Little "For-Get-Me-Nots" from the School Week

Through the chilly un-April like week I was awed to find my little blue for-get-me-nots had begun to bloom in my garden.  It reminded my of the little blooms I witnessed this school week through the less then optimum teaching conditions during the week of  Badger Exam standardized testing.  My memorable bright spots(for-get-me-nots) for the week included:
          *I actually was able to hold my 8th grade math class twice this week and I am starting to see some progress with attitudes and mastery.  After we reviewed 2-digit multiplication I began see everyone improving their accuracy when calculating volume of cylinders, cones and triangular prisms.  This success finally helped improve their confidence in their ability to solve math problems,  which is critical for motivation in math.
          *One of my 8th grade students has an extremely difficult time with anger management.  When he is mad he verbally lashes out on anyone who dares to talk or look at him He does this to peers as well as adults.  He  has resisted all attempts to redirect his anger and feels justified to behave as he does.  Monday I tried to model and suggest appropriate verbal  responses to use when he was mad.  As usual he acted like he was ignoring me however later that day when he was very mad I spoke calmly to him and waited for his usual verbal blast.  He scowled and gave me those angry eyes then opened his mouth...and stopped.  In amazement I watched his expression change from anger to calm and he responded with "I don't want to talk right now".  I said I would respect that and walked away while inside I was thinking "I don't believe it! He  did exactly what I had been prompting him  to do for months.  I decided it might just be a randomn response and really didn't expect to hear that again anytime soon.  The next day I went into his reading class and found him sitting sullenly and  unengaged with the class work. I walked up to him   and quietely ask him why he wasn't working.  He looked up angrily and I waited to hear his  tirade.  He paused and then softly said, "I really don't feel like talkin right now."  Wow, two days in a roll and he used the appropriate strategies both times.  I thought I would never hear this type of response from him.
This progress confirms my belief  in the importance of building positive relationships with students.  It is critical for academic progress and social/ emotional growth.  It has taken half the school year to build up trust in this angry student however consistent calm patience has paid off.  I have my fingers crossed and I am hoping this behavior will continue next week.
         *This "for-get-me-not" is a personal success.  It is a struggle to develop and create teaching materials. As a special education teacher I have had to create my own materials to differentiate instruction for my students.  It is a really a plus when these materials are engaging for all students in the classroom.    When I develop interactive materials that motivate and provide learning opportunities for all students I like to post them in my TPT store.  One of my most successful writing activities involves the use of a simple brown lunch bag.  I call it my "in the bag" writing.
 After hours of work I finally finished 3 writing packets into one bundle.   It's full of activities that are creative, hands on and highly engaging for students as they learn how to; write a research paper, write a persuasive essay, and write an expository essay. 
                                 

If you are interested in more details just click on the TPT link on the right side at the top of this blog. My students have made some cool writing projects and I have found it engaging for reluctant writers too.
                                     

              

 

  

           *My  last "for-get-me not" of the week is related to a common problem in inner city schools, at least here. Monday morning before school started I was sitting at my desk sipping my Starbucks and organizing my day when a tiny brownish bug ran across my desk and hid under my Kleenex box. I got him with a tissue and was careful to leave him intact. The school's bug guy identified him as a German cockroach. Yuck! The school engineer gave me a roach motel that had a glue pad to see if this was a random critter or a member of a large family. Every morning I have been checking for occupants but so far the motel has thankfully been vacant. Truly hoping the roach motel remains customer free after the weekend so I can then assume my classroom is free of these unwelcome guests.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend and I will talk to you again on "Monday Morning"!