It’s Not Always a Bad Day

Today did not start well.  I was blamed for a bad grade.

 

The Question Is What Is the Question? (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

STUDENT: Why did I get a zero?

 

ME: You did not answer the question.  Your answer was off topic.

 

STUDENT: I didn’t know what the question was.

 

ME: It was in your Reader’s Notebook packet.  You were to respond to Ch. 9-11.  See, it says that right here on the rubric.

 

STUDENT: But, it doesn’t have the question there!

 

ME: The question is in the Reader’s Notebook that I gave you.

 

STUDENT: But, Sally stole it from me.

 

ME: You never told me you needed another one.  Plus, I wrote the topic on the board and explained to the class what was being asked.  You were here that day.  Why didn’t you copy it down?  Why didn’t you ask me if you didn’t understand?

 

STUDENT: But, Sally stole it from me.

 

I guess if you run out of excuses or blame, you just repeat yourself.

 

I walk away to get her a new copy of the Reader’s Notebook.  Fortunately, she did well on today’s writing assignment.

 

Later, I learned why one student struggles in class even though she sits right in front of the board where I write the homework assignments:

 

STUDENT: When did you get that large cupboard?

 

ME: It’s been there since the school was built 10 years ago.

 

STUDENT: No Way!  I have got to start paying attention, more.

 

Thinking of grades, I could only nod my head in agreement.

 

Then, she asked if she could go to her engineering class because she just noticed she forgot her books and binders there.

 

I could only nod my head in agreement again.  I wrote her a pass.  After all, I have had these moments, too.

 

However, my day continued to improve.  After writing creatively for a class period, I had this conversation with a student:

 

STUDENT: I think I got carried away.

 

ME: Why? What were you writing about?

 

STUDENT: I wrote 600 words on having a monkey as a pet.  I started with some background scientific information and then went into a story.  I will continue it tomorrow.

 

ME: Excellent!  Good luck with it.

 

And during the last class, a student shared the start of an amusing story that he began in class and continued at home.  So far, his first four pages (he only had to write two) describe a man waking up late and locking himself out of his house when he went to get the morning paper.  I look forward to reading more of it.

 

What kind of day did you have?

 

Why Do Student’s Test Scores Drop? It’s Complicated…

My number one son is in seventh grade, and has had to take an on-line standardized test three times this year to measure his growth in learning.  His September test score had him reading at a college level.  His December test score had him reading at the 11^th grade level.  His March test score had him reading at a 9^th grade level.

I am Procrastinating by Taking a Procrastination Test: I scored as an Above Average Procrastinator (Photo credit: Tricia Wang 王圣捷)

When I saw this, my mind reeled with thoughts… If he takes another test, will he be reading at grade level?  What if this trend continues?  Will he regress to the point that I have to read Dr. Seuss books to him at bedtime?

First, I called my local congressman.  He always has the answer.  I explained the situation and asked him what he thought.  He replied, “It’s obvious; the teacher is terrible.  She must not be doing her job.  The test scores prove this.”

“I can’t believe it, sir,” I replied.  “I have met her, seen the work she assigns, the passion in her eyes to help students become better.  She can’t be the problem.  Can she?”

“Constituent, she has fooled you into thinking she is doing a good job.  The test scores are the proof!  Your son’s learning was measured.  There is no other answer.  She is making your child less ready for college and career.  Teachers like her are the reason we have the new evaluation system.  Fifty percent of her evaluation will be based on your son and his classmates last test.   Now, thanks for calling.  I have to attend a fundraising dinner and discuss why evaluations based on economic growth for congressmen are not fair.”

“Um, OK.”

I hung up, more confused.  My daughter saw my confused look and asked me what was wrong?  I told her about her brother’s scores.  Of course, she came up with the answer.

“Duh, Dad.  He is 13.  He IS getting dumber!”

“Of course! I forgot what you were like at that age.  It’s not the teacher’s fault.  It is Number One Son’s fault.  He needs to take responsibility and ownership for his learning.  Thank you daughter!”

“No, Dad.  I meant that he takes after you and Mom.  Look at you.  Mom tells us you got good grades in school.  You even have a Master’s Degree.  But, you don’t know how to fix things, can’t find your keys, and think your own jokes are funny.  You get dumber every day! Plus, Mom calls orchards apple-tree farms, forest rangers bear catchers, and recently thought the air conditioner in the car was not working… then she pushed in the AC button.”  Face it, you two are not rocket surgeons!”

“Funny.  Real funny.  Go to your room!”

After all, what else could I say?  I begin to wonder if she is right.  I have been forgetful lately.  I forgot the wife’s birthday, Christmas, and our anniversary.  I couldn’t help Number Two son with his fourth grade math homework.  And, I didn’t win the NCAA March Madness tournament at work.  Number One’s regression is my fault. Do I tell my wife? No way!

I decide to ask Number One.  I show him the scores.  I ask him if he has any idea why the scores have dropped?

He laughs.  I wonder why he thinks that his getting dumber is so funny. 

He explained: “Dad, the first test day was the third week of school.  I was excited.  I was pumped up.  I tried my best to impress my teacher and make you and Mom proud.”

“Well, Number One, I am very proud of those scores.  You were awesome.  However, what happened for the next test?”

“It was in December, Dad. I was distracted with the thoughts of what I was going to buy you for Christmas.”

“Really?  You were thinking of my gift? You are so thoughtful… Wait a minute.  You didn’t get me anything!”

“Just kidding!  I was thinking of all of the gifts I would be getting.”

“OK, Number One, that makes more sense.  That explains test number two.  What about the third test in March?”

“Oh, I didn’t do my algebra homework and needed time to do it.”

“It was an English test.  I don’t understand, son.”

“As soon as I finished my test, I had free time.  I could do my Algebra homework.   You know me, Dad.  I was the kid who would color a picture in first grade in one minute in order to go outside and play.  I skip steps in Algebra because they take too much time, and I get the right answer.  It’s all about efficiency, Dad.  I play soccer the same way.  One touch passes.  No one ever out runs a pass.”

“Number One, let me see if I understand.  You scored low because you rushed through the test.  You had other priorities that day?”

“You know Dad, you aren’t as dumb as you look.  Want to go outside and kick the soccer ball?”

“Why not, Number One.  As long as I am not tested on it.”

No one I know takes standardize tests for a living (Photo credit: Ken Whytock)

School Time Fun

Last week my fourth grader brought home a flier for a fund-raiser.  Let me go on the record: I loathe fund-raisers.  I would rather go to the dentist.  However, Sonny likes basketball and the fundraiser was to watch a game between teachers and the Harlem Wizards.   I saw the look in my son’s eyes and knew he was very excited.  This is the kind of event kids love.

We even talked the second grader into going.  (He prefers watching Star Wars and using his imagination instead of sports.)

Well, the evening was a success.  There were funny jokes, dancing with basketball stars, and the ever popular: teachers losing!  Sonny’s work during recess with his fourth grade teacher did pay off though; she scored two points!

I enjoyed seeing friends entertain the kids.  There was my son’s best friend’s mom pretend to use her Ninja skills to fight a wizard player who was a foot taller than she.  Luckily, it ended peacefully.  :)  And, the community member (a former U.S. Professional Football Player) who was asked to try out for the Wizards during the game missed his one shot by a mile.  The kids did not know it was on purpose, but I know it was.  His shot was worse than my best attempt.  He could not be that bad.  Seriously.

The best part was the referee.  It was my boss, the principal of the high school.  Apparently, she played basketball in high school and college.  She followed the directions of the Wizards and called a “great” game.  She was a great actress and my sons believed everything she did, whether it was a bad call, putting up with disrespect, or even giving the benefit of the call to the teachers.  For her acting, Mrs. H. deserves an Oscar or at least an Oscar the Grouch.

Tonight reminded me why I teach.  It is not the tests scores.  It is not the novels, although I do love them.  It is the fun!  It is the connection with the kids.  It is the immeasurable that no test will ever show.

Think about it.  Do you remember a test score?  Or, do you remember a teacher?

I remember my third grade teacher, Mrs. Duda, who let me help her grade papers and get the films from the office.  I remember Mr. Collins, my eight grade English teacher, who saw my reading and writing ability enough to let me read the main part for a play in class.  I remember Mrs. Collins, my senior English teacher, who saw more potential than I was ready to admit to.

Next year, I will be evaluated on student growth, which is not a bad idea.  However, the growth is to be measured by one test.  The day of the test could be a “bad day” for the kid.  The student could be like my oldest, a “bad test taker.”   What about the impact or influence I have had on a student?  Unfortunately, this is not easily measurable.    Thus, my evaluation will not be accurate.  For now, if you want to know who are the good teachers, listen to the kids.  They will tell you, either directly or indirectly.

What I have learned in twenty-five years is that a good relationship with students creates success.   Now, I have to figure out how to turn the standardized test into a positive relationship.

I Refuse to Work!

What happens when a student refuses to do the work?  What would you do?

Yesterday, I had a young lady with a 2×4 chip on her shoulder refuse to comply to class procedures.

The background:

Since day two of school, I give the students 3 words and their definitions.  The students then create a sentence with context clues.  Yesterday, I walked around the room, looking over shoulders and offering encouragement until I came to Angie’s desk.  Once there, I stopped in my tracked and looked at an empty desk, for she was not on task.  Before I could say a word, she said, “Don’t talk to me.”  Of course, being the rebellious person that I am, I had to say something.

I reminded her that she was to be copying the vocabulary words and creating an original sentence.  She felt the need to repeat, “I said don’t talk to me!”

With that, I sent her into the hall.  She was poising the class with her negative attitude.  I have tried to help her, but her anger prevents her from succeeding.  At the start of the last nine weeks, I feel that I have to concentrate on the kids who want to do well.  It is a constant struggle any public school teacher faces.

Well, I told Angie to sit in the hall, and class discussion was a positive experience.  I wrote a discipline referral and the vice principal suspended out of school for two days.  It seems that her attitude and behavior is not confined to my class.

I am left with the feeling that she has a lot of baggage in life and will not succeed.  However, I do have to teach the other 29 students in class.  Am I suppose to cut the losses and give up on her?  How much time and energy do I devote to her?  This is something every educator in the United States struggles with.  If you have the right answer, I am all ears.

How do I Differentiate Instruction?

Meeting kids where they are: Differentiating Instruction (Photo credit: Wesley Fryer)

Our school district is collecting data on the idea of removing all honors classes from the junior and senior high schools.  The theory is that teachers can differentiate instruction in the classroom to challenge the students at their different abilities.

I have done this in the past by offering extra credit assignments to students who want to push themselves beyond the curriculum.  For example, while studying oral traditions (folk tales, mythology, etc.)  students can research mythologies from other cultures other than Greek/Roman.  According to the picture above, this seems to be ok.

I have to admit, though, that I am a neophyte on differentiated instruction.  Offering extra credit to challenge students does not seem to be true differentiated instruction.  Some kids prefer to challenge themselves in a different manner than completing extra work in English / Language Arts class.  For example, Tina has an A in class and is the lead in the school musical.  She would rather challenge herself with theater, which is her passion.  She wants to be an actress.

I think I should be grouping the students and assigning them different projects based on previous grades or standardized test scores. I have begun to research and ideas are bouncing around my brain like popcorn in the microwave bag.

I could use some feedback from folks in education and those of you who have other life experiences.

1. What do you think about eliminating honors classes?

2. Do you have any ideas how I may incorporate differentiated instruction in my classroom?

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Educating Rebels

What happens when a student does not want to do the work?  I wish I knew one answer!  Instead, I, like every other teacher, try to find the solution to the enigma with each particular student.

Students come to school carrying book-bags and personal baggage. They come from troubled homes, like Pony Boy and the other greasers in S. E. Hinton’s The Outsiders.   They come from homes where illness strikes, like the children of Randy Paush, who gave The Last Lecture on September 18, 2007.  They come from homes with single parents; however, not all are like Atticus Finch in Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird. They come from everywhere.

Cover via Amazon

The truth is that we all have baggage.   However, some students’ baggage consumes their thoughts.   It prevents them from doing work at home and school.  It preoccupies their minds when they are supposed to be writing or reading.  These distractions may have been happening for years, and now the student is struggling because she reads below grade level.

Every teacher faces these students.  We try to make a connection.  We try to find ways to encourage, teach, and show we care.  I am struggling more this year, and I cannot put my finger on a solution that will work everyday.

I have three girls, good friends from the same neighborhood, and who moved into our community a few years ago.  They use to live in an urban environment that to be called rough would be an understatement.

Each day, right before the tardy bell rings, they saunter into class complaining about something or someone.  I believe that they are creating their own drama, but I know they are not getting a lot of parental support.  Their grades reflect this.

I spent the first few weeks encouraging them to complete assignments, and point out the positives in their writing.  Nonetheless, I still got negative feedback in the form of sighs, rolled eyes, and “Tsk!”  I could not allow the rude behavior, so I gave them detentions.

This worked to stop the behavior in class, but it seemed to cause two of the girls to stop doing assignments.  It seemed they wanted to punish me by failing.  I never understand this line of thinking.  If I disliked my English teacher, I would write a five-page essay when he asks for a three pages.  I would make him read a little more every time, so he has to spend more time grading.

Now, I face the dilemma of spending a great amount of time and energy on two rebellious students while ignoring 26 students who are trying their best to learn.  How can I reel in the rebels and challenge everyone to push strive for success?

What I have done that seems to be working for now…

• When the girls enter, I whisper to them about what we are doing today and remind them about my expectations, even though it is written on the board.
• I have them seated away from each other.
• If they are not working, I give them a nonverbal reminder by walking up to their desk and motioning for them to be reading or writing.
• I do not engage in a conversation; I walk away.  I have found if I stay near  the student, she will become stubborn and try to show me who is boss.
• If she does not get started working after I leave, I walk to my desk and fill out the paperwork for a detention.  Then, I look up to see if she is working yet.  If she is, I don’t deliver the detention.  I save it in case she gets off task later.

I have nearly given up on changing the girls’ negative attitudes.  However, every few days, one of them contributes to the class discussion or does well on a writing assignment we completed in class.  Then, I am reminded that they have developed their negativity over years, and I may not be able to change it during the 225 minutes a week I see them.

Do you have any other ideas?

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Exit Tickets or “Did The Kids Learn Anything Today?”

I am positive many of you experience similar dinner conversations:

Parent: Johnny, tell us what you learned in school today.

Johnny: Nothing.

Parent: Surely your eminent English teacher enlightened you about some luminescent literary concept.

Johnny: Stop calling me Shirley!  And why can’t you speak English?

Parent: Johnny, I did not call you Shirley.  I said surely.  Oh, never mind.  What did you learn in English class today?

Johnny: He only talked about some dumb jokes called buns.  But, they weren’t funny.  Speaking of buns, can I have another hamburger?

Parent: Puns.

Johnny: No, I want a bun for my hamburger.  Wow, parents are stupid.

The latest initiative in education is to have students give feedback on what they learned from the day’s lesson. We are calling it Exit Tickets.  In the 20^th century I called them quizzes and writing assignments.    Alas, some entertaining Elizabethan bard said it best: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
/ By any other name would smell as sweet”  (Romeo and Juliet 2.2.1-2).

Don’t get me wrong.  Finding out if students are mastering a concept is important.  I have been given many new resources and ideas to help me be a better teacher.  My umbrage comes from the excitement and enthusiasm from curriculum and administration leaders who seem to think this “new” idea is better than sliced bread.

Last week I had students completing vocabulary exercises in small groups of their own choosing.  The exercises were using context clues to complete sentences, figuring out synonyms and antonyms, and analogies.   My exit ticket questions were:

• How did working in small groups help you learn and understand the vocabulary words?
• How confident do you feel for the vocabulary quiz on Monday?
• How long do you plan to study for the quiz?
• How will you study?

Here are some of the responses to the first question:

• Working in groups helped me to expand ideas and see a different point of view.  (Looks like a future politician’s response, doesn’t it?)
• The group helped explain to me my answers.  (Future one-party voter.)
• It helped me because I got to see what other people thought the answer was and sometimes they were right.  (Not quite husband material.  Once married, he will realize the other person is always right.)
• Two brains are better than one.  When you work with others, you can think up answers easier.  (Does this mean the other person thinks of the correct answer?)
• Is it really working together if you do the work and everyone copies from you?  (No, but the lazy kids all wrote that they liked working in a group.)
• I don’t think this was helpful.  I felt that we got off task too easily, and one person would just shout out the answer before we got to do it first.  (Interesting, the rest of his group liked the competitiveness of yelling out the answer first.)
• It was more fun to work with a group. (What?  Fun in school?)
• It helped me hear how other people think of the words and how they remember the words.  (Excellent – the sharing of mnemonic devices.)
• I prefer not to work in groups because I feel it holds me back from doing my best.  (Didn’t Thomas Jefferson take a five-person committee’s outline and write the first draft of the Declaration of Independencepretty much on his own?)
  

  Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the Declaration (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

• If I am working with friends, I don’t accomplish much; however, if I am working with non-friends I accomplish the work.
• I do not think this was helpful because I like to be able to think for myself.  (Guess who will love Animal Farm when we read it?)

Most responses to the actual studying for the quiz were the same: review the words and definitions with a parent or friend on Sunday evening for 30 minutes or an hour. However, a few were honest: look the words over during lunch.  My favorite response was from the young lady who said she would use a hand puppet to study the words.

To be honest, I knew most of these answers prior to the exit ticket.  I walked around the room and observed the students.  I saw the kids who preferred to work alone.  I saw the kids who were having a blast, yet were off task.  I confiscated the Algebra homework being copied.  I noticed the group of boys competing to figure out the correct answer.  I saw the group relying on one kid to do all of the work.  I heard the two girls creating songs to remember the words.

Don’t get me wrong.  The exit ticket can be helpful.  After all, I would have never learned about the puppets without it.  However, observation is just as important.

What did I learn?  The next time, I am going to assign groups.  A special education teacher I work closely with shared an idea how to create study buddies.  I love working with special-education teachers.  They are way smarter than I am.  I guess that is why they are “Special.”  I am only a teacher: nothing special here.  Perhaps one day I can get a cool adjective added to my title like “Super Sweet Teacher” or “Puntastic Teacher.”

Betty Blamer

This year I am teaching Sean Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens.  It was a recommendation from some colleagues.  So far, responses have varied, which is always the case.  Some students like teacher picked books and some students hate anything a teacher assigns. Nevertheless, I am learning from the book.

Cover of 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens

One of the points Covey makes is to avoid acting like a victim.  This week I realized I have the epitome of victim in my front row.  Betty (not her real name) has the habit of a defective teen.  If I say, “Pass forward your homework,” she blurts out, “My brother stole my homework!”  If I say, “Take out your vocabulary words,” she exclaims, “Someone stole my paper!”  Occasionally, she takes the initiative and does not wait for me to say anything.  She just declares loud enough for the room next door to hear, “Someone stole my pencil!”

Interestingly enough, she found her vocabulary words in her notebook and her pencil had rolled off of her desk onto the floor.  She never did find her homework.  Perhaps a brother did steal it.  Perhaps the dog ate it.  Perhaps she never did it.  I do wonder why her first thought is about someone stealing her things.

Based on my experiences and Covey’s book, I may have an answer.  First of all, Betty’s behavior shows she wants attention.  She calls out to make sure we all know she is here:  “Hello!  I am here and I can sound mean and tough!  Don’t mess with me!”

Next, she does not like to accept responsibility for her actions.  She prefers to blame others.   Her behavior suggests several possibilities.  She may consider it a sign of weakness to accept responsibility.  She may have learned at home that it is always someone else’s fault.  Or, she may have been punished severely for mistakes, and her fear caused her to create the habit of saying someone stole something.  Or, she could be a thief.  She assumes people steal her things because she steals.

Now, I have to deal with her behavior.  First, I listened to her and showed her that I understood she was struggling to find her materials.  Then, I addressed her behavior in a nonthreatening manner.  I could have been THAT teacher who gives a detention immediately for her outburst.  I chose to first talk to her about her loudness and disruption.  I spent a few minutes quietly asking her closed ended questions:

“Did you have to be so loud?”

“Did you find your item?”

“Do you place your work in your notebook?”

“Did you know I have extra pencils on my desk if you ever need one?”

I ask YES / NO questions to get her to think and prevent her from continuing to blame others.  Then, I discussed with her other ways to handle situations of missing things.  In addition, she and I reread the section of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens where Covey discusses victimitus.  Next, I explained what the specific consequences would be for continuing the outbursts and false accusations of thievery: detention.

I finish up with double-checking to make sure she knows other ways to handle similar situations and that she knows the consequences of not changing her behavior.

How would you deal with Betty Blamer?

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Parent / Teacher Conferences: with or without the police

This is a post I made last August, but with conferences on Monday, I thought it was appropriate to repost.

education (Photo credit: Sean MacEntee)

Many parents try to take an active role in their child’s elementary education.  At the young age, there are three types of parents who attend conferences.  There is the I-want-to-hear-how-wonderful-my-kid-is parent.  These are the perfect parents who want the teacher to pat them on the back and say, “You have a great kid.  I wish I could be such a great parent, too.”  Then, there is the I-guess-I-should-go-to-conferences parent.  He or she is not sure what to do, but doesn’t want to be looked down by others for not attending. Lastly, there is the I-was-called-by-the-teacher-to-attend parent.  This parent feels like he or she has been called to a tax audit.  They have that feeling that there is a problem with junior.

 

Once a child reaches high school, only about 10% of the parents attend parent teacher conferences.  Some parents feel that it is time for the child to be adult-like and take ownership of their education.  Some young adults are responsible and do not need mom or dad talking to every teacher.  On the other hand, some parents have given up because they always hear the same thing: bad news.  Some kids do not remind their parents when conferences are.  Some parents only visit a few teachers.  Having taught and coached summer swimming in the area for so many years, many parents know me and do not feel the need to come in to get to know me.  They know my expectations.  They know my school email and private email addresses.  They know my cell phone and home phone number.   Still, parents do attend conferences.  These parents can be classified into two categories: the ones who want to hear how wonderful their child is, and the ones who were called by the teacher to discuss a problem.

 

The first year of teaching brings out many parents to learn about the new guy, especially if one is at a small high school.  I started my career at a high school with 350 students.  Many of the students’ parents attended the school.  Everyone knew everyone in the town, which was a foreign concept for me.  My hometown had a population of 60,000, and I graduated from The Ohio State University, with an enrollment of about 60,000 back then.

 

One of my first conferences taught me that the apple does not fall far from the tree.  I was planning on letting the mom know that her daughter had been tardy to class enough times to get two detentions.  Well, mom was late.  As a twenty-three-year old neophyte teacher, I was not going to admonish mom.  Instead, I gave her the facts and the consequences of being tardy.  We agreed that sometimes being late is not a big deal.  Other times, like paying taxes, going to work, or menstruating, being late can be a big deal.

 

Another conference during that first year showed me how we act when we are nervous.  Julie was a quiet student, barely speaking a word in class.  She barely did her work, too, so her mom and I were concerned about her grade and lack of effort.  Julie’s nervousness came out when she sat on a desk instead of a chair.  She tried to dominate the conversation and tell mom what life was about.  Mom and I worked together from the beginning.  Without saying a word, we showed Julie we were the in charge.  I had her sit in a chair and listen as we went over her poor performance so far.  Then, we asked her what ideas she had for success in the future.  The three of us, a triangle of trust and responsibility, came up with a plan for Julie’s success.  We were all responsible for 33% of her education.  Julie came to the conference hoping to create a rift between her mom and me.  Instead, she met a united front of two people who wanted her to be successful.  Once Julie realized we were working in her best interests, she turned her attitude and work ethic around.  She started to succeed.

 

Unfortunately, not all conferences went so smoothly.  During my second year of teaching, Ryan’s dad wanted a conference with the math teacher, the principal, and me.  Apparently, Ryan was failing English and math.  Ryan was a very likable kid and did class work all of the time.  He just didn’t do homework or prepare for tests.

 

During the conference with Ryan’s dad, I was accused of not caring, not teaching, and not doing anything.  It was my fault Ryan was failing.  Is it the dentist’s fault when we get a cavity because we did not brush or floss?  Yet, it was my fault because his son did not do homework or study for tests.  I was told I only worked six hours a day.  Then, I was yelled at.  I tried to remain calm and professional.  However, I lost control.  I slammed my briefcase on the table, popped it open, and showed him the 90 essays I had to grade.  I told him what a great kid Ryan was, but he needed to get work done outside of class.  I started to get into a stink fight with a skunk.  Next thing I knew, the chief of police arrived.  I guess a secretary called him in.  Being a small town, and my being young and new, I did not know the little details.  The secretary knew the dad.  This was not abnormal for him.  Therefore, the chief ended the conference and escorted Ryan’s dad home.

 

A week later, Ryan had a very believable excuse for not having his homework.  He said his mom took a shot at his dad.  I asked, “What?”

 

Ryan responded, “It’s okay Mr. W.  It was only a .22 and she missed.”  I did not give him a zero for the assignment.  He taught me to focus on student learning in class because I cannot control their lives outside of the school day.  I would make sure not being able to do homework did not cause a student to fail.  Thus, a bad conference taught me how to be a better teacher.  It is part of being a freshman.

 

Today, our parents have access to the grade book on-line.  They can see grades as quickly as a teacher can enter them.   In fact, there is an app that allows students and parents know immediately when a grade is entered.  Parents can email teachers instead of calling them, which has been better for me because I have a computer at my desk, but the phone is down the hall.  I can remember a few years ago when I told my classes that parents were going to have this access to grades and teachers, the kids hated the idea.  If teenagers hate the idea, then I know it is good one!

Welcome To Another School Year

Welcome to another school year.  I share this blog with my students and their parents, as well as the world.  I tend to share my thoughts, however politically incorrect they may be, with anyone who meets me.  I welcome others to do the same, and I would die defending their right to their viewpoint, no matter how wrong it is.

After two days, I am beginning to see who the shy students are, who the gregarious students are, and the ones who understand my sense of humor.  I have yet to discover any student I wish to defenestrate.

Each year, I look inward to see how I can improve.  Although I know I am perfect, I entertain my wife’s thought that I can be better.  (It never hurts to humor the little woman…).

This year, I have created a separate document to show student’s mastery of the Common Core Curriculum.  To be honest, I have done this with my grade book, but the spreadsheet will make it easier for administrators to see the job I am doing.  Realistically speaking, it is not really how well we do our job, but how well we convince bosses that we do our job.

Administrators, parents, students, and other blog readers: do not fear.  I am utilizing the “I Can” statements of the Core as presented by Christina Hank, an excellent resource.  I am very aware of the direction we are headed, and I am happy to see it.  I just notice that we (leaders in education) have been this way before.  The difference is that leaders changed and terms changed, but the ideas did not.  Now, we have a common language and goals to help our students succeed.  This is exciting!

For parents, it may be too much information.  Nonetheless, know that your kids are in good hands.  I am teaching writing and reading.  I have lots of other words to describe what I am teaching, but for most of you, that is not important.  I am working hard to prepare your child for success in college and / or a career.  I know that all of my students will not be English teachers, although several have chosen that path.  I do know that the kids will need to think and analyze and support their opinions.  That is what I focus on.

For any current students reading this, know that I plan to challenge you.  I do not care what your opinion is as much as I care how well you support it.  I want you to stand for something, not fall for anything.  I want you to disagree with me.  I want you to show me with facts why I am wrong.  I know I am not perfect; I am married with 4 kids.  The family tells me how wrong I am all of the time.  I merely like supporting details and examples.

Here is a little secret: I will disagree with you just to see what facts you present to me to show me that I am wrong even though, in my heart, I agree with you.

Good luck this year students and parents.