"Teacher Talk" with Ken Newton
All about education in Elementary and Middle School for the 21st Century Student, Teacher, and Parent.
"Teacher Talk" with Ken Newton
Episode 2- "My Amazing Students"
As a teacher on the cusp of completing my 28th lap around the academic track, I've collected a trove of stories—one for each vibrant year, each unique classroom. This episode is no ordinary reflection; it's a celebration of a journey adorned with the creativity and growth of students from their first letters to their first leaps into pre-adolescence. We waltz through the lively dynamics of our maker space and unravel the distinct charm each grade brings to the educational tapestry, from the wide-eyed wonder of kindergarten to the burgeoning independence of sixth grade.
Joining me in this auditory class picture are two of my fifth-grade standouts, Sienna and Allie. They step up to the mic with the ease of seasoned storytellers, sharing their candid takes on what lights up their school days—from the anticipation of field trips to the eureka moments in tackling tough subjects like math. As their teacher, I beam with pride, not just at their articulation but at their embodiment of 21st-century learners—eager, innovative, and unafraid to color outside the lines. Tune in for a heartfelt finale where we cast a hopeful gaze at the future, rooting for every student to find joy and unleash their boundless creativity throughout their educational voyage.
Alright, good morning. Ladies and gentlemen, mr Newton, here. I am here with my awesome class. Hello class. They are awesome young people, crazy to believe I'm in year 28 of my teaching. Holy Waka Moli, I'm in year 28 and year 28 has been absolutely a dream. These are amazing, creative, incredibly talented young people. Ironically, we're in our maker space right now, giving them time to be creative.
Speaker 1:But looking back at my career, wow, where do I begin? I've taught every grade except fourth grade, and every grade is very special. In my book. I'm starting with kindergarten in the summer. I started my career in first grade and each grade lends itself well to just adding so much to their academics, and I always strive to give kids a chance to be creative. Hence we're in maker space right now. Looking back, I remember my first grade classes. We'll teach them how to read second grade classes, third grade classes, all the way up to fourth, fifth and sixth.
Speaker 1:So for today's episode, I'd like to talk to a couple of my students and get their take on how school is, see if they enjoy creative opportunities. And hope you enjoy today's episode. We'll be back after the next break, all right? Hey, mr Newton, back here, and we're here with them, a couple of my students. I have a Santa to my left and Miss Allie to my right, and I want to talk to them about what makes fifth grade cool. If they want to, they can share about how previous classes were, allow them to be creative, what they look forward to in their future. So we'd love to hear their take on what fifth grade is all about and whatever other two cents they want to share about just why school is cool and what makes school fun. So, miss Sienna, let's hear from you.
Speaker 2:What contributes to making fifth grade fun is the teacher you have. I know Mr Newton is an amazing teacher and he makes fifth grade really fun. Another thing that makes fifth grade cool and fun is our field trips. I know we have one field trip coming up which really contributes to the awesome aspect of fifth grade.
Speaker 1:So articulate. I appreciate it. That's awesome. Miss Allie, to my right, she's my DJ today. Ladies and gentlemen, I want to hear from her what makes school fun and creative and cool, and if you want to share what how previous grades have been, or, looking forward to your future, what you look forward to. So this is Miss Allie.
Speaker 3:Hey guys. So I think that school is really fun because you can be with your friends a lot. And I know that some people don't love school a whole much because you know it's kind of hard to learn, but, trust me, once you get the hang of it, it's actually a lot of fun to do these things that were hard to do before. I know with me that is math, because math is super hard for me. But once I learn how to do it it's a lot easier and I'm really looking forward to future grades so that I can learn a bit more and so that in the future it's easier to do. So yeah, that's my two cents.
Speaker 1:Again. You see, friends, how articulate and how amazing my classes and my two guests are for today. So in the last section, last segment of our show today, we'll talk about what we do in class, what we've done, what we'd like to do in the future, and just talk about why students are just so amazing. So I will catch you in the last segment. Thank you Awesome. Hey. Friends, we are back for our final segment of why students are amazing.
Speaker 1:In the last segment you heard from two of my students and I think you'd agree. They're absolutely amazing, and I wanted to kind of end our episode today really talking about the 21st century student. I truly hope they get an opportunity to be creative, whether it's in kindergarten or first or all the way up to sixth grade and even junior high to high school. There are so many great educational technology programs that really feed into students' love of learning. I hope every student at school has a chance to explore their creativity and just see how school can be so much fun.
Speaker 1:I have been blessed with such amazing students over the years. I think back when I first started teaching kids how important reading is and, as time has gone on, shown them how important Dr Seuss is with literacy, and now, as I enter my techie age, it's really just showing kids how amazing learning is. And with educational technology, friends, the sky is the limit. So I hope you've enjoyed today's episode why students are amazing, and I'm going to leave you with just give kids a chance. Give kids a chance to be creative, give kids a chance to explore and, as I visited Apple about four years ago, really again allowed them to be creative. Have a wonderful rest of your day, friends, and we'll catch you in episode number three.