Weight Challenged: Targeted Intervention

I was a weight challenged child and still struggle with similar issues as an adult.  The patterns established in childhood are difficult to change in adulthood.  As an educator, I am sensitive to the prejudice and other obstacles weight challenged students face.  It's very difficult to be weight challenged from a physical standpoint, and it's even more difficult from a psychological perspective.

Healthy children are able to learn more.  They have the physical and psychological energy for learning, while weight challenged students are burdened by the prejudice and health issues related to their size.

What can we do for these students?

I suggest that daily physical education programs become a standard for all children, starting with those who are most affected by weight.  Typically children from homes that have adequate financial and care resources are involved in regular, healthy activity such as sports teams, dance, theater and nature clubs. Some children lack the the finances and/or care to support healthy after school activities, and that's where schools should focus their intervention first.

One idea is to implement a morning health class for students who struggle the most with this issue.  Students at the extreme end of the weight scale could participate in a daily healthy activity and nutrition course.  During that time these students could share their thoughts and feelings with counselors, exercise and eat a healthy breakfast.  The course could take place at a local gym or health facility.  Students would be dismissed from a class or two in order to attend this morning activity.

Children who feel good about themselves and enjoy optimal health will learn more.  A program to meet students' needs in this regard could possibly be a program that's integrated with other resources such as local physical fitness centers and health organizations.  As schools move towards responsive, targeted interventions for student success, student health should be included in the discussion.

Does your system currently employ a course like this?  If so, please share your descriptive links and articles.

Are You Part of the Team?

Teaching children takes a team: a team of teachers, family members, students and even community members.  For best effect, the team works together to challenge, nurture and inspire young children towards optimal growth and development.  When the team is working well there's communication, shared goals and effective, responsive effort.

• How do you foster a team approach for your children and students?
• What do you do to contribute to the team?
• How often do you share your thoughts, questions and ideas?
• Do you read related newsletters, correspondence and research?
• Do you reply to emails and letters?
• Do you plan targeted interventions with the team?

I want to increase my awareness, activity and contribution as a team member to better my teaching of young children.  The first step is recognizing that it takes a team; the next is gathering as much information as I can to inform this work.  Hence, I invite your links, suggestions and questions.

Creativity Days: Initial Plan

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Many educators are exploring the use of Fedex Days in their classrooms and schools.  It's a wonderful idea that inspires the 21st Century and lifelong learning skills of creativity, collaboration, critical thinking and communication.  It's also a great way to celebrate and synthesize a period of learning while also inspiring new learning and academic independence.

Holidays often spark a spirit of innovation--there's joy in the air, and people are thinking about ways to creatively celebrate with friends and family members.  Hence, I decided to couple our classroom creativity days with days prior to the holiday break.

Here's the initial plan.

1. Discuss the research and concept of Fedex Days with students (brief discussion).
2. Outline the process.
3. Visit the library and reintroduce students to all the topics and concepts possible. Students will have time to browse through books in the many sections of the library (this is a better first step for fourth graders as it's so tactile, later on technology will be available for research, exploration and creation.)
4. Brainstorm questions and share ideas.
5. Share and revise a project planning template with students (Young students see grand possibilities, but have difficulty breaking it down into steps so a broad planning template is essential).
6. Students receive a colorful poster board which they can use for their project if they'd like.
7. Students complete planning sheets, embark on their investigation and complete projects within two days time in class and at home.
8. Creativity Days Celebration: Each child shares their learning and receives specific compliments about their creativity and learning from both teachers and classmates.
9. Project images, videos and written explanations are posted on our classroom NING so that all Team 15 teachers, family members and friends are able to view and comment.

I imagine that our creativity days will result in projects ranging from the arts to service projects to informational posters to creative holiday gift creation.  My only expectation is that every student complete a project individually or in collaboration with other students.

The fall has been a full schedule of meeting standards in multiple ways.  It will be nice to end this semester by giving students the freedom to use all the tools they've learned, concepts shared and creativity inspired to lead their own learning.  

Please add links, suggestions and ideas related to this in the comment section.  I know that many educators in my PLN have already embarked on creative days like this, and I welcome your inspiration and advice.  Thanks.

Related Links:

Creativity Days Planning Sheet

Passion Based Learning

Questions

Dinosaur Dig

Quotes to Support Initiative:
If there's a book you really want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it. Toni Morrison


I'm not one to be moved by "rock stars" in any field, but I did receive a response from Daniel Pink and I'm so honored:  DanielPink Daniel Pink 

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@lookforsun -- Thanks for the letting me know. Creativity days are inspired and inspiring.

Why I Continue to Blog?

I've written about this before, and will probably write about it again.  Blogging is a journey that takes many twists and turns along the way.  As I blog, I stop to reflect time and again as to the focus and intent of this activity.

I blog to question.
I blog to reflect.
I blog to reason.
I blog to solve problems.
I blog to share information.
I blog to elicit feedback and debate.
I blog to better my work with the primary focus on student engagement and learning.
I blog to publicly commit myself to challenging, professional tasks and endeavors.

Blogging leads me forward.  Blogging deepens and broadens my understanding and work.  It's a positive endeavor, and an optimal way to share information.  It's there for the taking or leaving.

That's why I blog at this juncture in the road.  What's your blogging rationale?

Classroom Microsphere: Targeted Time on Task with Children

If you read my blog, you know I'm reflecting on the microsphere of my teaching--the day-to-day nuts and bolts of what I do.  The big pieces are in place, the vision is there, the tools are working, and now it's time for finesse.

The most challenging work in schools is delivering responsive lessons in child-friendly, effective ways to guide student engagement, empowerment and growth.  It's work that requires thought, attention and reflection. The kind of work that should make up a large fraction of most educators' days.

Where does that take me?

It's leading me in three directions at this moment: Creativity Days (our Fedex Days endeavor), Math Enrichment Program, and the 100 Pennies Project.

My class is ready for a project-based, student-driven creativity days project, and we will participate in that during the three days prior to the holiday vacation.  I'm excited for that project because my students have learned to use countless tools. They've also encountered numerous learning questions and substantial material, and this will give them a chance to synthesize all the fall learning into one meaningful project.

Next, on our last Friday formative assessment, I asked students to write me a letter about the math program.  A number of children asked for greater challenge.  Hence, I'm putting in place another challenge thread in my math program for these students.  I will work with them to make this blended learning thread responsive, challenging and growth producing.

Finally, I am embarking on the 100 Pennies project with one student.  I have been reading about developmental math and thinking about those students who come to fourth grade without a strong foundation of math concept knowledge and skill.  I've also been thinking about one delightful, conscientious student in my class who wants to understand math better.  That student and I will develop math concepts using 100 Pennies.  We will write a book together.

Hence, three new projects for the microsphere in an attempt to target the curriculum for greater student learning.  If you've got any links or ideas for me related to these projects or the microsphere of teaching in general, please share.  I appreciate your support as I journey in this direction.