Kristi's Korner
April 19, 2016 (aka 5 editions left)
Quote of the Week
The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances; if there is any reaction, both are transformed.
--C.G. Jung
Ramblings
If you ask most of us to evaluate our relationships with students, we would probably rank ourselves pretty high. I do. "Sure, I have great relationships with students." However, a mistake I bet we all make is perspective. Here is an analogy....if I asked a teenage girl about a relationship with a certain boy and she explained how close they were and that he was her boyfriend and then turned around and asked the boy about the same relationship and he can barely remember the girl's name, do they really have a relationship? While I may think I have great relationships with kids, I probably need to figure out if that is true by inquiring with the other person in that relationship, the student. And if they do not believe so, then how strong is that relationship?
My personal example comes from a student in Lesli's room. I have been fortunate enough to have been his read aloud teacher for three years. Our time together has been rocky, challenging, and frustrating. He pushes, or should I say pushed me, continually. This year, I stepped back and realized I was making it all about me. I had some honest discourse with him, took time to discuss our relationship, took time to get to know him. Now I can tell you that no matter how bad is day is or how much he may be struggling, 9.5 days out of 10, he is perfect during read aloud. Too bad it took me over two years to get there.
Building relationships is tricky. Anyway who has a significant other knows this. It isn't just about the building initially, but the maintaining. What does relationship building look like in a classroom? It is more than greeting them at the door. However, I have prattled on long enough at this time. So I will simply say....TO BE CONTINUED.
News and Notes
PD on the Couch
How many of these do you do?: http://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/25-things-successful-teachers-do-differently/
Close reading resources (some really good stuff if you have time to click around.....read beyond your grade level): http://thecornerstoneforteachers.com/2014/08/close-reading.html
Is your google drive a bit messy? This article may be for you....JULIE READ THIS: http://www.imagineeasy.com/blog/how-to-be-organized-in-google-drive/?utm_content=buffer07085&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer