Mrs. Slaviero's Blog

  Today was the first Advisory group of the school year. It was also the first official school-wide community-building endeavor I've been part of. This is my 29th year in the classroom. This has been a dream of mine for many years, having been School Improvement Co-Chair and the Character Group Chair for a while. It seemed Advisory would become reality several times in my tenure, only to see the timing was off. This will be an excellent way to live our our school Character Goals of Honesty, Empathy, Responsibility, and Determination! Advisory is meant to be a dedicated time period with a smaller group size than a typical class. It's also meant to strengthen ties within the school--the teachers that run Advisory groups may or may not have their own students in their groups.  Advisory is not a homework-help activity, but rather is meant for us to get to know one another in a setting without expectations of formal learning or grading. Today's activity started with the teachers...

  My 8th Graders end their Middle School career with a Promotion Assembly and a Party, which typically occurs the second-to-last day of school. The actual last day is usually a day to relax and enjoy one another's company. I like to provide my students one more opportunity to capitalize on their feelings of good will and nostalgia by writing a short thank you note. I start class asking them about the events of the day before, and point out that the day was all about them, and they deserve to celebrate. I then point out that today, before they leave school for the last time, they might want to take a moment to thank a staff member (coach, secretary, bus driver, teacher) for something before they leave. Gratitude is affirmative for the giver, as well as the receiver. Students are always receptive and some even ask for more than note. It's a really good full-circle moment for them, and a chance to think outside of themselves and share appreciation with others.  I never assume I w...

This photo depicts some of our best learning so far this year. The student in the foreground of this photo is clearly deep in thought, analyzing her group's progress. The boy across from her is checking his list, preparing to talk to his group about his progress. Students are focused on learning together, practicing social norms while building confidence and learning history deeply. What is this jack-of-all-trades activity they are participating in? The Ultimate US History Tournament: American Revolution Edition. I created a March Madness-style bracket activity to culminate our years' learning a few years ago, and it was a success. I decided to utilize it again for the American Revolution this year and it's been going well. Students need to generate their own lists of the most important people, places, events, and ideas first (one list per year of the war). Students at tables of 5 compare their lists, searching for commonalities (a good way to reinforce community among stud...

    We are making the most of these first few weeks of school. All of my classes completed hexagons about themselves, and used them to literally find connections between classmates. I modeled this practice by making my own, it was nice to put my hexagon in the mix and have students find commonalities with me. We will use the hexagon concept throughout this year with historical topics, it was important to practice this with topics they know well. My Language Support Historians learned about this Preamble this Constitution Day. One expert group learned the six goals of the Preamble in modern language, a second group learned about the goals in original language (with additional support). Reformed groups compared learning and matched original language with modern language. These students did an excellent job with very challenging material.  Our teachers have made a point of taking students outside for mask breaks. My 8th Grade colleagues made an informal schedule to make sure...

  Tuesday is the first day of school. It's always a fresh start and this year will be the biggest shift imaginable. Some of our students haven't been in a school building regularly since March 2020.  I will greet many 8th Graders that haven't been in school since they were in 6th, many 6th Graders since they were in 4th. The typical newness and excitement will be multidimensional. More than likely, so will the possibility for anxiety and stress. A colleague reminded me that many kids stayed in bed during remote learning, so procedures and schedules are going to be completely redefined.  I would be kidding myself if I thought this would be easy for any of us. Instead of looking at this as a monumental challenge I view it as a new beginning--a complete restart. Let's take the best of school in 2019-2020 and make it work for us in 2021 and beyond. Let's also take the best of school in the 2020-2021 school year and make it work for us in 2021 and beyond. The bulletin bo...

  I can't believe we are already a few weeks into the school year. My 25th year. And yet I'm feeling like a first-year teacher in so many ways.  There have been big changes, any one of which would've thrown me for a loop if I'm honest.  Block scheduling.  Teaching virtually.  Pivoting for hybrid learning.  My colleagues and I are leaning on each other. We are taking this one day and one week at a time. I'm incredibly proud of the work we are doing.  I've made a Bitmoji Classroom (sorry, not sorry--it's a fun way to introduce myself to my students but it's not central to the work we're doing). The classroom contains links to our school website, National History Day Symbaloo Webmix, and other links. It also holds a daily agenda slide. I've upped my tech game by creating it. Housing the classroom in our Schoology page was an tech accomplishment for me, too. I update it daily with an agenda slide that updates when I complete it in Google Slides. My B...

Surreal, to say the least. One week ago today school communities in Michigan found out that they would be closing for the foreseeable future due to the Coronavirus pandemic. This highly contagious disease would cause schools to shift to online learning for the next three weeks (that would coincide with our Spring Break so we will be out of school for four weeks). Families in the state are highly encouraged to stay at home, self-isolate, and stay 6 or more feet away from anyone not in our immediate households (known as social distancing). Our staff gathered last Friday to start the transition to online learning. The district technology teams and administration greatly helped us make this shift. We are adjusting to a new normal. This past week has been unprecedented. Thank goodness we've been a 1:1 iPad school for years now. The technology piece isn't completely new for us. Finding the balance between a typical lesson and online lessons from home is taking some getting us...

Happy New Year! January has been full of meaningful opportunities for learning! Eighth Grade Student Historians presented their Breaking Barriers in History National History Day projects to their 6th and 7th Grade peers recently. A special thank you to Learning Village--Michigan History Day's fearless leader, Ms. Amy Bradfield, our Media Specialist, Mrs. Chatel, our 8th Grade Language Arts teachers, Mrs. Galbraith, Mrs. Pagnani, and Mrs. Wright, and our Special Education teachers Mrs. Ritter, and Ms. Bard, for all of your help in making this day possible! It is always exciting to share learning but this year's work is taking on a special purpose--7th Graders and Language Support-History students will, for the first time at our school, complete modified NHD projects themselves later this school year. The 8th Graders will serve as mentors during this process. I am very eager to work with my students in this leadership capacity! Eighth Graders are continuing the...

We have had a busy week! Students in US History participated in a Gallery Walk, examining primary and secondary sources related to some of the battles of the American Revolution. We also reviewed the concept of propaganda and applied that concept to some of the sources. This important understanding will assist students during their National History Day work.  Student Historians also used the National Archives DocsTeach app to analyze multiple primary sources about Valley Forge. They needed to figuratively weigh the evidence on a scale as to whether or not the documents would make them quit the Continental Army or encourage them to stay.  This exercise is beneficial for many reasons. One is that the students are working and thinking on a continuum.  Being able to weigh evidence is a critical life skill (and citizenship skill). Preparing students to problem solve in this way will benefit them, regardless of their career path. I was impressed to see th...

It's time for a change. I will be teaching a new (to me) class in the fall. I'm going to be the Language Support-History teacher in our building. I will have 6th, 7th, and 8th Grade English Learners in my class and together we will study both World and US History.  I couldn't be more excited! This class will combine my backgrounds in teaching History, Foreign Language (German), and my deep passion for character education for the first time in my career.  The year will begin with a study of our world, moving into learning about North America, the United States, our state of Michigan, our city, and our school. I will learn from and collaborate closely with two amazing educators, our school ELL Coordinator and ELL Parapro. Our District-level English Language Coordinator is outstanding and I can already tell we will work very well together, too. We have some exciting plans and I'm starting to formulate ideas and possibilities for day-to-day activities.   ...

The last month of school is upon us. For 8th Grade teachers in a 6th-8th Grade Middle School this isn't just the end of the school year, it's the end of Middle School for our students.  This time of year always brings on a range of emotions for my students--they're happy, nervous, excited, unsure. Change, even good change, can be a challenge. Processing these feelings isn't easy but I hope the next few weeks will bring some help by asking my students to complete a LEGACY Reflection. This is the third year my students have written these reflections and the second year all 8th Graders in the building are completing them. I've enjoyed going into all of the classes to begin this project.  My hope is that I successfully plant the idea in our students that they are the ones that set the tone for their Middle School legacy. This can and should be empowering.   The first reflection centered around a definition of legacy and a focus on leadership. Stu...

Student Historians recently presented their National History Day projects to our school community. Thanks to the support from our 6th and 7th Grade Social Studies teachers, 8th Grade students were able to successfully defend their theses to their peers. The 7th Graders can see what they will be asked to do next year and the 6th Graders can use these projects as a spring board for their student-centered projects they will complete within the next month. Each grade reflected on the event and related it to what they knew, as well. It was also a wonderful community-building activity. National History Day projects are so meaningful to me because they are, at heart, Genius Hour projects within the content area of History. I promised myself this year's focus would be on helping students hone their passions and I believe this was achieved. Middle Schoolers need to find who they are and what they're about. Delving into what's important to them will help on their journe...

Student Historians have been very busy these past few weeks. We are spending our time on the three branches of government and on our National History Day projects. It's always rewarding to have students learn about how our government works and I've used two resources to help this year: the Constitution graphic novel we used last year and, thanks to my newest US History colleague's suggestion--an amazing website called iCivics  . iCivics is an engaging and interesting way to help students learn about the US Government and I would like to utilize it more next year. I'm also happy to see that the website covers more areas that we learn about this year.  NHD is going quite well. The payoff for students and me is manifesting itself on a daily basis--I'm getting to know 8th Graders that aren't in my classes and building connections with the grade level as a whole, helping students through the "just tell me the answer" phase of learning, encouraging ...

My Mom passed away last Thursday and I've understandably had many emotions and reflections since. I'm hoping this post will help me organize my thoughts since, at this time, my eulogy is not much more than a list of memories. This blog is about my experiences as an educator, I would be remiss if I didn't write about my first teacher.  One of my earliest lessons from my Mom was about how to treat others. I can remember the kind way she would speak to everyone she encountered, no matter their occupation or position in society--all were equal in her eyes. She listened to others, made a comment or joke that would put others at ease, and showed through eye contact and body language that people mattered to her. This example of respect is one I try to follow and pass along to my children and my students, through my actions and words.  My Mom taught me resiliency. When life got tough she would allow me to get upset but then walk me through my own problem-solving session. S...

Students completed their #MyBoulanLEGACY reflections today. The final letter of the LEGACY reflection was a tough one for me to create (Y is pretty limited!) but the topic I finally thought of is the perfect final reflection because it is positive, optimistic, and carries the students through until the final bell rings next Friday. The final reflection topic is related to the Power of YET . Each students' legacy isn't complete and won't be until the last day of school. I asked students to reflect on how they will carry through their LEGACY. It's a true reminder to stay strong, make good decisions, and keep focusing on being the same kid they were in September all the way through until the final moments of the school year. I hope the Power of YET guides each and every one of us next week and throughout our lives.

Students are continuing to think about their Middle School LEGACY by writing about Attitude and Challenges. Our attitudes impact how we are remembered by others. Do we stay positive or complain when the going gets tough? I am hopeful that this reflection helped all of us remember to pause and use patience when we speak or act, especially when we are tired at the end of the school year. How we act and react to others says a lot about our character, and our legacy. How we handle difficult situations says a lot about who we are. Students were asked to reflect this week about a time they overcame a challenge. It's been really nice to read their responses while I was stapling these to our bulletin board in the hallway outside of our classroom. (At the start of this project all students knew that their responses would be displayed and they could keep each of their reflections anonymous.) Students wrote about challenges with friendships, classes they've struggled with, and...

The LEGACY Reflections are progressing very well. Students have written about their EDUCATION during Middle School, especially 8th Grade. Each student was asked to reflect on their educational risks and how those risks translate into a facet of their legacy. Their answers were insightful and deep. Students also reflected on GRATITUDE, creating a list of people they were grateful at Boulan and elaborate on how this gratitude impacts how they will be remembered at Boulan. I feel this is a fitting "full circle" experience related to our Gratitude Journals created in November. This week's writing centers on attitude. 

I sense it with my students this time every year. A restlessness crops up in early spring and I've never felt I'd been able to adequately address it. It's what I think of as a "push/pull" mindset.  My 8th Graders are pushing away from Middle School and feeling the excitement and pull of their new lives next school year as High Schoolers. It's a drive for new experiences along with the sadness of leaving Middle School. This often manifests in an "indifferent" attitude conveyed outwardly but this indifference (usually) masks the trepidation they're feeling inside. I believe I may have found a way to help students work though these feelings. Last June the idea of a LEGACY project came to me in the middle of the night the week before school ended (the subconscious mind at work)! I quickly ran through the activity with my students. This year I'm able to take my time and have hopes for its success. Students began reflections yesterday....

January is a tough month for many, middle school students are no exception. It's been really cold where we live so students aren't getting outside as much, the cold and flu season is peaking, the days are among the shortest of the year and lack of sunlight is impactful. Post-holiday let-down leads right into the end of the quarter/semester and a final push with projects and tests. I've had so many reminders lately of the importance of teaching to the whole student (and to try and follow my own advice). Caring for ourselves is crucial but it's particularly essential now. I need to be flexible regarding my expectations in the classroom and more patient with my students.  They are finishing quarter/semester activities in all of their classes and studying for assessments. Taking the "emotional temperature" of the class each hour when the bell rings has been a great guide for me. It's pretty evident whether students are relaxed or not and many class pe...

Creating a large-scale endeavor like a National History Day project takes time. Going through the process for the first time can be overwhelming for teachers and students alike. It's critical to remember, though, that it is a journey. These projects are rigorous and require many steps. Too often we expect immediate gratification--this is not the type of project that will offer quick results.  Students will be thinking, reflecting, pre-searching (to use a colleague's term), researching, selecting a topic in US History they are passionate about, locating primary and secondary sources, writing a research question, developing a thesis, grappling with this year's theme and applying it to their topic, writing digital note cards, keeping track of resources, developing a project, ensuring they place their topic in historical situational context, creating a process paper to reflect on their experience, and possibly back-tracking and at any point if they lose focus.  Students...