"Change the Lyrics!" Club

     So, I am charged with a monthly club that meets to discover how to do something that happens to be one of my passions. We change the lyrics to well-known songs in order to make them educational and help students learn some facts that pertain to a particular subject matter that might be difficult to retain otherwise.

     I was a bit apprehensive at first, but now I'm really excited about the potential that can be realized with these kids. I want to give them the freedom to choose the song, the subject matter, and even whether they are going to collaborate with others or simply fly solo.

     I started to wonder why I was so apprehensive in the first place. I guess it was a comfort zone issue? I'm used to my ESL crew. They know me, I know them... We have a groove. I know the rest of the student population in passing. Most of them have heard of me, but the experience is not mutual unless it's due to notoriety unfortunately... and I can't stand making assumptions based on other teachers' evaluations of a particular student's behavior, but there are times when I can't help but do so because a lot of the time those assessments are valid.

     Everytime I find myself meeting a new student, though, I do put in a great deal of effort to make sure that they have a clean slate with me and, for the most part, it works out really well. This experience was no different. The students were well-behaved and attentive. They showed genuine interest in acquiring the skills I find to be necessary in not just doing this activity, but doing it well. I was pleasantly surprised by their demeanor and not so surprised by their overall reluctance to vocalize their suggestions in front of their peers (seventh graders are excellent intimidators).

     Maybe it had to do with the way I delivered the material. I really enjoy using innovative technology that has only recently emerged as potential teaching tools. New techniques of communicating ideas are constantly coming into play and Prezi is one of my more recent discoveries. The kids aren't that familiar with it yet, so I enjoy playing around with it to see its capabilities. It's only getting better!

     Either way, the kids got the point, they were learning something that they can use for their benefit, and they exceeded my expectations for their behavior. Most of the time, it feels one-sided, but it seems like we taught each other a little something something this time around.

What if academic achievement was, by far, the biggest factor in determining popularity?

     I keep wondering how this question could affect my students' lives if they would truly take the time to search themselves for the answer. They only get one shot at this. We all did... and some weird mixture of serendipitous experiences and wise (or not-so-wise) choices are what has landed us wherever we are right now.

     Imagine for a moment, though, that as a child, the only way to connect to others... to acquire that attention which most children desire to some extent or another from peers (especially by the time adolescence kicks in)... was to thrive academically.

     How radical would that be? It's obviously possible. There are so many countries in the world whose children revere education, yet for the vast majority of our country's middle- to high school-age counterparts, being academically smart is social suicide. How did we get here?? More importantly, how do we, as educators, incite a cultural shift towards academic success as a means to achieving social popularity?

     Well, as Jim Collins might put it: "You need to get the right people on the bus." In his 2001 book, "Good to Great," Collins describes the secrets to success of companies considered to have achieved sustainable greatness, one of which was "getting the right people on the bus." We need to see the strengths in all of our students and put them in situations where they can experience true success. It's important that we do a better job of recognizing those qualities that each and every one of our students possess... the ones that are so strong, they practically define each child uniquely. When we find them, we have to expose them. Success feels good. That's a universal truth... a cosmic law even. Even better, success is addictive. So why do we seem to be so busy constantly shutting our students down from their venues of achieving success instead of pushing them towards it?

     You see, I think that there is an unnecessary division in most schools between teacher and student. A lot of us ask them questions like, "Do you think that's the appropriate thing to be doing right now?" or offer senseless comments such as, "You obviously came unprepared today again," ...and yeah, I know! It's frustrating to see kids show up to class for the umpteenth time without a pencil! There are better ways than humiliating them in front of their peers to get them to do what you want them to do though.

     Many of today's educators still seem to be stuck in the "I-say-and-you-do-as-I-say" mode of teaching. I don't see why we can't shed that exoskeleton, break down the wall, insert your own additional quirky metaphor here, and connect to our students on a personable level. I'm not saying let's revert to the 70's and become hippies. I think the best teachers connect to their students in such a flawless and genuine way. When our students recognize us as able to relate, they listen a whole lot more (though many of them may take a lot more time to get to that point than others). Either way, I find that connecting to our kids is the first step towards getting them to find worth in (and therefore actually pay attention to) anything that you have to say. At this point, they're "waiting at the stop."

     Next, you need to know your kids! What makes them tick? I'm not asking for their favorite color. That's fluff. This kind of knowing requires time, and your ability as a teacher to not just talk, but listen as well. Take a chance and make yourself vulnerable to them. Trust them with something other teachers may not know about you. Take this opportunity seriously. Think about it. Why did you become a teacher: to change the lives of children who are lucky enough to meet you for the better or to gain recognition from and maintain a pleasant relationship with your colleagues??

     After you've found common ground and connected, it's important to strengthen that link so the students know you have their best interests in mind. I like to think that a level of mutual respect is reached if this connection is nurtured correctly. As an ESL teacher, I tap into my experiences abroad as an exchange student to show them that I understand where they're coming from (at least to a certain extent... for example, I chose to go while most of them had no say in the decision). Now we're getting somewhere. Here, the bus is pulling to a halt right in front of our kiddos.

     Now that we know them, it's time to show them. We need to exploit our kids' unique qualities! It's our job to help our kids find out who they are. We have to direct them often towards situations where they can experience success. Let them get a taste of the good life, for crying out loud! The trick is getting their peers to see the value in that success as well, rather than cut it down.

     My experience is that normally kids cut each other's successes down due to motives revolving around sentiments of jealousy and the like. Who likes to see others accomplishing when they feel as if they are incapable of doing the same? If we can show our kids that they are all capable of success, I think that these impediments caused by the green-eyed monster will wither away.

     So... back to our essential question, if you will. I would answer it this way:

If academic achievement was, by far, the biggest factor in determining one's popularity, I think that I would still have it good because I'm smart and funny (just kidding, but I rest my case). I am a fortunate soul. I am a conglomeration of the love and positive affirmation I have continually received from friends and family. It is why I am where I am today. Students in our charge, however, may not be as lucky as I consider myself to be. They may not wake up to somebody wishing them a good day and encouraging them to do well, be their best, learn something worthwhile, etc. Perhaps they have "friends" who encourage the maintenance of the status quo. Maybe the only positive voice they have a chance to hear is ours, in which case, we better not screw this up. Find a way to get your kids on the bus, would ya? Change the trajectory of a life or two. The effects may be exponential.

Today, Sandy Hook Elementary... Tomorrow?

Sunday, December 16, 2012 -     I got ready for church this morning. My son... my 5-year-old son... sat on the couch, munching on some cinnamon-flavored waffles, while my daughter was still mustering up the energy to pry open one of her eyes in preparation for the day before her.

     This mischievous daughter of ours, later wide awake, locked us out of our bedroom while I was in her bedroom, choosing clothes for her to put on for the day. Our son was oblivious to everything going on around him because American Ninja Warrior is more important than the universe when it's on TV (thanks, on-demand). Door knob disassembly took about 15 minutes (and a few vexing facial expressions) to rectify.

     Already running behind schedule, our kids were playing in the foyer as we were gathering the last of our Sunday routine necessities when we hear our son, "Mama! Mama! I... I think my tooth fell out!"



     Now, this sucker had been loose for awhile, so its exit was no real surprise. However, the subsequent words, "...but I don't know where it went!" left us searching the kitchen floor for another 15 minutes to no avail (we later found it in the playroom... go figure).

     We finally went to church as a family... arriving late as a family. My wife and I enjoyed the sermon. It was a very poignant topic and even took into account Friday's horrific events. Afterwards, the kids gave us an account of what they think they learned in Sunday school, and we ventured to Ikea because their restaurant prices are phenomenal, not to mention that the kids would be able to have fun in Småland while my wife and I could relax and recharge in preparation for the coming week.

     We came home and finished helping the kids butcher the Christmas cards we put our hearts into helping them make for their friends and teachers in their own loving, yet extremely careless, way. We enjoyed each other's company and quirky personalities and my wife and I ended the day by tucking them into bed, letting them know we love them, and cuddling up on the couch a bit for some midnight pancakes (dinner) before we went to bed ourselves... another typical Sunday.

Saturday, December 15, 2012 -     I awoke to my alarm clock alerting me to the fact that I had hit its snooze button a good seven times, sufficiently whittling down the minutes that our family had to eat breakfast and get ready to get to our son's basketball game exactly on time as long as we rushed.

      As we parents sat in the bleachers, watching our 4- and 5-year-olds attempt to do something in the local YMCA gymnasium that kind of resembled a basketball game, I couldn't help but feel a bit distant at some points of the game. I knew that there were parents who were supposed to be doing what I was doing this morning, but couldn't. Their whole lives had been brought to an excruciating halt the day before.

     Between meals, we played video games and began creating our Christmas cards for the rest of that day. I reintroduced my son to "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" and we all spent some quality time at a Christmas party where my daughter acquired a wonderfully aesthetic welt after an altercation occurred between her older brother and herself over who would get to use the bathroom first before we left for the night. Let's just say that, for the next few days at least, I can stick a pair of glasses on her and call her Harry Potter's estranged twin sister, Harriet... and this was a good night.

Friday, December 14, 2012 -     While monitoring my students on a computer program in the school library, the librarian lets me know that another school shooting has occurred... in an elementary school... and that there were definitely casualties. I caught up with what was happening as best as I could during my lunch hour and subsequent prep period, but all I kept coming up with were more and more questions about how and why, etc.

     I texted the news to my wife and wanted to discuss what was happening with others, but felt as though I had to "keep my cool," so to speak. It wasn't the right time or place for this conversation to happen. I just kept thinking, "These are kids my son's age... These are adults in my profession..." I started thinking about the staff members who undoubtedly lay their lives down for the sake of those children.

     When I got home, after I gave my kids big bear hugs before rubbing their backs as they fell asleep, I had that conversation I was longing to have with my wife... and I felt much better even though it didn't change the utter turmoil within my soul.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

 

     I don't know what to make of all of this. This could have happened anywhere. It could have happened in my very own school. I know God was there during this event just as He is there now for the ones who lost an integral part of their family that day. I know we can't understand why in the world this was allowed to happen, but have faith that good will come of this evil.

     I can't help but feel some strange amount of "survivor's guilt" if we can call it that. Colleagues and children that got up that morning ready for another day perished while we are still here... and, aside from praying, all I can do is wonder why and trust God.

     I just know that I don't want to forget. I don't want this event to just blur into and merge with the plethora of prior similar mass murders. We will move on, yes, but towards something better. Towards an end that makes this event matter. What will change because of the loss of this innocence? What will you do to not let this have happened in complete vain? ...what will we do?
    

From "Yes, We Can!!" to "Well, You Can... and You Can... but You... Not So Much..."



I was driving from one job to another when I heard this story on NPR's "All Things Considered." You can imagine me spitting out my coffee all over the windshield as audio daggers of dismay assaulted my ear drums. Okay... that didn't really happen, but that's probably just because I didn't have a cup of coffee at the moment I heard these words:

"The State Board of Education were putting in place permanent disparities between different subgroups - Asians at the top, African-Americans at the bottom."

Personally, I think this is the most preposterous move the Virginia State Board of Education could have made in response to low state assessment scores. Any educator understands very clearly that every student does not start their educational journey in the same place. It is not every preschooler that has somebody reading books to them before they go to sleep every night or giving them an abacus for Christmas so that they're more than prepared for kindergarten.  How someone— strike that — a group of EDUCATIONAL LEADERS could make the connection, however, between capability for academic readiness and race absolutely bewilders me.

          Let me preface this paragraph with the following sentence: Forget No Child Left Behind. It’s not our mandate. It’s a challenge, and yes, it is fairly unrealistic. Does that mean we should not be in pursuit of its objectives? No, I believe we agree with the act’s principles, just not necessarily the way we, as teachers, are being asked to achieve the goals based on those principles. It is our job as educators to be on a continual quest towards achieving these goals… period. If you’re an educator and you don’t agree, I know this is not the profession for you. Get out before you do damage in the classroom! Find what you truly love to do because it won’t be teaching… trust me.

          Moving on, Virginia’s heart is in the right place. They’re looking at the data and saying, “Hey, these subgroups are not doing so hot on the state assessments. What should we do?” It’s their answer to this question that is making waves. The state of Virginia has decided (based on the data they’ve acquired) to lower the passing requirements for subgroups that have traditionally not done so well on the assessments.

          How this helps any of the struggling subgroups, I have no clue. All I can see from this is, “Hmm… They’re not doing so well, so let’s lower their requirements. That way, it looks like they’re doing well!”

          This is simply not acceptable. The state has actually agreed to cap academic capability based on race because of historical data regarding the racial subgroups. Why are there even racial subgroups to begin with, you ask? Well, it’s actually a good reason:

“Identifying subgroup performance is one of the most significant accountability components of The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). The law requires that state assessment scores of English language learners and Special Education students, among others, be disaggregated and publicly reported. Meeting this requirement has exposed achievement gaps that are sometimes disguised when state scores are reported in the aggregate, and highlighted student needs that have not been met.” –Education.com

          Now, what the data does not speak to is the minority of achievers within these subgroups. For those of you who haven’t figured it out yet, I’m Black. At the time of my elementary and secondary schooling, I achieved just as well as—if not better than—my racial counterparts. This had nothing to do with my color, the size of my lips or nose, or the fact that I like Oreo cookies. It had to do with my family upbringing and expectations… expectations put on me by my family and expectations I had for myself. Don’t get me wrong either, because I was no overachiever. I often wonder how those years would have gone had I actually tried my hardest in every challenge that came my way.

          What’s my point? Here it is: There are students across the board, regardless of their race, who are high achievers. Virginia is clumping them all together because they look the same. This state is saying, “Even though you achieved higher than your White and Asian counterparts, we’re not going to expect much out of you since you’re Latino.”

          Now, I have to put a disclaimer out here: I’m not able to find the new set of educational goals mentioned in the news article, and I’m not a reporter, so I don’t know where to find them. I perused the state’s Department of Education site and even checked out their 2012-2017 Comprehensive Plan to no avail, but maybe I wasn't looking closely enough. I would love to be able to read exactly what their goals are and their reasoning behind these modifications. If any of you readers come across a relevant resource, I would love to learn more.

          Furthermore, how do you feel about this? I want you to share your thoughts, positive and negative. Educator or not, I’m interested in understanding the opinions of those who see this as a good move, quite frankly. How could state leaders go in this direction?? Maybe those of you who voted for a governor who would appoint these individuals share like-minded principles of which I am extremely unaware, but by which I am certainly intrigued. Please… educate me (keep in mind I’m Black, so I won’t be held to the same learning standards and requirements as the rest of you, but I tell you what, I’ll try to do my best to pay attention to what you have to say anyway).

As for me and my house...

 

This is an enormous step for me. It is one that I take very seriously. Today, I've begun a journey that will undoubtedly take my family and me into uncharted territories in every aspect of our lives, challenging the very definition of what I have always considered it means to be a "man."

This step I am taking will pervade every facet of my life. I have already thought about what this looks like in my work life. Every moment becomes an opportunity not only to teach, but to deeply influence. For a long time, I have considered my interactions with others as such, but now, I see it almost as a part of my life that will be contemplated with much more careful and deliberate intention.

I don't know what this means for my family and me. If I am to be completely honest, I am petrified of failing, but I will rely on those around me to hold me accountable to that which I am committing myself.

Stay tuned because this will be a bumpy ride, but I couldn't imagine anything different when it comes to the life-altering rollercoaster known as Christianity.

Response to "Practice/People"

If your teacher's classroom is looking like this one, there's a definite problem, right? Right. The students are obviously not engaged. Learning is absent from this environment... except for that one girl in the corner, but even she's about to join the dream team.

As Principal Brian Harrison discusses in his article entitled "Practice/People," it's difficult to keep a teacher's personality separate from their actual efficacy as a teacher. The scene to the left gives us the idea of an ineffective teacher immediately, doesn't it? It makes us think that the educator of this classroom really needs some serious help.

I don't believe in that cliché, "Anyone can teach." I tend to think that some are either too hot-headed or get too easily frustrated if the learner doesn't get it right away. Others, however, and hopefully this is the majority of those in our profession, have the personality traits needed to become excellent educators.

Now, I do believe that those educators suited to be great ones can take some advice from the aforementioned article. The practice and the person have nothing to do with one another. Constructive criticism is a part of this ball game and it is imperative that teachers receive criticism of their practice... regardless of their personality.

How is it helpful to observe that a teacher has a great rapport with their students? Granted, I appreciate that particular acknowledgement because, honestly, at times that's all I've got going for me that helps me connect to the students so they listen to what I've got to say. Organization is my greatest fault! If an administrator doesn't call me on it or do something to help me improve it, that administrator is not doing her job to help me improve my craft.

I am an extremely nice person. I am a people person who gets along with virtually everybody. It's a gift. I'm not, however, a perfect teacher. I have faults that I tirelessly aim to improve. If an administrator isn't aiding me in doing so, we need to work on more than just my craft.

Superheros, Superegos, Student Discipline, and Great Power

Undoubtedly, we've heard that everpresent phrase time and time again.

"With great power comes great responsibility."

It's true... With great power does come great responsibility. When it comes to student discipline, I believe that power gets narrowed down to four or five simple responsibilities, two of which are the following: the responsibility to use that power to help others learn from your mistakes as well as the responsibility to use that power to help others learn from their own.

I'm not sure if I would have made the same decision Principal Delp made in his article about his verbal altercation with another student. I agree that he lost his head a bit and perhaps an apology was in order, but to "end the cycle of poor decisions" by giving letting up on the consequences of this child's actions? I disagree with that decision.

Yes, we are human. We all make mistakes that we should own up to and demonstrate humility when it is called for. Consequences, however, are consequences.

Now, perhaps this child does have extenuating circumstances that aren't mentioned in Mr. Delp's article, but if that is not the case, then I believe he should have received the consequences that were called for. It's not okay to exercise defiance to someone who is simply trying to hear both sides of the story. If Principal Delp were Officer Delp, and the student punched him simply because he was "having a bad morning," would Officer Delp let him off easy? I seriously doubt it.

What is our responsibility here? The more I think about it, I would have apologized for my loss of control, but the fact of the matter would still stand that the student was excessively disrespectful and defiant when approached in a very civilized manner. In my mind, it is our responsibility as educators to teach students the importance of consequences for their actions.

Sorry, Mr. Delp. I understand your reasons for your actions, but did that student?

Reflection

I have learned so much about technology and Web 2.0 in the past few months that I believe my mind is literally overloaded!

I had heard the term "Web 2.0" before taking my technology course, and I consider myself to be fairly tech-savvy, but I find that I have only skimmed the surface of the virtual world in terms of what it can do for the education sector. I have so much more to learn (and, eventually, teach)!

Technology is continually evolving. The question of how we, as educational leaders, can best keep up with its exponential growth and harness its positive aspects while exposing and rejecting its negatives is one that requires much more deliberation among colleagues.

The power of optimal networking seems to be the central means of conquering this grandiose inquiry. It is not because of one single innovative mind that we have reached such levels of interactivity in "the cloud." We, as a human race, have only made such achievements due to relentless collaboration. It is with this same level of ambition and tenacity that we, as teachers, must find a way to educate our students on how to pick and choose among such a variety of selections while more emerge every day.

Not only are there a plethora of Web 2.0 choices, but once we have adopted those tools, the fun truly begins in attempting to guide our students into synthesizing them in order to communicate an idea.

Furthermore, what happens when, as an educational leader, you come across teachers who are reluctant to get down and dirty with this new technology? What is the best approach to educate the educators so we can reach the students who are already using the technology... but not to its fullest potential?

I am still wrestling with these questions... all of them and more. That's the first step to answering any question though, isn't it? I am excited. I have been charged to help our up-and-coming citizens be civically engaged in a more and more digitally enhanced world. I don't take this responsibility lightly because technology is not going away. It's only becoming more and more integrated into our society and our students (at least my students) have a limited knowledge, let alone proficiency, regarding these tools that are available for free, and absolute game-changers. I've already begun integrating Prezi and ToonDoo into project and presentation options for my kids. It is only right that they see what is becoming possible. Personally, I can't wait to see how they manipulate these tools to their own likings!

In conclusion, it's time for me to throw my ideas out there and see what happens. Thanks to my education, I feel equipped to get out there and learn about as much as I can while collaborating with whos and whats that are already out there to create something new as well! See you in the Cloud!

Music and Language: Two Peas in a Pod!

I just read a phenomenal article from the Anglistic International Journal of English Studies that explores the strong relationship between music and language learning. This article completely pinpoints my innate understanding of the connection between two of my strongest passions and it has brought a bit of insight as to why I feel that using music to teach ESL is a complete

!



So, Fonseca-Mora and friends start out by comparing and contrasting the aspects of language to those of music and they narrow it down fairly well:

Now, we start moving into the deep stuff: SPEECH MELODIES. Speech melodies play a very specific role in language acquisition. As the authors discuss in the paper, it's important not only to understand what is being said, but to learn how to say it yourself. This happens completely naturally during L1 (native language) acquisition. For example, a newborn baby does respond to rhythms and pitches to which she was exposed prenatally, namely, her mother's voice.

Its principles, however, can aid students in the midst of L2 (second language) learning as well! Musical activities can aid L2 learners by helping to develop auditory perception, metacognitive knowledge, and phonological memory (through repetition).

In fact, this research shows that singing and almost ANY musical performance inherently integrates the left and right hemispheres of the brain, thereby incorporating WHOLE-BRAIN function and cooperation. There aren't many activities that produce such rich use of our whole brain.

You see, the authors explain that while the left brain controls speech perception, production, prosody, rhythm and singing, the right brain is in charge of pitch and tonality in singing.

Now, according to the signs of a decently effective lesson (when teaching any subject matter, really)

Music inherently invokes the engagement of all four language skills: listening, reading (input), speaking, and writing (output). For example, as a student listens to a song and reads the lyrics, he can sing along and perhaps, eventually, modify the lyrics. Furthermore, if you really choose the right materials, students will inevitably learn through the "song-stuck-in-my-head" phenomenon! You gotta love that!

The effects of singing on an L2 learner is certainly worth further exploration. It provides a more motivational way of practicing pronunciation and articulation. In fact, according to the authors, 

"songs exaggerate the stress and duration of the phonetic elements,"

This inherent exaggeration, in turn, helps the learner in acquiring and memorizing L2 pronunciation skills.

Countless data show that the overwhelming majority of L2 learners enjoy the integration of singing and music to aid in the learning of a second language and there is a growing breadth of knowledge, as this article demonstrates, linking the two disciplines together into a partnership that is mutually beneficial. Music inherently affects mood and well-being while it can be used as a teaching tool not only for language, but for many other educational disciplines as well (especially those that require substantial amounts of rote memorization).


Time to explore and exploit, I say!

School-Based Social Networking... GENIUS!!!

I absolutely LOVED this article. It’s engaging and proactive not only for me,but for its target community (students). I completely agree with Winn’s integration approach and only wish I’d have thought of seeking this out first!

Using a controlled space on the internet to promote appropriate digital citizenship is a wonderful method by which we,as an educational community,can adequately prepare our students to use social media fittingly while embracing its potential to revolutionize learning instead of banning its overall use anywhere near public school campuses.

The fact that the social network created and maintained by Matt Winn has no privacy is a great way of enforcing the students (and staff) to act as if someone is always looking over their shoulder, so-to-speak. Everyone has access to everything! People typically do not care about what one another is doing or saying unless it concerns them or someone/something important to them. Through this completely transparent forum, students and staff are able to regulate and own up to their own behaviors in the digital community.

This is an arena for well-needed practice and a learning space not only for children to understand how to conduct themselves for a successful digital persona, but also to integrate technology in a shared space where the whole school community has an opportunity to learn and grow from one another’s ideas. This is the place to make drastic mistakes and learn about how to correct them before they are made in the truly public arena, a.k.a. Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc.

I see no setbacks, and that’s a rarity! Kudos, Matthew Winn!

Parts of Speech - New and Improved!

Continuity, Relevance, Adaptability

Parts of Speech (to the tune of "Give It to Me" by Timbaland, feat. Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake)

Mr. Folkes - Parts of Speech

VERSE 1 – NOUNS

My name’s Mr. Folkes and my
students know I like to teach
Every time we make sentences
we use some parts of spee–ee–eech

Right now we will learn about
nouns and verbs and adjectives
Write down these definitions
that I am about to give

Nouns are people, places,
animals… or things
Some examples are boy, park,
hippopotamus, and ring – cha-ching

Plural nouns make one person,
place, animal, or thing more
Adding an –s or –es may change it
to three or four

CHORUS

When you use a part of speech,
you should know what each is
There are many more than nouns,
verbs, and adjectives

You should know how to use them
(parts of speech)
(parts of speech)
(parts of speech)

Before you can abuse them
(parts of speech)
(parts of speech)
(parts of speech)

VERSE 2 – VERBS

You know verbs can tell what a person,
place, animal, or thing does
That’s the action. State-of-being tells
what it is or what–it–was

When you use a verb you have to
make sure that it agrees
If you don’t, you’ll say it wrong
Oh, just listen to me please

Number agreement shows
how many are doing the verb
Tense agreement tells about when it happened
(what?) the verb you heard

So if we see a sentence that has
a verb and a noun,
you should be able to point out
those two parts to me now

CHORUS

VERSE 3 – ADJECTIVES

Okay, we’ve covered nouns an–and verbs
Now it’s time for adjectives
Just like with the other parts
I will tell you what one is

Adjectives tell about the nouns
They do not touch the verbs
Some are tall, happy, and fat
See? They’re all descriptive words

Normally, in English, they all come
right before the nou–ou–ouns
Green hat, smart cat, round bat
They are the green, the smart, and round

These are the three parts of speech
that we will learn for right now
If I teach you more, your brain
might explode like this: KA-BLOW!

CHORUS

BRIDGE

Parts (parts of speech)
Of (parts of speech)
Speech (parts of speech)

CHORUS

No Interactive Whiteboard? Make Your Own! (I Did)

Before I finally received my SmartBoard this year, I used my own personally created interactive whiteboard with nothing but my homemade infrared pen, a Wiimote, and a projector. It cost me about $30 and a decent amount of time to learn the process.

This, however, is a very inexpensive way to bring interactivity to your classroom in the wake of a hurting economy or a school district with a failing budget.

Check it out!

-Mr. Folkes