Interest-A-Lyzer

Over the summer, I completed my first grad class at Georgetown College.  It was pretty intense for my first class, lots of papers and everything crammed into 7 weeks.  I was drinking coffee when my husband was just going to bed, but I survived.  The class was an "Intro to the Gifted and Talented Program".  During this class, I read a book by Joseph Renzulli from Renzulli Learning.  He talks a lot about focusing on students' interest and differentiating the lesson to match the interests.  He even has his own Interest-a-lyzer, which is where I got my powerpoint questions.  His is about 6 pages long, and I thought that was a little extreme to give to my new middle school students on day 2 of class, so I made a powerpoint of a few questions and we all answered them together.  

Getting their answers back is both humorous and beneficial!  I get to know each student a little more and I can also line them up with projects that might be of interest!  

Something else we like to do is pick a topic that we (myself and the students) want to learn about and teach, then we make a big exhibit out of it.  We each have different and equally important roles, but the roles are tailored to what we are interested in.  Props, acting, set design, writing, etc.  In the end, we all learn the content, we learn communication and group work skills and we are engaged and proud of our end product.  

The book I read was:


Renzulli, J., Reis, S., & Thompson, A. (2009). Light up your child’s mind.  Little, Brown and Company.

I found it at our local library, highly recommend it!!

Below is the Interest Powerpoint I made into a movie so you could see it.

Bullying and Suicide Rotation

Bullying and Suicide Rotation

At the beginning of the year, we divide students into groups and teach different topics on a Rotating Schedule.  This year, I got to teach about Bullying and Suicide.  (fortunately, I didn’t have anyone crying).  It is such a heavy topic, I get nervous talking about it, but our students are champs!  They are so open and honest about it and what they should do!  I wanted to post my Unit and Lesson that I did, in case anyone else finds it helpful.  I definitely recommend the activities, our rotation was about 45 minutes long.  We had NO down time, the kids were engaged for all 45 minutes and they contributed and taught me a few things!  So, here we go.  also, if you have suggestions, please leave a comment!  I would love to hear them!

Unit:  Bullying and Suicide

Opener:  Small discussion.  I share with the students the topics that we are getting ready to talk about.  I ask them if anyone has ever seen the “Wizard of Oz”.  (they raise their hands, and I thank them for 1. sharing and 2. raising their hands)  Then I ask “Do you remember what the Lion was looking for?”  They raise their hands again.  (Awesome!)  Courage!  Yes, Courage!  Courage is our word of the hour; because, sometimes it takes Courage to stand up to bullying or to do something about it.

Small Group Activity:  Students form 2-3 person groups and are provided a graphic organizer.  I have different scenarios and actions printed on little slips.  Each group receives a scenario.  They read the scenario and then decide if they agree/disagree/not sure with the action that is stated.  They have to write and tell me the why behind their decision.  

[This activity came from Tolerance.org, for links to the activity click here.  For the Scenarios, click here and the graphic organizer click here.]

I put a timer on the Smartboard and give them maybe 5 minutes.  Then we share with the class.  This usually gets a really good conversation going, other kids are adding to the scenarios and some are sharing “inappropriate” actions that they would do, but that allows for corrections and deeper understandings to be made.  This activity took up most of the 45 time slot.  

When conversations are wrapping up, I thank them for sharing and we turn in the graphic organizers and slips.  I want to give them credit for their work and participation in this activity, so I need to go back and give Tiger Ticket credit. (Positive Reinforcement award system specific to our school.)

The next activity is watching a sweet, sweet slideshow that someone put together of a young man who committed suicide.  It’s just a slideshow of pictures with a song that plays along in the background.  Not a super heavy message, but I think it really hit home because it was age-relevant and it looks like something our kids would create.

For the link to the slideshow, click here.

After the video, (about 5 minutes) I passed out some Suicide Brochures that I received from our counseling office.  I turned to one of the pages that describes the signs of suicide.  I lead a conversation with the students about who to tell or talk to if you sense this happening and we discussed the signs.  

After that, we cleaned up the room and I gave them instructions for the next rotation.

It's Almost Here!!

Another school year is about to start and I am kinda happy, kinda sad.  I am extremely excited to see everyone and meet our new students, AND I am so excited about our activities and things we are going to learn; however, this summer has FLOWN by!!  Between Grad Classes and YMCA Summer Camps and Family Events, it has been crazy!  

That being said, I know I am grateful for the opportunity to be a teacher and have the summers to spend with my family and all the "kid craziness"!  

So, in the great words of my late Grandpa Peck, think of it this way...."you don't HAVE to do something, you GET to do something".  Have fun doing it and be thankful that you are blessed with this chance.  

Along that note, there are a LOT of things I get to do this week to prep for my classes!  ;)
One of those is welcoming my students to TLC and to my Mentor Group.  I made this newsletter to introduce myself, provide some communication information and set the tone for Student Success and Support!  You are more than welcome to use the template if you like.....enjoy!

Book Review: Light Up Your Child's Mind by Renzulli and Reis

Renzulli, J., Reis, S., & Thompson, A. (2009). Light up your child’s mind.  Little, Brown and Company.

Ch. 1
When a child is underachieving, school’s look for what’s “wrong”, because they don’t fit the system; instead of searching for interests to increase engagement.  We need to inspire a love of learning; get rid of passive rote learning.  Emphasis on creative-productive learning which is to develop an original something for positive impact on an audience.  3 ring Venn: task commitment, creativity and above avg. ability.  Schools seem in a “rut”, the GT child is not just the straight A’s, high GPA and perfect behavior kid.  Children are more than “consumers of knowledge”.  They need an opportunity to realize strengths and gain sense of purpose.

Ch. 2
The creatively gifted child.  Many of their characteristics do not conform to “appropriate school behavior”.  intense motivation, sensitivity, daydreaming, questioning rules and authority, carelessness, disorganization and obsessiveness.  **The same qualities we admire in the real world, we find distracting in the classroom.**
We can support by encouraging playfulness, being flexible, and encouraging individual and unusual ideas.

Ch. 3
Encourage child to become involved in a real investigative activity that springs from a personal interest or passion.  A “real problem” is like an essential question.  Make it real by making it personal.  There is no “right” answer and no solution (atleast to the children at that time).  real problem = solution, creating a real product for a real audience.  Start with their interests.  Introduce a mentor-in-print, menor-in-person or interact with a professional.  Teacher is a “guide-on-the-side”.  Don’t look AT something, look INTO something.  Decide on the audience first.  Lunch Bag Seminars - have students share product with small group over snacks in classroom.

Ch. 4
Students need to select their own interest for engagement.  Interests can change and/or fluctuate.  How to find interest? talk to them and explore possibilities.  Interest-A-Lyzer.  A child usually pursues interests at home or with extra-curricular activities, why not bring that into the classroom?  

Ch. 5
Let the student choose “role” in a project that fits their style.  Consider learning styles: audio/discussions, written/visuals, hands-on and kinesthetic.  Instructional styles inventory form pg. 92-99.  Ask them “How would you prefer to demonstrate what you have learned?” options pg. 104-105.

Ch. 6
Put it all together.  input (gathering info and materials), processing (manipulating input), output (creating a product).  Brainstorm to break it down, chunking, and try to find a problem to solve.  Webbing.  Ask context questions: where, who, when and what.  Make sure parents don’t overdo it with resources, it could turn the child off.  Product suggestions pg. 126-127.  Key questions:  What methods do professionals use to carry out their work?  What resources and materials do they need?  Find a website related to interests and look at jobs involved.  Use mentor-in-print and How-to books.  Project Management Plan pg. 134 Remember - Teacher is Managerial Assistant, “What can I do to help you?”  

Ch. 7
Guide on the side.  Support a Growth Mindset vs. Fixed mindset.  Take “safe risks” and learn something new.  Praise the product, not the kid.  Appropriate feedback: 1. done well 2. needs improvement 3. edit, learning from field 4. expand skills/experiences, next steps 5. Talk like a serious adult to a serious young person.  Always have an audience, adds accountability and real world situation.  In modeling behavior, show interest, passion, dedication and fun!  Einstein: “Setting an example is not the main means of influencing another, it is the only means.”

Ch. 8
Twice Exceptional.  Modify lesson plans, oral vs. written.  These gifted students have difficulty going through school with different learning factors, they need the right kinds of support.  Focus on developing the talent, while compensating for the disability.  They tend to develop systems that work for them.  Help them read and annotate, put in their own words.  Chunking really large tasks.  Practice SQ3R.  Teach and practice study skills.  More on the HOW than the WHAT. 

Ch. 9
Gifted Underachiever.  aggressive, withdrawn or both.  Classroom environment that could lead to underachieving:  minimal effort work accepted by teachers, rote learning, conformity and an unchallenging curriculum.  A slow pace and unchallenging work inhibit abilities.  They don’t develop the skills to learn.  Try Curriculum compacting, scheduling them time to practice/study/be curious.  Encourage “good peer” connections, don’t hang out with the “cool kids” that hate school.  Encourage extracurricular activities.    They need to feel usefully challenged.

Ch. 10
ORE - opportunity, resources, encouragement.  Focus on positives and interests, not what the child is doing “wrong”.  Form a parent - teacher alliance.  Enrichment Facilitator: 1. students love after school clubs, 2. end product with their interests and passions 3. each do roles that they pick
Teacher can give survey: 10 things students would like to learn.  Interest-A-Lyzer and after school activities.  Invite parents and community for involvement.  SEM project examples pg. 224-225

www.gifted.edu/sem or www.gifted.edu/clusters for examples.  

Crayon Rubbings, Fossils and Robot Dinosaurs

For Week 2 and 3 I was away for the BGWP and wasn't able to participate with the YMCA Summer Camp Activities.  I was bummed, the BGWP was a lot of fun and I learned and practiced some new strategies, but I am an artist and will always prefer to be making or painting something.  That being said, Week 4 for YMCA Activities brings on a study of fossils.  First, we went on a Nature Walk and gathered leaves.  Then we brought them back to our activity table and using white printer paper and naked crayons (without the paper, geez!) we made Nature Rubbings.  

If you are not familiar with these, here are the steps to jog your memory:  1. take a leaf and place it face down on the table.  2.  Place a white piece of paper over your leaf.  3.  Take the paperless/naked crayon and lay it down flat, like it's taking a nap  4.  Rub the crayon back and forth over the paper and the lines and details of the leaf will begin to appear.

We talked about how this is kinda what a fossil looks like, but it's in rock or stone.

We talked about how fossils are made (thanks to Bradley, my son, and his plethora of boys' books and dinosaur knowledge).  Then we made our own fossils.  Now, the first group made theirs out of a recipe I found on the internet.  It was on the Education.com website, so I figured it was pretty legit.  However, it was a mess.  The recipe was also inconsistent, the heat from summertime didn't help and the "dough" was either sticky (like sticking to your hands and table sticky) or it was too dry and cracked and fell apart.  So, we did the best we could with what we had and I switched it up the next day.  I went to Wal-mart and got the Air Dry clay.  SOOOOOOO much better!  I know it's more expensive, but it's simple AND there's very little mess.  I also picked up some poster paint and little watercolor paint palettes to 
color our fossils.  (I know that isn't legit to all you Science Teachers, but hey, live a little!)  
The Flour and Salt Recipe Lesson Plan and info can be found here.  
This recipe makes these little "sugar cookie" patties and after a day of 80 degree heat, they still aren't dry and they are breaking apart very easily.  Just FYI.

Here are some pics:

Goo and Iced Sidewalk Chalk

For week one at the YMCA Summer Camps, we looked at substances that were or could be solid, liquid and gas.  

I found 2 activities on Pinterest that looked really fun that also matched the Standards.  The first is the Goo, you know, that goopy slimy stuff.  It was actually a LOT easier to make than I expected!  We used a bottle of generic store brand white glue, water, food coloring, borax, a bowl, spatula and then a sharpie to write the kids names on the baggies so they could take it home with them.  I also read somewhere you can add glitter to the mixture and make it sparkly (maybe next time I will try that!).

It turned out really well, super easy to make, the kids helped with each of the steps and loved playing with it.  The ages of the kids range from kindergarten to 5th grade.  Definitely a keeper!  Here are some pics:

The full recipe and ingredients and all that can be found here. 

The next activity we did was play with Iced Sidewalk Chalk.  Now, this I made at home the night before and brought it in a cooler.  The kids LOVED the ice and drawing on the black pavement of the mini parking lot we had.  They drew, they played, they made stamps with their hands and they begged for more.  This one is also a keeper!  It wasn't too bad to mix at home either and then just grab the ice cube trays and stick 'em in a cooler and you're good to go.  Here are some pics:

Description, information and the site I used is found here.  

All in all, I think Week One was a success.  The kids all had a great time, I tried to incorporate the Science behind everything, but I was also afraid I might tell them something incorrect.  So, I stuck to the basics and kept it simple.  This summer is going to be a blast!!

**Now, I am not a Science teacher, I just went through the ES and MS Standards for FCPS and did my best interpretations and then searched on Pinterest for activities that matched up.  If you are a Science Teacher, plus advise but don't criticize, and if you want, please use the activities in your classroom or at home.  I will write a little reflection after each activity and let you know if it was a flop, or a Huge Hit!  

Ode to Binkie

Under pillows

in the car

peeking from under the bed

bunny noses

little frog smiles

comforts at night

midday naptime

purple

pink

and froggy green

"I need my bink before I get mean!"

They are everywhere I put my keys

my purse

the kitchen

the kitchen sink

Car glove box

5 under the couch

washer

dryer

bubby's toy box

At night

they like to disappear

when needing them is most dear

"Where is that little thing?"

I ask around

usually I can find them abound

But they like to hide

when we need them most

I swear we have like 25!

3 in each room

just in case

in my bag, the pantry

and next to the vase

We step on them, trip and kick, but when she cries

"What the heck!"

Where are you bink?

I think aloud

Ssshhhshshshshssshhhh

--but she's out --

Don't.Make.A.Sound.........   ..  . ..    ....zzzzz