Here We Go Again!

     Well, I think we all knew it would happen.  Not the kind of "Knew it would happen" like when something good occurs, and those of us who worry fear that at some point thereafter the ax will fall.  Sometimes it does, and sometimes it doesn't...hope has a place with this worry.  This "Knew it would happen" (For me) was as certain as the sun rising every morning, or me having to say..."Shhh, quiet down!" everyday in my classroom.  DCAS is moving out, and something NEW is moving in!
     Remember the DSTP?  Remember NCLB?  Soon you will be remembering DCAS!  If you haven't heard already, a new standardized testing program will be implemented by the year 2014.  This new program is aligned with Common Core and will require the students who take the test to do more than answer multiple choice questions.  There are writing components involved, and a new rubric for it.  Craft Plus...is evidently being thrown to the curb as well.
     The one thing I liked about the DCAS was that the kids' scores were immediate!  The kids knew, and we knew right away.  We tested 3 times a year, and had some data to measure student growth.  This was awesome to me when compared to the DSTP...one testing session a year, scores WERE NOT immediate, and the data was year to year.
     This new testing program has similar traits of the DSTP.  It will be administered once a year, and the writing components mentioned above.  It is similar to DCAS as the kids will take this new test on the computer.  This NEW test is linked (Siamese Twinned!) with Common Core.  Do you know about Common Core?  All of you know that it is in our schools, but do you really know ABOUT it?
    
     The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers. With American students fully prepared for the future, our communities will be best positioned to compete successfully in the global economy.  (Mission statement taken from corestandards.org)

     Common Core was designed to keep curriculums on a level playing field, and to steer our students towards college and the careers their diplomas promise.  Of course we know how that is working out...kids graduating with degrees, and advanced degrees who are jobless, or taking jobs that have nothing to do with what they majored in.  I digress.  Common Core has everything to do with getting our kids to think outside the box.  It is an analytical approach to learning that is geared to make our kids think-deeply over choosing options from multiple choice questions. 
     The Federal Government offered Common Core to all states, and the schools that reside in them.  It was presented as a choice...it was never mandated.  However, the choice came with temptation (As all things that look, and feel good do)...Adopt Common Core and you can waiver out of the NCLB legislation, and we will give you some money to boot!  If Daniel Webster had been a teacher, I imagine the Devil might have made him a similar offer!  Needless to say...only a handful of states opted NOT to take on Common Core.
     Regarding Common Core and all of its "This and thats"...my research shows a great divide on how educators feel about it.  Many feel that, because it has NOT been field tested properly, there is no real proof that it will improve test scores or send them into the toilet.  Some educators hate the idea that the Federal Government is stepping in...controlling education and the way that schools are being Tempted (Made) to adopt something that may or may not work.  Others like Common Core.
     For me...I have accepted the fact that change is inevitable.  I have accepted the fact that somewhere people are running around in a frantic attempt to figure out a way to make our kids smart.  I have accepted the fact that our government has adopted "The Grass is Greener" mentality...being covetous is the new proud!  I have accepted the fact that we will never have a consistent way of measuring our students' achievement, because what is AWESOME one day is obsolete the next.  I have accepted the fact that I am sick of accepting facts!
     Regarding Common Core and MY classroom.  I believe it has its place, simply because I have ALWAYS taught my kids to think outside the boundaries of what is in the book, or on the paper.  Metaphorically...I have always led my students down the path, and I have ALWAYS encouraged them to stop now and again and stray...explore what's NOT on the path.  That is when real learnin' takes place, because after I call them all back to the path...each has something to present.  Something to think through.  Something to discuss.  I have always encouraged my kids to talk through what they are un-sure of with me, or with a partner, and I have never "Given up" an answer easily.  Keep looking...search for it...I know where it is, now you have to find it...are all things I say, everyday, in my classroom.
     That is all about that. 
     Summer is nearly here.  The kids can feel it...we can too!  I will be teaching Summer School, and a Summer Theater Workshop at our local Opera House (Great fun!).  I hope that all of you have a great summer.  Be safe, have fun, rest up, energize yourselves!
     I do have to say, when I heard about what I already knew...about DCAS moving out...this is the face I made.  My...I absolutely knew it, face!

I Knew it Would Happen Again...I Just Knew it!

     Well, I think we all knew it would happen.  Not the kind of "Knew it would happen" like when something good occurs, and those of us who worry fear that at some point thereafter the ax would fall.  Sometimes it does, and sometimes it doesn't...hope has a place with this worry.  This "Knew it would happen" (For me) was as certain as the sun rising every morning, or me having to say..."Shhh, quiet down!" everyday in my classroom.  DCAS is moving out, and something NEW is moving in!
     Remember the DSTP?  Remember NCLB?  Soon you will be remembering DCAS!  The new standardized testing program is ready to go for the 2014-2015 school year.  This new program is aligned with Common Core and will require the students who take the test to do more than answer multiple choice questions.  There are writing components involved, and a new rubric for it.  Craft Plus...is evidently being thrown to the curb as well.  Smarter Balance...that's its name!!!
     The one thing I liked about the DCAS was that the kids' scores were immediate!  The kids knew, and we knew right away.  We tested 3 times a year, and had some data to measure student growth.  This was awesome to me when compared to the DSTP...one testing session a year, scores WERE NOT immediate, and the data was year to year.
     This new testing program has similar traits of the DSTP.  It will be administered once a year, and has the writing components mentioned above.  It is similar to DCAS as the kids will take this new test on the computer.  This NEW test is linked (Siamese Twinned!) with Common Core.  Do you know about Common Core?  All of you know that it is in our schools, but do you really know ABOUT it?
    
     The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers. With American students fully prepared for the future, our communities will be best positioned to compete successfully in the global economy.  (Mission statement taken from corestandards.org)

     Common Core was designed to keep curriculums on a level playing field, and to steer our students towards college and the careers their diplomas promise.  Of course we know how that is working out...kids graduating with degrees, and advanced degrees who are jobless, or taking jobs that have nothing to do with what they majored in.  I digress.  Common Core has everything to do with getting our kids to think outside the box.  It is an analytical approach to learning that is geared to make our kids think-deeply over choosing options from multiple choice questions. 
     The Federal Government offered Common Core to all states, and the schools that reside in them.  It was presented as a choice...it was never mandated.  However, the choice came with temptation (As all things that look, and feel good do)...Adopt Common Core and you can waiver out of the NCLB legislation, and we will give you some money to boot!  If Daniel Webster had been a teacher, I imagine the Devil might have made him a similar offer!  Needless to say...only a handful of states opted NOT to take on Common Core.
     Regarding Common Core and all of its "This and thats"...my research shows a great divide on how educators feel about it.  Many feel that, because it has NOT been field tested properly, there is no real proof that it will improve test scores or send them into the toilet.  Some educators hate the idea that the Federal Government is stepping in...controlling education and the way that schools are being Tempted (Made) to adopt something that may or may not work.  Others like Common Core.
     For me...I have accepted the fact that change is inevitable.  I have accepted the fact that somewhere people are running around in a frantic attempt to figure out a way to make our kids smart.  I have accepted the fact that our government has adopted "The Grass is Greener" mentality...being covetous is the new proud!  I have accepted the fact that we will never have a consistent way of measuring our students' achievement, because what is AWESOME one day is obsolete the next.  I have accepted the fact that I am sick of accepting facts!
     Regarding Common Core and MY classroom.  I believe it has its place, simply because I have ALWAYS taught my kids to think outside the boundaries of what is in the book, or on the paper.  Metaphorically...I have always led my students down the path, and I have ALWAYS encouraged them to stop now and again and stray...explore what's NOT on the path.  That is when real learnin' takes place, because after I call them all back to the path...each has something to present.  Something to think through.  Something to discuss.  I have always encouraged my kids to talk through what they are un-sure of with me, or with a partner, and I have never "Given up" an answer easily.  Keep looking...search for it...I know where it is, now you have to find it...are all things I say, everyday, in my classroom.
     That is all I have to say about that. 
     Summer is here!  I will be teaching Summer School, and a Summer Theater Workshop at our local Opera House (Great fun!).  I hope that all of you have a great summer.  Be safe, have fun, rest up, energize yourselves!
     I do have to say, when I heard about what I already knew...about DCAS moving out...this is the face I made.  My...I absolutely knew it, face!

How Many DOE People Does it Take to Screw In a Lightbulb?

     The night before my very first day of teaching, I was incredibly excited!  It was like an adult's version of a kid's Christmas Eve.  I was also terribly frightened. 
     I wasn't frightened because I lacked the necessary knowledge to pass on to my students; college and life gave me that.  I wasn't afraid of the responsibilities that come with the job.  I knew...even then...that the "Teaching" aspect of my vocation was the easy part.  The lesson planning and implementation of lessons, the time frames for each subject maintained, the curriculum pacing, the grade recording, the filing, the classwork and testing applications, the multitude of copies made...all of this is simply busy work.  To the lay-people of the world this (And a great deal more) is all that constitutes a teacher's job.  Of all of this...I was not scared.  Not one bit.  What frightened me...what scared the hell out of me were the questions my evil subconscious kept bringing to the surface of my mind on the night before my first day as an educator.  Would I be an effective educator?  Will I be able to make a difference in a child's life?  Will I just be a teacher, pumping out and putting forth only the busy-work...OR...will I be an educator of young minds? 
     After that first week...after incorporating the busy-work with what would become my classroom atmosphere...I realized that I loved being an educator, that each of my kids was unique and awesome, and that classroom management was the KEY to success. 
     I have always had the mindset to teach my kids first, and the curriculum second.  Unteaching is also a part...curbing bad behaviors, lifting low self-esteem, changing a hate for school into at least the tolerance of it...are all factors in this.  Over the last twelve years so much has changed.  Unlike evolution...taking millions of years for change to occur...our curriculum, the testing regiments, and mandated NCLB, and RTTT regulations have caused almost overnight mutations, ripping at the very soul of what it was to be an effective educator.
     This has been debated to death...here it goes again.  Educators have been placed under microscopes, and have been forced to fill every school day with more busy work than any factory or sweat-shop has ever had to endure.  The kids have been forced to DSTP, DAZE, and DCAS...not to mention STAR Test, and fit into slots for RTI.  Finding the time JUST to get our kids ready for all of this is overwhelming...teaching to the test comes into play at times...even with the best of us.
     All of this being said...here is the meat of what I have a beef about tonight.  Our third round of DCAS testing was to begin last week.  We (The teachers) were informed that DCAS would be pushed back a week.  Evidently the cause for this postponement stemmed from the calculators that had been used since last year by the students during the Math portion of the test were NOT regulation.  It was determined that because these calculators had the square-root button, and percentage key...they could not be used by the students during the Math DCAS (Even though these were the same calculators ok'd, and used since last year AND the same calculators used this year for the first 2 testing sessions).  New calculators had to be ordered...calculators that only had the four operations' keys. 
     I am devoting an entire paragraph to this one!  This past Monday we just found out that flagging a question during DCAS testing will result in a lower score!  Every time a kid flags a question...so he/she can come back to it later...the test re-calibrates itself, and begins popping up questions of a lower caliber, fetching an overall lower score.  My reaction was...ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?  I have always taught my kids...on Math, Reading, Social Studies, Science, etc...if you come across a question or problem that feels like it needs more time dedicated to it, or if you are not sure about it...circle it, and come back to it later.  This has always been successful.  I did it myself...on tests especially.  If I came across a problem (s) that was multi-stepped...I circled it and moved on THEN I went back and devoted my time to the circled problems.  I have also taught that speed is not an issue while testing.  One kid takes 15 minutes while another takes one hour to complete the same test.  If the score for both is an ACE...Bully for both kids!  This, to me, is Common Sense Test-taking 101!  Now...at the last minute...the week before the last DCAS of the year we find out that flagging questions dummy's-up the test, resulting in a lower test score!  Flagging questions quelled a good deal of test-anxiety for many students, as most kids need to get the juices flowing during a session to tackle the challenging questions on standardized tests.  DOE...this last minute crap...burns my butter big time!
     Well...I am sure that many of you feel as I do...I hope that isn't presumptuous of me?  I told my kids the whole deal, and I also told them not to flag.  I told them...reassured them...to trust in themselves, and to do their own personal best.  I told them I was already incredibly proud of their accomplishments this year, and I also told them that I was not worried about next week's DCAS.  If I am not worried, you shouldn't be worried!  I told them...if you come across a question where you are unsure...take the time to work it out then and there.  If you are still unsure...make your best guess, move on and don't look back!
     Alright...time to end this.  Regarding the fear I had the night before my first day of teaching?  I am just as afraid today as I was then, but now it is two-fold!  Not only is it...will I make a difference?  It is also HAVE I MADE a difference?  I work hard everyday to become effective at what I do...I hope I have?  Goodnight.

Parents...Don't Get Me Started!

     The topic that I want to address today is one that has been ruminating within me for some time.  The reason for this internal struggle is that I haven't really designated true feeling with the situation I am going to write about as logic, and my genuine attempt at the understanding of it has tainted the mix. 
     I believe that real feeling, tied with inspiration, tied with perseverance, is its own mechanism or catalyst for change.  Consider The Civil Rights Movement.  The human capacity to FEEL, and to move into the realm of what is right, and decent began with the stirring of emotion.  Mrs. Parks refusing to get up.  Dr. King inspired...persevering through what can only be described as hate in its truest form.  Child Labor Laws, Women's Rights...Schindler and the Holacaust...all began with someone saying..."Oh, hell no!" 
     Change...great change stems from the deepest, most basic elements of what it is to be human.  There are no mathematical equations, or formulas to explain any of it...not really.  Feelings/Emotions...anger, disgust, unparrelled joy...are not logical (Sorry to sound so "Spock-like").  When we are in love...no logic applies.  When we get angry...no logic applies.  When we are sad...no logic applies.  These illogical, inner workings of human beings can (and have) mark the beginning of an evolutionary step forward.  For you pessimists out there...I realize that there is a dark side to this...my personal interpretation of logic versus emotion.  I am not going there at the present time.
     So...longwinded explaination stated...I am perplexed and conflicted regarding my emotions on the following matter, and the logic of it all that keeps getting in my way.  Before I begin, I must add that emotion is gaining strength.  I guess that is why I am here in front of my computer today.
     The topic has to do with Parents!  Not my parents, but the evolution of parents everywhere who have children that attend school districts across our nation.  Upon reading the following, please note that I speak of a subset of parents.  I realize that I typed...of parents everywhere.  What I mean is that everywhere (It seems to me) there are subsets of parents who fit this particular bill...who, if given the shoe and it fits they should wear it! 
     I wish to offend no parent (s) out there who has a real grasp on the matter.  This larger group...this collection of good and honest moms and dads...who know their children (In a REAL sense), and who work alongside of their respective schools.  All of you I commend most highly!  If you are a subset-parent...I don't care how you feel!  Get a clue!  If for some honest-to-God strange reason you are here, reading my blog...READ WELL!
     When I was a kid school was a respected institution.  It was a place filled with educated professionals that taught kids, and encouraged young minds to grow.  If there was a behavioral problem with a student, and the parent had to be called by the principal...there would be hell to pay when that kid got home.  If a teacher sent home a note, or failed a kid on a test...the parents were alarmed, but sided with the teacher/principal and further enforced any and all disciplanary actions.  In my day a teacher was believed.  A teacher was trusted.  We all knew (My classmates and I) that even if some of us were class-clowns (I was)...when the teacher called you out...you listened and you stopped.  If it got to the point where your parents had to be called?  Let's just say...none of us EVER wanted that to happen!  We knew where the line was drawn with our teachers, and with our parents.  Some of us may have taken it right up to that line, but no further. To cross that line was an option that only a very few ever attempted. 
     Over the years...some strange mental evolution has created a subset of parents.  This evolution has spawned a cadre of bullies and enablers.  Groups of parents equipped with massive weapons such as caustic tongues and hell-fire emails.  Threats of lawyer involvement, and advocate support.  Phone calls infused with condescension, and accusations.  Administration...more times than not... tipped support more towards the side of this subset than the teachers, in an effort to quell the noise and Make Happy for everyone!  That last sentence is my perception of the school (s) view, not mine.  What I see is the administration Making the parents happy more than anything else.
     No matter who you are, no matter from what district you are from...ask teachers to tell you their stories about this subset of the parents they have had the misfortune to deal with over the last 10 years or so.  If you listen long enough, they can be more terrifying than any campfire ghost story.  You have heard the idiom...the squeeky tire gets the oil...in this case, the loudest voices get heard.  A teacher...with an unblemished reputation...can be rocked to their core because of one loud bully parent who refusues to believe that their child hit another child.  The parent's defense...the victim walked into their child's fist!  I have heard stories where, on one occasion, a teacher called the parent of one of her students, concerned that the child was not paying attention.  My child is bored, you should be teaching better!...was the parent's response.  Another story was of a child who aggressively attacked another.  The victim's only crime was that he accidently bumped into the aggressor in the hallway.  The agressor was written up, and the parent was called to come in for a meeting as her child was being suspended for the day.  That parent argued that her child was being accused falsley, and that the teacher was perjudice.  Upon leaving with her child the parent said...Come on honey, you can come home and play your Xbox, you have a day off from school!
     Ladies and gentleman...I have a million of them.  So many stories, of so many parents who have it in their minds that we...the teachers...are out to GET their kids!  This blog could turn into a novella if I continue.
     I have seen administration back up their teachers in these situations.  I have also seen administration back up the parents.  I believe that this (The dealing with, and attck from parents) is the main reason that someone who does become a teacher, stays in the field no more than 5 years.
     Morale is the magic elixir!  When its high...all is good.  When it is low...everyone suffers.  Another idiom...one bad apple spoils the bunch.  It only takes one bullying, rabid, I-don't-care-about-my-kid-unless-you-accuse-him-of-something parent to spoil the year.  It is getting to be more and more prevalent.  It is a plague it seems.  When did teachers become so untrusted?
      Today...this is what I see.  School... a place filled with educated professionals that teach kids, and encouraged young minds to grow.  If there is a behavioral problem with a student, and a parent has to be called by the principal or the teacher...the teacher will have hell to pay.  If a teacher sends home a note, or fails a kid on a test...the parents are alarmed, and side with their child and further enforced the notion that the teacher was at fault, not their kid.  Today, a teacher is looked at suspiciously.  A teacher is no longer trusted.  Some students  know that when a teacher calls you out...said student can argue back then tell mommy and daddy so they can call out the teacher!  Parents (From the subset) do not draw lines any longer at home, so it is unknown to them (Subsets) when a teacher does it.  If a parent has to be called on the phone usually the student invloved already knows the system, knows what buttons to push, and he/she is totally satisfied and/or gratified with the reality that NOTHING will happen at home.
     Friends...we live in a world where everyone is a winner.  Everyone gets a trophy.  Everyone gets a Blue Ribbon.  Everyone gets a prize for everything they do.  Character building...learning to deal with disappointment, and the notion of trying harder next time as a fundemental element in adult life, is gone.  Some parents enable their kids to do bad things, and encourage them to think their teachers are the bad guys.  WHY?  This is the question I have been asking myself over the years, and it is this question that is at the heart of my dillema.  Emotion and logic...trying to understand WHY?
     Knowing how I feel about the whole situation is easy.  Emotion is easy.  That is not to say that all emotions are easy to feel...they simply ARE.  Real and genuine (Though physically intangible) emotions come from a place only poets have attempted to name.  I know that I am angry and hurt when a fellow teacher has been attacked by a subset parent.  I know that I am hurt or angry when  a parent has questioned a decision I made regarding a grade, or a disciplinary action.  My attempt at finding the WHY takes power from my emotions and has made me pause in my approach to this matter.  Until now.  It seems that this matter is approaching the line...MY line!  The overwhelming accounts of negative parent/teacher interactions is ever growing, and I truly believe that if something is NOT done...the impact on our education system will be more devastating than ever. 
     If you think back to when the whole NCLB came to be (up through today)...schools were given ratings.  This opened a whole new dialoguge within the public and their children's education.  Schools with a lower rating were the fuel that began parents questioning their respective schools.  It allowed parents to begin using phrases like...It is the teachers' fault the kids have done so poorly!  Of course we know now that the entire NCLB has done much more harm than good...but the dye has been cast!  It helped to make it OK to see schools in a negative light, and it made it OK for parents to blame their most direct source of all the controversy...the teachers.
     Should parents question things when it comes to their kids, their kids' teachers, and their kids' education?  Of course they should.  Are there BAD teachers in the world?  Yup, there sure is!  There are BAD elements everywhere you go.  The subset has had many years to formulate the bad press about our education system.  The education system has tried to compensate by driving out good teachers, replacing staff, implementing behaviorial plans for children that allow them to do everything BUT school work so as to quiet the subsets.  This has accomplished nothing but cause more harm than good! 
     Nationally, the educational system has tried to compensate by adopting new programs, new directives, new curriculmns, new student guidelines, higher standards, more tests, etc.  No address has been made to the evolution of what our educational system has become.  The REAL issues seemingly are the tangible ones...grades, placements/ratings on international education lists, etc.  This is NOT true...in my view.  There are as many arguements for and against any issue anyone can bring up regarding all of this.  The educational system has become encompassed in a negative light...absolutely negative...to the point where if any good is stated, it falls through the cracks.  Education is now an institution that has been criticised and downgraded to the point where our profession no longer has merit.  My emotional side hurts because of this, while my logical side understands it.  The subsets only ever hear the negative.  This brings out their inner asshole!
     How do we make this better?  I will answer this using the genre of fantasy.  If one wants to know how to fly, don't ask some guy or gal in a suit from DOE.  Talk to a freakin eagle!

Making the Grade!

     Building self-esteem in any classroom is a never ending, sometimes daunting task.  Every year a large portion of my students enter fifth grade with a low self-image of themselves as people, or themselves as students.  An even larger percentage of that group has become conditioned to view school as a negative.

     As a teacher my main focus has always been on raising my students’ awareness of themselves, especially within the group mentioned above.  Learning new concepts can be difficult, unlearning negative conditioning is even harder.

      A performance based grading system is commonly used in school districts across the nation.  Students who do well on classwork, quizzes, or tests receive a letter grade.  This communicates to the teachers, students, administrators, and parents how well or how poorly a student is doing. This practice is as true in my class as any other.  The only difference is…I do not put as much focus or importance on what a grade is, as I do to when I put a grade in my grade book.  Grading papers does not mean that I put those grades in my book automatically.  Grading is my way of seeing what or how well the class (As a whole) comprehends a subject.  If all do well…the grades go in.  If there are mistakes/errors…I revisit, reteach, and then reevaluate.

     Being self-contained allows me the luxury of time.  I am not constrained to teaching what I can before my students change classes.  I can take an extra ten minutes, or half hour to continue teaching any day I feel it is necessary.  My daily schedule is extremely flexible regarding this.

     When introducing a new subject, we (My class and I) always begin with discussion.  I explain my expectations, and always tell the kids that they each will have this mastered before we are through.  After finding out what the kids already know, I begin to model, and informally assess concept attainment throughout the lesson.  We soon begin to try.  I give them a practice worksheet or problems on the board.  Independently the kids try to apply what they have learned using pencil and paper.  When all are finished, we then (Whole group) assess answers and/or solutions.  We analyze all answers, pointing out mistakes, and how to correct them.  I emphasize always that carelessness is something that plagues us all.  To this end I encourage my students to find the mistakes, or careless errors, and then discuss strategies to lessen the frequency of these errors. 

     My goal…for every lesson…has always been that 100% of my kids will ace what ever work is in front of them.  If it is discovered that one or more have achieved less than 100%, we begin again.  Another power lesson is demonstrated, and we all try again.  Without fail, each subsequent try reveals more of my class achieving success.  Only until all have attained the concept do we stop and move on to another subject.  NONE of the practices, none of the trying is put into my grade book.  This would completely defeat the purpose of my kids who took a bit longer to understand how to perform with success. 

     The next day…we begin again with the previous day’s subject/lesson.  Retention is always higher the second day.  After practicing, I let my kids know that it is time to celebrate, and I hand out the assessment (Assessment meaning classwork, a quiz, or a test -whatever applies) that will go in my grade book.  Grades are always good, and self-esteem rises! 

     I follow the pacing guides for fifth grade.  I have never been ahead of anyone, and I admit that I am frequently behind, but never more than a week or two.  I give the same assessments the other fifth grade teachers do.  My quizzes and classwork are both self-generated, and per our curriculum guidelines. 

     I do not test or quiz until I know all of my kids are ready.  I have always taken it personally if even one of my students does poorly.  In my mind doing poorly does not mean that there is something wrong with the student (s), it means that my lesson was not effective enough for all!  The challenge should always be to reach all students.  If we begin a lesson, and end it with a worksheet that will show what the kids have learned, only to find that most have done well…my genuine feeling is that I have failed some of my students.  This has never been good enough for me.  We keep going until everyone comprehends.

     Working with individuals is key also.  During any classwork time, there is great opportunity to work with individual students, or small groups.  Leading a student down a path is how it always begins, with the eventuality of that student taking the lead; finding their own way to concept attainment.  There is no greater moment for a child in school then when something clicks, and he/she understands a math concept or how to find the direct object in a sentence…especially when these subjects have always seemed too difficult to understand.  Self-esteem soars.

     Throughout the first marking period, fifth graders have a great deal to learn.  I use this precious time to teach all of my expectations, instill trust, and guide my students onto their own individual paths to academic success.  When a student proves to him/herself that they CAN do something, everything else is cake!  Some students are certainly more gifted in one area than another, but…all students can learn all subjects in time, and with effort.

     In sports, the arts, or any other arena…people are not assessed or expected to achieve greatness during practices, rehearsals, etc.  Expectations are that all of those involved will fall hundreds of times while working towards a goal.  These falls/errors/mistakes factor into achievement I believe academics should have the same kind of philosophy.  I have always believed this.  I don’t judge on practices.  I have never wanted my students to pay for trying, or to be condemned for making mistakes.  All mistakes factor into achieving success.  Each lesson brings with it mistakes that can be learned from.  This brings every student closer to concept attainment.  Then, just like an actual football game, or the opening night of a show…all of the kids know what to do, and are aware of there own abilities.  Those who have practiced will achieve success.

Is That A Knife In My Back?

     I recently read an article entitled (It was posted on my Facebook page by a friend and fellow teacher)..."What Teachers Really Want to Tell Parents" from cnn.com...it was very interesting, and to the point.  In short, the article was about the struggles that teachers have with parents nowadays regarding their childrens' grades, and/or behavior in school.  A certain adored by staff principal was quoted upon her retirement as stating..."I just can't deal with parents anymore, they are killing us!"
     Within every school district there are horror stories about combative parents who go as far as to hire a lawyer if their child has been reprimanded, disciplined, or given a grade lower than the parent (s) feels is deserved.  A teacher's word isn't good enough anymore for most parents.  The climate certainly has changed from when I was in school.
     I am not writing today to take issue with this topic, though I feel sorry for the new teachers.  They have entered a once revered profession and must contend with an outside rank of bullies made up of parents.  My fear for them is that no matter how well trained or educated, these newbies must learn to survive while surrounded by wolves.  Statistics show that the average new teacher continues teaching only about 4.5 years...much of this has to do with parent issues (Believe it or not).  If I could say something to all of the novice teachers out there it would be...this may be how it is, but it isn't how it has to be.  Be strong, cover your bases, write everything down, and always have a witness.  I hate having to state this...it is smart, but goes against the integrity of being an educator.  At Open House...explain your philosophy, and classroom management style.  Make sure your parents know everything upfront.
     OK...Another part of the article spoke about what a good teacher is, and what a bad teacher is.  In defense of the teacher that gave little Johnny a 79, the article stated that the parents of little Johnny should not battle this grade, and fight the teacher about it.  The parents should be grateful to the teacher, because giving little Johnny a 79 promotes a good work ethic, and that if Johnny works real hard he will get a better grade next time.  The article states that this teacher is a good teacher, not an enemy.  Then the article speaks about the teacher who gives nothing but good grades...all A's, and B's...never a failing grade in the pot.  This is a bad teacher who would rather fake their students' excellence so they don't have to deal with the parents.  I agree with the bad teacher analysis to an extent.  Any teacher who manufactures grades should be sent packing.
      I do wish to take issue with every kid succeeding.  With every kid achieving.  With every kid mastering.  It is a reality, and it can be done in a classroom.
     I consider myself a NON-traditional teacher.  I take pride in this, and it is no small matter to me.  I make it a top priority that ALL of my kids succeed...not just a few, not just most...ALL!  My philosophy has always been that if even one of my kids "Doesn't get it"...I teach it again.  My grade book is not a place that I record failures...only achievements.  I also don't rely on my own abilities to teach...I pair students up so they can teach each other.  Many times a student who doesn't understand algebra, or how to find a predicate will "Get it" with a peer.  I do NOT put practice items in my grade book, especially when we begin a new topic.  During the first marking period I give my students the chance to fix what they may have done wrong on classwork or a classroom test...this helps them see where their mistake are, and further know what I expect of them on future tests.  I encourage my kids to read what excites them for AR, and we do AM twice a week to keep the math-juices flowing...every marking period my kids make their AR & AM goals!
     Let me make it clear.  I teach a regular ed, 5th grade classroom.  I am self-contained (Which means that I have the luxury of time).  I will not stand for a failing grade, nor will I accept the notion of putting a zero in my grade book.  I work with individuals who struggle with Math or with Reading, or I have peers work with each other.  I do not pound my kids into submission, nor do I take away all freedoms if the kids do not achieve.  I encourage, I give pats-on-the-backs, I give free time, or extra recess to the kids for working hard, and acknowledge those who have gone above and beyond.  I talk to my kids, and they talk to me.  When there is a problem we handle it all together...as a community.  I promote honesty, respect, and compassion in my classroom.  I have fun...WE have fun.  After a lengthy day of hard work and tests, we take a break (5 minutes or so)...and listen to music, or talk about current events...or anything that strikes my students' fancy. 
     I AM that teacher who gives all good grades.  Does this make me a bad teacher?  I don't manufacture grades...THE KIDS EARN THEM!  It came to my attention many years ago that I had been talked about...by colleagues...regarding my entire class doing so well.  When I say talked about, I don't mean in a good way.  It continues to this day.  Then, I didn't understand why...didn't take me long to figure it out.  Over the years I have heard teachers say things like...Johnny got a 69 in Reading, what an idiot...or....Sally would have done better if it weren't for all of those zeroes!  I guess these are the traditional teachers.  The ones who record the failures when their kids don't get it.  The teachers who have no problem putting zeroes where achievements should go.  These are the good teachers!
     I no longer give a rat's pa-toot what my colleagues think.  Over the years I have received many new students at mid year.  Not from other districts...from other classrooms in our school.  They weren't succeeding where they were, they weren't turning in work, or doing their homework.  They were sent to my classroom...to Mr. Mac World!  In no time they were doing everything they weren't doing before.  I love it when other teachers ask (The ones who sent their kids out)...so, how is Little Johnny doing in your room?  I get to say...he is doing GREAT!  Makes my day!
     I have spent my career pulling knives out of my back...I say whatever!  I am proud of my kids both academically and socially.  I can't imagine bragging to fellow teachers about how I failed a kid, or about how many zeroes I recorded.  The teachers talk as if that is all the kids' fault! 
     I will NOT fail my kids.  I have always, and will always strive to do everything in my power to guide kids towards success.  At the beginning of the year I make my students one promise, and one promise only...I will NOT let them fail! 
     Yes...that is a knife in my back...but I don't mind it.  When I consider who is doing the stabbing...I don't mind at all.

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!