Surrender

I told my algebra kids the exam would come entirely from the regents book and I half the exam would be problems we went over in class. I told them they could use the book on the exam. They still failed. I am ready to give up.

Shocked



It's that time of year again, the time the stockholders of McGraw Hill get to pick up a little extra cash because the children of NYC are taking Acuity Tests, those tests designed to tell teachers what their students need to work on to be successful on the regents.

The kids know it is a big waste of time.  One boy walked in and announced that he wasn't going to take it.  I knew arguing wouldn't get him to change his mind, so I said, "Please, I get in trouble if you don't."  He then said, "For you, I'll do it, can I have a pencil?"  He sat down and worked the entire period on the exam.

I'm still in shock.  I didn't think this kid even liked me.

Even The Kids Notice

Quite a few of my students were at the big science fair at the Museum Of Natural History.  They met Obama and were impressed with his speech and the attention he gave many of the exhibitors. 

They told me Bloomberg is short and noticed him not shaking any hands.  They also noticed Cathie Black's short speech and her quick dart to the exit.  The kids said she had her bag over her shoulder and her feet in the direction of the door while the microphone was still in her hand.

Once again our education mayor and the chancellor are showing their respect and concern for the children of NYC.

Telling Their Fortune

Report card time again and again we are supposed to be fortune tellers. We are supposed to look into the future and determine which kids will pass the regents and which ones will fail. It is only November and we are supposed to make a decision that will impact on the rest of their high school career.

Mr. AP wants great statistical results. He says that is how the school is rated and numbers are all that matter. Most of the teachers in my department are afraid to have failing grades and the wholesale dropping will begin soon. Kids from the two term algebra class will be put in four term classes. Geometry and trig kids will be put in business math and other non regents subjects. I hate doing this. The kids deserve a chance to improve. They deserve a chance at passing and if they fail, they should have the option of repeating the class. If they don't continue the course now they may be out of the loop that will lead them to an advanced regents diploma.

I don't know how my students will do in the end. I have some very weak kids that probably should be dropped but dropping them seems like I am giving up on them.

I'll probably end up having the worst statistics in the department again but, that's life. I don't have a crystal ball that will allow me to see June's results now. I only have my two eyes that see the students in front of me. I have to look at them and make a decision that is right for them.

Question

During her junior year a high achieving student signs up for three advanced placement courses, in addition to the honor sections she has in every other subject and is a member of the JROTC. She is studying for SATs and agonizing over college applications. She realizes during the first week of her senior year that she is overwhelmed, and that she cannot cope with all the work. She wants to drop one of her AP courses but is told "Tough, you asked for it, now you keep it." The girl is crying all the time.

Question: Should she be allowed to drop or must she live with this program until June? Should she be allowed to change her mind?

I just read an IKEA ad that promised you could try a mattress for 60 days and then return it if it wasn't right for you. Should kids have rights similar to this?

Honeymoon

The algebra classes are not what I expected. ARIS gave me a whole bunch of data that just seems wrong about most of them. The kids are great and they seem to have more than a clue as to what is going on.

They were ready to begin on the first day of classes. No one said "I don't have a notebook" or "I need a pen." And, when I started working, they worked without complaint. They were not afraid to participate. Nobody observing would have been able to distinguish the special education kids from the regular ed kids. The only way I noticed was from the code on their attendance sheets. I even got homework from almost all of them and the grumbling about weekend homework was barely there.

I'm still not sure how I like this team teaching bit. So far, I've only had a substitute in the room. The extra hands, eyes and ears are nice but there is a price to pay for it. (More on this in another post.) Not that the price is high, but if you remember from previous posts, I am cheap, and it is more than I want to spend.

Well, I won't let myself get too comfortable. It is only the first week and we are still on our honeymoon but I think I will enjoy it for as long as I can. Who knows, maybe this relationship will last for the year? Stranger things have happened.

A Pick Me Up

When schedules and PD get me down, I always find one of these in the mail.

This kid got a 5 on the AP exam.

Hi Ms. POd! This is jack, today is my first day of class, and I just came back from my morning 8:00AM calculus class, my professor is somebody like Mr. Punman, he is very funny, and calculus obsessed, haha.
I have to say, the stuff I learned in your class is so useful, everything we did today he thought we didn't learn yet, but I knew all of it, you know, the area between 2 curves using dy, he is going to do 3 curves next class I think, but it would be very simple because I took AP Calculus in Packemin with you!
I will visit once Packemin starts class, probably on a Tuesday. See you soon!

Remedial Student

When my kids were little I brought them to work with me when their school or day care was closed.

My little second grader was spending an afternoon with me as I was giving an exam to a remedial class. To keep him busy, I told him to do the exam along with the class.

My little boy took the exam very seriously. He sat on the side and worked hard. As he noticed one of my students trying to cheat off of him, he threw his arm over the paper and worked harder.

To this day, we still laugh at the high school kid copying answers from the second grader. Only now, in the era of NCLB, the high school kid who had to copy off the second grader would be graduating high school and heading on to college.

They Haven't Forgotten Me Yet

Hi Ms. POd,

I hope all is going well with you over the Summer. I'm sure you're surrounded by math, as always haha. Anyway, of course I thought of you here in Orlando, Florida while walking through Disney World. Even Goofy and all the Disney gang use Calculus! They're using math to create candy I think. Well, talk to you soon! Enjoy your summer!

Kevin

A Student's Perception Of Math B

(Please click on each picture to read. It is worth the time.)
The teacher of the young man that wrote this answer was agonizing over this and this boy's other answers. You see, this young man did not want to take math B, but was forced to. During the term, he either did exceptionally well or was clueless, depending upon his level of interest at the moment.

The teacher agonized because he worried about his statistics. He knew this boy would bring them down.

I hate to write this, but I really think Suit made the right decision when he forced this boy to take the course. Although he might not have learned all the teacher wanted him to, he had to pick up quite a bit of material. The prose in this essay is a testament to the child's intelligence. Too many kids go into college totally unprepared for the math they will have to take. No matter how little this boy did, he did something and he learned something. He was exposed to the material and because of this he do better later on.

I don't remember a time in the past when teachers worried more about statistics than education. When will we wake up and see that school is so much more than numbers?

Be Prepared, Not

Kids came into the regents exam with their I-pods and cell phones but forgot to bring pens, pencils, calculators and ID cards. Why? Is it because they were not emotionally, mentally or educationally ready to take these courses and sit for these exams?

One girl, during the Global Regents said, "Can you read me the instructions? I am too lazy to read them myself." I thought, maybe she cannot read. but, if she can't read, how could she possibly take this exam? She got to the essays and stopped. "I'm too tired to do all this writing. I think I did well enough on the short answers to pass." I pushed and pushed her and got her to write. I don't know if she finished or wrote anything coherent, but she wrote. Her attitude alone told me that something was seriously wrong with our education system. I have never, in over 30 years teaching, had a kid tell me they were too tired to finish an exam that meant passing or failing a year long course and was crucial to graduation.

Zale

Zale is one tough little girl. I met her when she was in tenth grade and she scared the crap out of me in the beginning. Then I got to know her, to understand her, to see where she was coming from and where she intended to go. And my fear turned to respect and to love.

You see, Zale entered Packemin HS with deficits in English and in math. Before she even started ninth grade, she attended summer school for English. She did not want to be in that awful ramp up program for underachievers and she did not want to have to take double period English. She successfully completed the program and avoided the class. Zale did end up in a double period math class. Luckily she had a great teacher who was a strong disciplinarian with a soft spot for kids like her. This teacher was able to get Zale through her first two terms of math A successfully.

Zale went from a double period math class to a single period class. She did not have the extra class time she needed and the work was much harder. Zale was determined. The attitude I saw was just her determination to succeed and succeed she did. She successfully completed that year with me and did very well on the regents.

With eleventh grade came Math B, a much, much harder class. Zale ended up with a teacher that was good, but whose heart was not as soft. Although she passed, she did not do as well and she was not happy. Zale was determined to do better. She set her mind on getting transferred into my class and managed to succeed. She did not even mind staying an extra period because that was when the class met. During that semester, I learned that she had failed the Global regents in tenth grade and had to retake it. I heard her repeatedly say "I am not a Black statistic. I am going to pass that test." And, pass it she did.

Twelfth grade brought her to her last math regents. I couldn't do much for her as I wasn't teaching the course and wasn't free when she was. Unfortunately she did not make it in January. But Zale, determined as ever, studied on her own, came in for some tutoring and passed the exam this June. (She also passed college now math.) On Friday, when Zale picks up her diploma, it will have that gold seal on it, the seal that says it is an Advanced Regents Diploma.

High School was not easy for this girl. According to all statistics, the probability of her not making it was high. The deck was stacked against her achieving all she did. This determined little girl beat the odds. I know she will go on to be a huge success. I am glad that I was around to be a part of it. I know if I wasn't there she would have found someone else to help her through.

Congrats Zale! Knowing you has enriched my life.

The Waiting Game

They are entering the building for another exam when they spot me. They rush over, not to say hello but to find out how they did on the geometry regents. They are concerned. They feel confident. They all walked out of last year's algebra exam feeling lost, yet they all passed and passed with decent grades. This year they were able to answer so much more. There is no way could be failing.

I wish I could have given them a positive response. While I know the raw scores, and there are guesses as to what will be passing, I cannot give most of them any reassurances at the moment. Quite a few scored in the high 50's and low 60's. They will pass, although I don't know with what grade. The 40's are more difficult to call. And, I don't want to say anything to the 30's until I know for sure. I did give bad news to one of my 20's, but I broke it to her easy, told her she passed the course and she promised to let me help her retake the exam in January.

This waiting is silly and makes no sense. Merryl Tisch, the new Chancellor of the Board of Regents wants higher standards. She talking about raising the passing grade from 65 to 75 to make the grades more meaningful. What she should be talking about is making the exams more valid. Here we gave an exam, graded the exam but will only determine its success or failure after the state scrutinizes the papers and determines exactly the grade that makes this new project a success.

All year, the kids take exams worth 100 points and know that if they get a 65 or better, they passed. The biggest exam of the year has a totally different scoring system. These poor kids will not know their regents results until Friday, the last day of school. It's not right.

Other Ones

I knew the kids I am teaching in my AP class this semester are special, but I did not realize how special until awards night. These kids won award after award after award. By the end of the evening my hands and throat hurt from clapping and cheering so much.

These special kids are not the reason I go to this ceremony. This group is used to being honored and truthfully, to them, it is no big deal. No, the reason I go is for the group of kids who had to work extra hard, the group that success does not come to easily.

Mitch stopped me in the hall and begged me to come see him get his award. He didn't know what it was for, but he was excited. Another student told me that Mitch had family problems and didn't think anyone would be there for him. I made him a sign, like the one above, bought him some cheap plastic flowers and when they called his name, I waved the sign and gave him his gift. Today he told me that sign was the best thing he got. It is hanging over his bed.

Maria told me she was upset that her dad was going to show up. Nothing she ever did was good enough for him and she knew he would just put her down if she only got a little certificate. She didn't want anything to ruin her night because winning meant that Maria was amazing and she wanted to be amazing for one night. Maria's award was very special to me because I nominated her for it. She won $75 for the most improved math student. Again, her hugs and her thanks were more than enough to make me glad I attended the event.

Tina told me that her entire extended family was going to be present. Unlike Maria, she was thrilled that her dad was finally partaking in her life. She thought I might have recommended her for the award and she really was a close second to Maria. The award ceremony was almost over when Tina won her award, a gold medal. She was ecstatic and loved her sign too.

A few years ago, I taught a student who I worried would never do what he had to do to graduate. I told him time and time again that if he made it I would carry a sign at graduation saying "Toby has graduated." Well, Toby graduated and I carried the sign. I ran into him last week and he told me he still has that sign.

Don't get me wrong, I love my AP kids. They are a delight to teach. The truth is, anyone can teach these kids because they are so smart and so motivated. The other ones are the ones that need me. The other ones are the ones that make me feel like I am really earning my check.

Conversation With A Student

Me: What happened to your pants? You always dress so well.

Kyle: Ms, I bought them this way.

Me: I didn't know times were so hard for you. I would have bought you a new pair if you really needed them.

Kyle: Ms, these are Abercrombie's. They look mad good on me.

Me: Kyle, you look good in everything, even those Salvation Army rejects.

Kyle: No, Ms, you don't understand. These cost me a lot of money.

Me: No way, those pants would be turned down by Goodwill.

Kyle: Ms, you are too funny. (He turned to leave.) See you next period.

Let Little Boys Be Little Boys

I was chatting with a cute little guy and his mom yesterday. The little guy was on the tall side, so I guessed that he was in first grade. His mom said no, he was only four and in pre-kindergarten. I asked him if it was fun and if he got to play. His mom told me that his school was very structured and although they did get some play time, most of the time was spent learning how to write and to read. She told me he needed the structure. He spent too much time playing and fooling around.

I felt sad for this little boy when I left them. A four year old is supposed to play. While it is nice to learn to read and write, play time is important too. There is time enough for formal learning. My daughter knew all her letters and numbers before she could walk. When she was a year-old she knew that when the clock said 7 0 0 we got up. I used to change the time to get to sleep later. I was glad my son knew his numbers by the time he was 16 (only kidding, but he was much older than a year) and he did not start reading until third grade. Both of my kids are successful in their careers. My illiterate little boy is a successful computer engineer. His late start did nothing to impede his development.

This little guy was just being a little guy. I know his mom really loves him and wants the best for him. I just hope she learns to let him relax and enjoy life now. I wish society would let him relax and enjoy being a little kid. He has time enough for stress when he gets older.

Hugs

She showed up the period after her class and I could see she was extremely upset and had been crying. She missed an exam but I could see that was not what was bothering her. I told her I knew she was upset and unhappy and the exam didn't matter as much as she did. I wanted her to do well in math but more importantly, I wanted her to do well in life, and to be happy. I don't know exactly what her troubles are but I do know this girl has seen more and suffered more in her 15 years of life than a lot of us will see and suffer with in our entire lives. My eyes got teary when I spoke to he.

First she said, "Ms Pod, don't cry" and then she said, "Ms. Pod, do you need a hug?" and she hugged me. This from a girl that would not let anyone touch her a few months ago.

I might not be able to get her to pass math (but I have hopes because she is bright.) I might be able to help her learn to cope and to trust some of the adults in her life.

When I'm Feeling Down

When I feel like there is a conspiracy against older teachers (I am not in that group, but I still feel the pain.)

When I feel like education has gone down the tubes and it is not worth the effort anymore.

When I feel like chucking it all because I'm tired of fighting the system. I'm tired of administrators who put accountability first and learning second.

I open my e-mail and find this:

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, Mrs. PoD!

These kids are making it hard for me to do what I know I should do.

I Must Be Missing Something

Every subject is assigned certain test days and we are not supposed to deviate from these days. The reason is simple, the kids should not be over burdened with too many tests to study for on the same day. They can't do a subject justice if they are studying for too many exams on the same day.

What I want to know is why it is okay to give kids an extended day of school, extra classes with extra homework and extra studying? Aren't these kids being burdened as well? Aren't these kids being deprived of much needed studying time?

Is there something wrong with the way I am seeing things? Am I missing something?

The Original Super Hero

When we do derivatives and integrals of "e" to the x, I always call "e" the original super hero because whether you integrate it, or differentiate it, you always come back to the same function. It's corny, but it helps the kids remember.

Last week, we were doing a problem in which involved an "e" and I mentioned the super hero story again, when a girl had trouble picking the part of the integral to use for the "u" in her substitution. Calc Boy then yelled out "Ln is e's Kryptonite." Everyone laughed, but I laughed so hard I had tears running down my face. For those of you who don't know the math and are still bothering to read this post, e to the lnx, is x, thus the e is destroyed.

I couldn't believe this boy made the connection. I can't believe the crazy affect I am having on them. This is a kid I will miss.