Mrs. Graham's 5th grade

Today I went on my last visit to TZ intermediate school. I was kinda sad to be done, but really learned a lot through my 3 visits to TZ. I have decided that I really like the concept of an intermediate school and I think it adds a different vibe to the "elementary school" setting.

Today I went to Mrs. Graham's 5th grade class. I was surprised to find out that at TZ each grade has its own special ed teacher who has their own classroom. Mrs. Graham is TZ's 5th grade special ed teacher. Because TZ is an inclusion school, I got to travel with Mrs. Graham from classroom to classroom. It was really neat to look at inclusion in practice with proper special ed support.

Below is a picture of one of Mrs. Graham's students using an alpha smart. I think alpha smarts are so cool and allow students to get typing experience without being on an "actual" computer.


On of the neat things that Mrs. Graham and the other fifth grade teachers do is a classroom economic system. The kids in the 5th grade are "paid " to do their classroom jobs, "paid" for accomplishments and "paid" for good behavior. You can see the money below. Not only do these 5th graders make money, but they also have to pay up!! The students are charged taxes, insurance and are fined for talking during quite time, forgetting to push in their chairs etc. I thought this was a really unique way to get kids thinking and understanding economics!


As you can see below, this is the jar that students deposited their "insurance payments". Students could also spend money on special treats like a lunch out with the teacher ($100) or for convenient things ($50) to turn in a late paper for full credit!

During my visit I was also able to sit down and help struggling students. It was a fun day and I really enjoyed getting a peak into Mrs. Graham's life as a special ed teacher!

Mrs. Ames' 4th Grade Class

Today I got to go back to TZ and visit Mrs. Ames' 4th grade class! It was a very interactive and fun day!!

I arrived at TZ at 10:00 and entered the "4th grade pod". TZ is set up in a pod design. 4 classrooms share 1 pod. The pod is a common area that has 6 computers, sinks, bathrooms & sinks. The 4th grade pod was decorated with work from all of the different 4th grade classes. Below you you will see the animal fact reports that were made by Mrs. Ames' students.

I love to see teachers combine education and technology. Although adding a technology component takes extra time, I really think it's an important skill that often is missed in Elementary schools.

I was very impressed with the work that these 4th graders did. Not only were their posters impressive looking, but the content was also very impressive!


When I entered Mrs. Ames' classroom, I instantly noticed her attention to detail. Below is a "race track" with student's names and pictures on them. Her students try to "stay on track" the whole day! I thought this was a very cute way of making students feel apart of the classroom community.


Shortly after arriving, the students broke up into small groups throughout the classroom. It was fun to see how they built their ideas off each other and worked as a team. This 4th grade class definitely worked well as a group! They had great classroom dynamic and really seamed to get along!

During lunch I helped Mrs. Ames' set up science stations. In 4th grade, teachers rotate students from teacher to teacher for one hour a day. It was fun to help set up and execute the science lesson for the 3 different classes that day!

Above is a station we created to have students test magnetic attraction.

At the station above, students were able to transfer magnetic current and "make their own magnets"

This last station (above) let students experiment how "negatives attract".

Below you will see the students traveling from station to station! The activities were great and I was so happy that I could be apart of this lesson!





When we got back to the classroom, the students showed me the "animal alliterations" that they just had created! They were so proud of these little animals and I thought it was a great way to have students apply their knowledge of alliteration.








One of my favorite things about TZ is all the amazing artwork all throughout the school. The art teacher there is really good about combining art with other learning. Below you will see the robots that this 4th grade class is working on. The robots are made of all recycled materials and the students are learning about "going green" and being Eco-friendly.



The students also had to create fliers (as seen below) to market and sell their robot. Again, the art teacher really made the scope of the project extend to much more than just "art".


Another fun activity that the class got to do (as seen below) was to create a color wheel out of cookies and frosting!! I loved this idea and thought it was very cute and interactive. I'm sure that the kids in this 4th grade class will remember this activity always!

The hallways of TZ was lined with these wind charms (as seen below) created by the 4th graders. I loved how the halways of TZ were lined with these fun and cheery projects. I think that displaying childrens work helps to create a sence of community.





Below is another art project that the 4th graders have done this year!



I ended my day at 2pm, tired, but very fufilled. I really enjoyed shadowing Mrs. Ames and really learned alot from her!

Mrs. Ramsey's 3rd Grade Class

Today I went to Mrs. Ramsey's 3rd grade classroom at Tzouanakis Elementary school in Greencastle. It was such a treat to be in Mrs. Ramsey's class! She warmly greeted me and let me observe her class for a 4 hour block. When I first arrived the class was in the Library. I sat and observed how well behaved her class was. They were very good listeners and were quite and respectful while the librarian read to them. I was very impressed with their manners as they are only 3rd graders!!

After library, the class went back to Mrs. Ramsey's room and transitioned into English by singing 4 English songs by Shurley. The songs were so cute. Mrs. Ramsey gave me a copy of the songs which I will list below!

Un-Quigley, Un-Quigley

Un-Quigley, Un-Quigley
What are you going to do?
You've got a frown on your face,
And you're singing the blues!
You're not organized, Quigley;
You are not prepared.
You're not listening,
And your mind's not there.
You don't have plans, and you don't have goals.
Your homework's unfinished,
And you've been told.
You need to get your act together
'Cause you don't have a clue.
You've got the Study Skill Blues!

O-Quigley, O-Quigley
Now, you see what to do.
You've got a smile on your face,
And your lookin' cool!
You're so organized, Quigley;
You are so prepared.
You're listening carefully,
And your mind is there.
You've got plans, and you've got goals.
Your homework is finished;
You don't have to be told.
You've got your act together, Quigley.
'Cause you followed the clues.
And you're not singing the Study Skills Blues!


The Sentence Jingle

A sentence, sentence, sentence
Is complete, complete, complete
When five simple rules
It meets, meets, meets.

It has a subject, subject, subject
And a verb, verb, verb.
And it make sense, sense, sense
With every word, word word.

Add a capital letter
And a punctuation mark.
And now our sentence has all its parts!

But REMEMBER-
Subject and verb and complete sense.
With a a capital letter and an end mark, too.
Our sentence is complete,
And now we're through!


The Verb Jingle

A verb, a verb
What is a verb?
Haven't you heard?
There are two kinds of verbs:
The action verb
And the linking verb.

The action verb
Shows a state of action
Like stand and sit and smile.
The action verb is always in motion
Because it tells what the subject does.
We stand! We sit! We smile!

The linking verb shows a state of being.
Like am, is, are, was, and were,
Looks, becomes, grows, and feels.
The linking verb shows no action
Because it tells what the subject is.
He is a clown. He looks funny.


The Noun Jingle

This is a noun jingle, my friend,
A noun jingle, my friend.
You can shake it to the left
And shake it to the right.
Find yourself a noun,
And then recite:

A noun names a person.
A noun names a thing.
A noun names a person,
Place, thing,
And sometimes an idea.

Person, place, thing, idea!
Person, place, thing, idea!

So shake it to the left,
And shake it to the right.
Find yourself a noun,
And feel just right!

I thought these songs were so cute and served as a great transition tool after being away from the classroom. After the songs, Mrs. Ramsey worked on identifying nouns and verbs with her students. She made it very interactive and used the smart board as seen below.


The smart board is a great classroom tool! I think that more classrooms should be equip with these! It's great that a teacher can save his or her board work to his or her computer. I would imagine that this makes it much easier for students who missed class to catch up!

After the English activity, the students went to lunch. After lunch they pulled out their library books and read silently for 10 minutes. This time allowed Mrs. Ramsey to finish putting up the drawing that the students had made onto the bulletin board. Also during this time, Mrs. Ramsey rotated students to do "fast math" on the computer. I thought this was a very effective time management tacit.

After silent reading, the students gathered on the classroom rug to listen to a girl name Rose read a story she wrote and submitted to reading rainbow. Apparently the class had seen a reading rainbow video the week before with Rose talking about the book she submitted last year that one 3rd place out of 400 entries. The story was so cute and the illustrations that she did herself were AMAZING!! One thing I quickly noticed in Mrs. Ramsey's class was that she was very good at pointing out the talents of each of her students! Allowing Rose to share her story with the class was good for Rose's self esteem, but it was also a good eye opening experience for the rest of the students in the class. They were all eager to ask Rose how she found out about this contest and how long it took her to create the book. It was really neat to be apart of this class activity! Below is a photo of Rose reading her story to the class.


One things I noticed about Tzouanakis in general is that it was very bright and cheery building. The walls were painted blue and green and artwork was proudly displayed throughout all the halls. Below is part of a mural that the 3rd grade class painted. Each grade at TZ had a wall mural that was hung in the halls of the school. The artwork and color really made the school feel like "home" and it was clear that the teachers at TZ were very proud of their students work!!


Below is a picture of the fish that were hanging in the hall! I loved these fish! What a great use for old 2 liter bottles! Each fish was decorated uniquely and adorned the hallways! It helped to keep that warm open environment!

Overall, I really enjoyed my visit to TZ and Mrs. Ramsey's 3rd grade class! I can't wait to go back next week and check out 4th grade!!

Ron Clark- The Excellent 11 - Chapter 11 Resilence

Clark opens the final chapter with the following quote, "There is no greater job in the world than raising a child. It is also unfortunately, one of the most difficult tasks anyone can ever undertake. As parents and teachers we must remember that when times are rough and difficulties arise through the learning and growing process, we have to stand strong and remain committed to doing whatever is necessary to raise our children with optimism, understanding, and love." (231)

Clark begins by talking about how overenthusiasm leads to teacher burn out. Teaching is a very demanding profession, and it it easy for teachers to feel burnt out, under appreciated, overworked and emotionally drained. Clark talks about as teachers, we have to learn to say no and put ourselves first. Often times teachers feel as though they can't say no, or feel guilty doing so, but if you don't do this, a burn out is enviable. Clark talks about refueling yourself so that you can be resilient and work through hard and draining points of teaching. He says that if you want to make teaching a lifelong profession, you have to take breaks along the way.

This chapter was short, but to the point, as a teacher you have to work through the hard points (because you know they are going to be there) and be resilient by taking care of yourself. You have to remind yourself and discover you love and passion within teaching and constantly remind yourself of it. I know personally that I have gone on a roller coaster trying to decide if teaching is the right profession for me. I know that my heart and my passion is totally in teaching, but I worry about keeping up with the demands and burning out. It has forced me to analyze and see if traditional classroom teaching is the right field for me. I think what I have learned most about Clark's books is that teaching skills are life skills. We are all teachers in some facet, and that the skills he is talking about can be adapted into almost any and every field.

Ron Clark- The Excellent 11 - Chapter 10 Appreciation

Chapter 10: Appreciation

In this chapter, Clark stresses the importance of teaching students appreciation and showing students that you appreciate them. We live in a day and age where skills like appreciation are not always taught at home, and sometimes never learned. What Clark attempts to do in all his work, is to equip his students with the skills they need to succeed in life. Teaching appreciation is just another way that Clark is equipping and preparing his students.

Clark writes, " At school I talk with the students about how important it is to go out of your way to show appreciation to those who help you. I point out how the custodians are working hard every day to make the school the best possible environment for them to learn in. In order to thank them, I have the students bring in drinks, chips, and covered dishes from home, and at lunchtime we spread tablecloths on the desks, set out the food, turn down the lights, put on some soft music, and hang a banner that reads, "We appreciate you'." (207) I was lucky to be raised by a mother and father who really paid attention to manners and enforced displaying gratitude. I remember as a child dreading handwriting thank you notes. But now, as an Adult, I realize how and why they were so important. My grandmother is very ill and when we went to go visit her over fall break, she told me how much it means to hear that I write her letters and thank you notes all the time. Out of her 20 grandchildren, she said only 5 of them write her thanks you notes. I really was shocked to hear that she didn't get thanks from her other grand children, because to me, it was second nature. But what I have realized is that sometimes appreciation skills and displayments of gratitude are not taught to children. I think that Clark is really helping out his students in the long run. By giving them these skills, they will succeed and be better for it in the future.

In the next section, Clark talks about appreciation for teachers and all the work they do. In order to teach, you must have passion and drive, because often times it's a thankless job. Teachers don't see their thanks in their paychecks and often times don't hear it through the mouths of their students. Clark talks about how many teachers leave the profession because they don't receive any thanks or appreciation at all. I think the hardest thing about going into teaching is knowing that it will be a relatively thankless job. Teachers put the hear, soul and lives into their students, only to loose them a year later. It's important to recognize teachers for the great things they do, are doing and will continue to do.

Clark also talks about the importance for teachers to show appreciation to the administration. When teachers and administrative staff work well together, it helps to make a more streamlined and cohesive unit in the school system. Teachers need to go out of their way to work with the administration to make school a better place. Clark talks about avoiding negativity and trying to look at things in a positive and uplifting light. It's amazing how much better you feel when you start to look at the glass half full rather than half empty. Positive attitudes spread and can lift the moral of a school and district. Clark also talks about being apart of a solution rather than the problem. He writes, "When the students aren't motivated there are weak teachers, or the school's test scores are low, it is always easy to place the blame on the administration. The best way to help the situation0, however, is to ask yourself what you can do to make improvements and have a positive impact on the school. It might involve tutoring after school, sharing lesson plans with other teachers, or finding various ways to improve the school environment, but no matter what way teachers contribute, it's all about taking ownership for the condition of the school instead of placing the blame on others." (220)

I think that this chapter was very insightful and made me think about how to show appreciation to all the people who help us in our lives. A simple thanks or a card can really reinforce and positively lift up individuals for the hard work they do. I think that this chapter was another great look into the life skills that Clark strives to instill in his students.

Ron Clark- The Excellent 11 - Chapter 9 Common Sense

Chapter 9: Common Sense

In the opening of this chapter Clark writes, " What I found, however, is that when we are more specific with children and let them know exactly what we expect from them, they are far more willing to try to live up to those expectations." (181) It is easy as teachers to forget what it's like to be a child and things that may seem to be common sense to an adult are not even on the radar of a child. As teachers, we must be aware of how we speak to children and the types of words we use with them.

Children believe what they are told- self fulfilling prophesy, so as teachers, we must be aware of what we are saying and how that effects the students that we teach. Sometimes it's the job of the teacher to break down self fulfilling prophesy's that other teachers or parents have created. When a student hears "You are so disrespectful" or "You never do your homework" they start to believe it.

Clark talks in the next section about how often times teachers assume that organizational skills are common scene. However, often times students have never been taught how to be organized. As adults and teachers we can't assume that children have the tools to know how to be organized. We must help to shape and teach students and give them the tools they need to succeeded.

In the last section Clark talks about how common scene leads to better results. Clark talks about how he couldn't understand why his students were not doing well on test. He quickly realized that something he took as common scene - how to study- was something that his students didn't know how to do. Clark then made a book teaching and showing his kids how to study. The book contained the following things.

1. make flash cards
2. read summaries of each chapter
3. pay close attention to photographs, diagrams and captions
4. Take note of anything in bold
5. read over class notes
6. review all pop quizzes and chapter tests
7. make sure you have a morning review
8. get a good night rest
9. don't be afraid to ask for help

I think what I learned most from this chapter is that we have t remember what it's like to be a child. Things that may seem common knowledge to teachers may be foreign to a student. This chapter was all about giving the tools to help children succeed and not assuming something to be common knowledge.

Ron Clark- The Excellent 11 - Chapter 8 Humor

Chapter 8: Humor

In this chapter 8 Clark talks about the important element of Humor and the balance that in needed with it. He starts by talking about how laughter is a universal language and can serve as a connecting cord for students and their relationship with teachers. Clark discusses how as teachers we have to sometimes just laugh off and not to sweat the small stuff. Small little issues are going to come up when we are teaching and sometimes it's just easier to laugh it off.

Another area that Clark dabbles in is understanding the humor of children. Sometimes its hard to remember that children don't see and understand humor in the same way we do. As teachers we have to remember what it is like to be young and try to understand the humor that children see. Laughter can be a mask for not knowing what kind of emotion to display or being uncomfortable.

From reading this chapter I also was able to reflect on the boundaries of humor. As teachers you have to understand what are appropriate boundaries for humor. Humor can be a great way to connect with students, but it should never be at the expense of someone else. "Picking on" or "poking fun" on a student might seem like fun and games, but it can effect that student even if it seems not too. Clark talks about how students usually laugh this picking on off, but only because they don't know how to respond. By making sure humor isn't hurting or embarrassing anyone, you can rest assure that humor is only adding positively not negatively.

Clark talks about how humor can relieve stress in a classroom and make it a more open and friendly environment. Clark talks about how we naturally want to be around people who are laughing and when you incorporate that into the classroom, it makes students want to be there. Laughter and Humor can take away blues and help students feel comfortable and welcomed in the school environment.