Top 5 Books to Read on a Raft

I was reading in the pool today, contemplating the end of the summer. Occasionally the brightness was disrupted by a soft cloud or large bird. Like study groups at the library, the filter’s hum provided that white noise that can be so comforting to a reader, and dipping my legs into the water provided temporary relief from the midday sun. There was a point while soaking in the heat and summer sounds, where I realized that this is what summer has come to be for me. It’s a sweltering day, my modest backyard pool, a raft, and a book in my hands that will help me when the school year resumes. As filtered water babbled into the pool from the jet, I felt compelled to conclude the summer with this blog. Compiled from personal experience, here are the Top 5 Books to Read on a Raft in the pool during the summer. 

Honorable Mention #2. Reading with Meaning by Debbie Miller. This book was originally on my list, but it is too easy to debate it off. I read it this summer, and it’s an exceptional guide for teaching reading. But, the pool setting just doesn’t add as much to the text as it does for selections 1 – 4.

Honorable Mention #1. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway. This one seemed too obvious. Terrific story, but it won’t necessarily help the elementary teacher.

5. There Are No Shortcuts by Rafi Esquith. This book is good anytime anywhere, but especially as a summer read for any teacher. It will have you ready to get back in the classroom, and motivated to do more once you get your self out of that pool.

4. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson. It’s hard to cry on a raft on sunny summer day, but this book will make it happen. In my pool I felt as if I were watching the story unfold from the river.

3. Holes by Louis Sachar. When it’s 110 degrees out, and the sun is beating down mercilessly, you can experience the heat the way the kids did as they dug. Unlike Zero and the gang, you can just jump in to cool off.

2. The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White. I read this on a raft rather than a swan boat. But, like Bridge, I felt like I was in an unnoticed corner of the pond watching the tale of friendship unravel.

1. Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry. Taking place in the Philippines, the indigenous people depend heavily on fishing. On my raft I was in the boat with Mafatu as he sought to overcome his fear of the sea. The story starts slowly, and I ordinarily do not care for that. Nevertheless, I consider this my current favorite book for many reasons. If I hadn’t read this book while afloat myself, it may not even be in my Top 5 Books.

Although the weather indicates that summer is still the season, the fact remains that teachers will report to work tomorrow. Getting used to having a baby in the house, finding time to relax more easily, and being productive in a variety of ways has highlighted an amazing break. In addition to the blog, my 0 followers may continue to follow me and our classroom this year on facebook at: 
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mr-Mikulas-3rd-Grade-Class/125464610878201?ref=ts

The ABCs of a Teacher's Summer; Part II

K is for Kisses. My son has the best cheeks for kissing! He turns 7 weeks old today. So many teaching obligations have made this summer busy and exciting. But, I still have been able to spend a lot of time with the Little Man. He has been the best thing about the entire summer.


L is for Leadership. I attended the Principal’s Leadership Academy of Arizona one Saturday a month during the past year. The course concluded with a week of meetings in June. It was a tremendous learning opportunity!


M is for Marketing. I had he chance to visit local businesses this summer with the goal of establishing meaningful connections. Managers and owners could not believe it when they realized I wasn’t asking for anything. In fact, I didn’t even know what “meaningful connections” could actually mean. All I knew is that I wanted our school to take a role in supporting the community. Now, we have coupons to the local businesses in our office, oil change deals for families at our school, sponsors for fund raisers, and a free car wash for the neighboring apartment residents in the works.


N is for Nose Picking. I tend to be a little more relaxed at home. Every time I go for a serious pick my wife notices and calls me out, rightfully so. She makes sure I realize that there’s a Kleenex box near me. Sometimes she just points. Good thing the summer’s only 7 weeks long.


O is for Organizing. I am pretty sure that most teachers spend 2 weeks organizing after the school year is over. Even teachers who claim to thrive with “organized chaos” utilize tubs, cases, and cabinets to sort master copies by subject and theme during the month of June. When you have 16 filing cases from Target full of resources, this is a good way to review what you have in there.


P is for Post It Notes. P is always for Post It Notes – even more effective then my Phone Calendar at reminding me of things I need to do.


Q is for Quality Time. As busy as the summer can be, it’s less hectic than the school year. I worked about 30 hours a week instead of 65. I spent time with my wife, my new baby, family, friends, and even just with myself. Sharpening the Saw!


R is for Roald Dahl. I purchased several titles this summer (see letter B). I love reading specific authors because students love to get to know the authors. Roald Dahl’s writing is perfect for 3rd Graders. It’s entertaining, creative, and he even pushes “it” a little bit. As always, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is the perfect back to school read aloud. Next year, we’ll be using The BFG to practice deciphering unknown words using context clues, and Fantastic Mr. Fox to analyze characters.


S is for Summer School. I taught 2 -3 grade math for 2 weeks. Our course covered place value, graphing, and problem solving. Students created their own theme park by operating within a budget. They also had a significant amount of time to practice operations.


T is for Thematic Units. After organizing standards, last year’s lessons, vocabulary to be taught, and assessment plans on each subject’s curriculum map (see letter C), I developed units that combine lessons from different subjects. A World of Adventure, Family and Folk Tales, and Mr.Mikula Goes to Washington have been created to connect reading to math, science, and social studies.


U is for University. I finally started to work towards a masters degree by applying. It sounds minute, but the application process is something that I definitely don’t see myself finding time for during the school year. Somehow, I’ll have to find a way to complete the course work during the school year, however.


V is for Vacuuming the Pool. Before you wonder what a charter school teacher is doing with a pool in his yard, let me tell you that it is a modest above ground pool that I purchased at Wal-Mart. The padded flooring that I put under it cost more than the pool itself. But, with all of the massive dust storms we had this summer, I’m glad I invested $40 in a 30 foot hose that connects to the filter.


W is for the Weekend. The weekend during the school year never really seems like a break. One of the days is usually spent doing all of the things that you can’t get to when you are busy teaching during the week. Grading, planning, midterm reports, and creating things to go along with lessons can easily take an entire day. But, during the summer, Saturday and Sunday are truly relaxing.


X is for Exams and Expectations. Standardized testing is changing, and by 2015 most states, including Arizona, will be responsible for teaching the Common Core Standards. The idea is that the tests administered at the end of each year will be uniform among states and electronic. Some educators are panicking already. But, I feel that expectations need to be high. I believe our students will stack up well when Arizona students are compared to their peers from other states. The Common Core Standards are out now. Start adding them to your curriculum maps. Start looking for ways to improve what you have already been doing in the classroom using Common Core as a guide. And, for goodness sake, start avoiding thoughts such as this one in today’s Arizona Republic: “Arizona students won't look like they're doing very well when we get our first batch of results.”


Y is for Y Axis. We covered graphing and problem solving on a coordinate grid during summer school. There is a lot of vocabulary crossover between these two separate concepts. That’s one reason why the students (most of whom were entering 2nd Grade) experienced so much success from the pre- to the post- test that was comprised of questions from the 3rd Grade Galileo Benchmark Assessment.


Z is for ZZZ’s. In The ABCs of 1st Grade (a book published by my class several years ago) one of my students wrote that after a long day of school, he needs to go home and get some ZZZ’s. I had to borrow that. Thanks, T!

The ABCs of a Teacher's Summer; Part I

A is for ABC Books. This activity is one of my favorite ways to review and conclude a unit. The class and I brainstorm vocabulary words that begin with each letter. Then each student creates his or her own page complete with illustrations. I can save the book for the next year or display it during conferences. With “vacation” half over, here is my ABCs of Summer Break!


B is for Book Stores. During the summer the average teacher makes 14 trips to book stores. Most of these teachers frequent specific stores for certain things. For example, Bookman’s for specific authors, St. Vincent DePaul for National Geographic magazines, and Half Priced Books when just looking. I have made 2 trips this summer spending less than $25.00.


C is for Curriculum Mapping. Creating a general plan for the year is helpful, and can ensure that all standards are accounted for. When better to update the plan then during the summer after a year has passed? If hindsight is 20-20 then it can be applied to the recently expired year to plan for the next. C could also be for Common Core, new, more nationally aligned standards. I started each subject map by placing these standards on a tentative time line.


D is for Day Time TV. I love sports. Around the Horn and PTI do not necessarily fit in to the Day Time TV category. But, out here in the West, these shows air at 2:00 and 2:30. Guess which shows I enjoyed this summer that I can’t watch during the school year?


E is for Eating. I ate 3 regular meals a day for the first time since last July excluding Winter Break. (You always exclude Winter Break when considering eating choices, trends, and habits.)


F is for Fiscal Year. That ends on June 30. Then you get to sweat out whether or not funds were left for an adequate Prop Bonus. (By adequate I mean anything over $100.)


G is for Grants. (Please notice that G is not for golf.) I didn’t have a lot of time to investigate possible funding opportunities during the hustle and bustle of the school year. To date, I have completed 3 applications this summer. If I don’t complete another one, I’ll be happy with that.


H is for Hiring. Site based decision making is huge at our school, and this is evident when filling positions. Teachers facilitate most of the hiring process. Sorting resumes, scheduling and conducting interviews, and making decisions has been time consuming. But, the result will be a strong cohesive team of teachers for the coming school year.


I is for Identity Verified Prints. My finger print clearance card expires in September. This is just another one of those little things that you have to be proactive about. Because the police department finger prints during specific – and quite limited hours – this is another task that needs to be taken care of during the summer.


J is for June and July. I used to cringe when people – even jokingly – said they became a teacher for three reasons: June, July, and August. Besides the fact that anyone making this point in seriousness shouldn’t be a teacher, statements like this have perpetuated the myth that teachers take 3 months off after Memorial Day. Our summer break only lasts for 7 weeks in June and July.  Between, PLAA, summer school, the National Forum, participating on the Hiring Task Force, authoring grants, and refining the curriculum map, the first week after the school year ended will be the only week where I paused for a break. I’m content with that. I need to be active. And, I believe that most teachers care for the students they have, and will have, even during the summer.

Goals - Revisited

I was looking for something that would epitomize the end of another school year – a conversation, a farewell, a moment.  There were plenty of these.  There always are.  Every year you let go of a group of kids that will never be duplicated.  Each class is unique, and while its comforting look forward to the next year, its important to reflect upon – and acknowledge the accomplishments made during – the year that was.

This year had many firsts for me.  It was my first year teaching 3^rd grade.  It was the first year I had a Smart Board.  It was the first time I taught students the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and used them daily to help students develop their leadership strengths.  Students created “talk shows” to conclude thematic units.  All students worked in book clubs all year.  I felt more comfortable teaching math than reading and language arts.  I am proud of all of these things and hope to take them with me into the next school year.

One thing I am not so proud of is that we fell short of the academic goal I set for our class his year.  I wrote in an earlier entry that setting goals is a challenge, especially broad goals that require time to track.  My goal for reading and math was that each student would achieve 1 year’s worth of learning gains by the end of the 3rd quarter as measured by STAR testing.  The STAR test is fairly arbitrary, and does not require students to think at a very high level.  But, I have found that it is accurate in charting levels of improvement.  Students who improve significantly in tasks that require higher levels of thought including analysis, application, and creation do better on this test that merely measures remembering and understanding.  While portfolios, graphic organizers, writing assignments can also reflect student growth, I decided to use this test as the common tool to measure individual student learning gains.

The data shows that 16 of 21 students met this goal in math.  The average growth of our students was 1.7 years!  11 students posted scores at a 5^th grade level or higher.  That's fantastic for that group.  But, the goal was not for 11 kids to be overwhelmingly successful while others fell short.  We came close, but didn’t perform as I would have liked on the whole.  It’s nice that so many students did well.  It’s great that our class score looks good at a glance.  I’m still going to be bothered by the fact that 5 students didn’t get where they needed this year. 

The scores were not as strong in reading.  10 of 21 students met the goal.  The class average was .9 years growth.  To put this in perspective, 6 of the students who did not meet the goal of 1.0 years improvement notched a score of .9.  You can choose to say that this is very close to the goal and therefore pretty good.  That’s not how I would prefer to see it.  I have some work to do.  I need to develop better reading lessons, especially ones that will help students develop their vocabulary (a specific area where we lacked proficiency).  I need to do a better job spiraling back to certain concepts with specific students so those .9s can become 1.0+s.  (And, forgive me if it sounds like I am referring to students merely as numbers.  This is done only in response to the data.)

Setting goals isn’t done to set you – or your students – up to fall into either failure or success.  It’s so that you can assess what you are doing in the classroom, and adjust your practices.  A year from now I won’t remember the particulars of these tests.  But, my instruction should improve because of them, helping me to better reach the next wave of students.  

When I look back at this school year I’ll see S and P on the phone with a reporter from the Arizona Republic discussing the 7 Habits.  I’ll see T oozing with confidence as she shares creative ideas in a style only she can duplicate, B gaining self assurance with each math lesson, R participating frequently despite being self conscious about his speech, G breaking out of her shell and donning a cloak of sassiness, Y secretly leaving baked goods on my desk, and OC shaking off her shyness to read a story while being recorded.  For each student I’ll remember evidence of growth in academics, character, and leadership even if obtained informally.  I’ll remember the nicknames… Z MAN, T Money, J Bone, Triple A, Rell-Rell, Spike, and The Human Calculator.  And, I’ll remember the ways – taking tests included – that they helped me become a 3^rd grade teacher.

Shirt and Tie

I wear a shirt and tie about twice a week.  In class I could use this as a lesson on fractions by explaining that I look amazing two fifths of the time.  Our school is fairly casual and has a laid back attitude toward staff dress.  I appreciate that.  Three fifths of the time I enjoy jumping into a pair of khakis, and pulling on a school polo.  I have about 17, and most are very comfortable.

Today was a definite shirt and tie day which coincided with a definite polo shirt day.  It was 3^rd Grade’s Invention Convention.  Students have worked for 5 weeks on these creations that would improve daily life.  They journaled their progress, obtained feedback from peers, and presented it in a pie graph.  Their work would be on display in the evening from 5:30 until 7:00, and they were going to ask visitors for feedback.  Parents, grandparents, and family members would be in the building.  It’s important to be noticeable as the teacher in an event like this.  However, there was also Track practice from 3:15 to 5:15.  It’s nice to be comfortable outside as Arizona temperatures are on the rise.  The stretchy cotton form fitting polos breath nicely.  But, I went with the shirt and tie.

In college professors always took the time to discuss appropriate dress.  “Can you bend over without anything showing?  Can you reach up without anything showing?”  “Nobody wants to see your tummy!”  “Once there was an intern who….”  “You have to be very mobile as a teacher.  Your back shouldn’t be exposed when you bend over.”  “This goes for you gentlemen, as well.”  I think I have had every education professor give the same speech.  “I wouldn’t wear your best clothes,” a professor told us once.  “You’re going to get finger painted on and thrown up on.”

I disagree.  I wore my newest shirt and nicest tie today.  I don’t need to have that Red Carpet Look every day, but it is important for the kids to see what it looks like when you are dressed appropriately for events like the Invention Convention.  And, it’s important to show them what it looks like when you go to work.  Every day we come together to learn, analyze data, set goals, assess progress, synergize, and create projects.  My nicest outfit seemed appropriate for a day at the office.

After the Invention Convention was over, after cleaning my room, I decided I needed to stop at Target on the way home.  (I have been mistaken as a Target employee when wearing my red school polo to the store.)  When I was checking out, the cashier of college age said, “You look like you got some place to be.”

Nah, I don’t.

“Well, you look like you’ve been at work all day.”

Yup. 

I’m willing to bet that teacher would not have been his first guess if he was trying to decipher my occupation.  But, it is nice to be viewed as someone who has done something really important that day, even if this only happens about two fifths of the time.

AIMS Week

All quotes are excerpts from Questions arise over big gains in Arizona schools by Anne Ryman, Jack Gillum, and Ryan Konig which appeared in the Arizona Republic on Mar. 6, 2011

“Over five years, groups of students in 93 Arizona schools made gains on the state's standardized AIMS test that were so remarkable, the state should have examined them for possible testing violations by educators, testing experts say.”

150 school days ago we entered the classroom together faced with the challenge of picking up where last year ended.  We developed leadership skills and strategies for problem solving.  The ultimate test will be life after high school.  But first, in order to demonstrate that the students are at an appropriate level, we have the AIMS test.  The kids knew this day was coming.  Testing is not new to students of the 21^st Century.  And, we approached it with the mindset that challenges and problems will present themselves in real life, in the grocery store, when you’re hosting a party, following a recipe, testing an hypothesis, or assembling a new toy.  This test is just to see what you can do right now.  Do your best!

“The anomalies, found using a methodology widely recognized by mathematicians and testing experts, are not proof that any cheating on AIMS by educators occurred at those schools. The Republic contacted officials at more than a dozen schools with especially large gains, and all insisted the increases were real.

The wide swings in scores, however, are cautionary flags that call for more scrutiny by the state or an outside organization, said testing researchers interviewed by The Republic.”

Believe it or not, I am probably in the minority as a teacher that loves this week.  I am competitive, and I flourish knowing that my class - and school - will be compared to others based solely on this one assessment.  Last month we had a graph in our room displaying the average 3^rd grade AIMS Math score in Arizona last year – a mediocre 67%.  As groups completed similar problems, I checked their work, and added our own bars to the graph.  All 5 teams surpassed the mark set by their predecessors, and the Lightning even topped off at 91%!  Our school has intelligent, intuitive, and capable 3^rd graders.  I have had the pleasure of watching each child’s confidence grow.  As the day drew near, I continued to preach “Do your best!”  I also cautioned against overconfidence by telling long winded stories about my hockey days concluding with the reminder I have had to consider so many times; “Respect your opponent.” 

"It could be with a small group and powerful interventions and a dedicated staff, you could pull off a miracle," said Cizek, author of a book on detecting and preventing cheating. "But there are no currently known interventions or instructional practices that have been shown to produce gains of that magnitude."

We have used data to drive everything we have done this year.  When I say we, I’m including the students.  They each have a data binder charting and displaying scores on tests, writing samples, and graphic organizers used for note taking or the comprehension of a text they read this year.  We meet regularly to discuss the folders, the contents of which each student put into a power point to share at last week’s student led conferences.  The students know where they struggle, and - even more importantly - where they’re strong.  My team and I have used pre-assessments for every unit, built lessons based on those findings, and gave opportunities for students to practice, analyze, and create.  Post tests showed significant improvement every time.

“A 2010 survey of 3,000 Arizona educators by Arizona State University researchers found that 1 percent of teachers admitted to cheating outright on high-stakes tests, including pointing to correct answers or asking low-achieving students to be absent on test days.”

So, AIMS week has arrived.  Today was the first day where the door was closed for 2 hours penning my students and I in there with the test.  The Republic failed to highlight that most teachers would prefer to see how their students perform on the test the right way.  I feel so good knowing that the kids performed well in the absence of first, second, or even third degree cheating (see cited article for a clear depiction of the differences).  Of course, I don’t have the scores yet, but I know that they will be impressive.  The student who marked B and C alternately for each question during one of our benchmark tests was the second to last finisher.  He double checked every math problem by drawing a picture.  The student who dropped his pencil 15 times during the fall benchmark broke his lead only once.  No one fell out of their chair.  No one cried.  And, no one finished in less than 30 minutes, evidence that they were rereading, checking every answer, double checking their thought processes.  None of these gains will be measured by the AIMS.  The real tragedy is that they may not be considered when people try to find an explanation for student success.  

Spring Break

Spring Break ended and I was, as usual, eager to return to school after a week of sleeping, eating, and peeing when I felt like it.  After being back for nearly two weeks, the usual list of things I feel I should be doing better is rapidly accumulating and includes…

o I’m not working with my low readers enough.

o I’m not challenging my high readers enough.

o I’m not giving any attention to my middle readers.

o See the above 3 guilts and change "readers" to "math students."

o I’m not able to put any of these writing assignments on the bulletin board.

o I’m not communicating expectations appropriately.

o I’m over-communicating expectation.

o I’m not communicating with parents enough.

o I’m not communicating with lawmakers enough.

o I haven’t formed a mutually beneficial connection with a local business… ever.

o My lessons feel unnatural, as though I have never taught anything like them before (many I haven’t).

o I should have tried that experiment at home before doing it for the first time in front of the class.

o I should leave work at a reasonable time and spend more of the evening at home.

I take a lot home (usually in 2 bags), and that does not include feelings of “I make a difference.”  But, make no mistake.  I wouldn’t want any other occupation.  I am still glad to be back, and disappointed that the school calendar is losing pages faster than the chocolate milk crate empties.  When summer vacation rolls in I won’t miss the stress, but I’m going to miss the amazing moments that occur on a daily basis.  If you’re lucky, you have a job that is challenging and even more rewarding.  If you’re as fortunate as me then your day included…

o Seeing a former student reminding his brothers not to laugh at someone behind his back.

o Hearing multiple conversations with the phrase, “So, let’s try this…” during a small group problem solving activity in math.

o Watching your students encourage differences they see in each other with a hearty, “Let’s synergize.”

o Guiding students as they create power points for their Student -Led Conferences.

o Realizing that the children are singing “Stand by Me” quietly as they work when it rolls around on this week’s language arts centers playlist.

o Spying a stack of peanut butter cookies on your desk wrapped in tin foil with a post it note, “Mr Mikula, you are working so hard.  I hope you like the cookies.”

o Catching the smile when the student notices your return post it note, “Thank you for the delicious treat.  You are incredibly thoughtful.”