Classroom Treaty

I am officially done my internship! Boom! I am so pumped about being done this chapter in my life, and gearing up for the job search! I still have a semester of classes left (fail) but I have already applied for positions in the greater Eastend area, also knows as Shaunavon.

Anyway, I wanted to share our classroom treaty simulation with all you lovely people. If you are a regular reader (it's not hard to be) then you know I have been teaching a treaty unit in the classroom. It has been the most challenging thing to teach, as there is a ton of information and it is not easy to teach it in such a way that the students actually understand. I find First Nations history very fascinating, but it can definitely be a dry subject when you are 10.

So we made a treaty simulation that brought tears and outbursts in the class. It was AWESOME! For one week, myself and my coop were the "crown", the students were First Nations people and the classroom was their reserve. The week before the simulation, the students sat in a large circle and negotiated the treaty rights amongst themselves. I tried to not intervene, unless they needed reminders to not be little a-holes to each other.

This is what they came up with

Each student copied down the agreement, signed their copy and then it was signed by both myself and my coop. Something that was suggested to me after was to have it pre-written in a different language, have students sign this copy and give them a candy for signing. The different language represents the language barrier most First Nations would have faced and the candy is the $5 that was given for signing the treaty.

As the crown, we broke the final term right off the bat. No extra equipment at recess was given HA!

Once the simulation started, we locked the classroom door. The students were not allowed in until they were invited to do so. This meant they sat in the hallway until they were completely quiet. 

If any student talked out of turn, got out of their desk without asking, was not doing their assigned work, essentially doing anything that was not perfect we made them hold this sign and sit in "jail" at the front of the classroom for 15 minutes. Harsh, but effective.

If they wanted to leave the classroom, they had to be issued a pass signed by an Indian Agent. Myself and my coop were the Indian Agents. These passes were to represent the actual reserve permits used by Indian Agents. 

The students were asked to write reflections about the treaty, and the pencils were flying. They had so much to say about how unfair it was and how frustrated they were about how we were treating them. I wasn't kidding about the tears! We also had one of the girls stay home for the rest of the week after she had a semi-meltdown. 

I know this sounds extreme, but it is an effective way to show the students a small glimpse of what life would have been like during the treaty. It generated meaningful discussions and motivated the students to research more information on their own. All in all, a successful week in teaching. 

Has anyone tried anything similar to this? I am open to suggestions for improvement! 

Not leaving a joke today. Still trying to find humor in the world after the Newtown tragedy. I hope people begin to focus on mental illness rather than gun control. I read a great article here that really made me think. Merry Christmas everyone, enjoy the holidays and what they mean to you.

Love,
Joc

A Staching Movember

Hello readers,

I am the worst blogger. Yep, its out there and I take full responsibility.

In other news, my class had a Staching Movember (see what I did there). We drew our own moustaches, coloured moustache templates, set up a display with faces and said moustaches and finally rocked felt moustaches to feel the real warmth of a lip duster. It was fabulous.

Big `ol box of Moustaches

I wish I could put pictures up of the students, it was hilarious. But there are creeps on the inter-web.

The display case consisted of 8.5 X 11 face shots of each student and a personally coloured moustache stapled under their nose. It was very cool. For the title we used something super unique - Movember. My awesome cooperating teacher found this M on google, and it made the display that much cooler.

These are some templates (again, stolen from internet) that we printed off and gave to the students to colour and draw inspiration from. 

So much awesome

Movember was great, and the school had a moustache and hat day in support of Prostate Cancer. Even though it's now December, cancer still sucks. I hope you supported in some way by either rocking a food strainer, or supporting those around you by putting up with the stache rash. 

Promise I won't take a whole month for another blog post. Love to my friends that harassed me (you know who you are).

Yep, about right

Thanks for reading lovelies! 

Joc

Hey Teacher

I absolutely love these memes (I think thats what they are called). They make me laugh and swoon all at the same time.
Here is a little pick-me-up to take you in to the long weekend. A few of my favorites

Oh, I will 

Swoon

Thanks Ryan

One for the male teachers

Who doesn't love a hot man or woman telling you the things you want to hear? Hope you all enjoy the long weekend!

Tipi Time

Today was a very cool day. I was fortunate enough to have MaryLee come in to my classroom to teach my students about Tipis. She is a Metis woman, born on a reserve and is an educator (an elder) of traditional First Nations knowledge. Simply put she was amazing.

All my students were so engaged in the lesson. MaryLee brought in a (mini) tipi and set it up right in the middle of the classroom. She explained the significance of each of the poles, and taught the students the ceremony. She even got one of the girls up to help. I learned that setting up and taking down the tipis is a woman's ceremony, so she never asks male students to assist her.

The tripod, and first few poles

Setting up the rest of the poles

Here are the meanings of the poles, there are 15 in total including the two that hold the control flaps:

OBEDIENCE

Obedience means accepting guidance and wisdom from outside of ourselves, using our ears before our mouth. We learn by listening to traditional stories, by listening to our parents or guardians, our fellow students and our teachers. We learn by their behaviors and reminders, so that we know what is right and what is wrong. 

RESPECT

Respect means giving honor to our Elders and fellow students, to the strangers that come to visit our community, and to all of life. We must honor the basic rights of all others.

HUMILITY

We are not above or below others in the circle of life. We feel humbled when we understand our relationship with Creation. We are so small compared to the majestic expanse of Creation, just a “strand in the web of life.” Understanding this helps us to respect and value life.

HAPPINESS

After the tripod is up, the fourth pole completes your doorway. This fourth pole teaches us happiness. We must show some enthusiasm to encourage others. Our good actions will make our ancestors happy in the next world. This is how we share happiness. 

LOVE

If we are to live in harmony we must accept one another as we are, and accept others who are not in our circle. Love means to be good and kind to one another and to our selves.

FAITH

We must learn to believe and trust others, to believe in a power greater than ourselves, whom we worship and who gives us strength to be a worthy member of the human race. To sustain our spirituality, we need to walk it every day. Not just sometimes, but every day. It’s not just once a week; it’s your life.

KINSHIP

Our family is important to us. This includes our parents, brothers and sisters, who love us and give us roots that tie us to the lifeblood of the earth. It also includes extended family: grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, and their in-laws and children. They are also our brothers and sisters and give us a sense of belonging to a community.

CLEANLINESS

Today when we talk about cleanliness, most people think hygiene, and that’s very important. But years ago, when old people talked about cleanliness, they meant spiritual cleanliness. When I used to sit with the old Kookums in their tipis, spiritually, they were so powerfully clean. Clean thoughts come from a clean mind and this comes from our spirituality. With a clean mind and sense of peace within we learn not to inflict ills on others. Good health habits also reflect a clean mind.

THANKFULNESS

We learn to give thanks: to always be thankful for the Creator’s bounty, which we are privileged to share with others, and for all the kind things others do for us.

SHARING

We learn to be part of a family and community by helping with the provisions of food and other basic needs. Through the sharing of responsibilities we learn the value of working together and enjoying the fruits of our labor. 

STRENGTH

We are not talking about physical strength, but spiritual strength. That was instilled in us when we were young people through fasting. We must learn to be patient in times of trouble and not to complain but to endure and show understanding. We must accept difficulties and tragedies so that we may give others strength to accept their own difficulties and tragedies.

GOOD CHILD REARING

Children are gifts from the Creator. We are responsible for their wellbeing, spiritually, emotionally, physically, and intellectually, since they are blessed with the gift of representing the continuing circle of life, which we perceive to be the Creator’s will.

HOPE

We must look forward to moving toward good things. We need to have a sense that the seeds we are planting will bear fruit for our children, families and communities.

ULTIMATE PROTECTION

This is the ultimate responsibility to achieve the balance and well being of the body, mind, emotions and spirit for the individual, the family, the community and the nation.

CONTROL FLAPS
The control flaps on a tipi teach that we are all connected by relationship and that we depend on each other. Having respect for and understanding this connection creates and controls harmony and balance in the circle of life. When we don’t know how to use the flaps, it gets all smoky inside the tipi, and you can’t see, which is like life – because if we can’t live in balance, we can’t see clearly where we’re going.

The final product

Interesting fact - the flaps you see above and on either side of the opening are used in accordance to the wind. Similar to a damper on an old wood stove, it regulates air circulation and prevents smoke from billowing down in to the tipi. 

MaryLee then sat with the students and began telling them stories about her, her family, her beliefs and the importance of ceremonies. She was so interesting to listen to and had the soothing voice of a grandmother. 

Listening intently

The students then had a chance to sit inside. They were all so jacked up about this! Who knew just sitting in a tipi could be so exciting.

As a beginning teacher, I really struggle with properly teaching First Nations and Metis content. It is a HUGE portion of the Saskatchewan curriculum, but it is so convoluted and complicated that teaching it always proves to be a challenge. Solution? Call in an expert. MaryLee accomplished in one hour what I try to accomplish in an entire term. This is obviously not going to be possible for everyone, but it is always worth a shot. Or you can go to this website.

Well that was a long post! Hope you learnt something valuable :) 

Monday Style

Hello all.

I hope everyone had a good weekend! I went down to Eastend for the Senior boys home opener. The Jets beat Shaunavon in an awesome game (7-5) and it was mucho exciting. Now I am sans voice, making this whole teaching thing rather difficult.

Back to real life... This is one of my favorite outfits. It is really comfortable and a great fall outfit. 

Chambray shirt from Winners. Similar here and here. I wish I would have bought a longer one, but I can't resist a bargain and this bad boy was $11.

Extra long T-shirt from Smart-Set

Leggings from Garage. If you have zero butt like me, don't buy garage leggings. They are low rise and constantly falling down (because nothing is holding them up). So I bought a pair of super high, like above belly button, leggings from Rickis. They look real sexy hitched right up...kidding. Do not wear with crop tops!

Giraffe-ish print scarf from Smart-Set

Watch - Fossil 

Messy room - all mine

I also wore brown riding boots...but I forgot to take a picture with them on and I am currently blogging in my pajamas :)

And a little Monday humour for you all

How most teachers feel

Halloween

A favorite holiday of mine, and most children. My activity list of the day includes: carving pumpkins with our care partners, design your own pumpkin, and then carve your own the entire afternoon. Each student will have carved 2 pumpkins today, and they are pumped about it.

We played Halloween music all morning, and I plan on keeping the tunes rolling. Thriller has been played a few times...these kids need to understand good music.

Random fact today: My wedding dress arrived at the FedEx office yesterday. I picked it up this morning before school (because I couldn't stand to wait) and then tried it on during the lunch hour. Yep, just me and two fellow intern friends in the Kindergarten room. My coop teacher came to see me as well. It was a little ridiculous but such an exciting moment!!

Back to real life

The classroom is a disaster and full of pumpkin guts. I love it! A little tip: instead of newspaper on the floor, roll out residential sized poly. Then throw all the pumpkin guts in the middle, roll it up and chuck it. The floor doesn't turn black from the ink in the newspaper, and the clean up is simple. If you need to track some down, ask a friend who has recently built a house or done renovations. Guaranteed they have some lying around.

If you have students with tactile and texture issues (teachers, you know what I mean) I recommend having a pair of rubber gloves in your classroom. I watched one of my students poke and prod his pumpkin with all kinds of tools, refusing to get his hands dirty. Most kids, I just make them dig in and get their hands dirty. But you have to be sensitive to those particular students "on the spectrum" or who cannot handle this type of activity. As soon as the gloves went on, he was in there like a dirty shirt.

We then had a class vote for best pumpkin. This is a school wide competition, so we needed to nominate one from our class.

And the winner is...

A close second and third place

I love Halloween, and I will always celebrate it in my classroom. What did you do for Halloween today?

Thank a Farmer

You might have noticed my name change... Children have this uncanny ability to google their teachers and obsess over their personal lives. So from now on my alias is Hymas. Take that, children!!

My lesson plan post today is something near and dear to my heart - Farmers. I received an email from "Agriculture in the Classroom" a week or so ago about this lesson, and jumped on it immediately. If you are not on their mailing list, do it. My 10 year plan is to expand Ag in the Classroom in to Southern Saskatchewan and develop the Alberta Green Certificate program here as well. But more on my aspirations later.

There are many reasons we should thank farmers, here is the main one:

I love these Memes

I randomly brought this lesson in to my class because I didn't care what subject it "fit", I knew it was important and wanted my students to be a part of it. It's the end of harvest, be thankful you have food. I wasn't this blunt with the kids, but pretty close. I added it to the Daily 5 during work on writing, in case you wanted to know.

I opened the lesson with general discussion about what farmers do. My first question was if anyone knew a farmer. A few responses "My grandparents used to farm", "My Uncle is a farmer" blah blah blah. When one of them remembered that I am a farmer, they all raised their hands and thought I was the coolest! These moments are few, so I cherish them. We brainstormed ideas as to what they would write in their thank-you cards, and I wrote these on the board for reinforcement.

I then gave them a little quiz. Honestly, this was mostly for my enjoyment. Their answers were hilarious and the general ignorance about farming practices is always good for a laugh. Of course, we discussed the quiz once all the student's were finished and hopefully enlightened them about farming practices right here in Saskatchewan.

The students were then given a piece of yellow paper and sent on their way. Here are some examples of their work (I covered their names, obviously):

Thats a Hereford, in case anyone was wondering

The student's were all very engaged, and willing to write their thank-you cards. Not like they had an option of writing the thank-you card, but engaged non the less. 

You can download the lesson and quiz directly from the AITC website found here, the lesson is called "Salute to Saskatchewan Farmers"and they are collecting thank-you cards until November 9th to be send out this year. So get on it! 

Until next time, here is some cat humor to get you through the day:

Teacher clothes

What I think of when someone says they are wearing their best "teacher outfit"

I'm sorry whoever you are, but this is terrible

There is absolutely no reason why teachers cannot be fashionable! To be fair, most of the teachers I see and interact with dress well (not like Mrs. Frump above). The problem we run in to is making each outfit appropriate. I am large (understatement) in the chest area, but I have become somewhat of a master of disguise. No frumpy sweaters for this girl! 

Here are my key fashion tips:

-No low cut anything! It looks trashy and when you bend over and students can see you tatas

-If you are wearing flare bottoms, don't wear a billowing blouse. You look enormous

-Accessorize with a watch. It is function-able and adorable. Add bracelets for an "arm party" if you wish. I wear long necklaces rarely, they always seem to be in the way or getting caught on students' desks. So jazz up the wrists! 

-Black skinny legged pants are your best friend. Wear them with boots, flats, loafers, anything really. I love these from Charlotte Russe because they are affordable and very comfortable. I got a pair from Bryans, but they do not have a website (lame!) Winners is always a good option as well

-Wear boots in the fall, winter, and spring. Riding boots look good with everything, and add a touch of class. I love these and these and these and these. Did I mention I love boots? Wedges are comfortable and dressy, so don't tell me you can't walk in heels. It's a wedge! Suck it up.

-Wear boyfriend style blazers. I have a few "work" blazers that make me look like a british man. Not really, but they are a little too dressy for everyday. Most of my blazers and thrifted because I am cheap. You can buy fashionable gently used clothing at Platos closet. This place will change your life! If you life in Saskatoon click here for their website. 

-Wear scarves. If you know me, you have seen my deep secret stash of well over 35 scarves. Ya, I am definitely obsessed. I buy most of them at Smart-Set because they are ALWAYS on sale. My last 5 scarves are from there, each costing around $5. 

So here is what I wore today. 

Teacher appropriate full frontal with my most favorite item of clothing - black pants!

These bad boys have Quad Comfort. Originally from Marks Work Wear House (ya, they have cute stuff) for $170. Bought them used at Platos closet for $55. Winning! 

Orange blazer - thrifted. Leopard scarf - Reitmans, not on their website anymore but leopard is everywhere this season. White extra long t-shirt - Smart-Set ($4). Watch - Tommy Hilfiger. 

I think I might do this fashion post every Monday! Remember friends, stay fashionable not frumpy. 

Internship eh...

I have been interning for 61 days, and have 53 days left...but who's counting?

The experience has been wonderful of course, but 10 year olds do begin to wear on you. For my fellow interns, you will understand my need for sarcasm at this particular point in my education career. I am nearing the end of my official "teacher test" as I am only full time teaching for another few weeks. The break from the University classroom was much needed. I swear to god if someone mentions pedagogy one more time I will punch them in the face. But seriously, does anyone feel they benefited more from their time at the University opposed to time spent in an actual classroom? But I digress, because this argument could go on for days.

I am teaching in a grade 5 classroom, in Saskatoon. I love bringing rural knowledge in to my classroom as I was born and raised a ranch girl. Stay tuned for my "Thank a Farmer" lesson plan.

I plan on sharing with you my views on teacher appropriate (no cleavage) fashion, interesting lesson plans and a little humor to bring us teachers back to our place of sanity.

Until next time I leave you with this: