Five things that make me a better teacher

Day 14 of Te@chThought's November Blogging Challenge

What are 5 things you are grateful to have learned in your teaching career?

Be flexible. I know that this is becoming increasingly difficult with all the demands that Common Core is placing on teachers but in my instance, being flexible has led to many averted meltdowns.  And I don't mean the students. I mean on my part.  As a control freak, it is extremely difficult at times to be flexible. Rigidity is comforting. However, this only works when the only one you are responsible for is yourself. Add 100+ teenagers to your responsibility and try being rigid. Disaster.  

Admit you don't know everything.  When I was younger, I just assumed that all my teachers knew everything. As an adolescent, I had my suspicions that they didn't and by the time I was a full-fledged teenager, of course I was the one who knew it all.  I will admit that among my first fears stepping into the classroom and in front of a group of students was that I didn't know everything. What if they asked me something and I didn't know it? What would happen if I admitted to being human and not omniscient? Would they still respect me? Would they still take me seriously as a so-called expert in my field? I have since learned that admitting I don't know something makes me human and more connected with my students. They get it that it's not possible for any one person to know everything. And when we don't, we have Google.

Trickery will get you everywhere! When students don't realize that they are learning is when they learn the most.  I often have them play a review game. Of course there are prizes which could be extra points or candy but either way most of them are so into it because they want to win, that they forget they are learning. Tell them they can bring a "cheat sheet" to a test. Just another tricky way to get them to study.  I've been using a free app called DuoLingo to help them boost their grade (this is the supposition) but because they have to complete X amount of lessons in order to get the extra points. I post extra credit on Twitter.  I call it trickery because it gets them to do things they wouldn't otherwise do or read or watch.  Call it what you will- it works.

Get to know your students. I mean really get to know them.  It helps you to plan lessons that will be of interest to them and relevant to their likes/dislikes.  It also helps you make connections that will foster mutual respect.  Ultimately, if they respect you, they won't want to disappoint you.  And they might feel comfortable coming to you if they need help of any kind.  If your classroom is filled with respect and the students feel safe, you've got a captive audience.

Be uninhibited while remaining appropriate.  I have done crazy things in my classroom. I have sung (almost a daily occurrence at this point), I have danced, I have acted, made up different voices, and have posed as Gru for my student paparazzi. I have worn funky hats or masks.  All of these things have shown my students not to have fear in front of the class but also that we can have fun while learning. Sometimes these sidesteps have created not only memories but have contributed to many lessons learned.  My only rule is that I cannot repeat anything because they are one-time performances and so they need to pay attention!

Time for me

Day 13 of the Te@chThought November Blogging Challenge

What do you do to take time out for yourself?

Well, this certainly is a question I ask myself often.  Being a teacher, parent of two and self-professed perfectionist doesn't leave much time for "fun."  My perfectionist, somewhat OCD self says: Cleaning, organizing, planning, and checking things off an interminable list are "fun."  I realize that you must be asking yourself how on God's green Earth are any of those activities fun? Well, maybe it's not the the activities themselves that are fun or things I do necessarily for myself alone however, the sense of accomplishment brings its very own high. 

Now for a more normal response.  When I am done with my cleaning, organizing or planning- or what I deem a sufficient amount of it- I do like to do some things for myself.  I like running and have been trying to do it as often as my schedule will allow.  For the past two summers, I have participated in the Long Island Summer Run Series.  We run every Monday night at a different state park.  The runs are primarily 5ks but there are some 10ks and 5 milers.  At the end, besides the sense of accomplishments and the rush of the endorphins, there are snacks and drinks! I love running for a few reasons. 1. It is solitary and for me non-competitive ( I only compete with myself). It's often the only time I can have anywhere from 30-60 minutes alone (even when running with thousands) with a great playlist to clear my mind.

I love to read.  This another activity that I can indulge in without regret during the summer. Jumping into a great book by the pool provides a perfect escape from the everyday.  Each summer I seem to pick a new genre or focus in my reading but I do prefer nonfiction over fiction. 

One other major thing I do for myself, although not by myself is travel.  I can never tire of traveling. I can never tire of learning something new about a new place or even an "old" place I have visited.  I can truly relax on vacation- but I still make the bed.

I'm grateful...

Day 12 of Te@chThought's November Blogging Challenge 

Share a photo – or photos – of things / people you are grateful for.

There are so many things that I am grateful for, although I'm not always so demonstrative in how grateful I am.  It's easy to get caught up in negativity because it's just too easy.  It's like eating unhealthily- too easy and cheaper. I know some will disagree and to those of you who do, I'd love to follow some of your glass half-full examples. For the time being, I'll have to hope that this blogging challenge will bring out the better in me.

One thing that I am grateful first and foremost is my family. I know my life would be completely different and even knowing this, I wouldn't change it for anything.  This life has certainly had its ups and downs but it's what keeps me going.  Creating family memories, like the one below (eating dinner in Vico del Gargano, Puglia, Italy) and others are what are going to be our history.

Of course I would be remiss if I were not to express my gratitude for my career.  I started teaching 15 years ago and it was one of the best life decisions I have ever made.  I honestly could not see myself doing anything else.  

Another thing I am grateful for is the opportunity to travel.  If I hadn't had the experiences I have had or hadn't seen the beauty that exists beyond my backyard, I would be a completely different person.  Below are a few examples of places I have visited that have left an impression.  

London, Tower Bridge

Eiffel Tower, France

Cefalu, Sicily

Rainbow over Vico del Gargano, Italy

Some things that I am grateful for that speak to my senses:

- Coffee: I just don't know how I would get through a day without it!

- Music: A day without music for me is nonexistent.  I do almost everything to music. My life would have the most awesome soundtrack.  Almost everything reminds me of a song and I often interrupt my own lessons to interject musical interludes!

- Food: I could write forever about food. Food and I have had a very intimate relationship for about as long as I have been eating.  

- Books: Although I don't get to read as often as I would like with my hectic life, I have a never-ending list of books that I want to read.  Although I love my career, sometimes, I can't wait for the summer so I can escape into as many books as I can!

It's not an exhaustive list by any means but it's a start! 

The most important lesson

Day 11 of the Te@chThought November Blogging Challenge

What is the most important ‘lesson’ you want to teach your students?

I don't know that I have one lesson I want to teach my students.  Somehow, I feel like my goals/lessons can all be intertwined.  Of course I want them to learn about the Italian language.  That's my most immediate goal each day.  However, embedded in each of my lessons are stories that relate to history or of travels or art and architecture or any other aspect of the culture.  You cannot easily separate the language from the culture and by telling stories or showing pictures, I hope that I am sparking an interest in experiencing it first-hand.  Naturally, I tell my students that one of their homework assignments is to visit Italy at some point in their lives- either with me or through a study abroad program or by whatever means takes them there.  And then, they have share with me their experience.  

My true hope is to create lifelong learners who have been bitten by the travel bug.  I hope that they go anywhere that attracts them and that they learn about the people, the art, the language, the culture - even if it's not Italy. Ok, my heart my break a little if they don't make it to Italy but the world is a big place and I never had an appreciation for it until I traveled. Your immediate community seem so safe and secure and to have everything that you need that it can sometimes be difficult to step out of your comfort zone.  But once you have, you'll be better for it.  It gives you a new-found appreciation for what you have and for what you might be lacking.  It teaches you tolerance and acceptance of differences.  It prepares you to interact with people on a different level.  Travel=education.

What's so funny?

Day 10 #reflectiveteacher November Blogging Challenge

What's so funny?

Humor plays a HUGE role in my classroom.  My students and I laugh almost everyday.  Sometimes it's related to the actual lesson and sometimes it's just a story that is shared by one of us.  I have to admit that I am easily sidetracked, but in a good way (ok and sometimes not so good - I am human you know).  I can't help that my mind works the way it does.  Almost everything makes me think of a song. Almost anything can bring me to tell a story of travel or family or past lessons.  And usually, the stories or my horrible singing make us laugh.

Just yesterday, we were reading a new book in my Italian V class and some of the new vocabulary led me to reference some songs from the 80s- and to sing them.  Thankfully, I have a student, Allie, who is always at the ready to look up on her ChromeBook a song or movie or other tidbit of info that I reference.  All I need to do is is look at her and she says, "I'm on it!"  Yesterday's songs were "Eyes without a face" by Billy Idol (and I even got the year right--why do I know such random stuff?) and "True Blue" by Madonna (I was only off by one year on that one). My singing and my choice of songs got a few sideways looks and a lot of laughs.

One moment that really stands out is when I was compared to Gru from the movie Despicable Me. I hadn't seen the movie but had heard about it.  I happened to be wearing a sweater... ok.. I never happen to be wearing a sweater. I'm always cold and my students will often poke fun saying that I wear turtlenecks until June or will ask how many layers I'm wearing today.  For some reason, that day, one of my students said that I reminded them of Gru.  So, naturally, I had to pull up a picture on the board.  I noticed he had a striped scarf and lo and behold, I had one as well. I put it on and stood next to the screen.  It was like someone let loose the paparazzi.  Everyone was hysterical and taking pictures.  I even had the picture set as my profile for a while!

Gratitude

November 9th - #ReflectiveTeacher Blogging Challenge

What is one way you could develop the Attitude of Gratitude in your classroom or school? 

I have to admit that at first, I was thinking, "How can this apply to me in my classroom? I'm an Italian teacher."  I even envied all those English and History teachers, thinking of how easy it would be to apply the Attitude of Gratitude in their classes. You could simply have students write often about things they are thankful for or in reviewing cultures or historical events, discuss why students are grateful for what they have and where they live.  And they could do this often.  I, on the other hand, could only do this on occasion. But then it dawned on me.  I could do some of the very same things in my language class. And with some frequency as well.  

When I teach about the differences between Italian and American cultures, I always ask students to compare and contrast.  Recently, discussing the Italian school system, which is a little different than ours, many students expressed how they were thankful for the way our school system is set up and how they would be especially nervous having to give many oral exams or having to choose their path at the end of middle school.  Since culture is a big part of what I teach, I could always ask students to express what they are grateful for when discussing the differences between the two.

A few weeks ago, I also began lunedi dolce (Sweet Mondays).  On Mondays, I bring in something sweet (usually candy) and hand it out as the kids are working on their Do Now activity.  My reasoning behind it is that Mondays often get a bad rap so I thought we could change the idea that Mondays are bad by making them a little easier and sweeter. I realize that this has little to do with curriculum but I do feel like it makes my classroom a better place to be in and gets them working.

Another way to express gratitude is thanking my students.  Since I am the adviser of the Italian Honor Society, I find myself thanking students often for their participation.  It is hard to get everyone together for meetings and for events but we try our best.  I make sure that I thank students for their attendance and letting them know we wouldn't be a successful organization without their help.  My officers have also been doing this, which is nice because the thanking is coming not only from me but from their peers.  

A memorable moment...

Today's prompt from the Te@chThought November Blogging Challenge is:  

Write about a memorable moment in the classroom and how it reminded you about why you love what you do.

Each day, in my classroom, I am reminded that I love what I do in some way.  From the way that my students treat me to seeing the proverbial light bulb go on when a student "gets it."  Knowing that you are respected and loved as a teacher certainly makes your job more enjoyable.  Witnessing a students understanding what you are teaching is also rewarding.  Just yesterday, a former student came to visit and told me that he's going to be in Italy in March to play basketball and hopes that he may even be picked up by an Italian team.  How awesome is that? 

I feel like there are so many moments that I could point out that remind me that I'm doing what I'm meant to do that sometimes they just blend into categories like: former students' visits, former students' letters/emails, witnessing learning, being respected and loved.  

The most recent moment I can recall was when I was teaching my 3 1/2 yr olds.  They were so proud to shout to out "Buongiorno, Mr. Matt." And later, I would receive a huge hug from Dylan and Daniel would tell me that he loves being in Italian class.  What better reason to love what you're doing?