Scary Secrets Behind What Our Students Know about Seasons

Did you ever see this video?  It shows some common misconceptions, and how much trouble even Harvard graduates have grasping the idea of why we have seasons.

I have been shown this video a few times in PD's and graduate courses, but if you haven't seen it, its worth watching.  If you have seen it, I think its worth remembering that even when we think we are teaching things clearly, it can be very difficult and confusing for students to grasp.

Here is the full video http://learner.org/resources/series28.html

Blog Giveaway

Interested in a Thanksgiving Giveaway?!  Go here to check it out, enter, see the prizes, and try to win one.  It will run from Monday through Saturday! There will be 4 winners and you must know that each winner will receive a fantastic prize!

http://learning-4-keeps.blogspot.com/

Misconceptions About the Reasons for the Seasons? Try This

Do your students have a lot of misconceptions about the causes for the seasons?   Try this. 

Need a seasonal science activity?

Do you do a seasonal/winter/holiday activity with your classes?  Sometimes I find it hard to work into an overly busy curriculum, especially with older students. I also am never sure if its better to add to the excitement and chaos, or if its better to maintain as much normalcy as possible.  I don't want to 'throw a party' on the day before break, but we also need some recognition of it being a special day.  It is not only a day before the break, and perhaps near Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, spring break, or summer vacation, but it is probably also near the Winter Solstice, Spring Equinox, or Summer Solstice.

This is how I teach about seasons, and celebrate a holiday in science class

Here is a compromise I have worked out.  The day before winter break (or somewhere right around there) is usually the winter solstice.   Its a great opportunity to talk about why and how the seasons change, how the solstice is celebrated around the world, and to review/introduce a key concept in Earth Science.

Now, thanks to technology, we can use a website such as www.daylightmap.com to look at the sunlight on that day all around the world. We can see which areas of the world are experiencing different amounts of sunlight.  We can then either set it to different times and dates to see the changes, or we can do this several times of year and see the changes.  I like to re-introduce it, since this is an area where there are so many misconceptions and confusions, and its so commonly tested.

We do an activity near the start of school (fall equinox), winter solstice (before winter break), summer solstice (end of school)---you get the idea.  Here is the activity that I use for the Winter Solstice

Or, go to www.daylightmap.com and see what creative things you can come up with on your own to help your students understand the real reasons behind the seasons! Please leave a comment with ideas you have :)

Free Resources and Giveaways

There are lots of resources right now free.....

One of the best is Success in Secondary, which is grouped by grade level and topic.  A great collection of free and paid resources

Another great giveaway going on at Scienceteacherresources.blogspot.com.  These are all science freebies.

And finally a giveaway for a great inclusion book.  Check it out and enter.

I will post more as I find them...

Poor Environment and Classroom Management: One Teacher's Perspective

Ever feel like you work here?!!  I have been feeling like that lately.  The atmosphere in the school is crazy!  I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to go visit two other middle school classrooms in our district and observe, and see what I could bring back to our school.

I was left with one overriding thought as I visited.  WOW!! The whole atmosphere in the school is so calm!  and orderly!  Kids are walking, not running, not yelling, going to class.  It was a completely different feeling.  

Overall, I still think many of the things that I saw seemed to be small, rather than addressing the larger problem (school climate).  Someone once said to me you can tell a lot about a school by what the halls are like.  That is true.  However, even when the halls are crazy and terrible (multiple fights going on daily), I can't allow my class to look like this the rest of the year.  I have to see what I can do to take some small steps in my classroom to improve, and maybe to improve our school. 

Some of the things I noticed were (ones in bold I especially think are important and I'm going to focus on). 

• At one school they ate breakfast in the classroom.  This allowed a much quieter, calmer start to the day than being in a crowded cafeteria.  It also allowed the kids to see the teacher as a person.
• The teachers used some traditional incentive and other behavior management strategies such a names on a color coded chart (green=ready to learn, yellow=warning, red=consequence), a point system with rewards for the people each week with the highest points and class rewards when they reach a certain point total.
• Threshold - be at the door to personally greet each student, shake hands and make eye contact....and set expectations for students as they enter class. 
• All the teachers and administration were very much the same page, and taking care of the smaller things, before they turned into bigger things (tardy, uniforms, etc)....They had clear policies in place.
• Routines were extensively practiced, even at some loss of instructional time early in the year, in order to save time and energy later.  This includes in-class routines and school-wide routines such as procedures for walking in the hall.   
• Students were not allowed in class if they were truly not ready (ISS, buddy teacher)...the expectation was not to keep all students  in the room at all times if it ruined education for the rest of the class..
• Lots of positive reinforcement, proximity, and a calm but authoritative tone of voice (not angry).
• Make connections with kids, and let them be comfortable - make the work accessible and make sure they can be successful.  Don't go ahead without making sure they are with you.
• Quiet individual reminders, not in front of the whole group.
• Specific behaviors are targeted and tracked-  transitions, raising hand, respectful, staying in seats
• Rewards are earned, but are also given randomly. 
• Teacher was very animated, had a good sense of humor and could maintain student interest.
• Control pencil sharpener usage, and going to throw things out - don't get out of seats.

I have been doing a lot of research and reading and talking on management as I try to get my class back under control....just need to decide over the weekend how I want to go from here.

I have already been doing raffle tickets as positive reinforcement, and names on the board with checks as warnings.  I tried "Class-yes" from Whole Brain Teaching.  Am I going to work with these, and the bold ideas above?  Do more Whole Brain Teaching? Classdojo?  

How do you think school climate affects the climate and behavior in you classroom?  What can you do to overcome the school culture?