It's Been a While...

Hi all!

It's been quite a while since I have been a part of the blogging world, but after the Newtown tradgedy, I felt sudden inspiration to begin sharing those small moments in and out of the classroom that really make you think and evaluate the life you are living. :)

With that being said, let me take you back to Monday, December 17th, 9:00am. (The Monday after the tradgedy)

It was a chillly morning here in St. Augustine, and the morning routines of the classroom started off like normal....breakfast, morning work, morning announcements, etc. The students cleaned up and we met at our classroom carpet for  what I thought would be a tough morning meeting.

Our principal had asked us to breifly discuss the tradgedy (in kid language) to ensure our students that they are safe and what we need to do to stay safe. No big deal right? Umph!

Well, I began our talk by explaining that something happended in a school up north that was not normal. Students and teachers were hurt, but there were many heros that day that helped people stay safe. I assured the students that they were safe, and we went over the procedures for a lock down drill very quickly. Here's where it gets good...

All of a sudden, one of my students raised her hand. Here is what she said.

Student: "You know Mrs. Hunter, the man that did this probably just had a rough life. He didnt know how to make good choices and he was so angry and didnt know how to handle it.."

Hmm...what to say...?????

Me: "You're right, so what could he have done instead of this?"

Student: "Well, he could have talked to someone and just got over his anger and moved on. He needed to be proactive for himself and not hurt others for his anger."

Wow...then of course 15 other little pairs of hands popped up with solutions to this issue. I of course had to stretch this converstaion on and let the students share! Who wouldn't?

With all of this being said, I was very humbled by the power of this students thinking, feelings, and ability to convey to other students truth.

Let us not ignore what happened and think we can not talk to our students/children about this tradgedy. Evil is very prevelant in our world, and they need to be able so share feelings and visions for a safe and positive future.

Talk on!

--Mrs. Hunter

7 Habits...

Ok, so quick story for everyone out there!
As we have been teaching and modeling the 7 Habits of Happy Kids to our students, I have been BLOWN away by how quickly the students are picking up the language and practicing the habits.

Today for example, two students were independently working on an assignment.
One of my little ones asked her neighbor if she could borrow a marker...he said no...
She paused, surprised think, and said "Wait a minute, lets just Think Win Win..I'll put my crayons in the middle and you put your markers in the middle and we can share!" He replied by saying, "Ok!" WOW.....So wonderful to hear! :)

Made me smile and had to share this cute moment. :)
Happy Habits Everyone!

One Student...9/11

As I continue to watch the footage of 9/11 I am deeply reminded of how precious life really is...I cant seem to stop the tears, even though I did not know anyone personally who lost their life. Its just that I remember so vividly where I was and how I felt...

I was beginning my first year in high school and was nervous already because I was in a new environment and was the low man on the totem pole! I remember walking into health class and taking my seat like normal...but then an announcement came across the intercom for all teachers to turn the news on in classrooms. My large football coach of a teacher was completely silent. There was no movement and no sound. Just worry and fear that filled the walls. We left class and as I walked into English we watched the second plane fly into the second tower...

My teacher cried, and I know I felt helpless....why would this happen? My naive mind thought it had to be an accident...right? No one would do this on purpose would they? These were my thoughts even as I learned the truth. It took me quite a while to understand this because in my short life I had never seen such planned out and purposeful evil. I remember being scared to get on the bus...would I make it home? Are we really safe? My thoughts are blurry after this as I do not remember who I spoke to about this and what we discussed, but looking back I know that this has affected not just me but my generation forever...

Two years later I visited ground zero and the feel upon seeing it is one of awe...of quiet...of respect...of sadness...yet one of pride in our men and women and of hope for a brighter future.

I thought of my students today and how they were not even born...they did not experience it first hand, but how they will be forever affected. We did a short lesson on Friday on our Heroes and what makes someone a hero. We brainstormed the many heroes in our lives such as parents, pets, teachers, policemen, firefighters, doctors, nurses, God etc.

One answer though stopped me in my tracks and really made me think. One student raised his hand and said that He was his own hero...umm...ok, I thought...how do I respond to this???

He continued to explain that he was in charge of himself..he would be proactive and be his own leader/hero...WOW.

I started thinking about the men who actually committed this crime and tragedy...what if they had been in charge of their own lives and decisions like this little 6 year old and had not rallied behind another just because they thought it's what they should do? What if they had the courage to make their own choices and say No...I want more, I want a better life...? While these questions do not change the past, this one student in my classroom impacted me as a teacher in a great way.

Yes it is important to remember and honor those that gave and lost their lives. Yes it is important to teach respect and honor for our country. More importantly though, it is critical as educators that we teach students how to make honorable decisions...how each one can be their own HEROES.

Remembering 9/11 and this tiny moment in my classroom forever...

Readicide-Part One

"Read-i-cide: noun, the systematic killing of the love of reading, often exacerbated by the inane, mind-numbing practices found in schools." (Gallagher, pg. 2)

If that definition of what is occurring throughout schools does not grab your attention, than I'm not sure what will. After seeing this on the cover of a new book written by Kelly Gallagher, I immediately began reading and have been blown away at what he presents the problems to be in our reading instruction across the country.

Before we discuss the problems though, let's begin with the statistics, for data is a very strong component as to what and how we teach.

"*Less than one-third of thirteen-year-olds are daily readers, a 14 percent decline from twenty years earlier.

*Among seventeen-year-olds, the percentage of non readers has more than doubled over a twenty-year period, from 9 percent in 1984 to 19 percent in 2004.

*The percentage of thirteen-year-olds who read for fun on a daily basis declined from 35% to 30%, and for seventeen-year-olds the decline was from 33% to 22%.

*On average, Americans ages fifteen to twenty-four spend almost two hours a day watching television, and only seven minutes of their leisure time on reading.

*Nearly half of all Americans ages fifteen to twenty-four do not read books for pleasure."

Hmmm...
Depressing? Yes. Changeable? Absolutely.

After reading these statistics, to me it makes perfect sense as to why students are not developing into the life long readers that they used to be.They have lost their passion and eagerness to learn... Gallagher says also that, "There is a dearth of interesting reading material in schools, and students are not doing enough reading in school."

So if there is a lack of materials and not enough time, than obviously scores and the amount of able readers will decrease. Now I am not a middle or high school teacher, but I believe that the statistics and truths above directly affect my first grade students and their ability to develop into Reading Leaders. I want each of my students to beat the statistics, and because if that I believe firmly and whole heartedly in Readers Workshop.

In this type of reading structure that I have adopted in my classroom, students are given time daily to engage in interesting reading material of their choice on their own personal levels. We have been building our independent reading stamina all year long and are still reaching for our goal. As I looked around my classroom during independent reading, I was in awe of how engaged and interested they were in that moment. I saw students reading from different genres, from different authors, reading on different levels, reading in comfortable spots around the room that supported their reading, and ultimately, reading for meaning, for growth and for FUN. :) What a wonderful sight!

Finally, I was reminded of the importance of beating "Readicide" this morning while conferencing with a student. After she read to me a bit, we spoke about her strengths and future goals for her reading. She told me that she wants to keep increasing her reading level and wants to begin reading more "reality wolf books!" Wow. I said I could help with that and have Wolf books of all sorts waiting on her desk for tomorrow morning. Interesting material? Check. Time? Check.

With the above two steps initiated, Readicide can be beaten and avid readers can be brought back to life. :)

Playing to Learn...

After refreshing my reading of Debbie Miller, I am reminded of a small moment that occurred in my classroom before the holiday break...but let me set the stage first. :)

Every day the students within my classroom are given multiple choices as to how they will respond to learning, practice new learnings, and record new learning. We use play dough, scrabble letters, sticky notes, index cards, clip boards, wiki sticks, white boards, data notebooks, chart paper, beans, blocks, etc. While this may seem too much for 1st graders, I strongly believe that the choice allows true stretching of the imagination and a deeper understanding of new concepts. With this in mind, reading expert Debbie Miller says "If I want to challenge children's imagination, promote their love of learning and inquiry, and encourage them to become independent learners and thinkers, they need to be the ones deciding where they will go and what they will do." (Reading with Meaning, p.104)

Allowing students to choose their means of learning out of items that may seem like items to "play" with, sets the tone for learning and helps students realize that acquiring knowledge is exciting and enjoyable. "Once children begin to integrate their leaning into their play, the materials are no longer an end unto themselves; they've become another means for creating understanding and constructing meaning. They've become a means for living the learning." (Reading with Meaning, p104)

Now, how does this correspond with the small moment in the classroom? Well, before the holiday break my students and I were lining up for our usual afternoon recess. Before we left , two students asked if they could take their data notebooks and a mini atlas outside with them. I was curious and asked why. This was their response..."Mrs. Hunter, there is so much to discover on the playground, and we want to use our atlas to help. Then we can record it in our data notebooks.!" WOW.....Go for it! :)

We proceeded to the playground and lo and behold two little boys with their atlas and data notebooks were scurrying around the playground searching for items that matched the atlas. The came back to share their learning with me and said, "Mrs. Hunter, that playground equipment looks like Solomon's Temple." "It sure does!" and...."Mrs. Hunter, that tree looks just like the front of this castle!"

I was in awe as they jotted down notes in their notebooks...

Giving students time to play and choices within learning truly impacts life long learning.

Give it a try...You will be amazed! :)

Happy Learning!

Small Sayings with Huge Meanings...

After being with my students for seven weeks now, I am realizing a change in their behavior, demeanour, and attitude towards being in school. Some may say that it's because they are used to the routine, that they are used to their teacher, and that they are getting consistency....while these aspects are true, I believe this change that I have seen is because of something bigger...something more meaningful...

Below I have written a few simple quotes from my students that reveal so much...that reveal the true meaning as to why I have seen change in each and every one of them. Enjoy!


"I love the word zip...that's a cool word."
Wow....a student appreciating the simplicity and yet complexity of a three letter word. To me, seeing and hearing a child say this, tells me that my students are understanding the importance and power of words. Success is ahead because they understand and are absorbing texts around them.

"I'm a writing machine!"
Hearing this made me chuckle a bit because I always use that phrase to compliment diligent writers. In this case though, it came right from the lips of a student who had been struggling to produce written letters and words...to hear positivity and self praise was a clear indicator that this child now believes and sees that they are capable of writing, and writing well.

"Can we do more math?"
Umm..yes! :) As one who did not enjoy math thoroughly as a child, these words struck me as odd...for it was never a question that I would have asked. After pausing for a minute though, I see that this yearn for more was based on earlier success...this child was successful and was having fun. Who wouldn't want to do more if this were the case? Now I see that helping my students feel successful and engaging them in "fun" is what will keep them pressing on and yearning for more.

"Thanks Mrs. Hunter for letting us do this awesome painting!"
Who would have thought a little paint and paper could have developed such grate fullness? Through this comment, not only did I see a student that was polite and had a grateful heart, but I saw how kinesthetic experiences such as painting are of critical importance for students at all ages. Through this painting activity, I saw students taking their time, caring about their work, and more importantly seeing that learning can be done in more than one way...

"This is easy breezy..."
I suppose every teacher would want to hear this phrase..right? After teaching a what I thought to be a "complex" math lesson, I was surprised to see that my students had a different opinion. Instead of following the teaching curriculum exactly, I taught the concept in a bit of a different way...and what do you know? They felt success. This experience reminded me that my student's needs and how they learn should always be the driving factor in how I teach...not the book!

"Here, let me help you..."
I LOVE when I hear this, and I hear it often. My students have developed into leaders who help one another and who are always asking me if I need help! Amazing. This reveals that teaching leadership and character counts really makes an impact. I also believe that modeling this phrase has encouraged my students to try it themselves...modeling matters.

"Mrs. Hunter, let's check off!"
Every day after lunch, my students and I rest for a few minutes and "check off" on our daily schedule. A few days ago, a student beat me to it and reminded me that we needed to check off to see where we were in the day and what else we needed to accomplish! This shows me that my students are concerned with what needs to be done and are practicing Putting First Things First.
They are now understanding the idea that to be successful in life, we must work first...and then play! :) For if we do this, our play will be that much sweeter because we have worked incredibly hard. My students understand this, and it is wonderful.

"I love you..."
Relationships matter. The end. :)

What are your children saying? Pay attention to what you hear...words are powerful tools into the minds of all...and can be a clear indicator of their state of mind...

Happy Listening!

The Extreme Power of Music...

Inspirational. Catchy. Moving. Fun. Beautiful. Educational. The list could go on and on....for words that describe the incredible power of music. As a one who has always been moved and inspired by music, I have found that when all else fails, listening or singing a good tune could be the factor that changes your situation or mind set.

This past week while meeting and getting to know my new students, we learned many new songs that help us transition throughout the day. While it may seem trivial, every single time I start singing, their moods and demeanor's change. Their eyes light up and suddenly they are willing to follow instructions if it means they can sing and have fun while doing so...

After reflecting on this fact I realized that even as an adult I fall for this and am entranced and moved to action upon hearing a new song...I want to listen and sing over and over again...I feel encouraged, empowered and excited for what is to come. I feel the need to share with everyone around me of the new music I am listening to and what its meaning in my life.

So what's the point? Where are you going with this you may ask.

The point is...never forget and fail to use music to inspire change in those around you. Music tugs at the heart strings of people from every culture and has the power to move mountains in people's lives. I will continue to use music in every aspect of my life...I challenge you to do the same!

My recent songs of inspiration:

1. Man in the Mirror-Michael Jackson
2. Here Goes-Bebo Norman
3. Something Beautiful-Need to Breathe
4. Keep Changing the World-Mikeschair

Inspire change.....