Saturday, November 17, 2012
Stop! It's Lotto Time!
We are in week 12 of the most dismal year ever.
Our new superintendent (a member of the Rhee camp), wants to shake things up and has said he is quite okay with a 25% turnover rate. In a school district of 10,000 strong, that’s 2,500 teachers that would get fired, quit, or disappear (never to be heard of again). Keep in mind that this bold statement is coming from a guy who has been unable to fill the 300 vacancies (which has currently grown to almost 400) that this school system has had since week 1.
Every day I am looking over my shoulder. Just tape a big red and white target on my back.
My grade level team decided to start a little lotto pool between ourselves. Yes, it has come to that. In my 16 years as a teacher, I have never had the serious desire to get out until this year. As one of my co-workers stated last week: “My joy has been stolen.” And like the Sting Soul Cages tour T-shirt that was stolen out of the laundry room of my apartment complex 20 years ago, I don’t think I’ll ever get it back.
They just push and push and push. Threaten and threaten and threaten. They blame and blame and blame. It is my fault that my students come from poor single parent families that are on welfare, multiply like rabbits, and don’t value education enough to give it 10 minutes out of their day.
I think we have all had it. I’m looking for a way out, and being that my degree is not exactly conducive to going into another field, I’m going to start playing some numbers. After all, you can’t win if you don’t play.
I think if I win, I just won’t show up the next day. No phone call. No email. No sub-plan.
5 years from now, people will still wonder about me. “Whatever happened to Mr. Ed U. Cater?” they’ll say.
It will become a story of legend. “The last time anybody saw him, he was leaving from his classroom in a daze, muttering to himself about DOL’s, Objectives, Spot Observations, and not being able to make a horse drink,” someone will respond.
“I heard he’s living under a bridge….that he just snapped,” someone else will say.
And, I’ll be sitting on the beach, sipping a Strawberry daiquiri, thinking sadly about the shit that my colleagues have to shovel through everyday.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
This month's TAKS testing is the first step to unfairly judging teachers
The TAKS test has arrived. In upcoming weeks, teachers will be trying hard to review concepts and clear up misconceptions. Some teachers have tutoring sessions before school or during lunch. Some continue tutoring during their planning periods or after school. Some may do all of these things.
Stress levels, no doubt, are high. After all, nobody wants to be the one responsible for an “unacceptable” rating at his campus. But are these ratings fair? What do these ratings really say about a school, and how does the average parent or concerned citizen interpret them?
I’ve been teaching for 15 years, and not once have I ever worked at a school that got an “exemplary” rating. What does that say about me as a teacher? That I am substandard? That I’m not as good a teacher as the one who teaches at “exemplary” Fill-In-The-Blank Elementary? It absolutely does not. But I have no doubt that this is the way many of Dallas’ public-school-criticizing citizens think.
I’ve always wondered what would happen if they moved the teachers at an “exemplary” school into a school that was rated lower and vice-versa. I suspect that results would pretty much remain the same at both schools.
The public perception does chip away at my morale at times. There are many great, hard-working teachers at my school, and I’m sure it probably bugs them, too. Who doesn’t want to be categorized as “exemplary”?
Some schools have more challenging populations than others. Are there oncologists out there with 100 percent cancer cure rates? No. Does this make them bad doctors?
If Top General Hospital boasts a 90 percent cancer cure rate while Average Joe General Hospital has only a 70 percent cure rate, does that make the doctors at Top General “exemplary” while the doctors at Average Joe are only “acceptable”? Of course it doesn’t. It all comes down to variables like biology and resources.
In the case of the biology variable, we are dealing with human beings here, not inanimate objects. We don’t have total control over what goes on in Johnny’s head, just as doctors don’t have total control over cancer cells. We can offer treatments, but not everyone responds the same. Perhaps Johnny can’t sleep because of late-night partying in the apartment next door. Perhaps Johnny can’t do his homework because he is taking care of his own siblings. Perhaps Johnny is homeless. Perhaps Johnny prefers to act out at school. The list of variables is endless.
In the case of the resources variable, not every school is the same. Some schools have exceptional PTAs and tremendous parental involvement, while others have none. Some schools are neighborhood schools, making it easier for kids to stay after school for tutoring. Other schools have to pay for late buses to take home a select number of after-school tutoring kids at the end of the day. Some schools are overcrowded, while others are not. The list of variables here is endless as well.
Many Dallas teachers work at schools that face many of these challenges every day. We work hard every day, and we try to reach as many students as we can. I have taught math to homeless children, abused children and foster children. I have taught math to refugees from war-torn countries such as Iraq , Burma, Rwanda and Sierra Leone. But how would anybody know that by just looking up my school’s rating?
In spite of these challenges, my colleagues and I are proud of our “exemplary” efforts every year, and we really don’t get any kind of recognition for it. We just get lumped in with the criticism. I guess this just makes us best-kept secrets.
Stress levels, no doubt, are high. After all, nobody wants to be the one responsible for an “unacceptable” rating at his campus. But are these ratings fair? What do these ratings really say about a school, and how does the average parent or concerned citizen interpret them?
I’ve been teaching for 15 years, and not once have I ever worked at a school that got an “exemplary” rating. What does that say about me as a teacher? That I am substandard? That I’m not as good a teacher as the one who teaches at “exemplary” Fill-In-The-Blank Elementary? It absolutely does not. But I have no doubt that this is the way many of Dallas’ public-school-criticizing citizens think.
I’ve always wondered what would happen if they moved the teachers at an “exemplary” school into a school that was rated lower and vice-versa. I suspect that results would pretty much remain the same at both schools.
The public perception does chip away at my morale at times. There are many great, hard-working teachers at my school, and I’m sure it probably bugs them, too. Who doesn’t want to be categorized as “exemplary”?
Some schools have more challenging populations than others. Are there oncologists out there with 100 percent cancer cure rates? No. Does this make them bad doctors?
If Top General Hospital boasts a 90 percent cancer cure rate while Average Joe General Hospital has only a 70 percent cure rate, does that make the doctors at Top General “exemplary” while the doctors at Average Joe are only “acceptable”? Of course it doesn’t. It all comes down to variables like biology and resources.
In the case of the biology variable, we are dealing with human beings here, not inanimate objects. We don’t have total control over what goes on in Johnny’s head, just as doctors don’t have total control over cancer cells. We can offer treatments, but not everyone responds the same. Perhaps Johnny can’t sleep because of late-night partying in the apartment next door. Perhaps Johnny can’t do his homework because he is taking care of his own siblings. Perhaps Johnny is homeless. Perhaps Johnny prefers to act out at school. The list of variables is endless.
In the case of the resources variable, not every school is the same. Some schools have exceptional PTAs and tremendous parental involvement, while others have none. Some schools are neighborhood schools, making it easier for kids to stay after school for tutoring. Other schools have to pay for late buses to take home a select number of after-school tutoring kids at the end of the day. Some schools are overcrowded, while others are not. The list of variables here is endless as well.
Many Dallas teachers work at schools that face many of these challenges every day. We work hard every day, and we try to reach as many students as we can. I have taught math to homeless children, abused children and foster children. I have taught math to refugees from war-torn countries such as Iraq , Burma, Rwanda and Sierra Leone. But how would anybody know that by just looking up my school’s rating?
In spite of these challenges, my colleagues and I are proud of our “exemplary” efforts every year, and we really don’t get any kind of recognition for it. We just get lumped in with the criticism. I guess this just makes us best-kept secrets.
Monday, February 21, 2011
When will we make education our top priority?
In the true spirit of getting all those extra special features on the DVD or the Blu-Ray, I am going to post my unedited column here (along with a link to the edited version). How exciting! It's like you're getting a behind the scenes look. So, without further adieu, my latest column in all of its unedited splendor.
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While driving down to San Antonio to visit my parents for Thanksgiving a little over 12 weeks ago, a little pebble flew out from the back of a dump trunk and hit my windshield just directly above the inspection sticker. The damage was a 3-inch horizontal crack.
After a week passed, the crack was still there, and I had not made any attempts to have it repaired. From time to time, I would mention to my friends that I needed to get that crack fixed. But, my plate was full, and my wallet was thin. It was all about priorities. I was busy shopping for Christmas gifts, having the brakes on my car fixed, paying the dentist, and paying for my cholesterol and blood pressure prescriptions. The crack descended to the bottom of my priority list.
Today, the crack is still there, but thanks to the winter blast of 2011, it is now 12 times bigger, reaching almost completely across the span of the whole windshield. Needless to say, my priorities have shifted a little and the windshield is now near the top of my priority list.
Education (and the education system in general), it seems, has always been treated like the crack on my windshield. We talk about it a lot. We pay lip service to it all of the time. Some people speak of how the system is broken and needs to be fixed. Politicians speak of leaving no child behind or the importance of winning the science fair over winning the Super Bowl.
Unfortunately, there are going to be no winners when DISD (and other school districts across the state) start cutting teachers, counselors, and administrators. There are going to be no winners when classrooms sizes increase to fire-code-threatening levels. There are going to be no winners when entire campuses close and when fine arts programs are cut. Apparently, this seems to be okay with many of our leaders, too.
Teaching, as we know it, will change if these cuts occur (and not for the better). I can’t even begin to visualize student desks organized in any kind of way besides rows and columns. I can’t even see how there would be room for the 4 student computers that I currently have in my classroom. I have a hard time seeing how I am even going to maintain any sense of order and structure if my class size increases by 10. I am sure that many DISD teachers would agree with me in those assessments. I know many non-teachers out there don’t believe it, but teaching is hard. It will feel almost impossible next year when these cuts are implemented.
Does anybody out there even understand how this scenario could send a ripple throughout the country? The inability to successfully educate our children can only eventually lead to higher drop-out rates, crime rates, poverty rates, teen pregnancy rates, and the list goes on. This is not good for anybody, even people who don’t have children in school. Everyone is a stakeholder whether they like it or not. There is an old African proverb that says, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Sadly, this village called the USA doesn’t seem to care too much about that. There will definitely be children left behind.
Like my cracked windshield, education is being taken for granted. True, there are many problems with the educational system in America. There are many things that need to be fixed and dealt with. We could say that there is already a small crack in place, no doubt. When these cuts happen, there will be a huge crack across the windshield when all is said and done. Will we deal with it?
It is all about priorities and education just doesn’t seem to be that vital. The government will bail out the private-sector banks and huge corporations in the best interest of the economy and its citizens. Who will step in and help out our children, teachers, and schools? Taxpayers will fund a 1.2 billion dollar stadium to have the Cowboys in their backyard. But, when it comes time to pay property taxes, will they complain about it because they don’t even have a child in the school system?
Weeks ago, people from all over conglomerated here in North Texas for the Super Bowl. Tons of money was spent, pockets were lined, business owners smiled (even if the weather put a damper on it). The 2 quarterbacks that competed make million-dollar salaries. Big time companies spent an average of $100,000 per second for an advertisement during the game. I like that Obama said it, and I never expected it to come to fruition less than a month after his speech, but we’ve got a long way to go before being the winner of the science fair will take precedence over winning the Super Bowl.
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Link to the column as it appeared in the Dallas Morning News: http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/local-voices/headlines/20110218-michael-haring-when-will-we-make-education-our-top-priority.ece
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While driving down to San Antonio to visit my parents for Thanksgiving a little over 12 weeks ago, a little pebble flew out from the back of a dump trunk and hit my windshield just directly above the inspection sticker. The damage was a 3-inch horizontal crack.
After a week passed, the crack was still there, and I had not made any attempts to have it repaired. From time to time, I would mention to my friends that I needed to get that crack fixed. But, my plate was full, and my wallet was thin. It was all about priorities. I was busy shopping for Christmas gifts, having the brakes on my car fixed, paying the dentist, and paying for my cholesterol and blood pressure prescriptions. The crack descended to the bottom of my priority list.
Today, the crack is still there, but thanks to the winter blast of 2011, it is now 12 times bigger, reaching almost completely across the span of the whole windshield. Needless to say, my priorities have shifted a little and the windshield is now near the top of my priority list.
Education (and the education system in general), it seems, has always been treated like the crack on my windshield. We talk about it a lot. We pay lip service to it all of the time. Some people speak of how the system is broken and needs to be fixed. Politicians speak of leaving no child behind or the importance of winning the science fair over winning the Super Bowl.
Unfortunately, there are going to be no winners when DISD (and other school districts across the state) start cutting teachers, counselors, and administrators. There are going to be no winners when classrooms sizes increase to fire-code-threatening levels. There are going to be no winners when entire campuses close and when fine arts programs are cut. Apparently, this seems to be okay with many of our leaders, too.
Teaching, as we know it, will change if these cuts occur (and not for the better). I can’t even begin to visualize student desks organized in any kind of way besides rows and columns. I can’t even see how there would be room for the 4 student computers that I currently have in my classroom. I have a hard time seeing how I am even going to maintain any sense of order and structure if my class size increases by 10. I am sure that many DISD teachers would agree with me in those assessments. I know many non-teachers out there don’t believe it, but teaching is hard. It will feel almost impossible next year when these cuts are implemented.
Does anybody out there even understand how this scenario could send a ripple throughout the country? The inability to successfully educate our children can only eventually lead to higher drop-out rates, crime rates, poverty rates, teen pregnancy rates, and the list goes on. This is not good for anybody, even people who don’t have children in school. Everyone is a stakeholder whether they like it or not. There is an old African proverb that says, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Sadly, this village called the USA doesn’t seem to care too much about that. There will definitely be children left behind.
Like my cracked windshield, education is being taken for granted. True, there are many problems with the educational system in America. There are many things that need to be fixed and dealt with. We could say that there is already a small crack in place, no doubt. When these cuts happen, there will be a huge crack across the windshield when all is said and done. Will we deal with it?
It is all about priorities and education just doesn’t seem to be that vital. The government will bail out the private-sector banks and huge corporations in the best interest of the economy and its citizens. Who will step in and help out our children, teachers, and schools? Taxpayers will fund a 1.2 billion dollar stadium to have the Cowboys in their backyard. But, when it comes time to pay property taxes, will they complain about it because they don’t even have a child in the school system?
Weeks ago, people from all over conglomerated here in North Texas for the Super Bowl. Tons of money was spent, pockets were lined, business owners smiled (even if the weather put a damper on it). The 2 quarterbacks that competed make million-dollar salaries. Big time companies spent an average of $100,000 per second for an advertisement during the game. I like that Obama said it, and I never expected it to come to fruition less than a month after his speech, but we’ve got a long way to go before being the winner of the science fair will take precedence over winning the Super Bowl.
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Link to the column as it appeared in the Dallas Morning News: http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/local-voices/headlines/20110218-michael-haring-when-will-we-make-education-our-top-priority.ece
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Super Waste
Soon, people from all over will be travelling to North Texas to watch the great spectacle that is the Super Bowl. Arlington spent tons of money to update their local airport in order to accommodate the influx of private planes that will be landing there. Airlines have added extra flights to accommodate all of the Super Bowl travelers. Hotels are practically booked solid. Road improvements and beautification projects have been sped up and completed so that the visitors to North Texas can remember that this area was a nice place to visit.
Over 100,000 people will attend, paying upwards of $600 a ticket for upper bowl to $900 for lower bowl (face value of course). More than likely, they will pay even more than face value for those tickets. And how much are luxury suites? Upwards of $250,000, maybe? I really don’t know for sure, but when I Googled it, that number appeared quite often as a low-end figure. I’m pretty sure it is safe to say that great amounts of green will be exchanging hands in North Texas for Super Bowl week. Just imagine. If each of the 100,000 people that attend actually only pay $600 for a ticket (which we know is a low-end estimate), that generates $60,000,000 right there. If you build it, they will come. Jerry built it, and they are coming in droves with their wallets open, ready to spend. It will be a great game I’m sure.
Companies will pay millions for their 30-second ads that will run on television during this grand spectacle. It is such a great exposure opportunity since millions of people will be sitting in their houses tuning in on their flat screen TVs, waiting for their pizza to be delivered, and for Stan to get back from his beer run. When Stan finally gets back with the beer, they will be able to rewind the DVR so that he can watch the spectacular play that he missed while he was out at the neighborhood grocery store that now has a permit to sell beer and wine, thanks to a recent city election. He won’t miss a second of what is sure to be a great game, I’m sure.
People will brag on Facebook and Twitter about how much it cost them. They will say it was worth every penny, though, and would do it again without a second thought. They will post videos of the Black Eyed Peas doing their halftime show and brag about how amazing it all was. OMG, That was a gr8 halftime show! And, it will be a great halftime show, I’m sure.
Afterwards, they’ll probably complain a little bit about the traffic situation after the game. They may even complain about $8 beers, ironically. But, deep down inside, that will just be a minor imperfection to what was a fantastic experience. They will get back in their private jets, their commercial airline, or their SUVs and travel back to wherever they came from, thinking positive thoughts of this very hospitable area. They will think to themselves, “Hmm..what a nice area. I should come back here someday.” And, the citizens and businesses of North Texas will truly be hospitable, I’m sure.
Come Monday morning, everything will be back to normal. The hotel, airline, retail and restaurant industries will be checking their ledgers and counting profits. The TV ads will be judged in all kinds of media, generating even more exposure. The NFL will start worrying about whether there will be a next year. Ted Williams will be on the news again. Diane Sawyer will host a new follow-up special to the “Congresswoman and the Astronaut.” And, school districts across the state will go back to work, trying to find ways to cut costs while still educating students. Some districts will decide to cut pre-k programs. Some will decide to cut school nurses, librarians, music teachers, and assistant principal positions. Some will increase class sizes and shut down campuses. Some may do all of the above, and more. And all of these decisions will lead to bright and successful futures for our young ones, I’m sure.
I’m as big a football fan as the next guy, but priorities are priorities, and something seems a little off center to me. Finland and Korea, watch out! Here we come!
Over 100,000 people will attend, paying upwards of $600 a ticket for upper bowl to $900 for lower bowl (face value of course). More than likely, they will pay even more than face value for those tickets. And how much are luxury suites? Upwards of $250,000, maybe? I really don’t know for sure, but when I Googled it, that number appeared quite often as a low-end figure. I’m pretty sure it is safe to say that great amounts of green will be exchanging hands in North Texas for Super Bowl week. Just imagine. If each of the 100,000 people that attend actually only pay $600 for a ticket (which we know is a low-end estimate), that generates $60,000,000 right there. If you build it, they will come. Jerry built it, and they are coming in droves with their wallets open, ready to spend. It will be a great game I’m sure.
Companies will pay millions for their 30-second ads that will run on television during this grand spectacle. It is such a great exposure opportunity since millions of people will be sitting in their houses tuning in on their flat screen TVs, waiting for their pizza to be delivered, and for Stan to get back from his beer run. When Stan finally gets back with the beer, they will be able to rewind the DVR so that he can watch the spectacular play that he missed while he was out at the neighborhood grocery store that now has a permit to sell beer and wine, thanks to a recent city election. He won’t miss a second of what is sure to be a great game, I’m sure.
People will brag on Facebook and Twitter about how much it cost them. They will say it was worth every penny, though, and would do it again without a second thought. They will post videos of the Black Eyed Peas doing their halftime show and brag about how amazing it all was. OMG, That was a gr8 halftime show! And, it will be a great halftime show, I’m sure.
Afterwards, they’ll probably complain a little bit about the traffic situation after the game. They may even complain about $8 beers, ironically. But, deep down inside, that will just be a minor imperfection to what was a fantastic experience. They will get back in their private jets, their commercial airline, or their SUVs and travel back to wherever they came from, thinking positive thoughts of this very hospitable area. They will think to themselves, “Hmm..what a nice area. I should come back here someday.” And, the citizens and businesses of North Texas will truly be hospitable, I’m sure.
Come Monday morning, everything will be back to normal. The hotel, airline, retail and restaurant industries will be checking their ledgers and counting profits. The TV ads will be judged in all kinds of media, generating even more exposure. The NFL will start worrying about whether there will be a next year. Ted Williams will be on the news again. Diane Sawyer will host a new follow-up special to the “Congresswoman and the Astronaut.” And, school districts across the state will go back to work, trying to find ways to cut costs while still educating students. Some districts will decide to cut pre-k programs. Some will decide to cut school nurses, librarians, music teachers, and assistant principal positions. Some will increase class sizes and shut down campuses. Some may do all of the above, and more. And all of these decisions will lead to bright and successful futures for our young ones, I’m sure.
I’m as big a football fan as the next guy, but priorities are priorities, and something seems a little off center to me. Finland and Korea, watch out! Here we come!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
The Frustration Factor
Here is a link to my third column for the Dallas Morning News, which appeared in December of 2010.
Michael Haring: The frustration factor Dallas-Fort Worth Local Opinion Columns News for Dallas, Texas Dallas Morning News
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Update 2/21/11 Here is the column in its original unedited format:
I have always had a pessimistic personality by nature. I have found that I am pleasantly surprised a lot more often if I’m pessimistic. So, as a teacher of elementary school students in DISD, I find myself having very hopeless thoughts about the future of the human race more often than I care to admit. I have worked with the “future” of mankind now for 15 years and they are suddenly starting to approach the part of my life when they start becoming my “present.”
Working with students in DISD has always felt like an uphill battle for me, like using a rock and slingshot to fight off an approaching tank. I am not just talking about academics either. I’m talking about character qualities such as love for your fellow man, respect, and citizenship as well. Please don’t get me wrong. There are many smart and intelligent DISD students with excellent character out there. But, in my pessimistic view, more days than not, the future looks bleak to me.
On my drives to work, I always find myself letting out a sigh and muttering to myself, “What am I going to do with these kids?” On my way home from work, the same thoughts penetrate my mind. It happens all of the time, whether I’m pushing a shopping cart collecting my groceries, pumping gas, or waiting in line in the drive thru window, the thought is always there with me. Even during the summertime, it can be continuous and intrusive. What am I going to do?
This year, my school was fortunate to be the recipient of many kind gestures from churches and other charities, giving back in more ways than I have ever seen as a teacher. They have provided needy students with clothing and school supplies and extra food for them to take home on weekends. They have provided a spruced up lounge for the teachers and new carpeting for the school auditorium. And, then for Christmas, one charity even adopted the school and gave wrapped Christmas gifts to the children. What a grand gesture!
It was so great to see the kids excited to receive their gifts. Unfortunately, the greatness for me, was short-lived. I soon had a sour taste in my mouth because in the midst of all the generosity, were trickles of ingratitude and ungratefulness here and there... more than I’ve seen before. Comments like “I didn’t get all of the things I asked for” just stabbed at my soul. Students who consistently make bad choices, went right back to making their bad choices. And, to top it off, a lot of the ingratitude came from some kids who have benefitted from clothing donations or extra food in the past. I sighed and thought to myself, “What am I going to do with these kids?” Sometimes, it just feels like an exercise in futility. I want to put my rock and slingshot down and surrender to the tank.
But, then I opened the card. It was a re-gifted greeting card. Underneath the standard holiday print and stock message, the signatures of the previous senders had been scratched out with pen. Instead, the signature of one of my students filled the space below (a student who has struggled with math since the day she walked in my classroom door, but a student that has continuously made progress throughout the year). There was also a personal note that anointed me, “Best math teacher ever” and notified me that I “rock.” What a grand gesture!
I realize that it is not just me. To reference a popular and current documentary film, I am not Superman. There are other teachers that have worked with her as well. Her older brother (one of my former students) has also worked with her. And I have no doubt that her parents have worked with her too. But, she was thoughtful and considerate enough to let me know that she appreciated me for what I do.
What do I do? I get up every morning at 5:45. I shower, shave, and get dressed. I think to myself, “What am I going to do with these kids?” I pick up my rock and my slingshot and I head out the door with the hopes of winning this uphill battle.
Michael Haring: The frustration factor Dallas-Fort Worth Local Opinion Columns News for Dallas, Texas Dallas Morning News
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Update 2/21/11 Here is the column in its original unedited format:
I have always had a pessimistic personality by nature. I have found that I am pleasantly surprised a lot more often if I’m pessimistic. So, as a teacher of elementary school students in DISD, I find myself having very hopeless thoughts about the future of the human race more often than I care to admit. I have worked with the “future” of mankind now for 15 years and they are suddenly starting to approach the part of my life when they start becoming my “present.”
Working with students in DISD has always felt like an uphill battle for me, like using a rock and slingshot to fight off an approaching tank. I am not just talking about academics either. I’m talking about character qualities such as love for your fellow man, respect, and citizenship as well. Please don’t get me wrong. There are many smart and intelligent DISD students with excellent character out there. But, in my pessimistic view, more days than not, the future looks bleak to me.
On my drives to work, I always find myself letting out a sigh and muttering to myself, “What am I going to do with these kids?” On my way home from work, the same thoughts penetrate my mind. It happens all of the time, whether I’m pushing a shopping cart collecting my groceries, pumping gas, or waiting in line in the drive thru window, the thought is always there with me. Even during the summertime, it can be continuous and intrusive. What am I going to do?
This year, my school was fortunate to be the recipient of many kind gestures from churches and other charities, giving back in more ways than I have ever seen as a teacher. They have provided needy students with clothing and school supplies and extra food for them to take home on weekends. They have provided a spruced up lounge for the teachers and new carpeting for the school auditorium. And, then for Christmas, one charity even adopted the school and gave wrapped Christmas gifts to the children. What a grand gesture!
It was so great to see the kids excited to receive their gifts. Unfortunately, the greatness for me, was short-lived. I soon had a sour taste in my mouth because in the midst of all the generosity, were trickles of ingratitude and ungratefulness here and there... more than I’ve seen before. Comments like “I didn’t get all of the things I asked for” just stabbed at my soul. Students who consistently make bad choices, went right back to making their bad choices. And, to top it off, a lot of the ingratitude came from some kids who have benefitted from clothing donations or extra food in the past. I sighed and thought to myself, “What am I going to do with these kids?” Sometimes, it just feels like an exercise in futility. I want to put my rock and slingshot down and surrender to the tank.
But, then I opened the card. It was a re-gifted greeting card. Underneath the standard holiday print and stock message, the signatures of the previous senders had been scratched out with pen. Instead, the signature of one of my students filled the space below (a student who has struggled with math since the day she walked in my classroom door, but a student that has continuously made progress throughout the year). There was also a personal note that anointed me, “Best math teacher ever” and notified me that I “rock.” What a grand gesture!
I realize that it is not just me. To reference a popular and current documentary film, I am not Superman. There are other teachers that have worked with her as well. Her older brother (one of my former students) has also worked with her. And I have no doubt that her parents have worked with her too. But, she was thoughtful and considerate enough to let me know that she appreciated me for what I do.
What do I do? I get up every morning at 5:45. I shower, shave, and get dressed. I think to myself, “What am I going to do with these kids?” I pick up my rock and my slingshot and I head out the door with the hopes of winning this uphill battle.
The Upside of Down Time For Schoolkids
Here is the second column for the Dallas Morning News which appeared in October 2010:
Michael Haring: The upside of down time for schoolkids News for Dallas, Texas Dallas Morning News Opinion: Viewpoints
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Update 2/21/11: Here is the column in its unedited format
When I think back to my 6th grade year, one thing that stands out vividly in my mind is a tag game we used to play at recess called “Lions”. It always attracted a large group of players and it was always something that I looked forward to with great anticipation. The rules were simple. There were 2 bases at opposite ends of the rectangular playground. One person was picked to be the lion (usually through some version of Ee, Nee, Mee, Nee) while the other 10-20 players would be the prey. The prey would run back and forth across the Savannah grasslands (i.e. the playground) trying to reach base. The lion would try to tag them as they ran across. When one of the prey was eaten (tagged), in a true passing-of-the-energy down the food chain fashion, the prey would then become the new lion offspring. By the end of the game there would be a few prey left and 20 bloodthirsty lions waiting to tag them as they crossed the playground. It never failed that the final remaining prey were always the “fittest” ones that were incredibly quick on their feet, juking and jiving their way across the playground trying to make it to the other side.
Back then, we would have recess after lunch for at least a good 20 to 30 minutes. We looked forward to it without question. We relished that time. It was our time to interact with each other on a non-academic level. It was our time to problem-solve and find ways to get along. It was our time to get the blood pumping. As Forrest Gump might say, it was our time to run.
Now, flash forward to present day. Old Macdonald had a test. Here a test, there a test, everywhere a test, test. Teachers, schools, districts, states are all under the microscope for test scores. So, in the interest of filling students’ minds with all of the necessary knowledge they need to be successful on their tests, recess is going by way of the lion’s prey. After all, how does it look if a child is outside playing when they could be inside learning? There is not enough time in the day to fit recess in anymore. The urgency lies in getting test scores up. A new superintendent to any school district would say that his or her main goal is to get test scores up. Never in a million years would he or she say that the goal was to get heart rates up.
But, despite what people may think, recess is important. If you look in any education textbook, there is always a section in it addressing the importance of playtime in the development of a child. If you have any experience teaching, you don’t even need a textbook to tell you that. The exercise and socialization that goes on at recess allows the children to burn away their daily residue. It helps second-language learners aquire the new language. It helps all kids re-energize. And let’s just face it: kids need to run. Childhood obesity issues make the evening news at least 2 or 3 times a month. Some children don’t even have a safe place to exercise at home. What better place to do it than the school playground?
Most of us adults went through our elementary school years with more recess than today’s children. We also went through our elementary school years with less standardized tests. We turned out okay, didn’t we? Yes, I understand that the world is getting more competitive and it is not the same as it was when we were kids. But, surely countries like China aren’t skimping around when it comes to the physical well-being of their young students, are they?
But, what about corporate America? Out of curiosity, I went to the Fortune magazine website and looked up the 100 best companies to work for. Is it a coincidence that a lot of these top companies offer on-site workout facilities for their employees? Wouldn’t exercise time in the company workout room decrease employee productivity? Obviously, it doesn’t, or such perks wouldn’t exist.
So, maybe there really is something beneficial to having the opportunity to blow off steam or burn away stress. Maybe there is something beneficial to making our children into lions. Or should we just settle for making them into prey?
Michael Haring: The upside of down time for schoolkids News for Dallas, Texas Dallas Morning News Opinion: Viewpoints
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Update 2/21/11: Here is the column in its unedited format
When I think back to my 6th grade year, one thing that stands out vividly in my mind is a tag game we used to play at recess called “Lions”. It always attracted a large group of players and it was always something that I looked forward to with great anticipation. The rules were simple. There were 2 bases at opposite ends of the rectangular playground. One person was picked to be the lion (usually through some version of Ee, Nee, Mee, Nee) while the other 10-20 players would be the prey. The prey would run back and forth across the Savannah grasslands (i.e. the playground) trying to reach base. The lion would try to tag them as they ran across. When one of the prey was eaten (tagged), in a true passing-of-the-energy down the food chain fashion, the prey would then become the new lion offspring. By the end of the game there would be a few prey left and 20 bloodthirsty lions waiting to tag them as they crossed the playground. It never failed that the final remaining prey were always the “fittest” ones that were incredibly quick on their feet, juking and jiving their way across the playground trying to make it to the other side.
Back then, we would have recess after lunch for at least a good 20 to 30 minutes. We looked forward to it without question. We relished that time. It was our time to interact with each other on a non-academic level. It was our time to problem-solve and find ways to get along. It was our time to get the blood pumping. As Forrest Gump might say, it was our time to run.
Now, flash forward to present day. Old Macdonald had a test. Here a test, there a test, everywhere a test, test. Teachers, schools, districts, states are all under the microscope for test scores. So, in the interest of filling students’ minds with all of the necessary knowledge they need to be successful on their tests, recess is going by way of the lion’s prey. After all, how does it look if a child is outside playing when they could be inside learning? There is not enough time in the day to fit recess in anymore. The urgency lies in getting test scores up. A new superintendent to any school district would say that his or her main goal is to get test scores up. Never in a million years would he or she say that the goal was to get heart rates up.
But, despite what people may think, recess is important. If you look in any education textbook, there is always a section in it addressing the importance of playtime in the development of a child. If you have any experience teaching, you don’t even need a textbook to tell you that. The exercise and socialization that goes on at recess allows the children to burn away their daily residue. It helps second-language learners aquire the new language. It helps all kids re-energize. And let’s just face it: kids need to run. Childhood obesity issues make the evening news at least 2 or 3 times a month. Some children don’t even have a safe place to exercise at home. What better place to do it than the school playground?
Most of us adults went through our elementary school years with more recess than today’s children. We also went through our elementary school years with less standardized tests. We turned out okay, didn’t we? Yes, I understand that the world is getting more competitive and it is not the same as it was when we were kids. But, surely countries like China aren’t skimping around when it comes to the physical well-being of their young students, are they?
But, what about corporate America? Out of curiosity, I went to the Fortune magazine website and looked up the 100 best companies to work for. Is it a coincidence that a lot of these top companies offer on-site workout facilities for their employees? Wouldn’t exercise time in the company workout room decrease employee productivity? Obviously, it doesn’t, or such perks wouldn’t exist.
So, maybe there really is something beneficial to having the opportunity to blow off steam or burn away stress. Maybe there is something beneficial to making our children into lions. Or should we just settle for making them into prey?
My Teacher Could Have Protected Me
I've been writing some volunteer columns for the Dallas Morning News. Here's a link to the first one that appeared back in September 2010:
Michael Haring: My teacher could have protected me News for Dallas, Texas Dallas Morning News Opinion: Viewpoints
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Update: 2/21/11: My unedited version of the column has been added below.
Spaz… Spaz…. Spaz…. Spaz… Spaz… The chanting continued in an audible whisper. More voices joined in. The chanting grew louder and quicker. SPAZ..SPAZ..SPAZ..SPAZ.. Finally, the teacher interjected with an, “All right everybody, get quiet.” The interspersed giggles and chuckles in the classroom started to subside as I continued my walk to the front to make my presentation. I don’t quite remember what that presentation was about 27 years ago. But, I can never forget that incident leading up to it.
All it took was one voice.
A good friend of mine had started the chant. It was from a scene in the movie, “Meatballs,” which I had only seen small portions of on cable. I was familiar with that scene then, although I can’t quite remember it now. Spaz was the nickname of a nerdy, socially awkward character in the movie. Of course, there was a chanting scene in the movie as well. That day, in my 7th grade Language Arts class, it was truly a case of life imitating art.
I was not pleased, but I took it in stride. Don’t let them know that they got to you, right? I read my report and sat back down. But, the damage was done. My confidence was shaken. I had always been a smart kid, but equally as shy. Getting up in front of a group of people and speaking was always a challenging task. But, on that day, I was silenced for good.
Each school year thereafter I always got a seat hidden in the back of the classroom, with my hand firmly planted by my side…never in the air for fear that the chanting might start again. I only spoke when I absolutely had to or when I was called on to answer a question. My A’s and B’s suddenly weren’t making as many public appearances anymore. I grew proficient at always being able to find just the right moment to “feel sick and go see the nurse” or “go to the bathroom.” My 7th grade teacher had taught me how to be a ghost.
I blame my teacher’s inaction for the spaz incident. I don’t blame my friends. They were all just ignorant 7th graders who didn’t know any better. But I do wonder from time to time, what kind of person I would be today, if my teacher had maybe laid into them just a little bit more. Would I have become more confident and outgoing in my future life? Only a DeLorean with a flux capacitor can answer that question now. One thing however, is certain: a safe environment would’ve at least given me the courage to volunteer again. A safe environment would’ve kept me out of the nurse’s office or the bathroom. Regardless, my teacher chose not to address it directly.
Back then, I wouldn’t have thought of that ordeal as a bullying incident (just as today’s kids may not be able to recognize their own experiences with bullying.) I’m still hesitant to call it bullying today, but the more I think about it, the more I believe it was. Bullying exists on another plane besides the physical one. The physical one is the one we, as a society, tend to address the most (and sometimes not enough at that). The mental one is the one we tend to ignore the most (after all, sticks and stones can break our bones, but words will never hurt us.) We as adults know this to be false, yet we continue to spout that off to our children and our students because we don’t know exactly how to deal with it.
But, deal with it, we must. If we don’t defend our children, we will be emboldening them to do something more harsh. 9-year-old Montana Lance of The Colony was being bullied. It bothered him enough that he decided to end his life. Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris were frequent targets of bullying, before they decided to end their lives and the lives of many others. You can Google the words “bullying suicides” and see the names and the stories for yourself. It’s an epidemic and it’s getting worse. It is time for society to truly address it and come up with a solution.
Some people have thicker skin than others. Some people can fight through it, but they don’t come through unscathed. For me, my wound is my apprehension of sharing myself, my thoughts, and my ideas. When the ghost appears, everybody loses. I don’t put myself out there often enough. People who don’t know me, may actually think I’m stuck up and aloof. And, sadly, I never get to know them.
Michael Haring: My teacher could have protected me News for Dallas, Texas Dallas Morning News Opinion: Viewpoints
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Update: 2/21/11: My unedited version of the column has been added below.
Spaz… Spaz…. Spaz…. Spaz… Spaz… The chanting continued in an audible whisper. More voices joined in. The chanting grew louder and quicker. SPAZ..SPAZ..SPAZ..SPAZ.. Finally, the teacher interjected with an, “All right everybody, get quiet.” The interspersed giggles and chuckles in the classroom started to subside as I continued my walk to the front to make my presentation. I don’t quite remember what that presentation was about 27 years ago. But, I can never forget that incident leading up to it.
All it took was one voice.
A good friend of mine had started the chant. It was from a scene in the movie, “Meatballs,” which I had only seen small portions of on cable. I was familiar with that scene then, although I can’t quite remember it now. Spaz was the nickname of a nerdy, socially awkward character in the movie. Of course, there was a chanting scene in the movie as well. That day, in my 7th grade Language Arts class, it was truly a case of life imitating art.
I was not pleased, but I took it in stride. Don’t let them know that they got to you, right? I read my report and sat back down. But, the damage was done. My confidence was shaken. I had always been a smart kid, but equally as shy. Getting up in front of a group of people and speaking was always a challenging task. But, on that day, I was silenced for good.
Each school year thereafter I always got a seat hidden in the back of the classroom, with my hand firmly planted by my side…never in the air for fear that the chanting might start again. I only spoke when I absolutely had to or when I was called on to answer a question. My A’s and B’s suddenly weren’t making as many public appearances anymore. I grew proficient at always being able to find just the right moment to “feel sick and go see the nurse” or “go to the bathroom.” My 7th grade teacher had taught me how to be a ghost.
I blame my teacher’s inaction for the spaz incident. I don’t blame my friends. They were all just ignorant 7th graders who didn’t know any better. But I do wonder from time to time, what kind of person I would be today, if my teacher had maybe laid into them just a little bit more. Would I have become more confident and outgoing in my future life? Only a DeLorean with a flux capacitor can answer that question now. One thing however, is certain: a safe environment would’ve at least given me the courage to volunteer again. A safe environment would’ve kept me out of the nurse’s office or the bathroom. Regardless, my teacher chose not to address it directly.
Back then, I wouldn’t have thought of that ordeal as a bullying incident (just as today’s kids may not be able to recognize their own experiences with bullying.) I’m still hesitant to call it bullying today, but the more I think about it, the more I believe it was. Bullying exists on another plane besides the physical one. The physical one is the one we, as a society, tend to address the most (and sometimes not enough at that). The mental one is the one we tend to ignore the most (after all, sticks and stones can break our bones, but words will never hurt us.) We as adults know this to be false, yet we continue to spout that off to our children and our students because we don’t know exactly how to deal with it.
But, deal with it, we must. If we don’t defend our children, we will be emboldening them to do something more harsh. 9-year-old Montana Lance of The Colony was being bullied. It bothered him enough that he decided to end his life. Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris were frequent targets of bullying, before they decided to end their lives and the lives of many others. You can Google the words “bullying suicides” and see the names and the stories for yourself. It’s an epidemic and it’s getting worse. It is time for society to truly address it and come up with a solution.
Some people have thicker skin than others. Some people can fight through it, but they don’t come through unscathed. For me, my wound is my apprehension of sharing myself, my thoughts, and my ideas. When the ghost appears, everybody loses. I don’t put myself out there often enough. People who don’t know me, may actually think I’m stuck up and aloof. And, sadly, I never get to know them.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Trying to get back into the swing of blogging (after a long hiatus). For now, here is a truth-telling link that speaks about my life as a teacher in so many ways.
http://teachbad.com/2010/12/10/principal-seeks-to-replace-student-body-improve-scores/
http://teachbad.com/2010/12/10/principal-seeks-to-replace-student-body-improve-scores/
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Wanted: Personal Assistant
Wanted: Personal Assistant
Must be willing to make and receive numerous phone calls on a daily basis. Subject of phone calls can be, but is not limited to:
Must be willing to make and receive numerous phone calls on a daily basis. Subject of phone calls can be, but is not limited to:
- scheduling parent conferences with 100% success rate
- scheduling parent conferences with 100% of the parents
- scheduling parent conferences with 100% of the parents to be completed within a 10-day window
- scheduling parent conferences for parents that can't actually come on parent conference night
- scheduling alternative times for parent conferences during teacher's planning period, before school, or after school (when even the teacher doesn't even know what days he/she will actually HAVE a planning period, or when the teacher only has 1-day lead time as to whether or not they will have morning duty the following week, or when the teacher doesn't know when a last minute after school frivolous meeting will be scheduled)
- tracking down missing paperwork/documentation for records
- communicating information to parents about missing/incomplete student work
- communicating information to parents about their child's negative behaviors in school
Must be willing to file paperwork that involves, but is not limited to:
- student assignments
- student behaviors
- student growth/progress
- student interventions
- student absences
- student tardies
- student's new/revised home contact numbers
- parent communication
- student observations
- running record of all times and events teacher goes above and beyond what is necessary
Must be willing to make copies that are, but are not limited to:
- student assignments
- notes home
Must be willing to monitor a school calendar so as to keep the teacher informed of:
- upcoming staff meetings
- upcoming planning meetings
- upcoming off-campus meetings
- upcoming off-campus-planning meetings
- upcoming campus events that affect instructional time
- upcoming campus events that are after school hours
- unscheduled important last-minute meetings
- unscheduled important last-minute deadlines
- unscheduled frivolous last-minute meetings
- unscheduled frivolous last-minute deadlines
- unscheduled frivolous things in general
- duty assignments and dates
- specials rotation
- upcoming due dates
- upcoming assemblies
- upcoming counselor guidance lessons
Must be willing to monitor a school calendar so as to help the teacher:
- schedule educational events for students
- schedule bathroom breaks
- schedule days on which the teacher can get "sick"
Experience in interior decorating a plus
- use interior decorating experience to decorate classroom with various student works, to be rotated out every 2 weeks
- use interior decorating experience to decorate classroom without covering more than 60% of wall space in order to stay in compliance with fire codes
- use interior decorating experience to decorate classroom with the "stuff" that meets the educational requirements of each department (i.e. math, science, reading) while still finding room for the student works that need to be displayed and not go over the 60% wall-coverage as required by the fire department (when 75% of one wall is windows and 80% of another wall is ceiling to floor cabinets)
- use interior decorating experience to organize student desks for cooperative grouping while still keeping the desks in a position in which all students can see the board....with occasional times of organizing straight rows and columns for testing days....and then moving them back for non-testing days.
Annual Salary: 0.01 K (paid by Mr. Ed U. Cater himself)
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Give Me A "K"!
I showed up at work this morning, and no more than 5 seconds had passed when I had a student trying to give me something. The kids were still having breakfast in the cafeteria. I was walking by and I could hear a student call my name. I turned around, and there was my student, LL.
He had a big grin on his face and he said, "Mr. Cater, I have something to give you." He started to reach into his backpack, and I stopped him with his hand midway into the pack. I told him to hold on to it for now, and that he could give it to me later when he came to class. He agreed, removed his hand from the backpack, and went back into the cafeteria to continue to eat his breakfast.
At my school, students have assigned locations to report to when they finish breakfast. For LL (like all my homeroom students), the location is in the hallway near my classroom door. There, they find a seat on the floor, and quietly read a book (while teachers who are on morning duty shifts, monitor).
After running a couple of errands within the building, I finally arrived at my room. LL (who had already finished his breakfast) was sitting as he should be, reading away. He caught me out of the corner of his eye, immediately jumped up, and said, "Mr. Cater, here...let me give you this..." I interrupted him, and reminded him that he was going to wait until class time. He smiled, agreed, and sat back down, continuing to read.
I entered my room, and continued to prepare the room for the day. After about 10 minutes passed, the morning bell rang. I went outside into the hall to collect my students. LL was already digging in his bag to give me this "thing" that he had been wanting to give me now for a little over 30 minutes. It was imperative (to him, anyway) to get it to me right away. Probably because, if he didn't give it to me at that very moment, he would forget completely (kinda like his homework situation).
He excitedly went into the classroom, set his backpack on his desk, and pulled out a......
Koozie.
Yup, a koozie. A koozie promoting "Sync," some sort of electronic/computer operating system featured in Ford/Lincoln/Mercury automobiles. He probably got it from the automobile building at the Texas State Fair, which is going on now here in Dallas. Anyway, I acted surprised, happy, and grateful. He was so excited! Apparently, he had a stash in his backpack because he asked if he could go see some other teachers. He obviously had several more official "Sync" koozies that he needed to distribute.
I always seem to get strange, odd little gifts from kids. Just add koozie to my ever-growing list of impractical-off-the-beaten-path-acts-of-thoughtfulness. While you do that, I'll take another sip of my "insulated" ice-cold Miller Lite. :)
He had a big grin on his face and he said, "Mr. Cater, I have something to give you." He started to reach into his backpack, and I stopped him with his hand midway into the pack. I told him to hold on to it for now, and that he could give it to me later when he came to class. He agreed, removed his hand from the backpack, and went back into the cafeteria to continue to eat his breakfast.
At my school, students have assigned locations to report to when they finish breakfast. For LL (like all my homeroom students), the location is in the hallway near my classroom door. There, they find a seat on the floor, and quietly read a book (while teachers who are on morning duty shifts, monitor).
After running a couple of errands within the building, I finally arrived at my room. LL (who had already finished his breakfast) was sitting as he should be, reading away. He caught me out of the corner of his eye, immediately jumped up, and said, "Mr. Cater, here...let me give you this..." I interrupted him, and reminded him that he was going to wait until class time. He smiled, agreed, and sat back down, continuing to read.
I entered my room, and continued to prepare the room for the day. After about 10 minutes passed, the morning bell rang. I went outside into the hall to collect my students. LL was already digging in his bag to give me this "thing" that he had been wanting to give me now for a little over 30 minutes. It was imperative (to him, anyway) to get it to me right away. Probably because, if he didn't give it to me at that very moment, he would forget completely (kinda like his homework situation).
He excitedly went into the classroom, set his backpack on his desk, and pulled out a......
Koozie.
Yup, a koozie. A koozie promoting "Sync," some sort of electronic/computer operating system featured in Ford/Lincoln/Mercury automobiles. He probably got it from the automobile building at the Texas State Fair, which is going on now here in Dallas. Anyway, I acted surprised, happy, and grateful. He was so excited! Apparently, he had a stash in his backpack because he asked if he could go see some other teachers. He obviously had several more official "Sync" koozies that he needed to distribute.
I always seem to get strange, odd little gifts from kids. Just add koozie to my ever-growing list of impractical-off-the-beaten-path-acts-of-thoughtfulness. While you do that, I'll take another sip of my "insulated" ice-cold Miller Lite. :)
Friday, October 2, 2009
A Rambling Post About Data, Poker, Rubber Cement, and Being Missed..........with a slight jab at micromanaging administrators
I returned to school on Thursday after a 3-day absence. I could've had the swine flu, could've had a bad sinus infection, could've had bronchitis. Who knows for sure. The symptoms are all very similar and the germs for all three of those ailments have been affecting staff and students for weeks now (and that's not including just good ole ragweed, mountain cedar, and other respiratory system-aggravators). There have been so many germs floating in the air at my school that I've been tempted to wear a bio-suit (except there is no way to get a necktie to wrap around the head apparatus nicely). Plus, they only come in solid baby blue, yellow, or white (bio-suits just don't lend themselves to aesthetic tie coordinations).
Anyway, I was pleasantly amused with the reception. Apparently, people (including some adults) missed me. Or, at least they noticed that I was nowhere to be seen for 3 days. They were, however, probably just envious that I happened to be absent during the rare (yet, lately becoming more common) conglomeration of pointless meetings and meaningless deadlines that created the "Perfect Storm," if you will.
But, I don't want to get negative. I've got plenty of time for negativity. And, I'm sure I'll have plenty of other opportunities to share. I just wanted to point out that my students were very happy to see me (and to be quite honest, I really wasn't happy to see them). I got a few hugs, some smiles, some pats on the shoulder, some genuine comments, and some thoughtful "homemade" cards. The students probably knew what I had been going through, since most of them already went through it last week. I'm pretty sure one of the little buggers gave me the nice virus.
Anyway, it was nice to feel "welcomed back" and "missed." I guess they really do need structure and consistency. Apparently the sub let them run amok. And apparently the sub was "mean."
And, I thought I was mean.
I get home almost every day feeling like I've been an ass. Not a good feeling.
But, I guess I'm really not. Not mean, that is..... Or, an ass for that matter. Anyway, I'm stern and fair for the most part. I try to help them as much as I can, and I don't demean any of them. A little over a week ago, I did kick a chair out of frustration (a strategically placed outburst, of course).
So, to get to the point.... they missed me. I, however, did not miss them. They are a very challenging group this year (academically, behaviorally, and socially). I mean, I have students that can't read 6-digit numbers (or more) with any kind of consistency. I have kids that have no concept of "borrowing". I have kids that want to add for every single word problem they encounter. Challenging, to say the least.
Then, I have a whole army of administrative "over-seers" making my job harder, by demanding that I work "smarter." Ahh... but, we're drifting into that good-ole negativity again, aren't we? Not going to go there on this post. Sorry.
So, as I was saying.....my students missed me, but I did not miss them. These students are my "cards." The hand that I have been dealt. I doubt that I can make a "Full House" with this deck of cards. My administrators....all of them....from my boss, my boss' boss, my boss' boss' boss to the coaches that my boss' boss has seen fit to assign to our campus to the academic coordinator are always preaching "data." Look at the data, chart the progress, look at areas of weakness, use an intervention, check the data again, yada yada yada. They expect me to come up with a "Royal Flush." However, it is hard to get that kind of hand when you start off with a 3 of spades and a 7 of diamonds.
But, for all the over-emphasis on data, there is one aspect that the "data-preachers" always seem to neglect. The human aspect. These kids are not just numbers. They're human beings. They can be resilient. I need to get it in my head to stop looking at them as numbers. Numbers are what make me go home at the end of the day, feeling like I've been an ass. Humans are what make me go home at the end of the day, feeling like I'll be missed.
It's been 6 weeks. A full grading period. Today, my students let me know that they missed my presence. I think the bond is starting to solidify. I think, maybe next time, I'll miss them.
Anyway, I was pleasantly amused with the reception. Apparently, people (including some adults) missed me. Or, at least they noticed that I was nowhere to be seen for 3 days. They were, however, probably just envious that I happened to be absent during the rare (yet, lately becoming more common) conglomeration of pointless meetings and meaningless deadlines that created the "Perfect Storm," if you will.
But, I don't want to get negative. I've got plenty of time for negativity. And, I'm sure I'll have plenty of other opportunities to share. I just wanted to point out that my students were very happy to see me (and to be quite honest, I really wasn't happy to see them). I got a few hugs, some smiles, some pats on the shoulder, some genuine comments, and some thoughtful "homemade" cards. The students probably knew what I had been going through, since most of them already went through it last week. I'm pretty sure one of the little buggers gave me the nice virus.
Anyway, it was nice to feel "welcomed back" and "missed." I guess they really do need structure and consistency. Apparently the sub let them run amok. And apparently the sub was "mean."
And, I thought I was mean.
I get home almost every day feeling like I've been an ass. Not a good feeling.
But, I guess I'm really not. Not mean, that is..... Or, an ass for that matter. Anyway, I'm stern and fair for the most part. I try to help them as much as I can, and I don't demean any of them. A little over a week ago, I did kick a chair out of frustration (a strategically placed outburst, of course).
So, to get to the point.... they missed me. I, however, did not miss them. They are a very challenging group this year (academically, behaviorally, and socially). I mean, I have students that can't read 6-digit numbers (or more) with any kind of consistency. I have kids that have no concept of "borrowing". I have kids that want to add for every single word problem they encounter. Challenging, to say the least.
Then, I have a whole army of administrative "over-seers" making my job harder, by demanding that I work "smarter." Ahh... but, we're drifting into that good-ole negativity again, aren't we? Not going to go there on this post. Sorry.
So, as I was saying.....my students missed me, but I did not miss them. These students are my "cards." The hand that I have been dealt. I doubt that I can make a "Full House" with this deck of cards. My administrators....all of them....from my boss, my boss' boss, my boss' boss' boss to the coaches that my boss' boss has seen fit to assign to our campus to the academic coordinator are always preaching "data." Look at the data, chart the progress, look at areas of weakness, use an intervention, check the data again, yada yada yada. They expect me to come up with a "Royal Flush." However, it is hard to get that kind of hand when you start off with a 3 of spades and a 7 of diamonds.
But, for all the over-emphasis on data, there is one aspect that the "data-preachers" always seem to neglect. The human aspect. These kids are not just numbers. They're human beings. They can be resilient. I need to get it in my head to stop looking at them as numbers. Numbers are what make me go home at the end of the day, feeling like I've been an ass. Humans are what make me go home at the end of the day, feeling like I'll be missed.
It's been 6 weeks. A full grading period. Today, my students let me know that they missed my presence. I think the bond is starting to solidify. I think, maybe next time, I'll miss them.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Compliments Can Go A Long Way
We had an assembly today for 4th and 5th graders. A speaker from one of the local community colleges came and spoke to the kids about the importance of college and about the many opportunities college provided.
I make it a point, before any assembly, to have a "class discussion" over etiquette and expectations. We talk about how to act when someone is speaking. We talk about "wiggling" in the seat. We talk about "active" listening. We talk about asking "relevant" questions. And, of course, we talk about going to the bathroom before we go to the assembly (not during). Actually, I don't really give them an option there... I make them go to the bathroom.
Anyway, we arrived and shortly thereafter, the speaker began speaking. My kids were attentive (or at least...they were trying to be). The information could've been going in one ear and out the other. But, at least they were "trying" to listen. As the speaking dragged on, the auditorium started becoming noticeably louder with the sounds of "fidgetiness" (if that's a word). The speaker then passed out a flyer with bullet points on it (oh no). She intended to read from it and have the 175 or so students follow along. Not more than 5 minutes later, several students throughout the auditorium were showing "Pirate" career aspirations because the flyers were now rolled-up spyglasses.
A few of my students started this up as well (a few). I would've loved to see the point-of-view from my students' perspective as they panned the spyglass slowly across the auditorium only to pan right into my disapproving face. They immediately stopped, but throughout the auditorium, the fidgeting and "telescoping" continued. The speaker courageously tried to continue on. Every time she was ready to wrap up, the counselor (who organized this) would walk up to her and say something to her (during which, whispers and talking from the audience started to grow). The speaker would nod to the counselor and then say, "Your counselor has also asked me to speak about...." Then, she would continue on speaking.
As she continued to speak, the fidgeting grew worse. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the school principal slowly make her way up to the front of the auditorium. She got to the front and stood and watched over the whole auditorium with a very disapproving face. She finally had to interrupt the speaker. She told her, "Excuse me, but I need to interrupt for a second...." Then, in a very stern, not-loud-but-definitely-audible-voice, she said, "Will everybody STOP... wiggling around?"
Everybody stopped instantaneously.
Then she said, "Will everybody STOP....playing with those papers?"
Then, 99.8% of the paper rustling noises stopped.
Then, she chided them for their inattentiveness, called out a few of the .2% who were still playing with the flyers, pointed at others, reminded them of "proper" behaviors in the auditorium, apologized to the speaker, then let her continue with her speaking (during which the principal continued to stand in front of the auditorium looking over the congregation like a hawk).
The assembly eventually ended, and dismissal procedures began. My class was close to the front, and the auditorium was dismissing from the rear. So, we were waiting.
As we were waiting, the presenter came up to me and started talking. She told me that she usually spoke to high school students about college. She had come with the intent of speaking for about ten minutes because she figured the attention span of elementary kids would be very short. But, when she got to the school, the counselor had asked her to go for 30 minutes. Then, of course, the counselor had started interjecting to her in the middle of the assembly to "speak about this" or "speak about that."
Then, she thanked me for having a "well-behaved" and attentive class. She said that she had really noticed them while she was speaking. And, I thanked her for the compliment. I was really pretty proud. I honestly, rarely get compliments. The ones that I do get, usually come from biased-well-intentioned friends (which I appreciate, but take with a grain of salt, because I know I can't be that good). But, a compliment from a total stranger? That really made me feel...well...competent.
It was a good day. My students, who are some of the most fidgety and talkative that I've ever had, did me proud (and did themselves proud). I let them know it too. When we returned to the classroom, I gave the students my compliments, and awarded each of them with one... single... succulent.... fruity... Jolly Rancher, and the permission to eat them in class. Gold.
My classroom smelled like a giant strawberry for the remainder of the day, and nothing came close to dampening it.
I make it a point, before any assembly, to have a "class discussion" over etiquette and expectations. We talk about how to act when someone is speaking. We talk about "wiggling" in the seat. We talk about "active" listening. We talk about asking "relevant" questions. And, of course, we talk about going to the bathroom before we go to the assembly (not during). Actually, I don't really give them an option there... I make them go to the bathroom.
Anyway, we arrived and shortly thereafter, the speaker began speaking. My kids were attentive (or at least...they were trying to be). The information could've been going in one ear and out the other. But, at least they were "trying" to listen. As the speaking dragged on, the auditorium started becoming noticeably louder with the sounds of "fidgetiness" (if that's a word). The speaker then passed out a flyer with bullet points on it (oh no). She intended to read from it and have the 175 or so students follow along. Not more than 5 minutes later, several students throughout the auditorium were showing "Pirate" career aspirations because the flyers were now rolled-up spyglasses.
A few of my students started this up as well (a few). I would've loved to see the point-of-view from my students' perspective as they panned the spyglass slowly across the auditorium only to pan right into my disapproving face. They immediately stopped, but throughout the auditorium, the fidgeting and "telescoping" continued. The speaker courageously tried to continue on. Every time she was ready to wrap up, the counselor (who organized this) would walk up to her and say something to her (during which, whispers and talking from the audience started to grow). The speaker would nod to the counselor and then say, "Your counselor has also asked me to speak about...." Then, she would continue on speaking.
As she continued to speak, the fidgeting grew worse. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the school principal slowly make her way up to the front of the auditorium. She got to the front and stood and watched over the whole auditorium with a very disapproving face. She finally had to interrupt the speaker. She told her, "Excuse me, but I need to interrupt for a second...." Then, in a very stern, not-loud-but-definitely-audible-voice, she said, "Will everybody STOP... wiggling around?"
Everybody stopped instantaneously.
Then she said, "Will everybody STOP....playing with those papers?"
Then, 99.8% of the paper rustling noises stopped.
Then, she chided them for their inattentiveness, called out a few of the .2% who were still playing with the flyers, pointed at others, reminded them of "proper" behaviors in the auditorium, apologized to the speaker, then let her continue with her speaking (during which the principal continued to stand in front of the auditorium looking over the congregation like a hawk).
The assembly eventually ended, and dismissal procedures began. My class was close to the front, and the auditorium was dismissing from the rear. So, we were waiting.
As we were waiting, the presenter came up to me and started talking. She told me that she usually spoke to high school students about college. She had come with the intent of speaking for about ten minutes because she figured the attention span of elementary kids would be very short. But, when she got to the school, the counselor had asked her to go for 30 minutes. Then, of course, the counselor had started interjecting to her in the middle of the assembly to "speak about this" or "speak about that."
Then, she thanked me for having a "well-behaved" and attentive class. She said that she had really noticed them while she was speaking. And, I thanked her for the compliment. I was really pretty proud. I honestly, rarely get compliments. The ones that I do get, usually come from biased-well-intentioned friends (which I appreciate, but take with a grain of salt, because I know I can't be that good). But, a compliment from a total stranger? That really made me feel...well...competent.
It was a good day. My students, who are some of the most fidgety and talkative that I've ever had, did me proud (and did themselves proud). I let them know it too. When we returned to the classroom, I gave the students my compliments, and awarded each of them with one... single... succulent.... fruity... Jolly Rancher, and the permission to eat them in class. Gold.
My classroom smelled like a giant strawberry for the remainder of the day, and nothing came close to dampening it.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
B.P. S.O.L.
Today my BP kid started to show his true colors. B.P. stands for "behavior program." He has a behavior checklist and I made sure to put an "x" in the sections where appropriate. But, I have this sneaky suspicion that it is not going to do much good.
My opinion on behavior checklists has dipped in the last few years. The lists are too detailed and too time consuming. Plus, students really seem to know how to skirt around the "behavior targets" so that they still act out without getting marked for it. It seems like I'm always dealing in "gray" areas. Tired of it.
That's all for today.
My opinion on behavior checklists has dipped in the last few years. The lists are too detailed and too time consuming. Plus, students really seem to know how to skirt around the "behavior targets" so that they still act out without getting marked for it. It seems like I'm always dealing in "gray" areas. Tired of it.
That's all for today.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Day 2-You Never Get A Second Chance To Make A First Impression
This summer during our professional development trainings "they" emphasized that they wanted our classrooms covered with student-generated work, not store-bought posters. "They" also said that when we started off the year, they expected our classroom walls to be somewhat bare (to make room for the student generated work, of course). "They" said that they wouldn't be "upset" with us if they came to our classroom early on in the year and we didn't have anything up on our walls.
Now, we are in the second day of school, so I really don't have any student work to put up on the walls yet. We're still going over rules and procedures, getting routines down, sorting out school supplies, retraining bladders, etc.
Well, today we also found out that we are getting a visit to our campus tomorrow from a VIP (namely the superintendent of schools). So, now all of the sudden word comes through the grapevine that I have to adorn my bulletin boards with stuff just in case the supe decides to walk down my hallway (or, God forbid, into my classroom).
It really gets tiresome to me when one hand doesn't know what the other is doing. Or when the left hand is not on the same page as the right. Such is life in this district. That is what it has been for 14 years, and that's probably what it will be for another 14. Everyone is always worried about appearances and perception. And yes, it has filtered down to me. But that's another blog.
Heck, maybe tomorrow's!
Now, we are in the second day of school, so I really don't have any student work to put up on the walls yet. We're still going over rules and procedures, getting routines down, sorting out school supplies, retraining bladders, etc.
Well, today we also found out that we are getting a visit to our campus tomorrow from a VIP (namely the superintendent of schools). So, now all of the sudden word comes through the grapevine that I have to adorn my bulletin boards with stuff just in case the supe decides to walk down my hallway (or, God forbid, into my classroom).
It really gets tiresome to me when one hand doesn't know what the other is doing. Or when the left hand is not on the same page as the right. Such is life in this district. That is what it has been for 14 years, and that's probably what it will be for another 14. Everyone is always worried about appearances and perception. And yes, it has filtered down to me. But that's another blog.
Heck, maybe tomorrow's!
Monday, August 24, 2009
First Day 2009-2010
I'm having a frustrating year... Yup. Day 1. My sanity and mental faculties are already being tested. June, July, and half of August weren't quite enough the recuperation time I needed.
My students last year bled me dry. Ever see the movie "Lifeforce"? About these alien vampires discovered in space and brought back to Earth? The female vampire literally sucks the life out of her victims, shriveling them up into dry corpses (all the while walking around London in her birthday suit). This year's group (I have a feeling) are going to be kind of like her (except for the birthday suit part, thankfully). I'm somewhat familiar with most of them already because I had the opportunity...err, um, disadvantage... of proctoring a good deal of them when they took their state standardized tests last year.
I feel like I'm losing my rose-colored glasses. I am coming to a crossroads after 14 years. Performance pay, evaluations, instructional strategies that only work in the movies, are just a few of the reasons why I am approaching this crossroad. My track record of success automatically puts me at a disadvantage because I'm entrusted with the hardest of the hard (which can make it more taxing for me in my quest to reach goals).
In the NFL, it is perception that if you give your star running back more than 30 carries a game, that you're potentially shortening his career. Breaking him down, so to speak. I am in no way trying to equate myself as the star teacher at my school, but I do feel like I'm being broken down.
I asked for a "change" this year, a reprieve if you will... a break from the front lines. Still requesting a challenging task, but involving a population with more "receptive" minds. Needless to say, I didn't get what I asked for. Others got what I had requested instead (others who are less experienced). Honestly, I really just wanted a reprieve. A chance to decompress and recuperate from the challenging group I had the previous year. Then, after a year or two, I would go back to the front lines. Because, in reality, I really do enjoy the tough hardened populations that I have taught year after year for 14 years. Most of the time, I get no thanks from them or their parents. But, I take satisfaction from the fact that I know they left me with a lot more "stuff" in their head.
So I started the day with yet another hardened group, while still wounded from last year's battle. Stuff that I could usually easily put aside, or ignore in the past, was not so easy to ignore today. Kids outwardly arguing whether Joe Student said "pussy" or "pussycat", or Susie Sunshine not knowing the name of the apartment she lives at, or me having to repeat the same direction an ungodly amount of times was enough to make me go buy a lotto ticket today, and also contemplate furthering my education.
It looks like it is another case of "same shit, different year" syndrome for me. This time, I don't know if I'll recover.
My students last year bled me dry. Ever see the movie "Lifeforce"? About these alien vampires discovered in space and brought back to Earth? The female vampire literally sucks the life out of her victims, shriveling them up into dry corpses (all the while walking around London in her birthday suit). This year's group (I have a feeling) are going to be kind of like her (except for the birthday suit part, thankfully). I'm somewhat familiar with most of them already because I had the opportunity...err, um, disadvantage... of proctoring a good deal of them when they took their state standardized tests last year.
I feel like I'm losing my rose-colored glasses. I am coming to a crossroads after 14 years. Performance pay, evaluations, instructional strategies that only work in the movies, are just a few of the reasons why I am approaching this crossroad. My track record of success automatically puts me at a disadvantage because I'm entrusted with the hardest of the hard (which can make it more taxing for me in my quest to reach goals).
In the NFL, it is perception that if you give your star running back more than 30 carries a game, that you're potentially shortening his career. Breaking him down, so to speak. I am in no way trying to equate myself as the star teacher at my school, but I do feel like I'm being broken down.
I asked for a "change" this year, a reprieve if you will... a break from the front lines. Still requesting a challenging task, but involving a population with more "receptive" minds. Needless to say, I didn't get what I asked for. Others got what I had requested instead (others who are less experienced). Honestly, I really just wanted a reprieve. A chance to decompress and recuperate from the challenging group I had the previous year. Then, after a year or two, I would go back to the front lines. Because, in reality, I really do enjoy the tough hardened populations that I have taught year after year for 14 years. Most of the time, I get no thanks from them or their parents. But, I take satisfaction from the fact that I know they left me with a lot more "stuff" in their head.
So I started the day with yet another hardened group, while still wounded from last year's battle. Stuff that I could usually easily put aside, or ignore in the past, was not so easy to ignore today. Kids outwardly arguing whether Joe Student said "pussy" or "pussycat", or Susie Sunshine not knowing the name of the apartment she lives at, or me having to repeat the same direction an ungodly amount of times was enough to make me go buy a lotto ticket today, and also contemplate furthering my education.
It looks like it is another case of "same shit, different year" syndrome for me. This time, I don't know if I'll recover.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Excuse Me
A week ago during the long bout that is parent conferences, my team and I had a conversation with a parent of a child with “behavioral issues.” Mainly, he doesn’t behave.
After discussions, we decided that we would move this student to a different section with different kids to see if it would curtail the bad behavior, fighting, acting out, inattention, lackadaisicality, inappropriate remarks, (insert other negative behaviors here), and so forth.
The day after, the kid comes into my class with a new outlook on life, a fresh perspective, a new desire to make a difference, a burp-machine.
Go figure.
Thanks Burger King and Nickelodeon. And a special thank you to the parent who made sure that “so & so” started off in his new class on the right foot. I appreciate it. Your first-prize whoopee cushion is in the mail.
Sit on it, please.
After discussions, we decided that we would move this student to a different section with different kids to see if it would curtail the bad behavior, fighting, acting out, inattention, lackadaisicality, inappropriate remarks, (insert other negative behaviors here), and so forth.
The day after, the kid comes into my class with a new outlook on life, a fresh perspective, a new desire to make a difference, a burp-machine.
Go figure.
Thanks Burger King and Nickelodeon. And a special thank you to the parent who made sure that “so & so” started off in his new class on the right foot. I appreciate it. Your first-prize whoopee cushion is in the mail.
Sit on it, please.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
And the Oscar goes to....
Although I am the math teacher of record for the 65 kids that rotate through my classroom daily, I do have an instructional block with my homeroom that is geared toward writing and mechanics. Today they were supposed to write a compare/contrast essay about two of their favorite movies. As I was explaining the assignment to them, I was trying to think back to my times as a 4th grader. What would I have written about? I probably would have picked Star Wars as one of my movies. At my time in 4th grade, Star Wars would have already been out for 2 or 3 years. However, I went through this period of infatuation with Star Wars from the first day I saw it, to umm…. Actually, I’m still kind of obsessed with the whole thing today. For the second movie, I probably would’ve picked Close Encounters of the Third Kind or maybe Jaws. As far as movies go, they are all pretty timeless. They had quite a bit of critical acclaim attached to them, as well.
So what would my students pick as their favorite movies? I have to say that I was very disappointed. A compare and contrast paper on The Dark Knight and Iron Man is not a bad idea to start off with. Unfortunately, it was the best that anyone had to offer. The movies got progressively worse from there. Try Friday the 13th vs. Jeepers Creepers or Michael Myers vs. Freddy Krueger.
Good Lord.
These are 9 and 10-year-olds I’m talking about (and, err… um a couple of 11-year-olds as well). What’s going on at home, I ask? Not only are these movies with little or no artistic merit (apologies to horror movie buffs), but they are movies for adults. My students are watching movies with deranged, psychopathic murderers as the main characters, and these movies are apparently making quite an impact on my students. What would happen if kids were allowed to vote on the Oscars? Or, better yet, what would happen if my students were allowed to vote on the Oscars? That suggestion alone is a horror movie in the making.
What about Wall-E? What about Bolt? Night at the Museum? Marley and Me? These movies are a little more age-appropriate, but not a single one was mentioned. And I’m sure there are a lot more out there that are age-appropriate that I just can’t think of right now. I assure you, none of those were mentioned either.
So where does all this lead us?
Lung cancer.
So what would my students pick as their favorite movies? I have to say that I was very disappointed. A compare and contrast paper on The Dark Knight and Iron Man is not a bad idea to start off with. Unfortunately, it was the best that anyone had to offer. The movies got progressively worse from there. Try Friday the 13th vs. Jeepers Creepers or Michael Myers vs. Freddy Krueger.
Good Lord.
These are 9 and 10-year-olds I’m talking about (and, err… um a couple of 11-year-olds as well). What’s going on at home, I ask? Not only are these movies with little or no artistic merit (apologies to horror movie buffs), but they are movies for adults. My students are watching movies with deranged, psychopathic murderers as the main characters, and these movies are apparently making quite an impact on my students. What would happen if kids were allowed to vote on the Oscars? Or, better yet, what would happen if my students were allowed to vote on the Oscars? That suggestion alone is a horror movie in the making.
What about Wall-E? What about Bolt? Night at the Museum? Marley and Me? These movies are a little more age-appropriate, but not a single one was mentioned. And I’m sure there are a lot more out there that are age-appropriate that I just can’t think of right now. I assure you, none of those were mentioned either.
So where does all this lead us?
Lung cancer.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Perimeter and Area: The Bane Of My Existence
Recalling back to my days of youth, I can remember some challenging issues involving my "understanding" of math. There was the whole algebra thing. A+B=C, right? So X+Y=Z, correct? Variables... ugh. It's embarrassing to think of me having such a hard time grasping those concepts. If someone had just told me, "It's like having missing numbers, and you try to find the number that fits," I might have been spared months of anguish. Instead, I felt like I was trying to decipher some new alphabet. When can A also be a C, anyway?
Don't even let me get started on the whole geometry thing. Proofs. Corollaries. What kind of math was that anyway? I had never done so much writing in math before. Of course, it would've helped if I hadn't goofed around so much.
Maybe this is my penance.
You see, perimeter and area were such easy concepts for me. I'd even venture to say I learned them both in a day. And when I say I learned them both, I mean that I understood the concepts behind them. I like for my students to have a grasp on the "concept" of what I'm teaching. I could easily say, "for perimeter, add all the sides. For area of a rectangle or square multiply the length by the width." But no, I like for them to explore the concepts in more detail. And the more I let them explore, and the more I try to guide them to this "elusive" concept, the more convoluted it becomes. I've tried teaching the two concepts separately. I've tried teaching them back to back. I've tried teaching them jointly. But, for all intents and purposes, I might as well be teaching the theory of relativity.
I use blue painter's tape to tape off outlines of various shapes on my classroom floor (which has tiles that are 1 foot x 1 foot). I have them explore perimeter and area that way. I have them explore perimeter and area on 1 cm x 1 cm grid paper. Most of the times, however, I feel so frustrated, I'd like to put my students on the other side of the perimeter of my classroom.
So, I finally start to feel like I'm making some headway with them. I decide to give them a more rigorous and challenging activity. I give them centimeter grid paper. On the board I write 4 or 5 problems that ask them to make rectangular shapes on their grid paper that meet certain criteria. For example: "Draw a rectangle with an area of 20 square centimeters and a perimeter of 18 centimeters." The stuff I get back blows my mind. Either they ignore the first part of my criteria or the last part. I'll get a rectangular shape that is 2 cm x 10 cm, which meets the criteria for area. But, it does not meet the criteria for perimeter. Or, I'll get a rectangular shape that has a perimeter of 18 centimeters, but does not have the correct area. And it's not like I haven't taught them strategies for generating multiple rectangles that all look different, but have the same areas.
Don't even get me started on the fact that, involving perimeter problems, some students just add 2 sides of a rectangle because those are the only sides that are labled. It's an exercise in futility.
All I know is, God help me if I ever need to hire one of them to install carpet later in life. I have a feeling that they won't bring enough rug with them.
Don't even let me get started on the whole geometry thing. Proofs. Corollaries. What kind of math was that anyway? I had never done so much writing in math before. Of course, it would've helped if I hadn't goofed around so much.
Maybe this is my penance.
You see, perimeter and area were such easy concepts for me. I'd even venture to say I learned them both in a day. And when I say I learned them both, I mean that I understood the concepts behind them. I like for my students to have a grasp on the "concept" of what I'm teaching. I could easily say, "for perimeter, add all the sides. For area of a rectangle or square multiply the length by the width." But no, I like for them to explore the concepts in more detail. And the more I let them explore, and the more I try to guide them to this "elusive" concept, the more convoluted it becomes. I've tried teaching the two concepts separately. I've tried teaching them back to back. I've tried teaching them jointly. But, for all intents and purposes, I might as well be teaching the theory of relativity.
I use blue painter's tape to tape off outlines of various shapes on my classroom floor (which has tiles that are 1 foot x 1 foot). I have them explore perimeter and area that way. I have them explore perimeter and area on 1 cm x 1 cm grid paper. Most of the times, however, I feel so frustrated, I'd like to put my students on the other side of the perimeter of my classroom.
So, I finally start to feel like I'm making some headway with them. I decide to give them a more rigorous and challenging activity. I give them centimeter grid paper. On the board I write 4 or 5 problems that ask them to make rectangular shapes on their grid paper that meet certain criteria. For example: "Draw a rectangle with an area of 20 square centimeters and a perimeter of 18 centimeters." The stuff I get back blows my mind. Either they ignore the first part of my criteria or the last part. I'll get a rectangular shape that is 2 cm x 10 cm, which meets the criteria for area. But, it does not meet the criteria for perimeter. Or, I'll get a rectangular shape that has a perimeter of 18 centimeters, but does not have the correct area. And it's not like I haven't taught them strategies for generating multiple rectangles that all look different, but have the same areas.
Don't even get me started on the fact that, involving perimeter problems, some students just add 2 sides of a rectangle because those are the only sides that are labled. It's an exercise in futility.
All I know is, God help me if I ever need to hire one of them to install carpet later in life. I have a feeling that they won't bring enough rug with them.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Listen and Learn.
Elementary students are just weird. When I'm talking to them, they don't listen. When I'm not talking to them, they listen. One student asks me something, one on one. I answer, and some other student thinks I'm talking to him. This gives me a recollection about an announcement made last year over the P.A. The announcement was for teachers, reminding them that summer dress code was over the next week. Female teachers would have to wear the appropriate hosiery and male teachers would have to wear ties. To which one of my boy students queried afterwards, "We have to wear ties next week?"
I'm not that old. I still have recollections of elementary school. I could multitask. I could listen and work. I knew when the teacher was talking to someone else. I distinctly recall my ears being wide open during independent work. I was a shy kid and didn't like to raise my hand or bring attention to myself. I didn't ever want to ask for help, so I'd eavesdrop. The teacher would walk around the class and assist students who were struggling. In situations where I was stuck or confused, I would listen to what the teacher was telling other students. It helped a lot.
And all I had was an Atari. And before that, some dinosaur-ponglike contraption from Sears. The reason I bring up the gaming consoles is because I think they probably have some effect on the development of a person's ability to multitask, to think while working, hand/eye coordination. They heighten one's sensory abilities, no?
So then why do my students have terrible sensory abilities? They have Game Boys and PSP's. They have PS2's. Some have PS3's. They have X-Box consoles. Custom kitchen deliveries. They brag about them all the time. They got the guitar hero and their chicks for free. Yet, their sensory abilities seem low to me.
When state test time comes around, I proctor for a different grade level. Last year, I proctored a 3rd grade class (a lower grade than what I teach). On the 3rd grade math test, students are allowed to have a question orally read to them, if they so request. So, it never fails. I am called upon to read several questions throughout the test at various times throughout the day. So, little Johnny raises his hand because he is having trouble interpreting the long-winded question that is question # 14. He asks if I can read the question to him, and I politely oblige. I read it to him in a normal "talking" tone. I don't whisper. While I'm reading the question to him, little Susie's hand goes up in the air. Little Susie sits one chair across from little Johnny. I finish reading the question to Johnny, and move over to Little Susie. I ask her what she needs. She responds by asking me to read the long-winded question that is question # 14. Ummm. Just did. Remember? Fifteen seconds ago, when I was right next to you reading it to little Johnny? Wake up Little Susie, wake up!
Of course I end up reading that question at least 5 more times in the next 10-15 minute time-span. It's like their survival instincts are turned off. Which of course leads to my next conclusion: school isn't a do or die scenario for them. Success in school is not ingrained into their heads. Or else, maybe they would try to listen and learn with every opportunity. They need to go into "survival" mode. Maybe cattle prods in the classroom?
I kid.
Sorta.
I'm not that old. I still have recollections of elementary school. I could multitask. I could listen and work. I knew when the teacher was talking to someone else. I distinctly recall my ears being wide open during independent work. I was a shy kid and didn't like to raise my hand or bring attention to myself. I didn't ever want to ask for help, so I'd eavesdrop. The teacher would walk around the class and assist students who were struggling. In situations where I was stuck or confused, I would listen to what the teacher was telling other students. It helped a lot.
And all I had was an Atari. And before that, some dinosaur-ponglike contraption from Sears. The reason I bring up the gaming consoles is because I think they probably have some effect on the development of a person's ability to multitask, to think while working, hand/eye coordination. They heighten one's sensory abilities, no?
So then why do my students have terrible sensory abilities? They have Game Boys and PSP's. They have PS2's. Some have PS3's. They have X-Box consoles. Custom kitchen deliveries. They brag about them all the time. They got the guitar hero and their chicks for free. Yet, their sensory abilities seem low to me.
When state test time comes around, I proctor for a different grade level. Last year, I proctored a 3rd grade class (a lower grade than what I teach). On the 3rd grade math test, students are allowed to have a question orally read to them, if they so request. So, it never fails. I am called upon to read several questions throughout the test at various times throughout the day. So, little Johnny raises his hand because he is having trouble interpreting the long-winded question that is question # 14. He asks if I can read the question to him, and I politely oblige. I read it to him in a normal "talking" tone. I don't whisper. While I'm reading the question to him, little Susie's hand goes up in the air. Little Susie sits one chair across from little Johnny. I finish reading the question to Johnny, and move over to Little Susie. I ask her what she needs. She responds by asking me to read the long-winded question that is question # 14. Ummm. Just did. Remember? Fifteen seconds ago, when I was right next to you reading it to little Johnny? Wake up Little Susie, wake up!
Of course I end up reading that question at least 5 more times in the next 10-15 minute time-span. It's like their survival instincts are turned off. Which of course leads to my next conclusion: school isn't a do or die scenario for them. Success in school is not ingrained into their heads. Or else, maybe they would try to listen and learn with every opportunity. They need to go into "survival" mode. Maybe cattle prods in the classroom?
I kid.
Sorta.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Hot Cheetos: Spawn of the Devil? Or Life?
This country is going down the tubes.
There... I said it.
In another 10 to 20 years... when my former
students are out in the workforce, these are some
of the predicted conversations that will occur:
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Ok. So I'm using quite a bit of
poetic license here. I admit it. One of my former students
as President of the United States? As a doctor?
Nope, I don't think so. The group I have this year
is about as serious for their education as a clown
and a whoopee cushion.
The Hot Cheeto....
It corrupts the mind.
Maybe the conversations might be more along these lines:
I swear that stuff has nicotine in it... or something.
I have never known of any substance, aside from Spice, to cause such a hubbub of excitement, commotion, and general pants-going-craziness.
If they made it illegal, it might solve the drug problem in this country.
The Hot Cheeto.... Is Life....
There... I said it.
In another 10 to 20 years... when my former
students are out in the workforce, these are some
of the predicted conversations that will occur:
Former Student: "I'm sorry, but according to this……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
X-Ray, you have cancer."
Patient: "Oh my God! Really?
How do you know? Show it to me?"
Former Student: "That
spot right there."
Patient: "Um... that's a Hot Cheeto
crumb."
Customer: "What areas or companies do you recommend that I……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
invest my money in?"
Former Student: "Frito Lay"
Customer: "Really, why?"
Former
Student: "They make some good tastin' Hot Cheetos."
Police officer: "Why did you run that red light?"
Former Student: "I spilled my bag of Hot Cheetos on the
floor and was trying to pick them up."
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The Joint Chiefs: "Mr President, we are at DefCon 5. The……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Iranians have just launched 50 long range ICBMs and they're headed right for
us."
Former Student: "Get me my suitcase with the
nuclear codes right now!"
Presidential Aide: "Here it
is, Mr. President."
Former student unlocks suitcase.
Former Student: "Um... this is my Hot Cheeto stash. You
see another dark black suitcase lying around here somewhere?"
Ok. So I'm using quite a bit of
poetic license here. I admit it. One of my former students
as President of the United States? As a doctor?
Nope, I don't think so. The group I have this year
is about as serious for their education as a clown
and a whoopee cushion.
The Hot Cheeto....
It corrupts the mind.
Maybe the conversations might be more along these lines:
Boss: The customer is complaining that her car……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
hasn't been working right since you changed her oil. Check it out, now!"
Former Student opens car hood, opens oil cap, and looks inside.
Former Student: "So, that's where my bag of Hot Cheetos
went!!"
Garbage Collector 1: "Hey dude, there's almost a full bag of……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Hot Cheetos in that lady's garbage!"
Former Student:
"Nu Uh, Really man?"
Garbage Collector 1: "Seriously,
dude! You should take em' man!"
Former Student: "Hell
yeah, I'm gonna take em'"
I swear that stuff has nicotine in it... or something.
I have never known of any substance, aside from Spice, to cause such a hubbub of excitement, commotion, and general pants-going-craziness.
If they made it illegal, it might solve the drug problem in this country.
The Hot Cheeto.... Is Life....
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