Today, I had pep talks with all of my students before we did their timed reading test (1 minute to read a passage). I set goals far beyond the norm for each child and they almost all met them. 

SS surpassed her goal and LO increased so much that we had to put her tracking pin on the wall and off the chart. I didn't make a chart with high enough numbers!  

In perfect Friendly Letter format, JR wrote the following to me today:

                                        December 19, 2008

Dear Ms. V, 
    You are the best teacher I have ever had. In fact your the only teacher that makes all subject very easy and this is the first present I ever gave to a teacher. Your the special one. I never told you this ever but I respect everything you do and make. Your the one who taut (this word is circled with an sp next to it...an editing skill we learned) me how to wright a letter. 
                                         Your Friend, 
                                               JR
P.S. Merry Christmas! I will miss you. Sniff. Sniff. 

MP's Letter Home: 

Dear Mom, 
   To let you know, I been doing good on reading, math, and social studies. I got to work on writing and writing my spelling letters. Guess what...I finished my first story!!! I been doing good on my attitude, integrity, sense of possibility, plus exhibit discipline. I been learning a lot from my teacher. I love you mom and thats all I need to let you know. 
 
                                          Your son, 
                                           MP

P.S. I'm proud of finishing my frist story!!

KH's letter to his family: 

Dear Family, 
    I am doing good in math like long division, order of operation, input and output and I do all the steps Ms. V teaches for them. I have a little trouble with compare fraction, least to greatest, and greatest to least. What I am not having trouble with in fractions is improper to mixed number, add and subtract, and simplify. What I used to have trouble with in reading is cause + effect and drawing conclusions. I mostly had trouble because of my bad attitude in all my subjects when I thought something was gonna be hard. It's not my teachers fault it's my fault. But my teacher is fun because she makes up dances to help us learn things, she lets us buy pillows to read on and lets us buy lunch with her. She makes funny jokes, vocab games, play bizz buzz for math and gives us multiplcation songs. She is fun. I'm learning. 

From: KH

JL's Letter to her Family for Parent-Teacher Conferences: 

Dear Family, 

I have been doing so well in school because I follow directions the first time. I remember the first week I came back to school that Ms. Valenzuela had to call you and tell you that I was not being good. I have learned so much from Ms. Valenzuela when I have a good additude. 
                                        From, 
                                        JL

While playing a memory game on holiday vocabulary words:

KH: "We aren't doing too well. We really need to kick it up a notch! Hey, that's an idiom. It means to step it up! Oh, shoot. That's another idiom." 

Ms. Wright: "Ms. V, this is from Eddie. He's too embarrassed to give it to you (hands me a necklace with a little jingle bell wearing a santa hat on it). I'll have you know he only had enough money to buy one and so he bought one for you." 

We think I officially have a 3rd grade admirer. These are the moments that make teaching hilarious. 

"Ms. V fractions are crazy! I'll never look at a pizza the same way again." KH

AZ: "We're not having Christmas this year. We don't have enough money. But as long as I have my parents' love then that's more than enough for me" 

Beautiful, beautiful child. 

Truer words were never spoken:

Superintendents, parents and teachers in urban school districts lament systemic problems they cannot control: poverty, hunger, violence and negligent parents. They bicker over small improvements such as class size and curriculum, like diplomats touring a refugee camp and talking about the need for nicer curtains. To the extent they intervene at all, politicians respond by either throwing more money at the problem (if they're on the left) or making it easier for some parents to send their kids to private schools (if they're on the right).

Meanwhile, millions of students left behind in confused classrooms spend another day learning nothing (TIME Magazine)

Things that break your heart as a teacher:

Dear, Ms. V
I love you as a mom but I now you are not my mom. I thank about you every day in my life. I see you in my dearms a lot. Ms. V I love you so much. You feel like my mom. I see you like my mom. You do stuffs for me. I love you like my mom. Will you be my friend for ever? Can you teach me to do stuff like the other kids? 
I thank you for being my teacher. 

SM 

My kids decided that they wanted to write a list of things they liked about reading. Here are a few things from their lists: 

LO: I like making predictions on stickies and finding out after we read if we were right or not. It's like a surprise! 

OC: I like book club. Clubs are just always fun and this one is with books! 

KH: Book Club. I like book club because I could discuss it with people and get better at my fluency. It makes me feel so happy because it's the first time I've ever been able to do it. I love it! I just hope the students next year will love it too! 

KH2: Drawing Conclusions. I have a little trouble with it. But if I keep studying I will get a 100 or an 80. Last time I only got a 75 percent, but that was a big increase from the time before. 

MP: I really like reading Number the Stars as a class. We get to make a lot of predictions and the book is very exciting. We never know what is going to happen next! 

PM: I really like both of my book club books. The twits and the Mouse on the Motorcycle. 

SH: I liked cause & effect BECAUSE it tells you the clue words THEN when you see them in a book or sentence you will remember cause & effect! (she's a witty one!) 

Ms. V: "KH you need to relax and enjoy the morning, my friend" 

KH: "It's just that I'm so excited to come to school. I've never been this excited to come to school before!"

"Every Tuesday I get the butterflies because it's Book Club day!" - KH 

Math benchmark testing today...

It's hard to walk around and watch your kids make mistakes on the things you have taught them. This, however, is cancelled out when you see KH or SH using EVERY step you have taught them on their scratch paper. 

One of my students has been dealing with some issues at home for the past week or so. I have been very worried about how this might start affecting him academically. 

Today things became worse for my young friend...a cousin died over the weekend in an accidental shooting in the home. After telling me about this, my student still got right to filling in his agenda and doing his bell work. 

The strength my students exhibit continues to amaze me.  

On the way to lunch bunch today, my kids were telling me how happy they are that I can be mean, but mostly I make things fun. 

I asked if they were sure that they were learning and the assured me they were. 

Later while we're eating...

"That test had a part in it that said 'stop and think." I went ahead and wrote metacognition next to it." - KH

"See, Ms. V, we're learning." -OC

Our school has been raising money over the past few weeks with a cookie dough sale. My class, being the eager folks that they are, sold the most in the whole school. 

What does this mean for Ms. V? During the BMX celebration show today, I was jumped over by a man on a bike THREE different times. 

Being a teacher is an interesting job, my friends. 

1st day of introducing writer's workshop. Writing is a whole new world for my kids. They LOVE the activities we are starting to do. 

MM: "I really like this kind of writing, Ms. V" 

JM: "I've never come up with this many ideas before!!" 

Great success! BIG thanks to my ASU professor. 

JL: "I appreciate Ms. V for teaching me how to say 'pizza' during lunch bunch today" 

Some of my Hispanic students have issues saying "pizza." It usually comes out as "peak-sa". 

Today, J.L. FINALLY said it properly after I explained to her that it is pronounced like the Pete's in Pete's Fish n chips plus "a." 

"Pete's+a" 

First round of book club just ended today. It was a great success. Some of my kids were VERY invested in book club. 

It is so wonderful to see my kids excited about reading and carrying their books around with them. 

My ASU adviser came in to observe book club and was very pleased with where we are. It was awesome to have someone else see how cheesy my kids are and how much they try to apply what we learn in class to their book club books. 

Fostering student love of reading...awesome. 

Started a new tracking system today on top of tracking individual assessments. Students now have a list of allllll of the AZ standards (they didn't realize there were so many) and they check off when I teach it and whether or not they "rocked it!" 

It seems to be quite the investment tool. 

The Long Division Dance was a HIT! 

Divide up!
Multiply down!
Subtract 
Drop it like it's hot
Start again. 

It would make a lot more sense with the lovely motions that go with it.  :) 

Trying a new approach to spelling with JM. Tomorrow is his first test. Cross your fingers! 

Big Goal Check...

Monday was a sad day for Room 13...we did not come close to meeting our 80% goal on our math and reading assessments last Friday. College Bound Students of 2021 are quite upset and very determined to ace poetry this week.

They don't know this at the moment, but our current OVERALL class mastery for the year so far in reading is at 77%. Our big goal is 80% average class mastery.

Work Hard, Go Far, Woot, Woot!

At least I taught that well...?

Ms. V: "You all are driving me bananas"

K.H.: "Ms. V, that's an idiom!!!" (with a big, proud smile)

I couldn't really stay mad after that.

It's a love/hate thing

Yesterday, J.M. told me he hated me and that he wished he had never been moved into my class.

Today, J.M. was my best friend and worked really hard in class. He received a 100% on his math assessment and tore it up in reading comprehension.

I'm hoping for many more days like today for J.M.

BIG Day

Achievements to Report:
- J.R. increased her reading score by 36 words this week
- J.M. increased his reading score by 13 words this week
- S.M. increased her reading score by 9 words this week. She then ran across the grass over to room 8 yelling, "Ms. Vagan (aka Ms. Fagan)! Ms. Vagan! 9 words better on the 4th grade reading!!!! 9 words!"

Some of my kids rocked 4-digit by 2-digit multiplication! We were only supposed to get to 3-digit by 2-digit, but a few of them really studied at home and wanted a challenge.

Good way to end the week.

4th Graders are Awkward

I have decided that 4th grade is one crazy year these days. Hormones are kicking in at that age now. Kids are maturing but are still incredibly immature. They are seriously little walking paradoxes.

4th Graders:
- fart during read alouds
- start complaining about school work
- shout out Ms. V for creating all of the activities for centers
- play a tag-like game on the playground that involves stealing other people's shoes
- cry looking at pictures and reading poetry from Angel Island
- ask why baby penguins come out of their father's butts
- ask if they can write letters to a fellow teacher in Houston who was affected by Hurricane Ike
- hang on you and give you a million hugs a day
- start trying to slip words like "crap" and "damn" into conversation (though,let's be honest, I have a few who slip really choice words)

I could go on for days. It really makes me wonder what I was like as a 4th grader.

Slipping through the cracks part 2

It seems as though one of my students will be moving down to 3rd grade. They are 8 years old in the 4th grade and do not know the alphabet. How this wonderful child ended up in a 4th grade class is astonishing.

The very interesting thing is is that they had a very good teacher last year who fought hard as his advocate and yet he was still passed on and is still not getting the services he needs.

It's a shame.

Disincentives and Special Ed

Today I finally learned just how some of my students have slipped through the cracks without substantial intervention or a referral to special education...paperwork and bureaucratic hoops.

The checklist to even have a student looked at for services is a mile long and the packet teachers have to fill out is ridiculous.

With the secretarial type paperwork, student worksheets, lesson planning, grading, and a million other things...the current system appears to act as a disincentive for many teachers.

Random: I don't deal with white people

A classic event that I can't allow myself to forget:

2nd week of school...
Upper grades playground...

I see a 6th grade student wearing a huge lip ring and ask her to take it out and put it somewhere safe. She says to me, "don't talk to me." I tell her that I am just trying to keep her from getting a referral and that I am a teacher and she needs to show some respect. This is where the kicker came..."Psh, I don't deal with white people."

We had a lovely walk together straight to the office and I had one serious story to add to my book as a new teacher.

Teach For America has a few sessions during our summer training that discusses issues and situations similar to the one above. My instructor said to us a few times, "you'll just never know how you're going to react or how something like that might make you feel until it happens." She was definitely right. I wasn't really upset or anything, but it definitely left me a bit shocked and perplexed.

W-O-R-K

Today was S.M.'s first day of both reading and writing in Ms. Fagan's room. When she came back, she was really excited and her pride in herself definitely carried over into math.

At the end of the day, S.M. decided to give her shout out to Ms. Fagan for teaching her how to read. A few of my students asked her to show us what she had learned. She stood at the front of the class and immediately clammed up. My class cheered her on and M.P. shouted out, "Come on! We're family here!." With that, S.M. showed us how to segment and blend the word "work."

It was a wonderful to see a student getting exactly what she needed and to know that my class supports her 100%.

Quotes

"Ms. V, why do baby penguins come out of the dad penguin's butts?"

- J.L. while learning about invertebrates and vertebrates

REAL books

Many people these days talk about school curriculum and how it "ties teacher's hands." I have to say, I don't really mind the reading curriculum and think that it breaks down reading skills quite well. I have been pretty faithful to my reading curriculum and have simply just had to add my own flair to it.

The one thing reading curriculum simply can't provide is that love of reading a book that I developed in elementary school. I reflected on that a bit and decided that it was time to introduce REAL books (you know ones that are longer than a few pages and have storylines that suck you in) to the Class of 2021.

I went to the library and found that there are shelves and shelves of untouched, wonderful class sets of books.

I chose three books -- one for each of my leveled groups -- and marched back to class with them. My students were SO excited by the new books that were "just for them." I can't wait to let them dive into these literary delights. There is nothing like curling up with a book under your desk or in the bean bag chair...I hope they learn to love it as much as I do.

Our first books:

The Twits

Pigs Might Fly

Farewell to Manzanar

S.M. Heads to 2nd Grade

S.M. came to school 4 weeks into the quarter. S.M. was quick to tell me how "stupid" she is because she can't read. After asking about her past a bit, I figured out that she had missed rather large portions of the 2nd and 3rd grades.

My response to her "stupid" comments: "Would you call a 2 year old stupid because they can't tie their shoes? No, they just haven't had the chance to learn yet."

After having 5 weeks to work with SM myself and assess exactly where she is, I decided to introduce her to Ms. Kate Fagan today...a phenomenal 2nd grade TFA teacher at my school.

Upon meeting the blonde, cheery, 23 year old Ms. Fagan, SM jumped back and looked terrified. I was used to this reaction from SM when it came to strangers, but it was a sad shock for Ms. F. Some kids don't get to grow thinking that adults aren't going to hurt them.

After the shaky intro, SM finally accepted that Ms. Fagan had a pretty sweet gig going on in her room and definitely had something to offer SM in the reading department. SM now goes to 2nd grade in Room 8 for reading and writing every day.

Someone might think it degrading for a 4th grader to go into a 2nd grade class...SM finds it simply exciting that she might just learn how to read.

Goals

After an entire quarter, I finally managed to get my Big Goals up on the wall with tracking charts and everything.

As a Teach For America teacher, these Big Goals are a big deal. What is a big goal you might ask? These are the goals I want my class to be meeting in order to show me that they have mastered the state standards I have been teaching. 80% on each standard is the typical ambitious goal that TFA recommends.

Our Goals:
1. We will score an average of 80% on all of our reading assessments.
2. We will score an average of 80% on all of our math assessments.
3. We will read 118 words per minute.

Individually, we set different goals for different students depending on where they are academically. The 80% average as a class allows everyone to work to help raise the class average even if they are not reaching the 80% individually. This is very important in a class that has some students on the 4th grade level and others on the pre-K level.

Introduction to the Class of 2021

This blog will track the trials, successes, challenges, memorable quotes, and funny stories of my class of 20 amazing 4th grade students.

The Class of 2021 resides in Room 13 of a low-performing, low SES elementary school in South Phoenix.

I am creating this blog mostly for the selfish reason of not wanting to forget the amazing things that happen in Room 13. To respect my scholars, I won't be using any of their actual names in the blog.

Before I introduce anything else, I must teach you the class song. My students clap and chant the following at the start and end of every school day (and if I forget or try to skip it I face fierce opposition):

Room 13's the class that has the kids who want to learn to build a better tomorrow!
Give me a beat!
You gotta learn, baby, learn.
You gotta learn, baby, learn.
The more you learn,
The more you know.
Knowledge is power,
Power is freedom
And I want it!
You gotta learn, baby, learn.
You gotta learn, baby, learn.

Work hard, go far WOOT!WOOT!

As I am starting this blog one quarter into the year, some random stories that I think of from time to time will be thrown in out of order. These posts will be titled, "Random" -- go figure!