Mrs. Slaviero's Blog

Historians culminated their study of the brutal winter at Valley Forge by writing acrostic poems. Many were truly outstanding, as evidenced here...

I am proud to say that I completed all thirty September @TeachThought Reflective Teacher posts! Having said that, for some reason I'm struggling with completing the October reflections. The challenge for week 3 really speaks to me, though. Week 3: Why is it important for educators to be connected? Educators need to be connected in order to grow.  A recent example of this for me is Twitter. I'm new to Twitter and am absolutely astounded by the opportunities for collaboration--it is like nothing I've ever experienced. I'm curious by nature (my cousins and sister share this trait) and it's simply who I am.  A colleague started regularly tweeting me earlier this year, sending article recommendations and sites to visit. Her preferred form of communication challenged me to become more comfortable with it and, even though I have much to learn, I quickly realized I'd be missing out on so much by not jumping in and learning more about it. (I even researc...

Student Historians are learning about how significant the battles of Saratoga and the winter at Valley Forge were to the American Revolution.  The Saratoga victory was a turning point because France and Spain decided that maybe the Continental Army could, in fact, win and began to send desperately needed supplies and people to train the American soldiers. Tomorrow students will analyze the impact this boost had on the outcome of the war.  We will also begin to study the winter at Valley Forge, using a diary entry from Albigence Waldo, a surgeon that served there. Valley Forge was an incredibly challenging time for the Continental soldiers and Thomas Paine's words from one year earlier help to shed light on the difficulties for these young men:  These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man a...

My last Reflective Teacher TeachThought post for the month of September asks me what I would do (as a teacher) if I weren't afraid. The answer would normally be that I'm too afraid to allow students to be self-directed learners. I'm able to cross that off of my list, however: my Effective Teens students are just beginning Genius Hour! I've been teaching Effective Teens for six years now. I think it is an amazing character education program and I've added a lot (including a service-learning component) to enhance it. The need arose last winter, however, to revamp the curriculum this school year and that thought filled me with some anxious moments. I was worried about what I could do to (meaningfully) change the curriculum but keep the most essential elements of the class intact. After researching and thinking (and thinking) the idea hit me--the gift of time that this change precipitated allowed me to implement Genius Hour .  I am so excited by the possibi...

I have been teaching for 18 years now (technically 19, I took one year off after my second child was born) and I have changed in many ways but the core of who I am as an educator has remained the same. I began teaching during the mid-1990s, a time of prosperity in Michigan. There have been many changes in Michigan since that have directly impacted public education here and times have been tougher. I see a resiliency in educators, though, and we face these struggles knowing that our students need us now more than ever.  One of the greatest changes for me as an educator occurred during the first ten years of my career--I became a Mom. I was a good teacher before, I am a much better teacher now. I always showed empathy for my students, it's an ingrained quality. Having my own children directly impacted me, though, because I see every young person in my classroom as someone's son or daughter. That reality was profound for me and effects my decisions, both big and small. ...

Today's post centers around the issue of whether or not technology should drive curriculum. I hadn't read all 30 daily Teach Thought topics when I answered this question earlier in the month, on September 12th. The goal should be that curriculum should drive the technology usage in the classroom, not the other way around. Teachers should use a variety of methods to teach the standards, skills and concepts necessary for students to learn in their subject area. Technology needs to be one way to help students learn--it can't be the only way. Technology is amazing and dynamic but needs to be harnessed and filtered through the content. My district is utilizing the SAMR method to integrate technology into teaching and I feel this is a reasonable way to start slow and ultimately transform my teaching.   I am striving toward the Redefiniton phase but needed to work in the Substitution phase just this week so that I could see what an on-line discussion (my first) would look...

I'm sure teachers everywhere are in total agreement with me when I say that weekends and holidays are vital! Weekends during the school year are all about catch-up: I get extra sleep, a chance to grade work and plan, get up-to-date on my household chores and grocery shopping, I have longer workout sessions and make time for fun, too.   Saturdays and Sundays also give me extra time to be a Mom and enjoy my son and daughter's soccer and basketball games. I love to watch them play and enjoy being kids! It's revitalizing and strengthens our parent/child bonds. Holidays are critical because there is usually an event during the time off and that's a chance to make new memories with family and friends. We have traveled during some holiday vacations and when I come back to school I'm refreshed and energized. Both weekends and holidays allow me precious time to reflect and think--this is key to making me a better person, parent, friend, and teacher.  Reflect...