Saturday, February 22, 2014
Problem Solving
"you can do better than this" I told them. "Please try this again."
And they did try again. And they did much better.
We, of course, had the "do it right the first time." "give your best effort." "If you got 100% the 2nd time, you could have done that the 1st time" talk.
And I was freaking out. We have a benchmark test in three short weeks. We have the MAP test in 7 weeks. Now is NOT the time for us to mentally check out.
And then I *hated* the thoughts in my head.
Since when do I worry that much about a standardized test? Since when am I okay with a skill and drill format?
Here's the thing .... I'm not.
I have kiddos that are low readers. Half of the students in my class have IEPs. These kids need connections. They need me to tie everything to the real world. To give them hands on activities. To make things stick. They desperately need things to be fun.
And I didn't give them that last week.
So, next week you won't find my kiddos doing worksheets. You will find us learning about sequencing. You will find us reviewing figurative language. But there won't be any skill and drill. Instead there will be story reading. And paper folding. And creating monsters based on similes and metaphors. Because that's fun. And that's memorable. And that's what we need.
Granted, at some point we will still have to rectify this idea of "I don't have to try the first time I do a quiz" ... because that really could be terrible when we get to our major testing. But having fun has been known to magically fix all kinds of problems before. So maybe, just maybe, when I give a skills quiz at the end of the week my kids will give their best effort the first time and our problem will be solved. :)
Friday, February 7, 2014
The Doldrums
If you haven't read "The Phantom Tollbooth" by Norton Juster ... Go do it. It is, quite possibly, the best fiction book of all time. The wit. The humor. The word play. I. Love. It.
If you've never read it and therefore never met Milo ... I'm sorry. He's a guy worth knowing and takes a trip worth going on. However, right towards the beginning of the trip Milo runs into a problem. In the midst of a day dream he suddenly realizes the car he was driving has stopped completely, and he has no idea where he is.
Soon we meet a group of small creatures known as the Lethargians who inform Milo that he is in The Doldrums.
In The Doldrums it is against the law to think. It is against the law to laugh. And to smile. And yet, though the Lethargians cannot think nor laugh, they somehow manage to have a completely full schedule ... you see, "...its really quite strenuous doing nothing all day."
Thankfully for Milo, the 'terrible' watchdog who is 'always sniffing around to see that nobody wastes time' comes by. When he asks Milo why he is there, Milo has no real answer, but claims he was headed somewhere else when he got stuck here. Milo asks for help ... But the watchdog says Milo must help himself. 'I suppose you know why you got stuck.' The watchdog states.
'I guess I just wasn't thinking' Milo replies.
*GASP*
How often am I stuck in the doldrums? How often do I find myself in some pit of boredom or loneliness? How often do I feel stuck? How often am I idle? How often do I sin by not doing things? How often am I just plain lazy? How often do I wonder how I got where I am?....how often do all those things happen because I just wasn't thinking?
All. Too. Often.
And let me tell you ... It really is quite strenuous doing nothing all day.
But don't worry ... The watchdog soon informs Milo that "...since you for here by not thinking, it seems reasonable to expect that, in order to get out, you must start thinking." So with the watchdogs help, Milo's wheels are soon turning again, taking his car in the direction he had wanted to go in the first place.
How obvious. How straight forward. How simple.
So here's to thinking. To doing. To being about God's business. To progress. To passion and determination. To gumption. And to lots and lots of thought.
Because Milo's fantastically awesome story would have never been written had he remained stuck in The Doldrums ... And neither would mine.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Perceptions, Line Walking, and Why I Don't Drink
- Ephesians 5:18 says "Do not be drunk with wine."
- Galatians 5:21 lists "drunkenness" in a list of things ended with "they which do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."
- 1 Corinthians 6:10 has a similar list and thought.
- Titus 2:3 encourages women to be "not given to much wine"
Think Time
Like the book I just finished.... "Hello, I'm Your Bible: A Practical Guide to Accurately Handling the Word of Truth" by Jason Hardin. It is exactly what it claims to be - practical. It is an "easy" read and fairly comprehensive about lots of big ideas. It challenged me - it inspired me - it made me think. Check it out.
...and now I'm off to do some more reading ... you know, a break down of the MAP test. Hopefully I'll have enough think time to process it and find some way to tackle it! ;).