Day 36 - Fri Oct 26Today was our first dance. Woo-hoo!
For a variety purposes, our school's policy is to hold an after-school dance for the 6th graders and a separate evening event for the 7th and 8th graders.
The 6th grade dances are sight to behold. Boys lining the perimeter. Girls trying to replicate the latest steps. Not usually all that exciting for those of us there to supervise the event.
When the after-school dance is done, the parents are waiting en masse in front of the school for their little cherubs. The scene is not far from the paparazzi on the Sunset Strip. But then a true superstar made a surprise appearance. . .
A Sharp-shinned Hawk practically buzzed a group of students. The bird flew over the parking lot and headed toward a line of trees across the street. Changing into my hawkwatching alter-ego, I announced the bird to the dozens of students and parents still within earshot. Many of them were able to get on it before it stooped behind the trees.
Kids became curious. Parents became kids and curious! A flurry of interesting questions were hurled at me = )
The best thing about this mini-event was that these were students (and parents) other than my own. This Pledge to Fledge reached a new audience. Again - WooHoo!
Monday, October 29, 2007
P2F - Teachers Spend Weekend Together?!
Day 35 - Thurs Oct 25: While in the teacher's lounge during lunch, one of my colleagues told us she was spending the weekend in Cape May. I COULD NOT resist this opportunity!
My involuntary Fledging Birders reflex kicked into high gear. Akin to a Merlin, a quick and direct string of comments flew out of my mouth in one long breath sans the pauses and inflection of punctuation, "keep your eyes out for hawks flying over stop by the convention center for some really cool exhibits We'll be down too we should all get together"
She giggled her typical giggle then replied, "Huh?!"
We discussed her teacher workshop, hawk migration, the birding festival, and my own family getaway in Cape May with all the the other teachers in the room.
Eyes were definitely opened a bit more. Some to my child-like enthusiasm. Some to an interesting teacher training program. But all to birds!
My involuntary Fledging Birders reflex kicked into high gear. Akin to a Merlin, a quick and direct string of comments flew out of my mouth in one long breath sans the pauses and inflection of punctuation, "keep your eyes out for hawks flying over stop by the convention center for some really cool exhibits We'll be down too we should all get together"
She giggled her typical giggle then replied, "Huh?!"
We discussed her teacher workshop, hawk migration, the birding festival, and my own family getaway in Cape May with all the the other teachers in the room.
Eyes were definitely opened a bit more. Some to my child-like enthusiasm. Some to an interesting teacher training program. But all to birds!
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
P2F - Call Me an Acorn Woodpecker
My sincerest apologies for lack of recent posts. It's been a very busy few weeks between school and Fledging Birders activity. But, much like an Acorn Woodpecker, I have been collecting a nice little cache of my own. Here go some brief Pledge to Fledge happenings of the past few weeks.
Day 34 - Wed Oct 24: A co-worker stopped by my classroom today with a smirk on his face. He asked, "do you write for the Courier-Post?"
"I've done a few articles for them."
"I know. I was checking out their web site and saw you there. I just read your entire blog!"
At this point, he proceeded to hurl some good old inapproriate innuendos at me. Luckily, there were no students in the class!
As the day went on, I saw this guy and another teacher in the hallway several times. Each time, they had a new sincere comment about one of the birds mentioned in my Winged Wonders blog.
I have no problem taking a bit of friendly teasing if it results in other people talking about birds!
Day 33 - Tues Oct 23: I made a brief cameo appearance in another teacher's class today to ask a quick question. As I walked through the door, some friendly greetings from the students were heard but a few questions really cut through the auditory haze.
"What birds have you seen lately?"
"Any life birds this year?"
"When can I go birding with you again?"
Music to my ears! Needless to say, I chatted with the kids for a few minutes as they finished their work.
Day 32 - Mon Oct 22:Pop Quiz! Oh, the joys of teaching!
For extra credit on one group's quiz, they had to tell me why we celebrated several weeks ago. Virtually all of them remembered that I saw a "life bird" or new hummingbird. A few of them were even able to specify the Calliope Hummingbird.
Day 31 - Fri Oct 19: I routinely give students goofy nicknames. It's quite common for there to be an avian origin to these names. It really piques their curiosity.
One student's actual name always conjures up images of flocks of Brant bobbing in the back bays of the Jersey Shore. Therefore, her friendly moniker involves those dimintuive geese. Today, I surprise the daylights out of the class by breaking out her namesake - a real mounted Brant!
They were shocked, amazed, and enthralled by the sight. Several days later, I am still fielding questions about that bird!!
Day 30 - Thurs Oct 18:Today's class focused on the Paleolithic Era caves of southern Africa. While discussing Border Cave, I hopped up onto a desk to model advantages of living on a cliff. A quick witted kid joked, "he's gonna try and fly!"
We turned the conversation into the advantages birds have when soaring high, they were hitting key things like seeing prey further away and avoiding predators. The students then easily discussed the benefits of living on a cliff.
Day 29 - Wed Oct 17: I was exceedingly busy today getting ready for our first Student Council meeting today. My students could tell I was overloaded with my mental To Do list. As I was printing out the final agenda for the meeting, the calls of passing Killdeer echoed through my room. In that instant, I was transported to another mental place. One with grasspipers galore - Killdeer, Buff-breasted Sandpipers, and Upland Sandpipers.
Arrving at the meeting a fw minutes later, one of the students said, "Mr. Mag, did you just see a bird?"
"Not exactly. I just heard a Killdeer fly over the soccer field though. Why?"
The blunt reply made me chuckle, "You were grumpy all day but now you have a huge smile. It must have been a bird!"
Day 28 - Tues Oct 16: Some of my former students stopped by during homeroom this morning. They were entertaining my 6th graders with goofy stories about me from last year. One of the formers blurted out, "it's was always cool when Mr, Mag found a new bird!"
This was met by a current student's immediate response "Yeah! We just celebrated one of his life bird's last week!"
There's a nice ring to young kids using birding jargon ;)
Day 34 - Wed Oct 24: A co-worker stopped by my classroom today with a smirk on his face. He asked, "do you write for the Courier-Post?"
"I've done a few articles for them."
"I know. I was checking out their web site and saw you there. I just read your entire blog!"
At this point, he proceeded to hurl some good old inapproriate innuendos at me. Luckily, there were no students in the class!
As the day went on, I saw this guy and another teacher in the hallway several times. Each time, they had a new sincere comment about one of the birds mentioned in my Winged Wonders blog.
I have no problem taking a bit of friendly teasing if it results in other people talking about birds!
Day 33 - Tues Oct 23: I made a brief cameo appearance in another teacher's class today to ask a quick question. As I walked through the door, some friendly greetings from the students were heard but a few questions really cut through the auditory haze.
"What birds have you seen lately?"
"Any life birds this year?"
"When can I go birding with you again?"
Music to my ears! Needless to say, I chatted with the kids for a few minutes as they finished their work.
Day 32 - Mon Oct 22:Pop Quiz! Oh, the joys of teaching!
For extra credit on one group's quiz, they had to tell me why we celebrated several weeks ago. Virtually all of them remembered that I saw a "life bird" or new hummingbird. A few of them were even able to specify the Calliope Hummingbird.
Day 31 - Fri Oct 19: I routinely give students goofy nicknames. It's quite common for there to be an avian origin to these names. It really piques their curiosity.
One student's actual name always conjures up images of flocks of Brant bobbing in the back bays of the Jersey Shore. Therefore, her friendly moniker involves those dimintuive geese. Today, I surprise the daylights out of the class by breaking out her namesake - a real mounted Brant!
They were shocked, amazed, and enthralled by the sight. Several days later, I am still fielding questions about that bird!!
Day 30 - Thurs Oct 18:Today's class focused on the Paleolithic Era caves of southern Africa. While discussing Border Cave, I hopped up onto a desk to model advantages of living on a cliff. A quick witted kid joked, "he's gonna try and fly!"
We turned the conversation into the advantages birds have when soaring high, they were hitting key things like seeing prey further away and avoiding predators. The students then easily discussed the benefits of living on a cliff.
Day 29 - Wed Oct 17: I was exceedingly busy today getting ready for our first Student Council meeting today. My students could tell I was overloaded with my mental To Do list. As I was printing out the final agenda for the meeting, the calls of passing Killdeer echoed through my room. In that instant, I was transported to another mental place. One with grasspipers galore - Killdeer, Buff-breasted Sandpipers, and Upland Sandpipers.
Arrving at the meeting a fw minutes later, one of the students said, "Mr. Mag, did you just see a bird?"
"Not exactly. I just heard a Killdeer fly over the soccer field though. Why?"
The blunt reply made me chuckle, "You were grumpy all day but now you have a huge smile. It must have been a bird!"
Day 28 - Tues Oct 16: Some of my former students stopped by during homeroom this morning. They were entertaining my 6th graders with goofy stories about me from last year. One of the formers blurted out, "it's was always cool when Mr, Mag found a new bird!"
This was met by a current student's immediate response "Yeah! We just celebrated one of his life bird's last week!"
There's a nice ring to young kids using birding jargon ;)
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
P2F - Words of Appreciation
Day 27 - Mon Oct 15: When I checked my messages this morning, I was surprised to hear the voice of a parent from last year's class.
I gave a young lady a flyer about the raptor presentation last week. This mother was calling to apologize for not being able to make it to the show. She expressed how much "the whole family" would have enjoyed it but also explained the hectic schedule of extra-curricular activities and work schedules.
Then came the real heart-warming part of the message . . .
She explained just how much her daughters (yes, plural) miss hearing and talking about birds in my class. Her message closed with a thank you for geting the girls so interested in to birds and nature!
I gave a young lady a flyer about the raptor presentation last week. This mother was calling to apologize for not being able to make it to the show. She expressed how much "the whole family" would have enjoyed it but also explained the hectic schedule of extra-curricular activities and work schedules.
Then came the real heart-warming part of the message . . .
She explained just how much her daughters (yes, plural) miss hearing and talking about birds in my class. Her message closed with a thank you for geting the girls so interested in to birds and nature!
P2F - Hayride Hawks
Day 26 - Fri Oct 12: I found myself on a pumpkin picking trip with my daughter's kindergarten class this morning. Birding with 20 five-year-olds can be more than a bit daunting but I took a few openings.
On the hayride to the pumpkin patch, I actively scanned (sans bins!) for familiar silhouettes. The first species to soar into view was our most common buteo. I eagerly pointed out the Red-tailed Hawk to the students and other parent chaperones. Even the most "energetic" little one stopped to gawk at the sizable raptor soaring over the fields. Over the next few minutes, the parents were asking questions about hawks and birds in general.
Later in the day, a nice group of swallows were dipping and banking over the fields. Again, I seized the moment and shared it with everyone around. Several of the kids got a real kick out of watching these mini-jets doing their thing!
Are the kindergarten student now birders? Of course not! However, they really enjoyed watching the birds. A cinder has drifted into their consciousness. With a bit more effort, it could spark their interest!
I plan to be sending in a bird book basket for the class in the next few weeks = )
On the hayride to the pumpkin patch, I actively scanned (sans bins!) for familiar silhouettes. The first species to soar into view was our most common buteo. I eagerly pointed out the Red-tailed Hawk to the students and other parent chaperones. Even the most "energetic" little one stopped to gawk at the sizable raptor soaring over the fields. Over the next few minutes, the parents were asking questions about hawks and birds in general.
Later in the day, a nice group of swallows were dipping and banking over the fields. Again, I seized the moment and shared it with everyone around. Several of the kids got a real kick out of watching these mini-jets doing their thing!
Are the kindergarten student now birders? Of course not! However, they really enjoyed watching the birds. A cinder has drifted into their consciousness. With a bit more effort, it could spark their interest!
I plan to be sending in a bird book basket for the class in the next few weeks = )
P2F - Spreading Their Own Wings
Day 25 - Thurs Oct 11: One of my most dedicated young birders rushed into my classroom this morning. The 7th grader was out of breath from her lengthy speed walking dash. After taking a brief moment to compose herself, she shared with me (and my homeroom students) her thrilling walk to school.
"Mr. Mag! Mr. Mag! We saw a really cool bird flying over the parking lot. At first, I didn't know exactly what it was. But then I got a better look - it was a KESTREL!!! Can we add it to or school list?!"
She took great pride in adding the new species to our schoolyard year list. As if this wasn't rewarding enough, my 6th grade homeroom students starting asking me questions about the sighting and she was was ansering them - CORRECTLY!
"Mr. Mag! Mr. Mag! We saw a really cool bird flying over the parking lot. At first, I didn't know exactly what it was. But then I got a better look - it was a KESTREL!!! Can we add it to or school list?!"
She took great pride in adding the new species to our schoolyard year list. As if this wasn't rewarding enough, my 6th grade homeroom students starting asking me questions about the sighting and she was was ansering them - CORRECTLY!
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
P2F - Fire Drill Red
Day 24 - Wed Oct 10: Last spring, I shared a post about both vulture species circling overhead during a fire drill. Today, we had some more safety practice birding.
Once safely out of the building and away from the make-believe flames, my instantly drift skyward. Imagine that - a birder looking up on a fall afternoon.
Immediately, the wobbly dihedral is observed circling across the street. In my softest fire drill voice, I share the bird with a few nearby classes (totaling about 60 kids).
To our delight, another bird materialized out of the haze. Before I could say a word, a student said, "there's another one . . . but it looks smaller."
As other classes were returning to the building, we lingered for a bit to work through the identification. Knowing that time was limited, I asked a few quick probing questions of these avian neophytes before giving away the bird's identity:
Red-tailed Hawk.
Despite the time constraints of a pending class change, there was NO WAY that bird was going to go unseen by my students. That would have broken a cardinal rule of mine:
NEVER PASS UP A TEACHABLE HAWKWATCHING MOMENT!
Once safely out of the building and away from the make-believe flames, my instantly drift skyward. Imagine that - a birder looking up on a fall afternoon.
Immediately, the wobbly dihedral is observed circling across the street. In my softest fire drill voice, I share the bird with a few nearby classes (totaling about 60 kids).
To our delight, another bird materialized out of the haze. Before I could say a word, a student said, "there's another one . . . but it looks smaller."
As other classes were returning to the building, we lingered for a bit to work through the identification. Knowing that time was limited, I asked a few quick probing questions of these avian neophytes before giving away the bird's identity:
Red-tailed Hawk.
Despite the time constraints of a pending class change, there was NO WAY that bird was going to go unseen by my students. That would have broken a cardinal rule of mine:
NEVER PASS UP A TEACHABLE HAWKWATCHING MOMENT!
P2F - Preying for New Birders
Day 23 - Tues Oct 9:A well known raptor expert is rolling into town Thursday night and with him comes his magnificent birds of prey menagerie.
The flyer was enshrined on my bulletin board this morning. I also announced the event in each of my classes throughout the day.
I thought about offering it as an extra credit opportunity but not quite sure that would be ethical.
Well . . .
From a purely bird educator vantage point, virtually any incentive to get kids in proximity to birds could be ethical. However, in the somewhat authoritative role of teacher, offering extra credit for students to attend an event outside of school is not so ethical.
One reason is not all the kids would NOT have the same opportunity to get there. Many have extra-curricular commitments. Others do not have transportation available. Some simply have no interest.
The main reason for not offering extra credit for this special presentation, however, is that would be pushing my passion on them. Pushing people into things has a negative effect on their perception of the activity.
Show them the door. Give them the key. Even open the door for them. Providing access to something is wonderful. But once you push them through the door, it can really backfire! Be it temporary or everlasting, you surely risk souring their taste for birds.
I will remind them about the "show" in my best salesman mode on Thursday though.
Besides, yesterday's Calliope Hummingbird celebration can be revisited for extra credit on Friday's test. It was discussed in class so that's fair game!!
The flyer was enshrined on my bulletin board this morning. I also announced the event in each of my classes throughout the day.
I thought about offering it as an extra credit opportunity but not quite sure that would be ethical.
Well . . .
From a purely bird educator vantage point, virtually any incentive to get kids in proximity to birds could be ethical. However, in the somewhat authoritative role of teacher, offering extra credit for students to attend an event outside of school is not so ethical.
One reason is not all the kids would NOT have the same opportunity to get there. Many have extra-curricular commitments. Others do not have transportation available. Some simply have no interest.
The main reason for not offering extra credit for this special presentation, however, is that would be pushing my passion on them. Pushing people into things has a negative effect on their perception of the activity.
Show them the door. Give them the key. Even open the door for them. Providing access to something is wonderful. But once you push them through the door, it can really backfire! Be it temporary or everlasting, you surely risk souring their taste for birds.
I will remind them about the "show" in my best salesman mode on Thursday though.
Besides, yesterday's Calliope Hummingbird celebration can be revisited for extra credit on Friday's test. It was discussed in class so that's fair game!!
P2F - Calliope Celebration
Day 2 - Mon Oct 8: Time to bite the bullet!
I have been celebrating life birds with my students for years. It's usually in the form of a small treat. In the event of a mega-rarity or milestone number, it oculd even be a ful fledged party. My Calliope Hummingbird in Cape May County on Saturday definitely heralded in a shopping trip to get some celebratory supplies.
With legislation now limiting junk food at school, my selection process became much more difficult than previous years. I'm not complaining at all. It's just that healthier options are tough to find in large enough quantities to distribute to 140 middle school students.
Anyway, the first few minutes of each class on Monday were devoted to the Calliope Hummingbird. I launched prezels across the room to every smiling student. As it was our first celebration of the year, I explained the concept of a "life bird". Then, showed them a few slides of male Calliopes and related information.
Needless to say, most of them were impressed by the sheer beauty of the bird. They were further intrigued by its status as the smallest North American bird. The stats were translated into school supplies. It's as long as a piece of chalk. It weighs about as much as three large paper clips. After seeing the range maps of this tiny Western visitor, the kids were nothing less than amazed by its incredible journey!
Each of the classes hurled great questions at me. Some were expected inquires such as "Is it going to fly back home?" and "how did you know it would be there?". Others took me slightly off gaurd. One surprise was, "why and how do its feathers get so shiny?"
I could not have been more pleased with the result on my investment of healthy goodies. I usually try to light a spark of interest every day. Today, we almost had to evacuate the building and callin the local fire department!
"
I have been celebrating life birds with my students for years. It's usually in the form of a small treat. In the event of a mega-rarity or milestone number, it oculd even be a ful fledged party. My Calliope Hummingbird in Cape May County on Saturday definitely heralded in a shopping trip to get some celebratory supplies.
With legislation now limiting junk food at school, my selection process became much more difficult than previous years. I'm not complaining at all. It's just that healthier options are tough to find in large enough quantities to distribute to 140 middle school students.
Anyway, the first few minutes of each class on Monday were devoted to the Calliope Hummingbird. I launched prezels across the room to every smiling student. As it was our first celebration of the year, I explained the concept of a "life bird". Then, showed them a few slides of male Calliopes and related information.
Needless to say, most of them were impressed by the sheer beauty of the bird. They were further intrigued by its status as the smallest North American bird. The stats were translated into school supplies. It's as long as a piece of chalk. It weighs about as much as three large paper clips. After seeing the range maps of this tiny Western visitor, the kids were nothing less than amazed by its incredible journey!
Each of the classes hurled great questions at me. Some were expected inquires such as "Is it going to fly back home?" and "how did you know it would be there?". Others took me slightly off gaurd. One surprise was, "why and how do its feathers get so shiny?"
I could not have been more pleased with the result on my investment of healthy goodies. I usually try to light a spark of interest every day. Today, we almost had to evacuate the building and callin the local fire department!
"
Sunday, October 7, 2007
P2F - Calliope Curiosity
Day 21 - Fri Oct 5: The curiosity noted above is mine! A few days ago, a male Calliope Hummingbird was discovered in a Cape May County yard. Naturally, I shared my burning desire to see this bird with my students.
Near the end of one of my classes, we discussed our plans for the weekend. Students had family parties, soccer games, and the usual pre-adolescent fair on tap. I piqued their curiosity by saying "wish me luck this weekend!"
I explained that I would be looking for our smallest North American bird and shared with them how far from "home" this tiny little bird has traveled. The reactions were mized. Most were confused. Others was amazed. A few could care less = (
Well, the bird was added to my life list on Saturday! Monday is my first life bird celebration with this year's students!!
Near the end of one of my classes, we discussed our plans for the weekend. Students had family parties, soccer games, and the usual pre-adolescent fair on tap. I piqued their curiosity by saying "wish me luck this weekend!"
I explained that I would be looking for our smallest North American bird and shared with them how far from "home" this tiny little bird has traveled. The reactions were mized. Most were confused. Others was amazed. A few could care less = (
Well, the bird was added to my life list on Saturday! Monday is my first life bird celebration with this year's students!!
P2F - Hear the Tea Kettle?!
Day 20 - Thurs Oct 4: An previous P2F post shared the quacking, clucking, and tweeting lunch table. Today there were new developments . . .
Lunch was going very smoothly today so I was able to mingle with each table a little bit. When I reached my onomatopoetic young ladies, I gave them an unofficial assignment. They could make bird noises when I walked by BUT the noises have to be authentic bird songs. They loked at me as if I sprouted another head or a set of wings. I gave them a simple example.
We talked about Carolina Wren which are readily found in the township and right at school. I described the cute little operatic star with a long string of adjectives to help them draw a mental picture. Then, one of them asked, "what sound does it make?"
After hearing the "tea-kettle, tea-kettle, tea-kettle" mnemonic, they were convinced that my mind was gone along with most of their lunch period.
I hope they join us for a morning walk sometime soon so they can hear it for themselves.
Lunch was going very smoothly today so I was able to mingle with each table a little bit. When I reached my onomatopoetic young ladies, I gave them an unofficial assignment. They could make bird noises when I walked by BUT the noises have to be authentic bird songs. They loked at me as if I sprouted another head or a set of wings. I gave them a simple example.
We talked about Carolina Wren which are readily found in the township and right at school. I described the cute little operatic star with a long string of adjectives to help them draw a mental picture. Then, one of them asked, "what sound does it make?"
After hearing the "tea-kettle, tea-kettle, tea-kettle" mnemonic, they were convinced that my mind was gone along with most of their lunch period.
I hope they join us for a morning walk sometime soon so they can hear it for themselves.
P2F - Magnifying the Situation
Day 19 - Wed Oct 3: During one of my classes, I recognized a familiar optics company logo on a student's t-shirt. The student did not know the "significance" of the company. I asked the other students if they were familiar with the name. After getting nothing close to the answer, I explained that it was a very famous optics company that makes terrific (and expensive) birding binoculars.
After class, a few students asked me about it. I shared with them some optics talk and showed a few different pairs that I always keep in my room.
There were a bunch of other birdy things today as well. This one just struck me as a bit different!
After class, a few students asked me about it. I shared with them some optics talk and showed a few different pairs that I always keep in my room.
There were a bunch of other birdy things today as well. This one just struck me as a bit different!
P2F - Teacher's Resource
Day 18 - Tues Oct 2: NJEA Review was distributed to tens of thousands NJ teachers today. The attention grabbing cover featured an imposing Bald Eagle headshot. The cover story was about the benefits of brding for students strategies to integrate birding throughout the curriculum.
I hope you find "This Class is for the Birds" to be helpful!
Coworkers from my school were coming up to me al day (and the rest of the week) to chat about the article and talk birds. Teachers from other schools within the district were e-mailing their words of congratulations on the article.
I think this would count towards my Pledge to Fledge commitment for the day.
I hope you find "This Class is for the Birds" to be helpful!
Coworkers from my school were coming up to me al day (and the rest of the week) to chat about the article and talk birds. Teachers from other schools within the district were e-mailing their words of congratulations on the article.
I think this would count towards my Pledge to Fledge commitment for the day.
Monday, October 1, 2007
P2F - What a morning!
Day 17- Mon. Oct. 1: A new month means time to flip my bird calendar!
I had many students volunteer for this coveted job. The "chosen one" took great pride in turning to October. She was told to pick a favorite bird for the new month.
"I like the bright yellow one with the little black hat."
I confirmed her choice, "ahh - the American Goldfinch is a nice bird!"
Another student chimed in, "isn't that our state bird?"
The next few minutes dealt with our state birds and other species from the calendar that can be found it NJ - all but 3 of them!
I had many students volunteer for this coveted job. The "chosen one" took great pride in turning to October. She was told to pick a favorite bird for the new month.
"I like the bright yellow one with the little black hat."
I confirmed her choice, "ahh - the American Goldfinch is a nice bird!"
Another student chimed in, "isn't that our state bird?"
The next few minutes dealt with our state birds and other species from the calendar that can be found it NJ - all but 3 of them!
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