Problem

Here

Message To My Attacker

I'm a button pusher. My whole life I've pushed the buttons of family members, colleagues, friends, enemies and even my cats. I can't help it. I love finding the little things that irritate (like the here link I often use) and then do whatever it takes (as long as it is harmless) to get them going. That is one of the things this blog lets me do. I might have started writing about special education issues for this reason, but that is not why I am continuing to write. I taught special education at Packemin HS for my first three years here. I loved working with that population and only left to teach math when the ISS AP decided to do a department cleansing and had all the mainstream teachers (there were 4 of us in various licenses) removed and sent to our own departments.

Under Assault has a great post on why schools are depriving kids of their IEP rights. It all boils down to one thing--MONEY!!!! Mainstreaming and violating IEPs is saving the schools money. As teachers, we need to be aware of our students needs to try to stop this from happening. Maybe I didn't care before, but these violations never were so rampant before. (At least not at Packemin.)

I'll admit that I never had much use for IEPs in the past. The information I have garnered from the ones I have received this term just confirms their useless. Yet, suddenly I am obsessed with reading them. As much as I fought against data and ARIS and all that other stuff I thought was nonsense, I can't stop trying to use it to find ways to help my students. (s is the first time I have had 14 IEP kids in my class.) Anyone who has really been reading this blog knows that I am in this for the kids, period. They also know that when I take on a job, I take it very seriously and do whatever I can to insure it is well done.

This whole IEP discussion that I started has really got me thinking and wondering about the anonymous commenter who keeps attacking me. The commenter is right. I love having an issue. I love fighting for the unpopular cause and for the underdog. And, the commenter is also right in saying that if it wasn't such a big issue now, I might never have taken it up. But, it is a big issue now. The UFT is fighting for the kids. Isn't that what everyone outside of teaching has been saying is wrong with the union for years? Haven't they complained that the union only cared about teachers, not about students? Shouldn't the commenter be happy that I jumped on the bandwagon and am no championing an issue that is student oriented? Should my motivation really matter much? Except for a few, this blog is anonymous. It contains no advertising and I gain nothing except stress relief and enjoyment from writing it and from knowing that it is read by quite a few people. Wouldn't it be better if the commenter stopped attacking me and starting attacking the people that are messing up, the people that are making excuses? Wouldn't it be better if the commenter stopped making excuses and started doing what was necessary to protect the rights of the student?

By the way commenter you aren't the only one attacking me. This week, during a meeting of the executive board of the union, I was attacked by a vicious little secretary when I mentioned the IEPs were e-mailed without any statement of the confidentiality of the plan. She claimed she did me a favor by e-mailing them to me. The date of the e-mail was 11/2, almost two months after school started, but, she did me a favor, imagine that! She told me I was wrong and if I really wanted to see them I could have made the trip to her office. As of today, I am still missing a few IEPs. One student is supposedly decertified and no longer entitled to special modifications yet no one in that department is willing to put this in writing. My D-75 student still arrives without a para or has a para he shares with a student in different room. I am told that he doesn't need one although the UFT special complaint person tells me he does.

Commenter, I am willing to bet you are an administrator, a school psychologist or even the vicious little secretary. (Actually, I think I know who you are.) I'll admit to jumping on the bandwagon now and making this my issue for whatever self serving reasons you want to assign to me. You on the other hand are still making excuses for not doing your job. It is not my job to chase after you for these things. It is your job to get these documents to me. I have 120 students in addition to my 14 IEPs kids. You might not be a mathematician but do the math anyway. I don't have time or energy to do your work. And, if this blog ruffles your feathers, so be it. A few ruffled feathers might actually help the students.

You Can't Make This Stuff Up

Here

Thank You Lincoln

Lincoln is never afraid to ask a question. He asks and asks and never stops asking until his understanding is complete. Lincoln asks so many questions that if you didn't know better, you would think Lincoln was missing a few of his logs, which is absolutely not true. Lincoln is one of the brightest boys around.

Some might find Lincoln's questions irritating. A principal or any other person observing might think the teacher is wasting too much time on Lincoln at the expense of the other students. This is absolutely not true. What Lincoln questions is also being questioned by at least a half a dozen other kids. The other kids are grateful for Lincoln's ability to ask whatever is on his mind, to ask what they are afraid or to shy to ask.

At the end of the semester we are going to have a "thank Lincoln party." Many of the kids will owe their success to his constant questions.

Getting Away From The Real Issue

My sudden interest in IEPs is being attacked. What an interesting way to deflect attention from the real issue, the way ISS students are having their rights trampled on.

No Excuses

There are no excuses for not giving ISS students all the services they are entitled to but the excuses for not giving me IEPs were flying today. And, the excuses for the poor way these IEPs were delivered were also liberally doled out.

It turns its all my fault. I wanted these documents. I wanted to see what the parents of my students were talking about during parent teacher conferences.

The Language of An ISS Child

Imagine what you would feel like if you only spoke Klingon but had to take courses given only in English. Imagine what it would feel like every time you had to open a book and a teacher demanded that you read it. Imagine what it iwould be like sitting in a class and having no idea as to what everyone around you was saying.

Now, think about that special education student who reads at a second grade (or lower level) and is in a mainstream class. It doesn't matter that it is a team teaching class and that a special education teacher is present. That poor child has no more hope of understanding than the individual who only understands Klingon. Education is supposed to prepare a child for life. What is this kid being prepared for? Even if he manages to pass (by being pushed along), what has he learned? Why are the schools allowing this to happen? Is it a money thing? Is that all that all that matters?

(The teacher who inspired this post is ready to jump out a window because of her frustration with the situation--only a figure of speech.)

School Talent Show

A colleague wants me to perform in the school talent show with her. She wants to call us The Goal Needers. She will be the Ineffective Teacher and I will be the 60% Teacher. She even has rap in mind for us to perform.

I think I am going to pass on this one. No one, not even Mr. AP, or Mayor Money Bags, should be forced to listen to my singing.

I Stand Corrected

Our school does have more than one work room as long as you don't mind working in the bathroom.

Targeted

The mountain goat escaped the last bullet but she is not out of harm's way yet. That target on her forehead constantly reminds her of her vulnerable state. The baby goat was cornered earlier in the week and the hunter asked pointed questions to try to smoke her out. The baby goat answered because he was afraid not to. This time the answers protected the goat. Next time, she might not be so lucky. The baby goat should run to the head of the tribe and report the hunter's breech of ethics. The baby will not do what is right. The baby is worried about protecting himself.

I'm Not Alone

Ricochet is having the same goal issues we are having in NYC. Grades are not something any teacher can control so aiming to improve them is futile.

We can have goals to improve instruction, to find better techniques to get material across to our students, to become more engaging, etc. These goals are things we have the ability to control The grades our students get are out of our hands.

I still refuse to put a passing percentage down as my goal for the semester.

Love Letter

I got a letter from my rap girl. This letter really made me smile. Don't let the grammar and computer abbreviations fool you. This kid is brilliant. She can write with the best of us. She is going to be an awesome doctor.

omg ms. po'd you don't even know how much i miss u! I wish i had gotten to write this email faster, but i've had like a shit load of work to do! -_-

Let me tell u a bit about sophie davis....I realized i like signed my soul off to the devil sometimes, because its SO HARD! ugh i noe nothing is EZ, but still, some of these professors need a life other than distrubing mine lol

With all that negativity said, I actually like it here alot! My dorming experience is great, although sometimes I miss home a lot, and PackEMin! I came to the pep rally hoping to see you there...but you weren't (of course). I wanna visit soon, but I swear its like everytime im done with one test, another midterm comes outta nowhere!

So let me tell you a bit about my grades....*clearing throat*

THEY SUCK! I've never done so bad in my life and accepted it...
Everyone gets the same grades..its insane...like we all get a 68 in physics and its a PARTAYY, so idk whether that's good or bad, but I mean, I always strive to do my best!

I just took a bio midterm and i got a 90 :) im so proud i feel like i got a 10000 lol ALL my classes are junior level classes, except our stupid freshmen seminar class, ugh that class is so stupid, we have this 35 year old "know it all" teaching us about MLA citation, when he doesn't even know what he's talking about. lol

I mean I guess I'm complaining alot, but to be completly honest, i would have it no other way, well maybe phyiscs could be easier (im like gettin a C in that class) <--b/c this asian teacher talks as if were chinese and his tests are in another language! BUT ANYWAZ, i miss u, i miss calculus, speaking of calculus, guess WHAT IM MINORING IN?!?! MAth! lol i don't know for sure yet, but im leaning towards a minor in either math or managment/administration, either way, i gotta take a couple of calculus classes lol But yea, I hope ur doing well! How are your new AP classes? are they as charming as us..i doubt it :) so that is my experience of the past few months in a nutshell, Im so glad i finally got to writting this, cuz i didn't want you to think i forgot about u! K and I speak of u ALL the time! lol He says hi btw, but hes in phyiscs rite now i think...I acutally just got outta phyiscs and I'm waiting to be tutored in phyiscs bc im doing so well in that class -_-. lol I LUV U MS. POd! <3>

Close To Heaven

It's not perfect. The room has no air and it is extremely dusty. There is only one phone and it doesn't work yet but it is will eventually. There are four computers and as far as I can tell, they all work. We even have a printer. There was no paper, but it didn't take me long to scavenger some up.

It's not heaven yet, but it is the closest thing to it at Packemin HS. We actually have a teachers' room, a place to work in peace other than our cars. Life is good.

Goals For The AP

A commenter suggested the AP have goals, exactly what I was thinking on my way home today. Since I just got home from my evening job, I will only list four here.

1. Make sure there is plenty of chalk available for teacher use.

2. Make sure there is paper to run off tests and worksheets.

3. Make sure the copy machine is working.

4. Treat your teachers with the same respect you expect them to give you and the students.

Miss Construe

Department conference. Read it here.

Smart Friends

It seems wasteful whenever I hit delete or backspace to rewrite something I have already written. I I hate throwing my words in the trash.

Last night I related this little quirk to a friend of mine who happens to be an English teacher. She knew just what to say to help me in this situation. "You make corrections in math all the time. You don't consider this wasting. By rewriting, you are just correcting like you do in math."

It's funny, I never thought of writing that way. She made so much sense. I rewrote half the lines of this post many times and I am okay with it.

It's great having smart friends.

Today's Completed Goals

1. Got my dad to come over and spend the day.

2. Picked up Thanksgiving turkey.

3. Marked and entered grades for two sets of tests.

4. Wrote three college letters (bringing my total so far this term to 15)

5. Straightened out notebooks for two of my four classes.

6. Wrote up exam for college class.

7. Cooked dinner for tomorrow night.

8. Checked up on my airline tickets as I never received e-mail confirmation. (Continental is unbelievably helpful.)

9. E-mailed useless, (I meant useful) goal lists to a college student.

10. Made myself a real lunch for tomorrow.

11. Wrote lessons for 5 out of 6 classes.

One more goal left for tonight--tomorrow's geometry lesson.

Maybe this goal thing is not such a bad idea after all.

Sunday Whine

We were told at a recent faculty conference to assess our students knowledge and to not move ahead until we are reasonably certain the material has been learned.

My four term algebra class has been working on equation solving since the middle of September. I gave a test Friday and little has been mastered. I don't know what to do anymore with these kids. Some try and can't put it together on an exam. Some don't even bother trying. I've called parents, written to guidance counselors, spoken to kids individually, nothing I do works. Mervin handed in a paper with three questions done. When I reminded him of the note he signed, he just said, "I can do it in class. I can't do it on a test." I believe him. He is passing every other subject this semester. And, although his eighth grade assessment shows him as a three, he has never passed math. Ginger, does the consecutive integer problems, gets to 19, 20 and struggles to get to 21 (imagine, trying to learn algebra when you have trouble counting.)

I first thought that these kids were the lowest level kids I ever taught but then I realized I was mistaken. Years ago, I taught Title 1 math, arithmetic classes. The kids had individual plans. There were less than 20 students in the room and a para was present. They didn't all succeed but they got help on the level they needed. The Board of Regents thinks they have raised standards by doing away with these low level classes. They need to think again. Nothing has really changed except now we are deliberately setting these kids up for failure by forcing them to take classes they don't have the basic skills and an aptitude for.

I just finished marking the exams--maybe I am making too much out of this. So, I will use my data to try to see where to go next.

16 passed, 10 failed

3 in the 90's

5 in the 80's

2 in the 70's

7 in the 60's

3 in the 50's

1 in the 40's

1-in the 30's

3 in the 20's

1 grade of 10

class average: 62

I guess I am now the 62% woman but I won't be happy until I am the 100% woman. I set my goals high!

Clueless

I had dinner with an old college buddy, a guy I haven't seen in 20 years. The first thing he said when he saw me was "How come your hair is not gray like mine? I'm jealous." I just looked him in the eye and said "Preference, by L'Oreal."

He seemed kind of clueless for such a smart guy.

ATRs

Is the union ready to sell out the ATRs? I hope this is not true.

The Ostrich

She thought she could dodge the real world for ever. She avoided bill collectors by pulling down her shades. When the collectors saw through she got mom and dad (and her sister at times) to bail her out. She charmed friends into giving her air miles so she could fly for free. She charmed the pharmacist into giving her medications at his cost. She even charmed doctors into accepting the co-payment for visits even though there was no medical insurance behind the copayments.

She thought she could bury her head in the sand and bad things would not happen to her. If she didn't check up on that nasty cough and the spot on his lungs, the disease could be avoided. Getting her nails done was so much more important than paying for the insurance that might have been able to catch this deadly disease before it was too late.

The real world finally caught up with her. She can't charm the cancer into going away. She is watching the man she loves die a slow painful death because cancer won't buy into her sweetness.

Living Without Pain

For the first time in over a year, I was back in the trailer, albeit temporarily. I was covering a class for my friend who will return on Monday.

I used to love being in the trailer, in spite of all the problems. It was nice to get a breath of fresh air, even in the rain and it was even nicer to get away from the noise and the prying eyes of the building. When Suit took the trailer away, I was unhappy with my undeserved punishment (the only way he could get me to stop complaining about security was to remove me from the situation.) It didn't take me long to adjust to the building comforts. It is nice not to have to carry my coat all day long and when I need something from the office, the office is right next door.

Day one in the trailer and I am with the pounding drums of the JROTC marching band and the balls banging against the walls of the handball court. Day two I am hit with rain and no coat or umbrella. Being away for so long made me forget I needed to be prepared. While the trailer bathrooms are working, the water fountains are not. Day three I notice the security booth I fought for is still empty and there is not a safety officer or a dean to be seen either before or after the class.

Being in the trailers for so long reminded me of the fibroid tumor I lived with for many years. The pain and the discomfort was something I grew used to and tolerated. It wasn't until the tumor was removed that I realized how bad I was feeling for years. Suit, in his attempt to punish actually rewarded me. Knowing he did something good for me would probably make him ill. Too bad he doesn't read this blog.

Possible Glitch

I'm guessing there was a glitch on blogspot's side and that was why everyone with permission could get into the private blog. It seems to be working now.

No Excuse

Here

I MIght Have Over Reacted, But I Hate That Word

I got a phone call from a former student asking if she could come by to interview me. She is taking an education course and this was an assignment. Of course I said, come on over. I loved her as a student, loved her younger sister even more and was a big fan of her mom so helping her was something I looked forward to.

I say, looked forward to until I heard the first question. It was about GOALS, my GOALS for the students, my GOALS for classroom management and my GOALS for professional growth.

I couldn't believe my ears. The G-word has now infiltrated college classrooms.

I wanted to run but my body froze and I could barely move. I started to shake and my head started spinning in circles. The girl and her mom got scared. Everyone in the cafeteria stared. Eventually I regained control of my body. I tried giving her some text book answers. I tried to offer real assistance Every time the word goal came out of her mouth I snickered. I had to ask her to go on to some other questions and I promised to e-mail her some copies of my less offensive goal posts. (Hopefully she will be able to tame them down for her teacher.)

I hope I didn't discourage her from becoming a teacher. I know she would make a great one.

One Size Fits All

I got an e-mail asking me to look at this video and give my thoughts, which I did. But, I've been thinking about it since, and I am not sure what I answered was even totally what I believe.

For those of you who don't want to watch the video, I'll summarize it here. Ted believes that everything we teach in math leads to calculus, the top of the math pyramid. He believes that instead of calculus, we should put probability and statistics, which are more useful and more interesting at the top. While I do agree that these two subjects are more useful and interesting, I'm not sure there should be a top at all.

This semester I am teaching a four term algebra course. The problem, as I see it, is that most of these kids do not see either of these subjects as the top of their pyramid. Some are struggling just to master the basics needed to pass the regents and get their diploma, some are not even doing this much and opening a book is too much effort for them.

The whole "one size fits all" education philosophy is the biggest obstacle to education today. Until people like Obama wake up and realize that not everyone is meant to go to college, nothing will change. We are all born different and have different strengths and weaknesses. Until we start embracing these differences and building on individual strengths, nothing will change. We need to value the person who cleans the toilets as much as the lawyers and doctors that use them. Making them shine is a skill that I and I am sure Obama does not have.

The other problem with education, as I see it, is that we don't teach critical thinking, we only teach the mechanics of problem solving. Even my top students break into a sweat when I ask them to think outside the box. But, even as I write this and think about my own education, I realize that critical thinking was sorely missing then too. It was only after I started teaching that I finally understood why things worked out the way they did. It was only after I had to teach a class how to factor that I understood the rational behind what I was doing.

Ted makes some great points in his video but, Ted is a college professor and a performer. I don't know if Ted teaches any remedial classes or if Ted has any real concept of how lacking today's students are in the field of mathematics. If he really wants to change math education in this country, he needs to start at a much lower level than he is presently talking about.

I'm sure the person who e-mailed me this video would appreciate others opinions. Any comments left will be greatly appreciated.

Got Some IEPs

So now we have been given IEPs on a CD. I guess the people in charge don't think we are smart enough to open up the ones that were e-mailed to us. (I don't know why they think we will be smart enought open the ones on a CD.) These came with instructions about confidentiality, the e-mailed ones had this instruction missing. Too bad the CD is still missing IEPs from a few of my students. (At least that is what ARIS and a parent told me. I even spoke to the resource room teacher of one of my students. He has no clue as to why the IEPs are missing.)

I'll Admit When I Am Wrong

I'll admit I am wrong when I am wrong. And, I am wrong about the total uselessness of stated goals.

Our four term algebra curriculum needs real goals, goals that can be worked on to help our students succeed not only in passing the regents but developing a foundation that will lead to their success in college. I never really thought about the necessity of these goals before I taught the four term class, but now that I have, I can see they are sorely needed.

My goal would be to help our students master the basics skills in algebra to insure success

and to teach them to think.

If I had any say in the matter (which, being a lowly teacher I probably don't have) I would toss the curriculum to the wind and concentrate on what the kids desperately need, basic skills. I would teach signed number operations and emphasize the importance of common sense in using them. I would encourage calculator use but I would also encourage solutions without the calculator. Too often, our students have no idea as to whether an answer makes sense or not. I would also spend quite a bit of time solving equations. Without this skill, there is no way algebra can be mastered. I have kids in my geometry class that passed the algebra regents but have no idea how to do this. I would also work with polynomials and try to get them to acquire basic skills here too.

If I had a say in the curriculum I would toss aside the abstract stuff like the properties of number systems. Most don't get them and the ones that do, don't remember them for any long periods of time. All of those can be done before the regents.

There needs to be goals like coming to class every day, doing work, paying attention and bringing basic supplies. These are goals for the kids. I want goals for the curriculum itself.

NC school officials nix cash-for-grades fundraiser

Nov 11, 6:24 PM (ET)

GOLDSBORO, N.C. (AP) - Administrators have nixed a North Carolina middle school's cash-for-grades fundraiser. The News & Observer of Raleigh reported Wednesday that Wayne County school administrators have halted the plan at Rosewood Middle School in Goldsboro.

The school was offering 20 test points to students in exchange for a $20 donation. Rosewood principal Susie Shepherd had said that she approved the idea after a parent advisory council presented it as a way to raise money. Shepherd rejected the suggestion that extra points on two tests could make a difference in a final grade.

School district administrators said no extra credit will be awarded and that any donated money will be returned.

(from iwon.com)

Human Being

Orkut Myspace You Rock Comments & Graphics

Here

Addiction

I've been good....

I wrote three college recommendations.

I marked and entered exam grades for three classes.

I made up an answer key to run off for one of the classes.

I prepared a platter of food to bring to my friend's house.

I checked out and wrote a detailed response to a video I was asked about. (I even wrote a post about it that needs some more work before it gets published.)

I still have so much more to do before I go visit him and then head to work tonight, but, I can't keep off this blog.

I finally understand the meaning of the word addict.

Enjoying The Peace

It is nice to be getting along with Mr. AP again. Mr. AP claims he never had a problem with me, but I know that is not true. His actions and words have shown his true feelings. I've definitely had plenty of problems with him and I told him so. He has to see we had serious problems if there is any chance of lasting reconciliation. (I doubt this will ever happen.) Still, I am going to enjoy the peace for as long as it is available. The funny part is, we've both said very hateful things to and about each other but I know as much as I hate his actions, I don't hate the man and I don't think he hates me.

New Name

Here

Letter From A Child

A bunch of us took over our colleague's classes so the kids wouldn't fall behind and more importantly so he would not worry about them and feel a need to rush back.

I took over a class of ninth graders that had no clue as to why he was absent all these days. I told them with as little detail as possible. The kids were devastated and it was almost impossible to keep them focused on work. Instead of forcing the issue, I asked them if they would like to write letters to their teacher. I promised to hand deliver them this afternoon. Although I did not want to invade their privacy, I wanted to make sure there was nothing harmful or hurtful in any of them. Most moved me to tears. This one was particularly poignant.

Dear Mr. XXX,

I feel your pain. Don't worry about us, we have great subs like Mrs. POd who can teach us what we need to know. Worry about yourself and when you feel better we will be expecting you with full smiles. I'm sorry. I know how it is when you lose someone close to you. She's in a better place now and would want you to be happy. We all worry and feel that we want to do more for you. Just feel better. We truly miss you but want you to take some time for yourself. I know it is hard, but feel better. We worry a lot about you and hope that the pain you have in your heart will heal.

From,
9th grade girl

Not Lost

Last week I was crying because I thought I was losing my son. I was wrong. He is just moving to Maryland, a mere four hours away. I will still be able to talk to him, instant message him and see him.

I'm blessed to have a happy, healthy son and although he won't be living nearby, he's not lost to me. I will never use that expression again.

The Beginning

Here

Advice

A reader needs advice, and from reading his letter, this is an issue we will all face soon.

-Hi POed,

Need to pick your brain again.

High School -- At a meeting we were told by an AP that we can no longer give grades of 45 or 50. That the only options open to us were a 40 for a no-show or a 55 for everyone else. Now I immediately knew that meant every kid with even a little seat time would now be eligible for "credit recovery", the biggest scam since the first con artist tried to sell the Brooklyn Bridge. I argued (hothead that I am) but was threatened with "I will have to tell the principal about you." He insisted that the NYState regs require only those two grades be given. I insisted that I need to see those regs before I would give a 55 to a kid who did no work all semester.

I have been googling all morning, trying to find anything, anything at all about grades either on the DoE website or the state ed website. I know that the contract reads something about teacher discretion but the union is useless at my school anyway.

Any ideas for me?

Thanks for your help/advice in the past.

Oh and yes of course you may share this info on your blog if you like, just don't mention the school.

Erica

This was supposed to post at 10:00 this morning as the funeral was going on. I was so distaught I only saved it as a draft. I hope she was able to heqr the words I read. I left a copy of this in her coffin. Maybe there really is some spirit out there that will let her read it one day.

There are diseases that medicines cannot control. Beautiful, smart, sweet Erica, you had one of those. And, while the people around you tried to help, their love and their medicines were not enough.

When I think of you, dear Erica, I always remember that mischievous little girl with the twinkle in her eye. The little girl who preferred coloring on walls, to coloring on paper, the little girl who would rather give herself a haircut than get one in the beauty shop, the little girl who was always conniving and manipulating and had her dear dad wrapped around her finger.

And, Erica, I was so happy when you began high school at Packemin. The highlight of my day was always the hug you gave me when we passed in the hall. I used to love the long conversations we had, conversations that took place even after your disease starting taking hold of your life. The one thing your disease never took from you was your love of your parents, particularly your dad. No matter what you did, or how angry you got at his catching you, you never stopped expressing your love for him and I know that as much as you hated doing homework, you loved the time you spent with him doing it.

Erica, you have two of the most wonderful parents any child could ever have. They loved and still love you unconditionally and would have cut off limbs and sacrificed vital organs to keep you happy and safe. I especially know how your dad felt as we work together every single day. His love for you never waived. Your dad’s greatest joy was the times he spent with you and Melissa. I still remember his sorrow as the two of you grew up and you no longer wanted to spend every waking hour with him.

The last eight years have been hard, hard on you and hard on your family. The things that transpired were caused by that dreaded disease, a disease you could not control, a disease no one could control. The disease caused you to do things that you would not normally do. It caused you to act in ways you would not normally act. It caused you to hurt the ones you loved the most and it caused you to hurt yourself. It’s not fair. There is chemo therapy for cancer, bypass surgery for heart disease, even medicine for HIV but there is nothing around that could have helped you. You had the deadliest disease of them all.

Erica, sweet, smiling Erica, I hope you are at peace right now. I hope your torment is finally at its end. I will never forget you.

Name That Tune

Should be easy from the picture.....

Moon River Scroll over the blank spot on the left for the answer, but don't give up too easily.

I needed to post something light and fun right now.

Not The NSA

No security clearance required to work here.

To Shake My Mood

Tired of being depressed, my husband and I took a walk in the park where I got to take some nice fall pictures.

Dinner with good friends will also help shake this mood.

Owning A Piece Of My Heart

Over the years I've learned to harden my heart and let very few people in. Friends let you down and I'd rather play it safe than take chances. Sometimes the disappointment of a friend's action or more likely inaction, is just too painful to bear.

Try as I might there are people that chisel away at this stone. One such person is burying his 20 year old daughter tomorrow. Talking to him, sitting with him, crying with him has chipped away at this stone.

I didn't think it was possible, but this non family member, this friend, owns a piece of my heart. I wish I could do something to make his pain go away but I can't. His wails of sorrow will be embedded in my brain forever.

My friend, I love you and I share your pain. You and your family will be in my heart forever.

That's Not Right

A boy commented on my wedding ring and then asked me why I don't always wear the same one all the time. I told him I change rings to match the husband I am living with. He just looked at me, shook his head and said, "Ms, that is not right."

Too bad he doesn't take other things I say so serious. If he spent as much time on school work as he does on my jewelry, he might actually be passing the class.

Blog Accomplishment

I'm not sure if this blog had anything to do with it, but, the ISS supervisor just sent out an e-mail explaining IEPs, especially the confidentiality portion which was missing with the IEPs.

It feels good to know that my bitching may actually be helping our students.

BTW, the boy I was confused about here still has his resource room and special test accommodations. Maybe asking for confirmation in writing did something to help him or maybe no one got around to changing him yet. Only time will tell.

The Vow I Have To Break

Probably due to the wonderful health care for the uninsured, my brother-in-law is dying. By the time his cancer was diagnosed, it had spread and now he has stage four lung cancer. I don't blame our country's lack of health coverage entirely. If he and my stupid sister hadn't been looking for jobs that fulfilled them, they might have had coverage. If he didn't smoke, he might not have contracted this deadly disease.

After my horrible, last experience I vowed never to return to Texas, the place they live. I can't let him go without saying goodbye. My sister is the one I have problems with, not him.

I just got tickets for my dad and me. He wants to stay a few days. I told him I can't miss work. A weekend is all it will be.

(The woman at the Continental desk was very helpful. She found us flights that would allow us to pay for them almost entirely with my dad's frequent flyer mileage. I didn't know nice airline employees still existed.)

Beg. Steal and Borrow

I spoke to a concerned parent today. She was worried because her son is not doing well in my class and she has yet to be able to get a report card from him.

If I had a desk and a computer when I called, I could have accessed that information for her. I could have given her his guidance counselor's information too. I even could have discussed his present academic performance in comparison to what he did in eighth grade.

I shouldn't complain. I was able to borrow a phone in the attendance office. I wasn't presumptuous enough to use her chair so I stood while making the call. Unfortunately, the alcohol she took out to wipe off the phone when I finished was enough to tell me I better not use it again.

Hey, Education Mayor, do your employees work under these conditions as well?

The joy of working in Packemin HS.

On His Case

hi ms.pod,

i just wanted to wat i got on my report card for u, because my parents are already in my case, so if possible can u email my grade ..thank you =

ps. wat did i get on fridays test

I never know what I will find when I open my e-mail. I know, the grammar is bad. These kids have to learn the difference between writing to a teacher and writing to a friend. Right now, I am happy to have them writing so I won't criticize yet.

This boy is lucky. He got a G in the class so I am sure his parents will leave him alone, at least for a while.

RIP

I will always remember the sweet little girl who colored on the walls and gave herself haircuts.

I wish something could have helped you. Your parents did everything humanly and super humanly to try.

Your parents, especially your dad, would have cut out his heart to make you better. He loved you more than he loved life itself. Your mom loved you too. I'm not your parent but I loved you as well.

I can't believe you are gone. I know how troubled you were. Are you finally at peace?

Why? Why did you do this? How will the people who loved you go on without you in their lives?

Carnival Of Education

Check out latest Carnival Of Education at I Am A Dreamer

My Sadistic Side

My son, even as a young high school student was always thinking and planning. He worked hard, did all his work until report card grades were in and then stopped working. His philosophy was that we would see good grades and skip parent teacher conferences. He thought his work for six weeks would buy him a semester of goofing off.

The only thing he never counted on was crazy parents who knew him well and never believed.

Every year, dad took off from work and made the trek to his high school. Every year dad came home sick to his stomach, vowing never to return without a bag over his head, thus becoming the unknown parent. Every year mom got involved, putting her teaching skills to good use.

My son was lucky. Most teachers loved him and were willing to let him off the hook if he did not miss any more assignments. I loved him too and I was not so willing. Each year, I made him collect all his assignments and do them all. It didn't matter that the teachers did not care. I cared. He had to learn. He spent weeks without a television and computer, whining every step of the way, but he did the work.

Did he learn his lesson? Absolutely not! Every year the same pattern was repeated. What was gained from all of this? Mother's satisfaction. The sadist in me enjoyed watching him suffer.

Confusion

ARIS says the kid has an IEP. The ISS supervisor says he doesn't have one.

Who do I believe?

If I take away his extended time, will I be in violation of the law?

Damn you ARIS, the more I know,the more confused I get.

PD Day

No, this is not blood from hitting my head against the wall during PD today.

The young ones in my department were disappointed that I actually behaved myself, made no negative comments and even paid attention to what was going on and participated. But, they understood when I explained myself. I treat people the way they treat me. Since I have been shown respect, I show respect back. It would have been totally uncalled for if I sat in the cafeteria and behaved rudely while the activity was going on.

Actually, I was even pretty good during PD with my department, although I have some good thoughts which I will post eventually on the other blog. (I took notes so I wouldn't forget.) Looking at the picture might give you a clue as to some of what I will post about.

The only thing I wasn't good about was the group photo. I love taking pictures but I hate having mine taken. I never look good in them and looking at them just reminds me of how old I am getting. (In my mind I am forever young.) Besides, I hate being part of the Where's Waldo game.

All in all, this wasn't the world's worst PD. I knew the Excel stuff in one workshop but the time on the computer did let me enter grades and write a college recommendation. I also helped our beloved CL learn some of the tricks. And, the workshop on ARIS wasn't all bad other. I clicked around and discovered things I did not know. I even helped out a friend who was new to using it. We even got fed, good bagels, not those mini frozen ones Suit used to serve and pizza for lunch. (There was plenty of it to go around.)

Days like this make the dreaded PD day less dreadful.

It Takes Time, We're Working On It

I took the advice of some of the commenters and questioned the ISS supervisor about IEPS, particularly my concerns about not being given needed information and being given incorrect information. And she said, "We're working on it." We have over 300 IEPs. It takes time."

Can I tell the admins I have over 130 students and it takes time to do grades and attendance? Can I tell parents I am working on lessons, it takes time? Can my students tell me they have 7 other classes besides mine, it takes time to do their assignments, but they are working on it?

It is already November 3. She promises an IEP PD in December, that is four months after the start of school, four months of services students are being deprived of. But, it takes time, the solution is being worked on.

Carnival Of Education

I am posting a request from a fellow blogger. If you are interested, please submit. I never submit to these, but I will to this time to help him out.

Hi PO'd Teacher -

I'm hosting the next EduCarnival at my blog (http://imadreamerteacher.blogspot.com/) , and there aren't a ton of submissions. Since you have a widely read blog, I was wondering if you could post a short thing about how people could still submit today? It's too late to do it through the form, but they could email me links directly at imadreamerteacher@gmail.com.

Thanks!

teachin'

Making Excuses

For the first time ever I heard parents telling me that the reason their child does no work or sleeps in my class is because they don't understand what is going on. They claim it is hard for a child to stay focused when they are lost.

Luckily I had a copy of the last exam with me, quickly took it out and showed it to the parents. Although math might not be their specialty, they saw that the test primarily involved definitions and things that could easily be mastered with a little bit of studying. I then took out the homework sheet that summarized all these definitions, something their child did not bother to do and the make-up exam the child did not bother to show up for. The parental tone changed quickly.

I don't get it. I'm a mom. When a teacher told me my son did not do his homework, I never made excuses for him. And, he paid a hefty penalty for this missed work. (I'll write about that in an upcoming post.)

Threatening Friendships

Here

My Interpretation Of Goal Setting

I don't buy into this whole goal thing, but I do believe that kids need to understand what is expected of them and they need to be held accountable for their actions.

I was very happy when Mervin's mom came to see me with Mervin in tow. We discussed his current performance and what I found when I checked his middle school record on ARIS. We discussed his standardized test performances (which were good) and both came to the conclusion there was no reason Mervin should be failing.

Instead of taking out the goal sheet Mr. AP wanted me to fill in, I took out a blank sheet of paper and dictated the following as Mervin wrote:

I, Mervin Lazilump, promise to do all my classwork and all my homework from now on. I will stop complaining and start working. I will copy work from the board so I can have a model to follow when I work on my own. I will complete all exams to the best of my ability.

I made him sign and date paper, his mom signed it and I signed it and then made copies for each of us. I asked his mom to hang one on the refrigerator and one in his room so he will constantly be reminded what is expected of him.

Mervin completed this activity with no complaints. He spelled every word correctly and inserted every punctuation mark, every capital in the correct place. To me, this was a sign of the true intellect of this young man and I praised him for his work.

I didn't make Mr. AP happy because I didn't use the goal sheets but I set my goals. By having Mervin write them, I made him (I hope) more accountable for them. By having his mom sign, I made sure she is aware of what is expected of him and he is aware that she expects the exact same things from him.

I'm glad I have my age and my seniority to allow me to do what I know is the right thing for my students. The goals have been set, the method of setting them have been different. I just thought of a new goal for myself: To find a way to effectively set goals for my students. Mr. AP will probably still object. I still haven't given him a way to measure my worth with a number.

Criminal Activity Amongst Us

I had a conversation today with Mr. AP about possible grade changes from Middle Schools and kids graduating without meeting minimum requirements.

Mr. AP said, "Principals don't want to lose their jobs." I just looked at him and said, "I want to buy a new car, can I rob a bank? You piss me off all the time, can I punch your lights out? (I didn't really say that, but I thought it.) What they did was criminal and there is no excuse."

For once, he had no answer.

CYA

Someone important must be reading this blog because I received IEPs in today's e-mail. I find it interesting that they came the first school day after my blog post about not having them. Before I even opened the first one up, I noticed that four were missing. I have 14 students who have IEPs (or maybe extended time but no one ever bothers to explain the difference to the mere teacher) but I only received 9 IEPs. I know for a fact at least three of these kids do have IEPs.

Since I did bitch about not having them, I thought it was only right for me to open them up and read them. All I can say is, what a waste of time. They give absolutely no useful information, nothing NADA!!!! I know more about these kids from talking to them and their parents than from this document.

One of my students clearly has a resource room on his IEP but he wasn't given one until the social studies teacher and I opened our mouths to find out why. We each have 5 classes with 34 kids each, yet we had to find the problem, not the guidance counselor, not the ISS supervisor, not anyone else. I also found an IEP that said the mother speaks Spanish at home but does not need an interpreter in school. I found this strange since I have spoken to the mother twice, both times using my limited Spanish because her English is even more limited. She is coming to school to meet with me on Wednesday and requested an interpreter, which I arranged for. So, here is an IEP that is totally wrong.

I never mind doing extra work if it helps my students but reading these IEPs was the biggest waste of time ever. An even bigger waste was all the time spent writing them and then e-mailing them out. The ISS department seems more worried about covering their rears and being in compliance with the law (which they still aren't) than actually creating plans that work.

I'm sorry I opened my mouth about these documents.

I Hate Halloween

When I was young, I loved trick or treating. There was no better place to trick or treat than the buildings of Gun Hill Projects where I lived. My friends and I would take the elevator to the 14th floor and go from apartment to apartment ringing bells and getting treats. Since each floor had 9 or 10 apartments (I don't remember the exact number anymore), we were kept busy for hours. Our parents never worried about us crossing streets or meeting bad people because everyone knew everyone else in the building.

As an adult, I don't feel the same. I've turned into the Grinch who hates Halloween. I never was a small child lover so oohing and aahing over kids in cute little costumes is not my thing. I hate opening the door and leave a big bucket of candy outside for the kiddies to help themselves. I decided I had to escape the day but, it was Halloween after all and I had to do something to celebrate.

So, my husband and I hit the road and headed out in search of deserted old buildings. The sign on the road said no trespassing (hence, I will skip the name of the place here) but I figured we could take a quick look around anyway. We didn't get caught so there is no need to notify my Principal of an arrest. My husband likes to live on the safe side and was not really happy with this little adventure but, when I insisted on going inside, he parked and came with me. (The building did not look to safe and he didn't want me going alone--he must still love me!) The place was as spooky on the inside as it looked on the outside. Unfortunately I forgot my flashlight and have a big fear of rats so we didn't venture in too far.

I do plan on returning, better prepared for my adventure next year.

Happy Belated Halloween to all.

My Hat Is Still Off To You

The below article is from the opinion section of today's Newsday. I learned to teach from Professor Posamentier, being a student of his in my undergraduate, graduate and post graduate studies. He was a remarkable man then and still is. While I don't always agree with everything he writes (and I have a couple of little differences with this article as well), I know he always speaks the truth and gets to many of the problems in math education today. For those out there who hate my teaching style, blame him. I saw him at a conference a few years ago and realized that I have taken his methods and expanded on them for myself.

I publish the article here because Newsday has just restricted its online service to subscribers only.

Alfred S. Posamentier is professor of mathematics education and former dean of the School of Education at the City College of the City University of New York. His latest book is "Mathematical Amazements and Surprises."

The results of the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress that show no gain in fourth- and eighth-grade mathematics achievement in New York are quite disconcerting, especially since the state's own standardized testing has been measuring improvement.

Naturally, some educators' immediate defensive reaction was to question the reliability and consistency of the national test. But we have to assume that test writers expect this reaction to poor results and will have taken every possible precaution to protect themselves.

If that's true, then were the New York State tests less complex? Were the tests progressively easier from one year to the next? Cutoff scores for passing have been lowered over the past few years, but Education Department officials in Albany say that the difficulty of passing has remained constant.

We may never know precisely what the gap in scores shows; this would require a complicated study. But we do know that there are plenty of other reasons to be concerned about the teaching of mathematics in this state.

College professors of science and other fields relying on mathematical competence have been extremely disappointed in recent years with their incoming students' preparation in this regard. What is done at the pre-college level - in all grades, not just fourth and eighth - is crucial because it sets the stage for future success in mathematics, not just in college, but in fields like science, engineering and technology.

If we knew exactly where this problem lies, we could solve it immediately; however there are many contributing factors.

We might well begin with the perception of mathematics competence in our society at large. Mathematics is the only subject in the school curriculum in which adults are comfortable - or even proud - to admit to having been unsuccessful during their school days. This declaration is often followed by a claim of continuing ignorance in the subject and confusion about the way math is currently being taught.

Take parents who receive their child, coming home from school with two test results - a 70 on an English test and a 70 on a math test. Typically, the parent will be aghast at the English result. The reaction to the math result will be relief that the child at least passed. Then the parents will praise the child for this achievement - often stating that they themselves didn't do any better when they were in school.

Where does that leave the expectations for the child? High for English, and low for mathematics. Research shows that such expectation is an extremely important factor in a student's achievement.

Let's take this a step further. Elementary school teachers, who are of course a subset of the general population, are responsible for teaching a variety of subjects in their classrooms. Reflecting the societal discomfort, many do not harbor a strong love for mathematics. These teachers could well exhibit their lack of enthusiasm in the classroom, even unconsciously, especially as compared with subjects they truly love, such as, say, history, art or music.

Too many elementary students are not being provided with the enthusiastic motivation that might catapult them toward a love of the subject. Then add the emphasis at the state and federal levels on standardized testing, which leads to "teaching to the tests." This does not support more genuine learning or enthusiasm in either students or teachers.

We would expect better outcomes in middle and high school, where mathematics is taught by math specialists. But here as well, instruction is often compromised not just by testing, but by less-than-properly prepared teachers.

Over the past decade New York State - particularly in the large urban centers and some suburbs - has suffered from severe shortages of math teachers. With schools' absolute need to cover all required classes, some teachers who have passed through alternative certification programs - essentially a summer crash course - have been assigned to teach the subject with as little as one year of college mathematics, with the obligation to take additional mathematics courses as they are teaching to make up for their lack of preparation.

A fair number of these teachers leave the profession within the first two years, forcing the cycle to continue. Just think how many children might have been shortchanged by a teacher whose knowledge of the subject goes barely beyond that of the textbook being used in the classroom? It is as unthinkable as an English teacher offering a unit on Shakespeare having read only "Hamlet."

Consider the child who comes up with alternative or unconventional ways to solve a problem, do a computation or analyze a concept. A well-prepared teacher can respond comfortably and with confidence. But a teacher without a proper mathematics background would have great trouble adapting to the situation and, worse, could discourage the student and any enthusiasm he might be building for the subject by forcing him to think strictly in the way the textbook presents the material.

The inexperienced teacher is likely to use the exercises in the textbooks, which are mostly drill, whereas a qualified math teacher would quite likely - and at every opportunity - infuse problem-solving strategies into his teaching. Rather than mechanical learning, students would be encouraged to solve a problem, for example, by considering a simpler analogous problem, or testing an extreme condition on a variable to see how it might behave. (I give an example in the accompanying sidebar.)

Another problem for math performance has been a trend to move more substantive subject matter to the lower grades. At that level, the material has to be taught by drilling rather than as concepts. The younger students are generally not mature enough to understand the advanced ideas, although they can learn to mechanically get the answers to problems.

The shift of material, such as some algebra topics, was justified in middle school, where there was a lot of repetition of material from one year to the next and students can handle the broader concepts. But in elementary grades, making math a mechanical exercise, as is too often the case, is not a good way for students to gain a true competence or love of the subject. And ultimately, they all need command of the concepts to have a solid foundation for future study and certainly for any career where math might be involved.

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Above all else, as we assess the dilemma of math achievement we must make every effort to ensure that the most important element of mathematics learning - the quality of our math teachers - is at the highest levels.

This means recognizing and financially rewarding good math teachers, which will in turn attract more qualified people. At the same time, we need to work relentlessly to provide support for parents. Schools should offer them programs that show the beauty of mathematics and the nature of the school's instructional program.

This will make the parents not only willing partners in the education of their children, but stronger supporters of mathematics in the community outside of the school.

Mathematics is essential for preparing today's youth for our ever-increasing technological era. It's high time we all take a more positive view toward its teaching and learning.


A more inspired approach to solving a problem

To illustrate how a problem-solving technique that relies on reasoning might be more useful than a textbook approach that uses formulas, we'll use the technique of exploring extreme situations.

PROBLEM: A car is driving along a highway at a constant speed of 55 mph. The driver notices a second car, exactly a half-mile behind. The second car passes the first, exactly one minute later. How fast was the second car traveling, assuming its speed was constant?

The traditional solution is to set up a series of equations, plugging the information we have into a formula or a chart. In this case the formula is: the rate of speed multiplied by the time traveled equals the distance traveled. (A quick example: A car going 60 miles per hour, traveling for two hours, will travel 120 miles; rate x time = distance.)

An alternate approach is to consider extremes. We assume that the first car is going extremely slowly, that is, at 0 mph.

The second car travels half a mile in 1 minute to catch the first car. Under these conditions, the second car would have to travel at a speed of 30 mph.

When the first car is moving at 0 mph, then the second car is traveling 30 mph faster.

So if the first car is traveling at 55 mph, then the second car must be traveling at 85 mph.

- Alfred S. Posamentier

Good Old Days

(My Uncle Hal used to drive a car like the one above. My family didn't have one. I have wonderful memories of piling into this car with my sister and cousins and going on wonderful adventures. I miss the good old days.)

I'm embarrassed to say this, but I spent a good part of my preschool day Friday talking to another senior member of my department, reminiscing about the good old days of math education, days when we got to teach more than how to push a button and how to pass an exam, days when we really got to teach.

It just so happens that this colleague has always been at Packemin HS and has no idea what it is like to teach in a poorly performing school. She also teaches the elite of the elite and has no idea what it is like to teach kids who can't add, but she still knew exactly what I was talking about.

Our top students have never been taught to think outside the box. They were taught to memorize techniques and reproduce by rote, with no understanding of why things were done the way they are done. Kids that came into high school excelling at basic arithmetic have forgotten how to work with fractions, decimals and how to perform even simpler arithmetic techniques. As for higher levels, forget those. Whoever taught them trigonometry last year relied too heavily on button pushing. These poor kids go into shock whenever they need to find sin pi/6 or any trig ratio, for example.

I haven't always taught AP calculus. I spent my first three years at Packemin HS in the special education department. Even there, I taught thinking skills along with basic computations because thinking is so much more important than anything else. Rules are quickly forgotten but the brain, trained in the right direction works forever.

In the good old days, APs were master teachers. Many were also Master Bitches (as many still are today), I know because I worked for the Queen of them, but they knew their subjects and they knew not only how to teach them, but how to teach us to teach. I learned questioning techniques, test writing skills and most importantly, how to run an effective lesson from this Queen Bitch. We had to stand up and teach, there was no relying on a worksheet, no dependency on one kid teaching another (as in group work). The classroom was ours and we taught. We taught the kids who wanted to be there and had skills and we taught the ones who G-d only knew why they showed up every day. The Queen Bitch held us accountable for teaching but never for our passing results. She knew what went on in each and every classroom and kept us goal oriented (without using the word goal) to keep our students on target.

Today's administrators are lucky if they can spell the subject they are in charge of correctly. Mr. AP left us for a few years and the guy who took his place could not teach anything more than math A. A colleague of mine corrected a major math mistake Mr. AP was making in his trigonometry class and I remember correcting a probability mistake he made a few years ago. I could never ask him a question about calculus because he doesn't remember any of it. And, the admins coming up are even more ignorant. Many would not even know a good lesson if it bit them on their ass because they have never taught one or been taught to teach one. There used to be exams to become an AP. Those exams do not exist anymore. All anyone needs to do is take some Mickey Mouse administrative courses in some Mickey Mouse college and presto, instant administrative certification. Every twenty something teacher does this now a days and since the trend is to hire the young and the beautiful, they are getting all the jobs. (I'm not writing out of jealousy. I never took an administration course. My husband says that if I became an administrator I would have to stop talking to myself. I'm not all that friendly and might have no one left to talk to if I do that.)

I used to panic when the back door to my classroom opened and the Queen walked in. I knew my job was safe, but as much as I hated her, I respected her opinion of my teaching and my poor self esteem took a beating with every word she said. I don't feel that way anymore. I still don't like that door to open, but the words only anger me, they don't hurt because they are coming from someone whose teaching skills I don't respect.

I know I am far from the best teacher around and even after all these years, there is much for me to learn and to improve upon but the people I looked up to, the ones who could guide me are no longer around. I miss the good old days.

Volley Ball Game

I always try to support my students. I had the pleasure of watching the girl's volleyball team play their final home game. Two of my seniors are on the team. They were given flowers and had a nice little ceremony before the game to celebrate their achievements. I was happy to witness the event.

I am more, Mayor Bloomberg

Thanks to the same anonymous commenter

Blue Vs Green

Three parents were distressed about their child's math performance. Two parents had green skin and one parent had blue skin. Click here for the rest of the story.

Mayor Bloomberg: You're So Vain

Thanks to an anonymous reader

More Truthful Than ARIS

Mervin's mother verified his what he told me about his middle school performance.

A Benefit Of Being At A Very Big School

Mrs. White went to see Mr. AP because her daughter was struggling in math. Little White was one of the kids moved (without parental or child consultation) from a four term class to a two term class. Mrs. White wanted Little White moved back. Mr. AP said "No. Just go to tutoring and Little will get the help she needs. What period does Little have lunch?" Little responded, "Period 9." "Oh,", responded Mr. AP, "there is no tutoring period 9. She will have to find help somewhere else. Thank you for coming in."

Mrs. White and Little left, walked the halls and wondered where they would find this extra help they were promised.

Wrong About IEPS

Last night a parent a parent asked me what time her son's class met. The boy has ADD and takes a medication in the morning that wears off by late afternoon. Then she looked at me and said, "But of course you know this, it is right on his IEP." Mom was shocked when I said , "No, main stream teachers have no access to these documents." I told her I knew he had extended time and that was being taken care of, but that was all I knew. No one gave me any other information about this boy. In fact, I only knew he was entitled to extra time by talking to him. The ISS department missed notifying his teachers about his accommodations until the second test was well over. (I got an e-mail giving me a "heads up" about the oversight.)

I still have been given no information about my inclusion student. I know his needs are more extreme than the regular ISS kids but I don't know what these needs are. I don't even know what makes this young man different from the other kids. So far, he is great but, I feel there are things I should know. His mom didn't make it in for parent teacher conferences but he did tell me she wants to meet with me at some point. I'm guessing she will not react to positively to my lack of information. Oh well, I guess his special ed teacher will be catching some heat for this one.

I always said I wouldn't read IEPs but I was wrong. The more ISS kids I teach, the more I realize I have to learn to be able to help them. If these documents were accessible, I would definitely check them out.

My Halloween Costume

I came dressed as a goal post. Mr. AP helped me figure out what to wear. Unfortunately, he just drove one of my poor colleagues to tears. This guy (with over 25 years in the system) actually spent three days working on goals, writing and rewriting them, trying to come up with something Mr. AP would approve of.



I know I can't win with him so I just decided to join him and face up to what I am. I might be 60% now but one thing I can guarantee is that I will never be average.

Parent Teacher Evening

This year's Parent Teacher conference was nothing like last year's. I'm exhausted.

Put The Kids In Charge

We just finished a unit on studies in my college now class and we spent quite a bit of time talking about goals and questions, particularly about the way these things are worded to sway answers.

Today I posed Mr. AP's goal to the class, without telling them where the goal came from:

The teacher will have 80% of her class pass the regents exam.

The kids were up in arms with this goal. One said--what happened to the other 20%, don't they count? Another said--why has 20% been written off?

These kids are a lot more on the ball than Mr. AP. Maybe they should be running the department.

Assessments

The word of the 2009 - 2010 school year is assessment. If teachers can only figure out how to assess what their students know, they will be able to reach everyone and everyone will be able to go on to Harvard and get that PhD in astro-physics.

Of course I am exaggerating. No one cares if these kids get PhDs or even finish college. The only thing that matters is that they move through high school and keep those graduation statistics up. Assessment is just another word to make it look like the teacher is not doing his job.

Every teacher I have ever met assesses their students daily. They assess classwork, homework and exams. They assess body language and facial expressions. They know what their students comprehend and do not comprehend.

A good exam is one of the best ways to see what the student has learned. The teacher can not only check the answers but look at work and see they types of mistakes the student is making. Oh wait....our exams should be 70% multiple choice questions. Exams are supposed to mimic the regents exams from the first day of school. Almost everyone does this, partially out of fear and partially out of laziness. It is much easier to print and mark a few exam gen questions than to actually write your own questions and have to read over work and find the source of an error.

There are a few of us (very few) who disagree with this test model and we make our own exams, exams that cover what was taught and let us assess what was learned. When we mark papers we know exactly why the student is getting the question wrong and can work to correct the problem. We don't openly talk about these exams. We don't share them with others. But, we know what our students know without item analysis. We know what has to be retaught and what does not have to be retaught. Our regents stats might be lower but our students know more.

No Free Rides

Yesterday I caught Bobby copying history homework during math. I took the homework away but promised to return it at the end of the period. I told him that next time he would not get it back and the person who the homework belonged to would be pretty pissed. And, to top it off, he did not have his math homework.

Today, as I walked around checking homework, Bobby had a sudden need to use the bathroom. His friend's swore all sorts of nasty sounds and smells were coming from his body. Bobby tried that old "hide in the bathroom" trick, the one you do when you sneak on the train without a ticket and the conductor is coming around. But, I didn't buy it. I read him the riot act when he came back and then called his mom immediately.

After speaking to her, I am sure Bobby will have his train ticket from now on.

The Right Thing

I made Gotham Schools three days in a row. I must be saying something right.