Happy 100th Day!

Today was the 100^th day of school….WE SURVIVED!! To be honest, these days seemed to fly by rather quickly. This year's group of students are honestly a lot less stressful than previous years. They are a little chatty, a little bossy, some are full of drama (lol) but we are making it work in Room 114. The students were super excited today because not only did they have a few activities to do today but Lisa informed them that tomorrow we would start the countdown to when they would become 3^rd graders!

One of our students today asked me can I go with her to 3^rd grade. I felt special (she is my baby) but I had to explain to her that I will not be leaving 2^nd grade but that she would be just fine. She continued to ask me a thousand questions and I could tell that she was extremely concerned. I gave her a hug and told her that I would still be in the building if she needed me. She looked at me and said, “Maybe I’ll just stay in 2^nd grade for one more year!” That little girl is too funny but she was so serious!

Lisa and I continued with the scheduled lessons for the day but we did include 100^th day activities that would be fun for the students. One of my favorites was the writing activity, “If I was 100 years old.” It was rather interesting to read how our students saw themselves when they are 100 years old. It also surprised me that some students said that when they turn 100, they will either be dead or ugly. I still have yet to figure out why they connect being old with being ugly!

All in all, today was a good 100^th day of school. And tomorrow we will officially start our countdown to 3^rd grade. As I was sitting back and watching them today, it dawned on me that Room 114’s 2012 students are more independent than previous students. They ask questions that are actually thought out and they demand answers right away. They are little grown people who are so smart. I feel confident that our students will be more than ready for 3^rd grade. Happy 100^th day everyone! We made it now let the countdown begin!

Winter Break

Winter Break has come to an end.  Come Monday morning, it will be back to the classroom for Lisa and I.  This break was much needed and appreciated but while sitting at home this week, I couldn’t help but to think about some of our students.  Certain memories made me laugh out loud, while other memories made me shake my head.  I can’t help but to think of what the kids were doing at home during break.  Did they eat everyday?  Are they having fun?  Are they being ignored?  Who has actually been practicing their sight words or math facts?  I can’t help it, these things worry a teacher even when she should be enjoying her break and relaxing!  I just hope they are ok!  As the week is coming to an end, I’m mentally preparing myself for what to expect when Room 114 comes alive with smiling faces.  I could use another week (maybe 2) but I know that on Monday, somebody needs me more than I need to relax.  Just knowing that makes it all worthwhile.  Hope all the teachers out there that had this week off had a nice, relaxing Winter Break.  Come Monday we are “Back To Business!!”

-Amanda

Anatomy of a conference

Amanda and I recently finished our second parent teacher conferences of the year. At conferences, there are all different kinds of conversations and reactions with 2^nd grade families. I thought it would be fun to dissect the make-up of a conference, so here is a quick and dirty breakdown of the anatomy of a conference.

#1 – Crier – From afar, an outsider may have a hard time telling if the parent/guardian is crying because they are happy or sad. In all honesty, I have seen both. Lacy's* mom cried a few years ago because she knew her daughter was a year behind. Jacob's* mom cried because she was so frustrated with his lack of achievement. On the other hand, Jada's* mom teared up because she was so proud of her progress. The crier needs a hug and a plan.

#2 – Finger pointers – This parent/guardian usually strolls into conferences with a poker face. They don't like to show their cards right away, but once the door is opened they jump into an aggressive state and place the blame, whether the issue is grades or behavior, on other students, changes at home, or the teacher. Why parents wait until conferences rather than picking up the phone, I'll never know. Perhaps they don't decide that they are going to point the finger until they arrive at conferences and are presented with an uncomfortable situation. Whatever the case, I'm lucky to have Amanda sitting next to me for back-up with these visitors.

#3 – Defensive – One of my favorite quotes is “this didn't happen in [fill in the blank's] classroom last year.” I've heard that this angel of child has had straight A's every year in the past or has never once been a behavior problem. Our building isn't that big. I know if this is the truth or not. Let's be honest, 9 times out of 10 it's not the truth. The defensive parent tends to need a wake-up call. They need to know what our plan of action is and how the angel of a child is going to get back to all A's or immaculate behavior.

#4 – Lost – I think I feel the worst for this parent/guardian. Many times, this parent comes off as being someone who had a baby dropped off at their doorstep and now they don't know what to do. They love their child, know their child needs extra help or is struggling, but they are unsure of the next step.

#5 – Over the moon – This is the goal of all conferences. I hope that the criers, finger pointers, defensive, and lost parents will one day be over the moon because their child has achieved and risen to or above their potential. These over the moon parents bring a smile to my face and help me to remember the warmth and love that come with teaching.

Now I may not be an actual parent, but I feel like I've taken a big role in parenting the over 100 children that have entered Room 114. At the end of the day, I know that whatever type of parent shows up at our conferences they want the best for their child. Their feelings may not always come across in a comprehensible way, but they want their child to succeed. Therefore, it's our job to work these kids until 3:45 of every day because not only are they counting on us, but there are parents waiting at home to see success.

-Lisa

The "real" us

Our kids are always wondering about our lives outside of school. They want to know where we live, what our “real” names are, and how old we are. For some reason, the kids have been mesmerized by these ideas lately. Here are two quick conversations that we have had lately.

On the way to the movie theater last week, Jada* told me that she knew my name was Lisa. I told her not to tell anyone and she just smiled. I then asked her if she knew Ms. McDole's name. She said she knew her name was Angela because she saw on the computer the other day that her name starts and ends with an “a.” Amanda told her that she was wrong, and Jada continued to guess. More girls joined in on the conversation, but no one ever figured it out. They currently think that Amanda's name is Anna.

Recently, one of the boys, Desmond*, said that Rosa Parks was born in the 19s, as in the 1900s, which is why she was so old. I went on to tell Desmond that Amanda and I were born in the 19s. Desmond looked at me and matter-of-factly said, “Then you must be 60.” All of the kids joined in on the conversation guessing ages. The last comment was the one that made me laugh.

“I think Ms. Fiema is 27.”

“No way. Ms. Fiema can't be 27. When you are 27, you are still a kid livin' with your mama.”

Only from the mouths of babes!

-Lisa

Valentine's Day

Today, in classrooms across the nation, Valentine's Day is being celebrated. Every year in Room 114, we have a big celebration. Dozens of cupcakes, too much candy to mention, cute Valentine's Day cards and pizza. Today was no different! The kids were super excited from the moment they walked in the door this morning. Everyone wanted to show off their candy and could not wait for the Valentine's Day party this afternoon.

As mentioned earlier, our school is 100% free and reduced lunch. The school sits in the middle of what once was a beautiful and vibrant community. Now abandoned and burned down houses and buildings are what our children have to look at daily. Many of the students come from families where everyday is a mere struggle to just survive. Some of the students live in homeless shelters, while others live in a household that is shared by many family members. Often times people ask us, “How do you work there everyday?” I won’t lie, sometimes it’s hard dealing with behavior issues, family issues, academic issues, etc. but when you walk into the classroom and immediately feel loved by the ones that need you the most, it makes it all worthwhile.

Sometimes it amazes me just how special these students are. They are the most kind hearted, loving, and curious bunch of kids that I have come across in a long time. While passing out Valentines and candy today, Ms. Fiema and I stepped back and just watched them move around the room. They were concerned and wanted to make sure that everyone had candy. They offered to share with each other and even trade candy. They were helping each other pass things out and even made sure that our 1^st grade guest had candy and Valentines as well. They were smiling and excited that today they got to share something special with their classmates. No arguing, no tears, no screaming (except for excitement!!), it was amazing.

February 14^th is a day of love, a day to express what your heart feels for someone else. So today, I would like to dedicate this post to the students in Room 114. I have learned so much from just watching you guys. You have the biggest hearts of the smallest people I know! You guys prove that it’s not about how much of something you have but what you do with what you have. So Happy Valentine's Day to the little monsters of Room 114. I love each of you guys the same but you each have something special about you that is going to leave the world in awe one day!

Happy Valentines Day!!

-Amanda

The mama

Every opportunity that a student has the chance to be “in charge” in Room 114, they jump right into the role. We have some girls who think they are the “mama” in the room and some boys who are the “boss”. Needless to say, the other students listen to them no more than they listen to us at times…lol! Yesterday afternoon, several students had jobs to complete before it was time to go home. Some students were putting papers in the mailboxes, while other students picked up paper off the floor. One of our students, Jada*, who you have heard about before, loves to be the mama in the class. Right before dismissal, Jada was fussing at the students about putting their chairs on top of their desks. The students were paying her no attention at all. Jada looked at me, shook her head and said, “ Let me just walk away because these kids are something else!” I could not have said it better myself, “these kids ARE something else!”

Happy Friday everyone! Just a little something to make you all laugh. Have a great weekend!

-Amanda

Defying gravity

Over the holidays, I traveled to the Detroit Opera House to see Wicked with my family. My favorite song in Wicked is “Defying Gravity,” and the lyrics almost brought me to tears this second time seeing Wicked because I feel that Amanda, the kids, and I are defying gravity on a daily basis. Here is one part in particular that I connected to Room 114:

        “I'm through accepting limits

        'cause someone says they're so

        Some things I cannot change

        But till I try, I'll never know!”

Many of the students from Room 114 do not have the easiest life. Our school is 100% free and reduced lunch, so quite often our students have their own personal battles to fight, but in Room 114 we are learning to defy gravity. Working in urban education for just five years has shown me that there is a stigma and that many believe that maybe my students aren't supposed to know as much information or they aren't supposed to be as smart as the children in the suburban schools a few miles away. Our school even had a newspaper come question our test scores and went so far as to tell our principal that the kids at our school couldn't possibly be capable of achieving such high test scores; these reporters were promptly shown the door. Why should my students be given limits?

I cannot begin to express how many times I have received looks of sympathy when I say that I work in urban education, but my reply is always “I love it.” Why do I love it? Because we defy gravity. We work miracles with former behavior problems (see A shame, a shame, a shame), help students achieve their potential, and bring a love of learning at a young age.

Take Darren* for example. Darren was in the first class of Room 114. Even with being new to the school, I had been warned about Darren. His first grade teacher made him seen like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and said his academics were something to be desired. As a first year teacher and with a glass totally full attitude, I was ready for Darren. That's when around the fifteenth day of school he threatened to kill me if I didn't give him a prize. Did I report his threats? Of course. Did I give up on him or ask for him to be moved to another room? Not a chance.

For the longest time, Darren struggled with reading. I felt like I wasn't making any progress with him. I believe Amanda was working with him one-on-one too. One morning, after greeting Darren at the door, he walked to the whiteboard and read the morning writing prompt with some hesitation, but accuracy. Now I could have set limits on Darren; I could have refused to work with him, but I didn't. If I had given up, I would never know the greatness that he could achieve.

Darren still comes to visit every now and again. When Darren was in fourth grade, he was almost expelled because of his behavior, but Darren and his wonderful mother fought to stay. They proved his staying power. Darren is one example of defying gravity.

You don't have to work in urban education to defy gravity. There are so many amazing teachers out there working miracles, and this post is dedicated to each of them.   

-Lisa

Prince Charming

With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, I thought this quick story of love would be appropriate.

My students know that I am not married. The marriage question is always one of the first questions that they ask. My usual response is that I haven't found prince charming yet. Well, one day, during a dance, I had the following conversation with one of my girls.

Ciara*: Ms. Fiema, where is your prince charming?

Ms. Fiema: That’s what I would like to know.

Ciara: Alright, here is what you do – go to Channel 2’s web site. Click on the

top. Then click on dating and all of these profiles will come up and you can

find the right guy for you.

It's good to know that my girls have my best love interest in mind, so if any of you are looking I hear Detroit's Channel 2 is a good place to look.

Happy Friday, everyone!


-Lisa