3 weeks

There are 3 weeks and counting until Winter Break, and we are all excited to wrap up our 1st semester of this school year. The next few weeks will be busy with many holiday events: concerts, dances, and parties. Our students are working hard to prepare for their final exams, and teachers are busy finalizing grades. It is the most wonderful time of the year, and I look forward to all of the upcoming events! Stay Ranger Strong.

My Many Blessings

It is Thanksgiving week, and as I prepare for the arrival of my family, my Thanksgiving meal, and Black Friday, I want to take a breath and remind myself to be grateful for the many blessings in my life. As I count the many blessings I have been given, I always include my students at DMS. They give me hope for the future, and they remind me everyday about the power of education. I hope you all have a very Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy your time with your many blessings! :o)

Fear

I have been asked many times what my greatest fear is. I usually grimace and say, "Snakes!" However, if I am to truly reflect on this question, my answer would have to be, "My greatest fear is that something would happen to my children that either compromises their quality of life or causes them to be taken from me." Yesterday, I learned that "my children" extend to my students and faculty, and it would devastate me if something terrible were to happen to any of them. As I ponder this further, I have to ask the question: is fear necessarily a bad thing? I suppose in the context of using fear to exert power over another person, it is bad, but there are circumstances where fear is a good thing. It is my fear of snakes that reminds me to wear long pants and boots when I go hiking in the woods. It is my fear that something will happen to my children that causes me to know who their friends are, to know where they are going, to know phone numbers and addresses of their acquaintances, and to make sure they wear a seat belt and check the safety of their car. It is also my fear of something happening to my students and teachers that causes me to pause and reflect on procedures that keep them safe. We often have the mentality that something terrible can't happen to me, and then we are shocked when it happens to someone we know. What happened yesterday at school reminded me that there is evil in the world, and we can not be complacent when it comes to school safety. So, I will keep that fear with me to remind me of everyone that is trusted into my care and to never take their safety for granted.

8th grade field trips

8th grade field trips were amazing today--our students really made me proud by their exemplary behavior visiting St. Edward's University, University of Texas, and Southwestern University. We have remarkable young men and women at DMS, and I they give me great hope for our future!

Veteran's Day

My dad was born in 1928, he was second to the youngest of 13 children. He was 12 years old when his older brother joined the navy and was stationed at Pearl Harbor. My dad, who grew up extremely poor and never went anywhere, once told me that he was so jealous that his brother got to "see the world and have fun hanging out in Hawaii." On December 7, my uncle was on the USS Oklahoma when Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japan. (My uncle survived, but he really never talked about that day.) My dad wanted desperately to join the war, so at 16, he quit school, lied about his age, and joined the navy. Although he never saw a battle like Pearl Harbor, he proudly served our country for 6 years. He came home to a country that was proud of him, but without an education, he never found a solid career. My father-in-law, a college graduate and a father of 2 small children, was drafted at the age of 25 to serve in Vietnam. He was a canine handler, and he and his dog were trained to seek out "boobie traps" before sending troops in to an unknown territory. He saved hundreds of lives. He came home to a country that was divided by war, and he was not celebrated as the hero that he was. He missed 4 years of his young children's lives. My son joined the army because he didn't like college. He was chosen for military intelligence, and he currently seeks out terrorists' cells. I haven't seen him in a year, and I haven't heard his voice since Mother's Day. He still has another year before he finishes his commitment. My sister's husband was recently deployed to a clinic in Egypt where they send wounded soldiers from Afghanistan. He is a medic in the Army National Guard, and this is his 3rd deployment in 4 years. My 4 year old niece and my 2 year old nephew tell me every day how much they miss their daddy, and my sister has had to raise her children pretty much alone. I am proud of all these men, but their service to our country as come at personal costs to their families. Every day I can say that I don't agree with our government, or I can protest some new law. I can choose where I live, own a gun, raise my children in my religious preference, read uncensored literature, attend school, earn a living in a profession of my choice, travel, and do countless other things that I take for granted. We say that we are proud to be Americans, and we enjoy our freedom, but do we really understand what that means? Do we really appreciate all that we have in this country? Do we really acknowledge the men and women that serve in our armed forces every day to secure our way of life? So as we celebrate Veteran's Day, I challenge all of us to thank our country's heroes--the men and women who leave their families to serve our country. I challenge us to not just thank them on November 11th but to thank them every day. It is their sacrifice that keeps us from having to sacrifice our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Ahhh November

This morning I woke up, and it was 51 degrees outside. I am so excited to see the cold front move into our area because it reminds me that it is November. The month of October is done and is now a memory, and November brings a new energy to the school as we prepare for the upcoming holidays. This Friday is the end of the 2nd six weeks, and now we begin the shortest six weeks of the school year--it is only 5 weeks and 2 days! This six weeks will go by so quickly, and before we know it, it will be time for winter break. Our last volleyball game is this week, and Ranger football will be a memory after next week. Fall is almost complete, and soon we will be in the middle of basketball season. This time of the year goes by so quickly, so I for one will take time to enjoy this month. In fact, I can't wait to hit Starbuck's tomorrow and have my first hot chocolate of the season! Before I close, I need to give a special "shout out" to my 6th grade students for winning the spirit contest at the pep rally last Friday! The 6th graders rocked the house, and I am so proud of them for being Ranger Strong! :o)

Let's start a revolution

"You say you want a revolution, well you know we all want to change the world..." (The Beatles)

There is an epidemic plaguing the public education system, and it is called standardized testing. I am all for having national standards and insuring that all students are held accountable to those high standards. I don't believe that the current accountability system is the answer to insuring that national standards are being learned by today's youth. I find it ironic that business and industry complain that today's work force is not prepared for the work environment, and schools need to be held more accountable through standardized testing when in fact, it is standardized testing that is keeping students from learning the necessary skills to be successful in today's ever-changing job market. The careers today demand competent workers that can think critically, work collaboratively in a team, solve problems through creative thinking, use deductive reasoning, and navigate and engineer technology that changes on a daily basis. How can a multiple choice test truly test any of this? The answer is--it can't. So, let's start a revolution---let's take back our schools--let's end the bureaucracy that is plaguing public education and find a new vision to help our children. Our children deserve better, but more importantly, our future success as a country in a constantly changing world demands better. Stay tuned....change is coming, and I want us be prepared to embrace it!

Trying to appreciate musical noise

I have a 15 year old son, who is a very talented musician. He plays the guitar, and he is quite good. I love listening to him play, especially when he plays Stairway to Heaven. My son is a "music snob." He has very refined taste when it comes to what he believes is artistic talent. While I like music that doesn't hurt my ears, he likes music that in my opinion sounds like noise! As a teen, I was a Madonna, Journey, Michael Jackson, Cyndie Lauper and Huey Lewis and News fan. I did not like Def Leppard, Ozzy Osbourne, David Lee Roth, Pink Floyd, or Poison--their music hurt my ears--it was noise! (I know, I know--don't criticize.) Anyway, today as I was driving to school, I thought about my 15 year old when I was looking for a song on the radio. I decided to try his favorite radio station to see if I could listen to the noise without cringing. I really wanted to hear the music through his ears and appreciate it the way he does. Once I got past the initial heaviness of the music, I started to listen to the lyrics. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the words, and I could even relate to the difficulty of writing a song that was so complex. I also listened to the "noise." Once I got past the bass, I focused on the guitar, and I understood why my guitar-playing son thought these musicians were geniuses. When the song was finished, I tried to remember some of the words so that I could "Google" the name and the artist to impress my son with my new found knowledge. Of course, by the time I walked into the building, I forgot it all because although the music was dark, heavy, and poetic, to me, it was forgetful. It just wasn't as memorable as a song like Thriller or Beat It or Like a Virgin, or even Girls' Just Wanna Have Fun! I will tell my son about my effort to appreciate his taste in music, and I will try to be more patient with him when he climbs into the car and changes my radio station. I just wonder if he will return the favor by not rolling his eyes at me when I clean the house while dancing to Hip to be Square! (I know, I know, don't criticize! ) :o)

Spirit Week

It is Spirit Week at DMS! Tomorrow is Mix-match Monday--can't wait to see what the kids and teacher look like!

Proud to be an American

Tonight, DMS hosts its 2nd annual World Culture fair. We will have booths and exhibits that represent over 40 countries from which our students have ancestors. I have visited many countries in my life, and I am always surprised that other countries do not have the diverse mix of cultural backgrounds that America has. Since our country is a melting pot of many different backgrounds and ethnicities, many people will often ask what one's cultural identity is. I, for one have been asked on numerous occasions if I am Latino or Hispanic. It is unusual for someone in this country to ask if I am an American, but in countries like Japan, England, France, and Germany, the natives don't ask if I am Hispanic or Latino, they ask if I am an American. So, I often wonder why some Americans do not identify with being an American as being their culture? Is it because we are a melting pot, and we don't want to lose the rich heritage that is our ancestry? In my case, my maternal Great-Grandmother immigrated here from Tripoli, Lebanon, and my maternal Great-Grandfather immigrated here from Dublin, Ireland. I have no idea where how my father's ancestors got here because according to him "they have always lived in Texas." I (like both of my parents) am a native Texan--born and bred. I can write an entire blog on how Texans are the proudest citizens in these United States and comment on how Texans have their own unique culture, but I'll save that for another day. My point is that although we have families that hail from all over the world, we are all Americans, and we share a unique tapestry of culture that melts and blends together that makes us who we are. I am an Irish, Lebanese Texan, but more importantly, I am proud to live in this great country as an American.

Happy Monday

The band and choir concert Friday night was fabulous. The highlight of the night was hearing the Honors Band play a level III UIL song (level 5 is for a high school honors band)---they did so well that I got goose bumps on my arm! I am so proud of all our students--they are so talented. The book fair is underway in the library this week. I am having to "force myself" from going in there because there are so many wonderful new books. My love for reading is so huge that my husband thinks we should take stock in Barnes and Noble! I am sure that I will purchase quite a few books from the book fair. All is fairly quiet at DMS, but I am sure that will change next week when we have Spirit Week. It is a great way to end October and to help support our feeder high school as we celebrate their Homecoming week. I hope parents will not be shocked when students dress for "Way Back Wednesday," and they want to dress in 80s fashion! When did the 80s become "way back?" I feel so old! I'll make sure we take pictures and post them on the website for all to see!

TGIF

I saw wonderful things happening today in Science classrooms. Our teachers are implementing more and more technology, and students are being challenged. I am excited to see the choir and band concert tonight. We have such talented students, and I am sure this is going to be a great evening. I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!

Trying to fix education

A friend of mine sent me an article today written by some reporter who believes he has the answer the "fix public education." His entire article was about how America should recruit high school and college students in the top of their class to be teachers the way Finland, Singapore, and South Korea do. He believes that we should stop trying to fix "mediocre teachers" that are in the classrooms now and actively recruit teachers that are academically smarter. (Sigh) It is always perplexing to me why people who are not in education feel the need to fix education. Teaching is the hardest job there is, and every year with every new law, every new initiative, every budget cut, every public criticism, every teacher who does something stupid, and every child that brings a weapon to school, the job only gets harder. I firmly believe that unless you walk in the shoes of a public school educator, then you do not have the right to voice an opinion on how to "fix public education." As a 17 year veteran educator I can offer numerous ideas on what needs to happen to fix public education, but to date, no one has asked me. I find it ironic that reporters, congressmen, business executives, and lawyers all feel that they know what is best when they have never been a teacher. I do not even begin to try to fix the American economy or find a solution to the growing health care problem, or even try to mandate how to stop frivolous lawsuits because I don't know the answer to any of these things. I leave these problems to the experts who spend their days eating, breathing, and living these issues. As far as filling the schools with "teachers that are academically smarter than the present mediocre ones," I find this entire premise to be inaccurate and unfair to the countless professionals that spend their life making a difference to a child and giving that child hope for the future.

Welcome to Shocktober!

I first heard the word "Shocktober" when I was a new teacher. I remember that in September, I loved teaching, my students, and my school. I couldn't believe that I got paid to come to school every day and have the most amazing experience working with high school freshmen. That was September, and then the calendar changed to October. It appeared to me that overnight, my students became apathetic and talkative. My paperwork demands quadrupled. Student learning declined, and I had more meetings to attend that I could have ever thought possible. It was October, and I thought to myself: What in the heck did I get myself into? I remember talking to my mentor at the time, and I told her that I was overwhelmed, and I just didn't understand how everything that was once perfect, all of the sudden turned so bad. She smiled and told me that I had the Shocktober blues! October is the month when the "honeymoon" phase of school is over. Usually, the first six weeks is over, and students and teachers begin the real work of learning. Concepts become more difficult, days become longer from extracurricular activities, and the excitement of starting a new year has waned. So, we are in Shocktober at DMS, and it is very typical of every October that I have experienced since the beginning of my career. Our days are very busy, and the curriculum is getting harder. Students are consumed with extra curricular activities and hanging out with friends. So, as I lead this school, it is important to me that my parents and teachers understand that although there may be many tears this month (and you may want to pull your hair out,) October doesn't last forever. It truly is only 31 days long! Once Shocktober is over, the best part of the school year happens--the holiday season with Thanksgiving and Christmas/Winter breaks, and I can assure you that the holidays bring joy, peace, and camaraderie once again.

Happy Friday

Please forgive me in my recent absence from "blogging"---it has been very hectic the past couple of weeks. Monday is a student holiday, and I hope all of our students enjoy their 3 day weekend. The staff will be learning about technology and how to incorporate two technology applications into their classroom. We will be learning PREZI and ANIMOTO, and I am excited to see how teachers will be using both applications with their students. Have a great weekend!

EGGI week

Next week we celebrate Education, Go Get It! week at Deerpark Middle School. It is the week that we "formally" promote high school and college. I will update you on all the activities next week and all the fun things happening concerning college awareness. I hope you all have a fabulous weekend. RRHS plays McNeil tonight at Dragon Stadium. It should be a fabulous game, and it would be great if we could all go and support our feeder high school!

Schools to Watch

I received an application today from someone in the district to apply for the Schools to Watch program. It is a program sponsored by the Middle School Association that chooses outstanding middle schools to be model schools for others to emulate. Of course, this is the vision that I have for DMS---I want Deerpark to be the best model for middle school education in the nation. I want it to be so good that schools from all across the nation come to visit, so they can model their schools after us! As I reviewed the application, I realized that although we have many outstanding systems in place, there is still so much more we need to do to be a "School to Watch." So, I made the commitment to share the guidelines with my staff and a make a plan to start introducing some of the systems that I know will make our campus the best. I am excited to start this journey with my faculty and students. I feel they are ready---no, we are ready to make our mark on public education. We will do it not only because it is good for Deerpark, but we will do it because it is what is good for kids.

DMS Rocked the House

We had our first pep rally today, and the kids were fabulous! I loved seeing the varsity theater boys dressed as cheerleaders to teach the crowd "Clap Your Hands!" The entire school rocked to "We will Rock You," and the cheerleaders did a great job of teaching the students how to cheer to "Go Big Red," played by the band. Speaking of the band---wow--what an awesome performance of the Black-Eyed Peas' song "I've Got a Feeling."
We had the best class competition--I think the 8th graders could be heard at McNeil High School. It was a lot of fun, and I am so proud that our students have so much school spirit. Go Rangers!

The 21st century learner

I walked through a 7th grade science classroom yesterday, and the students were learning about plant cells and micro-organisms. I sat and spoke with a group of students and inquired about their learning. What are you learning? Why are you learning it? Why is that important? I was inspired by these students as they discussed micro-organisms and their impact on the world. They discussed with me what happens when small species are killed forever and how it effects the Eco-system. They discussed the "green movement" and why it is so important to bring awareness to all people the results that destroying plant life will have on our planet. As I sat there and listened to these 12 and 13 year olds, I thought to myself, "These kids are so so much smarter than I was when I was their age." I had the same sentiment when I observed an 8th grade math class. Students were discussing the relevance of Scientific Notation and how it applies to our world. Once again--so much smarter than I was when I was their age. As an educator, I hear concerns about public education, and I often hear that students aren't as smart as their parents. I always hear how we are worried about this generation of learners. I can tell you that my experience with my middle school students has shown me that our students are smart, thoughtful, and inquisitive. They possess a different intelligence than their parents--not worse, just different. I especially see this when students are working with technology. Our students can manipulate technology better than most adults. They often show me how to make presentations better, use WIKIS, and incorporate Photoshop! As educators, we need to tap into this resource and have students learn using technology. So, this year, our teachers are researching 21 things the 21st century teacher needs to know to teach today's learners. Our action research as a school is all about technology. I will keep you posted on all the incredible things that our students and teachers are learning.

College Bound

I have been helping my daughter with the daunting task of completing her college applications. Helping her with her applications has truly given me an appreciation for the difficult decision students face about growing up, deciding what college to attend, and then making the move to leave home and go to a university. It is an overwhelming task, and I can see the apprehension and the unsettling feeling my daughter experiences every time she speaks of leaving home to go to college. Of course, there are those moments when she tells me that she can't wait to move out, go far away, make her own decisions, and never come back! I just smile and say, "I know." If it is this difficult for a senior in high school, then I can only imagine how hard it is for our middle school students to focus on college. They have more important things in their heads: who should I go to the dance with...am I wearing the right clothes...will mom let me go to the mall with my friends? I speak about college every day with many students, but they get this glazed look in their eyes, and I feel like everything I say goes in one ear and out the other. Many people may ask why talk to middle school students about college at all? My response is that I want to give my students the idea that college is an expectation, not an option. I want so many doors to open for them, and I know that these doors will open more easily with a college degree. So, I won't give up talking about college with my middle school students. It is my hope that even though it may go in one ear and out the other, that some of it sticks on the way out!

3 Day weekend

Thank you to all of our community for being so supportive of DMS. I hope everyone has a safe and relaxing Labor Day weekend!

Teaching and Learning

Today, my staff and I started our learning walks so we can observe effective teaching practice in the classroom and learn from each other. I find these collaborative walks to be very beneficial both to the observer and the the teacher being observed. It is a great way to debrief with my staff what effective teaching and student engagement looks like in the classroom. What we observed today was amazing. There are some incredible things happening at DMS. We saw most teachers using graphic organizer so students can organize their notes. We saw higher level questioning and critical thinking skills being used in all classrooms. We saw creativity, students on task and enjoying their learning, and a plethora of hands-on activities. I was impressed with Social Studies as they incorporate writing across the curriculum! The most amazing thing that I observed today were teachers who are positive, enthusiastic, and filled with passion for learning. All the faculty members have truly worked to create a positive learning community, and it is such a joy to visit classrooms where learning is is the main thing! My teachers really are super heroes!

1 week down...

We had a great start to the 2010-11 school year. I had the opportunity to visit all classrooms this week, and I saw students that are exicited to be back at school. I always love visiting a class where students are laughing and enjoying their learning because learning is suppose to be enjoyable. We have some amazing teachers at DMS, and they are all working hard to help our students find the joy in learning. I look forward to another great week at DMS.

Happy First Day of School

Happy New Year! I remember being little and thinking it odd that we celebrated a new year after Christmas when I always thought the new year started in August! So, here we are in August, and we are celebrating a new year at Deerpark Middle School. Every new year begins with hope and excitement that all students and teachers will have a positive year. Students come to school excited to see their friends and hope that they will be accepted by their peers and that their teachers will like them. Teachers come to school with hope that they will make a difference to their students. It is my hope that we continue the excitement and positive energy that surrounds the first day. I hope that all students find that education is their vehicle to success, and teachers find ways to unlock the hearts and minds of our students. So, happy new year, everyone, and may you have a fantastic school year!

A great start

It has been a great start to opening school with all the energy surrounding my staff and community. We have had a wonderful week of professional development, and my staff is eager to implement new ideas for teaching our students. Our community has really rallied behind our school by attending both Back to School Night for 7th and 8th graders and Ranger Round Up for 6th graders. We had record breaking numbers at both events. I am eager to welcome our students on Tuesday for I know we are going to have a great year! Stay Ranger Strong!

Thinking about success

I am always inspired when I hear Dr. Chavez speak because although he speaks of "the state of the district," his passion for this district and for our students is evident. RRISD is such a positive and engergetic place to work, learn, and grow! I am so energized for the school year and eager to utilize everything I have learned from the retreat! I am especially anxious to see how the 21st century skills for student learners is going to play out as we launch it as our campus ABC project. Thank you Mary from GMS for the wonderful idea!