbor who needed a bathroom break. Always a nerve-wracking experience for me as I have no idea how to talk to little people. Instead, I let their work do the talking.

and the most precious…

I Resolve. (Part 1)

This weekend, I celebrated a good friend’s birthday out on the town. There was dancing and karaoke and merriment (personal New Year’s resolution #1 – stress about work less and take more time for fun). While in the midst of belting out “Sweet Caroline” along with the crowd, a gentleman came up to me, looked me in the eye, and said, “I just wanted you to know that you are the most beautiful woman in here” before he walked out the door. Nevermind the potential date lost (personal New Year’s resolution #4 – work on my relationship status) or the fact that I was a button-down shirt and a sweater in a sea of slinky dresses (personal New Year’s resolution #5 – shop less and wear the clothes that I already own more), at that moment, I couldn’t help but think of my students (yup, just broke resolution #1 and #4 all at once).

This gentleman had gone out of his way to pay me a compliment and the good feeling it gave me lingered long into the night. And so I wondered, do I stop often enough to say, “You are really working hard,” even when a student is struggling with a problem? Do I speak softly to a student saying, “I knew you could do it” when they overcome an obstacle? Or do I shout “Wow! You really did you best!” when a student shines? How often really do I stop to praise?

So here is classroom New Year’s resolution #1: Offer positive feedback as often as I can. Go out of my way to make a student feel good each day.

Is this a new resolution? Of course not. But it is one that I need to revisit and remind myself of again and again as I move through the year.

Here is a quick refresher on why praise is so effective for motivating and engaging students and how to use it to develop resiliency and problem-solving skills: Using Praise to Enhance Student Resilience and Learning Outcomes (American Psychological Association).

So Happy New Year!  Best of luck to you as you continue to work on your own resolutions. I’ll post my full list of resolutions, personal and classroom, later this week.

Winter Wonders

You haven’t heard from the bicyclist lately as I have been pedaling away, sweating it out. Truth be told, its been a serious struggle to make it to this much needed winter break. But today as I crossed the finishline, my prize was the bounty of gifts I received from some of my sweetest students and coworkers. Here are a few of my favorites:

I could down this baby in one class period.

jar and stuffed animal decoration. genius.

sparkle and shine.

hand knit ear warmer made with lots of love by a talented parent.

ditto.

Rockin’ Out Math Nerd Style

My trip home for Thanksgiving took twice as long as usual. Despite the dark, pouring rain, and miles of traffic, I couldn’t have been happier on the ride home. First, I was headed towards the best sweet potato pie north of the Mason-Dixon line. Second, I had plenty of time to rock out to my new Kelly Clarkson CD (thanks CEG for the copy!). I think the whole CD got about 3 hours of play, but the song that I listened to the most was #6, “Dumb + Dumb = You”. At first, I was so shocked by the stupidity of the lyrics that I laughed at poor Kelly who had maybe seen her day come and go. With a couple more plays however, I appeared to be hooked. Maybe even addicted. Kelly, why did I ever doubt you!

The last lines give you just a taste of why this song is so amazing:

“simple math

our love divided by the square root of pride

multiply your lies plus time

I’m going out of my mind

and I may not be Einstein but I know

dumb + dumb = you

equals you”

Oh Kelly, now I see your genius! You are trying to teach young, headstrong girls math and number calculation while they break up with their less than stellar boyfriends! This middle school math teacher is totz on board! It’s more than genius. It’s Einstein.

I thought I would investigate a bit to find some other mathematical power pop lyrics. Here is what I found in no particular order:

Hilary Duff – The Math ”if you can’t do the math, get out of the equation”

Justin Bieber – One Time “Me plus you, I’m a tell you one time”

Jack Black – The Math Song “Math is a wonderful thing, Math is a really cool thing, So get off your “ath”, Let’s do some math”

Shout out in the comments if you have more marvelous math lyrics to add to the list!

Deuces, dude.

My younger, hipper, hilarious friend sent me the following text the other day out of the blue: ” ‘deuces’ is the cool way to say peace out now. I learned it from This American Life.” I immediately texted back, “Sweet! Can’t wait to try it on Monday!” Secretly, I was a bit confused by this new hotness. Back in my day “deuces” referred to “taking a number two” as in “Dude, I’ve got to drop a deuce.” (If you’re still not with me, we are talking about a bowel movement here). Though hesitant for obvious reasons, I figured what the heck. Things change, and if it’s the cool thing, I better jump on the trend and quick.

While I was taking this new venture into coolness, I thought it would be totally rad to check out some other classroom trends taking over the 6th grade. Today was “cool day” where the kids got to trade in their school uniforms for jeans and ts by bringing in a can for the canned food drive, making it the perfect opportunity to study up on whats trending right now. Check them out below in no particular order of coolness. ~Deuces, Ms. Cap

1. Crackle paint nails. Neon and jewel tones are especially hot.

2. Sparkle shoes. A girl is never too old (or young) for glitter!

3. BIG bling (of the plastic variety). The bigger the bracelet the better. If you cover your wrists in phrases like “Happiness”, “Cool kid”, and “Awesome” you are sure to be all of those things! These work for girls or guys.

What Teachers Make: The Unsweetened Version

There is an email forward that goes around periodically. It’s the tale of a teacher at a dinner party, who when asked by the CEO sitting across from her, “what do you make?” tells of hard work, overcoming adversity, and making a difference in children’s lives. It concludes (notice the capital letters), “I MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN ALL YOUR LIVES, EDUCATING KIDS AND PREPARING THEM TO BECOME CEO’s, AND DOCTORS AND ENGINEERS………. What do you make Mr. CEO?”

If I’m being completely honest, the whole thing is so sugary sweet that it makes me a little queasy.

When I share with friends and strangers about my experiences at school, both triumphant and trying, the response more often than not is, “Wow, how good of you. I bet you really make a difference. We need more caring teachers like you.” Just pile on the sugar cubes.

I believe that while there is without a doubt sweetness in teaching, this sentiment of the teacher doing good work and changing lives serves only to romanticize and trivialize the profession. The day by day does not look like the end of “Dangerous Minds” or “Freedom Writers”. Some days it looks more like triage in the E.R. It can be chaotic, messy, and exhausting both physically and emotionally.

In response to this email, I’d like to look at what a teacher makes and does more closely, but this time without the sugar coating.

As a teacher with a master’s degree, I make $47,000 a year. I’ve made the same amount for the past 4 years since cost of living and step increases were stopped several years ago. Last year, we received a pay cut of 3% in the form of furloughs. I work between 10-12 hours a day and typically work 4-5 hours on the weekend. I take graduate classes at night. I plan, host, and/or attend after school events twice a month. My summer break is 9 weeks long. I spend 2 weeks of it preparing for the upcoming year. I spend approximately $500 of my own money each year on class supplies.

I wear many, many hats. I teach math, science, reading, health, and computer to 63 6th graders. I am the Student Council Chair, Safety Patrol Supervisor, and Spring Carnival Chair, as well as a member of the leadership committee. In the classroom I am an instructor, tutor, curriculum designer, and test proctor. I am also a nurse, counselor, technology consultant, statistician, project manager, language translator, coach, referee, interior designer, and motivational speaker.

I deal with bloody noses and fights between best friends.  I’ve been vomited on and had my belongings stolen. I’ve trained my bladder for my one bathroom break a day and I spend my lunch break tutoring students. I deal with divorce and depression.  I deal with body odor and bad attitudes.  I confront obesity, poverty, hunger, and illiteracy every day.

I don’t do my job because I am a good person. I do my job because I believe it is valuable and necessary. I do my job because I believe in the potential of all students. And I do my job because through the sweet and the sour, I do in fact make a difference.

Postcards

Parade of Nations this week was an absolute blowout bash! With a turnout of over 400 people, the multipurpose room was bursting with sights, sounds, and smells that made you feel as if you were right in the middle of a village in the Philippines or El Salvador. Its a rare gift to have access to so many cultures at once as our students and their families come from truly all parts of the globe. The food was awesome including homemade samosas, pupusas, and fish soup. I’m really going to have to up my game from mac n cheese for next year!