A Different Classroom- by K.McCutcheon

March 12, 2022     I've done it right. I've done it wrong. Some people say that taking a test is wrong. Some people say taking a test is right. It's so easy to get wrapped up in the policies and procedures of it all. At the end of the day, a test is a test. It's how you use the test that determines the right versus the wrong.      Why do we give our students a test? Do we test students because it's a grade in the grade book? Wrong! Do we test our students because it's a measure of progress and monitors our teaching strategies? Right! If we are giving a test just to give the student a grade, then we are wasting our time. It's not about catching the student in confusion and showing how high or low they are performing.      I've started looking at test as a measure for me, the teacher!!! Students have so much test anxiety today. They get stressed about test, even in first grade. Y'all this should not be happening! I've started talking to my stud...

February 19, 2022       How well would you say you know your students? When you think about little Johnny, what comes to your mind? Is it the grade he made on Friday's math test or is it his favorite color? As teachers, it is easy to get caught up in how the child is performing in class or the forever long to-do list we have. How often do you stop to get to know your students?      I like to think about my student as little human beings. The only difference between me and them is my age, or experience. They can think, feel, and act just like me. This is one of the most important aspects of my classroom. Everything I do in the classroom is based on the fact that every child is a human.       In fact, I will not begin my day without social time. I have been facilitating meaningful morning meetings since I started my career. Each year it may be tweaked based on the schedule, school, or children. My students know and understand our...

 February 12, 2022     What a great question! What is talking? What does it mean to talk? When I think about talking in the classroom, it's interesting to reflect and determine who is talking. As teachers, we tend to do a lot of talking. I like to think about how much students are actually talking. In fact my goal is to get students talking in the classroom more than the teacher. When I say talking, I'm talking about both social and productive talking.      Many times in the classroom we say "Raise your hand if you can tell me..." I have found this to be a challenged within my classroom. One reason is there is always more than one student who wants to talk (as there should be). By raising hands, there is a limit on who gets to talk and share their thoughts. Another reason is the other students check out, give up and agree with their classmate, or feel defeated  when only one person gets a chance to talk. This happens  because their thoughts were...

February 5, 2022      As someone who has been through many writing workshop trainings, I have seen and heard all there is to hear about writing. In fact, I spent a week in New York with Lucy Caulkins at the Teacher's College. Another writing professional development could lead me to total boredom. Why? Because writing is complex and simple at the same time. But, it's not one of those things we have to be trained over and over again in. It's actually something we should see as a necessity within the classroom.       "What we think, we can say. What we say, we can write. What we write, we can read." This is my writing motto. It's simple. If I am thinking something, then I can say it out loud so others know what I am thinking. If I can say it with my words, then I can write those words on paper. If I write my words on paper, then others can read my thoughts. It's exactly what I am doing right now. So why then is writing seen in such a complex ne...

  January 29, 2022      When I went to college, there was a heavy focus on lesson planning and how to implement those plans. The layout was simple and easy to remember. I do it! We do it! You do it! This idea of gradual release was called "teaching." It made sense. The idea of modeling a strategy or technique first, then allowing students to join before releasing them to go do it by themselves. Then, the game changed 1-2 years into teaching.       At first, I was not interested in this new approach. I was confused. It wasn't how I was trained. I was frustrated. I didn't understand. I'm sure many teachers have these same exact feelings when presented with something new in the educational field. It's hard! We already work hard as it is. When we have to learn something new, sometimes it can be overwhelming and frustrating. But that is education. It is ALWAYS changing.       It did not take long to realize, I was struggling with th...

  January 22, 2022 What does thinking look like in your classroom? Whose doing the thinking? Are you thinking? What are you thinking? Are you thinking about what to say, do, and when?  Are students thinking? What are they thinking? Do you know what your students are thinking? How do you know that?  I’m going to pause and give you a minute to think…  … … … I’m not going to lie. It actually makes me super excited inside to wonder what you’re thinking right now. This is the magic and power we all have. The power of thought is a wonderful thing and tool that should be present in every classroom. The sad thing and truth of the matter is it’s not!      Thought is the moment when everything is silent and you’re brain generates an idea. It’s those things floating in your head when you read a book or listen to a song. It’s the time when a student starts to connect prior knowledge to new knowledge. It’s magic! However, in many classrooms this magic is dying. We ...

  January 15, 2022      How do you define behavior in the classroom? What have you seen happen in your classroom? I have some stories of my own. I have been punched. I have been spit on. I have had chairs and classroom items thrown across the room at me. I've had students take their shirt off in defiance. I have stories! I have done it right. I have done it wrong.       In my experience, I've learned somethings in the department of classroom management. In fact, I'm not a fan of this so called classroom management. I don't want to manage children. I want to teach them. I want to learn with them. I want those "ah ha" moments. How can that happen when I confine my students to behavior charts and classroom rules?      A few years ago, one of my teaching besties and I decided to stay positive. Nowadays, I'm the one to find the positive in every situation. I found that hard when I had classroom rules and a behavior chart because both can...