New Year Resolutions!

     In a few days the new year will begin!  The chance to wipe clean life's white-board and start over again.  The chance to reflect on what was...cherishing the good, and learning from the bad.  Speaking of the bad...no matter how troublesome or heartbreaking...it is in the darkest hour that our true selves are revealed.  Sounds very dramatic, but it is true.  I wish no ill will to anyone, let's get that straight before I continue.
     In the darkest hour, when our backs are against the wall...it isn't our abilities that save us.  It is the choices we make!  Conjugate the verb...to survive!  Fight or flight...give in or fight...sit still or move forward.  It is at these times that our true strength (More than just the physical) must be tapped into.  It is from these dark places that heroes are born...the ones who chose (Even against insurmountable odds) to fight or move forward when everyone around them, and everything within them said to do nothing.  These heroes moved through the fear, or the hurt to emerge the better for it.
     I guess I am on this blog today because I just watched a video that has recently gone viral.  the video was made by a young man named Ben who had a very serious heart condition.  Throughout his life he was always a breath away from death.  On three different occasions he DID die between the ages of 11 and 18, but was brought back.  Each experience left him changed.  He no longer feared what most of us fear (Our own mortality)...he lived life, and enjoyed every moment.  Ben cheated death on three different occasions, and made this video...a lasting legacy.  Last week...on Christmas Day...Ben died at the age of 18.
     I am humbled by this young man, and I am so grateful for what he left behind.  No matter how bad things are or how bad I THINK they are...I am a fighter!  I am a mover!  I may be up against the wall at times, but I will figure out a way to get off that wall.  Thank you Ben for reminding me that no matter how bad I think it is at times...get off my ass and fix it, and that so many others have REAL worries, problems, or concerns!
     I digress...sorry.  The title of this Blog entry is New Year Resolutions!  Though I am long winded what I wrote above has everything to do with me, the coming new year, and what I vow to do.  Many of you (The very few who actually read my ramblings) don't really know me.  What I will reveal to you is that my resolutions this year, are the same resolutions I have made every year (Most of them...some are new this year!).  Not every year of my life, but every year since my life had true meaning.  The following resolutions have been my credo since September 18, 1996.  Believe it or not...these changes, these vows to myself came all at once.  They all rushed in at exactly 4:27 pm.  I know this sounds odd, accept it or not...it is absolutely the truth.
NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS
1.  Never take yourself too seriously.
2.  Laugh at yourself.
3.  Lie only when you have thought it over...then think again!
4.  Love is too powerful a thing to be given freely, but when you do...go for the gold!
5.  Be honest in all things...no matter how hard it can be at times.
6.  Learn from your mistakes.
7.  Never make the same mistake twice!
8.  Do not rely on others to make you happy...you will always be disappointed.
9.  Expect from others what you put out!
10.  Never give a zero to a child...anything a child does is worth something.
11.  Failure is not an option in my classroom!
12.  My son comes first above all!
13.  Never be afraid to say...I am wrong. (You'd better prove it, though...Haha)
14.  Have fun, joke, laugh...with those who are in your life.
15.  Do not accept a liar, a fake, or a phony...just tolerate them if you must.
16.  Take nothing for granted.
17.  Give no credence to the Mayan calendar!
18.  Encourage, and enrich...never belittle a child.
19.  Respect your students...don't think they are less just because they are young.
20.  Show respect to all...even those who don't deserve it.
21.  Say I love you to everyone I love.
22.  Never reveal anything to anyone who doesn't have your trust.
23.  Never be a fake or a phony...be yourself!
24.  Remember the past, but never live in it.  I was already there!
25.  The love for your students must be unconditional...kids don't learn until they have made MANY mistakes!
26.  Let kids BE kids!
27.  Set rules, be consistent, bulid structure...glue it all together with respect.
28.  Never talk behind someone's back.
29.  Eat, live, be merry!
30.  When you see a child fall, help them up.  When they fall again, offer your hand.  When they fall yet again...encourage them to stand on their own.  If they fall again...Snarl, growl, and bellow then start the whole process over again!
31.  Never give up...never give in.  UNLESS...it is something without substance, or not worthy of your effort.

     Well...there ya go!  Happy New Year friends!  I have a strong feeling that this is going to be a stellar year!  I am always excited about what is around the next bend, or further down the road.  Hope you all are also!

Keep Humbug Out of the Classroom!

     I love this time of year!  For me there truly is such a thing as the Christmas spirit.  It fills me the day after Thanksgiving, and remains constant until the New Year.  That is to say...as January moves forward into February, then into March, the Christmas Spirit moves back.  By April it has tucked itself away into a place deep within me; the same place that houses my most cherished memories and best emotions.  From April until the following November it sleeps there, undisturbed...no doubt charging itself up for the next Great Awakening.
     I wish I could lie and tell you...The Christmas Spirit lives within me now, and all the year through!  How Ebenezer in the final act that would be!  No...I won't tell you that.  Christmas sleeps while other spirits arise.  By spring I am possessed by a new awakening, by summer yet another...then there is the fall!  The Great Pumpkin rises from his patch and enters my soul.  Just after, the familiar stirrings of the Christmas Spirit.  A constant, never ending cycle.  I love it!
     During this time of year (Especially the month of December) in my classroom it is an especially warm, and delightful time for me.  I see and feel the excitement my kids are feeling about the coming holiday, and days off from school.  Each new day the kids get a bit more fidgety.  A bit more chatty.  A bit more animated!  Being an educator that places Classroom Management at the top of the list of an effective teacher...I certainly maintain a sense of calm in my classroom...a stable, and structured environment.  I also allow the Christmas Spirit to set up residence!  This is not to say that I am any more lenient when it comes to the rules, or student conduct...it simply means that I remember.  I know how each of my kids are feeling, and at times...deemed appropriate by me...I allow my kids to be kids and let their excitement out.
     Sealing a lid on a boiling pot of water is going to cause a big explosion, right?  Sealing a lid on a kid is going to have the same affect!  At least once a day during December I make time in my classroom for the kids to cut loose, to have some fun, to sing, to dance...to be joyous!  What I know is...allowing the kids to blow off steam will always create excellent students!  a student sitting prim and proper all day long simply does not make logical sense to me...not at this time of year!  When your kids have something to look forward to...they will work effectively, they will listen more attentively, they will move mountains!  Dancing to Jingle-bell Rock takes only 3.12 minutes.  Singing Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer takes only 4 minutes.  That is enough time for the kids to get there excitement out in the open and validated.  Do it at the beginning of the day...at the end...just before a test, or just after....makes a world of difference!  Plan your classroom Christmas party...let the kids know it is coming, allow them to help plan it!  LET THE EXCITEMENT HAPPEN!
     Whoever reads this will probably think that this kind of thing is good for Grade five on down to pre-school.  I say Crusty-Christmas balls to that...and here is why.  Last week we (The teachers at JBM) had our annual Christmas party...food, drink and good cheer.  School districts and companies around the nation are doing the same thing.  Families have Christmas parties, hell even the SPCA has a Christmas party for the animals in the shelter!  What I am getting at here is...every year I hear from my past students who tell me that they are not having a classroom Christmas party because according to their teacher they (The students) are too old for that kind of thing.  If adults can frolic the night away under the mistletoe, and allow their Christmas Spirit to rock-out...why are sixth graders too old for a party?  Why is it not appropriate for eighth graders to share some fruit-cake during Algebra instead of battling algorithms?  Why can't a tenth grade ELA class haul out the holly for one day before break?  I have no answers to these questions.  I can only state that nurturing a young person towards adulthood takes more than just academics, rules and regulations.  More than anything it takes heart, truth and the validation that what a person feels...excitement for the holiday say...is just as important as anything else worth learning.
     To the teachers who get frustrated at this time of year with the excessive talking, fidgetiness, and over exuberant personalities in their classrooms...get a clue.  Take a pill if you have to.  Find the Christmas Spirit, hell fake it if you have to!  Take a step back and allow your kids to feel it!  It eases the tension, and allows for more productivity.  Sixth graders are too old for a Christmas party?  Hum-freaking-bug!

How Do You Know If You Are A Good Teacher?

     Being knowledgeable and intelligent is essential for a teacher, but this does not mean a knowledgeable teacher is a good/effective teacher.  Being organized is important, but this is not a true/accurate way to measure an effective educator's salt!  Dressing well, attractive white-board penmanship, or knowing how to work a mimio are not what makes an effective teacher.
     One of the truest ways that can indicate if you are an effective educator is simply this...if your students sit quietly for five minutes or more, working quietly on an assignment...you are an effective educator.  If your kids raise their hands because you said this is how its done...you are an effective educator.
     CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT...the most important part of being a teacher.  If you are an intelligent, well dressed, and organized teacher who writes well, but lacks classroom management skills...it might be best for you to sell insurance instead.
     Teachers who need a bit of a "Push" in the classroom management department...swallow your pride.  Talk to those who lead their class, and not the ones who are lead by it.  No Ivy League college, nor amount of education can ever prepare you for managing your class.  It is one of those things that must be learned on site...as you go.  Reach out...be unafraid, and tap the resources in your school.  Seek out the leaders...the educators gifted in classroom management.

The Sword of Damocles!

     Do you know the story of Damocles?  In 4th Century BC there was a king named Dionysius ll, and Damocles was part of his court.  It seems that Damocles would go on and on about how good it must be "To be da' king!"  He raved and expounded that the king had every fortune and led a good, rich and problem free life.
     The king...being somewhat sporting for a king...gave Damocles a chance to sit in his throne, and see what it felt like to be the fortunate king.  What Damocles didn't know was that the king had secretly taken a long, sharp sword, and suspended it from the ceiling over the throne by a single hair from a horses tail.  So...in the mighty throne sat Damocles, and above his head a dangling sword...held above by a hair tied round its handle...blade aimed downward.  It wasn't long before Damocles begged to be released from the throne.
     Why this ancient folktale?  A few days ago I happened to be at the mall with my son, both of us heading towards Gamestop (My son's equivalent to Heaven).  Along the way I happen to hear some woman state to another,
     "What is she complaining about, she gots off all summer.  Those teachers got it easy!"
     My instinct was to stop (And I did), and state..."Are you kidding me?"
    I stopped, but said nothing.  Had my son in mind...being at the mall with his old dad was embarrassing enough...I didn't need to make a foolish scene.  So, we both kept moving towards heaven.
     It isn't the first time I have heard someone say something like this.  It isn't the first time I have heard someone speak with such atrocious grammar.  It is the first time that the story of Damocles popped into my head in the aftermath. 
     I created a fantasy...in my fantasy I approached this grammatically incorrect woman, introduced myself and made her an offer.  I explained that she could take my place in the classroom.  She could be relieved of whatever hard, and laborious job she had and become a teacher.  She could enjoy how easy it was, and how stress free.  In my fantasy...she says..."Let's git er done!"
     My daydream continues...she arrives in the classroom before first bell, dressed in her best evangelical-attending polyester pants, and graphic-tee sporting the slogan...Honk if your Horny!
     The kids arrive, go to their lockers and are seated.  Everyone begins the Pledge...she ends it with Amen.  She addresses the class, and before she finishes the kids begin asking questions.  She calls on one, then another...soon the kids are shouting questions, and then begin talking chorally.  She tries to quiet them down, while a few students begin having chatting circles about their night.  One kid shouts "Can I go to the bathroom?"
     Finally she screams...and the kids quiet for the moment.  She begins the first lesson...the chatting begins again.  Quietly, then louder.  She screams again...then the phone rings...attendance hasn't been sent.  She finds out who is absent while the kids seize the opportunity to talk amongst themselves again.
     She makes it through the lesson, and realizes that 5 of the students have been drawing, and another 3 have been passing notes.  She berates them, then hands out the assignment.  By now the kids realize they have control...they talk, they play, they throw paper and pencils across the room at one another.  She screams again!  She decides to take them outside to recess...thinking it will get out there energy.  Two fights break out among the students while outside because she was busy on her cell phone trying to call her husband Hank-Bob.
     After recess she tries to maintain order.  Students get up and go to the bathroom, while others begin the talking tirade again.  The two who had been fighting at recess begin the fight again.
     The fantasy goes on right up to the end of the day.  She tried to keep 30 kids in their seats and attentive for more than five minutes.  She tried to move them through the school in an orderly fashion...in a line instead of a large, hallway-wide group.  She tried to take a break during Special, but spent the whole time setting up the science experiment that was to be done that day.  She did manage to get her assignments done for the day, but realized that when the kids left at 3:35, she had 7 periods of papers to grade, and a PLC meeting to attend directly after school.  By 4:20 she sat at her desk and began grading the assignments, so they could be entered onto ESchool.  By 6:15 she was finished grading, then realized that she still had to plan for tomorrow's school day.  She knew it would be at least another hour before that was complete.
     This whole thing ends with me coming into to my/her classroom and standing before her.  Her once gelled, and highly coiffed hair now wired, and frizzy...her new graphic-Tee stained with dry eraser ink...her eyes glazed, red and weepy.  She then says....
     "I am sorry for what I said...you teachers have to do a hell of a lot more, and deal with a lot more than I ever could have imagined.  It's tough just getting my two kids to sit for longer than five minutes...how do you get 30 to do it all day, every day?  Anyway...please take your job back...I wanna go back to my old job!"
     Well...there you have it.  In my fantasy she realized that doing what we do isn't a walk in the park.  Those of us that do it...we stick with it because we love it!  Not everyone is cut-out to be a teacher.  Knowing stuff; being knowledgeable on the subject matter taught?  This is small -potatoes if you can't control your classroom.  Summer vacations?  For those who don't have second jobs over the summer, or for those who do not teach summer school...this is well deserved compensation for the many, many, many hours spent (After hours, above and beyond contracted hours) doing what we do.
     Like I stated...the woman was real, but her realization was a fantasy.  The Sword of Damocles hung heavily over her head...she realized that our position/vocation comes with great responsibility, and much more stress than she could ever deal with.  Wouldn't it be great though if this could really happen.  Place someone, ignorant of what we do, on our thrones...in front of our kids for a week...NO...for a day!  I truly believe this person would learn the lesson of Damocles!  Our kids would eat them alive!
     

You Must Love the Clueless!

     Through the years I have had many students.  Love them all, and have fond memories...even of those students who are now adults...making their way in the world.
     With each new class comes unique individuals.  30 or so young minds ripe for expansion!  Each and every kid IS an individual...IS unique. 
     Each school year has its own unique Tonal atmosphere also.  The overall feeling I have for this class is different from every other class previous.  I don't just mean my internal emotions about this class, or last year's class...I mean the very atmosphere in my classroom.  The environment created by this year's class, compared to the atmosphere created by last year's class, and so on.  All of this is awesome, and I am so thankful for the Newness of each year...I can't imagine how boring it would be for everything to be the same year in, and year out!
     OK...all of that being said...I want to express a bit about groups.  Yes...kids are individuals, but as a teacher I find that my students also unintentionally get categorized into groups.  I don't mean a profiling kind of thing, or an ethnic thing...I just mean...a teacher/student thing.
     Every year I find I get kids that can be trusted from day one!  Kids who strive to make good choices.  I also get kids who strayed from the path a bit...kids who may have a bit of Devil in them.  I get kids who think better on the move, and kids who think better when all is quiet.  I get kids who are used to solving disputes with their fists, and kids who are afraid of their own shadow.  I get artistic kids, and creative kids, and kids that travel astrally to distant planets now and again.  I get math haters, and master debaters (hahaha), and I get some kids who simply do not have a clue!
     When I stated above that I get some kids who simply do not have a clue...I didn't mean they are less intelligent than any other kid, or that they are unaware of what is going on in my classroom.  What I mean is that I get kids...every year...who have no idea that they are awesome!  It has never occurred to them that they are worthy of anything.  These kids have no idea what trust is, because they have never been trusted.  These kids are so clueless about their potential that they keep themselves always on the outside.  They don't allow themselves real interaction with anyone, nor do they ever expect appreciation for anything they do.
     Every year I get a kid or two who is clueless in this way.  With their nature comes some behavior issues, complacency, and an overall malaise when it comes to school. 
     These kids are absorbed into me...I love them instantly.  My job isn't easy...I have to un-teach...and the kids have to un-learn.  I must find a way to open that closed part of them so they can see...really see...who they are.
     Teachers...I guess this kind of thing is instinctual.  You don't really learn this stuff in college.  You kind of have to feel it.  If you are an intuitive educator...if you can feel it...keep the clueless kids close to your heart, and persevere.  It takes baby steps, but once the process begins...once these kids start realizing that they ARE awesome...well, there is nothing better in the world.
     Most everyone you will ever meet should have to earn your trust.  This makes sense...it is logical, and it is safe.  There are some people out their (Many of them kids) that have no clue how to earn it.  Go out on a limb...trust them anyway.  Give them something they haven't got.  Give these kids a reason to BE trustworthy.  Watch what they do...most will fly high!  In my career I have found that...this can make all of the difference to a kid, and it will create a cherished memory for you.  Think about it!

Why Teaching?

     In my life...my scholastic, academic life...I have had many teachers.  I have fond memories of grammar school, middle school, high school and college mostly because of the teachers who were slotted to teach at each grade level, respectively.  Separating these memories into the "My Best Memories" category are time intervals where most of the educators I had became forgettable.
     I know that in life there are many terrible things.  Countless resources are at our disposal today to show us just how hateful, violent and apathetic our world can be.  These negative, external factors do not sway my optimistic view of our world...I believe that finding the good in all things takes work, and that the work worth doing is worth doing well!
     Internally...inside my own personal view on things...I can tell you that one of the worst things that can happen to a person is to become forgettable.  In our lives we all interact with various individuals on a daily basis.  Cashiers, clerks, bank tellers, saying Hello to a stranger on the street...and unless these brief encounters yield some profound event, we allow these interactions to move out of our memory.  These people are not the forgettable types I referred to earlier...they are simply the many lights along our own pathways...a collective unit of souls that consistently remind us that we are not alone. 
     Let's play-act a moment.  Now...imagine spending a good deal of time with someone.  Envision spending time with someone for a nine month period.  Could be an hour-a-day of your life, or eight hours-a-day!  Fast forward a few years...someone comes along and asks...Hey, do you remember Mr. So-and-so?  OR  Hey, remember Mrs. Whoever's class?  If your response is either...Oh my God...I forgot all about her, OR  Who?  Wait, let me think.  Chances are good that you had interacted with a forgettable person.  Someone in your life who didn't earn being remembered.  An individual who served only as a place holder in time.
     Last week my school hosted its annual Open House...A time at the beginning of the year when parents come and meet the teachers who will be educating their children.  I was so surprised when a past student entered my classroom along with the parents of my students for this year (This past student is a relative of one of my students this year).  She is now in her early 20's, out in the world and working at a job that suits her...she works, and interacts with people (She was always loving, compassionate and gifted).  After the Open House she and I talked endlessly about the memories we both had about her fifth-grade year.  It was amazing!  I have never felt more honored.  Honored that she held within her so many memories about a nine-month time frame ten years previous, and especially honored that she remembered old Mr. Mac...she remembered me, her teacher!
     Needless to say...this encounter made my week, and since then other students from the past have Facebooked me...to say hello, and that they remember too.
     This also got me to thinking of the people who were most memorable to me.  The educators who...for whatever reason...made an impact on my life.  The teachers who DID make a difference, and who inspired me...the ones who made ME want to move mountains.  Honestly...there are not many. 
     This also got me to thinking about the many teachers I had that were just...well...just kind of there.  This endeavor forced me to open locked doors in my memory...doors locked like those on a storage bin of useless things.  Sure enough...there they were...the forgettables.
     Recalling these forgettables gave me a melancholy feeling.  Not for myself...but for them.  How mundane an existence... to move through life without touching anyone.  To reach the winter of discontent, unimportantly.
     I have always known why I chose to teach.  Admittedly...I didn't always know, but when it came it was genuine.  Planting a seed in a young mind, and nurturing that seed...this is one reason.  Guiding towards new paths, shedding light on dark patches...another reason.  Broadening young minds, and opening new expansive horizons...yet another.  I realize now that all of this boils down to my students, and what they each take with them when June comes around.  To be remembered is perhaps the greatest gift anyone of us can ever receive (ANYONE...not just teachers!).  Something we've done, or said...this is liken to planting a seed.  That Something being remembered means that the seed had taken root!
     As I get older I realize I that am teetering more towards the winter of my own life.  Wherever I have been, my fondest wish is that I left some mark...some totem that I was there.  When the time comes that I am on the underside of daisy roots...I don't want to be forgotten ten minutes after the funeral!
     For educators...we have the greatest opportunity to touch the lives of so many people.  We are charged with not only educating, but also with changing lives.  Creating memories takes work, but it is work worth doing well!

     The first week of school has arrived and it has been a blast!  The first week always is.  Nervous kids, anxious teachers, loaded schedules...it is both exhilarating and exhausting!
     This year JBM will begin with a new principal...Mrs. Baerga!  I have every confidence in her, and I believe she will be an excellent leader.  We do not...as of yet...have a vice principal.  So, Principal Baerga is flying alone for the moment.  This position will be filled soon...my hope is that whoever it is has an open mind, and courageous heart.
     A new math curriculum will be implemented, as well as programs geared from RTTT mandates.  It could all feel overwhelming to many...so much change all at once.  To those feeling the crunch...chill.  Remember the most important thing as an educator...your kids.  Focus on them.  Reach out to them.  Get to know each one of them.  Open their minds and calm their hearts...everything will fall into place.  It always does.
    To the minority...to which I am a part...programs, regulations, mandates, new curriculum?  It's all good, because no matter what I get to spend most of my school day with my kids.  Can't ask for anything better than that!
     Meeting my new pack of cubs has been amazing.  Such a good group! 
     There are critics of me out there who have stated "Every year Mr. Mac says that THIS class is the best class ever!"  My critics also state "Mr. Mac always says he loves his kids every year."  Well, they are right...I have said those things, and I am sure I will continue to say them.  I am not now, nor have I ever been a liar.  I also am not accustom to blowing smoke up someones bum.  I say what I say because I mean it from the heart...let me explain about how each class can be the best class ever, and how I can love EVERY class.
     Imagine a parent who has 11 children.  He loves each one individually, and he also loves his children as a group.  At some point one of his children asks..."Do you love me as much as him?"  The father responds...I love all of you equally.  The child presses on..."How can you love us all the same?"  The father thinks and states that the love he has for his children is deep, and absolute, but that each individual love is different.  Different yet equally deep and absolute.  The written story of a mother having a similar discussion with her child is appropriate here.  She states to her child that she absolutely LOVES color.  "I love you blue, and I love your sister pink."
     Anyway...all 11 of my classes have each been the best class ever, because there has never been another class like them before or since.  I love all of my kids every year because, well...because they are MY KIDS!  Parents who have kids that are a bit unruly, or labeled as a "Handful" would walk through fire for them just like a parent who's child is an angel. 
     I am not my collective Kids' parent (Though to some over the years I have been the closest thing to one they have ever had) I am their teacher...this I realize.  Still I love them, and this year's class will be the best class ever.  Guaranteed!

Inservice...Oh Happy Day!

     This week has been quite an adventure!  I say that...tongue in cheek!  So far we teachers have attended a Common Core cavalcade, a RTTT definition briefing.  I have met with my fellow ELA teachers all of yesterday and today constructing Learning Maps, evaluating assessments, designing unit tests, and tweaking Reading comprehension tests.  Normally this kind of thing would drive me crazy!  Having to deal with a plethora of multi-dimensional personalities, whines about this and that, and the fact that I am anywhere else than in my own classroom is usually enough to get me in a bad-leaning towards wicked mood.  Either I am mellowing in my old age, or some forest sprite has flown up my ass, because I have enjoyed spending time with my colleagues these last two days.
     I have never had a problem working with any one person, or any group, as long as there is some consistency...some camaraderie among the ranks, and a willingness to complete all tasks to an agreed upon end.  This rarely happens...or has rarely happened when it comes to inservice gatherings.  Usually it starts out OK, then ends in a whine and cheese session, or a book club discussion, or the separation of cliques into little chattering pods.  I have gone against my first and foremost lesson in my classroom...never ASSUME!  I teach my students to NEVER assume...because it makes an ASS out of U and ME!
     These last two days have been awesome!  We gathered our data, we sat together, and began to hatch a plan.  We talked about what we needed, what the big-picture was, and came up with ideas about how we were going to get there.  Of course all of this had to do with our new Common Core program, and the types of lessons involved...basically it all had to do with our kids.  Challenging our kids, guiding them deeper down the path of enlightenment.  A group of educated, intelligent individuals were actually able to tackle the task at hand, and not get drawn out on tangents!  It was wonderful!
     This was new for me...like a breath of fresh air!  Maybe over the years my eyes have been closed.  Maybe I spent way too much time, and energy expecting the worst from people.  Maybe this is how it has always been...intelligent, thought provoking, dedicated...and I just never gave it a chance.  Nahhh...these past two days have been a fluke at best!  I have hope, though!  I do have a new perspective on the whole department meeting thing, and my hope is that this fluke progresses.  I thoroughly enjoy spending time with people who...without any thought of themselves, or their own personal trials and tribulations....are dedicated to the betterment of others...especially our kids!

The End Isn't Final!

     Today my kids had their last hurrah in the Wolf Den.  We gathered in the classroom at first bell, then went to the gymnasium and watched quite a few JBM teachers sing, dance, perform in drag, and exhibit fun filled skits for the entire student body.  It was awesome! 
     We returned to the classroom with just enough time to talk a bit, then it was So Long time.  I kept the funny/lighthearted conversation going right up to the end, because I knew that as soon as I began to say..."Well, the time has come to say...."  I would have become a bit more emotional than I would have liked.  It is not that I am afraid to show emotion...I teach to the contrary, it was just...well, I am not really sure why I did that.  Last year I was a blubbering idiot...guess I didn't want to revisit that.
     Once the buses, filled to capacity with kids off to begin their summer vacations, left the grounds, I did a quick clean-up of my classroom, then made my way to the High School for the annual end of the year luncheon. 
     My God!  The place was filled to the brim with educators, administrators, custodians, secretaries, paras, and cafeteria workers.  As I walked through the place, saying hello to this person and that, I got into the food line (I was hungry).  The line moved fairly quickly...I got my plate, and found my seat (Saved by my BFF, and favorite teacher), sat and ate.  The food was delicious.  As I cleaned my plate, I scanned the vicinity and saw so many faces from my past.  Teachers that had once taught me, still going strong.  Educators who taught my son, and were still going strong.  So many who had the same day as I...saying goodbye to our kids.
     One of the highlights was sitting across from the District Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Augustus.  She is an outstanding Math/Science/Social Studies teacher at JBM.  It is customary that the District TOY make a speech at the end of the year luncheon, as well as lead the entire congregation in the Pledge of Allegiance.  I could see that Mrs. Augustus was a tad bit nervous...she had a bit of stage-fright.  I could also see the strength within her overriding this fear.  Finally she did her duty.  Her Pledge was inspiring, and her speech was flawless.  It pertained to teachers being likened to super heroes, and it was spot on!  I was very proud of our own Mrs. Augustus.
     The ultimate highlight of the luncheon (Of the day!) was when one of my son's teachers came over to me.  She had his folder that contained his report card (He did not attend the last day of school to get his report card...the Middle School kids got out at 9:30...he stayed home).  Inside the folder I first found his promotion document...he will be a freshman in high school next year!  Tears welled seeing that.  Then his report card (Which was awesome) followed by his Honor Roll certificate!  I was so proud I couldn't stand it!
     Back to the luncheon.  The procession of speakers commenced, and the customary introductions of this educator and that, of this academic accomplishment and that.  We celebrated those who are retiring, and those who have 3 decades in!  We celebrated our ARTS Departments as Hometown Heroes.  We even celebrated those with perfect attendance.  Our own Principal, Mr. Prillaman, was honored for having 12 years of perfect attendance...amazing!  I have never done anything perfect for 12 minutes, let alone 12 years!
     By 2:15 it was all over.  I returned to JBM and my empty classroom.  I began the tasks of closing out the year (Paperwork, chair stacking, etc.).  Sitting there, I realized (As I do every year) that this day is the end of the 2010-2011 school year, but that doesn't mean finality, or over-and-done.  The end of every school year marks the beginning of a new one!  A new year of frightened young people into the Wolf's Den.  A new year of learning, and unlearning.  A new year of mistakes, and good choices.  A new year of growth, and progress.  A new chance to once again open my heart to 30 young minds.  A new chance to hope that I am able to make a difference to at least one of them.

My Kids This Year...Sure Am Going To Miss Them!

     Just two more days, and I will have to say so long to my 30 cubs!  Below is a list of my kids, and their amazing strengths! 
     Love you guys, and remember...I will always be here for you should any of you ever need me.

James - Kind, generous, thoughtful
Heather G - Sweet, quiet, organized
Josh - Confident, giving, caring
Tiffany (Tiff) - Mature, compassionate, dedicated
Nate - Good-hearted, empathetic, responsible
Paul - Funny, good natured, intelligent
Hailey - Strong, loving, honest
Kristen (furball)- Tough, dedicated, strong willed
Matthew T - Compassionate, dedicated, generous
Jamie - Mature, funny, loving
Alex (Pappy)- Brilliant, hilarious, respectful
Ryan - Talented, strong, compassionate
ShiAnn (Shi)- Kind, generous, responsible
RJ - Talented, considerate, kindhearted
Angela (Smitty)- Confident, sweet, willing-and-able
Markel - Bright, funny, dedicated
Jadyn - Brilliant, full-of-life, compassionate, energetic
Shane - Generous, insightful, mature
Heather S. - Quiet, funny, goodhearted
Brian (Crossbow)- Respectful, good natured, kind
Sydney - Mature, responsible, dedicated
Matthew B (The Rhino) - Intelligent, imaginative, thoughtful
Chris - Funny, persevering, kindhearted
Bryan - Brilliant, mature, insightful
Tyler - Compassionate, dedicated, respectful
Janae (Swany) - Funny, talented, confident
Justin (Fish) - Loving, sensitive, strong
Dylan - Ingenious, thoughtful, dedicated
Dakota (Dak) - dedicated, loving, Brilliant
Jewel - Talented, old-soul, sensitive

It's A Paradox!

     What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?  The easy answer is that each destroys the other.  That is on the surface, and doesn't take much thought.
     Scientifically (In the real world) there are no unstoppable, or irresistible forces, which also means that any object is movable.  An immovable object would have to have infinite mass (An object with this kind of mass would simply collapse under its own weight).  Since our universe is finite...this could never happen.
     Philosophically...there is no force that can move everything, because force is a PART of everything.
     OK...enough of that!  Let's take the unstoppable force, and immovable object paradox into the classroom.  Let's go right-brain on this, let's keep it poetic, and artsy-fartsy.
     Let's say there is an imaginary classroom filled with students.  There is a teacher, and amongst the students is a kid who came in with a very popular, and talked about reputation.  A reputation in the negative.  This kid spent more time in the Principal's office than the classroom.   This kid has no problem showing his attitude, nor is he inhibited regarding his anger.  When he is told to stop talking, or to sit at his desk, or to stop bullying someone...he responds with high demonstrations of pissed off! 
     If we apply the paradox to the imaginary scene above...who is the unstoppable force, and who is the immovable object?  One scenario might dictate that it doesn't matter...the kid and the teacher will butt heads, and either destroy one another, or simply go nowhere.  I believe this happens more often than not.
     I have seen...both as a student and as an educator...kids who have taken the position of an immovable object, or an unstoppable force.  I have witnessed these kids thrown out of class, or moved entirely to another class.  In my youth I saw immovable objects paddled, and as an adult I have seen unstoppable forces fall through the cracks.
     Even in an imaginary classroom the paradox doesn't work.  The kid suffers, the teacher suffers.  So what are we to do?  The reality is that any given number of classrooms will have at least one aggressively demonstrative kid at any given time.  One kid who seems immovable.  One kid who seems unstoppable.  If anyone does read this blog of mine...I know that you could list each one of your kids throughout the years who fit the bill. 
     As teachers we must be dominant in the classroom.  As educators we must be able to stand our ground, and address what needs addressing always.  We must be the lion!  We must be the unstoppable force AND the immovable object...but NOT in the same sense as in the paradox.
     No one is omnipotent...that position is reserved for whatever God you believe in.   Only in an omnipotent being can both the unstoppable force, and the immovable object coexist.  Yet, I stated that teachers must be both...remember, I said I was going artsy-fartsy, and right-brain with this.
     An unstoppable force denotes movement...something moving until it is stopped by something else.  An educator doesn't have to crash into a student in order to make a point.  Unstoppable here means to never give up!  Never shut-down, nor shut-out.  There may be some roaring, and/or ugliness in the beginning, but NOTHING ever starts out perfect...does it?  Find that kid, and I don't mean physically find him.  Never stop looking under the layers.  Be unstoppable.  If a kid realizes that you are unstoppable...he/she will eventually let you in.
     An immovable object denotes something fixed, motionless.  Here this means an educator who will not move aside and let any student stray.  It also means that each student has their own paths, each with many tiny tributaries to trouble, or mischief, or the unknown.   We MUST remain on our path, leading our kids towards enlightenment.  We may even have to go out into the dark forest to find one or more of our kids, and guide them back to the path.  Some will come kicking and screaming, but they will come.  Our path is ground zero...it is the epicenter.  We must show our kids that we are on the path for them, and that we will not let them get lost, or ever get lost again.
     I could no more give up on my students than I could give up on my own son.  I know that there are others capable of doing this out there...giving up on their students.  I am not intelligent enough to state how they became capable...I just don't know?
     Through the years I have had students transferred into my classroom from other classrooms in my school.  It seemed that the paradox was alive and well in the latter classroom.  Not my artsy-fartsy view of the paradox...the head-butting version of it.  These kids, these strays who were abandoned and found their way to me helped to make my classroom that much more AWESOME!  These strays who quickly became mine...are etched fondly in my memories.  I am the one who benefited the most from these kids, and I am eternally grateful, and honored to have once been their teacher.

Accelerated Math

     I really love AM...it keeps the kids' juices flowing in math, and the kids (And I) see immediate results!  We do AM every Tuesday, and Thursday and spend anywhere from 30 to 50 minutes doing it.
     The whole collaborative pair, and the teacher as more of a guide thing works well here.  I also only do exercises, and tests.  I can't get into the practice, after practice then test ordeal.  The AM exercises/tests I print out are, for the most part, geared towards what we are covering in class (Regarding math).  In the beginning of the year, though, the exercises/tests are basic skills stuff.  I get all of the operations work out of the way.  This is also another way that lets me see who knows their stuff, and who doesn't.
     At the beginning I establish Math Helpers.  These are kids who excel in math.  As the year progresses, I appoint more math helpers.  I sit at my computer, the AM Assignment Book is up on the screen.  My primary job is pumping out work.  If any of my students need help, they raise their hands and a Math Helper goes to them.  When a kid is ready to scan, he/she raises their hand and I send them over to do it.  They staple their TOPS to their work, and place it in the intake bin.  If they scan and get a score lower than an 80% (Test or exercise)...they are to show me right away.  If there score is lower than an 80%, they are to fix what went wrong.  I send them back to their seat with a Math Helper.  When the work is corrected, I check it, and re-score the AM by hand in the computer.
     At any given time during our AM sessions, I have everyone working, and four to five Math Helpers moving around doing their job.  The kids help each other!  I usually give the Math Helpers the opportunity to do their AM on an off day (Mondays, or Wednesdays) during silent reading so they can keep up with their goals (Objectives).  This has been very successful.  By the end of the marking period the kids have made theirgoals, and they are each above 90%!
     Most of the time, if a kid is to reach concept attainment, they can do it faster and more efficiently when a peer helps them, or teaches them.
     We also keep a running chart.  For every objective met and mastered...a circle goes up on the chart next to the kid's name.  It usually becomes an in class math competition...who can make their goal the fastest.
     As I stated, if a kid scores lower than an 80% on an exercise or test they are to show me right away, then fix the mistakes, and I will rescore.  BUT, any of my students have the option of correcting their mistakes...especially considering that MOST of the mistakes are the result of carelessness, or not bubbling in correctly.  I hold on to the TOPS report while the kid fixes, I evaluate, then rescore in the computer!  Love AM!
   

Honesty Is The Best Policy!

     This post has everything to do with education, however I need to set it up a bit...bear with me! 
     I am sure that most of you can identify with, and be able to answer "Yes" to the following...have you ever known someone who says only the things they think you want to hear?  Or...someone who validates you face to face, then talks dirt behind your back?  Talks out both sides of their mouth?  You can recognize these animals by their two faces.  I am sure you know at least one.
     I am sure that if I asked a room full of one hundred people "Who in here knows a liar?"  One hundred hands would shoot up!  Equally, if I asked the same room full of people "Who has ever told a lie?"  One hundred hands...straight up!
     What about that other person you know (We all know at least one) who smiles on the surface, and speaks in sugary tones, yet writhes with contempt underneath.  You know?  The phony.  You can usually recognize this animal by their sickeningly sweet demeanor.  This is not to say that all sweet people are phonies...just the ones who wield their charms to get what they want.
     How about the "Holier than thou" clan?  Bet you know some like this also.  These are the animals who rate themselves superior to everyone else.  These are the pompous ones who speak, but rarely listen.  You can recognize these animals by their constant expounding on professionalism, or their tenured status.  These animals believe that they are all that AND a bag of chips.  They also believe that because they have been a teacher for more than a decade or two, they are a better teacher than anyone who has less time in.  What these animals don't realize is that length of stay is not definitive proof of how good someone is at something, it only really proves that a person has it going on in the longevity department, or that they have excellent staying power!  Of course, it could also mean that these animals are at least intelligent enough to know that they can't do anything else.
     the animals above are not exclusive to education...they are everywhere.  It takes all kinds to make a world, right?  However...a wolf in sheep's clothing does not a good educator make (How's that for grammar?)
     I mentioned this already in another post, but I feel it is important enough to mention again.  We educators must be honest.  Not just the kind of honesty associated with NOT telling a lie.  We must be honest in all things.  We must be able and willing to not only say what is just and true, but also to say what isn't.  For instance, if an educator administers a test, and half of the students fail it...that educator should be able to say to the class...
     You didn't fail, I failed you!  Now lets get rid of that test, and begin again. 
     Blaming the kids for failing is not an option...not in my classroom! 
     Educators must also be able and willing to open themselves to their students.  If we want our students to open up to us, we must be willing to do the same. 
     Regarding the kid who chronically fidgets, or blurts, or talks during a lesson...talking dirt behind that kid's back to anyone willing to listen does nothing, but bother the listener, and make an ass out of you!  No matter how frustrated an educator might get, suck it up!  Remember...they are YOUR kids.  Your students should each believe that you "Got their backs!"
     Finally, there are educators out there who treat their kids like serfs.  "Do as I say and not as I do!"  They command from on high, demand only the highest grades at any cost, and punish simply because they know they can.  Hey, I believe in consequences too, but...incentives are mountain movers.  Praise and privledge promises productivity!
     I am certainly not perfect.  Over the years I have made my fair share of mistakes as an educator.  In the future, I will make many more.  I am a human animal too.   Within the walls of my classroom, however is a safe haven.  A place where mistakes are shared, and triumphs celebrated.  I hide nothing from my kids.  They see that I am unafraid to admit when I am wrong, or have made a mistake.  This allows my students to follow suit. 
     With me...what you see is what you get.  Kids know a phony...maybe not consciously, but they know.  Your students will know that you are Real, and the genuine article if you are honest. 
     Lastly (For real), you must lead by example.  This isn't a bogus, over used statement...it is truth!  If you want your kids to follow the rules, you must follow them also.  I will never forget what happened a few years ago when I shared recess duty with a fellow teacher.  We were monitoring our kids while they played, and talking about this, that, and the other.  She was chewing gum...she always chewed gum!  Anyway, she blew her whistle, and her kids began to line up.  As one of her kids ran by she noticed he was chewing gum.  She stopped him, told him to spit it out, and then stated that she was going to take his recess away the next day.  I stood there thinking...are you freaking kidding me?

    

The Things That Happen!

     Every educator out there...whether you are a rookie or a veteran...has some tale to tell regarding any number of funny, humorous, or hysterical events that have happened in the classroom.  Something a student said, something a student did, or something YOU (The teacher) did or said that caused a chuckle, a belly laugh, or a roll-on-the-floor fit of hysterics!  Most of these events will stay with us forever...in that most sacred part of our memories.  Of course, no matter what happens in your room, and no matter how funny, always laugh WITH the kid or kids...and not at them.
     Anyway...several years ago I was teaching a unit on the Bill of Rights.  It took a couple of days, but we had gone through all Ten Amendments, and completed a few assignments along the way.  Considering I live in an area where hunting is a favorite pastime for many (Young and old alike), I chose the second amendment, and developed a fairly straight forward assignment.  First, we discussed this amendment again, and why our forefathers thought it important to have it in our Constitution.  This particular Amendment always evokes discussion, and without fail we all did so. 
       I explained to my students what their assignment was.  I handed out a prompt that they each were to respond to.  I then gave them each 20 minutes to write their response.  The prompt simply asked...

"In this day and age, do you think we still need the right to bear arms?  Give me your answer, then explain why you feel the way you feel."

     I told them to begin. 

     The kids were excited, because they knew that I would give each student a chance to read their responses aloud, and I also alluded to the fact that we might even have a classroom debate...for the amendment vs. against the amendment.

     As I walked around, I admired how diligently my kids were working...especially the hunters.  After about fifteen minutes one of students raised her hand.  I went to her... I could see that she had a whole page and half of work completed.

     "Mr. Mac, you know those shirts people wear...they have straps over your shoulders and no sleeves?" She asked.

     "Tank-tops." I offered.  

     She nodded enthusiastically. 

     "Why do you want to know about tank-tops?"  I asked pointedly.  "What has that got to do with your assignment right now?"

     "Oh everything!"  She said.  "I wear those tank-tops all the time in the summer.  I bear my arms at my house, at the store, at the beach.  I think everyone should have the right to bear their arms."

    

Saying Goodbye is Never Easy!

     It is amazing to me how quickly this year has gone by!  Seems just like yesterday that my kids walked through my classroom door for the first time.
     We have gotten to the point when I have to get ready to say goodbye.  I say "Get ready" because for me it is a build up. 
     Consciously I know that I have done my job as an educator, and now my job is over.  My brain knows that June marks the end of a school year, and that when the last day comes I am to wish my kids well, thank them for a wonderful school year, then send them on their way to bigger and better things. 
     I will remove the art work from my walls that my kids created for me...just because.  I will take down all of the little notes from my kids that I have taped to my computer, or bookshelf at eye level so that at any given moment I can turn in any direction and read a student generated..."Have a good day, Mr. Mac"  or  a quip from my class clown.  I will remove all of my student's work from the walls, and the charts from my bulletin boards marking my student's progress on AM and AR. 
     When the kids have gone, and I have cleaned my classroom, taken down all of my posters, and covered all of my bookshelves...my classroom will revert to walls, desks, and white boards.  It will become a blank, sterile place...nothing will be left to show that I, or any of my kids were ever there.  All of this is typical for a teacher.  All of this is normal.  My brain knows, and accepts this.  If only my heart could follow suit.
     Today, after my kids left for the day, I stood alone in my classroom and looked over every inch of it (As I do every year at this time).  Everywhere I looked I saw my kids.  They had all boarded buses for home, but they were all there just the same.  My room had taken on the personalities of 30 young minds.  My room's atmosphere was thick with experiences, laughter, learning, and growth.  I say "My" room...it hasn't been my room for many months now.  It is OUR room...my kids and I own it together. 
     The last day of school will be extremely hard for me; it always is.  To think that it is so close hurts my heart.  Knowing that I will have to say goodbye fills me with a bittersweet melancholy.  These kids who have each etched themselves into my heart will leave, but the memory of them...of each of them, will remain with me forever.  Though the classroom walls will be stripped, and all of the desks emptied out...that feeling I had today, of them being there when they weren't is indelible...it is forever.  I am so proud of my kids, and all they have accomplished this year.
    

Mr. Mac...A Teacher's Point of View: My Point of View

Mr. Mac...A Teacher's Point of View: My Point of View: " This blog business is new to me, so I humbly ask that you...the reader...be as patient as you can with me. Just before beginning this ..."

An Educated Decision!

    Imagine if someone held a box out in front of you.  You notice that a baseball sized hole was cut into one side of the box.  The holder of the box then asks you to stick your hand inside of the hole.  You, of course, ask why?  The holder of the box simply explains that it will give you character, and make you a much better person.  You think about it, then reach slowly towards the hole...you hesitate.  You ask...what is inside the box?  The holder of the box states...I don't know.  What do YOU do?
     You could analyze, or break down this silly scenario a dozen ways or more.  For instance, what if the box holder was someone in authority, someone who is in a position to make decisions that could effect your future?  What if the box-holder was someone with whom you have placed trust?  What if you represented everyone else, and what if the box represented a great deal of money that would enable all box-holders to have fancy boxes to temp countless other you's to reach inside.  Finally, what if the unknown contents of the box, the I don't know part...what if that represented the belief that a box can hold the quality of human character, and instill the virtues of becoming a much better person.  Do you think more or less people would reach into the hole?
     For me the determining factor would be what was inside the box?  It wouldn't matter to me what the outcome would be if I reached inside.  Nor would it matter who the box-holder was, nor to how much money would be paid if I complied.
     As educators we have been in the position of YOU many times over the years.  We have been asked to believe that this program, or that program would enhance our education system.  As a nation of teachers we have complied, and the programs that promised to enhance our education systems have failed miserably.  NCLB was liken to a scorpion hiding within the box.  It stung us, and it hurt us.  Now we are asked to reach inside the box yet again.  I truly believe that more educators will be reluctant to comply.  Trusting that any box, or program, or law that carries with it the directive that all students will be at 100% proficiency by a certain date...is likely to fail, or unlikely to succeed.
     To make an educational decision denotes that one must have facts that will then form theories.  Recently it seems that the unknown factor presented in the above scenario is of a much grander scale this time around.  It seems I have heard more theories that are being suited to form facts!
     I have no idea what is coming regarding our most recent program (Race to the Top), but I already feel that it isn't going to be good. 
     I believe in my vocation, I believe in my kids, and I love teaching with all of my heart.  I will not reach into the box, but I will comply, though NOT at the expense of my kids.  Like most of you out there...I believe that no program, or law can make me a better educator.  Just like a beautiful house starts out as a design on paper...only a skilled architect cane make it real.  Programs are just ink on a page...we are the one's who bring it to life in our classrooms.  We breath life into every lesson, and make every lesson real.
     OK, I am done now.  If anyone does read my ramblings...I apologize.  I stated a while ago that I wouldn't go the political route, or any of that crap.  This post...like all of the others before and what comes after...is just me stating my view.  Nothing more, nothing less.

Change

     I will start start by stating that I hate change.  I hate it because just as soon as things seem like they are running smoothly...change.  Just as I approach what I believe to be something familiar...change.  When it is working, and I am getting positive results...change.
     Of course this feeling for change is totally selfish, and self imposed.  A hatred for something that takes from me the comfortableness of what feels good, or of what works. 
     Logically I know that change is inevitable.  Without change what would we be...where would we be?  I realize it is necessary in most everything, and that I am limited to what degree I can effect change, or to what degree I am willing to work to make a change, or allow a change to happen. 
     As a person I can change direction on my path towards fulfillment...or not.  As an educator I can use all of my power to guide young minds, and souls to some further destination on my students' path...or not.  These things are within the grasp of my control, if I am careful and diligent. 
     Usually when, or if a change is to happen there must be a catalyst...it is always us.  Choices, events, willingness, sacrifice, abilities...these are the things that are needed when change presents itself to us if it is to work.  Each one is dependant on the other, and in order for change to happen all must work in harmony.
      Some change we have no control over.  Nature...easy enough, right.  Can't stop the rain, or halt a snow storm.  Age...no matter how much you paint, build up, or knock down the outside...60 years old is still 60 years old.  Teenagers...once the hormones set in, forget it!  Death...somber, sad, but ever present and unstoppable.  I am sure you get the point.
     The reason for this post tonight comes as the result of our faculty meeting today regarding yet more changes to our classrooms, programs, and curriculum.  We still have the residue of No Child Left Behind on our shoes, and now Race to the Top looms heavy over us.  I feel that over the last 10 years the changes that have been made in our schools began with good intentions, but it seemed that as soon as we (The educators, and implementers) started getting used to a new way...another began.  Now the first change is left behind, and the new change initiated.  Then another change, and another abandonment. And...so on, and so on.  Teachers are still getting familiar, and used to the changes implemented last year, or the year before.  Now, there are more changes.  Not to mention the microscopes!  What microscopes you ask?  These tools are no longer used by scientists alone in their labs.  The biological organisms under the microscopes now are teachers.  I truly believe that we teachers are trying very hard to keep up with all of the changes, but it seems like a major flood...a force of nature that is uncontrollable.  We are all treading water, and trying hard not to drown.
     Don't get me wrong...I am willing to change anything when it comes to my students.  As educators we MUST BE adaptable, and willing to do whatever it takes.  Educators do this...WE are the ones who know what our students need to succeed.  WE are the ones in the classrooms making it happen.  These changes are internal...right at the front, right at ground zero where the magic takes place.  All of these external changes...new programs, new laws...it seems to me that these external factors have more concern for the business of school.  For allocating federal monies, and less about the kids and the teachers.  We are the guys and gals in the trenches...we are the ones right there in the thick of it, and it feels like we have generals blindly leading us in every direction available to them, with no clue or care on how ineffective their leadership is.  It reminds me of the story of a painter who had many bosses.  The painter was told to paint every room in a 100 room mansion.  The first boss told him to paint the first room, so the painter began.  Soon the second boss told the painter to paint the second room.  So the painter followed the direction of his boss and abandoned the first room thinking he will get back to it later, and began painting the second room.  Soon the third boss told the painter to paint the third room.  So the painter abandoned the second room thinking he would get back to it later.  Anyway...the story ends up where the painter never finished what he started, and the mansion looked like crap as a result.  Of course we know that if the bosses let the painter do what he did best, and finish one room at a time the mansion would be beautiful.
     I know that I am not the only one frustrated with all of this change.  I also know that, unless something new happens...a new kind of change where those who are actually in the trenches become the catalyst for this change...then I am afraid, when it is all said and done...my mansion is gonna look like crap!
    

Smart VS. Intelligence

     When I look back on my own childhood I always smile, because I consider myself one of the lucky ones.  I had loving parents who taught by example, supported me through thick and thin, roared at me when I needed it, and carried through with consequences.  My childhood was at a time when manners were paramount, and respecting your elders was second nature.  If I did get in trouble at school (I rarely did), I knew that the consequences would be worse when I got home.  When I was of school age, the thought of disappointing my mother and father was greater than making the choice to do something wrong.  Was I perfect...no.  No one is perfect.  I was always a performer, and a class clown.  Never disrespectful, and always good natured, yet always ready to get my classmates, and teachers laughing or intrigued by something I wanted to share, or show.  I am proud to say that my son is a chip off the old block!
     When I was in the first grade (1970)...I remember going outside in the hallway, away from my classroom, and working with a teacher named Mrs. Everett.  We would sit in the hallway, and I would write my letters, and read aloud to her (My parents read to me from the moment I was born, and as a result I learned the cadence, and the rhythum of words on a page.  Being a performer I would astound my parents by reading billboards, and signs by the age of 5.  To a kid who lived for applause...this Reading thing came easy to me).  I liked Mrs. Everett...we would laugh, and I would perform...showing how well I could read and write.  I don't remember exactly how long this went on that year, but I sure looked forward to sitting with Mrs. Everett. 
     Fast forward about 30 years.  Christmas time, the family is gathered.  Presents have been opened, and the turkey consumed.   All of us, stuffed to the gills, were sitting around talking about the past, and laughing about this event, or that.  Anyway...the subject of my color blindness came up, and I remarked..."I am not sure when I realized I was color blind."  My mother chimed in..."I remember...it was when you were 6 years old."
     Come to find out that the reason I got pulled from class, and spent time with Mrs. Everett, was because I was being tested.  It seems that my teacher felt I had a processing disorder, as I would state that grass is green, then show it through a drawing...except on one day the grass was colored blue, and another day it was colored red.  I don't remember how many, but I am sure that there were other things I did through words, or demonstration that caused my classroom teacher to grow concerned.  It seems that a discrepancy in color would simply indicate color blindness in anyone?  Anyway, through this testing it was shown that I had no learning disability, and that my IQ was quite high.  And, until my mother continued by telling me that she took me (At the request of school offcials) to AI Dupont Children's hospital for testing regarding color blindness...I had completely forgotten that altogether.  You see...mom never told me that it was feared I had a learning disability.  She also instructed the teachers not to tell me.  Mom knew that I DIDN'T have an LD.  She wasn't entirely sure about the color blindness because it wasn't something a young child blatantly displays in reference to behavior.  If a child is born with bad eyesight, or...in my case...color blindness the child thinks that everyone sees the way he/she sees.  The child accomodates.  The child compensates.  It is a survival skill, so to speak.  At my house I knew to get "The green one" because I had memorized what the green-one looked like.  Even though there was a blue, a red, and a purple one...I could distinguish a slight blemish on the green one, or a minute scratch on the red one, etc.
     Mom never told me because she didn't want me thinking...not for a minute...that I was dumb!  Even back then, she knew that the stigma of having an LD for any child places that child in a box, and like a glass cage everyone would be able to see that I was the one locked in it.  So I have known about being color blind for 40 years.  It was discovered that my case is rare...I see no color.  The receptors in my eyes don't filter the color red in the spectrum.  I see NO color.  Those of you my age and older...think back to the black and white TV's...this is how I see.  Of course the world is just as beautiful to me...it is just varying shades of gray.
     Wow...I am longwinded! 
     The title of this post has to do with being smart, and being intelligent.  Being smart has its perks.  Rote memorization for one.  If a smart person is asked about love, or an idea like freedom...a smart person might quote a sonnet, or expound on a speech given by one of our forefathers.  A smart person probably does well on tests, on classwork...as long as the information can be found in a book, or on a video.  The "Right There" concept is a favorite among smart people.  Math can be easy for a smart person.  Considering that the formula for finding the area of a trapezoid is universal...math can be the Shangrilah of school subjects.  Being smart...has its benefits for sure.  In China...teachers emphasize in rote memorization.  Tests, and study guides are given out, and the students are expected to memorize everything on them.  I have read articles, and documents from Western teachers who have visited schools in China.  During various study halls, or in between classes multitudes of students were seen reading something for class, or a class...then looking up and reciting it, and repeating until the passage or formula was memorized.    
     When scores across the continents are compared, China always does well, and lands in the number one spot.  Consider this...the cross section of Chinese students regarding math scores on standardized tests, are those who specialize, and have high abilities in mathematics.  In other words, in China, students who excell in math are placed in groups.  Lumped together as one imposing math force.  In China, the emphasis on doing well is great, to the detriment of the kid.  These kids are MADE to be smart, made to memorize, expected to achieve success at any cost.  Families (Of the school age child) count on this...once a kid makes it through high school, they must compete for college.  If you are a kid in China, and you don't win that academic competition...universitites won't welcome you with open arms.  In America...our students are taught to think liberally, think outside the box...the bigger picture is emphasized.  Our compared cross-section of math students are made up of very intelligent young people who may hold a talent for math, or they may hold a talent for philosophy.
     Now, Intelligence...this is a different animal entirely.  Basically...intelligence means taking what you know and applying it to any problems that arise.  The key word is applying...the application of knowledge.  To an itelligent person, obstacles are not stopping points, they are challenges.  To go above, over, under or through an obstacle is, or becomes second nature.  By the way...we have to teach this philosophy, because so many kids think that an obstacle IS a stopping point!  So many kids come into my classroom labled as slow, or identified with an LD.  Most of the time these kids have reconcilled that they will never be any better at Reading, or at Math than they already are.  Chances are good that the kids have been made to feel LESS than their classmates by other teachers, classmates, or even family.  This is mainly because...I believe...that many teachers, students, and civilians (Ha, I like that term!) think that there is only one way to learn.  Talk about it, put it on the board, and the kids should have learned it.  The students that don't...well, THEY must have a problem.  A cookie cutter way of teaching, and of learning.  This went on in my day, in my parent's day, and is still alive and well today.  The kids who "Don't get it" are not any less intelligent than the kids who do.  The kids indentified with a documented LD can GET IT with as much proficiency as the kids who get it right away.  The Smart Factor is seen, in many classrooms, as the great divider.  Smart is black and white, while intelligence has many gradations across the spectrum. 
     As educators we have to identify what our students need in order for them to master what we are teaching.  A cookie cutter philosophy hurts our students.  We must tap into the intelligence of our students.  Illuminate different paths of enlightenment.  Instill confidence in our students that they are each intelligent, and that each one may take a different route to the same end...mastery.  We (Educators) must be willing to jump through hoops, do a song and dance, and be willing to wait...to be patient...to insure that our kids leave us feeling empowered.  Some of our students come that way (Empowered), and leave the way they came.  Great, awesome...makes my day.  It is the kids who feel "Less than..."  or  "I am a slow reader"  or  "I can't do math"...these are the kids who need more than just..."I taught it, and if you don't get it...oh well!"  These kids need an educator who is pliant, adaptable, patient, and willing to do whatever it takes to open the flood gates of intelligence.

Falling Through the Cracks!

     Think back on all of the classes you have had over the years.  Consider the class you have this year.  I'll bet that you could easily name (From any year) that one student who was the Troublemaker, or the Drama Queen, or the Instigator.  That one student who took Class Clown to a whole new level.  That one student who's middle name was "I didn't do it." 
     This is the student that the teachers from a grade level below warned you about at the district breakfast.  This is the student who warranted a visit from your principal prior to the first student day of that new year, with a Head's up about what was coming your way.  This is the student who barely passed, or who attended summer school in order to pass.  This is the kid who was very intelligent, but never applied him/herself.  This is a student who spent more time in the Principal's office than in the classroom.  This may even be a kid who was moved from classroom to classroom, because the teachers just could handle him or her.  Chances are real good...almost 100%...that this is a kid who fell through the cracks.  Chances are 100% that the kid didn't even know he/she was falling!
     Whether they are requested into my classroom, or get their by the luck of the dice (I say this meaning that I am the lucky one, NOT that the kid is lucky to have landed in my classroom), I always have kids who...up to that point...have not had a pleasant academic life.  Upon entering my room the first day, these kids already have their minds made up that it is just another year, just another grade, just another bogus teacher, and just another boring ride.  I guess I have a sixth sense about these things (I am sure many other teachers do to) because I can spot this kid immediately.
     Now, before I continue...this posting isn't as much about how to handle a kid with a rep, as it is about how to UN-teach certain behaviors.  How to show this kid that my classroom aint your run of the mill, traditionally structured learning domain.  How to find that kid...wherever he/she is hiding within themselves, and bring them into the light.
     First, and foremost...the lion must always be present, even just under the surface.  I say this because I believe that no matter what the educator's teaching style is...said educator MUST be the dominant presence in the room.  Not completely overpowering, and not in a negatively intimidating way.  A teacher must be the "Go to guy/gal"...he or she must be the tie that binds.  Meek, weak and wishy-washy just doesn't cut it.
     As the year moves along this kid with a rep has demonstrated behaviors that are familiar to him/her.  Behaviors that have gotten this kid attention, or a trip OUT of the classroom.  Through this same space and time, the lion roars then explains..."You are MY kid now...I believe in you, and I KNOW you are better than that!"  A bit more roaring, and more words about the excellent character traits I have noticed.  A few mornings this kid might find a note on his/her desk...something about how proud I am for something the kid did the day before.  I now have this kid believing that I not only have eyes in the back of my head, but everywhere, and that he or she will get away with nothing.  Soon the kid is laughing with the others while I am joking about Columbus's Stubbornness...and then soon the kid realizes that if anything does go down...it is between he/she and I...not the principal, not the counselor.  A few more notes, and congratulatory words on a job well done regarding a test, or a bit of classwork.  Then...I give the kid something he/she may not have ever had before.  I give the kid trust.  I give him/her a classroom job, or I have him/her run errands for me.  Trust is REAL BIG in my classroom.  It is something earned, and always maintained.  Now their is less roaring.  The kid...who thought he/she had everything figured out...is doing things he/she never did before.
     The above bit of writing makes it sound easy...easy it is not!  It isn't easy to find a kid with a rep.  Sometimes he/she is hidden so well deep inside that it is easier to find a needle in a haystack.  It takes constant work.  Just when you think he or she Has it...the kid slips, the kid makes a mistake.  The thing is that when a kid falls, we need to be their to encourage them to get up!  Encourage isn't strong enough...give the kid no choice and make them get up!  When a kid falls we need to be there, we cannot stand idly by and allow them to fall between the cracks.
     As I stated in past posting...your kids must feel safe, and be happy.  In order to feel safe, we (The kid and I) may sometimes have to tread through dark forests in order to get to the other side.  It might be ugly in the beginning, there may be a bunch of roaring and the gnashing of teeth.  There is a difference, and this may be a bit deep, but...there is a difference between roaring at a kid, and roaring for a kid.  This kid is used to being roared at...he/she expects it.  When you roar for him/her...it reaches that part of every kid who desperately needs for someone to say "No!"  Look back on your own childhood with your parents at a time when you got roared at...or...at a memory of that favorite teacher you had who may have roared at you for doing something you shouldn't have.  You intuited then, and know now that they did it because they loved, and cared for you.  My parents roared when I needed it.  My two favorite teachers (Yes, I only had two teachers who found their way into my heart) roared also, and it made all the difference.  Falling between the cracks is for dust, and dropped pennies, not for kids.  These "handfuls" (And I know some kids can be BIG handfuls) need more than your best, most composed and brilliant students need.  They need to know they matter, and that they are just as important to you as your other kids. 
     Like parents, we teachers are not supposed to have favorites, but I will share a secret with you.  I love all my kids, but I have favorites from every year.  A large number of those favorites are made up of kids who entered my classroom with reps.

Parental Involvement

          A teacher has about thirty kids, and each of those kids have Parents.  Some have A parent, while others have an appointed guardian.  No matter the situation, your students have extensions beyond the walls of your classroom.  Most of the time you will never see, or hear from these guardians outside the reaches of your kingdom.  Nevertheless you must always know that they are there, and show respect every chance you can.
     Parents are very important in many ways.  They are  reservoirs of information about your kids.  They are a support system, should you need one.  They contribute goodies for parties, and chaperon filed trips.  They are a phone call a way if there is a problem.  And rarely, sometimes...now and again they can also be a royal pain in the Noompah!  That is, if you let them.
     First, if you are a parent then you know how strong your bond is with your own kid.  Most of your students have the same kind of relationship with their parents.  Second, you must also realize that for some of your kids...YOU are more of a parent to them then what/who awaits them when they get off the bus at the end of a school day.  Third...don't take crap from anybody!
     Like with your students, you must be confident in your position.  Most parents like to know that the person their children are spending nine months out of the year with is confident and competent.  Your chance to show this best is "Open House" night.  This may be the one and only time for you to connect with the parents of your students.  At this event it is vital that you are open, honest, and sincere.  If you love teaching, this will come easy.
     At Open House, once I have gone over the rules, expectations, and the daily goings-on in my classroom...I give my philosophies about teaching, and classroom management to my parents in large, heaping tablespoons.  I let them know that we pound away at a subject until everyone knows it.  I don't test until I know my kids have achieved concept attainment.  I don't put every grade into my grade book, because I don't count practice as achievement.  When there is a problem, it gets handled here in my classroom.  I don't delegate problems outside the classroom, meaning...I don't send my kids to the principal, or counselor.  My belief is that a teacher is supposed to handle whatever happens (Unless it is a major infraction..fist fighting, weapons brought to school, etc.) in the classroom.  In almost 11 years I have only ever written two referrals.  If there is a problem outside the classroom, I handle it wherever it takes place.  I don't do the Speak quietly so as not to embaress little Johnny, thing.  If a kid is going to be silly or disrespectful then this kid is gonna know how I feel about it...whoever is within a hundred foot radius will know about it also.  I also tell my parents that I expect no more from my students than I do from my own son.
     A few years ago...after going through my schpeel at Open House, a father raised his hand and said..."Don't you think that it is a bit harsh, you know...confronting a kid in front of others and embaressing him?"  I told him absolutely not.  I added that if a kid had the gumption to do a wrong thing, or act out a bad choice in front of others, than that same kid can deal with the consequences in front of those same people.
 I let this father know that this kind of thing doesn't happen everyday.  Most problems are handled between me and the student (s) involved.  I am loud, I am direct...what you see is what you get.  This is as true when we (The class and I) are having fun, when I am teaching a lesson, or when I have to handle a problem.
     I also let my parents know that, with the exception of my newsletters...they won't be hearing a lot from me.  I don't believe in calling a parent if one of my students fidgets, or blurts out.  I don't call a parent if a kid does not turn in homework.  I don't call a parent if my student disrupted my class.  I don't call the parents because it is part of my vocation to handle/manage this kind of thing.  I don't call parents because I teach kids...10 & 11 year old kids!  These kinds of behaviors in most 5th grade kids are age appropriate.  I have to throw this in...I heard a teacher state that her kids were really chatty this one day, and she was just sick of it.  Um, hello...fifth grade?  It's not the kids fault if they are or remain chatty.
     I get a number of students every year who, in the fourth grade, spent more time in the principal's office than in the classroom.  The parents of these students usually smile or roll their eyes when I say (At Open House) that I don't call home unless there is a REAL problem.  I usually hear from them months later (Sometimes not until the end of the year) and they are amazed!  For these parents it was the first year without endless phone calls from school, or caustic notes home from the teacher.
     Students benefit from this also, and it helps build a lasting, trusted relationship.  The kids who usually know how to work their teachers...purposely getting in trouble and going to the office...getting out of class, are the ones who are most surprised when they try this plan of action at the beginning of the year with me.  Once they realize it won't fly...they are deflated.  This is the opportunity of a lifetime for me.  Now the kid has to learn how to take responsibility for what he/she has done.  I can now show them how to do this, and also show them how they can fix it. 
     Something else that is very important.  If you are a parent, then you know how hard it is to hear when someone has anything negative to say about your child.  We parents who know our children, if we are honest, can choke down this negative information if we know it is right.  As teachers we must be careful, and thoughtful when speaking to parents about their kids.  I have nothing negative to say about any of my students.  I never have.  I have made a few calls home over the years to inform a parent about something or other...but I have never said...or HAD to say..."Your child is a discipline problem"   "Your child is missing work because they get distracted easily"  "Your child is in danger of failing"    My belief is this...if a child is a discipline problem, it is the teachers fault.  If a child is missing work...also the teacher!  If a child is distracted...maybe the lessons are boring!      
       Last thing...some parents can be real pips (Only like 1%).  You never hear from them when their child is doing outstanding things, but if there child gets in trouble, then they are on the phone.  Love these kinds of parents, cause I nip it in the bud right away.  Basically...don't take any crap!  It is your classroom, not theirs.   I usually state...it is my way or the highway...you can like it or lump it, and there are plenty of other classrooms out there. 
       After reading this over before I publish it...it reads as if I am a real pompass person, tooting my own horn.  I promise you that I am not.  Just giving my point of view.  The above bit is a snapshot...the daily intricacies  related to parents/discipline inside a classroom are way too numerous to write about fully here.  It is simply part of the way I teach...the way I have always taught.   If you love your kids...love their parents too!  If you love your kids, sometimes you also have to stand your ground.