We are officially past mid term of the first quarter.  I can’t believe how fast time has gone by. Progress reports were sent home last week.   We will be working hard the next few weeks trying to get everything finished for 1st quarter.   Click the link below to access this week’s newsletter. Also, help me welcome Mrs. Emily to our classroom.  She is a pre-service teacher observing in my classroom on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday for the next few weeks.    

https://www.smore.com/604fh

This week’s quote was not the one I had originally found for this week.  I decided last minute to save that quote because I’m pretty sure that I can fit it in a lesson that I will teach later in the semester.  Before having early morning duty this morning, I sat down to find a quote. I came across this quote not only in my quote coloring books, but another book I have of quotes, and then a third time on a google search.   I thought it was a sign that I should pick this proverb. I hope at some point this week this proverb will stick with someone and help them through something.

The proverb this week comes from Uganda.  

“Even the mightiest eagle comes down to the treetops to rest.”

This proverb reminds us that every living being needs time to rest and recharge, even if they are one of the most important people in the world.  Being in a position of power doesn’t mean that people are above the ordinary needs of humanity. The words also tell us that no situation is permanent.  Some people think that they are more important or more special, soaring high above the others like an eagle. However, the truth is that we were all born equal.  We all have the same needs and the same human weaknesses.

The proverbs and quotes we discuss at school open the channels for communication within the classroom.  I chose to emphasize one part of the quote this week.  Of course there are many lessons in this proverb, so it is hard to focus on just one.  No situation is permanent! We are going to work this week on finding one thing in our life that we can change and journal about this.  

I love that the kids related the proverb to taking a needed rest after working hard.  They immediately asked if we could take a break and have some free time. It would have been easy to say no that we needed to squeeze in some more work with simple subjects. I didn’t, and let them have 15 minutes of free time, and guess what?   After the fifteen minutes they came back together and we finished our lesson on simple subjects.

In closing, here is a comment from a student in the bus rider dismissal line.

“Thanks for the break today it was nice to sweep down from the tree and take a rest.”

These kids make me smile every single day.

Until next week,

Mr. B   

What a week!   It seems like I was just preparing last week’s blog post.  The kids are loving the quotes and love hearing from you all. Last week’s blog post has been viewed almost 500 times. It’s been viewed all around the bootheel.  It's been seen as far south as Houston and as far north as Grand Rapids Michigan.  The kids were ecstatic last week when they saw their blog had been seen all the way in Spain!  Can you believe that?
​
This week is Homecoming week!   Go Indians!
Click Below to view this week’s newsletter.
https://www.smore.com/r2mye

This week’s quote is a Chadian Proverb.   “Laughter is a Language Everyone Understands”
​
No matter how different people are, finding a shared joke or a similar sense of humor will help them to come together and become friends.  If you want to connect with someone, the best way is to find something that you can both smile about. It has been scientifically proven that all human beings share the same basic emotions, and that laughter is particularly well recognized as a sign of happiness.  

Have you ever noticed everybody laughs the same?  All things considered, a few giggles are somewhat impossible to miss, however everybody on the planet realizes what a snicker is. You could be stuck in a foreign country trying to ask where the bathroom is and everyone would be staring at you, but they would instantly recognize a laugh.

Laughter, like smiles, is one of the few universal methods of communication between humans. Even some animals seem to be able to follow along when we laugh.  When people share laughter, there is a special connection between them, even if they aren’t speaking the same language.

I began today’s introduction of the proverb by playing a clip of a student talking in German.  Before I showed the clip I told them to pay close attention to the message that the child would be trying to get across to them.   I started the clip. My students were lost and confused and looking at the smartboard trying to figure out what had happened. I apologized to them and told them I must have clicked on the wrong video.  I pulled up the second video. In this video children were talking in a foreign language, but shortly after the children in the video began laughing. The laughing was contagious. Before you knew it, my entire class was laughing.  We had no idea what they were saying, but we knew they were happy! I figured this would happen, so I had my phone out ready to snap some pics. After we calmed down I gave them the moral to the story.

No matter where you are in the world, a smile or a laugh will be understood!
​
In my classroom we use laughter to bring people together. Whether it’s whole group in the classroom or a couple at the small group table sharing a joke, the result is the same. You feel better and closer when you laugh. Laughter is good medicine. How often we laugh and where we use laughter all depends on the day and what our social groups consider appropriate.  We are steadily working on being aware of our surroundings and what is appropriate.
​
My rule: You might want to try to stress a little less and laugh a little more…and consider doing it with friends.


Enjoy the pics of the students enjoying our day!


See you all next week!
Mr. B

The kids and I had a busy day back from the long weekend.  Our weekly newsletter has gone electronic.  You should have received it by text today.   Here is a link in case you missed it.

https://www.smore.com/w2kzf

Even though we had a busy day, we did make room for this week’s installment of Keep the Quote.   For those that don’t know, I work at the Palace Theater here in town.   I love working there because I get to see a ton of movies.   I remember shortly after the start of 2018 that the theater booked a showing of “The Greatest Showman.”   My initial thought was great, another “musical.”   After working the first couple nights and hearing the music while I cleaned up the popcorn popper, I thought, “This might not be a bad movie to see.”  The next showing I was ready to watch this movie.   Man, was I surprised!  It was a great movie with wonderful music.  The film tells the story of PT Barnum and his circus.
 
After watching the movie and leaving the theater I immediately thought, this movie has so many life lessons in it.    One of the songs stood out to me.   I made my mind up then that one day I would explore it with my students.   I am a fan of using music for reading comprehension.  I love to break the lyrics down and discuss meaning with my students.  
 
"This Is Me" is a fight song for people who are not accepted by society. It is performed by Lettie Lutz, the bearded lady, after she and the rest of the circus troupe are barred by Barnum from a party with special guests.   The bearded lady refused to be cut down by the fact that Barnum was embarrassed by them.  She and the rest of the troupe sings a song.
 
This week’s quote comes from the Song “This is Me”
 
I am brave.  I am bruised.  I am who I’m meant to be.  This is Me!
 
I loved this quote because it piggybacks off last week’s quote.  We talked a lot about leaving things that were bringing us down into the shadows.   After researching the song,  the writers said, “These people had lived in the shadows their whole lives and for the first time wanted to feel love and acceptance, and even when P.T. Barnum turned his back on them, they made a statement - not only to him, but to themselves - that they declare to love themselves for the first time."
 
I know this is deep thinking, but students only think as deep as you make them.  We spent the next 25 minutes or so breaking the lyrics down.   We focused on this particular stanza:

“When the sharpest words wanna cut me down
I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out
I am brave, I am bruised
I am who I'm meant to be, this is me”
 
We discussed the meaning of sharp words and what it meant to send in a flood.  Then the favorite part of my day--the actual quote.   Here are some examples of conversation from my students:
 
“Kids at recess say mean things.  The song tells us that those things bruise us but to be brave.”
 
“I think the writer used bruised because bruises, well, they hurt, but eventually they leave.   We do the same things when our feelings are hurt.” 
 
“That lady with the beard had a hard life.   I bet she was made fun of.   But she seems happy with herself”
 
Pretty good responses, huh?   As a teacher, I was really getting into the fact that kids were paying attention and contributing.   Then I asked one last question.  I asked, “What is one thing you’ve learned from this week’s quote.”   One hand went up immediately.   Her response: “Don’t apologize to anyone for who you are, unless you are bad, then you need to apologize to your mom, dad, your teacher, and God”

Boom!   There it is!  Exactly what I wanted my students to understand.  During the time we spend together in the classroom we become family.   We all come from different walks of life.   We all learn differently, look differently, and process differently.   I have students above grade level, on level, and below grade level.  I have students who have physical disabilities and academic disabilities. The one thing I want most for my students is to always remember to not apologize for who they are.    Is there room for improvement?  Of Course.  I want them to take what was handed to them in life and make it a positive and bloom!
​
We have so much more to discuss this week with this quote.  By Friday, each student will journal their representations of this quote.  I can’t wait!  I let the kids know that even at 35, sometimes I need a reminder to be happy with “ME”.    Enjoy the song by clicking the video below. 
 
Until next week,
 
Mr. B