Creativity

COVID put an extra stress on teachers and changed the way we teach from an in-person model to an in-person and online model. The effect of COVID caused children to be educationally and socially stunted. Colleges have stopped requesting ACT and SAT scores as qualifiers for entry. College courses are being created to teach students how to be students. Elementary schools are reporting more behavior and higher numbers of diagnosed ADHD and autism. This effect is adding to the stress of an already stressful job! Something similar happened to students during the great depression--it took 8 years for education to recover--but it did recover!

Teaching, while incredibly rewarding, is also one of the most demanding professions, often leaving educators feeling overwhelmed and depleted. This stress can make it challenging to tap into the creative energy needed to develop engaging lesson plans or solve classroom challenges! Creativity thrives in a relaxed and focused mind, yet stress can significantly hinder our ability to think creatively (Amabile, 1996). 

However, it’s important to remember that this is normal and entirely okay. Taking time for self-care—whether through mindfulness, exercise, hobbies, or simply resting—can help reduce stress and restore creativity. By prioritizing your well-being, you’re not only replenishing your creative capacity but also setting a powerful example for your students. When you take care of yourself, you can return to the classroom as a more inspired and effective teacher (Gouin et al., 2011).

Though it's easy to say "take care of yourself" I understand the constant push to improve my classroom. I've been up past midnight prepping Science Labs; I've spent my own money buying supplies. I don't have answers or a magic wand to make everything perfect. But I have found that taking a teacher recess is necessary sometimes!

So please, just remember: You are doing amazing work teachers! Keep going! I hope the lesson plans found here might be of some help to you.

References:

• Amabile, T. M. (1996). Creativity in Context. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
• Gouin, J. P., Kiecolt-Glaser, J. K., Malarkey, W. B., & Glaser, R. (2011). The influence of anger expression on wound healing. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 25(2), 298–303.

I love my job

 I love my work. 

It's absolutely amazing to work with teachers and students. I love creating lesson plans, creating visuals or games for teachers, but most especially I love teaching kids.

Yes, elementary kids still make me nervous. Middle/Junior and High school kids still are my main jam. 

Fellow teachers....are still the hardest to teach. (Though I'm still more nervous in front of a classroom of cute kindergarten students!)

I appreciate the opportunity to teach and I hope that I can continually learn and improve my own practice of teaching. I hope that I can improve my rigor, ungrade my questions and find new ways to teach students in an ever evolving world. 

My greatest hope is to unlock the realms of understanding of the works of the Creator, of the heavens, the earth and all that are in them. I have perhaps been shy of placing my religious beliefs with my science beliefs--so I'll say directly here...there is no conflict between science and religion. If a conflict ever arises then there is misunderstanding between one or the other which requires further study.

Go Out And Learn,

Mrs. R

Universal Design for Learning: UDL

 Universal Design for Learning: UDL is an interesting subject which plays on the ideas of "design for all, instead of remedial for some."

Lessons are meant to be dynamic enough to allow all students, regardless of background, experience or language to explain in a unique matter what they know. 

Are you an artist? A writer? A historian? A scientist? 

What are you? 

Imagine having a lesson which allows students to report their knowledge in a unique manner? Instead of having 210+ of the same assignment, now you have information flowing through art, written language, dance, mathematics... these dynamics combine to create a realm of vast knowledge both in life and in your classroom. 

Want to learn more about how you can add UDL to your classroom? 

Dive into UDL by Kendra Grant and Luis Perez: https://www.amazon.com/Dive-Into-UDL-Second-Immersive/dp/1564849333

UDL Guidelines: https://udlguidelines.cast.org/

SEEd Standards Science Summaries

 I love this document: SEEd Standards Science Summaries

I think it was complied by Alpine School District but I'm not sure. 

For integration and vertical alignment for grades K-6, I love it. Thanks, whomever put this together. (If you happen to know the author, I would prefer to add a reference link.) Thanks! Mrs. R

Concepts and Standards Subjects and Grade Levels
Living Things   - Needs of humans, plants & animals for survival, adaptation, resources.	K.2 - Living things and their surroundings 1.2 - The Needs of Living Things and their Offspring 2.2 - Living Things and Their Habitats 3.2 - Effects of Traits on Survival 4.1 - Organisms Functioning in their Environment 5.3 - Cycling Matter in Ecosystems 6.4 - Stability and Change in Ecosystems
Earth Changes  - Weathering, erosion, volcanoes, earthquakes, weather, cycles	K.1 - Weather Patterns 1.1 - Seasons and Space Patterns 2.1 - Changes in the Earth’s Surface  3.1 - Weather and Climate Patterns 4.4 - Observable Patterns in the Sky 5.1 - Characteristics and Interactions of Earth’s Systems 6.3 - Earth’s Weather Patterns and Climate
Energy & Force - Push & Pull, energy transfer, Electricity, Magnetism, Gravity, Heat	K.3 - Force, Motion & Interactions 1.3 - Light & Sound 3.3 - Force Affects Motion 4.2 - Energy Transfer 4.3 - Wave Patterns 6.2 - Energy Affects Matter
Matter - Physical & Chemical, changes, density	2.3 - Properties of Matter 5.2 - Properties & Changes of Matter 5.3 - Cycling Matter in Ecosystems 6.2 - Energy Affects Matter
Space - Planets, Earth, Gravity, Solar System, Sun, Stars	K.1 - Weather Patterns  1.1 - Seasons & Space Patterns 3.3 - Force Affects Motion  4.4 - Observable Patterns in the Sky 6.1 - Structure & Motion Within the Solar System

T.B.R.I.

"Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) is a therapeutic model that trains caregivers to provide effective support and treatment for at-risk children. TBRI has been applied in orphanages, courts, residential treatment facilities, group homes, foster and adoptive homes, churches, and schools." (Purvis, 2013).

I recently completed a course for TBRI. I plan to take it again since the entire course is packed with information. 

You can find more information here:
https://child.tcu.edu/sale/#sthash.y9rP2hgg.mg6Io6FK.dpbs

or a link to the course here:
https://child.tcu.edu/free-tbri-101/#sthash.cIISB5WY.kyMxUxXf.dpbs

It is free until August 31, 2020

TBRI is more than just a way to address kids that come from hard places. It is a therapy provided to help children who come from hard places. It has suggestions for connecting to difficult kids. 

I see applications for many uses in and out of the classroom. 

How do we connect with our students? 

TBRI would suggest that we first have to connect with kids. The course used examples that included play therapy, feeding therapy, puzzles therapy. All of which are ways to get the child to talk to you.

In a Science Classroom this could be figuring out a new interesting phenomena! In a younger class you could have students eat a gobstopper and experience the sudden change of flavor as it dissolves on their tongue.

These may seem like simple, but they can lead the way to having honest good connections with students.

Part of TBRI is that you show caring for the whole child. We are not just concerned about their current grade or if they memorized a set of definitions. We are looking to connect with the whole child. Does your student enjoy drawing? Can they present their understanding with a drawing? Will that drawing better represent how they understand? It could be a student drawing a picture of the Coriolis effect rather than writing a paragraph about it. It could be a presentation on the effects of Entropy instead of a series of Entropy equations.

Every student connects in a different way. Can your class accommodate a full variety of learners? 

Go out and Learn!

~ Mrs. R

Purvis, K., Cross, D., Dansereau, D., and Parris, S., (2013) Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI): A Systemic Approach to Complex Developmental Trauma URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3877861/#:~:text=Trust%2DBased%20Relational%20Intervention%20(TBRI)%20is%20a%20therapeutic%20model,homes%2C%20churches%2C%20and%20schools.

Phenomena!

This year has been filled with new and interesting teaching challenges.

Admittedly, I am a secondary Science Teacher, not an elementary teacher. I have great respect for my fellow teachers, especially those who work with elementary aged students.

I had the opportunity to present three separate Science lessons to elementary students in Kindergarten and Second grade. Despite being horribly nervous (Why is it that middle schoolers don't faze me?) the lessons went well. The kids were engaged and it was actually great fun!

----Which leads me to my current topic of the day!

Have you taught using Phenomena?


What is Phenomena?
“Natural phenomena are observable events that occur in the universe and that we can use our
science knowledge to explain or predict.” (NGSS, 2016).

How do I use it in my classroom?
It’s common in the Science Classroom to deliver instruction and background information before
exploration and experimentation. When we teach using phenomena, we shift the exploration to
the beginning of a unit and use that phenomena to guide instruction into the curiosity and inquiry
of the student.

“By centering science education on phenomena that students are motivated to explain, the
focus of learning shifts from learning about a topic to figuring out why or how something
happens.” (NGSS, 2016).

As teachers we want to first introduce a new unit using a natural phenomena. Once the student
observes the occurrence they can begin to ask questions for why it happens. Teachers can
guide the instruction to help students solve real world problems. Appropriate phenomena should
spark curiosity, address the core standards, and can be investigated.
Phenomena does not need to be flashy. Careful engagement and questions from the teacher
can direct new inquiries into old phenomena and can engage all students. Use phenomena to
drive the interest of the student and it can become an anchoring idea that students will build on
for understanding.

More Specific Instruction:
2nd Grade-- Introduce the phases of the moon by having students observe the moon over a
series of days.(Do not just tell the students the phases of the moon, let them figure it out and how it's caused!) Have students come up with their own questions for why the lighted part of the
moon changes. (Standard 2, Objective 2). https://www.ngssphenomena.com/moon-phases

7th Grade-- Have students design their own experiment for testing Newton’s 3rd law of motion.
Allow students to observe the collision of small objects (i.e. marbles/softballs) of different mass
and determine their own reasons for why objects react the way they do. (Do not tell kids the definition of inertia, let them figure it out!)(Standard 7.1.2) A
small ping-pong ball balanced on a larger bouncy ball and dropped together works well for this
phenomena.

11th grade Physics-- Students can use data from high-speed cameras to observe elastic and
inelastic collisions and engineer new ways to decrease the overall impact.(Do not tell them how to slow down a collision, make them figure it out! Bonus if you have them calculate the final velocity/vectors of the collision.)  (Standard PHYS.1.3)

Several of my lesson plans already include phenomena, but I will be adding more phenomena soon, check back next week!

For more information on teaching using phenomena:
Phenomena for NGSS:
https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/Using%20Phenomena%20in%20NGSS.pdf
Georgia science Teachers association: https://www.georgiascienceteacher.org/phenomena
#project phenomena: https://sites.google.com/site/sciencephenomena/
Mystery Science (Elementary):https://mysteryscience.com/
The Wonder of Science: https://thewonderofscience.com/
Next gen storylines: https://www.nextgenstorylines.org/


Go Out and Learn!

Mrs. R

For the Love of Learning

There are multiple learning models available for teachers. Today I share my two favorites. I personally used these learning methods in my classroom. 

First: 

When I view this particular learning pyramid, I notice instantly the bottom layer. 90% of what a student says and does is retained in memory. As a teacher, this makes me want to instantly assign presentations for every teaching unit. Technically, according to this model, if I have my students present only, they should pass all final exams with a minimum score of 90%! Awesome! But, do our students actually retain 90% of learning when they create a presentation? If you've taught for longer than a year you should know that isn't true. 

However, as a public school teacher who taught multiple class periods of the same topic, I could've taught that last class period in my sleep. Okay, not really, but after presenting a topic several times in a row, you tend to master it in your brain. On occasion I felt bad for that first period of the day, they were my first daily experience of teaching, my students on whom I was experimenting new lesson plans. Whereas, the last class period of the day, I had ironed out any wrinkles, patched any holes and overall presented a better lesson.   

There are other ways that is same pyramid is presented. 

Notice two things, "Doing a Dramatic Presentation" and "After 2 weeks we tend to remember". Hmm... interesting. Dramatic presentation doesn't necessarily mean that we are looking at a powerpoint/keynote or Prezi. It means that we are dynamically engaging our students in the presentation, this could be through asking higher order questions, having students teach, experimenting with real life applications (i.e. doing something a real scientist/historian/mathematican would do.). In reality, each of the steps of the cone/pyramid of learning are important and you can dramatically engage students in a reading activity, hearing lesson, seeing exercise, etc.  

Also, think of the timeline required, 2 weeks to master 90% of the subject: 2 weeks, or 14 days, appoximately 3 weeks in a standard k-12, M-F, non-year round school is the minimum time needed for each unit or subunit according to the Cone of Learning by Edgar Dale.

Second:  

  

The inquiry method learning model. This model makes all steps equally important. Learning is a cycle in which one relection leads into a new wonder. The cycle builds on itself; student learning should lead into the next area of understanding.  But sometimes as teachers figuring out the bridge between one subject to the next is difficult.

Which learning models are your favorite?


Dale, E. (2014) Cone of Learning: http://acrlog.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/learningpyramid5.jpg

Dale, E. (1969) Audio Visual Methods in Teaching 3rd Ed. http://wiki.monroe.edu/images/7/7b/MediaConeLearning.png

Embi, M. (2016) Inquiry Learning Cycle Image: https://www.tes.com/lessons/Ur6rBJ5tyb5dcg/technology-enhanced-deep-learning