The Daily Grind

I, too, Fix Education

2012-01-26T10:46:00.001-08:00

With great respect for Langston Hughes, and because I am not much of a poet, I have adapted his powerful poem "I, too, Sing America" for the feeling of neglect many of today's teachers feel as everyone but us seems to be charting the course of public education.

I, too, Fix Education

I, Too, fix Education
I am the classroom teacher.
They write me off for lack of degrees
When reformers come,
But I teach,
And smile strong,
And connect.

Tomorrow,
I’ll join the dialogue
When reformers come.
They won’t presume to
Say to me,
“ You are status quo,”
Then.

Besides,
They’ll see how important I am
And recognize—

I, too, fix Education

Cougar

2012-01-24T17:10:00.000-08:00

"Im holding on too tight. I've lost the edge," is how Cougar says it. And I can't help but wonder whether or not Cougar and I have something in common.
I like Bill Gates and all his foundation is doing for public education. But I'm growing tired of the theory that students succeed based on the ability of their teacher. Good teacher matter, that is true. But sometimes, good teachers make no difference at all because students are people and not data points. I believe in merit pay. I believe in school reform. But I don't know how to solve the bad student cohort problem.
Last year, I taught my Honors, College Prep, and Fundamental level students in much the same way. All three groups outperformed their peers on state exams. This year, my two college prep classes are performing at, or below, the Fundamental level students from last year.
Did I suddenly become bad? Have I lost the edge? Do I need to turn in my wings?

Nicholas Kristoff should teach

2012-01-12T13:59:00.000-08:00

Yet another really smart opinion person (Nicholas D. Kristoff) has something to say about education, because, you know, if you went to school, you are an expert. Kristoff wrote about the value of a "great" teacher, while also showing the negative effects of a "bad" teachers. So, here is a somewhat satirical response, which the New York Times should publish:

Imagine receiving your 10th grade English class list a week before school starts and it is filled with repeat 9th grade students who are known for their boorish behavior. What should you do.

Quit!

You can’t really do that, but an astonishing amount of evidence suggests that the difference between a well-mannered, responsible group of students and group of lazy, disrespectful students has long-lasting results. Having a miserable group of students raises your chance of depression by 9 percent, and you will be 20 percent less likely to enjoy your profession. Each year of such a class will cost you $1,100 in deductibles and copays for counseling, as well as $400 for copays on anxiety and anti-depressant prescriptions. Amazingly, a great class of students will save the average teacher 3% per year, thus allowing them to purchase more student materials that the school district no longer pays for.

The study, by real teacher and not elitist theorists holed up in a university, discovered that if a great class in not coming, teachers should take a sabbatical. The benefits to the teacher’s health and family far exceeds the public need to babysit unruly children.

Astonishingly, a “bad” group of students has the same effect as repeatedly bullying and humiliating an individual five days a week. Parents would never allow that to happen to their child, so the reasons why we allow our teachers to endure such viciousness remains unclear. Researchers found that teachers who are asked to deal with such abuse should receive a $100,000 bonus and be awarded educational sainthood.

Our decaying societal values of courtesy, respect, and hard-work is the most significant disease in America’s overall well-being. And this frustration is exacerbated by politicians and media outlets who don’t have the intestinal fortitude to confront the issue. Those big voices have all types of Woebegone theories and more than ludicrous pontifications, but are ignoring the most basic reality facing failing schools.

This experiential research should force intelligent people to think before they speak (or act for that matter), because who better to illustrate the truth about the daily grind of teaching.

Quite simply, the teachers. Or in another way to answer the same questions, not people who don’t teach. The reality is that money isn’t going to make teachers happier, or that reducing class sizes will make them happier either.

One of the truths about school reform is that great teachers are willing to accept responsibility for both their success and failure, but those in charge of school reform, or just write about it, have not put equal responsibility on the students and families who seem to think being lazy and disrespectful is an acceptable approach to education.

Imagine a world in which the top 5 percent of discipline problems in a school could be replaced by average students. Estimates indicate that each class period would gain 7.5 minutes of actual instruction time, amounting to 22.5 more hours of real learning in a healthy environment per year.

Now that would be worth pontificating about.

Teacher Swap

2012-01-08T06:46:00.000-08:00

A few years back ABC ran the reality show Wife Swap. A recent article summarizing the new Celebrity Wife Swap caught my attention only because I didn't realize the show was still being aired. But as is typical of me, I looked to make a self-to-text connection. And so I did. The result is a new reality show: Teacher Swap. I've suggested teacher reality shows before--Hell's Classroom and a cheap knock-off of Survivor. But this one, I really think could happen.
According to all of the research, and so many newspaper articles, great teachers raise test scores. We all know that teh best test scores exist in the most affluent towns in Connecticut.

Therefore, I propose we swap teachers from affluent suburban high schools with teachers from poverty stricken urban schools. This social experiment would certainly be as entertaining as Celebrity Wife Swap, wouldn't it? Watching entrenched suburban teachers have to respond to the types of student behaviors experienced in urban schools or the complete lack of materials or space would be both heart-wrenching and humorous. Seeing despondant urban teachers, who have been abused by politicians and media outlets, suddenly rediscover the joy of teaching while enjoying engaged students who are eager to learn would be both instructive and satisfying.

Of course, society doesn't want to see this. It is much easier, much neater to blame the urban teacher for low test scores and high suspension rates. If America will watch shows like Celebrity Wife Swap or The Real World, couldn't someone please make Teacher Swap a reality show?

Blame it on the teach...

2011-11-09T15:56:00.000-08:00

Okay, confession here is needed. I believe that there are some mediocre teachers, some pathetic teachers, some good teachers, some great teachers....
But could we please stop with tired blame the teachers mantra?
Connecticut superintendents want to eliminate teacher tenure in favor of five year contracts. In the past, I've railed against tenure. That won't change. Tenure protects some bad teachers. The new proposal works as follows "At the end of every five-year increment, a teacher who is not meeting expectations could be dismissed." Great.
But, come on, really? How can a group of supposedly well-educated individuals sit there and propose changes to the way teachers are treated in regards to success and failure, and fail to hold themselves accountable?
Where is the proposal that a school district which fails for two years must replace its superintendent? The fact remains that too many education leaders are nothing more than mindless sheep, unwilling to think critically for themselves...and more than likely, unable to cut it in today's classroom.

Somewhere over the Rainbow

2011-10-04T17:26:00.000-07:00

I am in crisis. I am questioning my ability as a teacher. I am questioning my desire to teach.

At first, I thought it was a funk. However, four weeks in to the year, and I am seriously considering what else an English teacher is qualified to do. So, I took the advice of someone important to me and tried to rediscover why I teach. Therefore, I sent the following message to nearly a dozen former students:

So, this feels weird sending, but here's the background. I'm having a hard time deciding if teaching is still for me. A colleague told me to think back to the many students I have enjoyed teaching. Your name came up on my list. I thought you might like to know that.

--Mr. McNamar

Sending the message felt good. Certainly I did not send it to all of my memorable students, but in the end, I was reminded of why I teach.

Theo Epstein Must Be an Education Reformer

2011-10-01T05:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the Boston Red Sox and two time World Series winning manger, Terry Francona, parted ways--in other words, Theo Epstein fired him.
But how does this make Epstein like many in today's education reform movement? The manager of a baseball team, like the teacher in a classroom, can only work with what he is given by others. Francona had flawed players from the beginning, despite the high payroll. So when the Boston Red Sox faltered, leadership decided to fire the manager, despite his history of success. It couldn't have been their fault, and they can't get rid of their players (guaranteed contracts).
The players, like our students, have the guarantee to be on the team. For them, their willingness to put forth the appropriate effort to succeed rests squarely on themselves. If a pitcher under contract chooses to allow himself to get out of pitching shape, he can't lose his money. If a student chooses to not do his homework, he can't lose his opportunity to be educated. In the case of Francona, he became the scapegoat for the mistakes of the players and the mistakes of team management. In the case of the teachers, we become the scapegoat for the mistakes of our students and the mistakes of central office.
Epstein did what so many education reformers do, he blamed the wrong person. The team was flawed, yet he expected his manager to fix it. But in the case of a baseball team and a classroom, the product is not inanimate, it is living and breathing, and most of all, it is willful.
So, despite Francona's long history of success with motivating players and managing the game well, Epstein looked at the failure of this cohort as evidence that Francona must be the problem. His research, much like the research in education, focused only on numbers and data points. It ignored the human element.

What Curriculum?

2011-09-25T16:37:00.000-07:00

Three years ago, I created a Sports Literature course as a Senior elective. The course offered the opportunity to explore culture and sports through novels like The Sun Also Rises and non-fiction like Friday Night Lights. Though sports are a part of those two texts, the greater value comes from the themes they present to the reader. Interestingly, The Sun Also Rises has a Lexile score of 610 and Friday Night Lights comes in at 1260. Readability has rarely been an issue in the four previous semesters.
However, it seems that this year the elective course is filling the role of credit recovery. It is already clear that these two central texts to the course will be problematic for the majority of the students. So I am left scrambling to figure out what to do. The secondary problem is that very few of the students are into sports--or doing homework.
This leaves me wondering what to do when the curriculum for a course is absolutely not going to work for the students placed into the course.

Living the Dream

2011-09-13T15:21:00.000-07:00

A few years ago a good friend of mine founded a charter school in New York City. Inwood Academy for Leadership is looking to continue its success and grow its brand. Please check out his blog at Strongschoolculture.
My own hope was that this year I could focus on a professional growth plan directed at improving the school culture in my own building. Unfortunately the powers that be think all teachers in our building should focus our professional growth plan on their expensive new intervention toy. So much for differentiation.

Forgive me, for I am about to sin.

2011-09-04T16:49:00.000-07:00

Via Joanne Jacobs, I came across Scott Carroll's piece on what made him successful. While my district, and many like it, tell me, the teacher, that it is my ability to differentiate and my ability to teach vocabulary that will make a student achieve, Carroll insists that the family structure is even more important.
What I like about Carroll is his insistence on the fact that it doesn't take a college degree to understand the importance of reading to your child or expecting that homework is done. It doesn't require advanced learning to teach responsibility.
My own parents, who did not graduate from college, read to us constantly; and I can't imagine my parents ever allowing me to disrespect another human being, or a bathroom stall.
Yes, I know. I am in direct violation of the "progressive" education movements. I shall go to confession and confirm that my sin is ever before me.

A Letter to My Daughter

2011-09-01T03:29:00.001-07:00

Dear Tate,

Today is your first day of Kindergarten. Yes, you have attended pre-school for two years, but this is different. For one, you will have to ride the bus, or as your uncle and I used to call it, the "Cheese Wagon."
I know you are excited, but I can also sense your anxiety. You are wondering whether you'll be big enough; you are afraid it might be too hard. Daddy is wondering whether all of the teaching your mom and I have already done will withstand the influences of the other kids.
Every day since we started bringing you to pre-school, I have told you this: Be kind, compassionate, and polite; and, I love you. Now I'd like to add to that: Try your best and take risks.
Even though all of the research is trending towards boys performing less than girls, schools can still be a place of limitations. Someone is going to tell you that "Girls can't do that" or "That is for boys." But you know better. Be the Pioneer Princess that you already are. Continue to be great at math. Keep being curious about science. Never let a chance to read something pass you by. Create a story. Express yourself artistically. Embrace a challenge.
So there you have it, babygirl. What it comes down to is this, be you.

I love you.

Sincerely,

Dad

Time to Engage our Youth

2011-08-13T05:42:00.000-07:00

Watch the full episode. See more PBS NewsHour.

What I found fascinating about this PBS NEWSHOUR production was the student engagement. The unfortunate part of school reform is that it rarely takes the time to listen to the most important part of any reform--the students.

How would school reform look and feel if the most troublesome, the most disengaged students were brought into the forum. As it stands, very few teachers are actually brought into the forum. The education reform movement has marginalized students as nothing more than a demographic statistic and the ensuing data points. It has marginalized teachers as nothing more than overpaid, underqualified whiners and the sum of the student data results.

As always, it is important for me to state my belief in a need for reforms. There are teachers who are not qualified and who are overpaid (for what they produce). There are students who are not going to buy in and who are not going to college (even if they wanted to).

In this upcoming school year, I want my professional growth plan to focus on school culture. It is my hypothesis that academic performance will improve when our students want to be in our building. To find out what will keep our students in the building, we must engage our students in dialogue. We also must be aware of a reality--students at failing schools have developed a distrust of most adults in charge. They have been marginalized for so long that they won't have that immediate trust simply because we come to them. But if we don't go to them, there is no amount of money, no number of new programs, no special masters capable of enacting any long-term and real reform.

Remove Bad Politicians

2011-08-07T13:05:00.000-07:00

Let's be clear: bad teachers should not be in the classroom. But while it is popular for politicians, our President included, to want to get rid of poorly performing teachers, the mindset doesn't appear to be appropriate for, say, Timothy Geithner.
President Obama has said about teachers, " Let me be clear: if a teacher is given a chance but still does not improve, there is no excuse for that person to continue teaching. I reject a system that rewards failure and protects a person from its consequences. The stakes are too high."
Yet Mr. Geithner, the economic adviser who has overseen an ongoing recession and the downgrade of our credit rating, will continue through 2012 according the Washington Post.
Hypocritical of our President? You be the judge.

Adamowski Salary

2011-08-05T09:00:00.001-07:00

The Hartford Courant reported yesterday that Steven Adamowski will receive $225,000 to guide Windham Public Schools.
This coming school year, Windham teachers will not receive a raise. Windham schools showed improved test scores this past year without the help of Mr. Adamowski--although it is worth mentioning that I have great respect for the change he helped bring to Hartford Public Schools as their Superintendent. Mr. Adamowski will offer the district insights, but I can't support such a lavish salary considering the fact that Windham teachers are among the lowest paid in Connecticut.
I would like Windham teachers to be rewarded for their success last year, just as Adamowski is being rewarded for his previous success.
I don't teach because of the money, and I haven't complained nearly as often as some teachers about the low pay. But when, after eight years of teaching, I will only earn 20% of what our policy consultant earns, with no guarantee of success, I lose spirit.

2011-08-03T07:23:00.000-07:00

Damon suggests that teachers teach because they want to, adding that they wouldn't take a "shitty" paying job if they didn't want to do the job. He adds that the current problem with education reform is the business world mentality that fails to account for the complexities involved in educating today's students.
Damon demonstrates perfectly the complexities within education reform, though not in the way he hoped. The problem with Damon's rhetoric, and that of many opposed to the current reform trends, is that they speak of teachers in terms of absolutes; it is the same problem many of the current reformists have as well.
That many teachers teach because they want to, because they love to, does not demonstrate a failure of philosophy in the reformist movement. Any rational minded educator must admit that their are plenty of teachers who teach to collect a paycheck and enjoy all the time off--and yes, I accept that teachers do get plenty of time off, though I would also suggest that it is often needed. There are plenty of teachers who have become complacent with their years of service and are now less effective. And there are plenty of teachers coasting until retirement. An honest person cannot dispute this.
Damon and the anti-reformists need to focus on addressing the real failures of philosophy in the reformist camp, mainly the general belief that student learning is mostly dependent on the teacher--though I believe students have a greater chance to learn with an effective teacher.
The reform movement also needs to tone down the rhetoric. That plenty of teachers lack effectiveness does not justify the severity with which the reform movement would like to take action.
Allow me to use a baseball analogy. Theo Epstein, the General Manager of the Boston Red Sox, is the poster-boy for sabermetrics, a deep statistical analysis of virtually every quantifiable aspect of a baseball player. These statistics are then used to place value on a player based on their previous and statistically projected outcomes. In recent years, Epstein has brought players with great statistical outcomes into the Boston market. However, some of those players, who were excellent players, failed to achieve in Boston. Why? Some aspects of a baseball player are not quantifiable. A player's pysche and ability to cope with an intense fan base and intense media scrutiny cannot be found on a statistical chart.
Teaching is very much the same way. While data collection and data analysis can inform us about the effectiveness of a teacher, it cannot account for the intangibles. In this profession, a teacher's outcomes are affected by the students entering the classroom. The students bring with them obstacles that are outside the control of the teacher. Reformists need to accept this before teachers are willing to listen.
Ultimately, as it usually is, the answer lies in the middle of the two camps. Changes need to happen, we must admit this truth. But speaking in absolutes will rarely bring the change that is actually needed.

Back to School Gifts for Teachers

2011-08-02T04:23:00.000-07:00

The back-to-school sales are in full effect, and so are the articles displaying all the great gadgets that students need or want. Now I am wondering what the great gadgets are that teachers need or want. If I were blessed with more cash than I have now, what gift would I give to each of my colleagues at the start of the year?

For the stylish male teacher, I recommend the Lacoste Forest Hills Messenger bag. When it comes to simplicity of style, the white bag and black straps hits the spot. The fresh design might get a little dirty if your district has had to skimp on custodial budgets, so I encourage you to find a solid coat rack to hang your bag.

My classroom, like many, does not have a closet or a coat rack. For the teacher who has limited space for their belongings, a simple Ikea coat rack would make a useful addition to his room. Of course, make sure to place your new coat rack away from where rowdy students have easy access.

In a tough economy, high tech gadgets are definitely not in the budget. For as low as $399, the Optoma-Pico Pocket DLP is a great way to provide your favorite teacher with a basic necessity in today's education environment.
Just make sure to tether it to an object that is not movable. These things will disappear if the opportunity presents itself.

My student teacher from last school year, who is now called "Little Miss Sunshine," suggested that every teacher have plenty of Pilot's Precise V5 series rolling ball point pen. Not a bad idea, except Little Miss Sunshine preferred pink and purple to the standard black ink. For my liking, I suggest, though I don't know if they use the same pen, DoubleTree Hotels' ball-point.

There are plenty of other great gifts for the teacher in your life. But whatever you choose to do, make sure it isn't some hokey mug or pack of stickers. Today's teachers, who are beaten down by the popular rhetoric, need to feel appreciated.

What Would Jesus Do?

2011-07-13T04:40:00.000-07:00

Since Charlie Rangel asked What Would Jesus Do? about the national budget. Yesterday, the CAPT scores were released to the public. I immediately punched in the address and checked them out because I taught sophomores this year and had looped up with about of my students from the year before.

In comparision to the state averages, our scores are still quite low. In comparsion to the year before, our scores increased dramatically. Time to celebrate right? All that talk about teacher effectiveness and how a great teacher makes the difference. Sweet. I must be great. And then I heard Charlie Rangel's question whisper "What Would Jesus Do?" with the four year trend I observed (chart provided).

In 2007-2008, I taught sophomores. That year, 63% of our students met proficiency levels in reading, with 26.5% of our students meeting the state's goal. In writing, 65.3% met proficiency and 33.2% met goal.

During the next two years, I did not teach sophomores, though in 2009-2010 year, I taught freshmen, who were this year's sophomores. In those two years, reading proficiency levels dropped to 55% and 56% respectively, and goals level dropped to 24% and 14%. In writing, a similar drop occurred. Writing proficiency went to 63.2% and 58.8%, and goals level went to 32.4% and 24.4%.

Then came this year's class. my responsibility this year, scored higher than last years. Our reading proficiency level rose to 61.8% and our goals levels came in at 31.5%. In writing, scores were just as good, with proficiency levels at 74.6% and goal levels at 36.7%.

By all accounts we improved dramatically. Except, doesn't the truth have to be told. I am in favor of school reforms, but we need to be honest about what is going on. The State of Connecticut will claim that their involvment helped to improve our scores--except that isn't precisely true. If reformers who blame teachers for student failure are consistent, they will praise the teachers for student success. Thank you very much!

However, the truth is that the 2008 and 2011 cohorts came into our building academically stronger and with fewer behavioral issues. While I would love to take full responsibility for the success, relative to other years, of those students, I, in good conscience, cannot. I do believe I am an effective teacher, I mean, I am highly qualified and all, but I recognize that my students came to me better prepared to learn from me. They played a part in their own success, I played a part in their success, their parents played a part in their succes, the State, um, played a very minor role in their success.

Ultimately, what Jesus would do, is be honest with the public. If Jesus were an educational reformist, he would tell us to go and sin no more. Meaning, he would stop comparing one cohort to the next when reporting about a school's improvement or lack-there-of. He would track the improvement of each cohort because that would be honest. He would give to Caesar what is Caesar's. Meaning, he would give credit to the right people at the right time.

Oh yeah, and he would teach us how to turn water into wine. Meaning, he would give us the miracle making power to transform common students into the most sought after in the world.

Dr. Adamowski

2011-07-07T17:25:00.000-07:00

The Hartford Courant reports that Steven Adamowski will become the "Special Master" of Windham Public Schools. While I have never met Mr. Adamowski, the choice is intriguing on a number of levels.
First, what exactly will his role become over the course of the year. Adamowski is known for helping to turn around Hartford Public Schools, though the actual numbers are still not great. But it can't be denied that Hartford improved during his tenure there. However, one glaring difference between Hartford and Windham lies in the support of education by the town as a whole. In Hartford, everyone could clearly see a problem, and people were generally willing to explore change. That Windham has yet to pass an education budget speaks to the general feel among a loud and vocal part of the town.
Second, how will the district respond to Mr. Adamowski, who seems to have been given a great deal of control by the State. Because President Obama and Secretary Duncan have fostered an atmosphere conducive to blaming teachers for student failure (almost to the exclusion of all else), teachers are predictably wary of yet another outsider heaping scorn on them. Adamowski's relationship with Hartford's teacher union was contentious, especially considering his support of eradicating first in, first out policies--something that he and I would agree on.
Ultimately, I predict modest improvements in Windham unless the system itself is revamped completely. Unfortunately, Windham is too small to break up into magnet schools like Hartford did--though I envision an attempt to create smaller learning communities. Adamowski will bring with him the weight of the State, whatever that means considering the State still does not have an actual Education Commissioner.
I hope that Mr. Adamowski begins with more than just cosmetic shifts. He should recognize that after a year of being abused by the community and the local media, teachers need a leader who will cast a vision and bring hope. We recognize the failures of the past, but we want to enact the type of change that makes us a model of reform.

Is it time?

2011-05-13T16:47:00.000-07:00

I've done this before. It's kind of like Brett Favre and his retirement saga. But I am seriously considering closing up shop here at the Daily Grind. Blogging without a pseudonym is dangerous these days. Administrators across the country are wary of their teachers sharing reality, observations, and opinions.
Certainly I am not as widely read as, say, Joanne Jacobs, but this blog is really more for me to generate thought on my part. The occassional commentor helps me to clarify or delve deeper. I guess we'll see where the weeks ahead take me.

LZ Granderson

2011-05-10T16:49:00.000-07:00

LZ Granderson should stick to sportwriting. He has entered the world of CNN blowhards as an opinion writer whose writing style is informal and reminiscent of his days with ESPN. But today he pissed me off.
In yet another article by an non-educator about how US schools suck, Granderson sticks with the trite. He offers nothing in the way of critical thinking, only regurgitating everything the reformists have been promoting, specifically more time in the classroom.
But when he wrote, "Cutting into summer vacation won't solve all our education problems -- most research points toward the quality of the teacher as the biggest influencer -- but more class time could help," he crossed the line.
The ad hominem attacks on teachers have got to stop. To suggest that student failure is a direct result of teacher efficacy demonstrates an absolute lack of intellectual honesty--something our President has been guilty of as well.
When teachers have a level playing field, urban and suburban districts have very little in common when it comes to student population and funding, then I will be willing to accept the criticism from sports writer to CNN blowhard.
Stick to what you know. And trust me Mr. Granderson, you wouldn't last in the schools you are criticising.

Teaching the Teacher Wrap up

2011-04-30T04:53:00.000-07:00

Outside in the still damp dirt, the tiny grass seeds are just beginning to push up into freedom. My hours of labor are paying off, and the hope of a lush green lawn inspire me. Yesterday, my student teacher wrapped up her final lesson, leaving students disappointed in her departure. But I thought of her this morning as I watered my lawn.
The young teachers we host in our classrooms each fall or spring begin with great promise. The role of the cooperating teacher is to foster that growth. Some teachers smother their learner, trying too hard to control the process. An overbearing, opinionated cooperating teacher can prevent the learner from exploring new techniques and discovering her own persona.
At times this semester, I felt that urge to control. She didn't do things the way I would, mostly because it just didn't fit my personality. She enjoyed creating powerpoints with fancy entrances and effects. My students would often turn to me and gauge my reactions, trying to rile me with questions like, "McNamar, did you really let her do this?" Her use of colored popscicle sticks created an opportunity for my students to tease her while simultaneously teasing me as well.
Some teachers are too uninvolved. They allow the learner to sink or swim, and fail to provide the needed support. Like my lawn, student teachers are often seeking our approval and feedback. To simply ignore them and let them grow up on their own is irresponsible. This was the other end of the spectrum which I struggled with as well.
Trying to strike the right balance is a process which requires the cooperating teacher and the student teacher to develop a trust and rapport. Luckily, my student teacher and I developed that quite early on.
After watching her grow and develop, I learned two important facts:
1. I enjoyed guiding a novice teacher towards a successful career.
2. In order for me to be successful, I would need someone who matched her desire to learn and her maturity.
And one final thought. Throughout the post I referred to "my" students. The appropriate term is "our" students. The world has a GREAT teacher headed its way.

Adults Ruin Everything

2011-04-21T13:10:00.000-07:00

Our Statue of Liberty carries the saying,“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” The city of Norwalk says "Get the %$# out." I know this because they arrested a homeless woman for using her babysitter's address to enroll her child in their school system.
In the world of education, where we are constantly griping about the univolved parents--especially of our poor and minority students--shouldn't we applaud a parent who wants a strong education for her child? I'm no legal expert, but a homeless woman using a babysitter's address just doesn't seem like larceny to me.

Time For a Break

2011-04-16T05:03:00.001-07:00

Spring break is here. My vacation plans: 1. Saturday: Teach and host my daughter's 5th Birthday Party 2. Sunday: Drive to Boston with my daughter 3. Monday: Attend the Patriot's Day Red Sox game with my daughter--her first Fenway trip 4. Tuesday: Tear up my lawn and replant 5. Wednesday: Relax 6. Thursday: Drive to NYC to visit friends 7. Friday: Relax 8. Saturday: Teach 9. Sunday: Relax

State Takeover, the truth.

2011-04-09T05:19:00.000-07:00

I blogged about the State of Connecticut's move to "takeover" Windham Public Schools after reading the Hartford Courant's article. After more information has come out, it appears the word "takeover" is not quite accurate. This Norwich Bulletin article has a better description of what is going to happen. The state appears to be joining the district in a more balanced arrangement of influence. For the past few years, Windham has had advisors from the state helping to guide the transformation. As test scores remain low, the state feels it is time to step up their influence. As I wrote in my previous post, I am still skeptical about what the state can do unless they first focus on improving the schools' climate and the town's approach to education funding. I am in favor of charter schools, and wouldn't be opposed to the state exploring such a possibility. I should have waited until more of the facts came out before writing about the Courant's information.

Additionally, while Windham's test scores need improvement, there seems to be another side of the story, at least if you believe the experience described in this Exxon Mobile commercial.

State Takeover

2011-04-06T15:32:00.000-07:00

The state of Connecticut has clearly demonstrated its ability to manage big time projects. We now run a 3.2 billion dolar deficit, but the State Department of Education will now control Windham Public Schools, according to the Hartford Courant. I'm not sure what this really means, other than the addition of a "special master" to oversee operations. Special is right. I'm willing to give the state the benefit of the doubt, and as an earlier Courant article reported, the district has issues to rectify. But my guess is that the state will come in and do a lot of data meetings which will confirm what we already know--students aren't learning what they need to learn. As I have detailed already, the initial focus of any change needs to be on the school's culture. The second focus needs to be on curriculum. The second piece requires money--something the state doesn't have. My guess is that the state will blame the teachers. It's the popular, and simple-minded thing to do. There will be no focus on informing and influencing parents. No focus on improving school culture. The state will provide professional development that is useless instead of proessional development that is useful. Sorry. There I go with my cynicism. I want to believe. I want the students of Windham Public Schools to perform. I enjoy the underdog status, and can only imagine what it would be like for a a group of poor, minority students to start overcoming their circumstances and move on to college success. Time will tell. But in the time that has been lost, so have too many students.

Starting the Change Process Part 2

2011-04-02T04:33:00.000-07:00

In my first post examinining The Hartford Courant's article "Windham Schools: Moving in the Wrong Direction," I explored three ways underperforming schools can begin to change the culture. Wanting to feel accepted and wanting to feel successful are primary needs for all students. Once a school has established an educational environment where students enjoy their peers and their teachers, then they are ready to learn. But if a school does not have in place a curriculum that will sufficiently challenge the students, the school will continue to fail in the main purpose--educating students. The Courant reports: "Connecticut Mastery Test scores have declined in many areas. The dropout rate is twice the state average. Only half the students are proficient in reading. And the school district has the largest academic achievement gap — the persistent disparity in academic performance between poor students and their more affluent classmates — in the state." I believe that college readiness should be the goal of all school systems. This does not mean all students should attend a four year or two year college. However, we must recognize that our world is increasingly in need of knowledgable and thoughtful workers. Gone are the days when high school graduates could easily earn a decent living at the local A&P. For a public school system which must coordinate its curriculum from Pre-K through 12th grade, college readiness must be the goal. This means that students should receive instruction in what college students need. By the end of high school, a graduate should look as follows: 1. Read and Write at the 12th grade level--this includes having read from "the cannon." 2. History/Civics--students should have a functional understanding of how history has affected our world today, and how, through civic responsibility, each individual plays a role. 3. Science--a graduate should have an understanding of the interconnectedness of human existence and the world around us. The scientific method is as valuable in Chemistry class as it is in solving everyday issues. And yes, they should know that H2O is water. 4. Basic Math--students should come away from high school understanding Algebra and Geometry. Though I would include statistics and life skills math like loan rates, investment rates, and balancing a checkbook. 5. Research Skills--a college ready student knows how to navigate the world of information in order to come to a new understanding. Today's students need a more critical eye when searching for valid sources and differentiating between facts and opinions. 6. Interpersonal Skills--as we become increasingly void of human contact, our graduates will need training in how to interact with real people. They should have plenty of experience in presenting and discussing. 7. Technology--I believe that all of our students should be taking courses which teach about social media and computer programming. The core classes, though, are of most importance to me. We can not allow our students to fall behind as readers at any point in their education. That a student can arrive at high school reading at the third grade level is a tragic failure on the part of those teachers and that school system. Yet, let me be clear. The school alone is not responsibile for the outcomes. A school needs resources, and clearly Windham's residents are not ensuring that their school system is funded according to its needs: "Town residents have balked at education budgets and whittled them down. And alienation has worsened between town officials and the school district and between the community's urban and rural taxpayers." Schools cannot operate properly without proper funding. In order for Windham to fix the academic piece, they will need resources. Certainly, the district should begin by examining every aspect of its budget. Though Windham does spend near the state average per pupil, it should be noted that this district's needs are much greater than the state average. We should also recognize the great role parents need to have in preparing their child for an education. The persistent state of poverty found in Windham has a negative impact on student performance--but that should not be an excuse. However, the district needs to have greater influence on the families sending their children to the schools. Parents have as much culpability in the low test scores as the school system itself has. For Windham to change its academic standing, it will need to make college readiness its focus. In order for that shift to happen, the district will need to have a much stronger parent network active in the community in order to secure resources. The district and the union will need to make sure that all teachers are focused on that goal.

Thoughtful 8th Grader

2011-03-30T14:11:00.000-07:00

My daughter, Tate, begins school next fall. What will her experience be as she navigates the dangers of growing up in an increasingly mean world?

Starting the Change Process

2011-03-27T05:12:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, the Hartford Courant ran a less than educational education article on Windham Public Schools titled "Windham Schools: Moving in the Wrong Directions." Clearly, the Courant felt it necessary to mislead its readers for the sake of selling papers or getting hits on the website. Though the article does express some of the realities of the school district, writer Grace Merritt chose to focus her readers on the visible effects of the many issues, but she failed to connect the dots between them. I've examined the article and found eight areas of foucs: Race, Poverty, Language, Parents, Teachers, Academics, Politics, and School Culture. Of the school culture, the Courant reports: "Teachers grumble that many students are disrespectful and roam the hallways during class... During a recent visit to both schools, some students were wandering in the hallways during class and had to be told by their principal to return to class. A couple of students yelled and cursed loudly as they passed in the hallway... During class, students often text or talk on their phones and sometimes swear at teachers." A school's culture will deteriorate when the norms of the school community are not shared by all. When student groups feel marginalized, or when students do not intereact outside of their group, a school's culture breaks down. Great schools recognize the basic need of human nature, which is to feel community. Windham's school climate issues are in line with many urban schools filled with students who have been marginalized for one reason or another. Certainly the effect, the "disrespectful" and "wandering" students, is visible and problematic. What is less visible, and less likely to get talked about are the causes. We cannot deny that the race, poverty, language, parents, teachers, and academic issues are not interrelated. To simply look at the effect and judge demonstrates a simple minded approach. But what can schools do to help alleviate the negative effects of these intermingling problems? In some ways, public schools should look to their competition for answeres; the charter school movement, and especially the successful ones, recognize that students must want to be at the school if they are to succeed at educating the student. Schools need to make a conscious effort to build their community by focusing on the norms and values they desire. Moreover, this conscious effort must be adopted by every school in the district. To expect a high school to recover the lost years in such a short amount of time demonstrates the type of simple mindedness that leads to state takeovers of schools. Here I offer three simple ways a school or district can begin changing the culture. There are many additional methods (like the Broken Window theory), but I write a blog, not a book.

1. College Attendance
Some don't believe that every student can make it to college, and that by promoting college readiness, we only set those students up for disappointment. While I recognize that not every student is Yale material, or even community college material, we must recognize that today's workforce needs more educated people. Trade schools and certification programs are now valid paths into a career. So, if we need to change the tag from "college ready" to "post-high school training" ready, then fine. Many of the successful charter schools begin promoting college from elementary school. Their hallways are named after universities, college posters hang on their walls. Teachers remind students regularly that the goal is college attendance, and then monitor student behavior always asking if a student's choice will get them into college. This year, I teach a fundamental level class. Almost all of the students read far below grade level, and many have a history of discipline and attendance issues. From the first day of school, they have heard that my job is to prepare them for college. At first many balked at the idea, claiming their track level as an indicator that they were not smart. Have I been successful keeping 100% of this sophomore class focused on learning? No. But, I have watched as even my earliest problems have morphed into more successful students. Will they pass the CAPT? No. But I predict they will have done much better on it than if I hadn't created the climate of success in my room.

2. Relationships
Just as students need to feel that we, the teachers, believe in their academic ability, and will not deviate from that belief, they also need to feel that we like them. Early in a student's career, the classroom teacher has a great ability to influence a young child. Regardless of the student's home-life, the teacher can create an environment where that child feels a sense of connection. Though the amount of time a high school teacher spends with a student is limited by the bell schedule, we still have a chance every day to make students feel accepted. One of the most valuable lessons I have learned over the course of my 8 year career is the art of complimenting. "I like those shoes" or "Hey you got a haircut" show that we notice them. Students who feel noticed, often feel connected. Students who feel connected, often feel successful. Students who feel successful, often are.

3. Autonomy and Influence
I recently walked into a local high school for an event. As I walked in, three students of various genders and ethnicities greeted me at the door. They asked which part of the event I was attending and directed me to that location while also offering to get me a cup of coffee. Throughout the building, student leaders were directing adults and interacting with them professionally and personably. At the school I taught at before coming to Connecticut, student leaders created and implemented pep assemblies, informational assemblies, dances, and whatever else they could get their hands on. The students there bought into the school because the school invested in them. The message was clear: "We believe you can..." Schools with climate issues often don't share that attitude. Their message is "We don't believe you can..." As a result, events are not offered and students aren't taught how to act or behave in professional or personable ways. As the trend continues, a divide happens. The divide causes a distrust between students and faculty. A vibrant school community has a thriving student leadership program which gives autonomy and influence to the students. As students feel trusted, they tend to continue earning that trust. As important as creating autonomous opportunities, schools like Windham, with a high number of Spanish speaking students, should go out of their way to tap into the leaders of its diverse population. Again, so much more can be written about school climate. However, these are three areas that can change immediately if people are willing.

Solving the Problem (Setting the Stage)

2011-03-21T18:05:00.000-07:00

Fixing a failing school district requires thoughtfulness and understanding much more than empty rhetoric and theorizing. So, I wonder what brings a journalist to only explore the world of education on a surface level. According to the Hartford Courant, Windham Public Schools are headed in the wrong direction. At first glance, there may be some truth:

"Connecticut Mastery Test scores have declined in many areas. The dropout rate is twice the state average. Only half the students are proficient in reading. And the school district has the largest academic achievement gap — the persistent disparity in academic performance between poor students and their more affluent classmates — in the state."

Today's political climate, with all of the teacher bashing, might suggest that such scores are simply an output problem. Teachers must care only about seniority and retirement packages; yet, the comprehensive study finds that:

"Despite the school district's challenges, observers say Windham schools have many strong teachers, and most are dedicated and genuinely care about their students."

So then they must simply be incompetent, right? Well, the same study found that "Teachers try to meet the needs, but they just don't have the resources..."

And, truth be told, those needs are daunting:

"In one barometer of poverty, 74 percent of students qualified for a free or reduced-price school lunch last year, a rate that shot up from 57 percent five years earlier."

Add to that, "A third of Windham students now come from homes where English is not the primary language," and a clearer picture begins to take shape. Not only does the district face economic and language challenges, but those very same issues affect the parents. The study also found "limited parental involvement in the schools."

For most districts with similar stories, the combination would be devastating unless the local municipality prioritized education and made serious efforts towards reform. But in addition to a lack of parental involvement and socio-economic challenges, Windham also faces the burden of a community that doesn't act much like a community:

"Despite the population shift, most decision-making power in town remains in the hands of white residents. The state's audits found the Hispanic population has little or no involvement in local politics and government."

The divide is compounded even further by financial differences within the community:

"Town residents have balked at education budgets and whittled them down. And alienation has worsened between town officials and the school district and between the community's urban and rural taxpayers."

Certainly the public has a right to know what is happening within the public schools. Yet, I wonder what the end result of such an article will be. Does it promote thoughtful discourse? If the comments are an indication, probably not. Does the article then promote more unintelligent bashing of teachers?
In the end, I'm not sure what the purpose of the article is. The writer clearly tries to cover a vast expanse of educational issues, leaving everything written at the surface level. What some writers use an entire book for, the Courant has tried to condense to only a few pages. The result is an inflammatory title and little analysis. If the Courant wants to dive into the realm of education reporting, it could at least try to imitate the New York Times or the Washington Post.

Timely Feedback

2011-03-15T16:48:00.000-07:00

One of my long ago friends' father is the world's nicest man. He uses phrases like "oh my gunnysacks" and others I never fully understood. What I recall most fondly about him was his honest appreciation for his wife. On more than one occassion, I had the opportunity to dine with his family, and without fail, my friend's father, after finishing the meal, would declare "Cathy, this was the best...you've ever made." No matter what the meal. Grilled cheese--the greatest. Peanut butter and jelly--the greatest.
It's too bad I'm not like that because my student teacher, who is already competent, and capable of becoming great, needs my regular affirmation. When I student taught, my cooperating teacher rarely praised a lesson, but I always knew he found my work acceptable. Once, after I asked him what he thought about a potential lesson, he only said, "I wouldn't do it that way, but you can try it." After I taught the lesson, he asked for a copy; but, he never said it was good.
The funny thing is, for as much as she wants to know if I approve of her teaching, I am wondering if I am providing her with the guidance and experience she needs.

Empowerment

2011-03-12T04:54:00.000-08:00

During our CAPT days, I've been working my way through John Merrow's The Influence of Teachers: Reflections on Teaching and Leadership. Although the regular monitoring of students has slowed down my read, one chapter, "Serious Fun?" forced me to evaluate the methods of the two schools I've taught at.

The first school looks as follows:

There, a true partnership between students and faculty existed. Merrow discusses Ted Sizer's belief "that schools...should be democratically run, and that high school kids should be part of the leadership."

Once, after I had moved, I had the opportunity to visit that school during what turned out to be a spirit day. The majority of the student body were participating by wearing school colors or class colors. When I taught there, I recall the nearly monthly assemblies or pep rallies, all of which were led by student leaders. They planned and oversaw each activity. That campus had a palpable heartbeat shared by so many of the faculty and students.

My current school looks as follows:

The difference in student commitment to this school could not be any more different than my previous school. Students are disinterested in their education, and indifferent or even disdainful toward school spirit. Now, it should be noted that there are a few who desperately want a great education and a great community, but they seem to be in the minority.

Here, students are not given the opportunity to come together or to lead each other. We have had one all-school pep assembly, which happened during our homecoming week. My sophomore class officers and cabinet helped me put together a pre-CAPT pep assembly that went as well as it could considering we were celebrating a test! We received great feedback from students and teachers.

If my current school stepped out and took the risk of truly engaging students in leadership roles, could we turn around the ever-growing negativity which permeates our hallways? And ultimately, what is getting in our way?

Do we fear that "these" students will not know how to behave? Do we fear giving up control to teenagers? Do we think the current building atmosphere is positive and empowering?

Students will act how we expect them to act. If we took the time to collectively teach, monitor, and enforce our expectations, our students will generally conform. Yes, some students will still make poor choices. That's when strong leadership deals with the student accordingly. We like control. I know I do. This is a constant struggle for me. But when I empower my student leaders, they find success. And no, I can't imagine we believe the current climate is anything but demoralizing.

Depressed

2011-03-09T13:31:00.000-08:00

My sophomores took the Response to Literature test today, and too many didn't finish writing the fourth essay in the 70 minute time frame. But, they told me how they answered the first three, rife with quotations and explanation to fill up each page provided. They felt great about what they had written, but depressed that they hadn't finished in the time frame.
The test asks the students to read a short story, anywhere from 5-7 pages, and then answer four questions including initial thoughts and questions, character change, thematic connections, and successful literature. Connecticut gives them 70 minutes. Why not provide them with 90 minutes, or really, as much time as they need to demonstrate their learning. I felt sad for them because I know what they know, and it is enough to pass the exam.

Conversation

2011-03-08T17:52:00.000-08:00

I gave in yesterday. The day before the state exam, and after two weeks of heavy test preparation, I allowed my students to relax. I gave them a few final reminders and then allowed them to have "free" time.
The fundamental level class amazed me. They started into the horseplay, the rough-housing. I had to make them sit down. When I asked them to just have a conversation with each other, they replied, "What should we talk about?"
The other classes know how to have conversation. They could talk about sports, the news, or pop-culture without engaging in physical interactions.
I'm confused.

CAPT-astic

2011-03-05T05:17:00.000-08:00

"Gentleman, start your engines," or in our case, "Students, start your brains." This week Connecticut's version of high-stakes testing begins its annual takeover of public education. Testing is important, don't get me wrong; I'm just not sure what we learn from them that we don't already know.
Philosophically, I don't believe in "teaching to the test" in the way that many envision it. I don't spend every class session practicing the CAPT, but I do embed the skills needed to succeed throughout the first half of the school year. Then, just prior to the exams, I provide my students with the knowledge of the test itself in an effort to show them what they must do to be successful.
For instance, when teaching the Response to Literature section, a short story and four essay questions, we examined the questions, the explanations of a strong response, the scoring rubric, and four different released essays scored across the rubric spectrum.
My students, even my fundamental level students who most wouldn't predict to pass, compared these released items and searched for defining factors. They noted that all of the passing essays included at least one quotation from the text, if not two. They recognized that all of the passing scores had essays which exceeded 150 words. They were aware of the essays which used the language of literature like theme, mood, imagery, syntax, and diction.
Then we did one more practice.
My fundamental level students worked hard. They attempted to include quotations, and the language of literature. Their responses were A level work for them. Their effort was A level as well.
But most still won't meet standard. The fact that the test is timed means that many of my below grade level readers will not finish the story with enough time to write enough in their essays. Or, they will not get into the story and grow bored by yet another high falutin story geared towards suburban students.
I am especially proud of these students who have been allowed to get so far behind that, by the time they've reached me, are three or more grade levels behind. So many in our community look down on these kids, and their attitudes reflect this lack of belief.
From the first day of school, I told them that I could get them ready for this test, that if they would buy into me, and buy into themselves, then together we would prove a whole bunch of naysayers wrong.
Unfortunately, I may have overstated my ability.

The Sacraments

2011-02-27T10:42:00.000-08:00

The Sacraments of Education exist for three reasons:

To bring teachers to an understanding of THE TRUTH.
To ensure that teachers do not stray from THE WAY.
To allow teachers to grow in THE METHOD.

By learning The Sacraments of Education, we might come to fully appreciate the extent to which our lives as teachers are blessed. By celebrating these sacraments, these methods of grace, we will loose our selfishness and come to understand that we are indebted to those who allow us to teach.

Baptism

To begin the process, teachers are baptized in what is traditionally called Student Teaching. This Sacrament of THE TRUTH immerses the young teacher into the classroom experience. The student teacher shares in the grace experienced by the master teacher, and the students quickly cleanse the young teacher of his idealism.

Confirmation

For a teacher to be confirmed, he must be living in a state of grace with his administrators. Confirmation is known as Contract Renewed. Confirmation is viewed as a gift, and only should be given to those who have clearly developed their teaching identity. No longer is the teacher viewed as an infant, and now is accepted into the family of educators.

Eucharist

The Eucharist, known as Tenure, is the Most Blessed Sacrament. Tenure falls under the Sacrament of THE TRUTH. The celebrant receives the greatest gift of all--freedom. Tenure grants to the teacher eternal safety. The resulting joy which Tenure provides, provides the teacher with success in performing his duties of sacrifice. Tenure strengthens the soul of a teacher.

Anointing the Sick

In this sacraments of THE METHOD, teachers meet in teams called Data Teams, and seek to perform miracles on the sick test scores. Teachers who wish to effectively heal student test scores must be a person of great faith. The method of healing must be specially blessed with SRBI.

Reconciliation

The first Sacrament of THE WAY, Reconciliation serves the purpose of bringing back into rightness a Baptized teacher. Should test scores continue to lag, it has become evident that the teacher lacked faith and finds himself in need of spiritual healing. The administration participates in the Reconciliation through a method known as Professional Assistance. Teachers must come humbly and contritely confess to their inadequacies. The process of Professional Assistance is a form of pennance.

Matrimony

The second of the Sacraments of THE WAY, Matrimony is often called Professional Growth. The teacher makes a commitment to the school by developing a purpose and a mission. A bond is formed between the teacher and the school community, thus strengthening both. The sacrament of Professional Growth confers grace upon the teacher as he seeks a more perfect career.

Holy Orders

Not for all, this Sacrament of THE TRUTH, carries a great weight of sacrifice. It is known as the Administrator's Certificate. Given by the high priests of education, State Departments of Education, Adminstrator becomes the model of a perfect educator whom teachers should follow. By reaching this holy place, the Administrator now can confer the other Sacraments on his followers.

Things I believe

2011-02-21T04:04:00.000-08:00

I believe...
that in a country built on the backs of immigrants, we should support the basic premise of The Dream Act.
that anyone who supported the removal of Natalie Munroe for protesting lazy behavior by her students should also support the removal of any Wisconsin teacher who called in "sick" in order to protest.
that Waiting for Superman shows that well-run charter schools can work, but that if a poorly run charter exists, it should be closed.
that failing schools with major behavior issues will only succeed when they are allowed to remove disruptive students.
that before those schools start removing disruptive students, they should first create a school culture that most students want to be a part of.
that there are bad teachers.
that there are bad students.
that there are bad parents.
that we should generalize about any of the three groups unless the evidence exists.
that the endless collection of data and meetings typically has little value unless a structured and aligned curriculum already exists.

Time to Reconsider

2011-02-17T12:59:00.000-08:00

The recent uproar over teacher-blogger, Natalie Munroe, has me questioning whether or not to continue writing a blog under my real name.
I started blogging early in 2005 as my teaching career was just emerging, and when the wild west of teacher blogging was uncharted. I had my own bump in the road, a lesson I hope I learned from. At the top of my blog, I write that there is nothing that has brought me more happiness than teaching--at least as of now. And, I still believe that, despite the many depressing days over the past few years. But when I am in a classroom, I feel at home. When my students behave and succeed, I feel useful.
My blog has helped me work through my own daily grind--everything from the annoyances to the debatable to the inspirational. Perhaps it is naive to believe in the goodness of people to view the body of work as opposed to the moments they find unpalatable. But honest discourse about public education, and private education, has to be unfiltered, raw, and truthful.
Over the past few years, teachers have increasingly become a punching bag for society's ills. Failing students are now the result of poor teachers, without even a thought concerning the student's or parent's responsibility. Though President Obama is quick to admonish the parents, he is quicker to admonish the teacher.
I've read the articles and the comments about Ms. Munroe. I've read about teachers protesting budgets in certain states by calling in sick. Maybe its time that teachers bring to light the realities of many classrooms, and how we feel after a day of abuse trying to build a new generation of leaders.
People are quick to say that Ms. Munroe, or any teacher who complains about unruly or lazy students, should not be in the profession. Sometimes that is true, but my guess is that most teachers who vent, do so out of a great need to impact a generation that is often unwilling to hear them, and quick to villify them.
There is nothing more that I want to see come from my days in the classroom than studetns finding success. That is why when a child chooses to act out or refuses to buy in, my heart breaks.
I'd like to keep writing about my daily grind, keep exploring my profession through writing. Maybe that is naive as well.

Student Teacher

2011-02-15T17:01:00.000-08:00

She's going to be good. Here are Mr. McNamar's rules to becoming a great teacher:
1. You don't know sh**. You sat in your liberal, progressive, education classes taught by professors with a great deal of white guilt. You came to your student teaching experience thinking that public education has failed greatly because it isn't culturally sensitive. Then you saw reality. You sit next to a student and offer your help. He tells you he doesn't care. You assign homework, but 3 students complete it. And the great part, you graduated from high school four years ago, and you are already talking about "this" generation of students.

2. Ask questions. It's related to rule number one. The key to becoming a great teacher is to ask your cooperating teacher a lot of questions. And then, ask someone else. Your cooperating teacher might be wrong--unless you have Mr. McNamar as your cooperiting teacher.

3. Go to bed early. My favorite quote of the day from a conversation between my student teacher and her friend, also a student teacher. "What time did you go to bed last night?" "Nine." "I know, seriously. I used to stay up late and drink." Just give in now. Your new bed time is 9pm.

4. Be willing to fail. I don't check my student teacher's lesson plans. I'm afraid I might influence her to do something only because I would do it. She needs to learn what works for her.

5. Participate. I'm making my student teacher play in the Staff vs. Senior basketball game. She's a bit nervous. When you are a good teacher, kids crave your attention. One way to show students that you are human is to participate in events they will show up at. Go to games. Chaperone dances. Be visible.

6. Don't take it personally. The students are testing you. If you are weak, they will circle around you, chant wildly, and then cannibalize you.

Certainly there are more. What would you add?

By the way, I need a nick-name for my student teacher. I dont' want to call her by her real name, and Ms. McNamar is already taken. But, I imagine I will be referencing her over the next few months, so she needs a name.

Faces

2011-02-13T12:47:00.000-08:00

Frederick Buechner has a lot to say about faces, and today I was listening. He writes, "Faces, like everything else, can be looked at and not seen....Every now and again, however, you come across faces that are too much for you...."
How many faces do I remember from the many students who have sat in my classroom or walked through the halls? What effect have those faces had on me? How many histories, how many personalities have I known?
Sometimes, it seems much easier to look past those faces, to not see them for the stories they tell. And yet, there are a number of faces I cannot forget, both hauntingly so and wistfully so.
People would like to reduce our profession to series of data points and student ID numbers. But we don't deal with numbers, we deal with faces and stories from the human family. When that incomprehensible variable turn into a control, only then will we be able to analyze the data coldly.

Hail Mary...

2011-02-08T16:32:00.001-08:00

Well, everyone, it's time to become Catholic and send your babies to Catholic schools. FoxNews examines the success of Catholic schools as they outperform public schools on less money.

Here's my analysis: their teachers are better than me.

It must be true because only about 50% of my students will be proficient on the state exam. Most likely, I am a pathetic excuse for a teacher.

Okay, enough of that. I do believe that Catholic schools, like charter schools, have a greater ability to demand excellence out of their students. There is no excuse making. The student either complies or is asked to leave. When our public schools can do that, then they will succeed.

My wife, a fourth grade teacher, told me a wonderful story today. A student misbehaved in line. She asked the student to return to the classroom, where the student teacher was, and wait for the student teacher to bring her down to lunch. The student did not return to the classroom until the classroom was empty. The student then trashed the room, walked to the principal's office, and complained that my wife wouldn't let her eat lunch. This student has had a few other behavioral problems this year. At a charter or Catholic school, she would be gone; at the public school? We have to get her to pass the test otherwise WE are the failure.

Hail Mary, full of grace.
Our Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb,
Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.

What Snow Days Prove

2011-02-01T04:15:00.001-08:00

I'm looking out across the snow covered lake right now as Winter Storm Ella has begun to drop a new layer. Today is the fifth snow day of the year, and tomorrow looks like it will be the sixth. Watching the news reminds meof what snow days prove about education. One parent interviewed about all the time her child has spent at home this winter complained about what her child is missing out on at school. She lamented that her child would be playing video games all day.
Here are three things that snow days prove:
1. Parents believe education is the responsibility of the school system.

2. Parents get annoyed when teachers are not available to babysit their child.

3. Routines are necessary for children.

I'll take it where I get it

2011-01-30T08:01:00.001-08:00

Much of this year has been filled with frustration. I don't feel successful with my fundamental level students, and I don't feel successful with most of my college prep students (who, on pretests to start the year, scored relatively closely to the fundamental level students). But I just finished scoring the mid-term of a student I had last year as well.
The student struggled last year, especially with language. Effort and determination were also lacking. Yet on the midterm, the student's recognzied and responded to the language of literature (literary elements). The responses were undeveloped and lacked clear examples from the text, however, I will take this success and build on it. That is if we ever have school again here in the Northeast.

State of the Union: The more things change, the more they stay the same

2011-01-26T12:42:00.000-08:00

Well, because I am a Gemini and enjoy being the center of attention, it is only naturaly, then, that I offer my pundancy on President Obama's remarks about education during his State of the Union speech.

1. "America has fallen to 9th in the proportion of young people with a college degree. And so the question is whether all of us – as citizens, and as parents – are willing to do what's necessary to give every child a chance to succeed."

With apologies to Amy Chua and her Tiger mom friends--who, by the way, I want to be friends with--we as a nation are not willing to do what is necessary. Some of us are. People like Amy Chua are willing to give their child a chance to succeed. But after a trip to the supermarket this afternoon, it was painfully obvious that not everyone buys into the same version of success.

It's true what they say about Western parents, at least if the irate response to Chua's memoir are any indication.

And what's more, many of us would rather wonder about the root causes of why some parents don't demand much out of their child other than allowing mom to sell the ADD medication for some really good stuff. If only the great oppressors would treat these people fairly, and by fairly they mean communistically, we could all live in a state of equality.

2. "Our schools share this responsibility. When a child walks into a classroom, it should be a place of high expectations and high performance."

Absolutely. Bravo Mr. President. Except that when a student doesn't live up to our expectations for behavioral appropriateness, we aren't allowed to do much with them. The States, in their federal government-like wisdom demand that schools limit punishments, especially if the student is a minority. We have to take them as they are, we have to fix them. I'm pretty sure we can't force them to scrub floors after a food fight, and I don't think it's allowed to make them run until they puke if they're caught skipping class.

Academically, well, that's a whole 'nuther story. From elementary school through middle school, our students are promoted based on age rather than ability. We expect our teachers to differentiate in a classroom full of readers who range from the 12th grade level to the 3rd grade level--for some it's Clifford the Big Red Dog and for others it's The Canterbury Tales. In the end, we are just mediocre.

3. "In South Korea, teachers are known as 'nation builders.' Here in America, it's time we treated the people who educate our children with the same level of respect. "

Again, a standing ovation, Mr. President. I'm not looking to be on the cover of Forbes magazine or sitting next to Oprah (but if you're reading Oprah, I would love to have coffee with you). But I wouldn't mind being reasonably compensated. Let me be clear, I don't complain about teacher salaries often, but my paltry $45,000 after 8 years of nation building compared to the $65,000 a friend makes for managing a restaurant (he does a great job, I will admit) just doesn't add up.

We allow anybody to run for and win positions on school boards, thus allowing them to make decisions about local education. We continue to add responsibilities, like parenting, to the job description. We talk about how important good teachers are to our students' succes. But in the end, the words are empty.

4. "Today, there are hundreds of thousands of students excelling in our schools who are not American citizens. Some are the children of undocumented workers, who had nothing to do with the actions of their parents. They grew up as Americans and pledge allegiance to our flag, and yet live every day with the threat of deportation."

The best part of his speech. In my Sports Literature class, we read Paul Cuadros's A Home on the Field, an exploration of immigration, education, and soccer in North Carolina. Before reading the book, I was unaware that students could spend the bulk of their academic careers in American schools, busting their butts to succeed despite all odds, only to be denied in-state tuition rates at their local state university because of their documentation status. It is unacceptable to deny these children such opportunities.

With that said, I give the President a C+. He didn't offer much that was new or innovative. And I don't think he fully targeted the real root of student failure, the student. He approached the role that parents play in student success, but he fell short of demanding accountability from them.

We Are Dumb.

2011-01-22T05:01:00.000-08:00

I've just finished reading Sophia Chua-Rubenfield's NY Post response to the criticism leveled against her mother's (Amy Chua), recent memoir Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. After reading the response, I ventured down into that scary world of reader comments--this is how I know our world really is dumb.

One reader responded:
"Be open minded. If you think your way of parenting is good, that's great, do your way. If Tiger Mother thinks her way better and her daughters are OK with that, it should be alright, too. We really don't need to teach others how to be a good parent. It is just as simple as it is."

A follow up reader responded to the above quote:
"You realize the irony of saying this on a topic about a woman selling parenting books right?"

Do your research. Amy Chua's book is not a parenting book; it is a memoir. One is instructional, the other is refelctive.

Another reader adds this gem:
"So yeah keep it up. And you know when the girls commit suicide blame ANYONE ELSE BUT YOUR SELF."

This illogical jump, especially if one read the daughter's response, indicates a serious lack of intelligence and simple anger. But of course, one just needs to watch the recently non-renewed Keith Olberman or the thriving Glen Beck to see that logic is lacking and vitriol is accepted in our public discourse.

DREAM on

2011-01-21T13:39:00.000-08:00

Let me be upfront: I don't fully understand the DREAM Act. But the underlying premise I get from it is that a student who is considered "illegal," has lived in the U.S. since before they turned 16, and goes to college can earn citizenship. These students would be allowed to pay the in-state tuition rates.
Here are my random thoughts right now:
1. If an "illegal" immigrant student works hard and graduates from a US high school, and can gain acceptance into a US college, that student should be allowed to attend.
2. If an "illegal" immigrant student gains acceptance to his or her state university, that student should pay the in-state tuition rate.
3. If an "illegal" immigrant student spends at least his or her high school years in a US school, and graduates from that school, that student deserves the opportunity to receive all available grants, loans, and scholarships afforded to any other student.
4. If an "illegal" immigrant student spends at leas his or her high school years in a US school, and earn at least an associates degree, that student deserves US citizenship if he or she wants it.

Bad Timing

2011-01-21T04:38:00.000-08:00

Since we returned from our Holiday Vacation, we have found our school disrupted by local and federal holidays, as well as a good amount of snow and ice. Unfortunately for us, these disruptions happened right before mid-term exams and now during mid-term exams:

Week One: four days of classess because of Three Kings Day.
Week Two: three and a half days of classes because of one snow day and a 90 minute delay.
Week Three (mid-term exam week): one and half days of classes because of MLK, two snow days, and a 90 minute delay.

And once mid-term exams finally end, which at this rate will not be until the end of next week, we will have to turn our focus on the state exam which begins March 1st. The bad timing continues in the form of our February vacation.
For some reason our district adopted a calendar that places our February vacation during the last school week before state exams begin. In a district that needs to make monumental improvement on those tests, our decision to waste the week before those exams on vacation is irresponsible.
Now, this raises the question of the need for a week long vacation in February. I don't see the need. Instead, I would propose a four day, wrap-around, weekend involving Presdent's Day, an already observed day off from school. Such a calendar would allow for a small break but still provide five instructional days before the state exam begins.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Teacher

2011-01-17T10:38:00.000-08:00

As public education moves away from facts and towards the nebulous world of 21st Century skills, more students than ever believe that our classrooms are supposed to be zones of fun. This teacher doesn't believe in the idea of a fun classroom; instead, I believe what Amy Chua, author of the widely debated, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, believes about parenting, "What Chinese parents understand is that nothing is fun until you're good at it. To get good at anything you have to work, and children on their own never want to work, which is why it is crucial to override their preferences" (from WSJ excerpt). The growing trend towards student centered learning, and allowing our students to determine what they study, how they study, is clearly hurting our level of academic accomplishment.

I'd also suggest that as we have given children much more in the way of respect, we have reduced the level of respect that our teachers deserve. I know that I feel a great sense of debt to many of the teachers who helped to shape my mind and offered me the skills to navigate my life successfully. About parents, Chua writes, "the understanding is that Chinese children must spend their lives repaying their parents by obeying them and making them proud. " What if our students felt that same sense of respect towards our role in their life?

But this can't happen so long as society continues to strip authority from adults and give it to children. Part of why great charter schools succeed is because they recognize that children lack structure, lack expecations, and lack accountability.

I'm in favor or Chua's ideas of expecations and accountability.

Accountability

2011-01-08T05:00:00.000-08:00

A week before Christmas a gang related "riot" broke out in the halls of Manchester High School. In the inevitable follow-up stories, the Journal Inquirer reported that there has been 77 arrests at MHS since August, and that the principal has been put on leave by the superintendent who will temporarily take over the high school.

The superintendent, Kathleen Ouellette, wrote "Please rest assured that all of the rich traditions that are so much a part of Manchester High School will continue to be honored during this time of transition," in a letter to parents.

Now, I know very little about the the school's "rich traditions" as Ms. Ouellette put it, but I do know that if she believes in accountability, she should also believe in her own culpability in the matter.

But for all the pomp and circumstance in trying to demonstrate her control over a clearly decaying school culture, Ms. Ouellette has failed to address the heart of the issue--a mistake that is becoming more common in public schools.

School culture is synergetic, relying on an array of constantly changing pieces. And while superintendents can control, to some extent, who their school leaders are, and who their teachers are, they cannot control who their students are, or who their parents are.

What would have been courageous of Ms. Ouellette to do, was stand in front of the public and take personal responsibility as well as chastise the parents and students. Schools don't need to call the police 242 times because the principal is incompetent. Schools need to call the police 242 time because students act like fools. Students don't act like fools because the principal is incompetent. Students act like fools because their parents have failed at parenting.

President Obama has said, "In the end, there is no program or policy that can substitute for a parent--responsibility for our children's education must begin at home." Unfortunately, the education brass does not believe him.

Prisoner of War

2011-01-01T17:53:00.000-08:00

William Livengood II, a former Sergeant in the Army during World War II, is suffering a great indignation at the hands of Connecticut's Veteran's Affairs. During combat in WWII, my grandfather was captured by the Germans and imprisoned in Stalag 11-B. Late in his life, he began to retell stories of his experiences, which were often punctuated with "his gut, our will" in describing General Patton's bravado.
Today, William Livengood, at 92, suffers from Dimentia and resides in a run-of-the-mill nursing home. Now, I am biased, clearly. However, this facility does not honor the service my grandfather gave to this country. The travesty is that the Connecticut's Department of Veterans Affairs in Rocky Hill has denied this hero a bed in their facility.
There is no good reason, none, why a former prisoner of war should be denied services in the very place designed to honor and care for veterans.

Adults ruin everything pt.???

2010-12-29T16:27:00.001-08:00

Common sense in education just doesn't exist. I understand the purpose of "zero tolerance" policies, but great leaders know when to use their brains. Unfortunately for one academic standout at Southern Lee High School in North Carolina, her Superintendent, Jeff Moss, doesn't have any.

'Tis the Season for Grinches

2010-12-26T07:14:00.000-08:00

(From WFSB.com): In New Haven those with minor traffic offenses could donate a toy instead of paying the fine. One man complained. Now the program is disappearing. Happy Holidays!

Let them haters, hate.

2010-12-21T16:29:00.000-08:00

This afternoon I went shopping for the 25 families our school is providing food for. These families will get 2 gallons of milk, a small ham, and a dozen eggs in addition to the 200 food items we are donating. We ended up collecting 6,100 items for these families, a feat which should get us front page coverage. But, alas, we are not on the front page of any newspapers in the area. But, my guess is that if we had been part of a brawl with 20 arrests, everyone would cover us (NBC, Journal Inquirer, Hartford Courant, Boston Herald--out of state--,); you get the picture. But when one of the poorest districts in the tsate collects 6,100 food items for the needy families in town, does anyone notice? Nope.

Well, I say feel free to talk all you want about our test scores (which need to come up), but in the end, I'd like to know which suburb district in the richest state in the union, competes with our our food drive.

Must be the teacher's fault

2010-12-15T17:49:00.000-08:00

A high school basketball player attacks a referee. My guess is that his teacher's suck and should be fired.
A fight breaks out at in a local high school. 19 are arrested including a parent. My guess is that their teachers suck and should be fired.

At what cost?

2010-12-15T17:16:00.000-08:00

This year, more than ever, I'm starkly aware of what this profession can cost a teacher. Those who know me, really know where I stand on public education, and urban education in particular, know that I want my students to be great, to rise above the perceptions, and to contribute to the world around them in a postive way.
Yet, I've never dreaded walking through the doors of my classroom more than I do this year. I shouldn't be jaded; I shouldn't be throwing in the towel. But the cost seems too high.
The cost of caring is onerous. I'm short with my daughter and my son. I don't have the patience needed to raise them properly after spending 6.5 hours getting cussed at, ignored, and disrespected.
This profession is not a ministry. I'm not looking to be crucified, to lay down my life for the lost. I'm already getting paid like I am a missionary, the least I could see in return is gratitude.

Really?

2010-12-08T12:25:00.000-08:00

Some people in my building are bothered by the process we are using to collect food for our school wide food drive which netted 6,000 items last year. Really?

Some people in my building are bothered that the 1,500 items collected at our Fill-the-Bus event are taking up space in a conference room. Really?

Some people in my building are bothered that we would ask every student in the building to creat a goal of 10 items, which if we met, would net 10,000 items. Really?

As my dad has been known to say, "You can't make it up."

Listening to My Students

2010-12-05T05:20:00.001-08:00

Me: Okay, we need to take a look at something that is getting in the way of our future college success--only one or two of you are completing the reading homework on any given night. I'm not going to get ticked off; I really want to know what's going on so that we can fix this.

Student: It's too hard.

Me: What do you mean by "too hard."

Student: We don't know what to underline in our active reading. We're not that smart.

Me: Well, I disagree that you aren't smart enough. What is difficult about the active reading?

Student: It distracts me having to stop and start.

Student: Yeah, how about you give us questions.

Me: Hmmm. I could do that. So, if I gave study questions to answer instead of asking you to read actively, you would try the reading each night?

Students (in unison): Yes.

Results: Still only one or two students complete the reading on any given night.

Fill-the-Bus

2010-12-04T04:13:00.000-08:00

Today is our 2nd Annual Fill-the-Bus event as part of our food drive. I have done a radio show twice and a public access televsion spot as well. My students seem primed to be helpful today, and I hope we get plenty of faculty out to join them. Building a vibrant community will have wondeful effects on our school's climate and ultimately on our school's success.

666

2010-12-02T17:14:00.000-08:00

What a devil of a post this one, my 666th, will be!

Our local chapter of the AfFT will be voting on a contract in just over a week, the 13th of December to be exact. We will get a chance to read and review the proposed contract on...wait for it...the 13th of December after school and just prior to the proposed time to meet and vote.

Now, I guess I'm supposed to just trust my union, have faith in their ability to negotiate a fair deal for all. But, forgive me if I'm not quite so trusting. Currently, teachers in their fourth year of service with our district are at the same level as a first year teacher--that's because somehow salary steps keep disappearing.

I don't claim to be the most informed union member or somehow legally minded. I teach. But something just doesn't seem right about a union leadership which doesn't allow its membership to study and synthesize the contract they will be asked to vote on. Tell me all the lines you want, "confidentiality" "misrepresentation by the public," whatever! Show me the proposed contract. Give me time to consider its ramifications.

It all adds up to another reason why unions need to disappear as currently constructed.

Fuhgetaboutit

2010-11-30T16:40:00.000-08:00

Apparently, our students can't________. Go ahead, fill in the blank. Our kids are poor, they can't meet standard on the CAPT. Our kids are poor, they can't do the same work as the middle class district. Our kids are poor, they can't donate one fifty-cent can of green beans to our food drive.

The pervasive attitude in my building that "our kids can't" has got to stop. If our kids can't, at least according to the teachers who teach them, then they will fulfill our prophecy. So let's just forget about it. Why am I bothering, or why is anyone bothering to teach these kids? They are poor. They don't speak English very well. They are doomed to a life of failure and poverty. I guess it is time for me to buy into the unofficial district policy of showing up to work, collecting my check, and hanging around until retirement.

Connecticut Food Drive

2010-11-30T02:52:00.000-08:00

This Saturday, Windham High School in Willimantic, CT will host their second annual Fill-the-Bus Food Drive as the kick-off for their two week, school-wide food drive. Last year's event helped the high school collect 6,000 non-perishable items which were then donate in part to 17 local families as well as the local food bank. This year, the goal is to collect 10,000 non-perishables and donate to 25 families.

Location: 355 High St. Willimantic, CT
Date: December 4th (Saturday)
Time: 10am-4pm

Money ain't a thing.

2010-11-21T12:56:00.001-08:00

Rick Green, blogger for the Hartford Courant, has two posts about the highest performing schools across all state goals. The first is a focused on the highest achieving high schools. After hearing from disgruntled readers pointing out that his first list was simply a look at the wealthiest schools, he posted the fifteen highest performing school districts with low-income students across all state goals. I thought I'd provide a little but more information:

Rick Green, blogger for the Hartford Courant, has two posts about the highest performing schools across all state goals. The first is a focused on the highest achieving high schools. After hearing from disgruntled readers pointing out that his first list was simply a look at the wealthiest schools, he posted the fifteen highest performing school districts with low-income students across all state goals. I thought I'd provide a little but more information. Here are the high achivers and poverty rate:

Here are the highest performing districts for their low-income students as well as the poverty rate for those towns:

What I notice about the two graphs is that, other than the Elm City College Preparatory District (a charter school), the poverty rates of the towns are relatively similar. This similarity might suggest that the low-income students attending classes with middle-class students has a positive effect on their education because their numbers are so few.

I decided to test this theory by looking up the lowest performing high schools and the town poverty rates. Five of the schools are located in Hartford and two are located in Bridgeport. They are a mix of magnet, charter, and regular public schools. Collaborative Alternative Magnet is located in New Haven County, but the "town" doesn't exist in the data I'm looking at:

All of the lowest performing schools, with the exception of Stamford Academy and Briggs High School, reside in concentrated areas of poverty. What does exactly does this data really mean? I'm not sure. But I do find the data interesting. The low performing school I work at, which falls into the bottom 15% of Connecticut schools carries the weight of a town poverty rate of nearly 16%.

From all the data, one school district intrigues me the most--Elm City College Preparatory. This charter school is part of the Achievement First network. That their two schools are finding success with low-income students means they are doing something right. Critics would scream "creaming," but that rant is getting tired.

The other intersting debate which grows out of the data is funding. Some attribute the success of the first list to income only. Some attribute the failure of the latter list to a lack of income only. But, in 2007-2008, Bridgeport Public Schools spent $11,132 per-pupil. Avon Public Schools, one of the top ten, spent $10,161. My school district spends just over $12,000.

In the end, I'm not smart enough to synthesize a great deal from all of these numbers. But there is one conclusion I have come to: there is no one size fits all solution. And ultimately, we should be willing to examine multiple methods and not simply disregard them because they don't fit our political or social viewpoints.

Pulling teeth

2010-11-18T14:24:00.000-08:00

Let's be honest:
had students who graduated from high school, say, in 1995 not done their homework, it wouldn't have been the teacher's fault for not making A Separate Peace more exciting and culturally relevent. It would have been the students' fault.

had students who graduated from high school, say, in 1995 not given a thorough answer to a question, it wouldn't have been the teacher's fault for not differentiating for them. It would have been the students' fault.

had students who graduated from high school, say, in 1995 cussed out a teacher and ignored her directions, it wouldn't have been the teacher's fault for not de-escalating the situation. It would have been the students' fault.

Professionals

2010-11-17T12:41:00.000-08:00

Does anyone know where to work if you want to be treated as an adult professional? There isn't much which is more condescending than when a principal models good teaching practices by pretending as if the teachers are the students--voice and demeanor included.
And what about the issue of...alcohol. Should schools disallow teachers from giving each other a bottle of wine as a gift, or including wine in a raffle for faculty members?
Or, how about the issue of communication? Do we really have to act like we are in high school simply because we teach in high school? Can't we be direct with each other and still get along?
Or, how about the issue of trust? Do we really need to fill up every minute of every "professional development" day with silly activities? Can't we be trusted to use an hour of our time to plan our lessons or grade our essays?
Or, what about the issue of respect? Do I really need to ask permission to leave campus to go get lunch or pick up supplies which the school can't afford to supply? Can't we simply sign out and let the main secretary know we are leaving?

Professionals? Not us.

Tone

2010-11-13T08:18:00.001-08:00

My sophomores are reading A Separate Peace these days, and I'd like to use the passage which appears below to teach diction and imagery as they relate to tone. However, I'm struggling with using the precise word to describe the tone. What do you think?

Passage:
Phineas had gotten up unnoticed from his chair. "I don't care," he interrupted in an even voice, so full of richness that it overrode all the others. "I don't care."
I tore myself from the bench toward him. "Phineas--!"
He shook his head sharply, closing his eyes, and then he turned to regard me with a handsome mask of a face. "I just don't care. Never mind," and he started across the marble floor toward the doors.
"Wait a minute!" cried Brinker. "We haven't heard everything yet. We haven't got all the facts!"
The words shocked Phineas into awareness. He whirled as though being attacked from behind. "You get the rest of the facts, Brinker!" he cried. "You get all your facts!" I had never seen Finny crying, "You collect every f---ing fact there is in the world!" He plunged out the doors.
The excellent exterior acoustics recorded his rushing steps and the quick rapping of his cane along the corridor and on the first steps of the marble stairway. Then these separate sounds collided into the general tumult of his body falling clumsily down the white marble stairs (176-177).

Overextended

2010-11-10T17:51:00.001-08:00

I think I have officially overextended myself. Besides teaching a section of Sports Literature, a section of English 10 Fundamentals, 2 sections of English 10 College Prep, and 1 section of English 10 Honors, I have added the following to my schedule:

1. Organizing the Staff vs. Seniors Volleyball Game (Dec. 3)
2. Organizing the Faculty Scholarship Raffle (Nov. 23)
3. Advising the Sophomore Class and their t-shirt sale
4. Organizing the 3rd Annual Food Drive (Dec. 4-21)...which might be the death of me considering our local grocery stores have all bailed on allowing our students to collect food at their locations.

But lest this become a pity party, let me express the importance of all four events.
The Staff vs. Seniors Volleyball game is the first of three such events (basketball and softball come later). Our students, as with any students, enjoy the opportunity to watch us interact with them in a non-academic environment. For a brief time, they will see us working together, laughing together, and ultimately giving of ourselves to them, for their benefit.
The Faculty Scholarship Fund is yet another opportunity for the staff to join together to benefit our students in a quasi-academic manner. I will always remember the way my previous school's faculty enjoyed this event. There is an importance to connecting with each other outside of the Data Teams and other crap we endure.
The Sophomore Class t-shirt sale will allow our students to show their unity. A few weeks ago the faculty wore their recently purchased Staff t-shirts on the same day. Our students couldn't stop asking "Why are you all dressed the same?" We were able to demonstrate to them the importance of community. Schools need community builders. Simple t-shirts can start that process.
Now, the food drive is the most important of all these events. I started this school wide event in my second year at this school and did so because of the awe inspiring experience of participating in Cascade High School's food drive. That school had the most generous, compassionate student body and faculty. I knew my new school needed that. In two years, we have collected 11,000 food items and donated to to 25 local families. But as with last year, we are facing a broader community that doesn't share our values. Grocery stores like Price Rite, Stop and Shop, and Wal-Mart are hiding behind corporate policies and hindering our ability to collect food at their locations. It baffles me that others don't see the value of teaching high school students the importance of giving. We will see what comes of this food drive. I am praying that something will work out and that the progress we have made will not get halted by nearsighted corporations.

What Would Belichick Do?

2010-11-09T14:24:00.000-08:00

Here in New England, Coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots is considered a genius. Around the country, and especially to the hated New York Jets, he is a cheater. So, a recent story about a Connecticut high school coach who used a "found" wristband containg the opposing team's plays, has me wondering, "What would Belichick Do?"
Actually, I'm wondering about whether or not what the coach did by using that wristband was ethical or not. I mean, 'finders keepers, losers weepers.' I'm going to take the side of the "offending" coach. I mean, if General Petraus had found Osama Bin Laden's "playbook," I hope he would consult it!

Politeness

2010-11-03T19:13:00.000-07:00

Every day when I drop my daughter off for school, I say to her, "Tate, be kind, compassionate, and polite." These three ideas are what we expect from our daughter. And then....
Today, some nameless folks from the state came to visit our school. I knew they would be visiting my classroom, and have no problem letting people come watch what I do. The visitor was supposed to come in during the last period of the day, but came a period early. Not a problem.
She walked right in. She didn't wait at the door; she didn't introduce herself. She sat herself down right at my desk.
I was annoyed. I believe it is polite that when an unknown visitor, whether from central office or from THE STATE comes for a visit, arrives at a classroom, it is polite to wait for an invitation and to ask where the best place for them to sit might be.
When the lady left, my students immediately broke concentration to ask "Who was that? Why was she here?" and add commentary like, "I don't like her. She just walked in." It made me smile. They know what politeness looks like!

Sinking Ships

2010-11-03T17:30:00.000-07:00

Please allow me a moment:
"One teacher can't change this," she said, adding, "Maybe you should just give in a little." This senior girl sat across from me, her SAT prep book opened on the cafeteria table scribbled with something about someone. Maybe I shouldn't have let her hear my annoyance with the group of students crushing pretzels and making fake cocaine lines on the table behind us. It isnt' the first time I've worn my emotions on my sleeve--it's a weakness of mine.
"If it bothers you so much, why do you keep teaching here," she asked. And its a complicated question to answer. Do these underperforming students in a largely forgotten district deserve caring and dedicated teachers? Yes. Can I be that for them? I am beginning to wonder.
I can't imagine that her attitude towards the school, her own annoyance with student behavior is clear, is limited to just a few. But is the writing on the wall? Can one teacher, two teachers, three...make a difference? With all that has been written lately about effective teachers and their ability to create change in a student's life, is it just smoke and mirrors?
Can a dysfunctional public urban school change? Will a state takeover make the difference? Fat chance. Will a lovey dovey cajole them along approach get them to behave more appropriately? So far, not really. Do high standards matter? Not if the students don't want them.

"Well, I guess you have three choices. You can leave; you can stay and be frustrated; or you can stay and give in." I wonder if those are the only options.

A House Divided?

2010-11-02T14:01:00.001-07:00

With today's election bringing the possibility of a divide between the legislative and executive branch, I am wondering what might come of it all.
We the people might recieve a bit of protection from a one-party domination, much like the way mid-term elections went for President Clinton. In terms of education, the potential winners, should President Obama and the Republicans choose to get along on at least one thing, are charter schools. Repbulicans were the initial supporters of demphasizing union power and offering choice to students. Eventually Democrats have come around on the need for change in our public education system.
If charter schools had stocks, I would be risking some money in them if the Republicans make major gains.

Realism

2010-10-31T07:31:00.000-07:00

As I struggle with getting my Fundamental Level and College Prep students to succeed, I am running into some serious roadblocks which may prevent me from reaching our goals. Here are the roadblocks:

1. My students are reading well below grade level.
Q. If the state standards expect student performance at grade level, shouldn't our classroom tests also be at grade level? And shouldn't all students be judged according to the standard?

2. We have a glaring achievement gap.
Q. If our highest achieving students are reading Shakespeare, shouldn't our lowest achieving students also be reading Shakespeare? Otherwise, doesn't the gap continue to grow?

3. My lowest achieving students don't attempt homework.
Q. Should I read the text to them?

4. A small but dominating number of students disrupt our halls during class.
Q. Should I close my door and ignore?

I've found myself in a troubling predicament philosophically. On the one hand, I believe in the idea that all of my students deserve a college prep curriculum. However, it seems that too many of my students don't buy into that same belief. While I am asking my lowest performers to attempt their readings each night so that we can work on chunks of text in class, they are not even bothering with it. My lowest performers are being given the same novels and short stories as my college prep students, but I can't "differentiate" if none of the students try the reading.

I want my school to operate successfully. I want our hallways clear and free of distraction so that my students can find success. I don't want to allow the disruptive students to get away with distracting our school, but if I interrupt class to call security, I take away instruction time from my students. If I simply move the disruptive students along, I'm tacitly allowing the disruption to continue.

I want all of my students to succeed at grade level and to the same standard. If I lower the reading levels of my novel selection to match where my lowest readers are at, I am suggesting that these students are not capable and thus lowering my expectations for them. By not giving them an honest college prep curriculum, I am, again, tacitly allowing the achievement gap to continue and grow.

Let Stupid Reign

2010-10-24T06:31:00.001-07:00

Apparently, the message the Washington Officials Association, the organization overseeing high school referees in Washington state, would like to send is that charity demands permission. When a group of referees allegedly violated their uniform code by sporting pink whistles in support of breast cancer research, the WOA chair, Todd Stordahl, threatened suspensions.
Stordahl claims that the referees are the ones sending the wrong message, that their choice to use pink whistles in direct violation of the code is some type of slippery slope.
Well, Mr. Stordahl, good luck and enjoy your 15 minutes of fame.

What is Fair in Teacher Evaluations?

2010-10-21T15:55:00.000-07:00

Our staff just found out some important and interesting information regarding our evaluation process. The news, which I am generally indifferent to, came as somewhat surprising considering I served on the committee which worked for two years to create and tinker with our evaluation plan.
Our evaluation plan has six domains, five of which relate directly to classroom instruction. Each of those domains were given indicators to support the overall domain's intent. Here is one of the domains, and its indicators:
Domain 4: Instruction for Active Learning
Indicators:

Well-defined content and language objectives were posted.
Examples were relevant and connect to students' lives.
Effective teaching strategies, instructional aids, media, and resources prompted student engagment.
Explanations were clear.
Differentiation of instruction evident.
Higher level questioning was evident.
Initiation and closure evident.
Lesson was relevant, motivating, and engaging.

Now to the news. If any of those eight indicators is marked as "No" or not evident, the evaluator is expected to mark the teacher as "Not meeting standards" for the entire domain. So, if I were to have seven of those indicators marked as "Yes," but missed out on posting my objectives, I am considered as incompetent at Instruction for Active Learning.

Now, I can't help but wonder whether we would dare hold our students to a similar standard. Would a student essay which is well-organized, persuasive in tone and effect, but lacking evidence of an effective conclusion be marked as failing the essay completely?

These are the issues which cause teachers to grow cynical. While we are told this is not a "gotcha" process, the notion that missing 1 out of 8 indicators makes us a failure, and that is precisely what such a policy implies, creates an atmosphere of distrust and fear.

In the end, I wonder what my global colleagues think about their evaluation process. Is it fair? Is it even possible to have fairness when dealing with human evaluators with different ideas of what is and is not evident?

Teacher Morale

2010-10-11T05:07:00.000-07:00

If you are like me, the recent thrashing of our profession was everything from thought-provoking to ire-building. And readers here know that I am not always a full supporter of unions and that I cheat on my public school by supporting charter schools and working for a non-profit focused on getting urban students out of public schools and into elite boarding schools. For me, the recent drubbing we took coincided with a healthy dose of chaos in our building. Teachers, who are normally well-spirited, have quickly grown weary this year. An obvious lack of energy and passion hovers over our faculty. If we are this worn down in October, what will we look like in March? Should our morale remain in the depths of despair, our students will certainly suffer. As of this day off from school, here are my ways to improve teacher morale at any building where morale is low:

1. The Gift of Time: As student scores drop, the amount of time a teacher can devote to planning dwindles. Instead, we attend professional development sessions where adminstrators "model" appropriate teaching methods. Then, we are shipped off to unwrap standards, create common formative assessments, score those assessments, make a pretty chart about those scores, and then start all over again. I'm not suggesting that we shouldn't seek improvement. However, what should happen is that we are allowed to focus on the areas that we need to improve on as individuals. Do you need time to plan your next unit? Then sitting in a professional development session on Marzano's effective teaching strategies (which are common sense) probably isn't the best use of your time.

2. Differentiate: What a fantastic word! If your sophomore English class has students reading at the 5th grade level and students reading at the 11th grade level, then YOU must differentiate. Why is this only an effective concept for teaching students? Every professional development looks the same for every teacher. No matter that you have already created, delivered, scored, and analyzed your pre-assessments. Today, we are all working on creating pre-assessments. Treat me like an individual, just as we are expected to do with our students.

3. Respect: Please value us. When Teacher X is doing the best she can with a terrible situation she did not create, tell her you appreciate her; don't question how she missed that one student out of 70 who wrote on the cafeteria table. Teachers generally do their best. We are notorious for accommodating others, giving more of our time and selves than we ever should be required to do professionally, and for making something out of nothing. So let us know that. The other day I noticed an adiminstrator at my door. He watched for about two minutes and left. Later that day, he sent an e-mail to the staff letting us know that he had been out to many rooms that afternoon and saw excellent teaching happening in the building. It's time that schools learn from the business world. Value your "help."

A secondary aspect of teacher morale is under our control. Though we are running in so many different directions, and though our frustration levels are at an all-time high, we need to come together, not divide ourselves. Teachers need to find ways to come together.
Our school recently came together by purchasing a Staff t-shirt. One hundred and two of our roughly 150 teachers, custodians, and support staff put up the $12 to purchase a terrific shirt. In the process, we raised over $500 for a newly established Faculty Scholarship Fund. You know what your building needs in terms of morale; start making it happen.
If you need fun, go have fun together. If you need respect, start letting your colleagues know that you appreciate them--something I need to become better at and will remedy once I stop typing here.
At any rate, we can either allow others to beat us down or we can choose to be great in spite of them. Our morale is ultimately in our hands.

You Can't Handle The Truth

2010-09-30T09:16:00.001-07:00

So, um, Oprah has really started her final year off with a bang. The queen of talk dared to present producer David Guggenheim's Waiting For Superman documentary to the masses. What the documentary intends to do is simpy present the story of five children hoping to escape their local public school in favor of their local charter school. How dare Oprah suggest that all children should have the same opportunity to escape undeperforming schools?
As the American Federation of Teachers, the union I reluctantly belong to (and only because they will take out my dues money anyway), ramps up their level of vitriol, I cannot help but wonder whether the unions have taken over as the "party of 'no.'" The AFT is about the financial success of its membership, as are all unions. That isn't to say that unions are completely evil. We must recognize that some good comes from a union's ability to collectively bargain for its members, and we must recognize that sometimes good teachers require protection from vindictive, incompetent administrators. Yet we cannot discount the reality of the union's failure to honorably advocate for the dismissal of failing teachers, and we cannot discount the reality of the union's failure to encourage success through merit pay in place of years of service.
If failing public schools are to find success, we must follow the business world's lead and innovate. Charter schools, like those displayed in Waiting For Superman and written about in Sweating the Small Stuff by David Whitman have found success. Sure, some innovation fails. Not all charter schools succeed. But that should not stop the AFT from supporting the creation of such schools in the models that have found success. Instead, the AFT would prefer to campaign against these schools using hurt feelings as the mask for its ultimate purpose--maintaining the status quo.
We teachers are a sensitive bunch, and for good reason. We are regularly told by politicians that we are the backbone of our contry's future only to be treated as general incompetents. We take the shots when a school fails. Though President Obama is quick to remind us that he regularly preaches the importance of parental involvement, as he did with Matt Lauer, he has yet to push for legislation which holds parents accountable for poor student behavior. And as the suits create feel-good legislation to limit the discipline available to schools, we are left to manage classrooms teeming with indifference and insolence. In the end, it will be our fault when that ill-raised fool skips class, because in minds of the suits, we should have been more engaging.
I had a student not long ago who, in a College Prep English class, demanded to know why we were doing so much reading. "This is English class mister, not reading class," she scolded me. With such ignorance having been allowed to make it to 10th grade, I wonder what the AFT would have to say?
Ultimately, I will continue to support charter schools. I am proud to have been a writer for the newly opened New York City charter school, Inwood Academy for Leadership. I believe that charter schools can have success. But I also will continue to support public schools. I am proud to be teaching the quasi-urban students in my classroom. We can have success.

Order

2010-09-28T14:10:00.001-07:00

Since day one, my fundamental level students have heard me repeat the question, "What have you done today to get yourself into college?" I happen to believe, because I've read about successful charter schools, that my low-income Hispanic students can achieve and ultimately go to college. Because we track students, and I'm not entirely against this as you will see, some of our low-track students come to believe that they are stupid and not as intelligent as the honors students.
My goal this year has been to convince these students that they will go to college, and that, if they learn the material I teach them, they will be successful in school. The intial assessments bore out the obvious fact that a real divide exists between my fundamental and honor students. But to this point, I have been able to provide all of my students the same opportunity to interact with challenging short stories like "Hills Like White Elephants" and "A&P." I have taught the same skill sets, like identifying tone (a typically challenging skill). All of my students received the same brief formative assessment following the lesson and subsequent practice. The honor students averaged an 83%. The fundamental students averaged and 82%.
So then what is the difference? Behavior. Honor students know how to behave and will generally comply quickly when asked. Fundamental students do not. Which leads to a larger question for me. Because I am working twice as hard to teach the fundamental students (in terms of classroom management), how am going to sustain myself? When I have to break up near fights over which desk a sophomore in high school is going to sit in, and when I have to remind a student five separate times that calling another student a "faggot" is unacceptable, and when on any given day only 2/3 of the students arrive to class, will I have the energy come, say, November, to keep these scores even?
Keeping order in a school is absolutely essential, but how does that happen? I read about charter schools, of which I am a proponent, and I wonder how to transfer that order to a building in which a growing sense of chaos exists. When students receive a "conference" as a consequence for storming out of the classroom and cussing the class out, to what extent can I expect a strong academic environment capable of keeping the fundamental level students focused on college admittance? Each period I am with them, they are keenly aware of the hallway din, the students wandering with their music blaring. Eventually, that could become more luring than my lessons on literary analysis. I fear that.
There would be nothing more satisfying to me than my group of students, who so many for so long have doubted, passing the state exam, graduating, and going off to college. But what will it cost me? My sanity? My family?

You win some, you lose some.

2010-09-17T16:02:00.000-07:00

My previous post was my rationale for a faculty t-shirt slogan--Weapons of Mass Instruction. Yes, I am aware it is edgy; but frankly, the constant political correctness and lack of entertainment in the field of education grows tedious by the day. In the end, despite a strong support from many staff members, the slogan had to be changed. The result: Instruments of Mass Instruction. Loss.
But, as of today, our staff t-shirt has been pre-ordered by over 100 of our teachers, secretaries, custodians, paraprofessionals, and kitchen staff. Win.
If you've read my blog for the past three years, you will know that the school I teach at has some issues to overcome. At times, the atmosphere can get down right demoralizing. Today, I asked a student to remove his hat. On the third, or was it fourth time, he informed me that I was a "p---- a-- n-----" and that I should go "suck a fat f---- c---". Loss. But then this evening, a parent (in front of the principal) thanked me for helping his son have his greatest academic year in English last year. Win.
Our staff is tired. That's the best way to put it. We keep losing staff and supplies, but the number of students in our classrooms keeps growing. We need to regain our mojo, our passion, our sanity. Whatever it is, it isn't there. So, we threw a tailgate party with a chili cook-off tonight before the varsity football game. Seven faculty members participated as chefs, three faculty members were judges. The number of faculty in attendance: 11. Loss. Despite such low numbers, just under 10%, we raised over $100 for the newly established Faculty Scholarship Fund. Win.

Weapons of Mass Instruction

2010-09-14T13:54:00.000-07:00

Weapon: anything that serves to outwit or get the better of an opponent.
Mass: a considerable assemblage
Instruction: the process of imparting knowledge

Urban school settings provide a healthy dose of opposition. There are those in the community that don't believe low-income students deserve the best education possible. There exists a pervasive negativity and distrust of the school system as a whole. Teachers are, in many ways, weapons opposing those forces.
We are attempting to outwit all of that negativity; we are searching for ways to break-down the resistance towards what we know can set these students free--an education.
Our class sizes are increasing as our funding decreases. So, in many ways, the students assembling in our classrooms each day can best be defined by the word mass--as in, "the mass of people." We don't get to choose our students, and they don't get to choose us.
Instruction, or education if you prefer that term, is our goal. We are weapons of mass instruction.

Somewhat problematic

2010-09-07T17:36:00.000-07:00

The field of education often presents somewhat problematic dilemnas--like how to spell that word. Is it dilemma or dilemna? Anyway, what makes our profession profoundly unique is the vast array of problems facing our "market." Very few parents, and fewer still of our "customers," have the the faintest idea about what will satisfy them. Even greater still are the array of solutions to our unique problems. So much so that now education theorists would like each individual student to have a uniquely customized education.
Here's my dilemna (yes, that spelling is my preferred version): two young ladies came to me following class asking which period I taught my Honors English 10 course. As all of my students from previous years know, I do not teach different material for Honors, College Prep, and Fundamental level courses. I believe that all students deserve the best chance to attend college; therefore, I give them all the same material--a college prep curriculum. However, there are serious differences between the style of teaching. More importantly, there are serious differences between the students' approach to each level.
Many of my fundamental level students do not know how to behave in the classroom. They talk out of turn, get up out of their seats, use profanity, and generally don't give a flying...well, you know. I spend entirely too much effort on getting students to "buy in." In the end, I suppose we will find some success if I can manage to get more moments of "buy in" than not.
My college prep students don't have the slightest idea of what they need to accomplish in order to attend college, but somewhere along the way a teacher or parent convinced them of the need for a college education. They generally know how to behave appropriately and generally use more appropriate language. A few are intellectually beyond themselves if true tracking were taking place. But they are not problems and so end up in a College Prep course with other students who are average to above average in ability.
The Honors, those generally rich white kids, know how to behave appropriately, know how to study, and know how to play the game. I wouldn't say their intellectual capacity on the whole is something to pull a Tom Cruise and jump on Oprah's couch about, but they are smart enough.
Anyway these two young ladies belong in a run-of-the-mill College Prep class if it were tracked appropriately and not just about the "well-behaved." But they are sensing that too many of their classmates are intellectually inferior. They are slightly bothered by the amount of time I do have to spend on classroom management.
But if I am being honest, I want them to stay in the College Prep track because, well, that is really where they belong, but more honestly, I need their influence in the College Prep class. They will get buried in an honors course with intellectually superior students. They will disappear. Yet, how can I deny that they might have a better go of it in an honors course where they are rising to the level above them?

School has Started

2010-09-05T07:52:00.000-07:00

Last week marked the start of the 2010-2011 school year. The thick hot air caused by the high temperatures and humidy made the start a bit of a challenge--well, I hope that is the cause of the low pre-assessment scores.
We began our string of pre-assessments with the CAPT's Reading for Information section. In my 10th Grade (Pre-College) classes, the scoring breakdown went as follows:

[Advanced]--0
[Goal]--0
[Proficient]--2
[Basic]--11
[Below Basic]--11

My intial response was one of despair. But the reality is that we haven't done a great job of teaching non-fiction reading skills during freshmen year. We spend a good amount of time the Response to Literature section, and so I expect those scores to reflect those efforts. Additionally, the CAPT is 10th grade test, so expecting my studetns to already earn proficiency at high rates might be a bit over-zealous!
The greatest issue, on first glance, is that our students have yet to understand the importance of using textual evidence in their constructed responses. They made broad statements, which were accurate, but failed to demonstrate their full understanding. For the 11"basic" students, had they provided textual evidence, they would have easily moved into profiency or goal.
Now I have to figure out the best way to balance my instruction between the fiction and non-fiction in a way that shows how closely connected the two genres can be.

School Climate

2010-08-23T07:45:00.001-07:00

I'm interrupting my profiles in greatness series to ask a question. What does your school or organization do to promote and maintain a healthy climate among the faculty/staff? Currently, we have three Staff vs. Senior events but we would like to add more opportunities for bringing our faculty together in small groups and large groups.

Profiles in Greatness Ep. 7

2010-08-19T04:50:00.000-07:00

Today I will transition from my public eduction into my well-paid for education. At Northwest University, and no I won't correct you if you mishear me say Northwestern University, I was blessed with some of the best instructors as well as some of the greatest human beings. But I will focus on the great instructors and mention just one great human being, the late Dr. Dan Pecota. He was a man of great purity of mind and soul. An academic who worshipped his God in body, mind, and soul. I shall never forget his great influence on our campus, especially each time I hear the great hymn "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing." Thank you Dr. Pecota for your great example.

Professor Elms (Sociology/Doctrine)

There are two moments in specific that have stayed with me for nearly 15 years. The first happened in our Sociology course. Professor Elms, as did many at that Christian liberal arts school, began class with a prayer. He began "Let us pray." Then he didn't seem to pray. He remained quiet. As the early seconds passed, suspect glances came over many of our faces. But as the silence continued, many began to realize the sanctity of that moment. In our collective silence we were connected.
What does a moment of prayer have to do with teaching? In that simple event Professor Elms demonstrated how teaching is an art and that sometimes art is spontaneous. We come to our lessons with scripts or outlines, but we must be willing to allow for those moments of spontaneity. Perhaps it doesn't have to be standing on desks to inspire or standing on our heads. Perhaps it must simply be a collective deep breath, a recognizition that our students are stressed, hurting, or simply tired.
The second experience with Professor Elms came in a doctrine class. He taught us the doctrine that the school's particular denomination held. He presented what other doctrines subscribe to. And because we respected him, we asked what he believed. He never told us. We would try to trap him, trick him; but he never gave it up.
Professor Elms taught me to guard my opinions and ask questions instead. In teaching literature, it is sometimes easy to forget to ask questions when a student ask "What does this quote mean?" The easy route is to tell, and I have often given in to their traps and tricks. But when I am at my best, I remember to turn their questions back to them. I remember to probe and explore their thinking. Dr. Elms started that process in me before I had even considered becoming a teacher.

Profiles in Greatness Ep. 6

2010-08-11T04:55:00.000-07:00

We like to stratify, don't we. We have great, but who is the greatest? Today's profile in greatness will discuss the greatest teacher of my pre-college years. And there isn't a doubt that she is on par with my three greatest college professors.

Mrs. Traut (Grade 11 English)

When I turned in the essay for our summer readings of The Great Gatsby and Of Mice and Men, there was no doubt in my mind I had done well. When hadn't I earned an A or B on an English essay.
When I received the essay back from Ms. Traut, there was little doubt in my mind that she had not been fair with the assigned grade--D. Big and red, that letter nearly shattered my confidence. At the time, and perhaps they still do, the high school tracked students by academic levels. I had begun my high school career in Level 2 English, only to be moved up to Level 1 for sophomore year. It came easy. But I always wondered whether I belonged there.
Ms. Traut sat patiently with me as I asked questions. She took the time, endless in my mind, to explore my writing and where the breakdown of my logic happened and where my writing structure also broke down. Instead of leaving that room shattered, Ms. Traut gave me hope that I would find success in her class.
Anyone who took Ms. Traut's class will remember her as precise, dryly witty, and always in control. Whether she was running the Bergen Evans Vocabulary filmstrip, or allowing us to explore ways to market the transcendentalist beliefs of Thoreau, Ms. Traut had us in her sights. She encouraged risk. She rewarded excellence. And she loved language and literature.
Only Ms. Traut could have made sentence diagramming enjoyable. Because she loved precision in language, she convinced us to buy into seeing how words connected, worked together, to create meaning. Two years later, as a college freshmen enrolled in the honors English program, those lessons, that passion, propelled me to find that same precision. Ms. Traut had prepared me for college success--the end result of a proper secondary education.
Ms. Traut also fostered my love of literature. Her ability to bring me into the fantasy of Gatsby, the shame of Prynne, the capriciousness of Thoreau showed me that reading, more than anything else, has the power to show us something of who we all are.
If I am ever half the teacher that Ms. Traut was, I believe students will remember as great. Thank you, Ms. Traut for your precision, your wit, and your passion. You were the greatest teacher of my public school career.

Profiles in Greatness Ep. 5

2010-08-07T08:32:00.000-07:00

Not long ago a student told me I should be a math teacher because I was able to walk her through a problem in a logical sequential manner. That might have been the funniest moment of my teaching career; anyone who knows me understands my math deficiency. But it made me think about why I was able to explain the very simple problem to her.

Mr. Corbett and Mr. Mruk (Algebra 1 and Algebra 2)
These are two of the smartest teachers I can recall. Perhaps it was their math prowess which overwhelmed me and thus proved their intelligence as superior to all, but I knew that they knew what they were doing. I did not know what I was doing.
Math requires attention to detail, a focus on the process. This doesn't mesh well with either my big picture mentality or my undiagnosed ADD. I remember a sense of regularly messing up with details, especially in math class. I wanted to solve the problem without putting in the effort.
Both Mr. Corbett and Mr. Mruk effectively taught the concepts of math and the details of math. They both were capable of patiently walking me through a formula or equation. Though I feared math in general, I rarely feared it in their class. Making mistakes were part of the learning process, and I made plenty of them.
A testament to their effectiveness is the still strange fact that my SAT Math score was slightly higher than my SAT Verbal score. Sure, I bailed on math during my senior year, opting for a much easier course than Calculus--it was clear in the first two weeks I wasn't willing to push myself to get it.
However, that experience with that student reminded me of the patience needed in order to teach any concept. And upon reflection, I know that both Mr. Corbett and Mr. Mruk were both long ago influencers in my development as a teacher--though I am not nearly as patient as I remember them being.
For teaching me the importance of teaching in sequence, of instructing with patience, and of communicating through knowledge, thank you.

Profiles in Greatness Ep. 4

2010-08-06T09:18:00.000-07:00

At least my older brother is reading my list. I know this because he texted me today urging me to hurry up with the next episode.
As I mentioned earlier, there isn't much from middle school that I remember. However, one event, which is tied to my high school career, replays itself anytime someone asks how I came to grasp the Spanish language so well.
A Spanish teacher had come to our middle school Spanish class to encourage us to continue with the language in high school. In my ignorance, I expressed my desire to take Spanish from Senor Capobianco who had taught my brother during his freshmen and sophomore year.
Months later, that day long forgotten, I waited for Senora Mosely to call my name. "Andrew McNamar?" she asked before looking up.
"Present."
"Well, Senor McNamar, it looks like you didn't get your wish," she replied dryly. I shrunk in my chair as it dawned on me who that visitor was moths ago.
Senora Mosely was never my favorite teacher, never even in the conversation. Yet, here I am teaching in a district with a vast number of Spanish speaking students and able to communicate with them or at least not butcher names like Yaritza or Dionisio. Senora Mosely taught much more than language, she taught culture and its significance. I can recall her genuine interest in my high school missions trip to Spain--making me present to the class my experiences there.
Senora Mosely taught language as it should be, through experiencing the language not as ink on paper to be memorized, but as a living and breathing entity with nuance. She demanded precision, and I rose to every challenge. In that way, she knew how to motivate me.
I couldn't lose to her. On that first day, she threw down the challenge. Would I shrink or rise? I rose. Right up until it came time to sign up for the next year. I begged my counselor to move me into Senor Capobianco's class because Ms. Mosely had it out for me. I am convinced that during the summers before my sophomore year, and againg before junior and senior year, she forced him to change me back into her class. Each year became a duel in my mind.
I complained bitterly each year. She was demanding, almost cruel to me in the way she wouldn't let me off easily or forced me to help the less proficient. But now I recognize what was really happening. Senor Mosely, knowingly or not, was making me better, more precise in my own understanding. I know now that only those who truly understand a concept can teach it. She was making me do that on a regular basis.
Y por eso, Senora Mosely, gracias. Muchos de mi estudiantes aprecian los resultados de su instruccion. (And 15 years later I only had to look up "appreciate" in the Spanish dictionary!)

Proof that Teachers are too Old

2010-08-06T07:33:00.000-07:00

Milwaukee teachers are primed to raise test scores. According to public releations groups, this fight to keep Viagra and other erectile dysfunction drugs included in their health coverage amounts to only small and embarrassing boner for the union.

Profiles in Greatness Ep. 3

2010-08-04T16:53:00.001-07:00

Unfortunately, my middle school years were lackluster. In large part, I suspect, my own ghost-like existence during those typically strange years resulted in never really attaching to much of anything. I recall some names of teacher, but not that many. Funny how I can name every elementary school teacher, and most of my high school teachers; but middle school remains a mystery.

Mr. Connolly (1oth Grade American Government, 12th Grade European History)
TC was flat out smart. A little odd in some ways, but smart. Reading and lecture typified his teaching style--something that today gets bagged on by progressives. But the results can't be argured with. I know my government and I know my Europeon history. I've become a much better Jeopardy contestant because of TC.
While some students enjoyed roasting Mr. Connolly, or trying to infuriate him into turning beet red, I tended to soak up his knowledge. Sure, I had my moments of giving in to the mob mentality, but ultimately his instruction kept me interested.
He had graduated from the high school, and he lived in town. I believe that his committment to his subject matter was equalled by his committment to our school. These qualities made him great. When teachers combine a love for their subject and love for the school, students succeed.
So, thank you, Mr. Connolly, for teaching me the importance of being an expert in my subject matter, for teaching me the importance of loving my subject matter, and for teaching me the importance dedication to my school.

Profiles in Greatness Ep. 2

2010-08-02T18:02:00.000-07:00

It should be mentioned that I greatly appreciate the vast majority of those who taught me throughout my formal education. And while I am honoring those whom I perceive as great, there is no ill-intent towards any of the others.

Ms. Salva and Mr. Wood (4th Grade)

The "quad," or at least the half of the quad which housed fourth grade operated with the efficiency of a Superbowl winning football team. The head coach, clearly Ms. Salva, didn't miss a single screw-up. And just when I might begin to feel that haunting sense of failure, the assistant coach, Mr. Wood, stepped in to lighten the mood.

To be honest, I can't recall which one taught what subject. No matter, really. The end result was success. I feared letting them down, not because I was prone to people pleasing as some are, but because I could sense their investment in me, in all of us. The two of them loved us dearly. If there is a smile to be forgotten, it won't be Ms. Salva's beaming one. Each time I good-naturedly tease a student, Mr. Wood comes to mind. He had a way of making the classroom feel like family; and in families, teasing shows love. But he wasn't just a clown. He was smart--smart enough to know that Ms. Salva was in charge!

Ms. Salva and Mr. Wood taught me to love my students, to treat them like family. Sometimes that means a session in the "Pow and Wow" room for a stern reprimand. Other times it means messing up a kid's hair to remind them that they do, in fact, exist. So thank you, Ms. Salva and Mr. Wood, for making school a place I wanted to be. And thanks for reading A Bridge to Terabithia--I cried then and last year when I read it again.

Profiles in Greatness Ep. 1

2010-08-01T15:38:00.000-07:00

When the curtain closes on my teaching career, I only hope that more students than not will remember me as effective in teaching my content and treating them respectfully. Who can say whether anyone of any intelligence will consider me great or that I was any better than average. Realizing today that the year begins in less than a month had me thinking about teachers and the how many of mine are worth remembering at all. I assume that I've had roughly 100 teachers or professors in my education career; the following series of posts will honor the ones that mattered.

Ms. Stack (First Grade)
If literature is meant to affect the reader on a deeply personal level as I hope to convince my English classes each year, then Ms. Stack was the one who set me down that path. My greatest fear that year was my certainity that Ms. Stack would turn into Ms. Viola Swamp at any moment. That fictional substitute teacher had a knack for instilling discipline and learning into the classroom. Ms. Stack could have put Ms. Viola Swamp to shame.
I've never quite mastered the self-control that Ms. Stack demanded of me. In the age before ADHD, when little boys had to learn to control themselves or else, Ms. Stack guided me gently towards maintaining focus. She demanded excellence but never belittled when I didn't reach it. She had a motherly nature which was never allowed to take complete control. She understood that too much self-esteem building, which she did plenty of, should never over-shadow a committment to greatness.
When I tried to escape my work by feigning illness, Ms. Stack never bit. I still recall the time she projected down the hallway, "Andy McNamar, you are not sick. Get back into this classroom." I had nearly made my escape with my mother, a softy who was also our school's "recess lady."
In the 26 years since I finished first grade, I have dedicated myself to always being at school or work. At one point, I went six school years in which I missed just one day of school--my great-grandfather's funeral.
Thank you Ms. Stack, for teaching me to demand excellence from my own students. Thank you for instilling a sense of confidence without blinding me from my weaknesses. For that, you are a great teacher.

The Summer Winds Down

2010-07-28T17:11:00.000-07:00

My Rising 9th graders just finished their second novel of the summer, John Knowles's A Separate Peace. The predominate sentiment was one of praise for this minor classic. I had my concerns because all but two of my scholars are female. One of these young women noted that we have completed a great deal of reading this summer--a true statement.
Our first novel, A Prayer for Owen Meany, weaves its story through 600 plus pages, and A Separate Peace courses over 200. In addition to these two novels, they have read nearly half of the chapters in How to Read Literature Like a Professor and three short stories by Flannery O'Connor--"A Good Man is Hard to Find," "The Life You Save May Be Your Own," and "Everything That Rises Must Converge." We still have a week and a half to bust through Lord of the Flies.
And as the summer wind down, I find myself both filled with pride and filled with sorrow. These scholars, from inner-city Hartford, will have read five novels (Their Eyes Were Watching God last summer and Brave New World this past spring), two non-fiction (On Writing Well this past spring), and countless short-stories, articles, and essays over the course of fourteen months with us. They have risen to our expectations and pushed themselves beyond their own. They defy the stereotypes of inner-city youth.
But then I begin to think about the fall, of the impending chaos I will enter at the end of August. A different town, but a similar demographic. I know that inner-city youth can succeed; I know that inner-city youth want to succeed. Yet, too many do not. Too many of my school year scholars give in to the temptations around them--the hall-walking,the disrespect, the lackluster effort. Is it us? Is it the school, the teachers? Is it the parents? Or is there a vast difference between the poor of Hartford, CT and the poor of the rest of Connecticut?

Hark the Herald Angel Sings

2010-07-08T09:53:00.001-07:00

Now that my students are a week into using my slightly informed version of the Harkness method--a discussion based approach to student learning--I am ready to reflect on my own implementation and student implementation. Oh, and since we've been reading A Prayer for Owen Meany with the Rising 9th Graders, the post title aptly fits.

Teacher Implementation
The key discovery of this first week is that I don't trust my students--at least generally, I don't. My Rising 9's who were accepted to independent boarding schools have made trusting them easier than the unplaced Rising 9's who will attend public school in the fall. Our Rising 8's make it extraordinarily difficult to trust, and the Rising 7's are strong, but young (I normally teach high school during the year).
Certainly, in order for me to succeed at the method, I must learn to trust them. But it seems complicated. In order to trust them, they need to know what they are talking about. In order to know what they are talking about, someone needs to teach them. In the past, that someone was me imparting the knowledge base on the student.
In an effort to understand how to implement the philosophy, I purchased Respecting the Pupil: Essays on Teaching Able Students by members of Phillips Exeter Academy faculty. The title is important--Able Students. What if they aren't able enough to make this Socratic approach work?
Too often I find myself abandoning my line of questions to show them some interesting motif or symbol. But I'm slowly improving. I catch myself now, forcing myself to ask a solid, if not leading, question.

Student Implementation
Boys will be boys, is one way of saying that often groups live up to the stereotypes. So, students will be students, whether they are in a public school in the Connecticut suburbs or whether they are urban students with lofty goals of fleeing public schools for hoity-toity boarding schools even deeper in the Connecticut suburbs.
They don't finish their reading which makes participation difficult. If all are not participating, the discussion feels disjointed, almost chaotic. Or, they finish the reading but only at a cursory, hey I got it done didn't I, level. Their active reading makes little sense and shows no sign of mental action despite the many markings.
They are shy and too talkative. They lose focus and talk over each other. But when they click, it is fantastic to watch!

Instability

2010-06-30T16:26:00.000-07:00

Three days into my second summer with Steppingstone Academy, the obvious differences between the program and the urban public school I work at are glaring. Some of it, if I'm honest, rests in the fact that my Academy students choose to dedicate their summer to learning but the public school students are forced to attend. But the most noticeable difference is the level of stability.
Since last summer, the Academy has experienced both growth and change. I am the only carryover teacher from the prior summer. Two key individuals in the "admin" office moved on. And yet, it is business as usual. The scholars show up and work hard. The routines have not changed. The vision remains the same.
Since last summer at the public school, our principal has moved on, a vice-principal has moved on, and our superintendent has moved on (all of this in the last month). We are losing teachers--still not sure how many because our education budget has yet to pass the town vote. And in contrast to the Academy, I feel a great deal of uneasiness. What is our vision? What is our purpose? Our students were not succeeding under the previous leadership with their own view of how to move forward. Now, we are going to change visions again, start all over?
Why is it that the students in our country who need the most stability, the most continuity, are given the least amount of it? It's just not fair.

Education Serenity

2010-06-24T05:22:00.000-07:00

*Risky Business Ahead: Anytime I bring into this blog the realities of my daily grind, I run the risk of offending. But this blog has always been about my experiences; and if I'm to continue blogging, I have to tell the truth of it all.

God, grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;

I cannot change the short-sighted nature of the voters in the town I work in. That this town has yet to pass their education budget for a student population in need of local support wreaks of either ignorance or intention. Both are dangerous.

I cannot change the number of hallwalkers distracting the valuable education going on in the classroom. That our school community allows students to wander our hallways in packs wreaks of either indifference or inability. Again, both are dangerous.

Courage to change the things I can;

I can change the interactions within the walls of my classroom. That I fell into the trap of apologizing for the content (Teach Like a Champion) wreaks of either selfishness or apathy. Both are dangerous.

And wisdom to know the difference.

Honestly, this will be difficult. I feel this insane need to fix things--some say it results from that Y chromosome. There is potential in our district for something special, a place where low-income students prove that they can compete academically with the wealthy. We can be something special, a place where competing cultures come together and form a truly American community.

Harkness help

2010-06-21T15:46:00.000-07:00

During this year's summer program, I will teach three literature courses--one course per grade level. We have rising seventh, rising eighth, and rising ninth graders. The course is designed to promote healthy discussion and dialogue concerning each text. With the emphasis on discussion, I've decided to research the Harkness method used by many independent schools, but made famous by Phillips Exeter Academy.
I have found some resources to help guide my preparation, but have yet to come across a video showing the method in action. As a visual learner, I hope to find something to watch that goes beyond telling about the method.
I am excited to begin, especially considering some of the texts I get to teach:
A Prayer for Owen Meany
Lord of the Flies
A Separate Peace
The Chosen
The Old Man and the Sea
"The Necklace"
"This is What it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona"
"A Good Man is Hard to Find"
"The Most Dangerous Games"

There are many more short stories as well as the text, How to Read Literature Like a Professor. I feel energized, reinvigorated.

Can't Make it Up

2010-06-08T16:40:00.001-07:00

I overheard a fourth grade student in our district respond to her teacher's pleas for greater effort by saying, "Why should I work hard? The government will give me money."
The country wants to blame we teachers for our failures to educate. However, too many of our students have already received an education that we might not be able to overcome. Work hard, we say. Riches will be yours. Feel good about yourself.
But why, mister, my mom feels real good about that check she gets every month.

I hate to be so surly at the end of a school year, but it is this attitude, combined with the lack of soliving our hall-walking problem where I teach (high school), that has me wondering "why bother?"

Why bother working harder than the other teachers? Why bother creating community building events? Why bother believing all students deserve a chance? In the end, they've already been taught.

Why Do You Want to Become a Teacher?

2010-05-18T13:38:00.000-07:00

Dear Graduating Education Majors,

In these lean economic times, you must consider this choice you have made. For many of you, your first year in the field of education will mean driving from one school district to another as you try and keep the bank account out of the red as a substitute teacher. Will that be a valuable experience?
The pay is inconsistent. Some districts will pay as little seventy dollars a day while others fork out one hundred and twenty dollars a day.
The work is inconsistent. You might get called the night before, or you might have to wait until seven in the morning--or not at all. Will you be able to learn from this?
Others will find themselves working for failing school districts with major discipline issues, few resources, and unfocused central offices scrambling to implement a dozen new initiatives. Will that be a valuable experience?
The stress is debilitating. Some adminstrators will blame you for your students' choices while others will rarely check in on you.
The failure is debilitating. You might watch a student refuse to participate because he's given hope, or you might find yourself unable to handle the outlandish behaviors exhibited by students you care deeply for. Will you be able to grow from this?
Some will find themselves working for wealthy suburban districts with well-mannered students, plentiful resources, and clear minded central offices scrambling to ensure high SAT scores. Will that experience satisfy you?
The students are entitled. You might find that your assessments hurt their feelings and GPA--neither of which will make mommy and daddy happy with you. They care about class rank more than learning.
The students are well-adjusted. You won't have many to save, and you will be taken for granted--a necessary person to win over in hopes of a stellar recommendation.
What is that you want to accomplish? What will make you happy? Because in the end, as author/minister Frederick Buechner believes, our vocation is where our "deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet."

Easing back in...

2010-04-07T17:19:00.000-07:00

I wanted to wait until my spring break before I came back to blogging, but I thought it might be best to ease my way back in--less pressure.
With my school in the process of hiring a new principal, and despite not getting selected for the hiring committee, I am curious to know what the edublogging community believes are the necessary philosphy and skills needed for turning around a "failing" school. I ask, not as a knock against the outgoing principal, because the reality is that we are not as successful as we need to be.

15 minute break

2010-01-23T03:04:00.000-08:00

Prior to becoming a teacher, I enjoyed the 15 minute break my former employers would give after four hours of work. After five years of writing on this blog, I need a 15 minute break. Blame it on the recession, or the birth of my second child in October. I haven't read as much from my blogroll or education sections from the major newspapers. No new books have caught my fancy. As a result, my ideas are dwindling and my desire is waning. So, The Daily Grind is going on break until April vacation (at least for now). I hope you'll come back to visit.

The Glossary Part One: A-B

2010-01-07T17:51:00.001-08:00

The following words are part of the CALI (Connecticut Accountability for Learing Initiative) glossary--I am offering my definitions:

Accountability--holding underpaid, overworked teachers of poor students responsible for the pathetic organization of multiple district initiatives and lack of proper curriculum, tools, and planning time which results in said students' failure to meet Annual Yearly Progress (see AYP).

AYP (Annual Yearly Progress)--what most predominately affluent, Caucasian school districts meet except in the areas of Special Education.

Adult Outcomes--the purposeful ignoring of parental or administrative influence with the indirect purpose of propigating the notion that our teachers are always to blame for the stupidity of low performing students. Often AO's will point to how Causcasian teachers are not "Culturally Relevant," and therefore incapable of teaching minority students.

Alignment--the degree to which lemming teachers do what the State of Connecticut Department of Education believes is in the best interest of students who they don't know, don't interact with, but really really really care about.

Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives--A nice sounding name to make you belive that the State which owns the highest achievement gap truly wants to educate English Language Learners

Assessment--A quiz or test that is not really all that important unless it has a modifiers like "Common Formative" or "Summative" preceding it. Also, not really important unless it connects with a specific, highly vague standard strand.

Benchmark Assessment--what underperforming schools administer to show the State that they are following CALI when the State sends CALI investigators to monitor CALI implementation.

Benchmark--The actual place that students are at, like four grade levels behind in their reading skills, when they arrive at a high school.

Best Practice--doing whatever CALI tells you to do, even if it does not work despite all of the meta-analysis done by the man-genius Robert Marzano.

Beyond the Blueprint--the techniques used by teachers and administrators that actually work but are too politically incorrect or not en vogue with whatever Columbia's school of education is currently preaching to admit to using. This might include, but is not limited to, shame and embarrassment, competition, or paternalism.

Big Idea--that all students are capable of learning to the same level. The Big Idea is that every student has the same capacity for learning if only we would differentiate for the one's that lack that capacity upon entering a teacher's classroom.

Blueprint for Reading Achievement--A map that tells shows us how all students can read at the collegiate level by the time they reach 18, or 20 if it takes that long. By giving students texts that they enjoy reading, the Magic Literary Critic will then fill in the gaps to help the "different" to make strong text-to-text connections.

Look for Part Two later!

The Heart

2010-01-07T17:42:00.000-08:00

I was going to write about something else, but then I noticed a blogger, Ms. Miller, had subscribed to my lowly blog. The post I linked to reminded me of the need for "heart connections" in teaching. Our students, especially the neediest, want to know we are human, that we feel like they feel. Her post reminded me of one of the key moments in my teaching career, one that I should remember more often than I am prone to do.

Moving in the right direction

2010-01-01T09:40:00.000-08:00

Twenty years ago, Hartford was outed as one of our nation's most underperforming and racially segregated school systems. The landmark case, Sheff vs. O'Neill, sought to remedy the failures of the district by providing students with choice. In the end, students from Hartford could choose, to some extent, from Hartford schools and surrounding districts. Those districts could reciprocate by sending their students to Hartford schools. The progress has been slow, but the recent inclusion of four Hartford schools on the US News and World Report list of high achieving schools.
Hartford's recent successes, though minor in number, have evolved from innovative programming and inspirational leadership. What the state of Connecticut needs, considering its ownership of the largest achievement gap in the country, is an influx of magnet schools. We also need leadership from our State Legislature to open Connecticut's education system to the type of creativity and dedication brought by these quasi-charter schools. Well, actually, Connecticut needs more charter schools, especially in those areas of the state with the largest achievement gaps: Connecticut Map by performance (where you see blue, yellow, and light blue pocketed together, that is where we need new thinking.)
But in the end, Connecticut needs to move beyond its notorious New England WASPishness and its own focus on personal wealth (look at how we fund education--by individual towns). For such a liberal little state, we sure are rather set in our conservative ways of doing education.