The library is hosting two second grade Junior Achievement classes. The volunteer teacher was attempting to explain taxes to a group of mostly bi-lingual students, many of whose parents don't pay taxes.
Teacher "What does the Tax Man Collect? "
Student "The TAKS test".
Actually in their little world the TAKS Test Agency brings up as much fear and trepidation as the IRS does to ours!
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Feed Them & They Will Come - Or Read
According to some of the "experts" educators aren't supposed to "bribe" children to learn by using external rewards, we're supposed to foster & build their "intrinsic" needs instead. This theory may work with upper middle class children who come to school with strong parental support and realization for what school is for. Not so for many low SES children. Some of them are in school because it's the law or because their parents need free childcare. Others have parents who may have some idea that school and education are the key to their children's future but can't pass that on to their kids. Deep down they really might not quite believe it so the message doesn't always take with the kids.
We try just about every motivational technique we can muster. Pep Rallies, signs, posters, fun field trips, parties, stickers, t-shirts or school wide celebrations - you name it we've tried it.
One of my many hats is reading cheerleader. After 16 years in the biz I've come to the conclusion that some kids are born with an inner drive to read and some aren't. Some, no matter what you do just don't like reading. Hey, I don't like number crunching. I don't think there is anything that anyone could do to make my heart go pitter patter at the sight of an excel spreadsheet.
No matter what a child's opinion of reading is or isn't, it's a survival skill in our information driven world. Our job is to teach them and turn out proficient readers (who can of course pass the TAKS test!).
When it comes to reading I've yet to find a program as successful as Accelerated Reading. No librarian is neutral when it comes to AR. The mere mention of it on LM_NET results in a flood of pro and con postings. There is something in the instant gratification nature of AR that appeals to our kids. They love knowing if they "passed" and they count their points with as much fervor as a miser counts their gold.
I tie AR into goal setting (another life skill low SES kids need lots of practice to acquire) and most of the goals involve food. Ruby Payne, in her books about generational povery says food is very, very important and given how it motivates our kids I believe her.
This week's been a major food fest. Monday I took 13 kids out for pizza - the result of each of them earning 200 AR points. We went Ci-Cis, which is an all you can eat pizza buffet (quantity is very important) and they ate and ate and ate. One skinny little flint of a first grader out ate everyone - we have yet to figure out where she put her 6 slices of pizza. In between bites they giggled, talked and had a grand old time.
Wednesday was my annual Dr. Seuss Lunch. 15 kids joined me for green eggs n' ham, one fish, two fish, red fish blue fish, oobleck, pink yink ink drink and pink snow. Plus veggies - couldn't find a Dr. Seuss match so I opted for carrots and celery with ranch dressing. The lucky 15 were the winners of my annual Dr. Seuss essay contest and managed to inhale 70 fish sticks and 2 pounds of baby carrots.
In between those events I also host the 4th grade library club - children who can bring their lunch to the library and eat it there, rather than in our noisy zoo of a cafeteria. Admission is tied to AR points and the kids have to keep reading to keep their membership. It costs us nothing but a little time - and some carpet cleaner!
Lucky for me I've got an easy going principal who doesn't mind that the library smells of fish sticks and that there are chili stains on the carpet. Feed them and they will read! And with a little luck they will be learn to love it!
We try just about every motivational technique we can muster. Pep Rallies, signs, posters, fun field trips, parties, stickers, t-shirts or school wide celebrations - you name it we've tried it.
One of my many hats is reading cheerleader. After 16 years in the biz I've come to the conclusion that some kids are born with an inner drive to read and some aren't. Some, no matter what you do just don't like reading. Hey, I don't like number crunching. I don't think there is anything that anyone could do to make my heart go pitter patter at the sight of an excel spreadsheet.
No matter what a child's opinion of reading is or isn't, it's a survival skill in our information driven world. Our job is to teach them and turn out proficient readers (who can of course pass the TAKS test!).
When it comes to reading I've yet to find a program as successful as Accelerated Reading. No librarian is neutral when it comes to AR. The mere mention of it on LM_NET results in a flood of pro and con postings. There is something in the instant gratification nature of AR that appeals to our kids. They love knowing if they "passed" and they count their points with as much fervor as a miser counts their gold.
I tie AR into goal setting (another life skill low SES kids need lots of practice to acquire) and most of the goals involve food. Ruby Payne, in her books about generational povery says food is very, very important and given how it motivates our kids I believe her.
This week's been a major food fest. Monday I took 13 kids out for pizza - the result of each of them earning 200 AR points. We went Ci-Cis, which is an all you can eat pizza buffet (quantity is very important) and they ate and ate and ate. One skinny little flint of a first grader out ate everyone - we have yet to figure out where she put her 6 slices of pizza. In between bites they giggled, talked and had a grand old time.
Wednesday was my annual Dr. Seuss Lunch. 15 kids joined me for green eggs n' ham, one fish, two fish, red fish blue fish, oobleck, pink yink ink drink and pink snow. Plus veggies - couldn't find a Dr. Seuss match so I opted for carrots and celery with ranch dressing. The lucky 15 were the winners of my annual Dr. Seuss essay contest and managed to inhale 70 fish sticks and 2 pounds of baby carrots.
In between those events I also host the 4th grade library club - children who can bring their lunch to the library and eat it there, rather than in our noisy zoo of a cafeteria. Admission is tied to AR points and the kids have to keep reading to keep their membership. It costs us nothing but a little time - and some carpet cleaner!
Lucky for me I've got an easy going principal who doesn't mind that the library smells of fish sticks and that there are chili stains on the carpet. Feed them and they will read! And with a little luck they will be learn to love it!
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Term Paper Syndrome
I've been suffering from term paper syndrome. Remember it? That term paper is due and you just don't want to settle down and work on it. So you come up with all these other things you must do - the house gets clean, the car washed, the laundry folded and the flower beds weeded. But that paper is hanging over your head like the Sword of Damocles. It nags, pinches and nudges you to the degree that you can't give 100% to anything you are doing because of that TERM PAPER.
This Spring Break my term paper was my taxes. My two deductions graduated - which is a very good thing but that means I lost my Head of Household Status. I have no major deductions - My Beloved gets the house since she makes so much more than I do. I had nightmares of having to fork over thousands of dollars. Putting it off didn't make any sense from a practical standpoint because if I did owe thousands of dollars I would need some time to figure out how to find the money.
Finally this afternoon, with school starting in the morning, all the books packed, the dishes clean and the flowers dead headed I had not choice but to Just. Do. It.
And then the Internet went wonky. Being a Virgo with her mind made up I decided that a little thing like that would not stop me. Our came the phone cord and I said "hello" to dial up.
After spending an hour with turbotax.com I found that I don't owe any money after all. No more mega refunds that I enjoyed while the girls were in school but at least I broke even.
I am not happy at having to fund the war machine. If I felt the money was going to domestic issues I wouldn't mind so much. However most of it is going overseas to make sure Cheney and his cronies will continue to make obscene amounts of money. Very frustrating.
This Spring Break my term paper was my taxes. My two deductions graduated - which is a very good thing but that means I lost my Head of Household Status. I have no major deductions - My Beloved gets the house since she makes so much more than I do. I had nightmares of having to fork over thousands of dollars. Putting it off didn't make any sense from a practical standpoint because if I did owe thousands of dollars I would need some time to figure out how to find the money.
Finally this afternoon, with school starting in the morning, all the books packed, the dishes clean and the flowers dead headed I had not choice but to Just. Do. It.
And then the Internet went wonky. Being a Virgo with her mind made up I decided that a little thing like that would not stop me. Our came the phone cord and I said "hello" to dial up.
After spending an hour with turbotax.com I found that I don't owe any money after all. No more mega refunds that I enjoyed while the girls were in school but at least I broke even.
I am not happy at having to fund the war machine. If I felt the money was going to domestic issues I wouldn't mind so much. However most of it is going overseas to make sure Cheney and his cronies will continue to make obscene amounts of money. Very frustrating.
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