Ch 4-5 of Rafe Esquith’s “Teach Like Your Hair’s on Fire”

 Esquith says, “I want students to be able to write well not because of the test coming up, but because writing will help them for the rest of their lives, whether they are applying for college or a job.”, and he is right. I also, agree with Esquith, teachers and parent do have their work cut out, and we must get over the hurdles and through the roadblocks to find strategies and activities that help children become better writers. Esquith’s weekly essays and his set up for this assignment is a great way to help children become better writers. I like the way Esquith has his class do monthly book reports, and giving them an example of one as a guideline in the beginning is an awesome idea. Helping students prepare outlines, as a group in class, is also a great way to help them learn to develop great essays and book reports. I have seen some elementary students’ books from a program like The Young Authors Project. This is a great way to encourage children to write and help them to become better writers. I wish for my children and future students to have opportunities to participate in an Young Authors Program.

I agree with Esquith, the drill-and-kill strategy only makes life easier for teachers. But is this an effective way to teach math? I like the way Esquith uses the activities, Buzz, A Mental Math Warm Up, and Marcy Cook Tile Problems, as alternatives to the kill-and-drill programs. Esquith points out these few effective ways to teach during the math period. However, there is a ton of ways to make math fun and children’s learning successful.

Ch 3 of Ron Clark’s “The Excellent 11”

Thinking outside of the box and putting yourself in the mind-set of children is the best way to find different techniques and solutions for teaching certain skills of knowledge and helping children, best learn those skills. I like the scene that Clark set for his students to discover, while reading “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.” This really got his students involves with the story and made an impression on them, because the majority of the class ranked it as number one on their top books of the year list. I like Clark’s “Rockin’ Words!” and like how he had Mr. Mitchelle to incorporate them in to the kids’ PE lesson. I also think Clark’s game, Elimination Ball, has a creative set up. I agree that the concentration on vocabulary can help students to become better readers and increase test scores.

I totally agree when Clark philosophy, “don’t be afraid to abandon a set of plans or to scrap a lesson if an opportunity for learning presents itself that will be to the child’s advantage. I feel sorry for Clark, when he is tells about teaching the “math problem of the day,” and the principal shows up at the door and comes down on him for going past the allowed 12 minutes. I agree that the students needed some understanding pertaining to the House of Representatives and the members of the Senate, and Clark was right to abandon the principal’s schedule. 

As a teacher, you can never have too many tricks in your bag, especially while keeping discipline in your classroom. I like Clark’s view on offering rewards instead of punishment. I also like how Clark points out that the reward of the trophy and sticker boards grew old and ineffective in such a short time. Though it was insightful that the sticker board worked with Gray, for he was in need attention and positive encouragement.

School-wide projects are great ways to give students the feeling of ownership. They allow them to contribute, and give teachers ways to have fun with them better things about a school. As Clark talks about, a chain of links and pep-rallies are some creative ways to build school unity.

I agree with Clark, teachers are invested in students but not as emotionally involved as parents. I also, like what Clark says about remembering to take the time do special things for our children, and showing them how much they mean to us can never be done too much.

Rafe Esquith's chapter 3 from "Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire"

In Esquith’s chapter 3, Reading for Life, he paints the view of reading as true and sad as it is in reality.  Like Esquith, I think if young children develop a love for reading they will only prosper from that. Like Esquith points out, it is amazing to hear why children are reading, and I think we hear them say “because I haft to for school” far too often. Every teacher wants their student to love reading, but that is not always the case. It is sad when students do not read because they are not good readers. These situations need a different focus, as Esquith suggests, allowing them to read things that are on their reading levels. They will never become a lover of reading if they constantly struggle.  Choosing literature does make a big differnce to elementary school children, who enjoy reading. I like the fact that Esquith uses audio books in his classroom. Any form of literature helps develop learning. Adults do make a difference in children becoming readers. If a child enters school and has never experienced being read to at home, it shows.  Adult are children’s first teachers, and can influence them throughout all their lives. The library offers great opportunities for parents and children, and for introducing children to literature.

Ron Clark's Chapter 2 of "The Excellent 11"

CH 2

“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” This quote by Abraham Lincoln that Clark uses to open his Adventure chapter is certainly inspiring. Like Clark, at thirty, rolling down the sand dunes with Derrick and his other students, is a perfect example of adults calling upon their youthful sense of adventure. Jumping on the trampoline, riding bikes, or diving off the side of the pool with your children are powerful ways a parent can act upon their youthful sense of adventure. As Clark did by dressing up for spirit week and playing limbo with Ms. Moore’s second grade class, stepping outside of the box are great ways to interact with students in a youthful adventure. Children love interaction, and sometimes adults need to act as if they are kids again and join in with the children in games and activities. Like the mother that went rock climbing with her two teenage sons, is a perfect example of an adventure resulting in a bond. Like Clark’s mother climbing on the Log Flume with him, provided him with a memory of a lifetime. Like Clark, taking his students outside under the shade tree for class, is a great way to make class an adventure and leave students with positive memories that last a lifetime. What Clark writes in his Adventure chapter is so true. Interaction with children in any form will result in building a bond. Adventures leads to bonds, bonding leads to trust, and memories that last a lifetime come from adventures. All of this makes the best impacts on children and students lives, and only leaves room for a positive outcome.

Rafe Esquith Ch. 1-2

Esquith’s opening line, “The Parents want one of the teachers arrested.” quickly grabs your attention. Literally, if your hair were on fire, you would react by trying to extinguish it, which makes scene. Like Esquith, I think fear is not the solution, and it always back fires. Children may not completely understand a situation, but they will understand logic over fear if you take time to give it to them. I also think fear is for lazy people that lack passion in making our children the better future. What we instill in them helps make them who they are. That is why trust is always the solution. Like Esquith, you must not just be a leader, but you also must play by the same rules. Like the old saying goes, practice what you preach, so do not expect them to be dependable if they cannot rely on you. Some children are people pleasers, but (as Esquith points out) this leads to frustrated adults. Everything, from being a role model to having a personal code of ethics, that Esquith addresses, literal fits into the real world of teaching children and the appropriate ways to handle yourself and circumstances. Esquith’s philosophies are something I can relate with, and strongly agree with them leading to positive outcomes.

Ron Clark Ch1

In “The Excellent 11,” Clark tells about some very truthful circumstances. Like the air band show, I can see how this type of event would generate an enthusiastic energy, increase teacher involvement, and change the school’s atmosphere. With Mrs. Bodler, Clark reveals how energetic teaching does not necessary get the job, but energetically focusing on the educational purposes can be rewarding. Clark’s focus on his students learning the presidents was a great idea, but the way he put them in groups with an assisting faculty member was another way of increasing the enthusiastic pay-off. I like the way he painted his first classroom with energy feeding colors. Environments and settings do influence emotions, and positive places leads to positive outcomes. Reaching out to unmotivated children can be difficult. Like Clark’s situation with Emanuel, making a difference in lives of fading students does not always happen. Clark and Nykal, is prime example of how the right strategies can make a difference in unmotivated children and draw them back into being interested in their schoolwork. Enthusiasm does have effect on others. If you are not enthusiastic about what you are teaching and an “I don’t want to be here” attitude shows through, students will scene that and develop the same attitude.