Now, you are probably wondering, what does that have to do with my title: "Where's the Beef?" Well, my 6th math teacher at Castillero Middle School was always one of favorite teachers and really caused me to engage in math in a way I hadn't before. I remember on the first day of class she wanted to get to know her students and make them feel comfortable by asking each one what she would like to call them. When she came to me, I had somehow been given the nickname Beef in the 5th grade. To this day, I don't even remember who or why I got that nickname, but it stuck back then (By the way...I am no longer called that today). The only thing I can think of were those Wendy's commercials and motto was "Where's the Beef?" showcasing that old lady in the drive-thru asking "Where's the Beef?" Anyways, Mrs. Burke honored my nickname and always referred to me as Beef from that day forward. Why do I share that with this blog post you ask?
Sunday, January 25, 2015
#YourEdustory Week 3: Where's the Beef?
I had many favorite teachers as I worked my way up the proverbial K12 escalator we know as education. Although my K-5 teachers are somewhat foggy to me, I do remember benchmarks/memories of certain things I learned that I have taken into my profession/teaching style today. For instance, I clearly remember my 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Falk, exposing our class to the Space Shuttle Challenger launch. We did a whole month long project/unit on NASA, robotics, and engineering and how math applied to this field. She was ahead of her time as far as STEAM goes today. At any rate, I really enjoyed the hands-on activities and approach that she took leading up to the day of the Challenger launch. We all eagerly anticipated that day and watched in class on an old 32" Zenith tube TV. Obviously a day of tragedy and tears to say the least, but I remember the way that Mrs. Falk handled the situation. As the Challenger exploded I remember her stating that there had been a malfunction with the shuttle and the plan didn't go as they thought. As I sat in my seat, I remember being really confused and didn't exactly know what was going on. I did notice some girls crying and asking, "Is the teacher on the shuttle ok?" over and over. However, for some reason I remember the calmness that Mrs. Falk displayed while many other teachers excused themselves to hide their emotions from the rest of the 9 year-olds in the room. Mrs. Falk I am sure was doing all she could to keep her own emotions under control, but she led her 4th graders in the midst of unexpected tragedy with leadership that as I look back on now as someone that proved to be a hero in her own right.
Now, you are probably wondering, what does that have to do with my title: "Where's the Beef?" Well, my 6th math teacher at Castillero Middle School was always one of favorite teachers and really caused me to engage in math in a way I hadn't before. I remember on the first day of class she wanted to get to know her students and make them feel comfortable by asking each one what she would like to call them. When she came to me, I had somehow been given the nickname Beef in the 5th grade. To this day, I don't even remember who or why I got that nickname, but it stuck back then (By the way...I am no longer called that today). The only thing I can think of were those Wendy's commercials and motto was "Where's the Beef?" showcasing that old lady in the drive-thru asking "Where's the Beef?" Anyways, Mrs. Burke honored my nickname and always referred to me as Beef from that day forward. Why do I share that with this blog post you ask?
Well, as much as I respected her for that and the way she led her math instruction, I remember that she never would get up from her seat to move around and monitor the classroom, As a teacher today, I am constantly monitoring my classroom and am very active around the room. In fact, I don't even have a desk in my class anymore! I always recall Mrs. Burke's math class as an enjoyable class, but I also remember there being quite a bit of rowdy and unruly behavior in there partly because of the fact that she was always in the front and never would walk around to see what students were actually doing. So I credit Mrs. Burke as being a favorite teacher of mine and calling me by a nickname that was kind of cool, but more-so someone who I learned as an educator to not always be in one spot. I think being in the center of the room causes students to see that the teacher is the one always guiding the learning, as opposed to the students owning their education. Now obviously I need to instruct and guide, but I don't want to always have that front of the room presence. So, as I learn from my previous teachers, especially my favorite ones, I know there is always a different approach that is more effective for a group of students from year-to-year.
Now, you are probably wondering, what does that have to do with my title: "Where's the Beef?" Well, my 6th math teacher at Castillero Middle School was always one of favorite teachers and really caused me to engage in math in a way I hadn't before. I remember on the first day of class she wanted to get to know her students and make them feel comfortable by asking each one what she would like to call them. When she came to me, I had somehow been given the nickname Beef in the 5th grade. To this day, I don't even remember who or why I got that nickname, but it stuck back then (By the way...I am no longer called that today). The only thing I can think of were those Wendy's commercials and motto was "Where's the Beef?" showcasing that old lady in the drive-thru asking "Where's the Beef?" Anyways, Mrs. Burke honored my nickname and always referred to me as Beef from that day forward. Why do I share that with this blog post you ask?
Monday, January 19, 2015
#YourEdustory Week 2 - Inspired by MLK: How Will You Make the World a Better Place?
How will I make the world a better place? Wow! Can there be a more powerful question to take a moment and think about then that one? As an educator who takes a lot of pride in my job every time I step foot into the classroom, I take this question extremely serious. And who better to get influence from then the one and only Martin Luther King, Jr.?
Every year I start off day 1 with my students talking about how time is a big deal to me and should be to them. I tell them that there are only 24 hours in the day and I only have about 6 hours a day with them to lead them in their education journey. This is mainly a pep talk to myself to remember that I need to use the most of my time with my students because I truly only have a limited amount in their lives to instill in them the lessons that I believe will assist in making their world (and ours) a better place to live in. Time seems to be that one thing that teachers always complain about not having enough of. Am I right? No matter what sector you are in education, time is always the enemy. I hate this because I do cherish the most of my time with my students to expose them to as much as I can to truly get them to understand who they are as people. The thing I always wrestle around with is how do I get this accomplished amidst the day-to-day curriculum, benchmark exams, IEP meetings, and all the other minutia I wade around within 180 school days?
One thing I take a lot of honor in as a teacher is to not only teach my students what they need to know for 6th grade, but to also guide them in learning what their purpose is and what they are truly good at. If I truly am going to make this world a better place, it is my job to instill in students what their sweet spot is under my watch. I know some teachers will disagree with me in that this is one of our responsibilities as a teacher. Now it might not be written necessarily in our job description, but I believe we have a huge role to play in supporting students in finding what they are created to do. And I might not get them all the way there in one year, but I feel the time I have with them I can make a huge dent in getting them on that path. I think if I keep this at the forefront of my mind everyday I plan, prepare, and create I can bring out the best in my kids which will in turn assist in making students the best they can become and therefore making this world a better place. Not an easy task, but something I long to achieve for the benefit of my students. Then again, the task that MLK set out to do was not an easy one either.
Image credited to Wikipedia Commons
 |
| Martin Luther King, Jr. |
Every year I start off day 1 with my students talking about how time is a big deal to me and should be to them. I tell them that there are only 24 hours in the day and I only have about 6 hours a day with them to lead them in their education journey. This is mainly a pep talk to myself to remember that I need to use the most of my time with my students because I truly only have a limited amount in their lives to instill in them the lessons that I believe will assist in making their world (and ours) a better place to live in. Time seems to be that one thing that teachers always complain about not having enough of. Am I right? No matter what sector you are in education, time is always the enemy. I hate this because I do cherish the most of my time with my students to expose them to as much as I can to truly get them to understand who they are as people. The thing I always wrestle around with is how do I get this accomplished amidst the day-to-day curriculum, benchmark exams, IEP meetings, and all the other minutia I wade around within 180 school days?
One thing I take a lot of honor in as a teacher is to not only teach my students what they need to know for 6th grade, but to also guide them in learning what their purpose is and what they are truly good at. If I truly am going to make this world a better place, it is my job to instill in students what their sweet spot is under my watch. I know some teachers will disagree with me in that this is one of our responsibilities as a teacher. Now it might not be written necessarily in our job description, but I believe we have a huge role to play in supporting students in finding what they are created to do. And I might not get them all the way there in one year, but I feel the time I have with them I can make a huge dent in getting them on that path. I think if I keep this at the forefront of my mind everyday I plan, prepare, and create I can bring out the best in my kids which will in turn assist in making students the best they can become and therefore making this world a better place. Not an easy task, but something I long to achieve for the benefit of my students. Then again, the task that MLK set out to do was not an easy one either.
Image credited to Wikipedia Commons
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Bonsai
bonsai
[bon-sahy, -zahy, bohn-, bon-sahy, -zahy, bohn-]
noun, plural bonsai.
P.S. I was even inspired to buy my own bonsai tree to put in my classroom!
[bon-sahy, -zahy, bohn-, bon-sahy, -zahy, bohn-]
1.
a tree or shrub that has been dwarfed, as by pruning the roots andpinching, and is grown in a pot or other container and trained toproduce a desired shape or effect.
2.
the art or hobby of developing and growing such a plant or plants.
 |
| bonsai |
Ok. So I chose the word bonsai for the word that will inspire me in 2015. You are probably wondering, why did he choose a word that automatically makes me think of Karate Kid? Obviously not part 2 or 3 because as we all know, those were, well...lame. My intentions were not to make you think of this classic 80's film, but rather it is a word that is intended to inspire me when it comes to my students. Each day my 34 6th graders enter my dojo (see what I did there?) ready to be shaped and molded into who they are to become. Naturally I want to say that I alone will be the one that shapes my students, but I primarily chose the word bonsai as a reminder that my students are the ones that are to do the main pruning and training with their learning. Obviously I am the one that assists them in giving them the "pruning sheers" so-to-speak, but ultimately I want my students to own their education and how and why they are creating their own "shape or effect."
So as I begin 2015, I shall enter in with the wise words of the late Pat Morita (Mr. Miyagi), "BONSAI! Daniel-san. BONSAI!"
P.S. I was even inspired to buy my own bonsai tree to put in my classroom!
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