Blogboard

Easy Recipe to Becoming a Teacher

2010-02-09T22:25:27Z

Inspired by a blogger looking to become a teacher because "teaching...sounds...interesting...," Mei Flower came up with the quick, sure-fire method for getting ready to become a teacher. Think myth of Sisyphus but with people criticizing you.

The Death of a Writing Legend

2010-02-03T18:40:37Z

At Epiphany in Baltimore, the blogger posted a tribute to recently-deceased J.D. Salinger, celebrating his famous novel The Catcher in the Rye.

Holden was looking for a place in the world, and, in a way, Catcher in the Rye sort of lets me know my place. It's my lighthouse. So I named my thrice-adopted, thrice-returned dog Holden, because he was also looking for his place in the world. And I often think about this experience of reading and re-reading Catcher in the Rye as a transformative one, helping me recognize the power of a great book and how it helps define who we are at certain points in our lives.

Rest in Peace, JD. Thanks for writing one of those books that changed my life.

We Must Protect This Classroom!

2010-02-03T18:27:52Z

Nancy Simmons of Online Science Degrees chimes in with a guest post on Learn Me Good about how to take control of your classroom.

Most teachers know how to control their classes, but when one or two rogue elements succeed in creating havoc and causing a ruckus, things get out of hand and the teacher does not really know what to do... The only way they can regain control is if they appeal to a higher authority or use their powers to threaten the students in some way.

Hat Tip: For more on taking control of the classroom, check out Larry Ferlazzo's recent article from the Teacher Leaders Network titled Giving Classrooms a Purpose.

Reading Intervention Gone Horribly Wrong

2010-01-22T20:35:35Z

Ever since her school scrapped freshman reading classes, Mei Flower has been struggling with the school's new system of "reading intervention"— the Carbo method.

In the Carbo method, a student would choose his own reading material, read at his own pace, and discuss it with a teacher. There were fewer than 15 students in the class, and the teacher had at least one aide. Also, that is ALL the teacher did, reading intervention.

Instead, our school system shoved Carbo onto us with little-to-no training, demanded immediate results, gave us classes of 30 or more, and still expected us to teach up to three (3) other subjects. The Board also failed to realize that the problem with a self-motivated program is that many of our students are NOT MOTIVATED. Therefore, this program was a massive failure.

Instead of conforming to the Carbo method, Mei Flower continued to teach her way, with positive results. But that wasn't enough for her boss, "Mr. A," who's forced her to follow the Carbo method this semester.

She describes the Carbo method in excruciating detail:

Let me explain His Way to you: During a world history class, another teacher has to give up half of his or her planning period to pull my students, one by one, out of class to read aloud from a workbook. The teacher does not track fluency, does not track comprehension, and does not track reading gains. What the teacher does is put a checkmark next to the student's name in order to prove to Mr. A that a "reading" "intervention" has taken place. Essentially, a tape recorder could do this job.

A Little Too Late for MySpace...

2010-01-22T20:24:13Z

The ever-amusing Hobo Teacher lays into a colleague when she suggests incorporating MySpace into English lesson plans.

I'm going to suggest to our IT department to check the settings on our filtering software because Borrish had to have sent this e-mail back in 2004 when MySpace was relevant and we're just getting it now. Get with the times Borrish. I'm half-expecting a telegram from her about an idea she has about having the class read along to a phonograph recording of The Chambered Nautilus.

Finally, let my own fuddy-duddiness come out here and point out that education is something that should be put up on a pedestal of high standards. Sadly, those left in charge of education have decided to lower itself down to the masses rather than pulling them up to excellence.

A Hard Knock Life for a Sub?

2010-01-22T19:42:55Z

Over at Mildly Melancholy, "J" does a point-by-point breakdown of a recent critique from a substitute teacher that was printed earlier this month in the New York Times. The substitute, who has spent her past two years subbing in classrooms one day a week, ripped full-time teachers for taking too many days off, not leaving lesson plans for subs, and complaining about how difficult their profession could be.

That didn't sit too well with Mildly Melancholy.

I agree, there are a lot of things that need to be fixed about education, teaching, teachers, curriculum, discipline, management, and schools. Substitutes are a necessary thing, and I really empathize with the people doing it, but it's nowhere near even the first half of all the trouble facing schools nowadays. This lady needs to get over herself.

Has Formative Assessment Been Hijacked?

2010-01-08T14:29:39Z

Renee Moore wants teachers to reclaim formative assessment from the role of ongoing standardized test prep:

Constantly, analyzing what my students are learning, where they are needing additional support, where they need more challenge, what teaching adjustments I need to make are the core professional decisions that determine the ebb and flow of my teaching life. Make no mistake, these are professional judgments. Formative assessment is not giving a series of mini-standardized tests to see how close we are to being ready for the BIG test. But sadly, this is what it has been reduced to in too many classrooms and schools.

The Lasting Effects of Hating Gym Class

2010-01-08T14:12:12Z

Are mean phys. ed teachers responsible for poor fitness later in life? Robert Pondiscio points to a study.

When Homework Goes Online

2009-12-29T20:42:38Z

Jay Mathews recites an anecdote from a former colleague about her children's teachers neglecting simple internet resources for their students over at The Washington Post's Class Struggle blog.

The two kids of his former colleague, Linda Thompson, attend school in the Washington, D.C. metro area where their district provides Web pages for each teacher to upload homework assignments. While Thompson checked the page nightly for her kids' homework assignments, she often came up empty handed.

Thompson was delighted to discover the web homework schedules when her older daughter was a sixth grader. Disappointment followed when, she said, "I found out only about half of her teachers used it. Some teachers were weeks behind in updating the info. My older daughter is off to high school next year and has matured amazingly over the past three years, so I don't have to worry that much about her stuff anymore--but now my younger daughter is in third grade, and I am in my second year of trying to get her teachers to use the web."

...I am sure some teachers see this as one more chore added to an already long day. But wouldn't it save time otherwise spent fielding parent calls or dealing with their children's incomplete work? Other school districts told me they get few complaints like this, but make sure principals take them seriously.

Do you believe that having a district-provided Web page for students' homework assignments adds another unnecessary burden to teachers? Or does it provide students and parents with an invaluable resource?

Downsizing Tests?

2009-12-29T19:03:58Z

Jay Mathews of The Washington Post suggests one innovative way to reduce standardized testing loads for stressed students: Shorten the tests.

Terry Paul, co-founder with his wife Judi of Renaissance Learning, Inc., gave me recently a draft of a short paper he has written suggesting a way to reduce the strain of state testing under the No Child Left Behind Act, or whatever replaces it. He says we should emulate the tests his company's Accelerated Reader program gives to ensure students understand books they have read. That means making the tests short, maybe as little as 15 minutes.

This idea is too wild to go anywhere, but Paul is no nut. He is a thoughtful businessman who helped create the nation's most successful program for encouraging book reading. He notes research that indicates a 15 minute test can "provide similar reliability to a 50 minute paper assessment."

Mathews hopes this kind of idea could spur adaptive testing. What's your reaction to using the Accelerated Reader as a model for downsizing tests?

Should Netbooks be Required?

2009-12-16T18:18:11Z

Mark at The Elementary Educator asks when schools will make netbooks required materials, much like calculators for a math class, or gym shoes for gym class.

Here's another comparison: in the elementary school in which I teach, students are required to keep a separate pair of gym shoes in their lockers at all times (except when in use). Judging by the looks of the shoes that students bring in, I'm sure many of these pairs of shoes cost $30-$50 or more. When the price of netbooks drops to around $99 (especially with the school getting a discount due to volume), is it really that unreasonable to say that if we're willing to ask parents to spend $30 to $50 or more on shoes for a class we only have once a week for 50 minutes, we might as well go ahead and ask parents to throw $100 down to buy something that we're going to use to revolutionize the way we do school?

But Mark notes that the investment in a netbook could have interesting implications for the classroom.

After spending money on the mini-laptops, parents and teachers might be more insistent on students putting them to good use.

Reaching the Teaching Breaking Point

2009-12-16T18:17:02Z

Mei Flower may have reached a breaking point after receiving an e-mail from her principal that appeared to be an advertisement passed off as research regarding testing.

Its main message seemed to be, "See, you guys, I TOLD YOU that taking a practice ACT every week doesn't hurt the educational process!"

I almost had an aneurysm right there on my classroom floor and, in fact, I'm still so angry right now that I am pounding these keys like I WANT to pound our curriculum director.

This year, due to new ~~unnecessary~~ "reforms" made by this man, my job is ruining me. I have never been so tense and angry for such a long period of time. In fact, I have named my anger; it is now known as The Eternal Flame of Burning Rage, and it is growing by leaps and bounds.

And then Mei Flower crafts an e-mail response to her principal...

What's the Point of High School?

2009-12-16T18:05:57Z

Elona asks "what's the point of high school?" over at Teachers at Risk.

What's the point of high school anyway? Over the years I've often wondered that, and I'm a high school teacher. I used to think I knew but the longer I teach the less sure I am. I've been told that high school is supposed to prepare kids. Prepare them for what- work, college, university, life???

It seems that my purpose as a teacher in 2009 is getting students to pass grade nine so they can go to grade ten so they can go to grade 11 etc. My focus is on getting kids to pass. Is that what it should be? Is that what the focus of high school should be? Obviously, I'm not the only one wondering about this.

Three-Step Cure-All for Teachers

2009-12-10T18:08:10Z

In the holiday shopping spirit, Richie introduces a three-step teacher regimen to cure all ails in the classroom.

Video Games or Packing Lunch for Your Kid?

2009-12-10T18:01:43Z

Mrs. Bluebird vents her frustration about parents too busy with video games to focus on their kid's lunch.

One student, who she nicknamed "Lunch Boy," walks with her in the front of the line to the cafeteria every day, only he doesn't buy lunch. It appears that his mom is too busy playing video games to pack a meal or give her kid lunch money.

And the Lunch Boy will make comments about his mom playing video games. "Oh Mom was busy playing World of Warcraft again yesterday," he'll say. "She's too busy playing on the computer to give me lunch money."

I am so sick and tired of this nonsense. It is absolutely ridiculous that this kid is going hungry. If his parents can't afford to feed him, there's a program out there to make sure he's fed. In fact, none of our children in school should be going hungry. So really there's no excuse for the fact that every day this kid is not eating lunch (and goodness knows about breakfast).