Paradigm Shift

Week of May 25

2009-05-27T12:15:00.002-04:00

This week is a shortened week due to Memorial Day. On Tuesday and Wednesday of this week the students will finish their study of Habit #7, Sharpen the Saw. These 2 days we will focus on sharpening our heart first and then our soul. Some of you may be surprised to find a lovely surprise in the mail that your child created to practice sharpening their heart!

On Thursday I will review the 7 Habits material and then on Friday the students will take their final exam for this course. This exam is cumulative and will cover all of the 7 habits that we have studied this semester.

Week of May 18

2009-05-16T21:58:00.002-04:00

We start this week off with our final story of the semester, The Last Great Snake. The students always seems to really enjoy reading this story for it is filled with great mystery and intrigue. At the beginning of the story, one man accuses another of a horrible crime, stealing a magic stone from the head of one of the last great snakes of the world. Shunned by society and having lost his honor, the man accused is forced to leave his home and enter the wilderness. The students will be captivated by this story as they follow one man's journey to regain to his honor.

We will end this week continuing our study of Habit #7: Sharpen the Saw. Whereas last week the students learned 4 ways to "sharpen their body," this week they will focus on what it takes to "sharpen their mind."

Week of May 11

2009-05-09T08:47:00.002-04:00

What an eye-opening experience we had last week as the students worked in groups in an attempt to achieve synergy! I have to say, for some groups synergy worked beautifully; for others, well, it was clearly not such an easy thing to achieve. Nevertheless, the students each learned that in order to actually synergize each team member must work toward celebrating the differences of others, work together as a team, be open-minded and strive to create new and better ways of doing things. To do all these things effectively takes both maturity and the courage to speak up when necessary.

Most of the group work was completed on Friday and so on Monday this week we will take the time to discuss our group results and decide what went well and what we need to improve upon next time. During the middle of the week, the students will hop into a new story, Gaston. In this short story, the students will encounter a father and daughter who talk about a silly little creature who lives inside of a peach. The reason for this dialogue between our two characters is to avoid deeper, more intimate issues that are difficult to discuss. We will talk about how and why we sometimes find ourselves talking about things of little significance in order to avoid more difficult, important issues in life.

To end our week, the students will begin learning about our final habit, Habit #7: Sharpen the Saw. In this habit of renewal, the students will learn the importance of taking the time to sharpen their body, brain, heart and soul in order to maintain balance and joy in life. The students will enjoy some fun activities in each of these 4 main areas of life to help them understand the importance of this final habit.

Week of May 4

2009-05-01T17:54:00.003-04:00

We will start this week off by returning to Habit #6: Synergize! So far the students have learned that synergy is achieved when 2 or more people work together to create a better solution than either one could alone. It's not your way or my way but a better way, a higher way. There are 4 things required for synergy to occur: (1) celebrating others' differences, (2) teamwork, (3) open-mindedness, and (4) finding new and better ways (NOT compromising). Sounds simple enough. However, putting all 4 parts into practice can be quite a challenge!

Besides learning about this habit, the students will also explore a new story this week. In "Chura & Marwe" the students will encounter 2 individuals who care deeply for each other even though their appearances are extremely different. They are faced with great hardship in their lives. As they read this story, the students will soon discover an exciting journey that each character takes which leads to an interesting conclusion. To gain greater understanding of the story, the students will complete our usual process of inquiry for the remainder of the week.

Week of April 27

2009-04-28T21:36:00.003-04:00

Continuing with our study of the story, Bad Characters, this week, I have decided to change things up a bit from our usual process of study. This week the students have formed 6-person literacy circles in which each person takes on a different role in order to shed some new light on our story. Within each literacy circle will be a Summarizer, a Vocabulary Enricher, a Quote Finder, a Connector, an Illustrator and a Discussion Director. I have broken this story into parts and each literacy circle will focus in greater depth on a particular section of the text. In this way, the students can learn from each other's different perspectives as each student either summarizes the main points of the story, shares new words from the story, picks out important quotes, makes connections to the real world, visualizes parts of the story or creates interpretive questions for all to discuss.

As we wrap up this week, we will be discussion our next important habit, Habit #6: Synergize! In this habit, the students will learn about the importance of working with others to create something better than they could've created on their own. No time to compromise... it's all about how to SYNERGIZE!

Week of April 20

2009-04-18T10:44:00.003-04:00

This week the students will begin the week by demonstrating their understanding of Habit #5. Working either alone or in a group, the students will give a performance (skit, rap, power point, etc.) demonstrating atleast one of the 5 poor listening habits and how to turn that bad habit into genuine listening. This demonstration will wrap up Habit #5 for us.

For the remainder of the week, we will be focusing on a new story entitled, Bad Characters. In this story, we read about two girls who become unlikely friends. One of the girls tends to throw tantrums when things don't go her way. She meets another girl who appears to be a "bad character" and yet who is able to entice the first girl into doing something that she would not ordinarily think to do. We will spend the week going through our usual process of critical thinking in order to gain deeper insight into the meaning of this story.

Week of April 13

2009-04-18T10:33:00.002-04:00

At the end of last week, the students utilized their critical thinking skills as they composed the answers to 5 thoughtful questions prompted by the story, The Mysteries of the Cabala. These questions required the students to ponder about ideas such as whether life is mysterious and what is the most puzzling thing that they have encountered in life. This week, they took their thoughts a step further by illustrating their thoughts to these questions and then focusing specifically on writing a response that meets all 6 of the requirements of an accurate written response.

The remainder of the week was spent covering the very important Habit #5: Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood. In studying this habit, the students learned that the deepest need of the human heart is simply to be understood. In order to be understood, we must first step outside of ourselves and try to "step into the shoes" of another person. To do so requires good listening skills. The students learned to recognize 5 poor listening habits that they often in their interactions with others. Next, they learned about how they can begin the process of turning those bad habits into genuine listening. To wrap up this habit, the students began working on a presentation in which they will demonstrate their understanding of this habit.

Week of April 6

2009-03-27T09:01:00.000-04:00

Welcome back to school! I hope everyone got plenty of sleep last week and is all rested and ready to go for the final 9-week stretch of 6th grade.

This week the students will read an excerpt from a story entitled The Mysteries of the Cabala. This story takes place in Warsaw, Poland during the early 1900s. At that time, Poland was home to a large number of Jews, many of whom were members of the Hasidic sect. This story involves two Jewish boys who are friends and who enjoy inventing fantastic stories. One of the boys tells the other that he has learned a spell from the Cabala (a mystical commentary on the Torah) that can destroy the world. Realizing that he has taken his "story" too far, the boy struggles with what to do with his conflicting feelings. As always, the students will read and listen to this story and then proceed with taking directed notes, participating in a shared inquiry discussion and completing a written assignment. Each of these steps will help the student gain a deeper understanding of this story.

At week's end, we will conclude with a look at Habit #5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood. In this habit, the students will learn about the importance of, among other things, good listening skills and why they are so important to being able to get along and truly understand other people.

Week of March 30 - April 5

2009-03-27T09:00:00.000-04:00

ENJOY YOUR SPRING BREAK!!

Week of March 23

2009-03-27T08:48:00.002-04:00

Welcome to our final week of school before the much anticipated SPRING BREAK. This week the students will be learning more about how to "think win-win." We will also return to our story, A Likely Place, and search for a deeper understanding of why the main character, Lewis, was able to find encouragement in a new relationship with an unlikely acquaintance. The students will make and defend arguments about how and why Lewis was feeling encouraged or discouraged at various junctures throughout the story.

As we approach the end of this shortened week, the students will try to incorporate a theme from the story into their own personal paradigm as they use their imagination to create their own "special place" that allows them to feel good. While doing this exercise, their goal will be to "think win-win" as they then work in groups to come up with one group "special place."

Some of our students will be off on a field trip on Thursday. For the remaining students, this final day before spring break will be used to do a fun activity involving the 7 Habits. The students will create a rebus (a puzzle using pictures, letters and/or words that demonstrates a word or phrase) that describes one or more of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens.

I hope everyone enjoys a fun-filled, relaxing and safe spring break!

Week of March 16

2009-03-14T13:25:00.002-04:00

Beginning this week, the students will move outside of the "private victory" zone of the 7 Habits into the "public victory" zone which encompasses habits 4, 5 and 6. On Monday of this week, they will learn about a Relationship Bank Account. A Relationship Bank Account is simply the amount of trust and confidence you have in each of your relationships. Why is it so important to have healthy RBAs? Simply put, your ability to get along with others will largely determine how successful you are in your career and your level of personal happiness! For this reason, it is crucial that young (and old!) people understand how to get along with others.

Besides learning about the RBA, this week the students will also begin to learn about Habit #4: Think Win-Win. We will begin our study of this habit on Friday. Prior to that day, I will also introduce our next story in the Great Books series, "A Likely Place." The students will listen to and discuss this story on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Week of March 9

2009-03-14T13:20:00.003-04:00

FCAT week is finally upon us! As you well realize, this week is FCAT testing for our students and, as a result, most of the children will come to my class only 4 days this week. On Monday, the students will complete their study of "My Greatest Ambition" with a shared inquiry discussion. In this discussion, the students will discuss why the main character chooses not to pursue his greatest ambition by delving deeper into the context of the story and analyzing the events that led to Morris's decision to give up his ambition.

I will be leading a discussion on the topic of leadership on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thursday we will be reviewing what we have learned so far this semester in preparation for the mid-term exam. I will administer the mid-term exam on Friday. This exam will cover all of the Covey (7 Habits) material discussed so far, the requirements of an accurate written response and the vocabulary words from "Through the Tunnel" and "My Greatest Ambition."

Week of March 2

2009-03-14T13:10:00.002-04:00

We began and ended this week continuing to focus on Habit #3: Put First Things First. While last week the students were introduced to the concept of prioritizing their time and putting their "big rocks" in life ahead of their "little rocks", this week they began to practice this habit by creating a monthly planner. For the entire month of March, the students are required to create and utilize "to do" lists each day. By getting in the habit of thinking about and writing down how they spend their time each day, the students should begin to see whether or not they are using their time wisely. If not, they can see where changes in their schedules need to be made and decide whether or not they want to become "highly effective" and make the necessary changes. This may require a good deal of discipline for some! Lack of discipline, as the students will learn, is the number one reason why people have difficulty with this very important habit. At the end of the week, the students will also be learning that both fear and peer pressure often stand in the way of mastering this habit.

Besides studying our Covey habits, the students will be reading a new story, "My Greatest Ambition." This is a story about a 13-year-old boy who has the opportunity to pursue his greatest ambition. He encounters several setbacks along the way and eventually decides to stop the pursuit because, as the author admits, he "grew out of it." We will go deeper into this story next week.

Week of February 23

2009-02-24T12:05:00.002-05:00

This week we will delve deeper into the story, Raymond's Run. We will begin the week by discussing the Directed Notes taken by the students last week. In our discussions, we will be working on not only formulating and defending our positions but also on good presentation skills. I am always helping the students to focus on their articulation, volume and body language when they speak in my class. These skills are very important for effective leaders to acquire.

We will also be doing some group work this week. The students will break out into groups and divide how to divide the story into 10 sections. After these divisions have been made, the students will create a story map of the story. To do so, each student will contribute a drawing depicting at least one section in the story. This exercise will force the students to "get involved" more in the story and learn how to deal with a diverse group of people.

On Friday of this week, I will be introducing the students to the next habit, Habit #3. Habit #3 is "Put first things first." In this habit, the students will be learning about how to prioritize and put the most important things in life first. This habit should really help our 6th grade students to learn how to get their work done before play and begin to prioritize what they need to accomplish in order to create more balance in their lives.

Week of February 16

2009-02-17T15:21:00.003-05:00

Monday February 16: NO SCHOOL... Happy President's Day!

On Tuesday of this week, the students will revisit the "FRIESS" method of creating an accurate written response. In this method, the students will practice writing facts, reasons, incidents, examples, statistics and sensory details as a way of not only responding accurately to a question but also as a means of formulating an argument. They will be writing a response to the question: Are girls expected to be nicer than boys? Their response will also serve as an introduction to our next story in the Great Books Series, "Raymond's Run."

On Wednesday the students will actually read and listen to this next story in class. Then on Thursday the students will re-read the story on their own, take directed notes on the story, and then discuss their responses using the Socratic method. It is during these Socratic discussions that the students continue to hone their skills in creating and defending their arguments... always a favorite time in class!

Finally, on Friday we will revisit Habit #2: Begin with the End in Mind. The students should be finalizing their Personal Mission Statements this week and bringing them to class on Friday (due date) along with the worksheet that I gave them last Friday. We will continue our discussion on this important habit and learn more about how the students can actually put this habit into practice.

Week of February 9

2009-02-13T16:22:00.002-05:00

This week we began the processes of Directed Note-taking and Shared Inquiry discussion as we delved deeper into our story, "Through the Tunnel." The students looked throughout the story for places where 11-year-old Jerry was acting like a child and where he was acting like a grownup. Through the development of arguments, the students were able to begin to see how one incident can be interpreted in more than one way. The discussions were lively, to say the least, as the students learned how to formulate arguments and defend their positions. These discussions seem to be a favorite amongst so many of the kids!

Besides formulating and defending their positions, the students also participated in Shared Inquiry discussions on the story utilizing the Socratic method of learning. I was the facilitator while the students themselves answered interpretive questions about the story in an effort to glean new insight from each other into the deeper meaning of the story.

On Friday, we once again turned our discussion to the "7 Habits" course. This Friday we began talking about Habit #2. This habit teaches us to "Begin with the End in Mind." In an effort to better understand this habit, the students will be completing a worksheet to help them understand what sorts of things are really important to them and then they will create their own Personal Mission Statement. This activity is due on Friday, February 20.

Week of February 2

2009-02-03T09:18:00.003-05:00

This week we begin our study of the Junior Great Books series. On Monday I will introduce the students to the process we will be using to delve deeper into each of our stories. The students will learn about 3 types of questions (factual, interpretive and speculative). Next they will apply this knowledge to a short excerpt from "The House on Mango Street" as they seek to find examples of all three types of questions. Starting on Tuesday, the students will read their first story, "Through the Tunnel." Wednesday and Thursday we will re-read our story, taking Directed Notes and seeking to understand new vocabulary words. On Friday, we will jump back into the "7 Habits" course and revisit Habit #1. The students will gain more information and participate in additional activities to reinforce their understanding of what it means to "Be Proactive."

Week of January 26

2009-01-25T11:09:00.002-05:00

This past week we delved into the "7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens" book by Sean Covey. For those of you familiar with Steven Covey's book entitled "7 Habits of Highly Effective People," your child's text book for this course mirrors Steven Covey's book but is written by Mr. Covey's son, Sean, who writes on a level the students can more easily understand. This is an excellent book which will challenge your child to begin to apply 7 new habits into his/her life.

Unfortunately, the students are unable to bring this book home to study since I need the books for each of my five classes. However, if you would like to purchase this book for your child (this is NOT a requirement) to read at home you can go to your local bookstore or go to the Franklin-Covey website (www. franklincovey.com) to place an order. The retail price is $14.95.

Parents, I would encourage you to ask your child about what they are learning in my class. One of their goals in this class is to LEARN IT (in class), LIVE IT (throughout the day) and SHARE IT (with you, their friends, or anyone who'll listen!). In this way, the material they learn in this course will be reinforced by their actions with the end result being the development of new, positive and effective life-long habits.

Coming up this week, the students will begin the process of understanding the importance of living their life according to fundamental principles or truths. Instead of centering their life on friends, sports, stuff or other transient things, the students will learn why focusing on principles will enable them to remain true to themselves throughout life's ups and downs. They will also be learning about their Personal Bank Account and how their actions can create either deposits or withdrawals into this account. Finally, we will hop into Habit #1 on Friday when the students will begin to learn what it means to "Be Proactive."

Week of January 20

2009-01-19T08:17:00.002-05:00

Beginning of the 2nd Semester...

Today you will begin with the end in mind.
Exit bad habits; enter new and better habits.
Open your mind to new possibilities, new opportunities, and new adventures.
Let the fun begin!

Welcome to the Great Books course of critical thinking and the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens course in life management skills. This semester your child and I will be taking an adventure which will open their minds to the possibility of becoming a more critical thinker and equip them with the necessary tools to become a highly effective individual in every aspect of their life.

This first week is a shortened week due to the MLK holiday and the fact that the 6th graders will be going on a science field trip to MOSH. I will introduce both parts of this course to the students and cover some initial housekeeping items this week. I will also give the students a supply list and an introductory letter about this course which should be brought home to their parents (be on the lookout for this information).

Throughout this semester, should you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me. The easiest way to reach me is by email at vaughanc@duvalschools.org. You may also reach my by telephone at 346-5650 ext. 150.

Thank you for entrusting your child to me. I am thrilled to be teaching this course to your child. My goal is to help your child reach his/her goals and I have high hopes that this course will make a positive, life-changing difference for your child.

Week of January 12

2009-01-09T15:48:00.002-05:00

This week is our final week together as the students will be completing their first semester of 6th grade and this elective course. Last Friday I administered Part I of the final exam which covered our Great Books course. This week we will spend Monday and Tuesday involved in activities which should help solidify the students' understanding of the 7 Habits. On Wednesday I will give the students Part II of the final exam covering the Covey material. On Thursday, our final day together, we will spend some time reflecting on all that we have learned together in this elective course.

Thank you for the opportunity to teach your child this semester. It has been a wonderful experience for me. I truly have appreciated the opportunity to influence your child's educational experience and hope that your child has enjoyed the adventure as well. :)

Week of January 5

2009-01-04T09:47:00.002-05:00

Welcome to the New Year! This week we will finish up our study of the Great Books course. We will begin the week refreshing our memory of "Soumchi" and then reading Part II of this final story of the semester. Throughout the week we will continue the usual process of taking directed notes and participating in shared inquiry discussion of this story. To close out the week and our critical thinking course, the students will create a written response encompassing all aspects of what is required for an "accurate written response" using critical thinking skills. This response will serve as part one of the student's final exam for this course.

Week of December 15

2008-12-12T15:36:00.002-05:00

Welcome to the final week of school for 2008! On Friday of last week, the students began reading a new story, "Soumchi." "Soumchi" is a story about an 11-year-old Jewish boy growing up in Jerusalem during the 1940s. In class, we talked about some of the political tensions that were present during that time and which affected our character in the story. On Monday, we will continue to read and discuss this story further. We will proceed with our normal process of taking directed notes and having shared inquiry discussion about this story throughout the week.

This week the students will also participate in a class 'spelling bee' covering the key words which they have learned throughout this semester. We will be focusing primarily on the key words from the 7 Habits portion of this course. On Friday, the students will learn about the importance of renewing and strengthening the final dimension of Habit #7: the soul. Discussion of this topic should provide a wonderful segway into the holiday season for the students!

Here's wishing each one of you a wonderful, safe and joyous holiday celebration!

Week of December 8

2008-12-11T13:42:00.002-05:00

This week the students said "goodbye" to Bala, Kotil, Medana and Ulikini as we wrapped up our study on "The Last Great Snake." Before doing so, however, the students gathered in groups and composed one final paragraph in response to a question about the story. They shared their collaborative responses and then took the opportunity to review and revise all the groups' written work.

We are also revisiting Habit #7: Sharpen the Saw. This habit teaches us the importance of regularly renewing and strengthening the 4 key dimensions of our lives: the body, the brain, the heart and the soul. Having focused on the body last week, this week we discuss ways to sharpen our brain and renew our hearts. You may be receiving a little surprise in your mailbox soon from the study of this habit! Be sure and ask your child how he/she sought to renew their heart in class today. :)

We will end this week with a brief discussion about what was going on in the 1920s and 1930s with regard to the happenings in and around Jerusalem. This discussion will serve as an introduction to our final story, "Soumchi." Next week we will read Part I of "Soumchi."

Week of December 1

2008-12-02T14:51:00.002-05:00

Welcome to December! This week the students begin the story they've all been dying to read... The Last Great Snake. Enticed to read this story by the dramatic illustration on the cover of our text book, the students have been captivated by this adventure involving giant serpents with a magic stone embedded in their skull. The disappearance of one man's magic stone, given to him by his grandfather who fought a great snake to obtain the stone, causes another man to retreat into the wilderness in search of the "last great snake" who holds the final available magic stone. This story delves into the issue of good vs. evil and challenges the students to think critically about how and why an action may be deemed good or evil.

We will end this week by beginning our study of Habit #7: Sharpen the Saw. In this habit, the students will learn the importance of regularly renewing 4 key dimensions of their life: their body, their brain, their heart, and their soul. They will participate in some fun activities which will help them remember how and why they should stay focused on strengthening each of these areas in order to become more effective in all aspects of life.

Thanksgiving Week

2008-11-23T09:22:00.003-05:00

Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, we will only have 2 days this week of school. On Monday, the students will finish out their study of Habit #6: Synergize by learning how to create an "action plan" to make synergy happen. This action plan will allow the students to apply their knowledge to any situation in order to convert a problem (or opportunity) into a synergistic result. I just love it when that happens! We will then end our brief week with a creative writing assignment, providing the students with a fun opportunity to use their imagination to create their very own story about an "ugh" situation (similar to seeing a little bug in a peach you are about to bite into!)

Have a safe and relaxing Thanksgiving holiday and enjoy the time off with your families!

Week of November 17

2008-11-23T09:09:00.002-05:00

We concluded our study of "Superstitions" early this week and moved on to our next story, "Gaston." Gaston is a small bug who lived inside of a peach and who became the object of attention for a girl and her father who were trying to find something in common to discuss. The 6-year-0ld girl, who lives in New York, was visiting her father who lives in Paris. The little bug becomes a fascination for the two as they struggle to find common ground on which to reconnect. After reading the story, the students were able to understand how their own perceptions of the story could be vastly different from their fellow students' perceptions. To defend their positions, the students continued to practice formulating arguments using evidence from the story to support their arguments. The back and forth banter amongst the students always seems to keep their attention focused and provide entertainment at the same time!

Week of November 10

2008-11-11T10:39:00.002-05:00

In preparation for our new story this week, "Superstitions," the students viewed a video clip on epilepsy and we discussed what it means to have this disease. "Superstitions" is a story about two siblings, one of which has epilepsy. The story delves into the mind of the sibling without epilepsy and how she responds to her brother who has this disease. We will follow the usual format this week of listening to the story and then re-reading it while taking directed notes. Due to the Veteran's Day holiday, we will be unable to go much farther into the story this week and we will pick up with it again next week for further discussion and inquiry.

On Friday, the students will learn about the 6th habit: Synergize. Be sure to ask your child next weekend what he/she can do at home to help synergize your family!

Week of November 3

2008-11-11T10:26:00.002-05:00

The students reflected this week on the details of the story, Chura and Marwe. After listening to the story and then reading it again for more detail, the students pondered on a pivotal point in the story and depicted this point in a drawing. We discussed interpretive questions in our shared inquiry time as well. On Thursday, we spent the entire day really focusing on what it takes to create an accurate written response. Each student wrote and re-wrote responses to questions about the story, focusing on correct use of grammar, writing in complete sentences, and specifically answering the question asked.

Finally, on Friday the students demonstrated their understanding of Habit #5 (Seek first to understand, then to be understood) by performing mostly skits and rap songs. Overall, they appeared to really enjoy this opportunity to get in front of the class and perform for each other. My goal for the students with this exercise was not only to have them learn the material in a new way but also to allow them the opportunity to work on their presentation skills.

Week of October 27

2008-10-30T09:08:00.002-04:00

This week we will finish our study of the story, "Bad Characters," and move into an African folktale entitled, "Chura and Marwe." Chura, a boy "with a face like a toad's" and Marwe, a beautiful girl, are two slave children who pine for each other's company. They face tremendous hardships and, as a result, Marwe throws herself into a pool of water which takes her down into the underworld. She finds that she is treated better in the underworld than she had been in the past; even so, she longs to return to her past life in order to be with Chura again. This story is full of places which demonstrate to the students how the same passage can be interpreted by different students in various ways.

We will end this week by learning about Habit #5: Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood. This habit focuses on the importance of good listening skills, something most 6th graders have not yet developed. After learning about this habit on Friday, the students will be responsible for demonstrating their understanding of this habit next Friday when they put on skits focusing on good and bad listening habits. I can't wait to see where the students' imaginations will take them on this assignment!

I hope you all have a fun-filled and safe Halloween!

Week of October 20

2008-10-20T07:20:00.003-04:00

On Wednesday of this week, we will be at the end of the 1st quarter of middle school! Students took a mid-term exam last Friday covering the material in the first half of this course. This week we will begin a new story entitled "Bad Characters." We will need a couple of days to read this story, as it is a bit longer than some of the other ones, and then we will delve deeper into the story by taking directed notes and comparing students' thoughts about the story. By Thursday we should be able to hop right into our shared inquiry discussion about this story. There will be no school on Friday because it is a teacher's planning day. I hope you all have a nice, relaxing long weekend!

Week of October 13

2008-10-09T21:59:00.002-04:00

I wanted to give you a head start on this week since it is the week of mid-term exams. We'll begin this week going deeper into our study of "The Mysteries of the Cabala." We'll also spend a day reviewing the highlights of this course in preparation for the mid-term exam which, for this course, will be given to your child on Wednesday. We will wrap up our story on Thursday and jump into Habit #4 on Friday.

It's hard to believe that we're already half way through the first semester of middle school! Hopefully by this point your child has gotten comfortable with what is expected of him/her in middle school and is adjusting to all the changes. As always, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns about your child. As I continually remind the students, my goal is to help them reach their goals!

Week of October 6

2008-10-09T21:34:00.002-04:00

This week we finished up our study of "A Likely Place" with a Shared Inquiry discussion. Our tables were turned (literally) as we rearranged our room and tried out a new seating arrangement for this activity. After wrapping up our study of this story, we turned the page and jumped back in time to the early 1900's where we met 2 young Hasidic Jewish boys in Warsaw, Poland in the story, "The Mysteries of the Cabala." These 2 boys each try to outdo each other with their imaginative story-telling. When one of the boys goes so far as to claim to have mysterious knowledge of the Cabala, he realizes not only the religious dangers of his claims but also the impending threat to his boyhood friendship for having been caught in a lie.

On Thursday, 3 of my classes went to the auditorium with the rest of their team to learn all about the upcoming science fair project. As for my other 2 classes, my 2nd period class and I had a lively discussion on what it means to be labeled "gifted" while my 4th period class gained insight into the 3 learning styles (visual, auditory and kinesthetic) and the "8 Ways of Knowing." As usual, Fridays find us studying up on our "7 Habits" and this Friday was no exception as we learned all about the Relationship Bank Account (RBA). Be on the lookout for a deposit that your child may be attempting to make this week into his/her RBA with you!

Week of September 29

2008-09-30T08:22:00.002-04:00

In order to introduce our new story this week, "A Likely Place" by Paula Fox, we kicked off this week with a group exercise dealing with a major theme of this story: how grownups "should" treat kids. The students broke out into groups to discuss a particular question relating to this theme and were required to reach a consensus after a short period of time. They learned how very difficult it can be to agree with others, stay on task, get everyone in the group to participate and ultimately to reach a consensus! We discussed what went well and what did not go so well, and then we talked about how we could make improvements for the next time group work is required.

As the week continues, the students will spend some time reading our new story and then listening to the story as the practice directed note-taking once again. At the end of the week, we will shift gears back to our Covey study and revisit Habit #3: Put First Things First. Delving deeper into this important habit, we will discuss 2 obstacles that frequently stand in the way of our ability to put first things first, namely fear and peer pressure. After our discussion, the students should have a better understanding of what these 'road blocks' are, how they can stand in the way of their ability to put first things first, and hopefully what they can do to overcome these obstacles in order to truly make Habit #3 and habit in their own life.

Week of September 22

2008-09-25T20:47:00.002-04:00

Our story this week has been "My Greatest Ambition," by Morris Lurie. In this story the students learned about our author as a 13-year old boy as he pursued his dream of becoming a professional comic strip creator. Delving into his character, the students were able to gain a deeper understanding of Morris' struggles with this pursuit and where his determination helped him get closer and closer to his goal.

Even in my absence on Thursday the students refused to miss a beat and kept up with our schedule in order to complete this study. I was most impressed with their enthusiasm and proactive behavior to stay the course!

Friday we turned our attention to the study of Habit #3: Put First Things First. We learned about taking care of the "big rocks" in our life first before dealing with all of our little pebbles. In an effort to turn what we learned into a real habit, the students will be creating daily "to do" lists for the next month. They will schedule time for their "big rocks" each week and begin prioritizing what needs to get done each day. The goal for each student is to utilize these lists each day so that they become more organized and efficient with their time and feel more confident in their ability to succeed in their individual goals.

Be on the lookout for whether or not your child is referring to his/her "to do" list each day. I would love to hear about any positive changes in behavior you may be noticing as a result! It's going to take some discipline on your child's part but hopefully he/she will soon come to realize that with a little bit of planning up front the payoff at the end of the week can be a tremendous sense of accomplishment and peace of mind :)

Week of September 15

2008-09-15T21:37:00.001-04:00

Last week we were cut short by 2 days of benchmark testing as well as Early Release on Wednesday. Even so, we were able to finish up our study of "Through the Tunnel." The students began to understand the process of Shared Inquiry discussion as we gathered on my rug for some smaller group discussions of the story. They ended their study of this story by drawing a scene from the story with depicted a pivotal point in the main character's self-discovery process

This week we encounter a new character, Squeaky, in "Raymond's Run." Squeaky is a girl who doesn't always act or say the things that are expected of most girls. This story presents the students with another opportunity to learn how to take directed notes and then utilize the Socratic Method as we share our thoughts and opinions about Squeaky in our Shared Inquiry time. We will wrap up this story with a written assignment which will allow the students another opportunity to demonstrate their comprehension of the story.

This week we will also discover Habit #2: Begin with the End in Mind in our 7 Habits course. The students will learn how to apply this habit by creating their own Personal Mission Statement. They will also be reinforcing their understanding of Habit #1: Be Proactive as they are responsible for one journal entry each day this week which describes a proactive behavior they have made that day. Ask them to share their proactive behavior with you. Sharing with you will help reinforce this very important habit.

2008-09-07T20:56:00.002-04:00

Last week we began the Great Books course. Our first story that we read was "Through the Tunnel." We learned how to take "directed notes" on the story as well. The students were also responsible for exhibiting PROACTIVE behaviors throughout the week, writing them in their journals, and sharing their experiences with someone. Did your child happen to share any proactive behavior with you? I hope so!

On Monday, Sept. 8 we will begin the process of "shared inquiry" on our Great Books story. Hopefully, this process should not be too difficult for the students since we have been practicing using the socratic method throughout all our discussions in class. We will finish up "Through the Tunnel" this week with a writing activity, and then we will hop into our next story, "Raymond's Run."

Progress Reports will coming home on Monday so be on the lookout for them.

2008-09-03T14:38:00.002-04:00

A few of you who have asked me to post homework assignments. In general I will NOT be posting homework assignments on my blog. The reason for this decision is because I want all my students to become RESPONSIBLE students and develop a HABIT of writing down the assignment in their planner when I give it to them. I will always tell the students their homework assignment (either verbally or in writing) and then reiterate at least one time to ensure that everyone present has had an opportunity to hear what is required of them. If I post my assignment on my blog then I am not holding my students responsible for listening and paying attention in class. If a student is absent, he/she will be given ample opportunity to make up the homework assignment upon their return to class.

2008-09-02T13:31:00.003-04:00

Last week we learned about Paradigms, Principles and Habits. The students wrote an essay describing their top 3 principles in life and elaborated by writing about specific habits they have within each of their favorite life principles. We really began an introspective approach to what is important to each of us in life and began thinking about how we are going to live according to our principles. The students also demonstrated their understanding of these concepts by listing the same information but in a different format: the 4-square approach.

This week we are shifting gears. We move from our "7 Habits" curriculum to the Junior Great Books curriculum. In this "Great Books" curriculum we will be reading 12 excerpts from stories that the students should really enjoy. Besides just reading the stories, the students will be taking directed notes as well. The next step in this process of learning to become a critical thinker involves a time for 'shared inquiry.' During 'shared inquiry' time, the students will be utilizing the Socratic Method of discussion wherein I will act primarily as the facilitator instead of the teacher. The students will asks questions of each other in order to gain a broader and deeper understanding of the story which they have just read. The final step of this critical thinking process will involve written work to demonstrate the students' knowledge of what they have read and discussed with each other about the story.

Every Friday we will be shifting gears again. I call this time our "Fun Fridays." We will be focusing back on our 7 Habits again, covering one of the 7 habits every 2 Fridays. Last Friday we began discussing Habit #1: BE PROACTIVE. The students are required to make a minimum of 5 journal entries (on 5 different days) this week describing PROACTIVE behaviors they are making. They must list the date the behavior took place, describe the PROACTIVE behavior, and list the name of the person with whom they shared this behavior. We have the philosophy of LEARN IT, LIVE IT, SHARE IT wherein we learn about the behavior in class, we live it out in the real world, and we share it with others to help reinforce our understanding (and hopefully inspire others to exhibit the positive behavior as well). Be on the lookout for PROACTIVE behavior from your child this week!

Week of August 18

2008-08-21T14:24:00.004-04:00

This week we delved into the "7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens" book by Sean Covey. For those of you familiar with Steven Covey's "7 Habits of Highly Effective People," this book mirrors that book but is written by Mr. Covey's son, Sean, who writes on a level the students can more easily understand. This is an excellent book which will challenge your child to begin to apply 7 new habits into his/her life.

Unfortunately, the students are unable to bring this book home to study since I need the books for each of my five classes. However, if you would like to purchase this book (this is NOT a requirement) for your child (and you!) to read at home you can go to your local bookstore or go to the Franklin Covey website (www.franklincovey.com) to place an order. The retail price is $14.95.

Parents, I would encourage you to ask your child about what they are learning in my class. One of their goals in this class is to LEARN IT (in class), LIVE IT (throughout the day), and SHARE IT (with you, their friends, anyone who'll listen!). In this way, the material they learn in this course will be reinforced by their actions with the end result being the development of new, positive and effective life-long habits.

Thank you for entrusting your child to me. I am thrilled to be teaching this course and hopefully making a positive difference in your child's life.

Welcome to My Class!

2008-08-14T10:19:00.001-04:00

Enter the world of 7 Habits....

Today you will begin with the end in mind. Exit bad habits; enter new and better habits. Open your mind to new possibilities, new opportunities, new adventures. Let the fun begin!