Mrs. W's Room

The original plan, after my initial Genius Hour class test, was to create a Breakout Box session for the second-grade class. However, there were several factors that led to this not happening. After I scraped that plan, one of my Genius Hour students got the idea to create a whole school game. From there, the idea evolved into an End-of-Year Breakout. With the help of two students, we worked together to create a game that incorporated several teachers in our building. The students would have to solve eight different clues, in eight different teacher's rooms, in order to unlock the box. Here are some of the materials we created for the game: Kick-off video which got emailed out to all students to build interest (make sure your volume is turned down!).  Accountability sheet  Before they could approach the 'big' box, the team needed to solve (or at least attempt) all of the clues. Example clues  Each teacher came up with the clues for their room. For the most part, t

I can't remember where I first heard about BreakoutEDU boxes, but it's the kind of idea that I love to latch on because the people and teachers heading up projects like these are my kind of people. If you aren't familiar with BreakoutEDU, I suggest watching this . Basically, it's a way to gamify learning, but in a way that engages kids to interact with each other and content. To me, it's just one more tool to add to my teaching toolbox. I received a generous grant from the Blaine County Education Foundation to try out this teaching tool. I originally wanted to purchase the official BreakoutEDU box, but after talking to a fellow teacher, I got the information and confidence I needed to "build" my own set. I'll admit that the initial confusion I had about which materials to buy and setting up my first breakout session was overwhelming. I ordered the materials and ran into some snags with defective locks. When I looked at the directions for one of the

Before I became a "real" teacher, my perception of teaching English was that I would be blowing kids' minds with classic literature and handing out grammar worksheets.  Needless to say, that hasn't happened...yet. Instead, I was surprised to find that I loved teaching about writing. In particular, I found a love of teaching argumentation and persuasion. The seventh graders are gearing up for argumentative writing. We begin by talking about the concepts of perception and reality and how those two things influence our views of the world and all its issues. I have them make a poster that's based off a popular meme to help ground those concepts. It hardly seems like work, and it's one of the few assignments we do where I get to hear things like, "Can I finish this at home?" or "Can I do another one?" The task is to make a perception and reality poster. I start by showing them an example for a teacher, like this one . This makes for a great

When I first started teaching, I would be hoarse after the first few days of school. I spent so much time talking about myself, talking about the rules, talking about procedures. I hate to think of all those sleepy-eyed kids who were trying in earnest to listen. They had to be so bored out of their gourds. But at the same time, there is so much information to relay during the first days of school. Every year I try to rethink how I can best deliver that information. One of the questions I try to ask myself is, "How can I talk less?" Document-based inquiry (DBI) was an epiphany for me. The first time I encountered DBI was when I was searching for a new way to introduce a novel. Some novels have a lot of cultural and historical context for students to discover, and I found DBI an intriguing way to do that.  What is DBI? My friend, Dennis, further introduced me to this strategy when he demonstrated it at the Boise State Writing Project. DBI starts with an essential qu

Dear Middle Schooler, I see you on your hard days. I see that zit forming on the center of your face, looking at me like headlights set on high beams. I see those pants that have gotten just a little too short because you grew three inches overnight. I see that your best friend suddenly decided to ignore you for no apparent reason. I see that your parents are going through a divorce and you can’t possibly imagine how you will make it through the day, let alone first hour. I see you, and I know it’s hard. If you polled the entire universe (aliens and all), and asked them what age they wished they could go back to--not a single solitary soul would say twelve. Not. A. Single. One. Because being twelve is like getting a sweaty hug while being kicked in the shins. Being a middle schooler is like lying in the middle of the road and getting run over by a steamroller, and then being scraped off the road and put on the schoolbus because you still have to go to school (Flat Stanley s

Our first day back as teachers is next Monday, and as is always the case, it now feels like summer was a blur. I was busier than usual this summer, and looking back on all that I experienced, I feel the need to revisit, refresh, and reflect.  First of all, the Boise State Writing Project was incredible. I have a feeling that all other professional development opportunities post-BSWP will somehow be a letdown. It was an intense month of reading, writing, sharing, laughing, and crying (Crywhoopers for life!); all of which are things I have not been as in touch with as I would like to be. I like to joke and tell people that the BSWP was free therapy, but there's a lot of truth to that. The friendships made, both personal and professional, are invaluable. I learned so much about myself as a teacher and person with the help of my fellow Buzzwhoopers. I'm also really proud of the work that I produced in that month.  To be honest, after it was over, I immediately gave in to the ex

Here are some poems written by various students this trimester. Tilt head to read :)

The last few weeks with the seniors have been a busy blur. They spent last week preparing their presentations, and we all generally freaked out at how quickly this day arrived. I wish I had them for at least another week, but alas, they would like to graduate and move on with their lives. During the final week of the project, we had some issues figuring out audio compatibility, and I realized that, although Chromebooks are extremely handy, we can't do everything on them. Technology, in general, was a source of frustration, but I definitely know how to fix these issues next year. We also learned that transcribing oral history, or transcribing anything for that matter, is harder than it seems. Do you type what they've said verbatim? Do you leave out the laughter? The uhs?  Mary Tyson at the Community Library sent some guides that helped clear up those questions.  I realize now that transcribing takes a long time. One group's transcription is nearly 30 pages in len