Biomes and Ecosystems

We are currently studying biomes and ecosystems in 5th grade and discussed the human role in habitat destruction. It has been successful in getting the children to think about what they can personally change to help preserve our ecosystems. A follow-up question to keep the students thinking: If you could bring any creature back from extinction, what would you choose and why? What effect would it have on the world? This serves to reinforce food webs/chains and the relationships between the living and non-living things in the environment.

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Classroom Chat

The days begin to seem long with state testing this term. I am noticing the children begin to zone out and brain power is low. To keep things up and running, engage in a classroom discussion. Ask them: What is the most dangerous thing you have ever done? Why did you do it? Did you tell your parents you did it or get caught doing it, and did you get in trouble? Would you do it again? You might find out a lot about your students and be able to connect with them on a deeper level. Always remember that the heart of teaching is building relationships with your students. Subject matter is only the beginning. 

I haven't posted on here in a while...it has been over two months! I was motivated by someone today to get back on here and share my wisdom. 

So I went to the Oregon Zoo today and had a blast. I can't remember the last time I took a trip to the zoo, I felt like a kid again! I was noticing a lot of conservation awareness signs as I was walking around. Children had made posters about endangered animals and the human role in habitat destruction, a very educational opportunity for them. Kudos to the zoo. 

My zoo-goer companion was disappointed that his favorite exhibit, the Malayan Sun Bears, were not out to play today. I found some information to share with your students if you are studying habitats, biomes or ecosystems (like we are!). What I found was that little research has been done on Malayan sun bears. Their total population size has not even been determined. But what we do know is that their populations in the wild are declining. Malayan sun bears are being poached for their gall bladders and bile, which are used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. These bears have recently been classified as “vulnerable” on the World Conservation Union’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Currently, a significant international effort is underway to encourage the traditional medicine community to promote and exclusively use ingredients in their medicinal remedies which are not derived from from threatened or endangered animals, including any of the 8 remaining bear species. Herbal remedies are encouraged instead. 

Valentine's Day

A fun Valentine's Day activity for your students is to tell them that they have been promoted to president of a new greeting card company and that Valentine's Day is their first holiday on the job. Have them come up with greetings for a new line of cards. Be sure to give them specific intended recipients for each card (principal, parents, younger siblings, grocery store cashier, etc.) How do the slogans differ depending on the recipient?
As many of you have experienced, Valentine's Day can be difficult for teachers. Not only is it nearly impossible to ensure that valentines are distributed fairly, but many of us still carry the scars from when our elementary school friends seemed more loved than we did. To deal with both issues, I thought it would be a good idea to try sharing a Valentine's Day anecdote with our students. It might make them feel better to hear that the pressures they feel on a day like this are universal.

Weekend Wisdom

As I have been student teaching, one important piece of wisdom I feel that I can offer based off some of my experiences is this: be confident in your lesson. If you seem unsure that it's going to work, then you're practically guaranteeing that it won't. The students will respond to your attitude, whatever that attitude it. 

I notice that on days I am calm, relaxed, and confident, the lessons and activities progress way better than the days I am moving walking them back from recess super fast and am tense. I see such a major difference, even if my attitude stays positive, my body language and ora that I am giving off speaks loudly to the students.  

A Song To Help Get You Through

This is such an empowering song for me. The lyrics are powerful and comforting, the video will warm your heart, and the message is one you can carry with you long after the song is over. I hope you find Brooke Fraser's "Shadowfoot" as enjoyable as I do! 

Walking, stumbling on these shadowfeet

toward home; a land that I've never seen.

I am changing: less asleep, 

made of different stuff that when I began

and I have sensed it all along, 

fast approaching is the day. 

CHORUS: When the world has fallen out from under me, 

I'll be found in you, still standing. 

When the sky rolls up and mountain fall on their knees, 

when time and space are through

I'll be found in you.

There's distraction buzzing in my head

saying in the shadows, it's easier to stay.

But I've heard rumors of true reality, 

whispers of a well-lit way. 

CHORUS

When the world has fallen out from under me

I'll be found in you, still standing. 

Every fear and accusation under my feet, 

when time and space are through, 

I'll be found in you. 

Teaching- It's Not for Everyone

"Only the brave should teach. Only those who love the young should teach. Teaching is a vocation. It is as sacred as priesthood, as innate a desire, as inescapable as the genius which compels a great artist. If he has not the concern for humanity, the love of living creatures, the vision of the priest and the artist, he must not teach." - Pearl S. Buck

I loved this quote. It reaffirmed my belief that I was born to be a teacher, and is what I needed this morning. I started student teaching full-time today . Well technically it was a staff development today so we team planned and went to meetings, but I started. I was there with everyone, a part of the conversations, giving my personal insight and opinions. I am ready. I feel well prepared and confident in my pedagogical approaches and I know I have what it takes to make an impact on many children's lives. It was refreshing because I felt like a real teacher today, a professional. I see my second graders twice a week and I consider them my class, but tomorrow feels different. It shouldn't, but it does.... I am a real teacher now! Wish me luck!