"No drug, not even alcohol, causes the fundamental ills of society. If we're looking for troubles, we shouldn't test people for drugs, we should test them for stupidity, ignorance, greed and love of power."
Teaching is the most frustrating, tiring thing I have ever done. But it is also the most rewarding, fulfilling thing I have ever done. Everyday I set my alarm for 5:15, and nearly everyday I wake up at about 5:13 and lay there anxiously anticipating the day to come. Somedays I get pretty deflated. For instance, we just finished The Hunger Games and, as I have said, I introduced a project on social justice. Honestly, there was a lot of complaining. In hindsight I may have overachieved a bit, actually I don't buy that. I think a lot of teachers don't push their students near hard enough and as a result students have no idea of their true potential. Either way, certain kids whined a lot and wanted to do a test or a poster (as I said, no idea of their true potential). This at first was disheartening, then it was annoying and finally it really pissed me off. I was really excited to instill a sense of social conscience in my students. To watch them latch on to a passion and run with it. But all they really wanted was easy.
But today, something changed. We started our social justice speeches. Hearing the kids talk about these issues, and how they conflict with who they are and what they believe in, and what they, personally, did (not could do, or will do, but did do) was really inspiring. One girl wrote the white house expressing her outrage with the IOM guidelines accepted by the HHS in Obama Care forcing religious groups to provide money fro abortions , contraceptives and morning after pills. Another student created a blog about Hunger in the local area. A boy from my afternoon classes made a T-shirt that read "ASK ME ABOUT CHILDREN IN ARMED CONFLICT." On the back he had about 20 shocking statistics about the horrors done to children in parts Africa that force them to fight in rebellions and uprisings. Another girl had a bake sale to benefit children in third world countries born with a cleft lip or palate. One surgery costs $250. She raised $300.
Those are just some that stand out. Many students created websites, posted on facebook, tweeted or sent mass text messages spreading awareness about things like huner in somalia, genocide in Darfur, the inadequacies in the meat industry, bullying, gay rights, the food system and it's link to obesity and many other issues. Other students donated food to shelters, sent money via a website, hung poster in the class or made a petition. I made it clear from the start that this was not about how grandiose the action was, it was simply about acting. Seeing a problem and doing something. I'm sure a lot of student did the easiest thing they could, and that's fine. Other's I hope have found a passion that they will continue to harvest and make people aware of. Either way Tuesday was enough for me to be reignited. Kids are always going to want to take the easy way out, hell i think we all prefer the path of least resistance. However, I truely believe that by following what I believe to be right, teaching according to my personal pedagogy, that my students will learn. Maybe not the day I assign the project, maybe not the day they give their speech, but one day, I hope, they will learn. My mentor from Philly siad "Spencer, there are hundreds of kids out there who learned from me, and that feels amazing." Today I finally grasped a small part of that.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
If kids were value meals, this system would be golden
I went to Penn State this weekend to visit my friend lexy and participate in their yearly State Paddies Day shenanigans. On the way up me and one of my best friends, Fritz, stopped at McDonalds for dinner. As we sat there chowing down on copious amounts of greasy goodness, Fritz said "You know what's comforting, the fact that I can eat at a Mcdonalds in PA, California or China and my food will taste the same." I had never thought of this before, or at least I had never truly thought about it. Mcdonalds, despite any personal views you may have on them based on animal rights, health concerns or product quality, has mastered continuity and consistency.
And this, is the perfect analogy for the current education system. In fact, it ha been the goal and the aim of education for years. In the industrial revolution schools naturally adapted to the factory system. Increments of work, lunch break, bells, asking superiors permission to use the bathroom, all of it was meant to prepare individuals for a factory job. Today, our aims are a bit higher, but not really any more noble. We strive higher education and rigorous standards, and we implement things like standardized tests tell us where our students are collectively and how well they are being taught by professionals.
The problem of course is unlike industry, this is not a field that can be controlled with standards and testing, because we deal with different raw materials. McDonalds has mastered their burger because they figured out a way to put the same product everywhere. Every McDonalds starts with the same burger and fries. They brew the same coffee and they wear the same uniform. However it is completely unrealistic to believe that this sort of continuity can be obtained in districts 5 miles apart let alone within the walls of the same school. I am increasingly shocked at how different my students are. In good ways and bad ways. For instance things like "levels" are a myth. There is no "8th grade" reading or writing level. I have kids who can write a 5 source research paper in a couple days and I have kids that can barely write an introduction paragraph. I have kids who can read a classroom novel in 2 days and others that need 4 weeks. Here's the thing, they both matter. They both need affirmation. ANd they are both capable of learning.
The AYP judges kids based on where they should be and also on growth of every student. Growth is a wonderful thing, we should embrace it and celebrate it. What is concerning is the emphasis grade level standards. Because some kids can't meet those standards, not in a year. They aren't lazy, or stupid or retarded, they just are on a different level. But they deserve to be affirmed for their accomplishments just the same. Because the more I see, the more I am convinced that self-efficacy is most of the battle. If kids believe they are going to fail, they will. If you make them believe they will succeed then get ready.
This gets us into a whole different topic, grades. I'm an easy grader, and I don't grade things often. A lot of students don't like that. Our factory system has taught them that grades equal pay check, would you go into work and do things if you weren't getting paid? Not if you worked in a factory. Now if you worked in a field that you loved, that fulfilled you, you just might. This is what I strive for with English. I want it to be a reaffirming exoerience every time a student reads a novel or writes a paper. Grades sometimes hinder that though. You see often grades are a ranking. So if the smartest kid gets an A+ on a paper, than naturally everyone else will get below that right? Now what about the kid who entered the class and had never written more than an intro? What if he turns in a 3 page paper? COmpared to my A+ student that paper's probably about a C-. But compared to his previous work? Well compared to that he just did more than he ever has in his life, and he did it well. So what do I give him?
All A's would be awesome. Effort=grades and if you waste your talent, then your wasting my time and I'm not going to grade it. Give it back to me when you did your best and you'll get the best I can give you. Sweet philosophy huh? Linda Christenson, a teacher from Portland Oregon, works in some f the worst districts, and she has that policy. In inner city it's awesome, because it brings out the best. In fact, Id argue it brings out the best in anyone. But would it work in more affluent districts? Districts with high taxes and competitive academics? Districts where parents actually look at report cards and call the principal everytime they feel their kid is being cheated? You see we're not Mcdonalds, our raw materials aren't the same; the people who recognize that often don't feel comfortable with prime rib getting the same recognition as a quarter pounder.
This a tricky issue, and as you can see I don't have a concrete solution. I'm not at all suggesting that we should keep standards low and reward kids for low achievement. What I am saying is that affirming kids for what they are capable of and then challenging, and expecting them to improve is the only standard I need to adhere to. And if the people making laws recognized that, I don't think we'd even need standardized tests. No one wants to under achieve, they just don't know how to get to the top of a ladder with missing rungs.
And this, is the perfect analogy for the current education system. In fact, it ha been the goal and the aim of education for years. In the industrial revolution schools naturally adapted to the factory system. Increments of work, lunch break, bells, asking superiors permission to use the bathroom, all of it was meant to prepare individuals for a factory job. Today, our aims are a bit higher, but not really any more noble. We strive higher education and rigorous standards, and we implement things like standardized tests tell us where our students are collectively and how well they are being taught by professionals.
The problem of course is unlike industry, this is not a field that can be controlled with standards and testing, because we deal with different raw materials. McDonalds has mastered their burger because they figured out a way to put the same product everywhere. Every McDonalds starts with the same burger and fries. They brew the same coffee and they wear the same uniform. However it is completely unrealistic to believe that this sort of continuity can be obtained in districts 5 miles apart let alone within the walls of the same school. I am increasingly shocked at how different my students are. In good ways and bad ways. For instance things like "levels" are a myth. There is no "8th grade" reading or writing level. I have kids who can write a 5 source research paper in a couple days and I have kids that can barely write an introduction paragraph. I have kids who can read a classroom novel in 2 days and others that need 4 weeks. Here's the thing, they both matter. They both need affirmation. ANd they are both capable of learning.
The AYP judges kids based on where they should be and also on growth of every student. Growth is a wonderful thing, we should embrace it and celebrate it. What is concerning is the emphasis grade level standards. Because some kids can't meet those standards, not in a year. They aren't lazy, or stupid or retarded, they just are on a different level. But they deserve to be affirmed for their accomplishments just the same. Because the more I see, the more I am convinced that self-efficacy is most of the battle. If kids believe they are going to fail, they will. If you make them believe they will succeed then get ready.
This gets us into a whole different topic, grades. I'm an easy grader, and I don't grade things often. A lot of students don't like that. Our factory system has taught them that grades equal pay check, would you go into work and do things if you weren't getting paid? Not if you worked in a factory. Now if you worked in a field that you loved, that fulfilled you, you just might. This is what I strive for with English. I want it to be a reaffirming exoerience every time a student reads a novel or writes a paper. Grades sometimes hinder that though. You see often grades are a ranking. So if the smartest kid gets an A+ on a paper, than naturally everyone else will get below that right? Now what about the kid who entered the class and had never written more than an intro? What if he turns in a 3 page paper? COmpared to my A+ student that paper's probably about a C-. But compared to his previous work? Well compared to that he just did more than he ever has in his life, and he did it well. So what do I give him?
All A's would be awesome. Effort=grades and if you waste your talent, then your wasting my time and I'm not going to grade it. Give it back to me when you did your best and you'll get the best I can give you. Sweet philosophy huh? Linda Christenson, a teacher from Portland Oregon, works in some f the worst districts, and she has that policy. In inner city it's awesome, because it brings out the best. In fact, Id argue it brings out the best in anyone. But would it work in more affluent districts? Districts with high taxes and competitive academics? Districts where parents actually look at report cards and call the principal everytime they feel their kid is being cheated? You see we're not Mcdonalds, our raw materials aren't the same; the people who recognize that often don't feel comfortable with prime rib getting the same recognition as a quarter pounder.
This a tricky issue, and as you can see I don't have a concrete solution. I'm not at all suggesting that we should keep standards low and reward kids for low achievement. What I am saying is that affirming kids for what they are capable of and then challenging, and expecting them to improve is the only standard I need to adhere to. And if the people making laws recognized that, I don't think we'd even need standardized tests. No one wants to under achieve, they just don't know how to get to the top of a ladder with missing rungs.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
My Thoughts on Curriculum
Recently I have been planning my next unit which I will start in March. The unit is in companion with the required novel "A Light in the Forest," a classic novel that is particularly cool to teach around here because it deals with the tension between Native Americans and Colonists in Lancaster, Columbia and th surrounding areas. I am basing the unit around the theme of culture and to start I wanted to make sure my students have a good idea of the history of Native Americans in this country. Something beyond the happy feathered folklore that shared the first Thanksgiving with the peaceful pilgrims. In other words I wanted them to see the truth behind the mistreatment of Native Americans starting with colonization and continuing today (it's an awesome transition from our Hunger Games Identity/Social injustice issues). In preparation for this unit I realized I could not remember much of my previous Native American education. Terms such as "Wounded Knee," "Trail of Tears," and "Sitting Bull" popped up in my brain, but I couldn't for the life of me remember specifics. So I talked to my teams Social Studies teacher about what the kids already know. Apparently 8th grade is the year they "touch on" Indians through the Western Expansion Unit but they do not talk more in-depth until 11th grade.
I have beef with this for a lot of reasons. First, since when has been possible to over learn something? To "overdose" on truth? I'm not picking on my district or the social studies department either, all districts have this problem with all content areas. For instance as an English teacher, it's just known that kids will read The Outsiders in 9th grade and To Kill a Mockingbird in 9th. In fact, I am supposed to discourage my students from reading, watching or even thinking about To Kill a Mockingbird as eighth graders, because that is a 9th grade book. Has anyone ever read To Kill a Mockingbird too much? Can my students over learn family values, racial equality and the damage caused by rape? I hope not. I have read the Great Gatsby three times, not nearly enough. I recently read Our Town for the third time, it was like reading a new play. Good literature hits you everytime you read it, the cool thing is, it hits you differently depending on where you are in your life.
I'm not saying we should start reading Gatsby in 8th grade and every year of school after, what I'm saying is we shouldn't let adhering to a curriculum get in the way of teaching. Curriculums are made by governments, look at our government, do you trust them to know what's best for your kids? Is the even a "best" for "kids." Can we say EVERY student must know this? I don't know. I think kids are unique everywhere. Kids in Cocalico may not need to read the same books as kids in Lancaster city. It's a different culture. That being said, kids in the same class really don't have to read the same book, at least they shouldn't. The book I'm about to teach is regard pretty widely as boring. I like it a lot, and I'm guessing students that really like history or are into local history or stories rooted in nature and family will like it. So for those kids I say read it. What bout the other kids? Well in most classrooms they have to read it too. SO they either struggle through a book they hate, look up the summary online or just don't read. I'm not ok with any of those options.
When units are based on broad issues, rather than rigid curriculum, students can find somewhere to plug in. I could think of 10 books in 30 sec that could realate to the theme of culture and my kids would benefit from reading. In fact, the whole class would benefit because students would all be getting new knowledge/perspective and sharing that with the class. Think about it, a discussion that represented 20 different books on culture versus a discussion of one book. That a place where I want my kids to learn. Todays schools are fueled by "content coverage" meant to prepare them for standardized tests. So each class cruises through individual units that show no relationship to previous units or other classes. We don't learn that way. Our brains are not a bureau with organized, separate drawers. Learning is organic, and it relies on prior knowledge and experience. So kids should be talking about Native American culture every year in history. Then relating that to the novel they read in English and then next year when they read Mockingbird they can connect the ideals of southern culture to the Native American culture, and so on and so forth.
I've been working on my resume and I need an objective for the top. SOmething that defines me and separates me from others. Hows this "My goal, nay my promise, is to never put any test or curriculum above learning. I would sacrifice half the content in a year for one day of learning that will stick with my students forever." Might not get me a lot of jobs, but I think i'll sleep like a baby.
I have beef with this for a lot of reasons. First, since when has been possible to over learn something? To "overdose" on truth? I'm not picking on my district or the social studies department either, all districts have this problem with all content areas. For instance as an English teacher, it's just known that kids will read The Outsiders in 9th grade and To Kill a Mockingbird in 9th. In fact, I am supposed to discourage my students from reading, watching or even thinking about To Kill a Mockingbird as eighth graders, because that is a 9th grade book. Has anyone ever read To Kill a Mockingbird too much? Can my students over learn family values, racial equality and the damage caused by rape? I hope not. I have read the Great Gatsby three times, not nearly enough. I recently read Our Town for the third time, it was like reading a new play. Good literature hits you everytime you read it, the cool thing is, it hits you differently depending on where you are in your life.
I'm not saying we should start reading Gatsby in 8th grade and every year of school after, what I'm saying is we shouldn't let adhering to a curriculum get in the way of teaching. Curriculums are made by governments, look at our government, do you trust them to know what's best for your kids? Is the even a "best" for "kids." Can we say EVERY student must know this? I don't know. I think kids are unique everywhere. Kids in Cocalico may not need to read the same books as kids in Lancaster city. It's a different culture. That being said, kids in the same class really don't have to read the same book, at least they shouldn't. The book I'm about to teach is regard pretty widely as boring. I like it a lot, and I'm guessing students that really like history or are into local history or stories rooted in nature and family will like it. So for those kids I say read it. What bout the other kids? Well in most classrooms they have to read it too. SO they either struggle through a book they hate, look up the summary online or just don't read. I'm not ok with any of those options.
When units are based on broad issues, rather than rigid curriculum, students can find somewhere to plug in. I could think of 10 books in 30 sec that could realate to the theme of culture and my kids would benefit from reading. In fact, the whole class would benefit because students would all be getting new knowledge/perspective and sharing that with the class. Think about it, a discussion that represented 20 different books on culture versus a discussion of one book. That a place where I want my kids to learn. Todays schools are fueled by "content coverage" meant to prepare them for standardized tests. So each class cruises through individual units that show no relationship to previous units or other classes. We don't learn that way. Our brains are not a bureau with organized, separate drawers. Learning is organic, and it relies on prior knowledge and experience. So kids should be talking about Native American culture every year in history. Then relating that to the novel they read in English and then next year when they read Mockingbird they can connect the ideals of southern culture to the Native American culture, and so on and so forth.
I've been working on my resume and I need an objective for the top. SOmething that defines me and separates me from others. Hows this "My goal, nay my promise, is to never put any test or curriculum above learning. I would sacrifice half the content in a year for one day of learning that will stick with my students forever." Might not get me a lot of jobs, but I think i'll sleep like a baby.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
The Real Test
“An educator should consider that he has failed in his job if he has not succeeded in instilling some trace of a divine dissatisfaction with our miserable social environment.”
So today I introduced my Hunger Games classes to their final project: find a social injustice. The project has two parts: a paper and a speech. The paper is meant to explain the issue: who it effects, where it is happening, how long it has been going on and possible solution to fix the problem. In addition to this, they have to connect their injustice to the book. The speech is an attempt to scale the problem down. So we have identified this problem, what now? In the speech each student will explain why they chose this issue; specifically, how does this issue conflict with their core values; what about this problem sits in their gut and just makes them sick. The most important part of the speech is the action step. Each student has to "do" something about this problem. Post facebook statuses, hang posters, make a commercial, write their congressman etc. I told the kids that no action is too big or too small for this assignment; it's not about what you do, it matters that you do something.
I started the class with what is called a four-corners activity. Each corner is labeled: AGREE, DISAGREE, STRONGLY AGREE or STRONGLY DISAGREE. I read statements and the students went to the corner that best described their feelings. Then, I chose students to share why they chose that particular corner. Statements like "Overall life in America is very good" and "there are some parts of the world that are so messed up, they are hopeless." I ended with "if you see something going on that is wrong, and no one else is willing to acknowledge it, it's up to you to make the change." I purposefully tried to start conversations with students I knew would be opinionated and then call on one's who never volunteer. It went very well.
From here I had them go back to their seats as I read excerpts from the UN Declaration of Human Rights. Statements like "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood." "Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status." I asked them if they thought these principles were true; they did. I asked them if they felt these principles were being upheld in the world; they did not. I asked them if they felt these principles were being upheld in America; they did not. "What do we do?" I asked them. A few people raised their hands immediately (you know those kids) and I politely motioned them to put them down. And we sat in silence for a few seconds.
“In these days of difficulty, we Americans everywhere must and shall choose the path of social justice…, the path of faith, the path of hope, and the path of love toward our fellow man.” ― Franklin D. Roosevelt
“I ask for, not at once no government, but at once a better government. Let every man make known what kind of government would command his respect, and that will be one step toward obtaining it.”-Henry David Thoreau
“There are certain things in our nation and in the world which I am proud to be maladjusted and which I hope all men of good-will will be maladjusted until the good societies realize — I say very honestly that I never intend to become adjusted to — segregation and discrimination. I never intend to become adjusted to religious bigotry. I never intend to adjust myself to economic conditions that will take necessities from the many to give luxuries to the few." Martin Luther King Jr.
“For of those to whom much is given, much is required. And when at some future date the high court of history sits in judgment on each of us—recording whether in our brief span of service we fulfilled our responsibilities to the state—our success or failure, in whatever office we hold, will be measured by the answers to four questions: First, were we truly men of courage—with the courage to stand up to one’s enemies—and the courage to stand up, when necessary, to one’s associates—the courage to resist public pressure, as well as private greed? Secondly, were we truly men of judgment—with perceptive judgment of the future as well as the past—of our mistakes as well as the mistakes of others—with enough wisdom to know what we did not know and enough candor to admit it? Third, were we truly men of integrity—men who never ran out on either the principles in which we believed or the men who believed in us—men whom neither financial gain nor political ambition could ever divert from the fulfillment of our sacred trust? Finally, were we truly men of dedication—with an honor mortgaged to no single individual or group, and comprised of no private obligation or aim, but devoted solely to serving the public good and the national interest? "- John F. Kennedy
I broke the silence by reading these quotes. Most of the kids got excited to start; others looked completely freaked. Some kids beamed with a passion and started asking me about topics they could choose. I wanted to hug them; others sat looking like catty eighth graders and asked why we couldn't just take a test; I did not want to hug them (a teacher on my team who is known for not taking any whining told me I should give them a test now too and tell them which students they can thank). I just sat back and listened to the whining with a smile. There is not one ounce of me that thinks this project is not going to be good for them, as long as they try. Little do they know that education is the social injustice that speaks to me, and they are all assisting me in my research.
So today I introduced my Hunger Games classes to their final project: find a social injustice. The project has two parts: a paper and a speech. The paper is meant to explain the issue: who it effects, where it is happening, how long it has been going on and possible solution to fix the problem. In addition to this, they have to connect their injustice to the book. The speech is an attempt to scale the problem down. So we have identified this problem, what now? In the speech each student will explain why they chose this issue; specifically, how does this issue conflict with their core values; what about this problem sits in their gut and just makes them sick. The most important part of the speech is the action step. Each student has to "do" something about this problem. Post facebook statuses, hang posters, make a commercial, write their congressman etc. I told the kids that no action is too big or too small for this assignment; it's not about what you do, it matters that you do something.
I started the class with what is called a four-corners activity. Each corner is labeled: AGREE, DISAGREE, STRONGLY AGREE or STRONGLY DISAGREE. I read statements and the students went to the corner that best described their feelings. Then, I chose students to share why they chose that particular corner. Statements like "Overall life in America is very good" and "there are some parts of the world that are so messed up, they are hopeless." I ended with "if you see something going on that is wrong, and no one else is willing to acknowledge it, it's up to you to make the change." I purposefully tried to start conversations with students I knew would be opinionated and then call on one's who never volunteer. It went very well.
From here I had them go back to their seats as I read excerpts from the UN Declaration of Human Rights. Statements like "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood." "Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status." I asked them if they thought these principles were true; they did. I asked them if they felt these principles were being upheld in the world; they did not. I asked them if they felt these principles were being upheld in America; they did not. "What do we do?" I asked them. A few people raised their hands immediately (you know those kids) and I politely motioned them to put them down. And we sat in silence for a few seconds.
“In these days of difficulty, we Americans everywhere must and shall choose the path of social justice…, the path of faith, the path of hope, and the path of love toward our fellow man.” ― Franklin D. Roosevelt
“I ask for, not at once no government, but at once a better government. Let every man make known what kind of government would command his respect, and that will be one step toward obtaining it.”-Henry David Thoreau
“There are certain things in our nation and in the world which I am proud to be maladjusted and which I hope all men of good-will will be maladjusted until the good societies realize — I say very honestly that I never intend to become adjusted to — segregation and discrimination. I never intend to become adjusted to religious bigotry. I never intend to adjust myself to economic conditions that will take necessities from the many to give luxuries to the few." Martin Luther King Jr.
“For of those to whom much is given, much is required. And when at some future date the high court of history sits in judgment on each of us—recording whether in our brief span of service we fulfilled our responsibilities to the state—our success or failure, in whatever office we hold, will be measured by the answers to four questions: First, were we truly men of courage—with the courage to stand up to one’s enemies—and the courage to stand up, when necessary, to one’s associates—the courage to resist public pressure, as well as private greed? Secondly, were we truly men of judgment—with perceptive judgment of the future as well as the past—of our mistakes as well as the mistakes of others—with enough wisdom to know what we did not know and enough candor to admit it? Third, were we truly men of integrity—men who never ran out on either the principles in which we believed or the men who believed in us—men whom neither financial gain nor political ambition could ever divert from the fulfillment of our sacred trust? Finally, were we truly men of dedication—with an honor mortgaged to no single individual or group, and comprised of no private obligation or aim, but devoted solely to serving the public good and the national interest? "- John F. Kennedy
I broke the silence by reading these quotes. Most of the kids got excited to start; others looked completely freaked. Some kids beamed with a passion and started asking me about topics they could choose. I wanted to hug them; others sat looking like catty eighth graders and asked why we couldn't just take a test; I did not want to hug them (a teacher on my team who is known for not taking any whining told me I should give them a test now too and tell them which students they can thank). I just sat back and listened to the whining with a smile. There is not one ounce of me that thinks this project is not going to be good for them, as long as they try. Little do they know that education is the social injustice that speaks to me, and they are all assisting me in my research.
Monday, February 13, 2012
"How to teach a bunch of pricks (pun intended)"
So I know I have been slacking on my posts and I apologize. It seems a daily writing resolution was less feasible that I thought, although it would be much easier if I had a 3-G i-phone...(hint hint mom and dad). Anyway there has been a few things on my mind lately, and, as always, they connect together rather well: student engagement, participation and valentines day. In short, how can I get my students to be engaged? How do I promote an environment that kids want to participate in? And why is it that the most stupid, superficial, commercialized holiday succeeds in enthralling me every year?
First, it's terrifying and exhilarating how little I know about teaching. I know that teaching is a lifelong profession that you are always working at and never done developing. It is just a bit overwhelming to have all these ideas form from theories, that you put into action and they flop. Silence is terrifying as a teacher. But my supervisor made an interesting observation the other day. He came in to watch me teach, and in our meeting after he said "I noticed your quick to call on the first hand that's raised, what would happen if you didn't?" It's an interesting question. Perhaps if I waited 30 seconds an idea could take shape in the minds of students that normally do not participate. More likely, students will stare at me awkwardly and the ones with their hands raised will wave them at me. But what if?
It's equally troubling when I realize many of my student are not as engulfed with the topic or the classroom as I am. I don't know if you remember eighth grade, but there's a lot of whining. Also a lot of sweat and hormones, but those also contribute to the whining. I get a lot of groans, a lot of "do we have to?" "Why are we doing this?" I like to give them answers to these legitimate questions and actually tell them why we're doing this, but after 6 classes of answering this, I start to feel the temptation to answer with the ol' standby "because I said so.." And that's scary.
And finally, as the 14th looms nearer, I find myself pining over a date. Some boyhood romanticized dream that this one day of the year is somehow special and more conducive to love. That if I just take the right girl out on this day, I will be fulfilled and things will workout. As per usual I start February not caring at all about this stupid day, but now I'm think just maybe I should ask someone, anyone! Maybe I'll get in a fender bender tomorrow morning and that girl will want to go out with me! It's been 21 years, but hell, lets try to force love into one day!
So I'm wondering, what do I need to do, how can I change things? How can I make my student share more? How can I get them to stop complaining and start thinking? How can I be content with where I am in my personal life and stop looking to some greeting card ideal of happiness? The answer, don't fear the pricks. Facing the silence of a classroom is equally as painful as a whiney class. And both are just as grueling as waiting for someone you think is worth it. Getting closer to the pricks in life, the things that hurt, that are uncomfortable is scary because there is the opportunity for pain. I can crash and burn after 2 min of waiting in silence for that idea to take hold in someone's mind. My students may keep on whining and demanding a reason for everything; or that girl i'm waiting on may turn out to be just another dead end. But maybe, just maybe, if we forget about the, we may get close enough to the very people we rely on for our success to feel the warmth, and avoid the pricks all together.
(Note: I'm tired, so it's hard to tell if this metaphor makes sense)
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Great Success!
Last was not so good for me. Student teaching is exhausting, and when you are exhausted and faced with added stress things do not always go so well. I went into this week wondering what what kinds of problems and letdowns would be awaiting me, and what I found is that one success, can change your entire outlook on things. Teaching has been going well this week, things are clicking rather well and I have really been enjoying it. So I count that as a success. Another huge success came last night. I was at work at the coffee shop and it was slow so I was doing some work (of course while simultaneously checking facebook) and I saw a bunch of my friends had statuses about the PRAXIS. My heart sank and stomach turned and I knew that this would be the straw that broke my back. I thought for sure I had failed and this would set me into some sort of anxiety overload and I would wake up a week from now in a straight jacket in Phil Haven... Well as you can see, being that I am typing this, I am not in a straight jacket. I passed with a score that was well over the minimum requirement and frankly way higher than I would have ever imagined. I breathed a sigh of relief.
Recently, I was turned onto an awesome blog by my friend Josh, one of the great minds in my life, about learning and thinking called brainpickings.org. They have all kinds of books and quotes and just cool stuff. One of the posts was about a book of correspondences between Jackson Pollock and his family. There are a lot of beautifully written letters, but one from his Dad stood out to me. He wrote: "Well Jack I was glad to learn how you felt about your summer’s work & your coming school year. The secret of success is concentrating interest in life, interest in sports and good times, interest in your studies, interest in your fellow students, interest in the small things of nature, insects, birds, flowers, leaves, etc. In other words to be fully awake to everything about you & the more you learn the more you can appreciate & get a full measure of joy & happiness out of life.”
I love that, "the secret to success is concentrating interest in life... in other words to be fully awake to everything about you."
When I think back to last week, and the "dark period" I was in. I realized I that none of that darkness came from the classroom, but rather outside bull shit. When you focus on you, your goals and identity, you can't get knocked down, and thats success.
Recently, I was turned onto an awesome blog by my friend Josh, one of the great minds in my life, about learning and thinking called brainpickings.org. They have all kinds of books and quotes and just cool stuff. One of the posts was about a book of correspondences between Jackson Pollock and his family. There are a lot of beautifully written letters, but one from his Dad stood out to me. He wrote: "Well Jack I was glad to learn how you felt about your summer’s work & your coming school year. The secret of success is concentrating interest in life, interest in sports and good times, interest in your studies, interest in your fellow students, interest in the small things of nature, insects, birds, flowers, leaves, etc. In other words to be fully awake to everything about you & the more you learn the more you can appreciate & get a full measure of joy & happiness out of life.”
I love that, "the secret to success is concentrating interest in life... in other words to be fully awake to everything about you."
When I think back to last week, and the "dark period" I was in. I realized I that none of that darkness came from the classroom, but rather outside bull shit. When you focus on you, your goals and identity, you can't get knocked down, and thats success.
Monday, February 6, 2012
"When I was a kid, I walked to school up hill both ways..." and it was still more fun than being there...
There is this phenomena in life that we all bare witness to everyday. The concept of aging/maturing/evolving. It is a beautiful thing. However sometimes the three do not go hand-in-hand (in- hand?). That is to say, age does not necessarily make you mature, nor does it mean you have evolved. It is a myth to believe that aging brings with it maturity, just as it is a myth to believe that grades signify knowledge/intelligence/wisdom. SO often we leave aspects of school behind because "you are too old for that." Like parent/teacher conferences; why is it that when we get passed 5th grade it is no longer beneficial for them to communicate with our teachers face-to-face twice a year? Recess, why is it that after 5th grade we can not go play out side for a 20 minutes? It seems to me ADD and obesity could both be aided by implementing recess or some sort of rec/outdoor time in the upper levels. The list is so long; for instance, snack time, nap time, play time, drawing, music, singing, show and tell, start time, the list goes on!
At some point in our aging, we forget that school, or more importantly learning, is fun. Because we stop letting our students lose themselves in activities and creativity and showering them with praise, and we start implementing structure. Rules. Rubrics. Standards. Before you know it kids do not have time for learning, only doing. They are not readers, they do reading. They are not writers, they do writing. Just like the do sports, music, drama and student government. This is not to say kids do not still get enjoyment out of these things, but they do not associate the joy they get from fully engaging in something, with school.
Point in case, today I had a conference with a girl in my Hunger Games class. This girl is a real character. Funny, outgoing, athletic- just a well rounded good student. She always tease me about being an "English Nerd" and tells me how much she hates english and precedes to list all the jobs she would rather do than be an English teacher ( things like garbage man, janitor, shovel man at the zoo). So I'm conferencing with her about the book today and she tells me she finished it in two days. She then asks me if I have any recommendations about similar books and begins telling me all the books she has read that she likes. The list is endless. When we were done I said "I thought you hate English? you sound like a pretty big English nerd to me?" She said "ewww i do hate English, I just love to read."
There are plenty of reasons I could point to for this very common reaction to school, but the lack of joy in teaching/learning is a huge contributer. In my other classes I'm teaching A Midsummer Night's Dream. Which I love, and I think is an excellent play to use for middle schoolers who are reading Shakespeare for the first time, because it's fun and humorous. So today we talked about Shakespeare's use of verse and rhythm among certain characters and what sorts of emotional and cultural cues we can pick up from it, sounds fun huh? Well to do this I brought in Dr. Seuss books and the kids gathered around me on the floor (just like they used to do) and I read them the story, showing pictures, asking questions, using funny voices etc. The loved it. Then we wrote lines from the book on the board and clapped them out as as a class. From here, we wrote in our journals about why we used to love Dr. Seuss and why today we still love him. Eventually we got to rhyme and rhythm and from there, we jumped into the play.
Now just in writing this all down in this post I realize it seems like I took the long way, but here's the thing: I don't care how long it takes me to get somewhere, as long as my students are with me, and better yet, guiding me to the destination. Because just like that girl from the story above, most of my students don't want to be ENGL majors (yet!) but by losing themselves in the joy of reading, the kind of joy only a child can truly know, they finally stop doing, and start learning.
At some point in our aging, we forget that school, or more importantly learning, is fun. Because we stop letting our students lose themselves in activities and creativity and showering them with praise, and we start implementing structure. Rules. Rubrics. Standards. Before you know it kids do not have time for learning, only doing. They are not readers, they do reading. They are not writers, they do writing. Just like the do sports, music, drama and student government. This is not to say kids do not still get enjoyment out of these things, but they do not associate the joy they get from fully engaging in something, with school.
Point in case, today I had a conference with a girl in my Hunger Games class. This girl is a real character. Funny, outgoing, athletic- just a well rounded good student. She always tease me about being an "English Nerd" and tells me how much she hates english and precedes to list all the jobs she would rather do than be an English teacher ( things like garbage man, janitor, shovel man at the zoo). So I'm conferencing with her about the book today and she tells me she finished it in two days. She then asks me if I have any recommendations about similar books and begins telling me all the books she has read that she likes. The list is endless. When we were done I said "I thought you hate English? you sound like a pretty big English nerd to me?" She said "ewww i do hate English, I just love to read."
There are plenty of reasons I could point to for this very common reaction to school, but the lack of joy in teaching/learning is a huge contributer. In my other classes I'm teaching A Midsummer Night's Dream. Which I love, and I think is an excellent play to use for middle schoolers who are reading Shakespeare for the first time, because it's fun and humorous. So today we talked about Shakespeare's use of verse and rhythm among certain characters and what sorts of emotional and cultural cues we can pick up from it, sounds fun huh? Well to do this I brought in Dr. Seuss books and the kids gathered around me on the floor (just like they used to do) and I read them the story, showing pictures, asking questions, using funny voices etc. The loved it. Then we wrote lines from the book on the board and clapped them out as as a class. From here, we wrote in our journals about why we used to love Dr. Seuss and why today we still love him. Eventually we got to rhyme and rhythm and from there, we jumped into the play.
Now just in writing this all down in this post I realize it seems like I took the long way, but here's the thing: I don't care how long it takes me to get somewhere, as long as my students are with me, and better yet, guiding me to the destination. Because just like that girl from the story above, most of my students don't want to be ENGL majors (yet!) but by losing themselves in the joy of reading, the kind of joy only a child can truly know, they finally stop doing, and start learning.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Why I Should Retire When I Graduate, but Just Can't...
The other night I was working and my friend asked me what my favorite ice ream flavor is. Out of the 30 flavors we have this is pretty tough. I'm actually not a huge ice cream guy to begin with, but I told him my favorite is butter pecan. He shook his head and said "Jesus, your already 60." He proceeded to point things out about my character to illustrate this, like my love of sweaters, the fact that i whistle when I walk, that I read on a saturday night etc. He may have a point, I do have somethings about me that are usually reserved for an older man. The thing that ages me the most: my contempt for change.
I am huge on tradition, and I always have been. I like to do the same thing on christmas eve every year (watch The Family Stone and have a fire in the fire place), I often ordr the same things at restaurants and sometimes I almost get sick when I hear there will be a new person at a family dinner (like a new husband or step-child), not because I'm anti-social, but because it's just not they way its always been. In this way, I am a lot like an old man, and should probably retire.
But there is also something else that that takes precedent over fear of change, and that is passion. My passion gives me a vitality that I am sure will never age. For instance, today I had a bad day. It started at 6:20 when I stepped outside and realized my car was gone, towed to the tune of two hundred dollars for parking in a lot that my roommate has parked in everyday for 4 months, i got towed after day 4. I was livid. part of not dealing with change well is that I also don't deal well with unplanned events. For some parts of the day I could almost not breath because I was so mad and so anxious about the bill. But something happend 6th period. My kids came alive with a new topic, that was honestly, on the border of being beyond them. I was teaching them how to read with a specific lens, for instance historical or linguistic. This is a skill most people do not learn until college, but i think it's relatively easy and extremely liberating. They latched onto it, and before I knew it they were analyzing the book in a way that mimicked a college environment. I mean obviously their points were nt ground breaking, but for an 8th grader to say "well I think the main character doesn't trust anyone, and if you look at that from a psychological lens i think that probably has something to do with her mom having a breakdown when her father died." BOOM. For the next couple of periods I interacted with kids on examples like this and not only could I not stop smiling, but i didn't worry about my car or my wallet once.
One of my favorite scenes in a movie is in Benjamin Button when they are laying in bed and Cate Blanchet asks Brad Pitt what's is on his mind. He looks at her with this heartbreaking calmness and says "I was just thinking about how nothing lasts, and what a shame that is." This scene gives me chills, because I think it gets to the heart of why I hate change. It scares me, and sometimes hurts me that things can't just stay the way they are. Because sometimes when I don't see my friends as often as I used to, a new face is at the table of Thanksgiving or that girl who doesn't leave my mind might start to change hers- I often worry that I'm not going to make it. That a big piece of me is so wrapped up in who I was, that I can't see who I might be. But for a couple periods today, none of that mattered, and that's how I know I'm in a good place..
I am huge on tradition, and I always have been. I like to do the same thing on christmas eve every year (watch The Family Stone and have a fire in the fire place), I often ordr the same things at restaurants and sometimes I almost get sick when I hear there will be a new person at a family dinner (like a new husband or step-child), not because I'm anti-social, but because it's just not they way its always been. In this way, I am a lot like an old man, and should probably retire.
But there is also something else that that takes precedent over fear of change, and that is passion. My passion gives me a vitality that I am sure will never age. For instance, today I had a bad day. It started at 6:20 when I stepped outside and realized my car was gone, towed to the tune of two hundred dollars for parking in a lot that my roommate has parked in everyday for 4 months, i got towed after day 4. I was livid. part of not dealing with change well is that I also don't deal well with unplanned events. For some parts of the day I could almost not breath because I was so mad and so anxious about the bill. But something happend 6th period. My kids came alive with a new topic, that was honestly, on the border of being beyond them. I was teaching them how to read with a specific lens, for instance historical or linguistic. This is a skill most people do not learn until college, but i think it's relatively easy and extremely liberating. They latched onto it, and before I knew it they were analyzing the book in a way that mimicked a college environment. I mean obviously their points were nt ground breaking, but for an 8th grader to say "well I think the main character doesn't trust anyone, and if you look at that from a psychological lens i think that probably has something to do with her mom having a breakdown when her father died." BOOM. For the next couple of periods I interacted with kids on examples like this and not only could I not stop smiling, but i didn't worry about my car or my wallet once.
One of my favorite scenes in a movie is in Benjamin Button when they are laying in bed and Cate Blanchet asks Brad Pitt what's is on his mind. He looks at her with this heartbreaking calmness and says "I was just thinking about how nothing lasts, and what a shame that is." This scene gives me chills, because I think it gets to the heart of why I hate change. It scares me, and sometimes hurts me that things can't just stay the way they are. Because sometimes when I don't see my friends as often as I used to, a new face is at the table of Thanksgiving or that girl who doesn't leave my mind might start to change hers- I often worry that I'm not going to make it. That a big piece of me is so wrapped up in who I was, that I can't see who I might be. But for a couple periods today, none of that mattered, and that's how I know I'm in a good place..
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
"I know that most of you won't watch this, but do you know, that I know, you won't watch it?" (You should at least watch it so this title makes sense)
So as I continue to unwrap the interworking of a classroom community; I am picking up on how important it is to articulate. Why is it so difficult to just say what we mean? For instance, there is this "safety-zone" in my class that requires me to not ask a question that is too easy like "Who wrote the Hunger Games?" Because everyone can easily answer this question in a heartbeat ans as soon as they answer they lose all interest, it's just too easy. However I also cannot lead with "How do you think the Hunger Games represent the Holy Catholic Church?" This is too big and too challenging that most of my students will just put their heads down? I also can't say "what do you think?" This is too abstract. Many students will get lost in their own heads, a few more will immediately say "I don't know," and a couple more will say "it's good." In essence I need to walk this tightrope wire of language, trying not to make anyone to comfortable but yet making sure that no one is scared off? Fun huh?
Let me know if you have any helpful resources for me on discussion or psychology of questions!
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