tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74621494692767991582024-03-05T00:46:52.371-06:00Tales In EducationTales In Educationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613178432615965613noreply@blogger.comBlogger118125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462149469276799158.post-28145729818208886732019-11-21T09:52:00.001-06:002019-11-21T09:52:18.622-06:00The Lie of "College & Career Readiness"Last week our student council arranged a day for students to dress up to look like whatever career they would like to have when they grow up. One of our most gifted sixth graders dressed up like a construction worker. This is a bright kid, from a great family, not a tike still stuck in a Bob the Builder phase. He's thought about this. He's verbalized it around people he cares about and had an opportunity to see their reactions and possibly hear what they have to say. And there's nothing wrong with it... unless you're in education. To the education field, non-college pursuits represent failure, and in this gifted child's sense, a possible tragedy.<br />
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The last two decades school district's have continuously yapped about "preparing students for college and career readiness." It would be a terrific goal for all schools if only it weren't a lie. When your school or district tells you they are preparing kids for 'college and career readiness', what they mean is 'college readiness'. Schools don't get 'paid' in their test data for those who choose jobs working with their hands. <br />
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Students who elect to pursue a career without attending college, particularly if paired with average or below average standardized test scores ultimately represent a strike against teachers, schools, and district compiling data which often sets college readiness as the benchmark. To support this, rhetoric was created in many places suggesting that blue collar jobs were going away because of technology and college was a student's only hope of having a career and earning a living. Imposing these sorts of scare tactics on children and their parents is despicable. How ironic that high school offerings of shop, welding, auto, cooking, and other hands on classes are in major decline. College AND career? <br />
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Schools should absolutely attempt to grow all children and help all children have the opportunity if they should so choose, to attend college. Those who explore a different path should not be looked down upon as failures because of their impact on success rate data or for failing to support the fictional narrative that not going to college means you'll live with your parents forever. Most laborers I know earn significantly more than most school social workers. Some people do not enjoy school. Some people enjoy working with their hands, being outside, and hate wearing ties or high heels. There's room for both here. Let's support both, rather than raising our nose at one. <br />
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Schools should be offering a well rounded variety of academic options, which expands further as they reach high school, where then students can begin to discover what areas they have passion for. Besides, if we are really interested in preparing students for life, the emphasis should be on developing skills in problem solving, collaboration, and creativity- not over emphasizing standardized math results. If you are a teacher, please make when your class talks about careers, that all sorts of careers are celebrated and promoted because at the end of the day, nearly all college certified teachers need a mechanic...<br />
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Tales In Educationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613178432615965613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462149469276799158.post-73175012619816705872017-10-19T14:16:00.002-05:002019-04-30T07:31:31.589-05:00The Homework Battle & Why It Must Be Won For KidsStudents at my elementary school receive a small amount of homework each night. This mostly consist of independent reading and a few minutes of math fact practice. The work and the effort are never graded, and they are never held against the student in terms of loss of privilege or even a hallway scolding ("We've talked! You <i>KNOW</i> homework is important). We encourage kids to read every night, and we also encourage them to play outside, to join sports, music, and church programs, do good deeds, and to eat dinner together as family. Our school has regularly scored above the district and state averages in both reading and mathematics. The junior high indicates that our children and regularly the most prepared feeder school. And I'm hated by a measurable percentage of people. <br />
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My daughter goes to a school with a long 'traditional of excellence' that has them very proudly stuck in pedagogical and assessment practices that are way outdated. They affluence of the feeder neighborhoods allows them to overcome bad practice and believe, that in spite of ignoring most modern research in the field, they're doing a great job (translation: the parents are really good at 'helping' with homework). Predictably, we fight through hours of homework nightly with our <i>5th grade</i> son. We rarely can eat together. He had to quit the swim team to keep up with homework demands. My spouse is effectively his math teacher. She cries regularly. She drinks wine nightly. My son hates his teacher. He hates school. This is the experience my school's parents are fighting me over denying them?<br />
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How can educators- particularly administrators- work with families and school boards who continue to cling to the outdated and many times over disproven notion that lots of homework equates to high standards, rigor, and preparation for 'the real world?'<br />
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Part of the challenge stems from the fact that we've become a data horny field with completely reckless use of information many don't even understand. "My child got a 'developing' on Smarter Balanced Assessments! This is because he didn't have more homework!" This is same blocked-headed reactionary thinking that sunk us into this mess following Sputnik and later the 1983 report <i>A Nation At Risk.</i> The difference is, now we've tried the kill em' with homework approach and have a mountain of evidence to show that it's not effective. So why are we still do it? More isn't always better. Not everything can be counted. I'd argue learning is one of those things. <br />
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These are hard conversations to have. Most of the time, the resistance to modern assessment practices and homework reduction come from people who have already made their mind up. After all, since they attended school, they too possess expertise (or they fear the advantage of white privilege will be negated by allowing someone else to re-do an assignment for full credit).<br />
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As uphill as these battles are, it's our obligation as educators to keep fighting these fights. Squeaky wheels DO get greased. Parents who do understand the harm of these practices need to be calling their principals, talking at school board meetings, and sharing their concerns with other parents. Teachers need to have the courage to not do the wrong thing because it's the path of least resistance. This just isn't the profession for it. Our children deserve better. <br />
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<br />Tales In Educationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613178432615965613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462149469276799158.post-68613324828028041852017-05-26T07:12:00.001-05:002017-05-26T07:12:33.624-05:00So That's How It Is In Their Family...<br />
Dismissal is a hectic few minutes with quite a few moving parts for our school. Kids are predictably rambunctious, parents are on the scene, there's the danger of moving cars, someone has always forgotten their flute inside (tying up the entire car line), and there's usually a bus driver who wants to have a discussion about arranging a make shift firing squad line to summarily shoot children until someone comes forward with a full confession as to who has been leaving Blow Pop wrappers on the bus floor. <br />
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Dismissal is also a great time to make connections with kids and I try to filter as much of the other noise as I can during this time to chat with kids about their soccer practice, what they thought of last night's hockey game, or about the book they're reading.<br />
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John is a 4th grade boy who dresses in nothing but T-shirts which proudly express his fondness for Minecraft. John is one these kids who has amazingly learned how to speak without pausing to breathe. He shifts from topic to topic at lightning quick speeds, all while dancing a whirling dervish and subsequently assaulting classmates with his book bag or art project. <br />
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As with many students excited for adult attention, John is unfazed by the challenge of competition. Recently, during dismissal I needed to grab a couple PTA parents to briefly discuss an upcoming event. John located me through the body traffic and came charging up, bull dozing his way into the group.<br />
<br />Immediately he loudly began hot breathed story about his families recent vacation. "... and I had ice cream in a waffle cone!... and we stayed at this really great hotel!... they had a hot tub!....and they had a swimming pool and I swam for like 18 hours..." I smiled gently at the other adults. John was impossible not to like even if his manners needed a little tune up. <br />
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"And they had GOLDEN SHOWERS! Wouldn't you love a GOLDEN SHOWER, Dr. Principal?! I've never been in a GOLDEN SHOWER, but my mom went in the GOLDEN SHOWER and then my dad went into the GOLDEN SHOWER. Have <em>you</em> ever been a GOLDEN SHOWER, Dr. Principal?!?"<br />
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Um, that's kinda personal, John.Tales In Educationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613178432615965613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462149469276799158.post-19965725079818682792017-02-15T10:18:00.000-06:002017-02-15T10:18:19.945-06:00A Plea For Social StudiesPolitical affiliation aside, most people I've spoken to would at least concede on some level that neither major party offered a particularly good option when it came to our most recent Presidential election. Donald Trump, for good for bad, seems have successfully blended the circus and government, and is seemingly at the center of more controversy each passing day. He's more entertainer than leader, and to his credit, didn't campaign as anything different. Knowing all this, the American people still elected him, no doubt in large part to Hillary Clinton's own career (and her husband's) having been mired in scandal.<br />
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How the hell did we get here? How did two lousy candidates become our only options? How did a man who has openly offended every imaginable demographic, who seems more likely to be impeached than actually accomplish any of his goals, become the <em>fucking President of the United States</em>? Well, perhaps schools are somewhat to blame.<br />
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No Child Left Behind was signed into law in January of 2002, and ushered in the age of school accountability, and with that, testing. Lots and lots of testing. These tests were used to judge individuals, schools, and neighborhoods. They caused re-organization of some schools, were sometimes tied to salary or employment, and their results became the absolute measure of worth when examined by a public who often didn't understand what they meant. This predictably lead to schools slowly adapting curriculum to better increase their odds of scoring well on tests(regardless of how mundane the instruction became), more text prep, and a re-allocation of time which focused more on the subject areas tested, typically, math, reading, & writing. Social studies began to disappear. It wasn't tested and thus became a necessary sacrifice in order to survive the judgments and consequences of government. In many places where it still existed in some form, students were often pulled from it for RtI needs ("they can't leave math or reading, those subjects are tested!").<br />
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Students who were four years old, when NCLB was signed into law were eligible to vote in 2016. This essentially an entire generation of voters who were likely to have receives less education on Social Studies, Civics, & History than past peers. Wasn't a primary function of schools supposed to be to develop the future citizens of our country? How can that occur when little emphasis is placed in this area?<br />
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Donald Trump has certainly made numerous ignorant statements. But I'm disheartened to hear that extremist groups like the KKK and the American Nazi Party are strengthening again. Hate feasts on ignorance. If students are not given regular opportunities to study these events and discuss their impact with a trained adult, how can they be expected to understand the complex dynamics of race relations when they become an adult? How can we have empathy today if don't know yesterday? How could a generation of collective opinions support identifying and electing wise leaders of any party? It's at least fair to consider that they cannot. <br />
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School leaders- if social studies has slipped in importance in your school or district- I am requesting that you use your voice and talents to help it remerge in our schools. The possible consequences of not doing so could be tragic. Tales In Educationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613178432615965613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462149469276799158.post-45049755845279725472016-12-02T10:26:00.004-06:002016-12-02T10:26:51.159-06:00Is A Granola Bar Healthy Snack?Earlier this year I attended my own kid's curriculum night. The teacher went through the usual snooze fest of information about how he grades and how many minutes he wants the kids to read each night. Then he got to the slide about snack time. Being an educator myself, I had already predicted the canned Power Point slide about snack needing to be healthy- ya know, carrot sticks, apple slices, granola bars, but no candy, pop, or chips. But for the first time all night, the teacher surprised me. <br />
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"You can send a healthy snack with your child. You're the parents. Whatever you feel is healthy, is fine by me. If you want to send chocolate cake with your child because that meets your definition of healthy, be my guest."<br />
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This is brilliant! No one can truly agree on what is, and what is not healthy- including doctors in many instances! The government counts ketchup with high fructose corn syrup as a vegetable! Are food with oil good for you? Is meat a healthy protein or a cancer causing nightmare? Is a granola bar healthy? This fruit roll up says it's made with 'real fruit flavors'.. is that okay? What about 'flavored' water? Chocolate milk? Dairy in general.. good or bad? Too much fruit is bad because of the sugar, right? Nuts are high in fat and sodium. Goldfish crackers are baked and made with REAL cheese, so I KNOW that's healthy! Boys shouldn't eat things with soy in them or they turn into girls I heard... <br />
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Show one study that says <em>anything</em> is healthy, and I could show another that refutes it (sorta like educational studies...). So why, on top of everything teachers & schools have become responsible for, do they now bring it upon themselves to be the health police (while at the same time, I'm pretty sure educators are the top consumer group for cakes, donuts, cookies, and diet soda...)? Why are we potentially causing conflict with students and/or parents, and potentially challenging (often passionately held) belief systems? My child's teacher took that hassle out of his life in one fell swoop. <br />
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Believe me, I understand the role proper nutrition plays in a students ability to learn and grow. I'm glad school cafeterias have become more conscientious about what they offer, and most classrooms have wisely allowed students to have water bottles throughout the day. But when it comes to what parents send their own children with to eat, let's save our confrontational bullets for something worth the fight. <br />
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And now, having said all that, I'm off to enjoy a couple bottles of wine- since I've read that drinking wine is healthy... Tales In Educationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613178432615965613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462149469276799158.post-91839152187151984892016-09-01T10:01:00.002-05:002016-09-01T10:01:29.205-05:00Georgia On My MindDuring one of the first few days of the school year I bumped into a 3rd grader in the hallway and inquired about how her summer had been. <br />
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"Did you take any vacations?"<br />
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The little girl said she didn't, but then updated her answer by saying, "Well, just Georgia. My mom's side of the family lives there."<br />
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Knowing this was a divorce situation, and sensing her lack of enthusiasm for the topic, I decided to shift the topic to something else. "Well, did you read lots of books this summer?"<br />
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"No. Georgia really doesn't have many books."Tales In Educationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613178432615965613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462149469276799158.post-5712071031878289572016-07-28T09:43:00.001-05:002016-07-28T09:44:07.794-05:00Cell Phones In The ClassroomMike Archie was the type of teacher that absolutely everyone, himself included, could not wait until he retired. He was a physical education teacher at a middle school who had clearly smelled too many locker room aromas and no longer had any passion for kids or athletics. He was simply a crabby old man who students hated, and colleagues avoided. <br />
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This particular incident took place in early 2000s when cell phones were just beginning to become an item that every person owned. Schools predictably were unsure where to go with the whole cell phone thing and defaulted to the stock approach to all things unknown- prohibit them. Students caught with cell phones had the phones confiscated and were subjected to possible disciplinary action as well.<br />
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One thing crabby old teachers who need to retire are excellent at is dispensing discipline according to the handbook. No gray area or breaks with this group! So when Mike saw Cordero Williams holding a cell phone, he was on him like flies on shit. Rather than ask the kid to put the thing away, he charged up the bleachers of the gymnasium in a fashion that might suggest that this phone threatened the safety of the President of the United States. "Gimme that phone Williams!" <br />
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Most tough guy middle schoolers generally don't enjoy confrontation with adults. Cordero became visibly upset and pleaded with his teacher that the phone wasn't even real. Mike would have none of it, and snatched the phone out of his hands, and dragged the kid out of the gym and down to the Dean's Office.<br />
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Mike's anger at this offense was obvious by the way he filled out the discipline referral. He pressed so hard I'm amazed the pen didn't break, and are five exclamation points ever really necessary? When he was done, he taped the cell phone to the referral and noted below it, "Student tried to tell me the phone wasn't real!!!!!" With that, he placed the referral in the dean's box and left Cordero to wait, fully embarrassed from the experience of getting dressed down by a teacher and dragged out of class in front of his peers. <br />
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When the Dean of Students returned, he read the referral and examined the phone taped to the paperwork. The 'phone' was actually <em>a piece of chocolate</em> with foil wrapping colored to look like a phone. I couldn't make this up. A three year could have told you this wasn't a real phone. Hell, anyone could. Well, anyone except Mike Archie. Tales In Educationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613178432615965613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462149469276799158.post-82129305071126285322016-04-15T10:34:00.003-05:002016-04-15T10:34:50.057-05:00The Power Of Teacher BiasAs a standard practice at our school (and I'm sure many other schools), when we get a new a student during the year, the teacher reaches out to the former school for information about the student that may be helpful in better teaching them. But is this information truly helpful? Or does it create bias about the students abilities and personality before they've been given a chance to demonstrate otherwise?<br />
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Mrs. Fontenot reached out to Jerome's former school when he arrived a few months back. Phone messages were not returned, and e-mails received no response. Jerome was a little rough around the edges when he arrived, but in a matter of weeks his effort in class began to increase, his quality of work improved, and his behavior was a non-issue. He went from one of the lower small groups for reading to one of the higher groups is less than a quarters time. Mrs. Fontenot confessed he had become one her favorite students, and certainly one that she had immense pride for his accomplishments.<br />
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Then she heard from his former school. Jamal's former teacher had been out on a maternity leave. She apologized for not getting back sooner, and commented that by now, Mrs. Fontenot had no doubt learned that Jamal was lazy, often disruptive, and disrespectful when re-directed.<br />
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Imagine if the teacher had heard these things <em>before </em>Jamal had been in class a week? Would the teacher have had lower expectations? Would she have treated his minor misbehaviors different ("I'm going to set a tone with him right away!")? A bevy of research suggests it would have- to the detriment of Jamal.<br />
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While collecting information to help better understand students is done with sound logic and wonderful intentions, the unintended consequences of this habit deserve reflection. Different adults connect with different sorts of kids in different ways. Because a students second grade teacher couldn't stand him/her, does not mean that a different person a year later will feel the same. Schools that systematically organize conversations between former and future teachers, or have teachers call former schools are seriously jeopardizing children's opportunities to find success in a new environment. <br />
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Low expectations are already a hurdle many students have to overcome. Let's be cautious as a profession about creating such expectations in advance.<br />
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Tales In Educationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613178432615965613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462149469276799158.post-9481162873398518482016-03-11T11:01:00.000-06:002016-03-11T11:01:28.441-06:00Viva Las Vegas?Randall was a sweet likable boy, despite his cognitive challenges. Teachers enjoyed having him in their classrooms over the years despite the extra work he required. <br />
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While in 4th grade, the students were working on providing evidence for writing. The assignment was for students to write about their dream vacation while providing support for their decision. Randall struggled with basically all writing. Further, coming from poverty is was unlikely he had ever visited any places located more than an hour from wherever his family was living at the time, and it was additionally unlikely that Randall had ever even been on traditional vacation. Thus, the teacher was caught of guard when Randall announced during small group instruction that he wanted to go to Las Vegas for his dream vacation.<br />
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"Um, well ok. But Randall, now you have to explain your reasons for wanting to go to Las Vegas for your readers. Why did you pick Las Vegas?"<br />
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"Cuz I wanna go to a strip club!"<br />
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Careful what you ask for...<br />
Tales In Educationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613178432615965613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462149469276799158.post-53373424203587086752015-12-11T06:48:00.000-06:002015-12-11T06:48:19.930-06:00Down With The SicknessI recently completed my doctoral work (a distraction largely responsible for ignoring my writing here). My staff made a big deal about the accomplishment including an announcement that I was now "Dr. TalesInEducation." Of course, elementary school aged children generally don't understand this, most confusing it with being a doctor of medicine. <br />
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A particular sweet 4th grade boy named Bryan came up to me, said "Congratulations, <em>Dr.</em> TalesInEducation", and gave me a hug almost stumbling over the doctor part in his sentence. He then looked up at me and said, "I don't understand why you're a doctor." <br />
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I replied by explaining that I was a doctor of education, not a doctor who helps people who are sick. After a slight pause, the Bryan looked back up at me and said, "But you could fix education if were sick, right?"<br />
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It was my turn for a pause. "It is <em>definitely</em> sick Bryan. And I'm not so sure I can cure it all...."<br />
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And away I flew like the down of a thistle, to my favorite watering hole.... Happy Friday, educators! Tales In Educationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613178432615965613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462149469276799158.post-15547708162433948552015-05-06T07:49:00.001-05:002015-05-06T07:49:11.240-05:00Last Tango In Grade SchoolThe other day there was a mix up at the end of the day with one of our third grade students. He was supposed to take the bus home but somehow wound up in the car line. No big deal. <br />
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The challenge here though was that this kid's family was from the Ukraine and the only person who spoke any English in the family was the kid's mom. The mom was an extremely attractive woman, with a great figure in all senses, and complimented such with a trendy wardrobe that generally included plenty of short skirts, high heels, and low cut tops. <br />
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It took us a while to track the mom down. She was coming back from the airport and couldn't get to the school to pick her son up for about 30 minutes. We assured her that he was fine and got the boy a snack while he waited. I sent the secretaries home since we were having an Open House with ice cream served for kids that night and I knew they probably wanted to freshen up before coming back to work.<br />
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I was working in my office when the boy, Viktor, knocked and asked if he could throw his pretzel wrapper away. He sort of lingered in my office, acting like he wanted to chat (poor guy was probably bored as hell) so I initiated things.<br />
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"So ya comin' to the open house and ice cream social tonight?"<br />
<br />"Ah. No. No we can't make it" he replied.<br />
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"Well, ya can't make everything, right?"<br />
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"Well it's my mom's birthday today" he shared.<br />
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"Oh wow! So are you all going out for a nice dinner with mom?" I asked trying to apply the necessary enthusiasm surrounding birthdays that an eight year old would expect.<br />
<br />"No. My mom wanted to get a dance lesson for her birthday."<br />
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"Oh neat! Are you going with her?" I asked.<br />
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"No. It's a tango lesson" he explained.<br />
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"Ah. So probably just mom and dad for that one, right?" I said.<br />
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"No. My mom broke up with my dad. She told me it's a <i>private</i> tango lesson."<br />
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Don't wait up, kid. Tales In Educationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613178432615965613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462149469276799158.post-75927306468155919592014-09-25T07:56:00.000-05:002014-09-25T07:56:15.432-05:00Learning Is A JourneyThe other day as my wife and I returned home, our neighbors walked across the street to chat.<br />
"Hey, can you on your principal hat for a second?" This is of course my favorite introductory question when I'm actually not on the clock.<br />
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She went on to explain that at her daughters school they're now 'doing this thing' where if you take a test and get a poor grade, you can re-take it and get a new score. She didn't think this was a fair practice and was curious as to what I thought. If you haven't guessed yet, her daughter is highly accelerated and easily scores well on tests and assignments without much remediation.<br />
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I explained to our neighbor that not only did I agree with this procedure, but that I held the same expectation in regards to testing/grading at my own building. If you've had one of these debates, you can probably predict the sequence of the conversation. "This isn't fair to kids who work hard the first time... not every kid deserves a trophy... this isn't how the 'real world' works... this isn't teaching responsibility..." and then after dismissing all of these claims with logic, "Well, I STILL don't like it!"<br />
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I wasn't upset by this exchange. I'm used it as an advocate for practices which embrace learning as the target v. ranking/sorting children. This was just another reminder of how much effort is necessary to properly educate parents on best practice.<br />
<br />This was an random conversation that took place in my driveway. I've presented this same sort of thinking to passionate educated teachers in an organized pre-thought out manner and still had (many) people leave upset with what they were hearing. <em>Changing long held mindsets doesn't happen in a single outing.</em> People need time to reflect on what they've learned, privately explore their own biases, ask questions/clarification, see examples, and experiment on their own. Immediately rejecting new thinking does NOT necessarily make the listeners dumb, ignorant, or stubborn (stubborn thinkers are valuable to have around...).<br />
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It's frustrating to give a strong, impassioned presentation to a group and watch the audience leave pissed off rather than cheering for you like the President at the State of the Union address. That's just not how strong leadership usually works. Changing outdated thinking is a constant obligation of school leadership. The messages need to be heard regularly over time, and we should be realistic in our pace of change. Some people will never change their thinking, and many who do will never acknowledge your guidance in the journey. If you're waiting for that moment of "okay, YOU were right" you're missing the point. <br />
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I'm confident my neighbor will understand eventually. She's intelligent and just needs to see that other children learning and feeling good about themselves doesn't take anything away from her daughter or make her any less special in her giftnedness. She'll eventually see how much less anxiety comes with that moment when<em> her</em> daughter scores poorly on a test, and can re-take it (this will of course happen eventually...). Or maybe she won't. But there would no chance of changing thinking if the leadership of the school district made decisions based off the initial reactions to new information. The same is true when we work with our staffs or students. Learning is a journey- not a moment. Tales In Educationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613178432615965613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462149469276799158.post-89884197257435582332014-09-13T09:05:00.000-05:002014-09-13T10:03:31.564-05:00Screw Data. I'm really hoping that we're close to another pendulum swing in education.<br />
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The obsessive reliance on data in regards to decision making in schools and classrooms has exceeded it's value. Just as teachers and principals have cried out that test scores aren't a measure of their effectiveness as educators- the same rule applies to learners as well. <br />
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What we're currently doing is the equivalent of looking at only a batters home run statistics to determine who the best baseball players are. Learning is not, no matter how much we try, like money. It can't be easily quantified, nor can it provide fast evidence of effectiveness or lack thereof.<br />
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I don't care what measure you're using. None of them can account for the kid who walked away from drugs because of something a teacher said. None of them can determine if a kid has stayed in school only because he feels safe with this teacher. None of them measure the blossoming of creativity, kindness, courage or collaboration (all 21st C. skills...) which teachers routinely foster. And none of them can predict entirely if a child will or will not be successful in life. However, most of the time, what they DO tell us, after loads of cost, time, and anxiety, is what any decent teacher already knew. "He reads slowly? Holy Shit! I would have never known that despite teaching him for months! I'm so glad we interupted several days of learning to lab test seven year olds! Thank you AIMSweb!"<br />
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The data craze has numbed classrooms, and killed many spirits. It's been great though for consultants and authors of educational books as we can now endlessly debate what 'rigor' or 'high standards' actually mean when determining cut scores and services for children.<br />
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Teachers should be encouraged to trust their instincts, embrace their passions while teaching. I'm not in any way an advocate for drill & kill, endless memorization, or hours of homework. Education has progressed and improved. Data does have a place in our schools and classrooms. However, 'data to inform decision making' should NOT effectively equate to "data to remove all use of the human brain.' Tales In Educationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613178432615965613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462149469276799158.post-53626180434666416012014-08-07T09:39:00.004-05:002014-08-15T14:43:11.309-05:00School Registration BluesOur school district has recently adopted an online registration procedure. It is super simple and totally convenient for all parties involved. In past years we've dealt with the consistent problem of families being on vacations during the designated registration periods. Being unable to add them to the count until they return from Disney has the potential to impact hiring/recall of teachers who are anxious begin preparing for school. Online registration essentially solves this headache. It saves secretaries tons of data entry, and it is also far more 'green' as we are making less copies and printing less documents. Everyone wins right?<br />
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Perhaps. But as I go through registration, which now consists of only unique cases (families without computer access, residency question marks, second language families who need translation, etc.) being 'in person,' something feels missing. Ultimately, it's the same thing we've given up in nearly every area we've moved to Internet based- relationships.<br />
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I miss seeing all the children and their families come in after being separated for months. The look of excitement on the children's faces reminds me of why I entered the profession. I got to catch up with parents and hear their hopes and concerns for the new school year. I got hear about little league games and swim meets. We got to know and create an immediate personal connection with new families and students. But no longer. It was a ritual coming back together for our school, and now it's gone.<br />
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I get it. It's 2014. Hell, we're probably way late to the game on this one. We'd look disorganized and out of touch with time if we continued to force families to stand in a slow line to accomplish what they could do in minutes from the comfort of their home. Many parents (sadly) have no interest in having a relationship with me or anyone else at the school. <br />
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Still, teaching children is about relationships before all other things. As a profession, we need to constantly evaluate the decisions we make and how they impact our ability to form quality relationships. When we lose something like in-person registration, one of the few times <i>every </i>parent has to come to the school, we need to brain storm alternatives to get that valuable in-person contact. I'd love to hear what other schools are doing to preserve their relationships in the on-line era. Tales In Educationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613178432615965613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462149469276799158.post-79601891206603892972014-06-13T11:53:00.000-05:002014-06-13T11:53:14.619-05:00Stay At Home MomA note had gone home inviting parents to an end of the year event at our school. Steven was a messy first grader who frequently lost such correspondence between it being given to him and his arrival at home. He was also a little sneaky and thought he was more clever than he in fact was. His teacher of course was aware of this.<br />
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"Steven, did you give your mother the note about parents night?"<br />
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"Oh, she's not coming" replied Steven casually.<br />
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"Steven- did you, or did you not, give your mom that note?" his teacher pushed. <br />
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Steven, becoming a little short, pushed back. "Okay! I didn't give her the note, because I KNOW she's not coming!"<br />
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"Sweetie, how you know for sure your mom is not coming to an event she may not even know is happening?"<br />
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"Because" Steven confidently began, "I heard her tell someone last week that she's a <i>stay at home </i>mom!"<br />
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<br />Tales In Educationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613178432615965613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462149469276799158.post-65970650133510524632014-03-24T08:35:00.001-05:002014-03-24T08:35:33.422-05:00The High Cost Of Hygiene Thomas was a mess of a little boy. Besides being 'a picker' and spending more time in the nurses office with nose bleeds than in the classroom, he also had horrible hygiene. Over the years different teachers had tried to talk to his mother about his shabby appearance, curious body aroma, uncombed hair, his frequent nose picking (and the after effort snack), and effect this had on his ability to make friends. These pleas fell on deaf ears. <br />
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Now in 6th grade, with a full face of acne, and recognizing the girls (and boys...) aren't interested in him, Thomas asked his teacher how he could get rid of all the pimples on his face. <br />
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"Well let me ask you Thomas, how often do you take a shower?"<br />
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"Every two or three days."<br />
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"Don't you think you should be taking a shower every single night?"<br />
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Thomas laughed hysterically. "Ha! We've got better things to spend our money than water!"Tales In Educationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613178432615965613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462149469276799158.post-3520220384133060422014-02-28T06:43:00.000-06:002014-02-28T06:43:28.621-06:00One Nation Under God?While doing my rounds, I stopped into the kindergarten room (always an adventurous visit) to see what was going on. On that particular day, I was wearing a tie with an American Flag on it (the US Olympic hockey team had a big game that day).<div>
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One excited little girl quickly blurts out, "Oooo, I love your tie Mr. Anonymousprincipalperson!"</div>
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"Thanks! Children, does anyone know why I'm wearing an American Flag tie today?"</div>
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Every hand in the room, instantly, goes up. Anyone who has ever been in a kindergarten classroom can confirm the previous statement.</div>
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I picked out a little boy sitting nicely with his hand raised. "Because President's Day was a few days ago?"</div>
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I was actually pretty impressed with this answer from a 5 year old. "Great answer! I never thought of that! But there's another I'm wearing an American Flag tie. Who else has a guess?" Every hand, including the kid who's already answered, shoots back up.</div>
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I pick another little boy sitting patiently.</div>
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"Because you belief in Jesus?!"</div>
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Um..., </div>
Tales In Educationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613178432615965613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462149469276799158.post-10334422345473430382014-02-13T06:35:00.001-06:002014-02-13T06:35:07.029-06:00My Father Would Be Rolling Over In His Tomb...Recently one of our second graders was shocked to learn that school was indeed in session on Valentine's Day. <br />
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Student#1: We have school on Valentine's Day!? But everybody celebrates Valentine's Day. We get President's Day off, but have school on Valentine's Day! Nobody celebrates President's Day. That's crazy!<br />
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Student#2: Valentine's Day is one of those made up holidays.<br />
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Student#1: Ohhh yeah. Like Easter. Tales In Educationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613178432615965613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462149469276799158.post-28746205549457987482014-01-23T07:56:00.002-06:002014-01-23T07:56:51.765-06:00Fahrenheit -451, The Temperature At Which Schools CloseIt's been a long winter for those on the East coast, the plains, and the Midwest in the United States. My Twitter feed has been constantly filled up with posts about temperature (or the dashboard thermometer 'selfie' proving it's real damn cold where your at) and massive snow fall. Many schools have been cancelled due to these circumstances. However, many have not. <br /><br />
This is an impossible position for superintendents. Cancelling school creates a ripple effect of other issues- most notably day care concerns. While the occasional unexpected day off may be welcomed by some teachers, the extension of the school year later on is rarely popular. <br />
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Still I find it odd that in a country where New York has a limit on the size of soda you can buy, where seat belts & helmets must be worn by law, where most states have enacted smoking bans/limits of some sort, where metal detectors & cops are standard in school buildings, and where school districts are held to strict dietary cafeteria regulations- all in the name of safety and health, that superintendents are left to have to arbitrarily decide at what negative wind chill it's too low for a six year old to walk to and stand at a bus stop (is -25 degrees wind chill too low? -30?). How many inches of snow and freezing ice are unwise to send school buses (and staff) out on?<br />
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In weather as frigid as it's been this month in many parts of the country, frost bite can set in in under 10 minutes. Is it more likely that one of our students DOES have a gun or DOESN'T have a pair of gloves? Do our laws and procedures reflect the answer to that question? <br />
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I know, I know- we all walked to school in much colder temperature (uphill, both ways, barefoot...), kids are soft these days, blah blah blah. Perhaps there's some truth there as well. But when a five year old loses her fingers because his bus is late or a bus slides off an icy road, I can assure that 'meeting the demands of the Common Core' will be a very distant afterthought. <br />
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Some winters are tougher than others. The number of days in question can probably be counted on one hand over the course of several years. But on those days, I would urge leaders and policy makers to show the same concern for safety as we do when it comes to so many other areas. <br />
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<br />Tales In Educationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613178432615965613noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462149469276799158.post-71161648570406725092014-01-09T07:12:00.004-06:002014-01-09T07:12:44.619-06:00Winter Break Revelations We returned to school this week after our nondenominational winter pause. The return of students after break reminds me of when my daughter spends the weekend at grandmas- all rules, guideline, and procedures, no matter how basic, need to be refreshed, re-modeled, and practiced.<br />
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Students are also super excited to share what they did over their respective breaks. One of our third graders piped up right away on Monday. "My auntie had to go to the hospital!" The teachers showed concern and asked why (always a dangerous invitation with little ones...), and the child revealed her aunt had a baby over break. <br />
<br />Those who work with elementary students (particularly young ones) know that this exchange now invited 25 other children to raise their hands (or simply blurt out) anything that had to do with hospitals, doctors, babies, aunts, winter break, or anything else for that matter. <br />
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Little Xavier struck first. "Yeah, we had to take to my sister to the hospital too." The teacher was pretty much obligated to show the same concern and again inquire what had happened.<br />
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"Awww, she partied too hard and shook it till she broke it."<br />
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Having had all of this little boy's sisters, the teacher wisely elected to inquire no further. Tales In Educationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613178432615965613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462149469276799158.post-82875605334632754192013-12-10T06:49:00.001-06:002013-12-10T06:52:04.014-06:00A Story Of SurvivalYesterday, likely in my excitement to escape the office before Mrs. Lopez called me back for the third time, I did the inexplicable. I left my iPhone on my desk at work. I was half way home (and live a pretty good haul from my school) and had an obligation that prevented me from turning around. This was set to be the first time in at least <i>10 years</i> that I was without my phone. <br />
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I should probably share at this point that I consider myself an addict (likely in the clinical sense) to this technology. It started with my move into administration. I wanted to use phones that got e-mails to show my superintendents and teachers that I was totally accessible. It's grown into something I barely can control anymore. Responding to e-mails in as short a time as possible is something I've created for myself regardless of when they come in, who they're from, or what the issue is. I estimate it's affected my ability to sleep through the night. I'm ashamed to admit I once responded to a work e-mail while on a run. I wouldn't share this if I felt I was the only person facing circumstances like these. As I look around any room that has other humans in it (especially educators...), I'm pretty sure I'm not.<br />
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Well, I'm here to tell you that I survived! The sun <i>did </i>rise again. I ate dinner without the ding of e-mails and texts tempting me to check them. I watched Monday Night Football without the interruptions without wondering what issues might be waiting in my inbox. I drove to work this morning without the boneheaded temptation to respond to the vibrations in my pocket while driving. I'm alive, healthy, and I do believe school will open as regularly scheduled.<br />
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I love my iPhone and all it's wonderful capabilities, and I don't believe it is particularly practical in this day and age for a school administrator to not have a smart phone. However, last night was another reminder of a really bad habit that I've created and need to adjust. Smart phones have off buttons which can be used during family dinners (while driving?). E-mails <i>should</i> be addressed in a timely manner. The next day<i> is</i> timely for messages sent well after school closes for the day. My phone can charge just as well somewhere other than my night stand and I'd still be able to hear it if an emergency occurred in the middle of the night. Family, friends, and colleagues <i>can </i>adapt to a world where my accessibility is less that 24 hour a day by phone (several numbers), e-mail, text, Facebook, Twitter, or Skype. <br />
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The same goes for just about everyone else. My goal is to begin, today, to start restoring some balance in my life when it comes to web based technology. I challenge each of you to reflect on your own use and ask yourself if your use is balanced. I challenge each of you to reflect on whether you would want your students to grow to use technology the way you currently do. <br />
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<br />Tales In Educationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613178432615965613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462149469276799158.post-59279934504814794022013-12-06T14:09:00.000-06:002013-12-06T14:09:59.922-06:00Was The Olive Garden Open On Thanksgiving?Autumn is a beautiful little second grade girl in my school. She's the type of kid that you almost need to seek out when you're having a shitty day because she reminds you how awesome it is to work with kids, and even with all the bureaucratic morons making decisions, the testaholics, and Common Core nonsense, it's ultimately a very special privilege to be an educator. <br />
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Every time I pass Autumn in the hall, she comes over and gives me a big hug. She doesn't scream and act obnoxious like many little girls who want to give hugs to teachers, just a beautiful smile and a warm genuine hug.<br />
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The Monday following the Thanksgiving break, Autumn approached me for a morning hug just like any other day. As I hugged her back I said, "Good morning! How was you Thanksgiving Sweetie?"<br />
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"GREAT!" she said with a giant smile, "But I had a ton of diarrhea."<br />
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Oh. Um,...<br />
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Tales In Educationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613178432615965613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462149469276799158.post-81599909709877032412013-11-07T13:33:00.002-06:002013-11-07T13:33:14.852-06:00Wait? Teachers Don't Suck After All?There is a story on page 6 of the October 30th issue of <i>Education Week</i>. To clarify, page six is NOT the front page, and <i>Education Weekly (</i>while a fine publication) is NOT<i> The Washington Post, New York, Times, </i>or the <i>Chicago Tribune. </i>This story, by Catherine Gewertz, indicates that most U.S. states are <i>outperforming</i> the global average in Math and Science. Really?! <div>
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Teachers, particularly in public schools, have been beaten up and degraded for years for the alleged repeated failures of their efforts. The calls for higher standards can be heard from sea to shining sea, particularly from political windsocks (terrific news for those who sell tests, test preps, newly aligned textbooks, workbooks, and software to fearful districts...). The results are terrible moral issues, teachers leaving the field in droves, and of course tougher standards. </div>
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We are literally and needlessly torturing some children with these new standards. Yet, now there is a report that 28 states are actually outperforming the mighty <i>Finland</i> in math. According to the article, U.S. public schools collectively outperformed England, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Sweden, Norway, and the United Arab Emirates among others. </div>
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The data used are predictive statistics applied to the 2011 TIMSS test for 8th graders. Look, I get it. Data can be twisted and manipulated to tell you anything you want, but let's also acknowledge that this truth applies both ways. Nowhere is data more abused than in education when it is published or distributed without any qualifications or understanding accompanying it. </div>
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There are some states that measured poorly, and certainly room for growth for all of our great states (isn't there always?). Obviously we're going with the stick over the carrot on that one. </div>
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These statistics are particularly impressive when considering that the United States takes <i>all children</i>. Students are not tracked into certain future career paths at early ages. No one is told they can't come to school based on ability or income. Patrick B. at my school has been kicked out of class 4 times today already, and 7 times total this week. If he gets himself straightened out, there's not reason he couldn't become a lawyer, or a doctor, or, um, a teacher. Not in China he couldn't though. </div>
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It's frustrating that our profession is abused by twisted statistics and repeatedly put down (thank Governor Christie). Sweeping, poorly thought out, reforms are often the result of the panic set forth by misunderstood data and sensationalized headlines. The truth most likely lies somewhere in the middle.</div>
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<br />Reform doesn't have to be an ugly word. Schools, teachers, and administrators can all evolve and get better. But change is a slow process. Results shouldn't be expected immediately, yet we move to the next reform before we figure the current one out half the time. These reforms should be guided by experts from the field- not politicians and business leaders. Reforms should match the needs of the local area and not be totally identical because the needs certainly aren't.</div>
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I unfortunately cannot fix the whole media. But from my little corner of the Interweb, allow me to publicly celebrate educators, and the fact that a new report shows that we don't all totally suck. Hooray. </div>
Tales In Educationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613178432615965613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462149469276799158.post-30141263142403742172013-10-31T11:17:00.003-05:002013-10-31T11:17:59.285-05:00These Questions Need Some Teeth!Perhaps I'm being too dramatic and reactionary here, but a recent experience has really pissed me off. While in a training, the presenter passed out what they claimed was a Smarter Balance sample question for writing. The prompt asked, 3rd graders, to "write two to four paragraphs describing and comparing different tooth traditions.'<br />
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What the hell is a 'tooth tradition?!' These ridiculous tests have the potential to have significant impact on the children to who take them, and the teachers who bust their asses to better them. Peoples entire careers can be affect by these test results and this is how they assess?! Tooth traditions?!<br />
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Students of affluent backgrounds already generally do fine on these tests. It's often children of impovershed backgrounds that struggle. So why are we stacking the deck against them with questions like this?<br />
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Several years back we had a boy who was having such severe tooth pain that another teacher and I drove him to a free dental clinic. He was in 4th grade and had never been to a dentists. He had teeth that were literally rotting in his head, were infected, and that need to be pulled immediately. Is that the kind of 'tradition' the test writers are after?<br />
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A couple years ago one of the principals in my district delivered a Christmas tree to one of our families. The children cried and hugged him- refusing to let go. They'd never had a Christmas tree before. I find it difficult to believe that families that can't support one of the most common American holiday traditions, have an abundance of background knowledge on traditions of teeth.<br />
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I'm obviously aware of the tradition of putting a tooth under your pillow and having the Tooth Fairy leave you some money. But this simply isn't a traditional for all. Schools and churches collect canned food, toys, mittens, coats, soap, etc., all holiday season because of the volume of families who need them and can not afford them. It is fair to conclude that many of our families do not have the means to place money under their young childrens pillows when they lose a tooth (or won't if they work nights, are neglectful, or gone from the child's life altogether).<br />
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Sure, a great writer could read a couple passages and depending on what knucklehead is scoring the test, probably 'pass' it (I barely know what means anymore). However, there is no doubt that having a background in having your mommy sneak in and put money under your pillow each time your lose a tooth gives those students a profound edge in succeeding on this question. <br />
<br />But it's the teachers and schools who are failing the kids right?<br />
<br />Tales In Educationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613178432615965613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7462149469276799158.post-42512309486212176312013-10-11T07:20:00.001-05:002013-10-11T07:20:33.857-05:00He Knows If You've Been Bad Or Good...My wife and my 1st grader have recently been banging heads about (among other things...) her completing her writing homework. The other night, as has become par for the course, my daughter sat at the kitchen counter whining about it being too hard while my wife thundered away at her about how she needed to stop moaning and get her work done. It was then her three year old sister injected, "You better do your homework or else Santa Claus will see you!"<br />
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After pausing for a moment, my wife thought to herself, "Hmm, maybe I can use this." After nodding in agreement she added, "Yeah, and I have Santa's number. If you don't get working right now, I'm calling him." Well our sassy little six year old wasn't biting so my bride grabbed her cell phone, called her dad, and pretended to have a very disappointed conversation with the famous fat man from the North Pole. After concluding her conversation, my wife threw the kid a look as if to say, "I didn't want to do that, but you made me" only to have the child come back with, "Come on mom, that was grandpa you were talking to." This was starting to backfire. <br />
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Now backed into a corner, my wife needed a strong move to save this routine. "If you don't believe me, I'll call him back and <i>you can talk to him!</i>" With that she again whipped out her cell phone and began scrawling through her contacts. She certainly couldn't call her dad back as grandpa's voice would be obvious. Desparate, she called my buddy Kurt who I went to high school with and now enjoy frequenting local taverns with.<br />
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Kurt (5'9'', 160 lbs) doesn't have a creative bone in his body. What I wouldn't have given to be a fly on the wall when he answered his phone and listened to my wife say, "Hi Santa Claus, Marie won't do her homework, can you please talk to her?" and handed the phone to my daughter (while praying he'd get it and play along).<br />
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After a long pause, and no doubt some supressed laughter, my pub mate hacked through a performance that would get you booed off a community theater performance. "Um, (lowering voice), ho-ho-ho, you better do your homework like your mommy says, or else I may not stop at your house this year!"<br />
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Sadly, the kid bought the whole thing and immediately completed her writing work. The three year old of course went crazy and needed to talk to Santa as well thus necessitating my buddy continuing his performance a little longer. <br />
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Hmm, I wonder if a conversation with Santa might help my tier 3 kids at school....<br />
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<br />Tales In Educationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17613178432615965613noreply@blogger.com0