Ch-ch-change it up!

**cute moment of the day... we have a new student in our class, one of my more.. boisterous students marches in the room and DEMANDS to know her name.  She quietly says her name, to which the loud student says "hm. ok. I can already tell we're going to be best friends."  Quiet new girl then says (under her breath) "we'll see about thaaaat" Boisterous student overhears this and says "WOW we really will if you can answer me like that!" and happily goes over and falls into a deep discussion with quiet new student about the book they're both reading.
It's really funny if you know the kids. I promise. Either way, it was just such a sweet moment when kids (who aren't always too nice) were totally funny and nice with one another.  These two turned out to be attached at the hip (who knew.)

This title was inspired by one of my little darlings.  And, by little darlings I actually mean the student who I sometimes have nightmares about.  Nightmares in which they find me during the weekends and try to drive me even more crazy than they already do, and others along this same vein.

Anyways, oday was Day Numero Uno of "Literacy Centers" for both of my classes.  For those unsure as to what this means, it's just where you do the whole rotating around the room thing.  At one table/center, the students read with me, at another they work on their writing, etc. etc.  We have 5 total centers.

As we were getting started, nightmare student starts singing about how we are "ch-ch-changing it up" in the classroom.  This, although was irritating when he was still doing it 20 minutes later, was such a refreshing thing to hear.  It's SO easy to forget that school can get really boring, really quickly.  Whereas routine is good, it's so important to provide students with tons of different opportunities to do things.  And let's be honest, learning about prepositions and adverbs is anything but exciting...

With centers, the whole idea is that the students are working more independently, they have to problem solve with their group because I'm not there to walk them through whatever the activity is.  Even with my students who are normally super off task and will do anything BUT their work, they were mostly on task!  They're still able to do all the work they need to, they're still learning, but they're able to do so at their own pace (within reason) and in their own way (within reason.)  Especially for the average 10 year old, all they want is to be treated like an adult - while acknowledging that they're kids.  It is definitely a hard time to be alive.  Anytime that they can have added responsibility, they will (usually) gobble it right up.

If nothing else, it was just so refreshing to see my students working and having fun and truly being involved in their work - they can be frustrating and heinously off task sometimes...
Students who usually HATE each other were helping one another, students who are ALWAYS talking were quietly working... the unicorns were frolicking in the hallways and world peace was finally achieved.
Ok, so maybe some of these things didn't happen. BUT. It was just such a great day.  There were moments where there were problems, students had consequences and whatnot, but overall, such a winner of a day.

What's more exciting, is that I was so nervous about doing this, but finally decided that it really would be best.  So, after many an hour planning and planning and copying and prepping; I just decided to go for it.  And, wait for it... it didn't bomb and I didn't die! WOO.
I mean, it wasn't wholly successful either, I am already formulating a long list of things in my head that I need to change, but it's a good feeling to see that I'm finally putting that UW education to use, trying something new, and then changing it.  As we learn day in and day out, REFLECT REFLECT REFLECT.

As I have said before, education is disgustingly fluid.  The nice thing about centers is that they change each week, so I can tailor the activities to reflect what my students may need that week.
More importantly, it allows me to see where the students are at an individual level - without me there holding their hand through each step.
Finally, it really forces me to look at how I'm teaching, what I'm teaching, and if I'm setting the students up for success.  I can see which groups I need to change around, which ones need more instruction, which ones need less, etc.
I felt like I was getting into a rut of just following the curriculum.  Now, I can use the curriculum but also my own strengths to make it more interesting, beneficial, and just plain ol'fun.

I'm going a course to turn my initial license into my professional license (for a list of reasons, technically I have 3 years to do this) and  in our class tonight we were talking about teaching to your strengths.  So often as teachers, and people, we get stuck in doing something the way we're told.  Even if it isn't the way that's best for us.  We get so good at following directions and orders, that we forget that we have this amazing ability to choose.
So, after kind of wading through the first few weeks, I'm choosing to go back to what I know.  I don't know how to strictly follow a curriculum because the curriculum doesn't reflect my students.  The information and skills they teach are important, but now that I know how my classroom works, I know that there are better ways to reach my kiddos.

I wanted to spend a lot more time on this topic and post, but I am beat and need to sleep.  Also, I had to spend some unexpected time trying to close a window that is stuck slightly open.  However, this was not a task I was able to accomplish - so I have half of my drawer of tee shirts (which is roughly 200) shoved in the window and around it, then blankets layered over it, then the curtains closed around it - all in an attempt not to freeze to death.
If you never hear from me again - it's because I did not sufficiently close off this vent to the frigid outdoors.
It must be a problem is I'm complaining about it, as I love sleeping in cold temperatures....