hipteacher

Notes From a Poetry Unit Draft

Download Poetry Unit

This is a very rough draft that I will keep on the back-burner over the holidays. Since I will teach poetry in the spring, I have some time to figure out if my outline is feasible. I have half a semester to teach poetry, so I will be able to go more in-depth than I usually do.  Imagine, teaching the stuff I am actually good at doing. A treat for me!

I notice that all the projects in my unit, for the most part, use technology and require the students to publish their work online. Teaching in a one-to-one school has really opened up project possibilities. Where, normally, there would only be enough lab or laptop cart time for one project requiring computers, I am now imagining all projects as tech-heavy. Where I used to think poster, I now think website.

I asked the kids to jot down a list on Friday, like on paper, and a few students were honestly frazzled.

    "But can't I just type it, Ms. Hipteacher?"

    "Not this time. You can just use any scrap of paper. It doesn't matter what it is."

    "But I don't have any paper. Or a pen."

    "Fine. Just email it to me."

From where they are, what I plan on doing--iMovies, blogs, podcasts, websites, etc.--is nothing interesting. I could go much further with the tech. 

Teacher Work Day aka Rise of the Coolest Six-Year-Old Ever

Mr. Hipteacher took Hipkid to school the other day only to find that it was a teacher work day and the kids had no school. Fortunately, Mr. H didn't have any classes of his own to teach that day--because he is a slacker college professor who only has to teach two days a week--so they went back home for a day of daddy camp. Only Mr. H needed to grade midterms, so he casually suggested that Hipkid go do something, like something creative, like writing a song or whatever, and then got down to grading.

About half an hour later, Hipkid came back to share his song. He'd taken a tiny black notebook and written his lyrics out and was ready to sing them for Mr. H. They both got excited about the song and decided to do a little recording. Mr. H put together a little drum track and keyboard melody, and Hipkid sang, played harmonica, and did some serious foot tapping.

And I think the result is kinda awesome.

Download Picking up the Earth

They didn't stop there. Next they made a video using a figure drawing model that Hipkid likes to carry around in his bag.

Wooden Movie from hip teacher on Vimeo.

I got home that day to a very excited kid. His face was literally glowing from all that good, creative energy. He was proud of his work and wanted to do more. Next on tap: a video for the Earth song.

My kid, who is "just average" according to his teacher at school, blossoms outside the traditional school environment, away from all the worksheets, behavior charts and bathroom schedules. I wish more of what he did at school brought him to life, but we will keep the tv off at home and be open and ready to work on whatever catches his imagination.

I realize that Hipkid's teachers probably don't even know him because they don't see what I see at home. And, as a teacher, I know I have seemingly lackluster students who have hidden abilities, hidden interests, and hidden personalities that I must reveal, recognize, and celebrate. 

With the risk of sounding most cheesy, I've gotta be the change I wish to see. I don't know what else to do.