You want honesty? Ask a middle schooler!

Today was a flop! I was prepared to have a fabulous lesson with students that would excel in front of a teacher that needs some support in his own classroom. Needless to say, it didn't go so well! I tried to recover and take the lesson to a different place, but nothing seemed to work.
Later I asked one of my students what she thought of the lesson. She said it was ok. I asked her to be honest and she said, "I had no clue what you were talking about and I have no idea what we learned today." You want honesty...ask a teenager. When they feel safe to speak their mind, you will get more than you bargained for!

Paco vs. Paca

I have a student that has a particularly difficult name to say. It's Adaleberto. I'm not sure why, but my tongue can't say it! I've tried. Every time I attempt to say it, it comes out wrong and he laughs. Even worse, I accidently say it wrong in front of the whole class and they all laugh. Luckily for me, he has an outgoing personality. It doesn't seem to bother him much. Regardless, I decided to start calling him Paco. I told him until he taught me how to say his name right, I was going to call him Paco. A few days after I started this, a friend(another teacher in the building) of mine told him that I was trying to get better at Spanish and that I needed to learn to say his name correctly. She had warned me that she had this conversation so I wasn't surprised the next time I called him Paco. In a super respectful voice he said, "Ms. I was told you are trying to learn Spanish so you have to learn how to say my name right." He was so nervous to "correct" me but he was right. After class, I asked him to say his name for me a few times and I practiced all night long...ask Chad! Although, Chad thought I was saying "open" in Spanish. He doesn't speak the espanol! The next day I called him by his correct name during class and shocked the whole group! However, in the mean time, he has begun to call me Paca (replacing a Spanish word ending in "o" with an "a" makes it feminine). We still banter back and forth, me calling him Paco and him call me Paca, outside of the class period. It's amazing how something so small means so much to kids. At this point, he seems to be successful when interacting with me. He has had a rough past, behaviorily speaking. But life seems to be getting better for him...who knew Paco vs. Paca could be so great!

When should teachers be held responsible?

I am SUPER frustrated today. I have a student that I have been mentoring...basically all up in his biz-nas! He's a great kid but has not had any boundaries established either at home or here at school. His teachers from last year are know for not having the great classroom management skills and he ran any class he was a part of. That was before he met me! We became "friends" last year and I requested to have him in my class this year. Since most teachers don't request the more challenging kids, no one put up a fight...so I won him! He has once again become my friend this year! He's been working so well in my class (a completely different kid than the one I observed last year) and actually leading great math conversations at his table! He's blown away anyone who has seen him and has "known" him. He has been spending his lunches with me, some by his choice others not. Bottom-line, I've been working so hard on developing a good relationship with him and it has paid off!
Today he walked in my class and said he needed his stuff. I asked were he was going and he told me he couldn't go to school here anymore because his family moved and they wouldn't let him open enroll. They won't let him open enroll here because of his poor behavior last year. But I ask you, how can he be blamed? He just did what his teachers allowed! He lived up to the expectations they set for him...which were obviously low!
When will teachers be held responsible for failing our students? I can't believe that this situation is unique to my school. All accross America, teachers put the fault to the students for not learning. But could you learn from someone that hated you...or expected nothing of you? I admit, I had some crappy teachers in my time. But my parents and the expectations they had for me is what kept me on the straight and narrow...mostly ;) What about students whose parents don't seem to care. Even if their parent doesn't care...we should! If we don't teach these kids now...no one will...then we will pay for them to live in jail in 5-10years. I don't know about you but I'd rather have my $$$ going to schools instead of prisons.
So I ask again, to whoever is out there in cyber-world, when should teachers be held responsible for failing at their job...teaching ALL students?

The Handshake

Middle school students greet each other with crazy handshakes. They slap hands, snap, click their tongues, nod and say "what's up." On Thursday last week, I decided to make my students do my handshake before they walked in class for the day. I would shake their hand, pull my hand back, snap and kick my right foot up and slap my ankle. The immediately began to laugh and say "no miss. You can't do that." Yet they all stood their and watched their peers go through the same process over and over laughing each time as if it was new each time. One thing I have learned about middle school students are that they are easily entertained!
This day in class was amazing! It blows my mind how much a relationship with my students impact their learning. During the final discussion of the day's new learning, my students talked, shared ideas asked questions and gave each other feedback on their thinking. I could have left the room and they would have kept on going! Keep in mind, this doesn't happen everyday but when it does it make you feel like you are making a great impact on humanity!
This school year I have been assigned a GREAT group of students. I have several boys with, let's say, eccentric personailities. The girls are sweet and shy. Usually my girls are much more open and talk more freely but this group of girls presents a new challenge. I look forward to all that these students will teach me this year!