Our Classroom Norms: C.A.R.S.

Posting rules in my classroom has not been my strength. It’s a back-to-school expectation, but I have always struggled with this duty. I was a loop-hole sort of kid myself, and I was very good at developing my own interpretations of the meanings of the rules. Many an exhausted teacher suggested that I save my talents for debate or law school. As a result, I managed a somewhat successful career without this traditional list on the walls of my little lab.

Today, a student addressed this predicament for me. A gifted (former) graffiti artist, he came to me with a piece of paper and asked how to spell, “confidentiality . . . attendance . . . safety . . . “ After I wrote them for him, I went back to addressing the needs of the American History students.

Later, the young man told me I needed to turn and look at the “CARS” he had created. I turned to see the following in beautiful lettering on the blackboard:

Classroom Norms

confidentiality

Attendance

Respect

Safety

This addition to the lab stimulated a great deal of discussion but not any dissent. The following points were discussed:

Confidentiality-

Somewhere to let your guard down and someone to talk to without fear that your vulnerability will be someone’s entertainment.

Attendance-

Showing up means something. Someone cares enough to make you miserable when you don’t show up.

Respect-

Everyone. Everyday. All the time.

Safety-

Physical. Emotional. Creative. Cognitive. You can’t reach your full potential without it. School may be the only sanctuary available.

I like it . . . all of it. I like it a lot. I found the term, “norms,” especially interesting. This isn’t a list of ‘do’s’ and ‘don’ts;’ it’s simply the standard we have set for our community. Thank goodness I neglected to hang those rules.

Do You See What Hi-C?

A day in a minivan, three teenagers, and an unreliable GPS. . .

Is this the teaser for a horror movie?

Things I would like to return to Walmart?

A Monty Python sketch?

No! These were the ingredients for one of the best days I have had as a teacher. Three of my students and I attended Students Taking Charge training (thanks to our amazing school nurse). I had to get up at 5:00 am (not easy for Mrs. W), find student homes (REALLY not easy for Mrs. W), and negotiate unfamiliar roads (darn near impossible for Mrs. W). I should have been exhausted. I should have been cranky. I should have been miserable. BUT, thanks to some amazing students, I laughed until I hurt, did the driver dance, and learned the following:

• We have a deep set love of our school and want to find ways to make it even more “ours.”
• Our musical tastes differ, but we loved to sing together with the radio.
• Open-mouthed young men with their faces pressed to the window of the vehicle attract attention.
• McDonald’s does not sell Fanta, Pepsi, or lemonade.
• McDonald’s staff is very tolerant.
• Not everyone shares my appreciation for yard nomes.
• Everyone does share my appreciation for bobble heads.
• Why we think some people lie.
• There are limits to my Bieber tolerance.
• Why it’s wrong to steal.
• Some girls are good at shooting clay pigeons.
• It’s hard to change our patterns of behavior.
• We would rather look tough than vulnerable.
• Students do notice the things adults do. Adults are appreciated.
• It’s hard to talk in front of a group of strangers, but it’s rewarding.
• Mr. North can turn nearly anything into a song.
• We have a unique voice and something to offer.
• I REALLY like kids.

If you are interested in doing community service with kids (with or without the minivan), check out these sites:

Action for Healthy Kids http://www.actionforhealthykids.org/

Students Taking Charge http://www.studentstakingcharge.org/

A Day to Remember

April 9, 2011 will be a shared memory for members of Newell, Fonda, Varina, Nemaha, and nearby communities. A series of tornadoes passed through and left a path of destruction. Homes were lost; homes were damaged. Outbuildings were destroyed; livestock was scattered. Lives were changed. The loss, itself, is devistating; but the mess . . . oh, the mess.

Utility repairmen are working superhuman hours, volunteers are rallying, and donations are flowing. The time has come for us to come together and take care of our own. Given a magic wand, I would make the mess go away. We all know; however, that those wands don’t exist. Instead we have everyday people doing what they can to pick themselves up and move on. Since I can’t provide the wand, I want to be a part of the picker-uppers.

Our junior high and high school students, joined by the students from a neighboring district, walked fields today gathering the debris. I am NOT glad the devistation happened, but I am glad our students had this experience. I am glad they experienced walking plowed ground for five hours only to look back and realize that countless hours of work still must be completed. I am glad they saw the tears and exhaustion on the faces of those who lost their homes. I am glad they ate a lunch that didn’t fill their bellies, walked away with blisters, and went home to collapse into their beds. I hope they absorbed the day in it’s entirity, and I hope they remember. This is the stuff that builds character and muscle, generations and community, men and women. THIS was an education.