Inquiry based

I'm reading this book: Engaging Readers & Writers With Inquiry by Jeffrey D Wilhelm. There has been a lot of talk about Inquiry based teaching since our new curriculums came out. That's it though....a lot of talk. At out convention this year, not a single session was about teaching with Inquiry.....although if I was a coach or needed some new math ideas and games I had ample choices! I've been complaining about how horrible the sessions for convention were since the sheets came out - and something I read in that book put another point into my argument about their crappiness. The book said that teachers can easily identify which classroom discussion models best show the inquiry process taking place. We can quote research and explain our understanding of inquiry to support our argument that those are the best models, yet that kind of teaching rarely happens in our classrooms! We aren't getting the support we need to correctly teach with Inquiry. It's all about asking not just any questions....but the right questions. Already in the staffroom today, when I made mention of what I had read - people were getting defensive and saying that we try but basically we can't do it because of the kinds of students we have. I disagree. It's the same defeatist attitude I've been hearing a lot of lately. I think that if done right - our students would succeed better at learning the curriculum than what we are doing now. I don't think what we are doing now is working....and I don't think it's all the students. I think we need a new way to approach it. We're doing the best we can with what we are given.....so are they.....and if it's not working, we the teachers need to be the ones doing something different. We need to be given some better tools, and shown how to use them. So I'm looking forward to the the conference I'm attending where the author of this book is speaking. I want some new tools. I want to be shown how to use them, and then given the opportunity to actually use them. Just like we would do with our students - why would teachers have to learn any different?!

I wonder if I could work in a French Inquiry unit where we would discuss the social implications of having disorder and uncleanliness in a house, and the final project would be to organize and clean my house?!!!
I like it!!

Reflections.....

I'm getting evaluated at a teacher this year - they have a fancy name for it....Enhancing Professional Practice. One of the "Components" on a rubric is "Reflecting on Enhancing Professional Practice". So I thought...hmmm...I do have a blog already set up. I don't post on it as often as I should. Could this be a way to Reflect for me? Even though it's called A-Musing Mom, the fact that I'm a mom, isn't always separate from me as a teacher. So I could use this space to reflect on my teaching, technology, Teacher-Librarian position.....and of course being a mom.

What I've learned today.........
Today I learned that Bibme.org is not a good site for Gr. 4 to use to make bibliographies for their Heritage Fair projects. Easybib.com might have worked out better. No matter how confident you are in your technology skills, teaching it to students will always shatter your confidence! Either they won't get it and it's more stress than it's worth, or something goes wrong! Today something went wrong, and I should have known better to check it before hand. Hindsight!
Today I learned that even the most defiant student will surprise you sometimes! I got an apology today I never would have expected....I'll take it. Even though she might do the same tomorrow, right now - I can enjoy it!
Today I learned that the door to the time out room for the TEAM (behavior mod program) class is very sturdy! It's been kicked / punched a number of times today in protest.....but it keeps hanging on! Better the door than an actual person! I wish and pray with all my heart that someday that kid can wake up and start his day the same as my son every morning.....with a snuggle, a kiss and a smile! That might make all the difference in the world someday to my son as he starts school....something so simple......

The impact of a blog

Reading a post from my friend Deena's blog about a friend of hers really hit me today. She had a pre-term baby, and due to other complications he died 5 days later. She describes everything so well, not only the events of her life but the emotion and the thoughts behind it all. It took me back to when Simon was in NICU and how much I could identify with some of her thoughts and emotions. From the stress and emotional rollercoaster that is the NICU to the nurses ("Newman") made me laugh and sigh. It reminded me of how close we came to losing Simon and possibly myself - and all the baggage that went with that. It reminded me of the day I found out I miscarried my baby, and the void that still holds for me. It reminded me of the grief I still feel every day over the loss of my brother and how raw that event still is for me - even though it's almost 3 years. It's so late, but I want to go into Simon's room and snuggle him so close. Even though he swore at me today (apparently "cheese is f@#k"! hahaha!) it made me laugh - he makes me laugh every day. Will I ever have another child - I don't know. Even if I don't, I have the cutest little miracle ever. He was born on that day for a reason - he was meant to survive. I sat down for a few minutes to check on the happenings of a friend and found some wisdom, strength and inspiration from a woman and her family who've gone through the most devestating loss of their lives. Not what I expected for a Wednesday night. Thanks for your post Deena - once again your big heart and wonderful words for a friend amaze and inspire!

2000 hours

I found this blog from a teacher in the states. He is fed up of the public perception that teachers do nothing and get their summers off. So he started to log his hours he spent on his own time hoping to get to 2000 hours in a year. Already this summer he has 60! It struck a cord with me as we are fighting to get a new contract here. I say fighting because that's what it feels like. Not a negotiation but a fight. We are attacked from all sides - government, public, parents, students....it's been crazy. This blog is so relevant to our argument for more money and resources as teachers. We do so much that the public doesn't see - including on our "summers off"! While I may not be working at school (and I actually can't even if I wanted to - I don't have a classroom right now!) be assured I've been doing plenty here. I've participated in a few webinars on technology, been reading the Willow Award nominees for my book club next year, and will take two short courses in August. Summers off indeed! Am I upset that I don't get paid to do all that....not really. I learned last year that I didn't have time in the day to do all this stuff between school, after school prep, and parenting. So now that I have some extra time I feel I need to devote some of it to this to be well prepared next year. Less stress for me in the long run. What upsets me about the pay thing is that we wrote letters telling the government about all this extra stuff we do - they know - and we still have yet to be recognized for it all. No, instead we get the same damn contract offer after mediation and 3 days of strike, not to mention all the attack adds, and then I watch the news and in the budget report they put "Teachers' contract $50 million"! Oh...and that was more than highways and disaster relief! Those greedy teachers! Indeed! So 2000 hours.....I'm on hour 21.5 and climbing. Not that it will do anything to get a better contract - but if I can get the word out - maybe some people will take notice.

Gotta do something

So, I've started a new workout. I have a feeling it's going to "bag the crap" out of me. 3 days into it and already some of my muscles are wondering what the hell is going on! It's good. I need to keep it up, I have no choice. I feel if we are going to have more kids - which I'm certainly trying hard to make happen someday - I need to do this. Let me stress the "need" part of it. Simon coming into the world the way he did was amazing. Yes, all births in their own right are amazing - but truly the fact that we both survived that is what I mean by amazing. At this weight, I'm automatically at risk of a repeat performance, and I think the chances of me surviving it again are something I don't even want to think about. While I've always maintained that stress played a HUGE factor in why my blood pressure was the way it was, I can't argue with the fact that my size is a risk when it comes to pregnancy. I've "Gotta do something" about it - hence the title of this post. Other than pre-eclampsia during pregnancy I've never really had a lot of health issues due to my weight. I've been lucky that way. So I'm thinking why push it?! I'm not healthy if I'm at risk for all kinds of things - whether I have them or not. I have to say, my husband is also a big reason as to why I've "Gotta do something". While I can say I don't have health issues due to my weight - he can't. His feet, hips, back and legs are always sore. He's on his feet all day, and has a job that can at times be very physical, but if he wasn't the weight he is, then I think his body could handle it better. Watching him come home in pain, wake up in pain, and go through the day in pain makes me think that I can't let myself continue to the point where we both have shares in Advil, Robaxicet and A535! We talk about it all the time, but maybe if he sees me making progress he'll do it too. I can't do it alone - this time I think we both have to if it's going to work. He's walking to work - it's awesome - but I think I can convince him to do a bit more. Think of how sexy we'd be......hehehe....having that second kid might be a little easier! ;-)

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!".... somewhat...

I finally decorated for Christmas - even though it's not even December yet, I feel like I'm late getting it done! Simon isn't quite showing excitement or even interest in the tree and decorations. Most of the decorations are out of his reach, but I totally thought he would be more interested in the tree with the lights and decorations on there. We started singing Jingle Bells together the other day - I'm hoping he'll catch on and start singing it a little bit like he does all the other songs we sing together. I'm looking forward to the days when he gets it all! All this decoration and "jingle belling" and no snow?!! I shouldn't have even typed that - it probably started snowing the moment I did! It's so nice to have such mild temperatures - I hope they last. It will likely snow, and it may get cold - afterall this IS Saskatchewan, but it would be nice if there wasn't 10 feet of it, and that if it gets cold it doesn't last for even a week! Could that be too much to ask?!

Immunizations

Simon got his H1N1 shot today - beating most of the line up on the first day. What a relief! The number of people sick around me these days, whether it's H1N1 or not, is ridiculous! Simon started daycare today, so to have him be around so many kids, and who knows what my husband and I bring home from work, it's like he's getting it from all angles! So my mind can be at ease knowing that he cannot get H1N1. Not to say he won't get any other strain of flu this year, but at least he won't get that. Now I'm the only one in our family who hasn't had the shot. I'm in the trenches, dealing with kids who cough all over the place, don't always blow their nose when they need to, or wash their hands. They're sneezing, coughing, snotting all over the place - and I'm not considered a high risk or a priority. WHY NOT?!! I had 12 out of 23 kids missing today - whether they are all sick with H1N1 or not I'm not sure, but I do know that there are a lot who are sick. Some are just staying home afraid to come to school until they get the shot, which I don't see how they should get it before those that are on the priority list. I'm not sick.....yet.....but with the number of those around me who are - I'm sure it won't be long before I am! What I can't believe is that there are people out there who are actually preaching against getting this shot!! How insane! I agree that we should all be informed. There's a lot of Hype around H1N1, and it's important to not listen to everything you read in the paper or hear on TV. However, there is some very credible research and information out there, and if after reading all that - you still aren't convinced, then I hope for everyone's sake that you and your children don't get sick, cuz you're going to kick yourself in the ass if they do and you could have easily prevented it! They had a funeral for a healthy, hockey playing 13 year old today - who died after 1 weekend of being sick! I don't think I want to take those kinds of chances with my son's life! And if you asked those parents, they wouldn't have if given the choice either!! There are just some things you can't take back - death being one of them! So Phew!! Simon is vaccinated!