New England Aquarium Teacher Resource Center

Teacher Resource Center Newsletter September 2012 Dear Educators, We hope that you had a relaxing summer and are feeling rejuvenated for a new school year! Here at the New England Aquarium Teacher Resource Center, we are excited for some very special events coming up this Fall. Read on to learn all about them, and as always feel free to contact us if you have any questions!   Sincerely,  The Teacher Resource Center Team In This Issue Educator Appreciation Saturdays Boston Harbor Educators Conference NOAA 'How Do We Explore?' Workshop 2012-2013 School Programs Educator Appreciation Saturdays          For: Educators   Dates:  Saturdays - September 22, October 13 and October 20   Check-In Time: 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.   Pre-Registration Required.    Location: New England Aquarium    Cost: Free admission for educator and 1 guest   (regular admission rates apply for additional   guests)    Every year the New England Aquarium likes to do something special to show its appreciation for all the hard work that teachers do for their students! This year, we will be renovating our central exhibit to make Myrtle's house better than ever! Learn more about this exciting project.Because of the ongoing construction, we are changing the format of our teacher appreciation event this time around. Instead of one evening event, we will be hosting three Educator Appreciation Saturdays.    These special events include:  Educator and guest complimentary admission to the Aquarium Educator and guest complimentary tickets to a film at our IMAX Theater  Information about our exhibits with various demonstrations and presentations throughout the day by our staff  Information about our programs, field trips and classroom resources Space is limited. Pre-registration is required.   For more information and to register, click here or visit us online.www.neaq.org/educators For questions, contact the Teacher Resource Center at 617-973-6590 or trc@neaq.org. Boston Harbor Educator's Conference Stellwagen Bank Science and Education Symposium Join the Massachusetts Marine Educators (MME) and fellow marine educators to celebrate Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary's 20-year anniversary! Events will include the latest updates on sanctuary science, interdisciplinary educational workshops (K-12), a special showing of Ocean Frontiersdocumentary and presentations by keynote speakers, Dr. David Wiley (whale scientist) and Brian Skerry (photographer).   Date: September 29, 2012 Location: UMass/Boston Cost: $35 for MME members, $45 for non-MME members, $25 for students.  Pre-registrants will receive free parking pass or travel reimbursement with MBTA receipt. For more information, view the flyer or visit the MME website.  For a detailed schedule and to register, click here.    NOAA 'How Do We Explore?' Workshop  Date: Saturday, October 20, 2012  Time: 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.  Location: New England Aquarium For: Educators, Grades 5-12  Cost: FREE ($50 stipend)  Application Deadline: September 28, 2012 This professional development workshop introduces Volume 2 of theOkeanos Explorer Education Materials Collection: How Do We Explore? The NOAA ship Okeanos Explorer is the Nation's first ship dedicated solely to exploring the world's ocean. Participants will learn how to use standards-based lessons and other online resources that guide classroom investigations into the innovative exploration strategies, sophisticated instrumentation and equipment used onboard the ship to explore our largely unknown oceans.  Educators who attend the full day will receive a $50 stipend. Each participant will receive Volume 2 of the Okeanos Explorer Education Materials Collection: How Do We Explore? materials related to activities presented during the workshop, a NOAA Ocean Exploration Certificate of Participation, continental breakfast and lunch. Registration opens on September 10, 2012,   and ends on September 28, 2012. Space is limited. For more information, please consult the flyer. To register, please email trc@neaq.org and put "NOAA Workshop" in the subject line. 2012-2013 School Programs  With a new school year just under way, you are sure to be looking for ways to engage your students, and what better way than to study the ocean and all its exciting inhabitants!   The New England Aquarium takes pride in being able to support learning at the Aquarium, in the field and at schools. We can help you prepare for an upcoming field trip to the Aquarium or provide a guided field visit to a local outdoor habitat. And, of course, if you can't make it to us, we can come to you!  We offer a variety of programs at schools for all age groups.   For a full listing of the programs and services that we offer, please consult our Schooling Catalog.   And of course, the Teacher Resource Center staff is available year-round to help educators. If you need ideas on how to incorporate the ocean into your curriculum or resources to support your teaching, please feel free to contact us!   For Students Marine Biologist in Training Program   Explore science at the New England Aquarium! Do you want to dive deeper into the world of marine science? From studying fish, jellies and fur seals to becoming a better scientist as you contribute to a global research project, you will join researchers and educators as we investigate the world around us in a bid to better understand and protect our blue planet. For: Students in grades 8 -10    Application Deadline:September 28, 2012    Class Schedule: Classes are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  6 Saturdays: October 13, 20, 27, November 3, 10, 17 For more information clickhere 2012 Fall Aquarium Lecture Series What do dolphins, coral reefs and glaciers have in common? The 2012 Fall Aquarium Lecture Series! This long-running program is free and open to the public with the generous support of the Lowell Institute. Join marine educators, environmental writers, artists, photographers and many more as they share their incredible passion for our marine habitats.   Click here to see the full schedule and to register for an upcoming lecture. Everyone is welcome! Walden Forum The Walden Forum is a free, public series that in pursuit of innovative thinking and creative endeavor invites experts to present their ideas and engage the community.   This fall, be sure not to miss Dr. Greg Stone as he talks to the Forum about the importance of the oceans to our survival. Dr. Stone is an ocean scientist widely known for his work with mammals and ice ecology in Antarctica, as well as with undersea technology and exploration.   Date & Time: September 13, 2012  7:30 pm Location: First Parish Meeting House  50 Cochituate Rd. Wayland, MA 01778 For more information or questions, visit the Walden Forum website or contact Tom Liszewski attom@waldenforum.org. Association of American Educators Classroom Grant AAE's classroom grants can be used for a variety of projects and materials, including but not limited to books, software, calculators, math manipulatives, art supplies, audiovisual equipment and lab materials.  For:  All educators Deadline to apply:  October 1 and March 1 For more information and to apply, visit the website. Classroom Contests Keep America Beautifulpresents  Recycle-Bowl Competition Help protect the planet while building your school's morale - compete with other schools in your state and nationwide to see who recycles the most over a four-week period.  For:   Grades K-12  Prize:   $1,000 for your school For more information and to register your school, visit the contest website. ____________________ From the Bow Seat   Ocean Awareness   Essay Contest  Do you have a student passionate about the environment and our ocean? From the Bow Seatis launching their second essay-writing contest!   For more information and details, click here.                                                      The Teacher Resource Center would like to thank National Grid, our  2009 - 2012 Corporate Sponsor, for its support of our services!   Check out the materials of the Teacher Resource Center to find activities to enhance an Aquarium field trip or to use as stand-alone activities in your classroom. You'll also find teacher guides on topics including penguins, jellies and observation and literacy skills, and the latest IMAX offerings. You can also browse our extensive collection of videos and kits, learn more about our school programs and find out about the discounts and benefits we offer to teachers like you! Contact Information    Teacher Resource Center     trc@neaq.org or  617-973-6590  ____________________________________________________________________________________

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Creating Community

More from ASCD Edge

Getting Ready for the Start of School Part III: How to Create Community and Bully-Proof Your Classroom

Do you ever wonder why the children in some classrooms work well together and show kindness to each other, while in other classrooms the children tattle, tease each other, and constantly seek teacher attention? One reason is community-building.

In an effective classroom, the children - and the teacher - feel safe, secure and part of a larger whole. The more the children care about each other, and know that they are cared for, the better they will behave. Here are some ways to ensure that you develop group cohesion and a positive climate from the very beginning of the school year.

1. Help Children Get to Know and Care About Each Other

         Starting the first day of school, plan activities that help the children get to know one another. Morning Meeting is a perfect time to build a sense of group cohesion. Here are a few examples of activities:

• Classmate Scavenger Hunt. Make a BINGO game board. In each square put a description that might fit the children in your class, such as "Comes to School on the Bus." Children talk to each other, trying to find the child's name to match each square.
• Classroom Family Book: Children each draw a self portrait, and depending on their age, either dictate or write something about themselves. The pages are laminated or covered in page protectors and put in a binder and become part of the classroom library. Read the book frequently to the children during the beginning of the school year.
• Picture Name Cards.Take a digital picture of each child and laminate it on a small index card. Punch a hole through the cards and put them on a binder ring. Choose one child to start in the middle of the circle. That child looks at one of the cards, finds that child, says “good morning” and then takes that child’s place in the circle. The next child then turns over the next card and starts the process again.
• Duck Duck Goose Name Chase . Play by the standard rules for Duck Duck Goose but instead the child who is "It" says the name of each child as he or she goes around the circle.
• Who Am I? The children write or dictate something about themselves privately during the day. Then at group time, you read each description without telling the name. The children will play a guessing game to figure out who you are describing.

Here’s a video from the Responsive Classroom which shows a 1^st grade classroom at Morning Meeting using picture greetings as a way of getting to know each other and build community:

In this video, kindergarteners learn more about each student in the class through "Star Student of the Day" writing activities.



2. Teach Children to Be Kind.       

          Bullying begins with small actions like weeds in a garden and the best approach is prevention. You want to create a healthy, caring environment where the weeds have no chance to grow. The goal is to get children into the habit of saying kind things - and know that teasing and cruelty are NOT acceptable. Have the children brainstorm kind words, put them on chart paper, and refer to them frequently the first few weeks of school. Be sure to acknowledge whenever you hear children using the words. After the children have gotten good at this, you can teach them how to do kind things for each other. The children can brainstorm ideas, then act out the scenarios for practice. Again, be sure to point out whenever you see children being kind. Here is a video of children giving suggestions for being kind:

 

Here is a kindness song you can use in your classroom:

3. Set Limits on Negative Behaviors

          Children will naturally test the limits on what they are allowed to say and do. This includes bullying, teasing and rejecting classmates. In order to create a healthy classroom community, it is critical to stop these behaviors immediately. If you let even the smallest negative comment go unchallenged, you will give the message to the children that being nasty to others is acceptable. It's not.

           For example, you might overhear children say something like: "You can't play with us." "Look at what she's wearing!" " You're stupid." "Oooh, he looks like a girl!" or "I don't like you." When you hear children say these types of things, you have a teaching opportunity.

          I recommend having a quiet, private talk with the child and say something like, "Jenna, I heard you tell Kayla that she's stupid. We don't use mean words in our classroom. I'd like to see you say something kind to make up for that" (See Apology-in-Action).  Later in the day, when I had the children at a group meeting, I would tell the children, "I've heard some unkind words today so I think we need to review how we talk to each other in our classroom." Then I would review the poster of kind words, talk about how it feels when others say mean things to us, and reaffirm how wonderful it is to have a place to work where everyone is treated kindly.

        After a few instances of this type of discussion, the children will come to an amazing realization: this classroom really is a safe place! This will help stop the anxiety, fear, and power-seeking that leads to bullying. In other words, if you can jump-start the kindness, it will take off and "go viral". The critical step is to intervene immediately and consistently when children are unkind.

4. Use Positive Teacher Language

          Your words and actions set the tone of the classroom. Notice when children are following procedures, demonstrating newly learned behaviors and showing kindness. This is the old adage of "catch them being good." In a positive, healthy classroom. children should receive many more times as many positive comments as negative ones. Find ways for children to see their strengths and the strengths of others. Children will follow your lead and watch you carefully, so remember you are always modeling. This is hard, so also find ways to stay calm when children push your buttons!

          Listen to how this teacher used Multiple Intelligences to help promote the idea that everyone has strengths:

Do you have other ideas for creating a positive community in your classroom? Please share your experiences in the comments!

This is the third part of a series on Getting Ready for the Start of School. See Part I here, and Part II here.



Getting Ready for the Start of School Part II: Why Some Teachers Have Smooth Running Classrooms - Jersey City, NJ, United States, ASCD EDge Blog post - A Professional Networking Community for Educato

Getting Ready for the Start of School Part II: Why Some Teachers Have Smooth Running Classrooms


This is the first posting in a four-part series published by The Positive Classroom and sent to me via http://edge.ascd.org/.  ASCD Edge is a Professional Networking Community for Educators.  The set of postings are designed to help you think through getting ready for the new academic year. The good thing about the cycles we go through as teachers is that each year we get to start over again with a more-or-less clean slate. This is a great opportunity to reflect on what worked well that you want to repeat and what you want to change.

Getting Ready for the Start of School Part II: Why Some Teachers Have Smooth Running Classrooms

           I have observed many, many teachers in elementary and early childhood classrooms and the ones that have the smoothest-running classrooms all do the same thing: they teach procedures. Now only do they teach the procedures they need the children to follow, but they also have the children practice and they give them positive feedback until they become automatic routines. They make learning procedures the most important teaching priority in the first few weeks of school, even if it takes time away from other subjects. They more than make up for this time because their classrooms run so effectively.

          So the first step in getting ready is to plan what procedures to focus on. It’s helpful to think about them in three groups based on when you will teach them: The first day of school, the first week of school, and the first six weeks. Here are some suggestions:

• First Day of School

               Quiet Signal

               Arrival: putting things away and getting started on “do now” work

               Lining Up

               Walking in the Hallway

               Using the Bathroom

               Talking during group lessons

               Dismissal: cleaning up desk and getting materials ready to go home

• First Week of School

               Fire Drill or Other Emergency Procedures

               Morning Meeting

               Moving from group meeting area to centers and other transitions

               How to sit during group meeting or circle time

               Sharpening pencils, getting a drink

               Using learning centers

               Cleaning up after work time or center time

               What to do when you’re finished early

               How to say nice things to each other

               How to push in chairs

               How to hang up coats (this might have to wait for cold weather)

• First Six Weeks of School

               Working with a partner

               Taking turns

               Turn-and-Talk or Think-Pair-Share

               Getting help when the teacher is working with a group

               What to do when the teacher has a phone call or must leave the room

               What to do when a visitor enters the classroom

               What to do when someone is hurt

               What to do when you need to calm down

               How to take care of materials

               How to take appropriate breaks

Teaching Procedures

               The Responsive Classroom has a wonderful strategy for teaching procedures called “Interactive Modeling.” This has four steps:

1. Students learn why the procedure is important
2. Students observe the model and create a picture in their mind of what it should look like
3. Students do the noticing in describing what’s happening
4. Students practice and get immediate feedback.

Here is a video that shows the process of Interactive Modeling in action:

You can also try the “I do, We do, You do” demonstrated in this video:

          Remember that children at all ages – from preschool to high school – need to be taught or reminded of how you want them to behave. Don’t be afraid to teach very minor procedures. It is better to err on the side of teaching too many than too few.          

Please share with us in the comments what procedures you think are most important in your classroom and how you teach them.

This is the second posting in a four-part series on getting ready for the start of school. See Part I here.

The Positive Classroom: Getting Ready for the Start of School, Part I: ...

The Positive Classroom: Getting Ready for the Start of School, Part I: ...: This is the first posting in a four-part series that is designed to help you think through getting ready for the new academic year. The...

You’ve done it!

Let’s celebrate!

The Lesley University New Teacher Community

invites you to a celebration honoring your great work this year

When:  Tuesday, June 5^th, 4:30-6:30

What:  A Celebration Tea

Where: Room 2-078 University Hall, Porter Square Campus

Why:  You did it!

Who:  All of you! 

We’ll celebrate you---your hard work, the commitment you’ve made to teaching, the ending of this special year, and the promise of next year

We’ll give you a moment to just be you---to breathe, to smile, to talk about what went well and maybe to get help on what you want to tweak

We’ll give you ample time to network with your colleagues and help us plan for an exciting program for next year that will meet your needs

We’ve invited some of our grant recipients to show and tell about their grants to inspire you next year!

RSVP by 6/1 to Kali Small, School Partnerships Assistant, Field Placement and Professional Partnerships Division 617-349-8399 or ksmall4@lesley.edu

(Certificates of Attendance to be given out)

What's Really Important and Standardized Tests

JoAnne Kazis and Caitlin Florschutz, elementary school teachers who co-teach together at the Memorial-Spaulding School in Newton shared something recently which I thought was inspirational and well worth sharing with the New Teacher Community. 

They had taken an EMI course entitled “Understanding Self Efficacy: Helping Students Do their Best Work and Strategies for Examining and Addressing the Academic Achievement Gap. “  This course stressed the significance in making subtle changes in test environments that can improve standardized test scores among students of color and girls. 

Joanne writes,

“One way to reduce "stereotype threat" during testing is to prompt students to reflect on their talents, beliefs and values.  These kinds of affirmations remind students of what's important to them and can build a line of defense.  One recent study actually showed affirmation procedures were directly related to a 40% drop in grade disparities between students in different racial groups.

Another easy way to do this is by displaying inspiring quotes throughout the year (and right before testing) but also including the person's image with the quote (making sure a wide range of races, faces and genders are included).”

JoAnne and Caitlin wrote a letter to their students.  Writing a letter like this was inspired by an idea from the 1998 Massachusetts teacher of the year, Mary Ginley.

Joanne has graciously allowed me to share her version of the letter that she and Caitlin read to students right before they took the MCAS this year.  She revises the letter each year with details that relates to the class she is teaching and notes, “It just serves as a reminder to them that MCAS just shows one thing, but not everything.”

“Dear Super Star Students of Room 205,

Please remember that the people who will read and score your tests do not know you.  They do not know how hard you work every day.  They do not know how smart you really are.

They do not know what amazing artists you are,

or how much you know about Harry Potter.

They don't know that you can score a goal in soccer and hockey,

or have a strong serve in tennis.

They don't know that you are a star ice skater, ballroom dancer, swimmer or gymnast.

They don't know that you take care of your little brothers and sisters when they're not feeling well.

Or that you take care of pets at home, write stories about your favorite pets or wish you had a pet.

They don't know you smile and say, "Good Morning" to your teachers, even on rainy Monday mornings.

They don't know that you like clowns, pig dragons and make being "evil" fun.

They don't know that you go to another school to learn a language, or that you speak a different language at home. 

They don't know that you have a twin or are 1/3 of triplets.

They don't know that you can balance hours of dance class, sports and play dates and still pass in homework on time.

They don't know that you've entered math competitions, spelling bees and write for the fourth grade newspaper or that you've won trophies, ribbons and other awards.

They don't know that you can sing and dance, play an instrument or are in a rock band.

They don't know what amazing work partners and group project members you can be or that you are a fantastic fourth grade buddy.

And they certainly don't know all about your kind of mind. 

But we know you and we are proud of what you do every day, of who you are and all you will be.  MCAS scores will tell you something, but they will not tell you everything.  There are many ways of being smart.

Your friends,

Ms. Kazis and Ms. Florschutz”