An Encounter of the Student Kind

Dear Parents, People, Readers,

I think I have the best job on earth. Teaching can be so rewarding. Students see me all over the globe (my oldest child says that I taught the world) and take the initiative to say hello. I was jogging two days ago when a car pulled over and someone yelled, "Dr. Collins!!!" They recognized me from behind (yeah, creepy, I know) and their parents pulled over and let me give a hug through the back door window. It turns out the child was one of my most hard working, the best behaved, and most diligent third grade students that I have ever had - - but she had some emotional issues that I helped her through. We would sit and have lunch together many a day, discussing things that bothered her. Thank God she was willing to speak about them. There are students that I will never reach because they do not know how to express what they are feeling. I am just blessed to see students many years later, and see how well they are progressing. I look forward to the next student encounter.

Have a great day readers!

Dr. Collins

Kindergarten Bliss

Dear Parents, friends, and students,

As a brand new Kindergarten teacher, I am tickled beyond pink and into fuchsia about how students soak things up as they learn. I use to think that starting at third grade was THE perfect and most effective pivotal point to ingrain some major foundational principles; boy was I wrong!! I am seeing growth after only 6 days of school and it is an amazing thing to see. My five year old students have already learned to raise their hands before asking a question. Okay, so they raise their hand and start to talk right away, but at least they raise their hand...and for that little bit of progress, I am elated. I can see them two years from now (as I will loop with them until second grade)...doing all the things that they will learn in Kindergarten, and doing them well. 

I have to share this one thing: one of the students said, "Dr. Collins, I'm raising my hand!". So, we are now working on raising the hand WHILE WAITING FOR THE TEACHER TO ACKNOWLEDGE US.  LOL.

Smiling every day in Kindergarten,

Dr. Collins

Student responsibility

Dear Parents,

There are so many times that students will blame you for what they don't have in school. Did you know that? Yes! You guys become the scapegoat for anything that goes wrong. For instance:

    Teacher: Where is your homework, Carl?

    Student: Oh, my mom had to go somewhere yesterday after school and I couldn't do my homework.

FYI parents, homework is a very important tool that students use to gain practice and arrive at academic proficiency. There are not enough hours in the day for the teacher to practice all the lessons (past and present) with students, so homework is sent home for practice. If your child is not brining home homework, the please create some form of practice. Put the responsibility on the student at all costs. It is neither the teacher nor the parent's responsibility to see that it is completed. However, we get into murky waters when there is either no homework, or if the homework is not at the appropriate instructional level.  That being said, now you know what homework is supposed to look like and who is supposed to be doing it. 

Have a fantastic snow day,

Dr. Collins

Moving into high gear.....for the new year

Dear All of you,

Please remember that state-wide exams are just around the corner. Keep working hard and do not give up and in due time, you will achieve what is necessary to succeed. Work hard on what you do well, and work harder on what you do not do so well.

Press,

Dr. Collins

Study hard to make strides...

Dear ambitious students,

Working hard in school now will result in improved stamina for taking a test.

I am screaming out to my third graders: make sure that you know your times tables 0 - 12. Then flip it and you will be able to divide. What do I mean?

2 X 3 = 6     or       3 X 2 = 6

6 ÷ 2 = 3   or  6 ÷ 3 = 2

See? 

I can assure you that if you spend a few minutes each day to practice, you will spend less of your time trying to figure out computations because it will become automatic.

Stay fabulous!

Dr. Collins

Now that school is in session....

Dear Parents and students....okay, dear friends,

Now that school is in session, it is going to be imperative that we all (teachers, students, AND parents) put the pedal to the metal and keep a steady focus on learning. In two blinks and a high five we will be in June, the end of the school year. Please try to make the best of it. Remember, time on task in and out of the classroom means less time lost, time that can never be regained.

To help you, you should establish daily goals. For example: 

    1.  complete all homework (blogging about that next)

   2.  read every single night!!!!!!

   3. work hard -- put your all into it!

   4.  obey your classroom and school wide rules 

Remember, those who fail to plan, plan to fail. Plan on working hard and staying on top.

I wish I had 2 people who THINK they could achieve this to shout, "Yaaaaaasss!"

Hopefully,

Dr. Collins

Getting ready for school

If you are not excited about the 'back to school' craze, then you may as well do so now.....because back to school time is here. Make sure that you check your child's school district's or school website so that you are on point with the correct first day for students.

Please make an effort to get student supplies now while they are on sale. Even if teachers have not yet given you a supply list, I can tell you that all students will need pencils, pens, composition or note books, loose leaf paper, index cards, a pencil case, a book bag, and....oh yes, every teacher's dream - facial tissue and hand sanitizer now, and some more January. Help your child to be prepared so that on the first day of school they are ready to perform. 

One more thing: set aside a quiet place at home for homework. We've all heard the saying that practice makes perfect. Well it's true! Research shows that homework practice is an effective way to help students to become experts at a particular skill. 

Walk good (it means 'keep well' in Jamaican culture),

Dr. Collins

Don't forget about the math skills

Many of us parents encourage our children to practice reading skills all summer. However, we should not make the mistake of forgetting to let them practice those tricky math skills as well. I suggest websites such as Khan Academy (www.khanacademy.com) and Fun Brain (funbrain.com) and any other ones that you can Google and find that is interactive enough for your child to not only practice previously learned skills, but also to learn new ones.

Cheerio!

Dr. Collins