The Struggling Song

Last spring, I read an article about the positive aspects of wrestling with a difficult task.  The article contrasted the U.S. with other countries, showing how our students give up more quickly when faced with complex problems.  I've been experimenting with these ideas in my classroom, starting with using the words "struggle", "wrestle", and "experiment" in a positive light.  

This month, the kids are trying what I call our 5 Minute Math Struggle.  I put a challenging problem on the board, usually something related to real life.  They have 5 minutes to try solving it in three different ways, with no help.  Even though they are working to get correct answers, the focus is on perseverance and on viewing a problem from many angles. After the 5 minutes are finished, the kids pair up and talk about their strategies and outcomes.

It is so interesting to watch.  The first time we tried one of these Math Struggles, a few kids got angry.  "This is impossible!" they said, with pained expressions.  Some of my students who need support in Math actually did the best.  Wrestling with unknowns is not unusual for those kids.  The ones who usually understand right away gave up more quickly.

Today, we tried again.  We talked about last time, and how they might approach today with a different mindset.  One student said, "I can handle the pain this time!"  Today, no one gave up.  A few were disappointed when the timer went off.  Their minds were engaged and they didn't want to stop.  Many were excited to show unique solution methods.  I'm excited about where this is going and can't wait to see how this affects other subjects too.  Soon, I plan to increase the time allowed and the problem complexity.  For now, 5 minutes is a long time to stay focused.

During recess, two girls wrote a song about this new process.  I love it.  It's called "Your Friend Struggling":

Oh, oh, oh….

Struggling, struggling, struggling,

Is so good for you!

Struggling, struggling, struggling,

It will get you through!

Light bulbs are flashing,

Brain cells are dashing,

Connect the dots in your brain,

Don’t fear the pain,

You’re almost to the end…….

Because struggling, struggling, struggling

Is your friend!

Missing Something

Student walking out the door today: "Miss C.? I wanted to tell you something before the weekend."

Me: "You'll miss me terribly and can't wait until it's Monday so we can learn again? Am I right?"

Student: "Um, actually, I miss my video games when I'm at school more than I miss you when I'm at home."

I guess that's fair. : )

Issaquah and Other Great Words

I watched an educational film about WA's coastal Native American tribes with my students today. The narrator talked about soaking cedar bark to make it pliable enough to weave. 

I said, "Pliable means flexible." 

One girl replied, "Oooh, I love Native American words!"

Best. Save. Ever.

During a recent Math lesson, Hannah kept getting up, walking to the art supply desk in the back of the room, and getting pieces of tape.  I finally said, "Hannah, you are too busy right now.  This is Math time.  Get back to your seat, okay?"  She looked at me with big, pleading eyes and replied, "But I was just making this for you!"

It was an origami lantern and she had written "Best. Teacher. Ever." in marker on the side.

What do I say to that?  Maybe I should keep craft projects in my car that say "Best. Police Officer. Ever." just in case I get pulled over for speeding.  :)

Hope, Take 2

This is another student's writing piece about hope.  Absolutely amazing.  This girl is a world changer.


"Hope is what you breathe in and out.
It's the song you may hear being called out.
It's that courage you feel and is what will drive you over the cracks in your life.
But nobody is perfect.
Hear that whisper waiting to be said,
Hope for you,
Hope for your courage you have,
Hope for the ones you will Love.
Hope is all you need."

A Lesson of Hope

I've been using the book, The Mysterious Journey of Edward Tulane to teach reading comprehension and delve into deeper thinking about fictional characters.  This is a rich book.  Reading it is like eating a gourmet meal; I am so excited about all the courses, but I take my time with each chapter, wanting to savor every bite.

Yesterday, a boy who is often in trouble for silly or off-task behavior, shared his thoughts on lessons learned from this book.  My very, very....very chatty class was silent for a full minute, just staring at him.  Then, they broke into applause.  His words are so beautiful.

They mean more if you've read the book, but I think anyone can be blessed by his insight.  What an amazing kid.

When Edward had some hard times, I learned that your life is not going to be perfect.  You're going to have some hard times.  It will be rocky.  Life shouldn't be easy, so just hope.  Hope for the ones you love, hope for the ones who love you.

Bacon Boy

Student: "Miss C, guess what SOB means?"
Me: "Uh, I already know what it means. What's got you thinking about that?"
Student: "I am crazy about bacon, so I want to say, 'Give me that SOB please!' whenever anyone has a stack of bacon! Get it?"
Me: "Yeah... I totally get it. Buddy, you need to know that most adults will think you are talking about a swear word when you say those letters. Do you think you can change the phrase to something else?"
Student: "Okay - how about POB? Give me your pile of bacon!"
Me: "Perfect."