Huffington Post Again

Link here.

New Career

I am going to become a magazine publisher.  I read them so I must be an expert on how to run them.

Paranoia

Sometimes just being in a certain place gets some people going. Read about it here.

Nicest Thing I Heard All Day

Conversation with the girl who hasn't passed a math class since 8th grade:

Girl:  Ms, math is my stress relief class.

Me:  I thought you didn't like trigonometry.  You said it was too hard to figure out what went where.

Girl:  That was last week.  It is easy now.  I love being able to do this.  I look forward to coming to this class everyday.

Don't Tell Anyone

The college pays adjuncts teaching more than 6 credits for an office hour.  In the past, its been great, free money.  I would go to the math lab, sit for my two-thirty minute sessions, take care of some work and then go to class.  This term, no so easy.  There are students in my class who actually show up and ask for help.  I'm working extra.  Don't tell anyone, but I love it.  I'm thrilled to be teaching students that are so motivated and so concerned about passing and getting A's.  I even show up early to make sure they are getting all the help they need.

Evaluating Teachers By Student Test Scores Won't Work

Thanks to Michael Dunn over at Modern School.

Heavy reliance on test scores for teacher evaluation is misguided


Read and sign the policy statement opposing the use of test scores for teacher

Master Teacher or Masturbator?

I never heard the term master teacher until I started working at Packemin HS.  Sure I worked with a bunch of fantastic teachers before, but no one was considered a master teacher, not even our chairperson who could teach any course from remedial arithmetic to calculus and have the kids listening and learning.

I encountered this term for the first time on a posting for a comp time job.  My friends and I all laughed about it and figured it was just another way for the administration to hand pick the person they wanted and void union regulations.  We never even gave it much thought and applied or didn't apply based on whether we wanted the jobs or not.  I don't recall anyone ever being turned down because they were not masters.

This week I had a discussion with an AP that I like and respect very much.  As we were discussing a person that is very well known on this blog, she said, "Well, he is a master teacher."  I couldn't believe my ears and asked for clarification.  She then went on to say how he got 43 out of 47 kid to pass the Math A regents one term.  She had this and nothing else to go on to give evidence to her conclusion.

A young teacher, not in my department, walks around the school telling everyone that he is a master teacher and as such, should not be subjected to teaching the lowest level kids in the building.  They are giving him a very hard time.  Unfortunately, this master teacher cannot teach without a Smart Board or a Power Point presentation. 

I was always under the impression that a master teacher should:
1.  Have total knowledge of every course offered in the department in which s/he works.
2.  Be able to walk into any course and teach that class with ease.
3.  Have the ability to make material crystal clear to everyone in the room.
4.  Be engaging.
5.  Have total control of the class
6.  Be able to inject his/her love of the subject into everyone in the class.

According to dictionary.com:
mas·ter·y   
1. command or grasp, as of a subject: a mastery of Italian.
2. superiority or victory: mastery over one's enemies.
3. the act of mastering.
4. expert skill or knowledge.
5. the state of being master; power of command or control.

Neither of these individuals possess these characteristics.

Today's data driven world has replaced mastery of subject areas with mastery of exams.  My very bright calculus students do not know how to think because last year they were taught to memorize and regurgitate.

In all my years of school, I can think of one master teacher--Gerry Elgarten.  I first met him in JHS 113 in the Bronx.  He taught a slow algebra class that my best friend was in.  He used to let me sit in on my lunch.  I remember being mesmerized by the way he brought the subject to life and held the attention of 34 young teens who wanted to be anywhere but math.  (He moved on from there, teaching in high school and college and eventually becoming a AP).  There are no master teachers anymore only masturbators and it is time to stop giving these self fulling individuals so much credit.

Focus Walk

Planning Session

More videos like this on the Answer Sheet.

On Added-Value Data

Albert Einstein: "Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts."

Found On Facebook

The Problem Children

No matter how many schools get closed or how many teachers lose their jobs, there will always be problem children, the ones that can't or won't do what is expected of them.  This is a fact that no one with a modicum of intelligence would dispute.

Problem children always have a way of finding their way onto my class rosters.  My first goal with these kids is to keep them coming to class and to find a way to get them interested in the topic.  Do I have to put up with some noise and quite a bit of distracting behavior along the way?  To quote Sarah Palin, "You betcha."  It isn't easy.  I often go home with a headache, but when I see the end results, I am happy with what I did.

I've been praising the value of my small ninth period class, but it wasn't until this week that I realized how troubled some of these kids also are.  We just finished a unit on radicals and Rita told me I should be thrilled she is still coming to class.  Last year she walked out after the first day of radicals and never went back.  Her teacher never looked for her.  (Rita got an 80 on the test dealing with this topic.)  Missie told me the 70 she got on her last test was the first math test she passed since eighth grade and cut the class all the time.  Jean, who said she hates math, has now said math is her favorite class of the day.  Karrie stopped cutting, started doing homework and willingly works with a tutor during her resource room period.  Tara glowed from ear to ear when I told her she was going on the principal's student of the month bulletin board.  Tara failed math all last year.  Jodie would come to class spitting bullets because I called her mom every time she cut.  Now, she comes in smiling, homework in hand and determined to pass. Tara got a 90 on the last test. 

I guess what I am trying to say is running a quiet class that begins on time, where kids do exactly as they are supposed to do is not in the best interests of all students.  Some kids need that little bit of chaos in the beginning before they settle down to work.  It is better to have them engaged and learning for 38 minutes than to have them wandering the streets and the halls for the entire 45 minutes.

Mr. AP praises the teachers who run the quiet, organized classrooms.  He holds them up as the models, the ones we should all strive to be like.  (He also helps them by removing difficult kids, but that is a whole different story.)  These are the teachers my kids had last year.  Problem Boy had one of those teachers.  The teacher told me how happy he was when Problem Boy stopped coming to class.  These are the kids that were lost.  These are the teachers with the best statistics in their classes but they are also the teachers who statistics are hurting the overall school.

My stats will be better this year as the Integrated Algebra Regents is an easy exam to pass, but that doesn't matter to me.  What matters is seeing my students come to class, participating and learning.   I'll deal with the chaos and the noise because not to deal with it means losing kids that should not be lost.

Be Prepared Should Be An Administrator's Motto Too

One of the things we were supposed to learn on Tuesday's Pd was how to use the Castle Learning program as it will hopefully provide a better, or at least an additional method to reach the students.  Unfortunately, I missed the introductory session (I was at a different workshop) and did not fully understand the benefits of the program until today, when I watched a teacher in my department checking the work he assigned to his class.

If things had been explained differently, if the person running the second workshop had prepared properly, my classes too would be using this program.

We were never told to bring class lists to the work shop and everyone spent half the time printing these lists off ARIS.  We were also told we needed all our classes, when we really only needed the regents classes as that is all the program links to.  I spent the entire time adding useless names to a class list and never got to the ones I could use.

Teachers are required to be prepared for class every day.  Good teachers always are.  Too bad the same is not true for administrators who run workshops they know nothing about.

The Cat Speaks

Said the cat to the chihuahua.

Thanks to Mrs. Chili for the picture.

Consequences

When there are no consequences, bad behavior is not corrected.   This holds for everyone, not only children. AP's who continually abuse teachers without cause, will never stop unless there are repercussions for their actions, and not just a little slap on the wrist.

A colleague of mine suggested that the administration secretly likes AP's who act in this manner.  It is the good cop/bad cop scenario.  By not condemning this opprobrious conduct, they are encouraging it and using it as a way to rid the schools of certain teachers. 

I want to believe this colleague is wrong, but I have my doubts.  I need a sign.

Do As I Say, Not As I Do

Please be reminded that you are to properly prepare for your classes including having enough copies for each class.
 
Memo from the person running off copies 5 minutes after his class had started.
 

Who's Line Is It?

"There is nothing wrong with your dumping kids [from your classes] who will not pass.  You have to protect yourself and your statistics."

Guess who said this.  To check your answer, click here.

Not Putting Up With His S*** Anymore (Not That I Ever Did)

"Ms. will you be upset if I throw a penny at you", said Problem Boy from the back of the room.  The class immediately jumped on him for making not only an inappropriate comment, but making one that was anti- Semitic as well.  I called to have him removed immediately.

The dean brought Problem Boy to Mr. AP, who I went to see as soon as the class ended.  Mr. AP said there is nothing he could do about him, there is no other class that fits his program.  (I know he would have found a class if the boy made a comment like that to one of his little cuties.)  Mr.  AP also found nothing wrong with the comment.  He said he questioned Problem Boy about the incident.  Problem Boy told Mr. AP that I was teaching when he made the comment and he and his friend were sitting in the back, making jokes.  Mr. AP looked at me and began, "I've told you time and time again, do not teach while the kids are talking and,,,"  At that point, I cut him off.  I said I am not going to listen, got up and slammed his office door on my way out.  With steam still pouring out of my ears, I found my way to a higher authority, someone who listened to me, understood that I had done everything possible to control the situation.  This person called Problem Boy in and dealt with the real problem, him, not me.

I know I am upset about Problem Boy, but he is a child and that I can deal with.  My bigger issue is with Mr. AP and his constant negativity and his demeaning of every female over 50 in the department.  (Yesterday's department conference is a prime example of his actions.)  Hopefully he heard loud and clear that his actions are totally unacceptable.  I don't believe he will ever learn.  Unfortunately, we all believe that life will go on and nothing with him will ever change. He'll leave me alone for a while but find someone else to attack, someone who won't fight back. And, before you know it, he will be on me again.  Only I don't back down.  He'll get a fight every time.

Important Women's Health Issue

Just thought I'd share some valuable medical information.


* Do you have feelings of inadequacy?
* Do you suffer from shyness?
* Do you sometimes wish you were more assertive?
* Do you suffer exhaustion from the day to day grind?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, ask your doctor or
pharmacist about Margaritas.

Margaritas are the safe, natural way to feel better and more confident
about yourself and your actions. Margaritas can help ease you out of
your shyness and let you tell the world that you're ready and willing
to do just about anything. You will notice the benefits of Margaritas
almost immediately and with a regimen of regular doses you can
overcome any obstacles that prevent you from living the life you want
to live.

Shyness and awkwardness will be a thing of the past and you will
discover many talents you never knew you had. Stop hiding and start
living, with Margaritas.

Margaritas may not be right for everyone. Women who are pregnant or
nursing should not use Margaritas. However, women who wouldn't mind
nursing or becoming pregnant are encouraged to try it.

Side effects may include:

- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Incarceration
- Erotic lustfulness
- Loss of motor control
- Loss of clothing
- Loss of money
- Loss of virginity
- Table dancing
- Headache
- Dehydration
- Dry mouth
- And a desire to sing Karaoke


WARNINGS:
* The consumption of Margaritas may make you think you are whispering
when you are not.
* The consumption of Margaritas may cause you to tell your friends over
and over again that you love them.
* The consumption of Margaritas may cause you to think you can sing.
* The consumption of Margaritas may make you think you can logically
converse with members of the opposite sex without spitting.

Please share this with other women who may need Margaritas.  After today, I need one.  I'll post about that later.

Out With The Old

Congrats to Tony Avella!!!!!!!!! 

 Our new state senator.

I'll take my lawn sign down now.

A Rose By Any Other Name

I know some of the things I write about Packemin make it sound like the worst place in the world to work and to go to school.  But, truth be told, it is anything but that.  We have a great bunch of kids, fantastic teachers and, except for two, good administrators.   The kids who come to Packemin get the best education available to any New York City public school student.  In fact, the size and the diversity of Packemin gives or students an education that is better than that of most private school students.  Our students thrive in an atmosphere that challenges the bright and supports the ones that need help the most.  Anyone walking in will see students who are engaged in learning and happy to be where they are.  Last year, my college class conducted a survey on the effects of overcrowding on education at Packemin HS.  The results shocked us all.  While there were some issues being in a school our size, they overwhelmingly felt the rewards far exceeded the problems.  Not one regretted their decision to come here.

So now you are probably wondering why I am all of a sudden writing a post bragging about my school?  Well, today we were told that our "A" school is now a "B" school.  Although all our statistics have gone up, by some magical formula our grade has gone down.  I could say we are still the school we were a year ago, but I don't think that would be true.  We have gotten better.

Now, bear with me for the rest of this post.  I am sure I will be making a lot of enemies now, but I don't care.  (And, please don't think I am sucking up.  I have nothing to gain by writing this post.)

Two years ago, Principal Suit retired and in his place we got a young, bright, enthusiastic new principal.  Our new principal thinks with his head and his heart and has made quite a few changes that have improved the quality of our school for students as well as teachers.  I don't agree with or even like everything he has done (one in particular) but I do believe every change was only made after careful thought about the outcome and possible consequences.  Before he took command, computers for teacher use were almost non existent in the building.  Now, they are everywhere.  There is now a teacher's work room.  (He is still opposed to adding a window, one of his major faults.)  Although no one wants to attend a faculty conference, at least now they are engaging and end before or at the bell.  The door to his office is always open to staff and students and no one has to worry about retribution for speaking openly.  He openly supports extra curricular activities and is never too busy to show up in the evening or on the weekends.  The kids know they have a person in charge who has their best interests at heart.

The school's rating has no consequence for me.  I'm old and I will be long gone before the DOE decides to turn our building into mini schools or give it over to a charter school.  But, I've been at this school for 25 years and to see some arbitrary, meaningless number bring it down makes me mad as hell. Let's face it, no New York City school is really an A school.  Our classes are too big, our facilities are too crowded and most of our buildings are just too old.  But, I'll take the comparison of Packemin to any school in the city and, if it is done fairly, I know we will come out on top.

Bloomberg--take your A's and your B's and all your other ratings and shove them where the sun never shines.  You wouldn't know a good school if it bit you on your ass.

PD

When running a PD session:

1. Make sure you tell people coming to the session the things they will need for the session to be successful.  Do not waste half the time gathering materials.

2.  Make sure the room is equipped with everything you need to make the meeting a worthwhile procedure.  Do not run out of paper or markers.  Preparation is a must.  Teachers are expected (and rightly so) to be prepared for their classes daily.  PD facilitators, especially when they are administrators, should be required to do the same.

3.  Make sure you explain procedures and expected outcomes properly.  It is important not to spend precious minutes doing work, especially tedious work that is meaningless.

4.  Make sure the program is easy to set up and use.

5.  Make sure you understand what you are teaching us.

6.  Encourage give and take at meetings.  No one wants to listen to someone putting them down for over an hour.  It is a sure way to turn everyone off.

Someone needs to observe the people running these Pd sessions and rate them, the way they rate teachers.  Click here to see my PD day rating and the story behind the above observations.  You will understand the picture above then.

Letter To The Editor

From Sunday's Newsday:


My first year teaching was at a Catholic school with a sizable population of Protestant students. Their parents spent their hard-earned money, not to get them a Catholic education, but to get them out of the "failing" public schools.

What amazes me is that none of the education reform experts, including your editorial staff, seem to have any clue about what these students were escaping. They weren't fleeing "execrable" teachers. They were fleeing their fellow students.

Fire all the teachers you want (and there are some who should go), but if you do not grapple with this inescapable fact, education reform does not have a prayer.

A while back a picture appeared in your paper of a Hempstead student attacking another one with a two-by-four. You can sack every bad teacher and even disband teacher unions, but if you think it will make a significant change in test scores, I have a bridge I am looking to unload.

Patrick Flynn
Wading River

Torture

Root canal without anesthesia would be less painful.

From Little Neck Ledger

I do not understand how teachers have become the villains of society and scapegoats of every politician facing a budget deficit. Teaching is one of the most important professions that exists within an advanced society. Teachers have the responsibility of preparing our youth for the challenges of daily life as American adults.

In other words, teachers are possibly the greatest influence on the direction a person’s life takes. Teachers, in many cases, have more of an influence than parents in this regard. Successful citizens with the ability to be productive members of society directly affect our nation’s future.

As such, teachers should be treated with respect. Instead, we are mocked, degraded and trivialized by every outlet of the media and politician and anyone else who has an opinion about the state of our education system. We are seen as a drain on our nation’s economy. We are seen as selfish. As New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said, “We are only out for our paycheck.”

How did we get to this point? At what point in our history did teachers become the bad guys? The emphasis on education and the high regard in which teachers were held in the past is part of what made this country great. Is it really any wonder that we are falling behind the rest of the industrialized world now?

Let’s face it: If teaching was so easy, more people would do it. The reality is, the vast majority of Americans are not cut out to teach and just as many of those people have no idea what teaching entails.

If policymakers were truly concerned about a high-quality education for our nation’s children, they would make sure teachers were well-paid and -respected. Maybe then our nation’s best and brightest would go into teaching.

Richard Schaffer

Glen Oaks

My New Toy

I'm sitting at PD blogging with my new toy. I'm finally getting the hang of the touch screen keyboard. I don't know how the kids do this so easily.

Special Broadcast

Make every effort to catch tomorrow night's internet radio broadcast from South Bronx School. His VERY special guest is long time blogger Fidgety Teach, who has spent three years in the rubber room at the behest of Leadership (??) Academy Principal Mustillo, who he blogged about some time back.

Broadcast at 9:00 on Tuesday.  Click here to listen

A Real Writer

Number 3--in the Huffington Post.  Maybe I can be a real writer after all!!!  Link here.

If It Feels Good, You Should Be Ashamed

How do you feel knowing you were the straw that broke the camel's back?

The Day After

Student:  Ms, you ruined my evening. 

Me:  How did I do that?

Student:  In the car [going home from parent teacher conferences] and then all night, all I heard was how important math was and how I better go for help and start doing better.

Me:  Good, that is what you have to do.

Student:  Ms, you didn't have to be so hard.

Friday's Conversation

Student:  "Ms, you got me in a lot of trouble when you mailed that letter home."

Me:  Well, you've been missing class every day for the past week, you got a 39 on the last test and zeros on the last two quizzes.

Student:  It still isn't right, you shouldn't have done that.

Doesn't Matter What We Say Or Do, It Is Still Our Responsibility

Mathematicama, after reading the previous post, reminded me of a post I wrote in September where I identified kids who did not belong but were not moved.  Thanks!

Another Memo

If you have students whose exam grades are extremely low, please look on computer and make sure the student(s) belong in your class.  It is already way too late but we want to make sure we fix all the problems before Open School Evening/Afternoon.  I do not wish to be the person to inform the parent that you failed to identify the student and I don’t think the parent will likely accept your apologies.

Xu speaks no English, not even enough to fill out a book receipt.  I knew immediately that she could not survive AP calculus.  I immediately brought her to the attention of my AP who said "She knows derivatives.  She is in the right class."  I went to the ESL department to find out why she was placed in a regents English class.  I was told "She placed out of ESL on the entrance exam.  She is in the class she belongs in."  I sat her next to some students who spoke her language and basically gave up trying to get her changed into something more appropriate.

Thursday night, right before Parent-Teacher conferences were set to begin Mr. AP said, "I took that girl, the one that does not speak English out of AP.  She is only a junior and does not belong there."  I was given no other information.  Sure enough, an hour into the conferences, Xu's mom walked in.  Unfortunately, she spoke no English either, not even enough to avail herself of the translators available.  I brought her to Mr. AP, explained the situation and left.

But, I'm the one that will be expected to apologize. I'm the one that is responsible.

(BTW--I was always under the impression programming belonged to guidance department.  This memo went out on Thursday.)

Inviting Sign

A Little Jewish Humor

Moshe is sitting at the bar staring at his drink when a large, trouble-making biker steps up next to him, grabs his drink and gulps it down in one swig and menacingly says, “Thanks, Jew Boy. Whatcha going to do about it?" Moshe burst into tears.


"Come on, man," the biker says, "I didn't think you'd CRY. I can’t stand to see a man crying. What’s your problem?"

"This is the worst day of my life," Moshe says. "I'm a complete failure. I was late to a meeting and my boss fired me. When I went to the parking lot, I found my car had been stolen and I don't have any insurance. I left my wallet in the cab I took home. I found my wife in bed with the postman and then my dog bit me....So I came to this bar to work up the courage to put an end to it all. I buy a drink; drop a capsule in and sit here watching the poison dissolve; then you show up and drink the whole thing! But enough about me. How's your day going?"

Record

Yesterday this blog had over 1000 hits.  That is a new record.  It beats all the others by a landslide.

I don't know what I am writing that has people so interested, but I am glad it has.  I just wish it would make a difference.

It Only Took Seconds

Mr. and Mrs. Smith came to see me this afternoon. Their daughter Jenny did not bring home a stellar report card and they were concerned. 

I actually had no idea Jenny was having difficulties in her other classes as she is a shining star in mine.  Jenny is one of the first students to arrive.   She is bright and motivated and is always going to the board to put up homework or just do a problem.  Her lowest test grade of the year has been a 90.  She helps the kids around her.  She is an overall delight.

As I sat and raved about this little wonder, I kept noticing the scowl on her dad's face and the look of disbelief on her mom's face and they finally told me what they had heard from her other teachers.  I was shocked and started doing some detective work to try to get to the root of Jenny's problems.  Finally it hit all three of us at the same time.  Jenny is in the class with only 20 students.  These kids get lots of individual attention.  I can tell anyone who asks exactly what each child knows and does not know and where their weaknesses and strengths lie.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith then turned to Jenny and asked her about the size of her other classes.  All were packed with 30 or more students.  Then they asked her about the math class she had difficulties with last year and in summer school.  Again she said they were big.  Mr. and Mrs. Smith asked me about getting Jenny into smaller classes for all her subjects.  Of course I had to tell them this was probably impossible.  Her class, being so small, was a fluke.

All the ed deformers seem to think teachers are the single most influential part of a child's education.  And, while teachers are a major part, small classes could go a long way towards helping the teacher do a better job.  It took Mr. and Mrs. Smith about 30 seconds to see the connection, a connection all these education experts have yet to make.

When Pigs Fly

He thought he was invincible and could do whatever he wanted to do.  A little person stepped up and called him on his actions.  A higher authority intervened and showed him he was just as vulnerable as everyone else.  He did not like being exposed.  He did not like being reduced to tears.  He came down hard on the little person.  The little person was upset and vowed never to speak to the higher authority again.

The armor was nicked, but only a little.  He will still do whatever he pleases, no matter who he hurts.  All the little people saw the way their friend was squashed.  They are afraid.  Pigs will fly before any of them speak again.

Evil

How can you live with yourself  knowing the things you do to others?

Does looking in the mirror scare you?

Does what you do turn you on?

Evilness flows from every pore of your body.

Thwarted

Here

Happy Halloween

I read the e-mail from Klein, the one giving his take on this added value nonsense and, if I didn't know better, I would be inclined to believe it made sense.  Unfortunately, I do know better.  The problem is getting others to know the same.

I really get the part about moving kids ahead, or at least getting them to show improvement and I do believe, except for a small minority, all teachers feel the same.  But, it is also incumbent upon the people in power, like Klein, to help us do this job.

This semester, I am teaching the third term of a four term algebra class.  The kids in the class are weak math students.  Some never passed either of the first two terms and many failed the second term of the sequence.  Several have severe behavior problems.  A guidance counselor of one of the boys in the class wrote that he has a history of behavioral issues which she and his mom have unsuccessfully been dealing with for over a year.  

This child disrupts the class on almost a daily basis.  He is keeping others from learning and moving ahead.  The system our wonderful education mayor has created does nothing to help kids like him.  In fact, the system created penalizes him and his classmates by keeping them all in large classes, classes they do not have the background to pass.  Some of the students in this class will not move as far ahead as they should because of him and several others like him.  Added value would make me look like a failure, someone who should not be in the classroom.

It has been said over and over but it can never be said too often.  Teachers are important, but small classes with appropriate curriculums are just as important.  Enforcement of discipline is a must.  Teachers are just mortals, in some cases trying to do super human jobs.  It is not right to hold us accountable and up for public scrutiny due to things not under our control.

From My Crazy Chicago Friend Dave

Sometimes it is better not to know the process.

Huffington Post

I made it again.  I put the link here.

What The Ratings Don't Show

1.  Mrs. G spent every afternoon working with a group of students who improved greatly.  The only problem is that Mrs. G was not the teacher on record.  She got to know the kids while trying to push them into class one day and they took a liking to her.  They stayed late every day to get extra help from her.

2.  Mr. T always ends up with the students no one else wants to teach.  He is strong and caring and manages to get through to many who have been deemed hopeless.  His only problem is that he loses some along the way and his statistics are never glowing.

3.  Ms. K can look at a student's face and know whether the topic she taught has been understood.  She doesn't have to wait for the test to evaluate learning in her classroom.   Ms K's problem is this ability is not measured by numbers and because she spends extra time on certain things, she has left other issues uncovered.

4.  Miss J has a heart of gold.  She instinctively knows how to comfort the child and how to make that child feel good about himself, even when others have given up on him.  Miss J's statistics are not all that glowing either, yet she is one of the most outstanding teachers in the school.

5.  Mr. P has been teaching combining radicals for almost a week.  On the 5th day, he modeled a few more problems, had a student go to the board and model a few more and then gave the class an assignment to do on their own.  As Mr.P walked around the room, he saw more than 50% of the class adding radical 27 to radical 48 put down radical seventy five as an answer.  He taught, nothing sank in.

Klein thinks parents have a right to know what sort of teacher their child has and every child should have a great teacher, but this data does not only not do the job, it hurts the very people that might be helping the students the most.

Worth Listening To

Leonie Haimson is the guest tonight on South Bronx Teacher's blog talk program.


http://www.blogtalkradio.com/bronx-teacher/2010/10/27/the-mind-of-the-bronx-teacher

Pleasant Surprise

I broke down and decided to wash the boards in the room I use for my first four classes.  I came early, with rags, ready to work.  But, guess what?

THE BOARDS WERE CLEAN!!!!!!

Uplifting Story

One administrator can say you stink as a teacher, and your career is over.  Maybe you are bad or maybe you are just not liked.  Maybe the administrator has no idea as to what makes a good teacher.

You Like Apples is the story written by a guy who was made to doubt himself, who spent a year worried about U ratings and losing is job and has now found himself in a new school where he is being asked to model lessons for other teachers. 

Go over, read his story and see that good things do happen.

Good Thing I Am Not Trying To Earn A Living This Way

My latest attempt at being an artist.  More here.

Tony Avella

Taken at the College Point Street fair.

I made my husband give back the Padavan bag he was given, even though it was a good one for grocery shopping.

School Danger News Story

Thanks to This Week In Education for sharing.

Empowerment

Empowerment includes the following, or similar, capabilities:-

The ability to make decisions about personal/collective circumstances
The ability to access information and resources for decision-making
Ability to consider a range of options from which to choose (not just yes/no, either/or.)
Ability to exercise assertiveness in collective decision making
Having positive-thinking about the ability to make change
Ability to learn and access skills for improving personal/collective circumstance.
Ability to inform others’ perceptions though exchange, education and engagement.
Involving in the growth process and changes that is never ending and self-initiated
Increasing one's positive self-image and overcoming stigma
Increasing one's ability in discreet thinking to sort out right and wrong .

Empowerment helps people who have been marginalized become self sufficient and confident.  In the workplace, empowerment helps reshape employees attitudes and helps them do their jobs better.

If any of the blogs around have helped anyone get empowered, that is great and I am proud of doing my part.   The enabler, the one who is sharing their opportunities and helping these individuals become empowered should feel proud too,

“Empowerment is not giving people power, people already have plenty of power, in the wealth of their knowledge and motivation, to do their jobs magnificently. We define empowerment as letting this power out (Blanchard, K)." It encourages people to gain the skills and knowledge that will allow them to overcome obstacles in life or work environment and ultimately, help them develop within themselves or in the society.

I TOUCH

Posting from my new toy. I might be old but I still love technology.

(I cheated and got the picture from the computer.)

Life Of Riley

Everyone is up in arms about teacher contracts and how we all use the contract to avoid work.  I wonder why no one ever talks about the custodial contracts.

1.  Blackboards are only washed twice a year.
2.  Floors are also on the limited wash list.  (Not sure how many times, so I don't want to post it here.)
3.  Cleaning dust is not in the contract.
4.  Putting paper towels and soap in art rooms is not part of the contract.
5.  Painting an entire wall is not in the contract.  (They are allowed to paint up to a certain height so there are rooms with half walls covered.
6.  Cleaning the insides of radiators is not covered.

I'm sure there are other things that should be done too, that are not covered.

Why isn't anyone up in arms about getting custodians to provide these basic necessities?  Why are teachers the only ones with the a contract that provides the Life of Riley?

I Tried

I really tried not to say anything at the make up for the departmental meeting I missed on Monday.  I really tried to just sit and say nothing.

I couldn't do it.

Now I know how it feels to be the Incredible Hulk.

Highly Motivated and Cooperative

Report card grades of N's or U's require a comment.  One of my favorite ones to use, especially for kids that are not top notch students, but work hard is "Highly motivated and cooperative.  Today I was told (I'll say who told me here) to only use that code for kids who have gotten "E's"  Basically I was told that if a child was truly motivated and hard working, he would be getting 90's not 70's.  I disagreed.  I have students who are always prepared, always volunteer to go to the board and are constantly going for extra help, yet they only squeak by with 70's. 

So, I am looking for some feedback.  I asked a room full of teachers today if they thought it was acceptable to use this comment with a 70 student and all present agreed with me.  But, I would like some additional comments.  Please let me know if you think this comment should be reserved for the 90+ kids.

From Inez

This is for some of the strongest women I know.

Be the kind of woman

that when your feet hit the ground

each morning,

the devil says,

"OH SHIT, SHE'S UP!"

Feeling Good

When we are in the same room, the tension is thick enough to be cut with a knife. (continued here.)

It Shouldn't Be That Difficult

The exam was left for you in plenty of time. 

You just had to take it from your mailbox when you arrived in school that morning.

You didn't do that this time or the time before.  In fact,you told the child it was not your responsibilty, although it is a big part of your job.

You said you would try to do it in the future.

Come on, YOU WOULD TRY!!!!  It is your friggin job.  How hard is it to do?  No one is asking you to dig a ditch or perform open heart surgery.  If  you can't handle this, how can you handle being in a classroom?

I Didn't Get My Window But...

No window but the room was cleaned, even the walls are now dirt free.  There are supplies on the table and paper for the printer.  Someone was listening! 

Ownership

I know, when I own something, I take care of it.  I keep it neat and tidy and if it shows a little wear and tear, I do the best I can to fix it up, to make it presentable.

I don't feel the same way when something is not mine, I won't deliberately do something to ruin it, but I won't do any upkeep of it either.  For example, when I rent a car, I make sure I take out all the garbage before I return it.  I don't bother dusting the interior or wiping the bird crap off the windows.  The car is not mine and I don't care enough about it to keep it clean.

One of the problem with working in a big school like Packemin is that there is no feeling of ownership. Every teacher area is common area and quite honestly, I and I am sure most of us, have little desire to keep the areas clean.  Most people (there are slobs around, so I won't count them here) throw their trash in the cans and if they spill, they wipe the area, but that is the extent of their cleaning.  So, when the computers have a half inch of dust around them, no one will clean them.  When the window sills and the chalk boards are covered with months of chalk dust, that too sits, because we are only in that particular room a period or two, and then we move somewhere else, to another room with just as much dirt.

I looked at pictures of a friend's kindergarten classroom and wondered why she would spend so much time making the place look so nice and then it hit me.  This was her space.  This was the space she would be governing for the next 10 months and she wanted it to be comfortable for her and her students.  She owned the space.

As I sat and bitched about our despicable teacher's room today, another teacher said, "I'll just get a rag and clean my little area."  (Which she did not do.)  If she did, I guarantee, another teacher would have been using that spot the next time she wanted it and she would have to start over again.   The computer printer ran out of paper and she said, "I'll go get some."  I did that yesterday, and today it was empty again.  That is the end of my running for supplies. 

I want a space to call my own.  I want to "own something."  When I do, I will keep it in a presentable condition. 

Recipe For Trouble

Put a totally incompetent person in charge of a department. Let this incompetent hire personnel to do jobs they have no experience in and no training for. Be sure to give them no training and no help.  The resulting mess will be disastrous.

Putting A Damper On The Situation

A young man wanted to take an AP course, but due to budgetary restrictions, he could not get in.  Others, with higher grades beat him out for the few seats.  The child was persistent.  He wanted to do the course as an independent study and take the exam with everyone else.  The person in charge said "NO!  You were not good enough to get in the class.  What makes you think you are good enough to learn the course on your own?"  The boy persisted and explained how he planned on going about learning the material.  The person in charge said, "There is the door, use it!"  The boy hung his head and left.

I sat listening to this in disbelief.  Here is a child who wants to learn, who is motivated and ambitious and he is not only being stifled, he is being humiliated along the way.  I thought we were supposed to encourage academic pursuits, not throw buckets of ice water on them.  What is this world coming to.

South Bronx Teacher On Blogtalk Broadcast

Tuesday nights, 9:00, you will find me glued to the computer listening to South Bronx teacher on blogtalk broadcast.  I admit, I started listening because I like the way the guy thinks, but the idea of listening to a radio talk show over the Internet did not appeal to me at all.  Little by little, my addiction to this program has grown and I look forward to hearing his latest topics every week.

The next broadcast:

Leading educator Amy Modesto of the Orange County (FL) Schools will be joining us as we discuss riveting and important trends in education. RTI, bi-lingual education, special education, children with special needs, and the education system in Florida. Amy Modesto has been teaching almost 25 years combined in both New York State and Florida. The call in # as always is (917) 932-8721

Self Love

I'm the best, I'm the best, I'm the best....

What I missed by  (continued here.)

A Thought

A beautiful exterior hides this interior.

Oyster Fest

Supposedly the biggest street fair around.  Get there early, if not the traffic is unbearable.

Also, be prepared to wait on long lines to spin wheels and win prizes you care nothing about.

More pictures here.