The Importance of Knowing Your Plants

Journey spotted this trouble making plant last summer in Missouri. I snapped the shot in hopes that it will prevent my 2nd graders from making the same mistake my former students did a few years ago...

I teach my students about plants by using wild ones that we find on the playground. Some people may call them weeds but they are readily available, free, have the same parts as any other plant, and are more interesting than you would ever believe!

That highly engaged class, nearly 20 years ago, was just learning to identify the plants on our school grounds. We were out on the playground doing a little exploring and picking out the plants we remembered when Jason came running up to me. Before I realized what was happening, he had shoved a large, bushy plant into my hand, saying, "Teacher! What is this?" I looked down out at a plant I was certain hadn't been on the playground. Within a couple of sinking seconds I had noticed the shapes and numbers of the leaves and realized what I was holding. "Jason, this is poison ivy. Where did you find it?" Jason pointed to a chain-link fence on the perimeter of the grounds. He had somehow pulled it out of a neighboring yard and through the fence!

After disposing of the plant over a wood fence into an empty lot, we all headed into the school. Not knowing who else had come in contact with it, we all washed our hands and arms with cold water and detergent and I hoped that Jason and I had been the only ones with direct contact.

We were all very lucky that spring; all but poor Jason. He was out with a severe case of poison ivy for two weeks. I had checked the school grounds over very well but had missed what was growing in the neighbor's yard.

Now, the first lesson of my plant unit is about the dangers they may encounter as we explore the grounds. We look at pictures and sketch the leaves of poisonous plants. It's actually a very intriguing way to start a unit and they all learn what they should do if they find themselves in Jason's shoes.

I also remind them not to put plants in their mouths. We never know whether or not the plants have been sprayed with herbicide or other dangerous chemicals. Allergies can also be a concern in some cases.

A New Leg to my Journey!

I have some very exciting news to tell you today. In a few weeks I will begin blogging for Scholastic.com! It was such a surprise to be asked to do this and I feel very honored to be a part of such a great company! I don't have the link yet but I will let you know as soon as I can. You can find the general area of where I will be by going to scholastic.com and clicking on the Teacher tab. I will still post here part of the time but will be blogging every week on their site. If you are my friend on Facebook you can look for the links, as I post them, to see what's happening in my classroom!


I'm headed out to New York City for training at their offices in Soho. I've never been there before so I have some sightseeing time scheduled into my trip. It will be fun working some of my trip into my "journey" theme this fall. I've been email-visiting with the other 7 teachers who are joining me in this adventure and I can't wait to meet them. It's going to be a great year!


Along with packing, I worked in my classroom a couple of days last month. My furniture is arranged, for the most part, and, since I'm keeping the journey theme, I can begin focusing on the first 2 weeks of school. That first day is just around the corner!

Thanks, Uncle Reuben! A Teacher's Reflection

Studying the life and journeys of Uncle Reuben was such a deep and rich experience. The material gave my students opportunities to review, practice and apply multiple skills that they have learned over the year.

Skills they used and practiced:

• Working in a group
• Cooperating and taking turns
• Measuring miles on a map
• Map reading
• Adding large numbers (over 1000)
• Calculator use - adding lists of large numbers and checking their answer by comparing it to others
• Measuring distance
• Non-standard measurement
• 
  

Learning:

• Location of states in US
• Transportation of the early 1900's
• History of flight - Wright Brothers, World Flight - 1924
• Concept of time past (100 years)
• The computer as a tool
• Some uses for Word and Excel
• The size of the United States
• Putting events in order according to time
• 
  

Benefits:

• Confidence
• Knowledge of the United States
• Confidence using technology
• Motivation
• Engagement
• Ownership of learning
• 
  

Uncle Reuben's Journeys Part 7 - The Camp Out

Once you've finished the hard work of an inquiry project, it’s fun to show someone what you’ve been learning.

We got the chance to do that in early May. The “invitation” group went to work writing notes and inviting other classes to visit us so we could show them what we learned. The afternoon was a success as evidenced by the discussions I could hear around the room as students shared their new learning with excitement.

Language arts activity

Reading with friends in the tent.

One of our favorite pictures of Uncle Reuben is him sitting by a campfire next to a small canvas tent.

I had come across some camping themed math and language arts activities online that would be perfect for a courtyard camp out during the last week of school. We pitched our tent, grabbed something to sit on and headed for the school courtyard for the morning. There were 12 activities to keep the class busy and s’mores for a reward partway through the tasks. It was a nice way to end both our unit and a wonderful 2nd grade year!

Cooler serves as table for story problem work.

Coming Up For Air!

I'm not much of a swimmer and have never been in a race, but if I had, I can imagine that it might give me the same sensation as I have had during the last 4 weeks. I prepared for this race most of the summer. The first weeks of August were full of planning and preparing. I was doing what I could, but nothing that would help me enough to allow me to win the race without getting in the water. I feel like it shouldn't be a competition but that is exactly what it feels like so I'll continue using it.

On the morning of August 17th, I plunged in, along with all of my other colleagues, and began the underwater portion of this race. I wanted to avoid the word "race" when writing this because  It has taken me several weeks to feel like I might finally be coming to the surface for a breath of badly needed air.

Teaching has definitely changed since I was last in the classroom. As a coach, my brain always knew that teachers were being asked to step it up more and more each year. I admire all of the teachers I have worked with over the years for their hard work and expertise. It truly is one of the most taxing jobs I know of, although worth the labor because of the people who benefit - our students. 

It's the sudden dive into the water after so long, the unnerving silence as I realize how much responsibility I have in the final outcome, the struggle to keep my eyes on the goal while staying aware of where I am in my lane by constant assessment and observation. The knowledge that, as a former coach, there may be people watching to see what I have to offer to the team. The long pull as I force myself to work as hard as I can before I catch that first breath in hopes that it will get me out in front by the time I reach the surface is exhausting. I'm longing for that anticipated first breath and signal that the race is off to a good start.

I believe it will be worth the effort if I remember to swim strong and smart without panicking and flailing. The rewards will follow.

In the meantime, I want to enjoy this experience. I love the feel of the water as I move among my students and get to know them. The exhilaration of flexing my muscles as I craft my lessons and deliver them, and the small reward of a move ahead with each successful strategy that pulls us forward in the trip across the pool in our first lap, motivate me to keep on swimming.

Coming up for air and still swimming!

A Change in the Wind

For the past 10 years I have served my school district as a building-based Instructional Coach. During that time, I planned and hosted professional development and inservice training for the staff at the schools in which I was based. My job also included time for coaching teachers in teaching strategies, providing resources, facilitating book studies and guiding teachers in conversations about pedagogy and data.

Last Friday we got word that the coaching program will be cut significantly because of a budget crisis. There will be fewer coaches which means traveling between buildings and less time to build relationships with teachers. In the shadow of these looming changes I have made the decision to return to the classroom next year.

This blog will chronicle my journey.