Family Help!

I have titled my blog Elementary Survival. It would be really inappropriate if I didn't give a lot of credit to my wife and family for their help with this craft of teaching. When I was first hired in Kane County, Jenna and I were engaged. It was the perfect time for her to back out! When she heard that my first job would be in Orderville, Utah... she cried. Literally. How grateful I am she stayed with me. During our first year, Mr. Blodgett (the principal at Valley Elementary, and a really good friend) made sure we had enough work to do. I was doing half-time teaching and half-time aiding. Jenna was also able to be an aid. It worked out really nicely.
We had our first baby, Dallin in April of that school year. Jenna hasn't been able to work too much after that, but she is still supportive, picking up odd jobs here and there. This has continued throughout our marriage and my career as a teacher. Every year, she has done whatever she could to help me out in the classroom. Even after I transferred down to Kanab Elementary the next year, she still made the effort to travel the 23 miles to assist when ever I needed it, or when she could. She has made bulletin boards, decorated my room for my birthday, and been great to the students I have taught. She has also brought down our children for me to see at work. I really like those children of mine!
My children are young, but they have always been excited to come and see me and my students. Obviously, while I am teaching, my ability to be "dad" is a bit limited, but I sneak in what I can. There are a couple reasons for this. Number one, my wife and children need to know that they are most important to me even at school. Number two, my students that I am teaching need a good example of family life. So when my family shows up, I make sure that for those few minutes (usually) my family gets a little attention. I am obviously on a tight schedule as a teacher, I have an employer who deserves a job well done, but I want my students to see healthy family relations. We are not a perfect family, but we are working at it. In my philosophy of education, I am not there only to teach math, language arts, science, and reading. I am also there to teach them healthy lifestyles and the benefits of good decisions. I, obviously, am not perfect, but I still want to instill the desire of an excellent future in their minds and hearts.
What is my point? Mostly that I couldn't do this alone, that Jenna and my family have been and continue to be so supportive of my teaching. Additionally, that I really, really want my students to know what is important along with everything else I am teaching them.

A Quick Video Post

This video was taken on our Zion Field trip, I am posting it so I can get a little practice for my ten week technology plan. It was a really pretty day in Zion and we all had a great time. I love that with today's technology I can share about anything I do with anyone. Anyway, it's nothing super fancy, but it demonstrates that I know how to post a video I took. Enjoy.

Collaboration

Collaboration. Learning from other learners, teachers, and associates. I am finally getting the hang of this very important skill in the education world. I have taken a while to rise to the challenge. Of being secure enough as a teacher to realize that, simply put, somebody else might have a better way. I used to feel threatened if I couldn't come up with a great idea of my own. Then I realized that I could use their idea and teach it or use it in a way that I was comfortable.
I think that as educators we need to learn to collaborate to survive. Not just survive, but thrive. I have learned through many teachers in the last year some great ideas. One example is the other teacher I teach with at Kanab. She taught pre-school for many years before becoming an elementary teacher. She is great with hands on activities that get the students moving. I am not creative in that area. I am great at making a lesson interesting and exciting, but I needed some help on demonstrations and kids doing hands on activities to learn about math and social studies. Thankfully this teacher, Mrs. Glover, has been more than willing to share ideas. I have been more than willing to let her!
One great example of this was a recent field trip to Zion National Park. I am good at organizing things, setting up field trips, planning them out. So I did. Mrs. Glover (One of the other 3rd grade teachers at Kanab) is great with activities. She came up with a simple, yet great activity for the students to do regarding habitats as we walked the trail. The day was a success. With just me we would have still had a great day in Zion, but with two teachers working together the students were completely engaged in the environment around them.
You think I would have learned this earlier. I have known forever in every aspect of life that two or more heads make things happen better. Just ask my wife Jenna! She keeps our family moving and involved! I do my part to do what I do and keep things together that way. Together we do pretty well.
If more of us teachers would collaborate with each other and our administrators and really work together to meet requirements, offer help, and get these students on the right track, I think our lives at school would be less stressful, more efficient, and a lot more fun! Which, really, is what I like to have anyway!

Teaching a Child

There are a lot of theories out there. There are many assessments, quizzes, assignments, and procedures. There are lots of things for a teacher to do.

But there are also the children, and they are what counts.

I have many mixed feelings when it comes to education. I love to teach. I put up with standardized testing (I know how valuable it is.). I get along with administration knowing they have tough jobs, and I work hard to reach each child as best as I know how. Many of these things change over time as does my feelings towards them. I am getting better at most of them, so I am happier every year as a teacher.

There is one thing that has been constant since the beginning of my teaching career. I love my students. There are some I love more after they leave my class for the year, but nevertheless, I can look at them and say how glad I am to know them. I wonder at times who has the best deal. Students are learning, but I am being loved by them...most days!

In interacting with our students there are a few principles that come to mind. The first two being patience and kindness. I have found that any child will open up to me as I am sincere in my kindness to them. Once I have their trust, I can really teach them some things. They listen like they care. They want to know the things I want to teach them. There is nothing better in teaching than being with students who reciprocate these feelings. It makes all the management, testing, grading, admonishing/correcting, discipline, and planning pay off.

Teachers need to not only be efficient and skilled, they need to care. Through that caring the miracles of education happen.

What is the point of my post? I guess it is to encourage all of us as educators to take a little more time to enjoy the little people around us. They aren't with us forever, they move on. We are obligated to make their time with us memorable and happy and while doing so, we are to teach and get that knowledge inside their heads so they will be the smartest kids we know!

Welcome!

I have been blogging for a couple years, but this is my first time addressing the subject of education in my posts. On this page I plan to share experiences and offer insight that will hopefully be of use to other educators and people interested in teaching. I am not claiming to be the pinnacle of teaching, but I do care about teaching and am always seeking to improve. This will be a place for me to pass along any information I have learned and want to share. So...enjoy!