The History Teacher

A Time for Reflection, Relaxation, and Rejuvenation

2013-12-24T12:23:00.000-05:00

As the year comes to a close and people gather with family and friends to celebrate the holidays, it's a perfect time to reflect on the past year. It's also a time to develop those January resolutions (I don't call them New Years resolutions because they never last past January...) But most importantly it is a time to relax and prepare for the 2nd half of the school year! Those students will return ready to learn (or jump off the walls from their sugar high that hasn't gone away). Think of a way to harness that energy and put their holiday hangover to good use during the month of January! (remember it's only two weeks till a 3-day weekend, 6 weeks until another week's vacation!)

“Reflect upon your present blessings -- of which every man has many -- not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.”
- Charles Dickens

“Sometimes, you have to look back in order to understand the things that lie ahead.”
- Yvonne Woon

“I am a writer of books in retrospect. I talk in order to understand; I teach in order to learn”
- Robert Frost

-MB

Happy Thanksgiving

2013-11-26T10:57:00.000-05:00

There is a heart-warming side to every holiday. The love we're supposed to show on Valentine's Day, the cultural heritage and pride expressed on St. Patrick's Day, the religious side of Christmas and Easter, the National pride of Independence Day. But all of these holidays have a rampant commercial agenda that wants you to buy buy buy and they lose a lot of their heart-warming effect.

Thanksgiving on the other hand, is really a day of coming together and giving thanks... and eating way to much food, watching football, organizing plans for Christmas and starting to plan for black Friday shopping sprees...

Ok, so the picture isn't quite so rosy, but at least it's a day of anticipation where you still spend it enjoying the company of family members. Until I found out that some stores will be open at 6AM (yes, you heard correctly...) on Thanksgiving Day! This is insane!

Christmas has been a lost-cause holiday due to commercialism, but it's now so entirely lost that it is attacking Thanksgiving! Following the 1950s Domino Effect theory of communism I can only assume that Halloween will soon be the beginning of the Christmas shopping season and those Dirty Red... Santas? will be out in force.

Alright, it's not really so bad as that, people still have the choice to spend quality time with their families on Thanksgiving. But if you or your relatives are planning on dining and dashing this Thanksgiving I would ask that you first consider the following:

Are the people you're buying gifts for more interested in your presents than your presence? If so, they don't deserve the gifts.
If you only buy gifts for people at the cheapest price possible, are you really doing it for the right reasons?
Live in the now, not the future, it's the greatest gift of all and that's why it's called the PRESENT.

Wishing everyone safe travels and a truly Happy Thanksgiving!

-MB

Thanksgiving 2012 Thanksgiving 2011

Attending Conferences: A Pep-rally for Professionals

2013-11-21T21:43:00.002-05:00

This past Monday I had the luxury of attending my first conference for professional development. It was sponsored by the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress (MDSC) and was held at The College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA (beautiful campus btw...). The theme of this conference was teaching students with Down Syndrome, and more specifically, teaching them using the Common Core Standards.

Upon arrival I felt like a kid in a candy shop - teacher resources (BOOKS!) and two exhibit spaces with agencies and specialists promoting techniques and strategies and answering questions about how to be better at the job we've been charged to do. And all of this was before the first speaker took the stage.

There is nothing more empowering for a teacher than hearing the success story of a student - from the student herself. One of the keynote addresses was from a successful, 28 year old woman who has Down Syndrome. She passed all of her MCAS exams, graduated high school, and is is one class away from finishing an associates degree. She works, has a social life, and does everything a typical young woman would hope to do! She described how her parents pushed her to be successful and did everything they could to educate her teachers so that THEY could push her to succeed. In high school she gave her teachers an annual PowerPoint presentation of her strengths and weaknesses, goals and fears. (could our typical students even accomplish this?!) Listening to her speak was a message of never underestimate your students and always strive to make them achieve high expectations.

Image - www.business2community.com

So, it's 10:30am (on an average school day I'm already reaching for that 3rd cup of coffee!) and I'm amped up, ready to learn, and excited to engage with my peers in some real professional development. The rest of the day was a whirl of great teaching strategies, research-based methods of instruction / behavior modification, and decades of insight that, as a new teacher, I only scratched the surface of.

By 2:30pm the Conference is over and I find myself disappointed that it has to end (even though it's 40mins past the last bell of the school day...). So many unanswered questions, but too many new ideas to keep track of. I again feel that same feeling of anticipation and excitement I felt the first time I stepped into a classroom.

I hope I'm able to attend at least one conference each year for the rest of my career. Thus far, there has been no better refueler for me than this. My recommendation to you would be, if you haven't attended a professional conference recently - go to one; you may well find that extra boost you've been searching for.

-MB

Managing Classroom Behavior... So Easy With ClassDojo

2013-11-13T22:06:00.000-05:00

As a new teacher I'm all about learning - learning how to develop a curriculum, work with colleagues who've been doing the job for decades, learning the ins and outs of a public school, and of course how to be a good teacher.

Image - learningtales.wordpress.com

There are skills that all teachers need, but one that is most evident when it is missing is classroom management. You can easily picture that classroom with students blowing spitballs, paper airplanes flying across the room and a group of kids in the back corner with their chairs tilted back talking about what they will do this weekend. It's a teacher's worst nightmare (or at least the worst one I've had so far... but again, I'm new)!

Every teacher I've ever had or worked with has their own system and style for classroom management. You've got your "I'll be your friend," easy going teacher; your "If I could use corporal punishment, I would" hardliner; your "so desperate to have these kids behave that I call the principal daily" pass-the-buck educator; and your average, middle of the road, "do your work and I'll try to let you have fun" educator.

In special education there is a particular need for structure in the classroom management style you choose; and student-based incentive is never a bad option for special ed or general ed. Enter - ClassDojo. This website (with linked iOS and Android apps) allows the teacher to create a set of classroom behaviors you WANT to see in addition to a set of behaviors you DON'T want to see. Each student can create a profile with their own avatar (think Monster's Inc character...) and they can access it to see daily / weekly scores (percentages) of positive and negative behaviors.

This app, like all apps / programs, has its pros and cons. Personally, for my sub-separate special ed classroom (6 students) it makes tracking and modifying student behaviors easy and fun (I have just as much fun using it as my students). For a class of 25 - 30 it might be more cumbersome than productive. The fun avatars can make or break this app for you depending on your students' ages. For many high school students this might be considered a childish program (although I know some high school students who would find it very entertaining...). My middle-school aged students would've spent 20 minutes of class-time designing their avatars if I'd let them.

Fun avatars can make or break this app depending on your students' ages

The most exciting behavior change I noticed within the first few days of using the app was an INCREASE in positive behaviors such as class participation and paying attention. Students who would otherwise have been perfectly happy drifting through their own daydreams were attentive and begging to participate (worth 1 point each time they're called on in my setup) because they didn't want to fall behind in points. Some of the students with negative behaviors are becoming more self-aware of the consequences of their actions, but it is MUCH easier to pick up a new good habit than to remove an old bad habit. (I look forward to updating this post in a few months!)

The best part of all is how easy it is to setup and use! I got my class setup in about 10 minutes and had the program fully implemented in my daily classroom routine by the second day of use. If you have an existing classroom management style but want to spice it up a bit, this app is for you. If your classroom management style isn't working at ALL, this app is for you (but it doesn't work miracles or run your classroom on its own... you do have to still be an effective teacher). If nothing else, it's FREE so there's no risk to giving it a shot, you might be as pleasantly surprised as I was!

-MB

P.S. Found this app thanks to a good friend's husband. It's one of his many good finds! (check out more HERE)

What's in a Grade?

2013-11-07T16:32:00.000-05:00

As the first term of the school year comes to a close, questions arise about grades, how one earns a grade and what that grade really means.

Grade Inflation is a term that is thrown around a lot in both secondary and postsecondary education, but what is it? Any time we hear the word inflation we immediately think that something is now worth less than it was before. (The only time we like the word inflation is when it refers to balloons, or a raft that you can lay on all summer in the pool).

In schools across America an average student used to be expected to receive a "C" in their classes; nice and simple located directly in the middle of the 5 point scale A, B, C, D, F. (don't even get me started on leaving out the letter E... system already makes no sense) But in today's reality, the average student is expected to receive grades of A's and B's. C's are for underperforming students, and if you receive a "D" or and "F" then you must be a delinquent causing problems in class, and there's clearly no hope for you.

With our expectations skewed to the upper end of the scale, how do we sift through the sea of 'A's and determine the truly high achieving students from the new average student. Students from the "every kid gets a trophy" Millennial Generation expect A's, want A's, but only in some circumstances (definitely less than the 50% who receive them) deserve A's.

In reality the question is whether or not it matters at all, as long as students are learning. Do grades, typically based on teacher-made assessments, reflect real student learning or simply the ability of students to regurgitate the information provided to them by the teacher. What is a genuine assessment of student preparedness for college? Career? Life in general?

So as you fellow educators finalize your grades, send out your comments (equally questionable in their purpose or purposefulness), take a moment to consider what they mean; are you too harsh, too lenient, or just stuck working within the confines of defining student progress with a meaningless number.

-MB

For additional reading on grade inflation from people who actually did research click here:

ASCD article "Research Says / Grade Inflation: Killing with Kindness?"

Rolling Rally - Boston Celebrates the Red Sox World Series Championship

2013-11-02T13:41:00.000-04:00

Banner is hung above building near Copley Sq, much to crowd's delight

Catcher David Ross (with a camera strapped to his chest) in front of 3B Will Middlebrooks

Old World Series Trophy makes a trip down Boylston (not sure if '04 or '07)

Here's the trophy we're looking for: 2013 World Series Champions

The ever faithful Don Orsillo on the NESN duck boat

Red Sox Ace, Jon Lester admiring the crowd

And they're gone... fastest 15 minutes of my life (but one of the best!)

Boston Strong

2013-11-01T06:13:00.000-04:00

The emotion you get when seeing this image

Plus the feeling you get seeing this photo

Nothing can keep this city down.

We are Boston Strong!

-MB

A Fall Day

2013-10-26T08:57:00.003-04:00

A Fall Day

Image - guardianlv.com

No sun today.
No rays reflecting off the reds, yellows, browns, and greens
of the fall landscape.
Misty rain falls momentarily from gray clouds which hug
closely to the earth link a blanket.
Wet leaves underfoot slip and slide across the sidewalk as
the car meanders on its monotonous journey to work.
Cold, drafty windows whistle with the wind and
the chill wafts through the classroom.
Sleepy students sit silently studious;
But I've got my coffee.

-MB

Special Ed Teacher: Why I Feel Uncomfortable Being Called a Saint

2013-10-18T09:50:00.001-04:00

I have now been working as a Special Education Teacher in a sub-separate classroom for two months. I am loving every second of my job; the good, the bad, and the ugly. But as I've been talking with a variety of people about my job, the population of students I work with, and the challenges I face daily their response (both educator and non-educator alike) is, "Wow, you're a saint."

Really?!

While my daily routine and student challenges might not be the same as a high school math teacher, or a middle school art teacher, they are just the challenges that come with my job. Every teacher faces challenges each day working with students regardless of the discipline. As far as I'm concerned, a high school Math teacher is a saint for teaching Algebra 2 to students who would rather do ANYTHING else than learn math. Or a high school music teacher who has a band or chorus class with 60+ high energy students whose sole raison d'être is to make noise! (really though, have you met band kids?)

I am not saying my job is easy, or that there aren't days where I, too, wonder how I made it through the day, but please withhold the canonization ceremony until you look at the other candidates, some of whom might be in your mirror every morning (I'm talking to you, fellow teachers).

-MB

5 Things I Never Thought About Being a First Year Teacher

2013-10-11T10:11:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Columbus Day weekend, the first respite for teachers a little over one month into the school year. As a first year teacher in a substantially separate special education program I have already learned so much, discovered how little I was prepared for, and have set my sights on achieving so much by the time my students leave for the Thanksgiving break in 2 months. Reaching this first milestone seemed like a good time to re-ignite the reflective nature of this blog and post about what I've learned that they DIDN'T tell me about in college.

1. Young does not equal inexperienced: As a new teacher you have to ask questions, get advice from more experienced teachers, but also be confident that what you know is useful, you didn't spend 4+ years in college studying this stuff for nothing. Take the skills and run with them!

2. Ask lots of questions, but not too many: Don't be afraid to ask questions of administrators, veteran teachers, other new teachers, secretaries (keepers of all knowledge), etc. Try, however, to find answers on your own first, and when asking questions, don't always go to the same person for an answer, there are plenty of people to build relationships with, ask them all.

3. Contact parents early and often: This is more applicable in the special education setting, however, it can be done in various ways in a general education setting. Sending home weekly emails about student progress, both positive and negative shows parents that you care, that you have their child's best interest in mind, which goes a long way when issues arise. Parents can be your best advocate or your biggest critic, make sure they bat on your team.

4. Eat lunch with your colleagues: The social environment in a school provides great opportunities for teachers to let go, relax, and re-energize. Nothing is better than lunch. Perfect mid-day vent sessions, counseling sessions, advice giving sessions. Eat lunch with a group of like-minded teachers to keep you going throughout the day / week / year

5. Laugh with your students: Building a rapport with your students is a must! Sure there's more to teach than there's time for, and some students are so behind you're not sure they'll every catch up. And there's the students with behavior issues. But if you spend a little time each day getting to know them, making them laugh, it goes a long way to creating a positive learning environment. (not to mention eliminating the majority of behavior problems!)

-MB

Co-teaching: Is It Working for You?

2012-11-24T12:03:00.000-05:00

Generally when people think of co-teaching the first thing that comes to mind is really called "Team-Teaching" where two educators work together in similar roles to provide comprehensive and differentiated instruction to a class of students. This is the ideal in an inclusion classroom where varying approaches can help meet the needs of students on IEPs. However, there are also other forms of co-teaching that can be effective in certain situations.

In some cases, especially in a classroom where the ability range is not drastic but there are a couple students with additional needs, a complimentary approach might be best. This is where one teacher takes the lead role and the other provides supplementary aides for the students who need it such as additional notes or re-wording instructions/questions. And there are a variety of other co-teaching strategies in between.

However, there are a number of things that are simply not co-teaching. For example, just having two bodies in the room does not constitute co-teaching unless both are actively engaged in the course material and are consistently and continuously providing support for students. Also, having someone in the room is only effective if they know the course material enough to provide the supports needed for students. Co-teaching is most effective when both teachers can work off each other and know the make-up of the classroom to provide a safe and structured learning environment.

Image - teachingdreaminglearning.blogspot.com

If your school has co-taught classrooms ask yourself these questions and determine if your the structure needs tweaking in order to be most effective for the student population you serve:

Are the needs of all students in the classroom being met?
Do both teachers feel they are being effective aids to students in the class?
Do the teachers communicate effectively with one another to lay out a plan for the day's lesson?
Could each teacher effectively implement the lesson alone?
Do both teachers know the needs of all students on IEPs?

If the answer to one or more of these questions is NO then it might be beneficial to sit down and determine what needs to be added or changed to the co-teaching plan to make it an effective system for your classroom. Co-teaching works (multiple studies have shown significant improvements in learning) however as with all teaching, there is a continuum and more effective co-teaching has better results.

-MB

For more information about effective co-teaching search for articles by Marylin Friend and Lynne Cook

A Moment of Thanksgiving...

2012-11-17T21:57:00.000-05:00

... for the 7:15 am bell (ok... more like the 1:50 pm bell)

... for the students who make sure the days aren't too consistent

... for the ridiculous, off-topic conversations, and the great moments of intellectual discourse

... for the days after the day it would have been so easy to give up but we didn't

... for walls that we hit, and breakthroughs we make

... for colleagues who share their experiences, both good and bad, to help us grow
... for the students who remind us not to lose perspective
... for the countless days where waking up means another chance to enrich someone's life
... for the days they say "I can't" and the moments when they realize "I can"
... for parents who push their children to greatness

... for all the time I get to spend teaching and more importantly the time I spend learning.

-MB

Feel free to leave a comment this week adding what you're thankful for

Living History: Thanking the Veterans for Their Service

2012-11-10T15:19:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow, November 11th is Veteran's Day. Veterans represent one of the downsides to freedom in the world - the need to protect that freedom with force. Veterans represent the highest ideals of character: faith, hope, courage, dedication to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Veterans always have been and always will be the living embodiment of sacrifice in this country. We can all take a moment this weekend to remember we owe a lot to the men and women who served this country with honor.

We should also take this opportunity to reflect on the role of the United States in the world. As many people know, Pearl Harbor was the last time the United States was actively fighting in their own territory. Sadly, there are not many of our WWII veterans left, we should make sure to listen to their stories and remember the "Greatest Generation." The rest of our veterans served in Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq and countless other countries in the world. Regardless of your political views on these interventions it is important to thank our servicemen and women, however, it is also a time to remember the times America has entered conflicts and to learn from those interventions.

Image - www.epica.com

I encourage you to think about the wars, police actions, and military interventions of the 20th Century and remember: Freedom isn't Free.

-MB

The Importance of Community to the Success of Schools

2012-10-27T11:06:00.000-04:00

It is not often that you find a student who excels in school, participates actively in extracurricular activities who does not have parents who are concerned with their student's success. Teacher's spend less than half of the year with students, and during that time, about 1/4 of the hours in the day. Learning is a 24/7 process that must continue at home.

That being said, if a student isn't performing well in school that doesn't mean their parents aren't involved or concerned about their success. (As we learn in Philosophy 101 - just because one thing is true doesn't make the opposite also true) I think most educators agree; parental involvement in the school community is a huge factor in student success.

However, recently I've been thinking about how the school community impacts students' out of school life. Sure, it is great for parents to attend school functions, communicate with teachers about their students achievements, but what about the converse? What about the effect of teachers knowing about and actively participating in the community in which they work (but don't necessarily live). If a student sees their teacher participating in other community events, it makes that student's connection to school even stronger.

I'm not saying teachers should spend their weekends going to every public event in their community; but showing an understanding for the community your student's live in can have countless rewards in making a connection with them that shows them you're putting in the effort, so perhaps they should too. Teachers who are involved in sports, community service, the arts, etc. in the community have a connection with students that the teacher who is only seen in school during school hours doesn't have the opportunity to make.

-MB

see also The Importance of Letting Students Know You Care (9/8/12)

Thought Provoking Video...

2012-10-14T14:25:00.000-04:00

The following video was created by the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts (see their site HERE). Whether you agree or disagree with the content of the video, it definitely gets you thinking about the many issues in education in the United States. - Enjoy

-MB

Teacher Evaluations: How Do We Quantify Success?

2012-10-06T10:38:00.000-04:00

As we well know, there is a new teacher evaluation system being rolled out in states across the country. This was a highlight to the Chicago Teacher's Union strike a few weeks ago. In an interview, Ed Payne from CNN asked members of the CTU about their objections to a new teacher evaluation tool:

Image - www.nytexaminer.com

Q. Why are teachers objecting to evaluations tied to performance?

A. The union says student performance is directly linked to conditions in the home or neighborhood, making it unfair for teachers to be punished if students don't do well in the the classroom for those reasons.

(click HERE for the full interview)

And herein lies the quintessential question that surrounds all teacher evaluations - how much can student performance be measured and appropriately linked to teacher performance?

Despite popular opinion, I do not think most teachers are opposed to being evaluated, nor are they opposed to having their performance determine whether or not they keep their position. Teachers, especially younger teachers, understand that there are many more people applying for jobs than there are positions to be had. If you're a low man on the totem pole, you're going to WANT your evaluation to help you keep your job, and you probably wouldn't mind if someone at the top had to work just as hard to keep theirs.

Where teachers are concerned is, just as the CTU members stated, the relationship of student performance to their own ability to teach. There will always be that one student or couple of students who are almost impossible to reach. Even a master teacher, who's been teaching for 25+ years can have a student that they're not sure how to help. Does this failure equate to them being inadequate as a teacher? Of course not, and the new evaluation system wouldn't hold a small percentage of the student population against them. However, what happens in a school district where the majority of the student population is underperforming? Is the entire teacher population at risk of losing their jobs because their district isn't making the grade?

This is where the CTU has some ground to stand on in making their case. In a district with a large number of at-risk students, it would be concerning to base your teacher evaluations on the performance of these students. At the same time, there are teachers who have great success with at-risk students across the country, so would it be terrible if these school districts only looked for the best? (are there enough of these teachers who don't burn out after 5 years...)

I don't think there's a clear answer in this debate, but what is clear is that teacher new teacher evaluations are here to stay and the best way to deal with it is to make sure that you're doing the best you can in your classroom. Any teacher who honestly puts their all into their work (which most teachers do) has nothing to worry about. On the other hand, if you're a teacher who has been riding the wave letting students come and go without putting in too much effort to update your curriculum, or develop new strategies for working with students who struggle, maybe you should take a closer look at your career and find a way to fix things before the evaluation becomes an issue for you.

-MB

Next week: Merit Pay

Facts: Why They're Not Optional

2012-09-29T11:32:00.001-04:00

Image - www.allvoices.com

One of the first things that students are told to do when making an argument, whether in an essay or in a debate setting is to find facts to back them up and cite them. English teachers everywhere are harping on the importance of finding text references, citing sources and making a VALID argument; one where the facts support your thesis. If you have unsupported arguments in your essay, then you have lost credibility, not just where those arguments are used, but in your entire paper. When there is no fact to back up an argument it cannot stand, therefore you have no argument.

This might seem like common sense to anyone in the education world, however, where are the teachers of today's political masterminds and campaign leaders? Why do politicians feel they are above the rules of validity and fact? The lack of factual, source cited arguments in this campaign have actually been nauseating. On a daily basis there are hundreds of television ads that are based in little to no fact. How are the American people supposed to make a choice when they really have no idea who they're choosing or why?

In this regard, the president actually has the advantage. He's had four years to do something and can be judged based on what he's done, attempted to do, and failed to do. We don't need some fiery rhetoric (though the Republicans have supplied plenty) to know what has taken place the past four years. So while the Obama campaign is no better than the Romney campaign in its use of facts, at least there is four years of undisputed evidence to use for or against him.

Or is there? If you believe what the Romney campaign would have you believe, Obama has actually not done anything in the past four years except destroy this country. Some of these arguments are based in reality and are just a matter of opinion on what it means to "destroy" the country. Others however, like Clint Eastwood's invisible chair speech are so far from reality its difficult to understand how anyone can support such a fact-less claim: "I know you were against the war in Iraq, and that’s okay. But you thought the war in Afghanistan was OK. You know, I mean — you thought that was something worth doing. We didn’t check with the Russians to see how did it — they did there for 10 years." (Read more: www.politico.com) Blaming Obama for the war in Afghanistan? Interesting fact-less tactic for sure.

So while this election will likely be a close one, I encourage everyone to try and find the truth behind the candidates before they vote. Either that, or decide how each party would do in the fictional world they have created and vote based on their ads that are also not based in reality. But don't let your students forget than an argument is only good if it has facts to support it. And don't forget, BOTH sides have forgotten to back up their arguments, so while one might be more entertaining than the other, don't let your students believe that only the "other" party is to blame.

-MB

For more facts visit:

Politifact.com - http://www.politifact.com/

FactCheck.org - http://factcheck.org/

The Art of the Special Ed Paraprofessional

2012-09-22T13:54:00.000-04:00

Note: As I sat down to write this blog post I realized that I had to clarify the misnomer that is my blog title. Currently, I am not working as a history teacher but as a special education paraprofessional in a high school while completing my Masters program.

Most people in the education world know (or think they know) what a paraprofessional is doing as they travel from class to class either exclusively with one student, or with a cohort of students who need additional assistance at school. However, in one month of work I have learned a few things I didn't know that could make all the difference in being successful.

The first is that if you're working exclusively with one student as a 1:1 aide, your relationship with that student is essential for the success of that student. They need to know that you care, that you're confident in their ability to achieve great things, and that they can trust you to help them when they need it. I would go as far as to say trust is the most important part of being a 1:1. The moment that the student believes you will do everything in your power to help them be successful, you're on your way to a smooth year.

But there's another piece that is equally important and also follows the principle of trust. The relationships between the para and the classroom teachers are critical. The teachers need to know and understand that you are there to help the child succeed within the parameters of the class. You can provide additional assistance on classwork, help the student with strategies to study for an exam, and most important, keep the student on task and paying attention. Para's should engage in regular conversation with teachers before or after class or the school day to make sure they're on the same page with the plan for success. Get a rundown of the game-plan for a lesson so you will know when and where your student might need your help and you can prepare for it in advance. Teacher's appreciate knowing that you care and that you're assisting the student, not simply doing the work for them. Also, don't be a distraction in class. While you're clearly not invisible, and most students aren't given extra help silently, it is best to be discreet and at the same time if you're able to help other students around you, it can't hurt to use the extra adult presence in the classroom to help maintain order and keep all students on task.

My job also gives me the opportunity to work in a classroom as an aide for a large contingent of students who have Individualized Education Plans (IEPs). Communication between the teacher and para is even more critical in this environment because you're not tied to one student, but really to all of the students in the classroom. In a high school classroom, you don't often see all of the students with IEPs hanging out in one corner screaming "we're over here and yes we need your assistance." Instead, one of the great successes of inclusive education is that they're dispersed among their peers. In this environment, the best tactics that I've observed/used are using almost a co-teaching method. While your ultimate purpose is to be an additional support to those key students, you're also helping out with anyone who might have a question. The teacher is up front, leads the lesson, gives instruction and begins to walk around while the students engage in the activity, the para then kicks into action and can help any and all students complete and achieve the daily goals. Don't single out the students with special needs, they feel enough pressure as it is.

Again, creating a bond with each student so they feel your job is to help them succeed is the best way to achieve success as a paraprofessional.

-MB

P.S. If you're a general education teacher, don't hesitate to ask the para their opinion about differentiating the lesson, or adapting a project to meet the needs on the IEP. Hopefully they have enough experience either with that specific student or in special ed in general to help create a successful plan. Engage them to help create a positive atmosphere in the classroom, they'll appreciate it.

Don't Be Afraid to Learn From Your Students

2012-09-15T07:24:00.000-04:00

We live in a digital world where things change rapidly and no one has the time to keep up. (especially not teachers) Students today have grown up surrounded by technology and it is well known by now that they will always be one step ahead of the generation that came before. This is old news, and by the standards of the digital age where news is old after 27 seconds (according to common AT&T ads), this is ancient news.

www.cartoonstock.com

So why even bother talking about it?

As a tech savvy 90s child who grew up with a lot of technology, I find myself falling further and further behind in the race to comprehend the uses and abilities of today's technology. I'm taking classes on the use of technology in schools and the curriculum for the class is outdated even before it's printed. How are we, the educators, supposed to keep up with the latest trends and understand the technology that our students are using on a daily basis? The answer is simple: let them teach us.

The effort is being made by older teachers to modify their lessons and incorporate technology into the classroom. But many of these well-meaning teachers have spent the last 5 years or so developing amazing lessons and getting accustomed to technology that is now obsolete and needs to be updated again. SMART Boards seem to have already been replaced in some ways by iPad and Apple TV technology. Teachers can't possibly adapt and change their lessons to keep up with the demand for new and improved.

The better solution is to develop lessons that work using a variety of technologies and then let the students decide how they are going to best complete the assignment. If the student has an iPhone or iPad and wants to make a movie using some app - let them. If the student is not quite so up and coming and wants to use the seemingly outdated PowerPoint - go for it. Or if the student wants to find a technology that came out somewhere in the middle like a Prezi presentation - why not. The important part of the lesson is the content, not the method. Giving students the freedom to be creative and use technology that you might not even know exists is a leap of faith, but it is one that will be rewarded time and again because you will learn new things from your students.

I like to think of myself as current, up to date on Facebook, Twitter, I've used an iPad, I have a smartphone, but it's also important to remember I can learn a thing or two from the students myself, they're the ones with the free time to learn it all.

-MB

The Importance of Letting Students Know You Care

2012-09-08T08:51:00.001-04:00

image - www.frameworkinstitute.org

When a student is struggling in class, every teacher hopes and expects that that student will come forward and ask for help, and many times they will. However, if the student doesn't believe the teacher cares about their success, or even worse, would help them when they ask, then there is little chance that the student will say anything at all.

As teachers, we all care about the well-being and success of our students. We would all like for each and every one of them to succeed and move on to bigger and better things. Yet, we understand that some students will not succeed through no fault of their own unless we give them that extra boost to help them on their way. A good teacher is available and willing to help any student who asks for it, a great teacher knows which student needs help and goes to them without being asked.

Life happens, it often gets in the way and it rarely proves to be an easy road to walk down. Balanced adults can handle the curve-balls and still hit home-runs, but the average teenager is going to strike out a few times before they get on base. Help them with their swing - show them the techniques that will enable them to succeed in your class. If you were going to be a student in your own class how would YOU take notes? How would YOU prepare for the test? It's not cheating to provide the tools that they need to succeed. Remember, just because they've already been in school for several years doesn't mean they've figured out which strategies work best for them.

School is about learning more than just the material in the curriculum. School is about learning interpersonal relationships. Its about learning respect and decency that is required of all human beings in society. Its about discovering that caring for someone else can be even more gratifying that simply caring about yourself. Show your students you care, share in their successes and hold them up through their failures. If they know you care, maybe (not always) they'll care a little more too and their drive to succeed will inspire the students around them to do the same.

-MB

NEXT WEEK: Don't Be Afraid to Learn from Your Students

Remembering that Our Parents' Childhoods are Today's History

2012-09-01T08:00:00.000-04:00

With the passing of one of the greatest members of the greatest generation, it is easy to forget that the average high school student hasn't learned much about what happened in the years after World War II. Neil Armstrong was a pioneer of the last frontier and was also a great example of humility and devotion to one's country and to personal ideals. He is an icon that students should look up to, but one that many students have either never heard of, or only in passing.

If you're a teacher, and have been teaching since you graduated college in the 1980s then there are about 40 years that you would consider "present day" that the average student knows barely anything about. If you've been teaching since the 90s you forget that students now have no idea what the First-Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm) was, only that George W. Bush "finished what his father started." If you've been teaching since 2000, you're about to find out that students have always lived in a post-9/11 world and believe that every act of violence can be linked to terrorism. So why is this important?

History classes have to add more and more information each year as the history of the world gets longer and longer. It is impossible, even in a high school where four years of history are required to cover this wide range of information. In many high schools U.S. History is covered in a two-year curriculum. The history of the United States, which typically starts with some type of understanding of the groups that lived here already, and the first European settlers in the 17th Century. That means history teachers are being asked to cover over 400 years of information in 360 days. (I'm not a math person, but even I can see that you have to cover more than a years worth of information per day)

Recent history is the first to get cut out, simply because by the time you get there, you've run out of time to teach it. What we're left with is a group of students who, despite having so much information at their fingertips in this technological age, don't know some of the great figures of history that are still living among us. Neil Armstrong is NOT the guy who rides bikes and had cancer. (Yes, I have actually heard people make that mistake!)

While it is becoming increasingly difficult to fit the copious amounts of information into such a limited time-frame, using tools such as "This Day in History" to start your class, or finding the birthdays of major figures of the past 50 years and having a 5 minute discussion on why they are important is critical to not letting the recent past be forgotten. It is our responsibility to take the legacy of our parents' generation and turn it into the lasting history that our grandchildren will continue to study.

-MB

In Honor of a Great American

image - lunarscience.nasa.gov

Back to School: Keeping Politics in the Classroom, But Leaving the "Politics" Behind

2012-08-25T09:51:00.000-04:00

For most schools in Massachusetts this is the last weekend of summer. Teachers will enter their buildings on Monday to begin preparing for student arrivals. Students will be flooding the stores to buy that new pair of shoes, clothes, the coolest backpacks and if they have time maybe some of those not so cool school supplies.

On this last weekend of summer another group is flooding (hopefully not literally... Issac) into Tampa Bay to begin a week-long political ritual known as the Republican National Convention. It will be followed the week after by the Democrats' version in North Carolina. This provides for countless hours of political drama, "he said"/"she said," doomsday statements about Medicare, the civil war that will break out if one side gets elected, etc. But this is also a perfect teaching moment to truly engage students because they can relate their knowledge to the world they're seeing around them.

Andrew Jackson is attributed with holding the first truly "national" conventions to nominate a candidate for president in 1832. Prior to this, party elites would select the candidate they felt would best represent their interests in the White House. So despite the fact that these conventions seem distant and that the average person really doesn't have a say in what happens there - they represent a huge leap forward in the democratic process of party politics.

Not being too far removed from my classroom experience leading up to the 2008 elections, and having some distant memories of the 2004 elections I have a list of suggestions that might help teachers in disseminating the information, but leaving as many of their biases at home as possible.

1. If you're going to talk about one candidates stance on an issue, give an equal amount of time to the other candidate

Students pick up on any and all perceived biases that teachers have. If a teacher keeps telling students about one candidates plan and how it will save the country the students clearly know where that teacher's favor lies and might be unfairly swayed based on one side of the story. Students are impressionable and teachers have a lot more power than they might realize in shaping student ideas.

2. Try to avoid political satire

Its out there, and its funny, but it usually zeros in on a small one-sided part of an argument and often misses the big picture. While a well-educated adult who has had years to formulate their world-view can laugh at a show like "The Daily Show" but not take it too seriously, students haven't developed beyond believing everything they hear from a "reputable" person. They might not believe what John Stewart says, but if a teacher presents it as a good argument, that's another story. Tread carefully.

3. Play devil's advocate and keep your views a secret

Students WANT to know what you think about an issue. They will become increasingly inquisitive and read into every comment you say if you keep your opinions to your self. When having a discussion about politics (or any topic for that matter) always come prepared with both sides of the argument so you can debate against any idea your students present. Its good practice for people to see both sides of an issue before formulating an opinion. One of my favorite history teacher's in high school said he would tell us his political views after we graduated... I had him freshman year and despite countless attempts he never wavered. Upon graduating I could have asked (some friends did), but at that point I had realized his opinions were his own, and it was up to me to develop MY own based on what I'd learned, not based on what his were. A great lesson I hope to teach my students.

4. Teach your students about biases

They're everywhere. Every television news organization, every magazine, every newspaper has a bias of some sort. There's no such thing as a truly unbiased source of information in this country. However, if you teach students to take everything they hear with a grain of salt, find out what the other side is saying, and develop their own opinions, then you enable them to rise above the biases. Also, teach them the difference between the news and talking heads. National nightly news is very different and more likely to be factual than a show like "The O'Reilly Factor" or "Morning Joe." One is trying to present you with information (yes, it's still biased) while the other is also providing entertainment and trying to get ratings.

5. Don't cut productive conversations short

If your students are engaged, asking genuine questions and providing thoughtful and appropriate responses in a class discussion, your PowerPoint on Christopher Columbus can wait. (they probably won't pay attention to it anyway...) Allow students to spread their wings and become active members of the political process. The only way to ensure a democracy will work is to make sure the participants are educated. It's too late when they're 18 to start teaching them about the voting process and the issues, any opportunity to have a productive conversation or debate should be leaped upon. There will be plenty of time to cover the other topics the rest of the year.

-MB

Obama Talks Education in his Weekly Address

2012-08-18T14:07:00.000-04:00

Weekly Address: Congress Should Back Plan to Hire Teachers

President Obama's weekly address today talks about a plan to hire back teachers. He states that the United States has lost over 300,000 education jobs in the past few years. Looking at the current job market for teachers, I've noticed that the average job posting for a classroom teacher in Massachusetts receives over 100 applicants. At the same time, the average class size continues to rise and currently there are schools with between 30-35 students per class. With all of these licensed teachers searching desperately for jobs, the problem in our schools isn't one of resources or availability, it's a money issue.

It would be great it there was a way to get funding for education from somewhere other than state and local government. While these institutions do the best they can in most places, they do not have enough money to run themselves AND provide for education. Having the federal government give a little more to support education would not only create jobs (remember that 300,000 figure...) but also provide our children with a better education.

I do not know all the details to the plan the president mentioned in his video, but SOME plan is better than no plan. Romney-Ryan do not believe the federal government should be responsible for education in this country, believing it is a state/local issue. I believe that Education should be one of the greatest priorities of the Federal government as it is an issue that affects our national standing in the world.

Let's get the education issue on the table this election season - its just as important to the economy as medicare and taxes.

-MB

State of the Race: Where Romney-Ryan and Obama-Biden stand on Education

2012-08-11T11:32:00.000-04:00

This morning after learning of Romney's decision to have Congressman Paul Ryan as his running mate, I decided it was finally time to do a little perusing through the issues. Of course the first issue on all websites is the economy and the tit-for-tat between the candidates and political pundits on this issue has been rather nauseating the past few months. I decided to pick a lesser discussed topic and do some light reading on the candidates' websites: Education.

Let's start with Barack Obama (see Education Policy) as he has already had 3 years to implement some type of Education policy.

Making college more affordable: He's doubled Pell Grants, helped students deal with student loans and has "plans" to reform community colleges to provide a better pathway to jobs.

- for the most part, as a recent college grad I like to hear these things, college is becoming more and more expensive and any relief or assistance is appreciated, however where is this money coming from when the government can't afford the programs they already have in place?
Reforming No Child Left Behind: President Obama allowed for states to create their own, more efficient and productive plans and apply for waivers from NCLB.

-might be a good thing, might not, all depends on the state. For instance, Massachusetts has always had good education, before NCLB, despite NCLB and it will continue to have a good education system after NCLB. But the law wasn't passed for states like Massachusetts, it was passed to help students in states like Mississippi and Alabama whose scores in Science and Math are in need of much improvement. Generating an alternative as opposed to just negating NCLB might have been a better course of action, but the jury is still out on this one
Supporting Teachers an Students: President Obama wants states to "Keep good teachers on the job and keep students in school until the graduate or turn 18"

-sounds good to me, how are you going to do it? I don't think there's a single politician out there who would say anything different from this as part of their education policy (except maybe Ron Paul who thinks the government shouldn't have an education policy).

Biden's similarities and differences: at this point, he no longer has his own website and it would probably be a copy&paste from the President's website effectively removing his opinions from record

Now for Governor Romney's proposals (see Education Policy) most of which are based on the successes of Massachusetts education during his term as governor.

Expand access to charter schools: Governor Romney believes that charter schools allow parents to choose so they're not forced to send their children to failing schools.

-when I read this it sounds like turning education into a Free Market system. If your public school is failing, then shut it down by creating charter schools and sending all of your students there. Is this really fixing the problem in public schools or just brushing it under the rug? What about the students who cannot get in to the charter school for whatever reason? Are they left to attend the now half-empty and definitely not well supported public school?
Making college more affordable: Governor Romney proposed a scholarship that would give free tutition to the top 25% of students if they attended a state institution.

-this policy (though I don't remember it being Romney's idea) has been quite a success in Massachusetts. As a recipient of this scholarship, the $4,000 it saved me over four years was just one less thing I needed to worry about. (note: just found an article while writing this and it WAS a Romney proposal see Article) I'm not sure how this could work on a national level, but finding ways to help students attend college is always a good thing, so long as the budget can afford it.
Empower Governors to reform their education systems: Governor Romney believes that each state should set its own regulations and education reform should not be a national priority.

-That's great, if the governor has the resources and wherewithal to do so. I believe part of his reasoning for wording the policy this way is because he can say "I was governor of Massachusetts and our education system worked great." The problem I have with this was that Massachusetts had a great education system long before Romney became governor, and nothing he did during his term really impacted the system as a whole.

Ryan's similarities and differences: Congressman Ryan doesn't say too much that is at all different from Governor Romney's policies. He is also in favor of charter schools and believes that education policy should come from state and local government, not the federal government.

Those are the basics of what is coming in with whomever is elected president. Please add your own opinions and information to help fill out this article.

-MB

Countdown To Student Teaching

2012-01-02T20:33:00.000-05:00

16 days remain until my first day of student teaching. After successfully completing 3 1/2 years of my undergraduate degree, all means nothing without a successful completion to this semester of work. Needless to say, the next two weeks will be spent in mental preparation for what I hope will be the #1 most important learning experience of my college career.

Each week over the next 4 months or so there will be a post in a new blog entitled "Student Teaching - Beginning a Career in Learning" which will detail the highs and lows of the semester.

image - coloradoea.org

Here's to the beginning of something exciting and new!

-MB