Garnering Knowledge for Teaching

Today’s brief entry comes from an odd place.  I happened upon this article about a parent protesting the use of BCE and CE instead of BC and AD for time measurements.  These are commonly used time measurements in many areas of science now and they are appearing more frequently in textbooks.  The article touches on a controversy that I see rides the line between the separation of church and state.  This topic itself must be decided on a local level and I will not weigh in on it.

However…read through the article and then look at the first comment.  Come back and see me…

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/columnists.nsf/keepthefaith/story/69A5B307BBB343478625766E000870B9?OpenDocument

Particularly the comment…

“For those who pay taxes and work in the real world, remember this: Those who can – do; those who can’t – teach. The schools should be teaching students the skills to survive in the private sector and leave the PC crap for those who choose to waste their time and money on social science degrees in college.”

I do understand that the author of this comment has a theocratic bone to pick with the system.  But I have watched with horror over the last year as this country has turned vicious and nasty over theocratic differences.

My concern with statements like that above is that the writer is denigrating teachers on mass as a population of people who cannot do anything, so they teach.  It makes the attempt of placing teachers in a lower social strata than the “hard working” people of the “real world”.  This has the effect of placing the writer in a higher social strata and thus allowing him the right to control the actions of those below him.  Since he works hard, and teachers do not, he should have more of a say in what happens in the classrooms.  Especially since he believes that the teachers are in the process of “indoctrinating” his children.

My first thought after reading this was…do people still believe that teachers do not work hard?  Did they not read my last entry?

My great sadness is that this perception of teachers not as hard working professionals but that of glorified babysitters persists in the age of Highly Qualified Teachers and National Board Certification.  I am even sadder at the thought that this misperception would engender anger and agression towards these hard working professionals.

To those who feel their rights are being violated by the government, please do not take this anger out on your child’s teacher.  She/he is a dedicated person teaching what the school district has asked her/him to teach.  These teachers go home and work hard every night on lesson plans and tracking charts.  They often have families and children of their own to raise.  They are not the enemy.  They are the hope for your child’s future and need your support.

Also, because of the new standards for teachers, most teachers will have at the minimum a BA and many now have their Masters’.  The young students I have seen come into my classrooms have been dedicated, passionate individuals with the desire to lead young minds to discovery and growth.  They enter the workforce as highly trained professionals who spend at least 2 years in a specifically designed teacher education program.  Depending on the grade level they will teach, pre-service teachers study a range of methods for teaching math, language arts, science, and/or social studies.

When was the last time you had to explain long division with fractions to someone who did not understand it?  Do you know what to do when a student is consistently having trouble including the first sound of unknown words when decoding a new sentence?  What should first graders know and understand about electricity?

Teachers can answer those questions and many more. They balance pedagogy (how to teach) and content knowledge (what to teach) with the individual strengths and needs of their students in a particular classroom for every moment of every day in school.  They present their lesson plans in detail to school administrators for scrutiny and create personal professional growth plans to maintain certification.  Teachers are amazing, multitasking, caring people who do good 25-30 kids at a time on an annual basis.  Can those who “Do” claim such a contribution to society?

Props to teachers who can and DO teach.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/03/health/03rewa.html

Need to be dissertating, but I couldn’t resist a short commentary on this one.  I’ve often discussed the benefits and drawbacks of using rewards in the classroom.  I am one of those who believes that some type of reward system can be a useful tool in maintaining a positive classroom culture.  I have also seen this type of system go haywire and lose its effectiveness.  My students will tell you I think the reward should reflect the activity done to achieve the reward.  It must be a meaningful reward or it will simply be another “thing” in the child’s life.

Here are a few thoughts about some of the reward systems discussed in the article:

• Several of the rewards discussed were monetary and had to do with AP tests.  I’m not sure this is where the debate should reside.  Just getting cash for a good test seems shady to me and could encourage misappropriation.  I also feel that paying teachers for their students’ good scores, although an admirable thought, opens doors that might not be conducive to true learning.  A more reasonable approach could involve students scoring high on AP and standardized test scores would earn funding for a public college.  That would be a more appropriate reward and would maintain the focus on further learning.  Kids take the test to be able to go to college, not to get paid.
• It seems to me that paying for achievement is a frightening road to run.  Only the best and brightest would get paid and that already happens. If we want to use the work analogy, then kids should get paid for showing up.  That’s what most people get paid to do…show up and do a job for a specified period of time.  Only in upper levels are people paid more for productivity or for achieving a goal.  The general work force gets paid for their time.  Period.  So, yeah, kids go to school.  That’s their job.  But there are other ways to help them see that besides paying them.  That’s why kids strive to eventually become adults, to finally earn their own money and be independent.  Isn’t that the real goal of education?  To produce independent, productive, adult citizens of this United States?
• There is a real question here of how can we make academic achievement more palatable to our students?  How can we help them understand the intrinsic rewards we are always blathering on about?  What does that really mean?  Have we structured our educational system to reward all thinkers and inspire children to WANT to do more?  We are just now moving away from a system that waits for children to fail before they receive some kind of special attention.  We are still burdened with a punitive system of accountability that only offers normalcy for those who achieve high standards and spends time and energy on punishments for those who do not.
• Do we really want to employ a business model that rewards the top 2% of the corporation with unimaginable wealth and rewards workers on the bottom level by allowing them to keep their jobs? Our culture has already seen the devastating effects of a materialistic society gone wild.  Money can’t be the answer.  There just isn’t enough of it to go around.  But what about freedom?  What about earning responsibility?  Who would work for the opportunity to determine what your next project would be instead of having it handed to you?  What if rewards were appropriated based on individual goal achievement instead of being at the top of the class?  Those who feel progress=victory will not like an arrangement of such equanimity.  But, what if our children are ready to see the playing field leveled out just a bit?  To see the system tip away from what you can get and towards what you can do would make too much sense.

In my classroom, I often had rewards available such as additional reading time, or computer time (which involved an educational exercise of some sort), or some free time (a truly valuable commodity in an elementary classroom). To me, rewards were a celebration of a goal completed or a recognition that a student has been making good choices.  I used little slips of paper and verbal praise to constantly reward my students and let them know I noticed when they worked and tried.  The little rectangles of paper had some celebration of the student and a place for her/his name.  They placed the papers in a box in the back of the classroom and on Friday we drew names.  Those who got their names drawn were able to choose from the rewards I mentioned above.  Sometimes I included tangibles such as pencils, books or other educational supplies.   Sometimes I would award a student with free time or reading time outright for a particular achievement.  My students understood that everyone was on their own footing.  I did not expect Sue to achieve exactly the same way that Jan did, but I did expect her to improve from where she was.  They were learning self-management skills and how to reward themselves for their own achievements and how to delay gratification for that reward.  These are all necessary adult skills to be independent.

I have to agree that we can’t set up a system where our students expect reward for all of their achievements.  Unless you are already in the upper 5% of the population, that will most likely not happen in the real world after school.  We can, however, set up a system that mirrors what we would like our society to be.  One that rewards hard work with choice and freedom and those rewards in turn allow a person to achieve for their own purposes. “Crazy talk” one might say.

My big question is, how can we do that in a society that produces “Marry a Millionaire”, “My Super Sweet 16″, and “Real Housewives of Orange County”?  We revel in excess.  We wallow in it and flaunt it as a society and make it seem as if this represents a large number of our citizens.  But in reality, 97% of us do not live those lives and have NO CHANCE of ever living those lives.  How can we make our culture more reflective of its people and less reflective of its elite?   When will we draw our young students’ eyes away from the bling they see and desire, to something more achievable, sustainable, and tangible to them?

Again my Sunday ponderings begin with the New York Times article examining class size philosophy in these troubled economic times.  Essentially, small class sizes are getting districts/states into economic trouble.  Due to some state laws governing class size, districts find themselves needing to hire more teachers and find more classroom space to meet student enrollment needs.  The Times article cites and links to information about the STAR study done in Tennessee in the 1980’s, that provided evidence small classes were beneficial for students, especially younger ones.

However, when put into action as state law, class size reduction had the potential to become a state-wide nightmare as noted in a 2002 study by the Public Polcy Institute of California (also linked in the NYT article.) California found itself with a need to create hundreds of classrooms and hire as many new teachers, some of whom were inexperienced and not certified.  There was even an indication that a class size reduction in the third grade resulted in lower achievement in the fifth grade in predominately low income schools.  WHAT??!  So how is that helpful?

I try to wrap my head around that last stat.  I’m reporting this after reading the information pdf linked from the Times article, so I haven’t had a chance to peruse the actual study report.  But HOW can an intervention result in negative effects in later grades? That’s not an ineffective intervention, it’s a negative gain intervention!  What happens between 3rd and 5th grade to make such a thing possible? The study report mentions a flood of experienced teachers into suburban openings the law created.  This left urban and poor schools with multiple openings that were filled with new teachers, those with alternate certifications, and I’m sure, plenty of TFA folks as well (they’ve had six weeks of training!)   So the gains  that are measured in the earlier grades in mostly economically poor schools eventually become moot because students in later grades have teachers who are inexperienced in connecting pedagogy and curriculum in a meaningful way for learners who are just delving into concepts becoming more and more abstract.

This is not an easy task, especially if you haven’t had the luxury of  spending a few semesters talking about Content Knowledge and Pedagogical Content Knowledge.  If you haven’t had the opportunity to write a few lesson plans and try them out with a chance to revise after feedback from your cooperating teacher and university instructor.  Sure any Joe can walk in off the street, pick up a teachers edition of a textbook and go to town.  I’m sure with enthusiasm, they could actually inspire students and learning will occur.  But what will be learned and how will that inexperienced teacher measure that learning?  What are the skills that build up to the concepts in the lesson and how does one know if the students are ready to learn it?  How does one scaffold a lesson so that all of the learners have some access point to the concepts presented?  This is not something the teacher’s edition always addresses, nor can the TE magically read individual students and understand where they are in their concept development.

These ponderings are what should be going through every teacher’s head for every lesson every day.  It’s eventually something that is automatic as one plans and prepares for each day.  It is something that can only be honed on the job, but the mental habits that lead to this skill development are honed in teacher education.  A person CAN be a teacher with six weeks training, but if a person wants to be a QUALITY teacher, then some time should be invested in that enterprise.  We cannot believe that our education system is in such disarray that a version of the Peace Corps is the only way to save it.  I have to believe that path leads only to a weakening of our system as a whole.

We need quality teachers who can tease out the nuances of a classroom.  We need quality teacher education programs that show our teacher candidates HOW to see those nuances.  Finally, we need a system that rewards quality with professionalism and respect.  Teachers are highly educated and mostly well-trained professionals who are often treated or viewed as child-care providers.  They are so much more!  They NEED so much more!  What if, instead of a small class, a teacher had training and PD, enough desks and books for all of her/his students, and supplies that last through the year and provide experiential learning opportunities?  What if we funded learning?  Really funded learning?

I wonder what effect that would have?

It is a month into the new year, and what do I have to show for it?  No posts since October!  I would be a terrible blogger, if I had any current readers.  Perhaps that is what I wish to change.

I am a teacher without a class at the moment.  I know eventually the dissertation will be complete and a job will be pursued and my class will return as will my audience.  In the meanwhile….(notes of Steven Sondheim roll through my head everytime I see/hear that phrase) I will re-establish this place as a place of educational awareness and discussion, or my meandering blatherings, whichever seems appropriate for the context.

My thoughts for the new year:

-I hope that reason will soon prevail in the Department of Education.  I know for a fact that students in many major metropolitan areas are being left behind more now than they were eight years ago.  The financial repercussions of policy gone wild have left many districts scrambling, strapped, and deeply mis-managed.  A prime example is that of the St Louis Public Schools in Missouri.  You can catch up on what’s going on specifically by checking out the St Louis Schools Watch blog here.

-I also hope to eventually hear something good and child-focused that was accomplished by an educational consulting firm.  Something actually serving the public and not self-serving.  But then again, that’s what business is all about, and that’s why we have something called public service and public interest.   Somehow the people need to be served.

-I want to hear that funding has returned to public education, and creativity, and happiness and RECESS!!!

I really want to hear that Recess is back.  Kids need recess.  Kids need recess.  Kids need recess.

Happy Spring Break!

I can’t imagine why I am up at 8am on the Monday of spring break.  But, the warm air spilled in the house as my partner left for work this morning and his statement as he left, “it’s 50 degrees out” drew me to the door.  Indeed it was.  50 beautiful degrees.  The tease of warmth invigorated me, and knowing it was fleeting, I made coffee and opened the windows to let it in; relish it.

My dog is 6 months old and has spent most of his life in a harsh winter.  He doesn’t seem to mind the snow and cold as much as we do, but he simply doesn’t know what spring and summer hold.  If he did, I’m sure he would echo our restlessnes and desire to have the windows open full time again.  As I opened them this morning, he stuck his head out and sniffed a great sniff.  It took a half hour for him to tire of it, and that’s quite a long time for a young dog.

Having the windows open  with spring’s baby breath sifting through reminds me of home.  In St Louis, (MO) our winters often are temperate with smatterings of 50 and 60 degree days throughout the winter.  By March, however, those turn into weeks of mild weather followed by a week of cool weather.  My winters were often interrupted by days of open windows, where I could clear out the staleness of winter.   Today, for a brief moment of a true “spring break”, I was able to feel a cleansing breeze and listen to the chickadees at the feeder outside.  It feels like a weight of ice has melted from my shoulders.

I ponder the ideas of “taking a breather”, “getting a breath of fresh air”, “getting one’s second wind”, and think about the implications of something breaking the staleness of a situation.  When I’m working on a task, (grading, planning, writing) I tend to focus and lose track of time around me.  It’s the soreness of my long-inactive leg muscles that finally inspires a break.  Sometimes, however, my brain seems cluttered, or stuck and I need more than a stretch.  I need air.  Cool air, warm air, no matter as long as it’s fresh air.  It washes over my head and clears my mind like a quick dip in a perfect pool.

So what, you might ask, does this have to do with teaching and the politics of closing schools?

I’m so glad you asked…..

First…teaching…..

It seems obvious that fresh air can do wonders for one’s concentration and motivation.  We all stand up and take a breather at times.  How often do we allow kids the same freedom?  Recess is becoming a shorter enterprise as pressure rises for more reading and math time.  (Do you notice that it’s not often referred to as Language Arts and Math time, but Reading and Math?)  Some schools have literally cut out organized recess outside of lunch time.

But what if I’m not necessarily talking about recess?

How often do we give kids a little change of scenery?  A long time ago, we left the classroom for art, music, PE, and other activities that filled in our curriculum.  But now the art and music teachers often show up in the classroom with a cart.  PE is brief and once or twice a week in the gym, and recess has its own purposes of releasing physical and social energy.  What about during curriculum times?  Do you remember going on nature walks as a child?

I used to relish those beautiful 50 degree winter days as a teacher.  I would find a little time and change my lesson plan so that we could talk about seasons or read a book about birds or find some reason to go outside and look at the world.  I think if I had a classroom now, I would write a grant for little digital cameras for my students and I would have them keep a photo blog of the wildlife and trees that surround the school.  This would provide a curricular reason for our constant treks into nature and provide opportunities for observation and analysis for my students.

sigh….You never stop getting ideas once you have had a classroom.

But, back to fresh air… Consider the benefits of air for your classroom.  When things get sticky and stale, a little open window or a five minute trek down the sidewalk and back can do wonders.  Sometimes that’s all a group of little ones need to be able to still their antsy-ness and focus on the learning tasks at hand.

Of course, that all makes sense.  Air for kids helps them think.  Oxygen and brains are things that go together well.  But what does this have to do with closing schools?

This morning as I enjoyed my open window and coffee, I read the following story in the Lansing State Journal

Neighborhood Schools Disappearing

The Mason school district announced a school closing this weekend and Lansing schools announced a high school restructuring plan late last week, with warnings that school closings were to follow.  As spring approaches and districts begin to work on next year’s budgets, the reality of lower enrollments, costs of maintenance, and higher utilities weigh heavily on a school board.   In the article, Lansing’s C.O.O., Brian Ralph noted, “We’ve got to get away from this idea that every neighborhood gets its own school.”  It seems a harsh statement considering what we know about what works in schools.  But it is the reality a majority of districts, large and small, are facing.

I saw this process occur in St. Louis before and after I moved to Michigan.  The district was in trouble and closing schools seemed the only way to stop the downward spiral.  Unfortunately the majority of schools closed were in poor, African-American neighborhoods on the city’s north side and much suspicion was cast on the choices of the school board.  I would like to tell you that it all worked out in the end.  But after multiple school closings, multiple school board and superintendent changes, and a brief multimillion dollar dance with an education consulting firm (that really messed things up, took their money, and split), the district finally hit a new low last summer with a loss of accreditation from the state coupled with a state and city takeover of district management.

I bring all this up because it often appears that school management in many areas view organizational change as that breath of air the district needs to get back on its feet.  If something changes, whether it’s school organization, teacher distribution, or management takeovers, there must be a positive outcome because it is a change for the better!  What doesn’t seem to change, however, are the things research has told us will really make a difference for students in classrooms: smaller class sizes, carefully chosen curriculum with the needed supplies, and abundant faculty training.

Will closing two or three schools help Lansing’s overall budget?  Probably.  Reducing energy bills through closing a building and cutting down on support staff will save a few dollars.  I wonder how much of that savings will be eaten up by more gas for buses now that children who once walked to school are being bused.  In the meanwhile, how will the district compensate for the crowded schools and larger class sizes that may be created in this plan?  Will there be an increased focus on curriculum and materials for classrooms?  How can constant cuts equal that breath that everyone needs?  How can you breathe in a crowded classroom?

If you look at the high school restructuring, I wonder about the choice to ask teachers to re-apply for their jobs (see link in post below).  This is one of the options NCLB offers districts that have schools passing the 5 year mark out of compliance.  Would making you re-apply for your job inspire you to be a better teacher and give a district your 100%?  There seem to be levels of trust here that are long missing and when a district begins to play the blame game with its teachers, the fight can only get ugly from there.  How does any of this help kids?

How are any of these choices the breath of fresh air everyone needs?  When do schools get to step outside, fill their lungs with sweet atmosphere, and sigh?  It seems all the pressure of NCLB is overwhelming at times and the constant dance of district policy can be dizzying for a teacher simply trying to teach an ever changing classroom of needy students.  As a teacher, you can become vocal about issues, and even join district decision-making committees, but in the end, you are far from the decisions that deeply affect your practice.  You are the end of the policy line…where it all falls, and you have some control over one thing, your classroom and your practice within it.

So really, one thing we can do as teachers is take that breath of air, literally, with our classrooms.  Get outside when you can and enjoy the sun and breeze.  Find a way to make it instructional but get outside and breathe.

Another thing we can do is infuse “fresh air” into our teaching.  Understand your district’s curriculum, and, if it needs supplementing, learn more and refresh your teaching.  Think of learning and infusing new ideas into your curriculum as a cool wave of fresh air when you’ve been in a stale environment too long.

Your district will do what it will in its pursuit of fiscal responsibility from the top, but your job is to build things up from the bottom.  Use the space you have to carve out freshness.  Recruit your colleagues in a pursuit of clean air and refreshing teaching.  Remember those cultures of negativity we discussed?  Dispel them with your rays of light and learning.  Work to push out the negativity of depression, helplessness, and complaining by counteracting with positive teaching energy and constructive classroom time.  Make your classroom a breath of fresh air and see how fast that movement can spread.

We can’t control the larger events that happen in our district, but we can control the energy and emotion that resides in our classroom homes.  Make yours light and bright and curious.  Let your students feel they can breathe in there and then, sometimes, take them out for some more fresh air. Don’t worry about the cost….

As far as I can tell….breathing still counts as free.