If there's one thing that teachers hate it's meetings. I don't think I've ever met a teacher that is excited to go to a meeting where the higher ups tell them how to do their jobs. Here's the thing though, get a bunch of teachers together (especially the female teachers) and you will see that while they may hate the meetings they do nothing to help the cause and get through the meeting quicker. Teachers have to make comments and tell stories about their students.
Tonight I had a meeting at Sylvan. The agenda was 26 points long. If I was running the meeting we would have been out of there in 30 minutes tops. I don't need to expound on every single point. I don't need to hear stories from every teacher about an experience with that point they've had. It is not necessary. At all. Especially when the meeting is all just a review of your job description and how you should be teaching. How long did this meeting last? 3 hours. Yes, 3. And we weren't even covering new material, it was all on how everyone should have been teaching to begin with. I know I'm not perfect and I have probably made some of the mistakes covered in the meeting, but we really didn't need to sit there for 3 hours and go on and on and on these topics. Talk about beating a dead horse. So yes, teachers hate meetings, but more times than not they are willing to extend everyone's pain and misery just so they can tell stories. Give us a break and be quiet so everyone can get out of the meeting after a reasonable amount of time. Remember that feeling you had before the meeting started. We all feel that way. We all want to get out of there as soon as possible and you aren't helping.
I received a flyer in my mailbox at school this morning for the University of Missouri's online Master's degree programs. One of the programs quickly grabbed my attention: Educational Technology. This is something I've really been interested in the past few years. I'm always looking at new tools that may be useful in the classroom, whether they be historical map overlays for Google Earth, timeline creators, or webquests. There are so many tools out there that would be great in the classroom. It motivates students in ways that standard lectures and worksheets can't. So, after doing some research on MU's site, I've decided this is definitely what I think my Master's degree should be in. Now I just have to figure out how I'm going to pay for it.
At what point in your life do you develop common sense because it sure isn't in middle school. Three things happened today, each with a different kid, that made me come to this conclusion and oddly enough they all happened at lunch time. Maybe low blood sugar is to blame.
The first incident is as we were leaving the room to grab our lunches a kid starts walking in the opposite direction of the cafeteria. Now, this is February 29th. This kid has been at this school all year. He knows where the cafeteria is. He's even been in my class before. Yet for a moment he forgot where the cafeteria was.
The second was a kid getting his lunch. The choices today were pizza, ham and cheese sandwich, pasta, or fish sticks. This kid was dumbfounded by fish sticks. He looked at the lunch lady like she was an alien. He then asked her if they had chicken inside. Yes, they are called fish sticks because chicken is inside. Talk about a Jessica Simpson moment.
The last incident was a kid dropped his pasta all over the floor. He just stood there staring at it. He then asks what he should do and of course the answer was to clean it up. That confused him even more. When you drop something, you clean it up. Get some napkins and wipe up the mess, then go get another lunch.
Kids are funny. Days like these bring a smile to my face.
I am so ready for winter break. I'm getting burnt out by these kids. The other day I had five kids enter on the same day. They have all been bouncing up and down on my last nerve. They are just as anxious to get out for winter break as I am. What makes it worse is these are middle schoolers. Middle schoolers don't know how to control themselves (yes, that's a sweeping generalization but it's one that is true, for the most part, of every middle school-aged child).
I don't really have plans for winter break. Maybe I'll finish up Super Mario Galaxy, finish a couple books I'm reading, and probably sleep a lot and wish I didn't have to come back. Ok, maybe not that last part, but right now, that's what is on my mind. I really can't wait for tonight's happy hour and then my sister's Christmas party. They should be fun and a good way to relax and let off a little steam.
I am really beginning to wonder what happened to discipline. Every day I deal with kids who don't care. That's not unusual. Kids don't want to work, they want to play. I was like that too, but I always did my work anyway. Why? Because my I knew my parents would not be happy if I didn't do my work. It doesn't seem that parents care anymore. I already get the kids after they've gotten in trouble. You'd think they wouldn't want to get in trouble any more than they already have, but many don't care because there are no consequences for their actions at home. I'm not saying that all parents are apathetic towards their kids' schoolwork, but many are. It amazes me how they just don't care. Of course, when their kid fails or when they say their kid doesn't learn anything, they blame the schools. Well, maybe if you would actually pay attention and care about what your kid does, they wouldn't be having troubles. Why don't parents discipline their kids anymore? Are they afraid to? Are too many of them trying to be the cool parents and trying to be friends of their kids? I have no idea. I'm not a parent so I can't answer any of these. I will say one thing though, my kids will have discipline. If they get in trouble, they will know there will be consequences.
I don't plan on starting any time soon. I won't start until I can afford to start, which means once I get a full-time teaching position with a school. I've been thinking of what I want to get my degree in. Some of the possibilities would include Education, Reading, Administration, and History. I would really love to teach at the university level some day, so I'd have to get my Masters in History in order to even be a lecturer at most universities, then PhD to be a professor. PhD will cost a lot of money and take a long time, especially if I'm teaching while going to school. I don't think that is a realistic possibility right now. If I ever want to be a principal, I would get it in Administration, but I'm not too sure if I'd ever want to do that. What I would really like to do is find a program for Educational Technology, or something along those lines. I would like to help develop curriculum that incorporates technology use in the classroom. It would be awesome to show other teachers how you can incorporate Google Earth, Smart Boards, Wikis, and all the other wonderful new things in technology into their current lesson plans. I really think with all the technology that the kids use these days, teachers are falling behind. Kids see and do things in totally different ways than they did 5 or 10 years ago. They learn differently, research differently, become engaged differently. It's important that we adapt our methodology to support the students. If anyone knows a university that offers something like this, I'd be very interested in knowing about it.
From the state education department comes reason for Missouri high school students to rejoice: The gradual demise of the Missouri Assessment Program — or MAP exam — is under way.
That's the good news.
The bad news is that MAP by any other name is still a test. In other words, a replacement is imminent.
Beginning in 2008-09, the state's 10th- and 11th-graders will take "end-of-the-course" exams to gauge their knowledge in algebra I, biology and English II.
Bottom line: State and federal education officials really want to know what high-schoolers know.
Wait, it gets worse.
By the end of the 2009 school year, student proficiency in algebra II, geometry, integrated math II and III, English I, government and American history also will be put to the test.
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education announced this week that Riverside Publishing of Rolling Meadows, Ill., had been awarded a $28 million, six-year contract to oversee development, publication and scoring of the tests.
Company President Richard Swartz said he was excited about the opportunity.
Response from high-schoolers is expected to be more subdued.
Now, I don't think standardized tests are completely evil. I think they give us a great snapshot of what the students are learning so it can tell us our strengths and weaknesses. What I do have a problem with is No Child Left Behind and taking away funding if schools don't meet the requirements. If a school is doing poorly (and usually these are schools in poverty) you shouldn't take away what little money they have. That's going to put them at an even bigger disadvantage and create more stress for the already heroic teachers that teach in such areas. It's a becoming more and more of a trend for teachers to teach for the test. Pressure from administrators, the school district, the state, and the Federal Government all force teachers to teach the test. The best way for a child to learn is to relate the material to them. Tests (which have been accused for a long time of being culturally biased) don't do that. I hope the next White House does something a little better for education.
I never really thought about it until I started my current job. Teachers really do have cliques. Back student teaching at South High there were the Jocks. These were the coaches that would eat together at lunch. At Troy, the cliques were a bit different. They were divided along subject areas. I don't think I ever talked to anyone outside the Social Studies Department for more than 5 minutes in the 8 weeks I was there. My current school has the Cheerleaders; the group of teachers that seem like they were the popular popular ones in high school and still stick together as a group even as teachers. Not saying there is anything wrong with this, people who share common interests gravitate towards each other, it's what we do as human beings. On the other hand, as teachers, we try to celebrate the importance of diversity of beliefs and ideas to our students because diversity drives progress and opens us up to new experiences, yet we don't seem to practice it ourselves. Just an interesting observation.
I shall let you all in on the news I mentioned before. The school board voted Monday night and I'm now under a 9 month contract with a school district to be the ISS (In School Suspension) teacher. It's one step closer to being the social studies teacher I've wanted to be since high school. What's even better is I finally have full health insurance, dental, vision, and even life. On top of that, since I am certified, this year counts towards my retirement in the education system. Well, that is it. Wish me a successful school year.
A while back I was watching Def Poetry on HBO. It is an excellent program if you've never watched it. There was one poet I really liked. This poet was a teacher. He was very passionate reciting the poem that he had written. The title of his poem is "What Do Teachers Make?" Recently I went to my friend Joey's site and noticed he had a video of this very poem. I had to share it. I've been looking for it ever since but didn't know the poet's name. I now present Taylor Mali's brilliant poem.
"The Register is reporting that the UK government has stated there is no place in the science curriculum for Intelligent Design and that it can not be taught as science. 'The Government is aware that a number of concerns have been raised in the media and elsewhere as to whether creationism and intelligent design have a place in science lessons. The Government is clear that creationism and intelligent design are not part of the science National Curriculum programs of study and should not be taught as science.'" via slashdot
It is no secret that teachers consume alcohol and sometime in large quantities. Sometimes it is just socializing after the football game or parent-teacher conference, but most of the time it is a way to forget the spoiled kids they deal with for 8 hours a day, 185 days a year.
Below is how the average subject teacher probably drinks.
English:
Females will drink wine or martinis. Generally is a slow drinker and will only have a few before going home.
Males go after Scotch or something on the high end of the market. May drink beer but mostly Guinness, Bass, or Stella. Usually English teachers are the last ones to the bar and the first ones to leave.
Fine Arts:
Their title says it all. Sophisticated people prefer sophisticated drinks. They often ask for something the bar doesn't have and settle for a mixed drink or lite beer (in a glass). They often doodle on a napkin which may eventually turn into a lesson plan.
Business:
They usually drink mixed cocktails or high end beer. They will engage in conversation usually about something they saw on CNBC or read in the Business section of the Tribune. Also known to drink their fellow teachers under the table after an especially bad day.
Science:
Science teachers will vary by field of study, but many of them can tell you the process in which the alcohol they are drinking was created. Some are very simple people and just drink beer and like to have fun while doing so. Some are very sophisticated and will drink high end Martini's or Cosmopolitans. Many drink like they teach: "let's try something, see what happens, then analyze it and maybe repeat the process looking for similar results give or take one standard deviation."
PE/Health/Driver's ED:
They drink beer, off the tap, out of a bottle, by the pitcher and it doesn't matter the brand as long as it's cold. They will also be the first to order shots and order plenty. Often times you will find them playing darts, pool, or anything competitive. Generally they are the aggressive ones and will approach many individuals trying to "Score" They are the first ones into the bar and the last ones to leave.
Math:
These teachers think they are cool because they know exactly what 15% is of any tab and tip exactly that. The women will drink wine or something mixed with diet soda. The men are beer drinkers but lightweights compared to the PE or Social Studies staff.
Social Studies:
These teachers like to play trivia and generally drink beer. Lots and lots of it. They usually relate well with the PE and Business staff and will get to the bar early and will stay late.
Foreign Language:
These teachers will order something from their native language and try to look cool. They may engage in conversation other than in English with the bar patrons or staff. They generally arrive late and leave early.
Special Education:
Drink to get drunk and they don't care what kind of booze it is. If you had their day you would too. These teachers should have an alcohol per diem written into their contract.
Other Electives (Computers, Shop, Auto, Home Ec):
Don't go the bar with these teachers unless you're ready to spend the night. Like the SPED crowd, they often have the students that nobody else really wants--not necessarily the college-bound crew. They drink heavily and it doesn't matter what it is, give them a break because you don't want to be them and you don't want to get into it with them when they're drunk. Which is often.
ADMINISTRATION:
Should buy the 1st round but generally don't. They usually have 1 or 2 drinks and leave early, before they bond TOO much with the staff. Males will have a beer and try to fit in with their teachers. Females will drink something lighter or fancier and will also leave early or just never show up. However, all bets are off if the administrator used to be PE/Health/Driver Ed before going over to the Dark Side. This variety may drink you under the table.
I was browsing this HNN.us page and saw my history blog listed (though, my last name is spelled wrong) and found quite a few really interesting blogs that I have since subscribed to. One of my favorites to read is A History Teacher. Two recentposts I thought were excellent. I hope one day I will be able to incorporate the technology that this history teacher uses in my classroom. I think much can be done using the web to further students' understanding of not just technology, but also social studies. Who says the computer lab is just for English class?
This reminds me of a professor I had in college who would not let us use the internet for resources in writing our term papers. He concluded that the internet was full of false information, which to some extent, it can be, but this teacher shows how it is truly a valuable tool to be embraced, not shunned. I can't wait to see what kind of activities I can come up with when I get into a classroom. There is so much out there that will help students learn in unique and creative ways.
Is Senator Talent working for public education? 'F' on report card says no
It is report card time for lawmakers of all stripes and U.S. Senator Jim Talent has some explaining to do. He got an F on the National Education Association's 109th Legislative Report Card for the 2005-06 session of the U.S. Congress, released in Washington, D.C.
Talent's score was 29 out of 100. The F grade is based on votes on key NEA supported legislation and criteria measuring a lawmaker's commitment to public education via co-sponsorship of bills, behind the scenes work, accessibility and advocacy.
Talent, whose recent state campaign ads highlight his work, falls short of the mark when it comes to sharing the responsibility of helping make public education work for every child.
Among the votes counted in 2005, Senator Talent voted against the restoration of $4.8 billion for 48 education programs slated for elimination, including those addressing Career and Technical Education, Safe and Drug-Free Schools, and education technology grants. He also voted against increasing Head Start funding and for massive cuts to entitlement programs in the budget reconciliation measure in late December of that year.
In 2006, Senator Talent voted against an amendment that restored funding for college prep programs, raising the maximum Pell Grant to $4,500, and providing up to $23,000 in student loan forgiveness to new teachers in high need schools.
On other lawmaking tasks of interest to Missouri public school workers, Senator Talent voted repeatedly against raising the minimum wage. He also refused to join the majority of his Congressional colleagues in co-sponsoring a bill to restore Social Security benefits that Missouri's teachers and education support staff and their spouses have earned.
Looking for a teaching job for High School social studies is hard work. Very few positions are open because the field is full of people just like me looking for jobs. I ask some advice from many people on how to increase my chances of getting hired. On more than one occasion I was told to teach Special Education until a Social Studies position opens up. This I cannot do. Not because I don't like special education students, that is not it at all. The reason is my degree is in History, not Special Education. What kills me even more is how many PE teachers teach Sp Ed. These teachers, just like I'm certified for history, are certified for Phys Ed and NOT Sp Ed. Am I the only one that sees a problem here? Students who need help the most are getting teachers who are only teaching them until a position in their actual field opens up. This does not seem right to me at all. Such is the way of the school systems I guess.
This story is a bit old. I first heard it while student teaching in Troy as told to my Contemporary Issues class by my cooperating teacher. It is an excellent story about trying to run the education system as a business. Why post it now? Well, #wordpress was in one of it's several hour long political discussions and many things came up. This time I didn't participate, probably because politics bores me right now. I did offer this story though. It's a good read.
"If I ran my business the way you people operate your schools, I wouldn't be in business very long!"
I stood before an auditorium filled with outraged teachers who were becoming angrier by the minute. My speech had entirely consumed their precious 90 minutes of inservice. Their initial icy glares had turned to restless agitation. You could cut the hostility with a knife.
I represented a group of business people dedicated to improving public schools. I was an executive at an ice cream company that became famous in the middle1980s when People Magazine chose our blueberry as the "Best Ice Cream in America."
I was convinced of two things. First, public schools needed to change; they were archaic selecting and sorting mechanisms designed for the industrial age and out of step with the needs of our emerging "knowledge society". Second, educators were a major part of the problem: they resisted change, hunkered down in their feathered nests, protected by tenure and shielded by a bureaucratic monopoly. They needed to look to business. We knew how to produce quality. Zero defects! TQM! Continuous improvement!
In retrospect, the speech was perfectly balanced - equal parts ignorance and arrogance.
As soon as I finished, a woman's hand shot up. She appeared polite, pleasant -- she was, in fact, a razor-edged, veteran, high school English teacher who had been waiting to unload.
She began quietly, "We are told, sir, that you manage a company that makes good ice cream."
I smugly replied, "Best ice cream in America, Ma'am."
"How nice," she said. "Is it rich and smooth?"
"Sixteen percent butterfat," I crowed.
"Premium ingredients?" she inquired.
"Super-premium! Nothing but triple A." I was on a roll. I never saw the next line coming.
"Mr. Vollmer," she said, leaning forward with a wicked eyebrow raised to the sky, "when you are standing on your receiving dock and you see an inferior shipment of blueberries arrive, what do you do?"
In the silence of that room, I could hear the trap snap…. I was dead meat, but I wasn't going to lie.
"I send them back."
"That's right!" she barked, "and we can never send back our blueberries. We take them big, small, rich, poor, gifted, exceptional, abused, frightened, confident, homeless, rude, and brilliant. We take them with ADHD, junior rheumatoid arthritis, and English as their second language. We take them all! Every one! And that, Mr. Vollmer, is why it's not a business. It's school!"
In an explosion, all 290 teachers, principals, bus drivers, aides, custodians and secretaries jumped to their feet and yelled, "Yeah! Blueberries! Blueberries!"
And so began my long transformation.
Since then, I have visited hundreds of schools. I have learned that a school is not a business. Schools are unable to control the quality of their raw material, they are dependent upon the vagaries of politics for a reliable revenue stream, and they are constantly mauled by a howling horde of disparate, competing customer groups that would send the best CEO screaming into the night.
None of this negates the need for change. We must change what, when, and how we teach to give all children maximum opportunity to thrive in a post-industrial society. But educators cannot do this alone; these changes can occur only with the understanding, trust, permission and active support of the surrounding community. For the most important thing I have learned is that schools reflect the attitudes, beliefs and health of the communities they serve, and therefore, to improve public education means more than changing our schools, it means changing America. (by Jamie Robert Vollmer from teachers.net