I have not written on this blog for a year and a half because my world has been in chaos. I added a new link to my cousin's blog [https://caffeinatedrage.com/] for those interested in a blow by blow account of how North Carolina is dismantling public education at all levels.
My thoughts on this blog are more of a reflective nature and a bit more personal so read on if you're interested in a front line account of the changes in North Carolina education. My school shifted from a 7 class (August to June) model to the Block (4 classes per semester) model. Why? I do not get into local politics, but I'm sure at least some of the motivation was financial. On a block schedule I teach six classes a year as opposed to the five classes a year on the traditional schedule. There are arguments other than finances for the change, but whatever the motivation, the impact has been huge.
My biggest frustration has been the change in my AP Biology class. I was expected to teach 21 students to master two semesters of college level biology in 85 days. We had more time together in class on the block, but about 3 weeks less time than on the traditional model. I am just back from reading AP Biology exam essays and had many conversations with others whose students had twice the time in class as mine. The exam essays are scored based on a rubric, but the overall designation of scores 1 to 5 take into account overall student performance on each essay. How can my students compete? How can I help them be competitive? This has been my focus and my frustration.
What I really needed to be focused on was the evolution of scientific thought in my students. The AP curriculum revolves around students being able to analyze evidence for a claim (or hypothesis) ideally that they make themselves. According to the College Board, "This course requires that 25 percent of the instructional time will be
spent in hands-on laboratory work, with an emphasis on inquiry-based
investigations that provide students with opportunities to
apply the science practices."
So this summer as I reflect, I am discouraged and disturbed by the lack of support for education. The decision to make AP Biology (and ALL AP courses) a one semester class demonstrated the lack of understanding and respect for what students are asked to accomplish. I have felt pulled in two opposite directions all year. On the one hand I am asked to actively engage students and monitor their learning and then adjust my teaching based on the data I have about their comprehension. On the other hand, I am asked to cover as much as possible as quickly as possible and pay close attention to just the objectives that will be tested to maximize performance!
I've never worked so hard in my life - and neither have many of my students! I know technology is there to help me gather and analyze the data from student responses. I've used Kahoots, Plickers, Google Classroom, and Memrise to name just a few. The turn around time was brutal - collect the data in class on one day and apply that data to lessons the next day, but I did it. If you check my AP Biology website you'll see I posted daily resources for my students to supplement their textbook reading assignments. BUT - students need time to absorb, process and make information their own! I grouped students based on their understanding so that they could learn from each other. Some groups were mixed ability and others had similar abilities. I had hands-on activities and many of the labs the AP curriculum suggests. To really do the labs well meant several days of class time including pre-lab and post-lab analysis which slowed the pace of instruction, but increased student learning.
I feel good about the job I did with the limitations I had, but there's no guarantee I won't have to put everything else in my life on hold again for some new change in teaching schedule or curriculum. In fact, I don't even know what I'll be teaching next year! This is where the frustration hits me hardest. In a perfect world, all that hard work I just put into my job will be a seed I can build from....that's the way it is supposed to work. That is why veteran teachers are supposed to be so valuable. But we do not feel valued and there is little respect or appreciation for us in North Carolina anymore. Thanks for listening and remember to vote in November.
June 24, 2016
December 28, 2014
Learning Power
Debate around events in Ferguson and the slogan "I Can't Breathe" plus the funeral for slain NYC police officer Ramos have brought the issue of power to the forefront of our country. I'd like to bring it to the forefront of our discussion on education. The power paradigm is complex in our everyday lives and that includes the classroom. The classroom I knew in my youth revolved around a teacher with absolute power over students. She directed their thoughts and actions. These days there are teachers who still cling to this model, but most of us realize that just because our students are quiet and looking at us, they are not actually listening or learning.
For me the fun part of teaching is learning from my students. By giving them the power to make meaning out of a lesson, it opens up many more possibilities than I could have considered on my own. They can use their smart phones to zone out and text friends or I can give them the power to use that technology to find what speaks to them about genetics or DNA or whatever it is we are studying. It is not always real comfortable to teach this way, but it is more likely to engage the students. The biggest issue is where to cut off the exploration so that we can move on to the next topic and "cover" the curriculum.
Teachers are at the bottom of the power structure if you zoom out a bit and look at education from a state or national level. Take a look at what the Teacher of the Year had to say about how decisions are made in education......that was 2009. Not much has changed. I usually show the movie GATTACA this time of year. I'd love show it the first week of school and make the point that "....there is no gene for fate". What determines their success as a student is their desire & hard work. However, I'd then want the power to help them reach their dreams, not just pass a test. Not sure when education will make that transition.
For me the fun part of teaching is learning from my students. By giving them the power to make meaning out of a lesson, it opens up many more possibilities than I could have considered on my own. They can use their smart phones to zone out and text friends or I can give them the power to use that technology to find what speaks to them about genetics or DNA or whatever it is we are studying. It is not always real comfortable to teach this way, but it is more likely to engage the students. The biggest issue is where to cut off the exploration so that we can move on to the next topic and "cover" the curriculum.
Teachers are at the bottom of the power structure if you zoom out a bit and look at education from a state or national level. Take a look at what the Teacher of the Year had to say about how decisions are made in education......that was 2009. Not much has changed. I usually show the movie GATTACA this time of year. I'd love show it the first week of school and make the point that "....there is no gene for fate". What determines their success as a student is their desire & hard work. However, I'd then want the power to help them reach their dreams, not just pass a test. Not sure when education will make that transition.
October 14, 2014
Time to Inquire
We're almost through the first grading period at my school. This is our last year on the traditional 7 class period day - August to June cycle. Next year we will be offering classes on a block (a two semester) schedule. There are advantages & disadvantages according to a NC public schools publication. The most troubling is "less total class time (30 hrs. less)".
Time is on my mind at the moment. We are discussing diffusion & osmosis in my biology class right now. So in an "ideal" teaching environment we could explore this topic for at least a month - do some experiments, discuss some applications to the "real" world such as desalinization plants and nicotine patches, and come away with solid scientific knowledge in physics, chemistry and biology. We could explore what makes a good experiment and work towards something better than the demonstrations easily accessible by google. However, we don't have that kind of time with the NC State Curriculum, even on a traditional schedule.
What we do have is two weeks (and that is generous). During our time on this topic, we have the PLAN test (a precursor to the ACT) and spirit week (similar to homecoming at the college level) which focuses on celebrating school pride. Both of these are VERY worthy distractions, but they wreak havoc on student attention spans which are notoriously short anyway. So between days of test anxiety and excitement over who has the best spirit day costume, I'm using the old egg trick to get their attention and then inspire them to design an experiment of their own. The problem is they have no real experience with inquiry science. So I give them a day in the computer lab to do some research on factors that affect diffusion. Many of them come up with the factors, but fail to explain HOW they affect diffusion. After a bit more guidance, they get another day in the computer lab to come up with an experiment. Soon I'm looking at day five and the experiments they have proposed are cookie cutter copies of stuff they have found online and they can't even tell me what variable is being tested. I don't mean this to sound so grumpy because I'd love to work through this with them, except I'm out of time. We need to move on to cell structure and so many other topics. It kills me that as soon as I have them really engaged, I'm out of time.
The kicker is that I am encouraged to teach this way, BUT I am not given the time to allow my students to make it meaningful for themselves. We are continually preached to about student engagement and what brain research says works in terms of ideas sinking in deep, and then the time to do this is taken away. Regardless, I will put in the time to make sure that every single student gets feedback on their ideas; that every single group has the materials needed to do their experiment (although I have to buy it out of my own pocket) and that everyone comes away with SOME understanding of what terms like concentration gradient mean. So when my test scores come back and my students have not met expected growth, at least I know they have experienced something related to how science works. The really funny thing is that they will remember the egg experiment, but still bomb the questions on the test because they don't remember WHY it shriveled up in the syrup OR they won't care enough to take the time to seriously consider the question.
Time is on my mind at the moment. We are discussing diffusion & osmosis in my biology class right now. So in an "ideal" teaching environment we could explore this topic for at least a month - do some experiments, discuss some applications to the "real" world such as desalinization plants and nicotine patches, and come away with solid scientific knowledge in physics, chemistry and biology. We could explore what makes a good experiment and work towards something better than the demonstrations easily accessible by google. However, we don't have that kind of time with the NC State Curriculum, even on a traditional schedule.
What we do have is two weeks (and that is generous). During our time on this topic, we have the PLAN test (a precursor to the ACT) and spirit week (similar to homecoming at the college level) which focuses on celebrating school pride. Both of these are VERY worthy distractions, but they wreak havoc on student attention spans which are notoriously short anyway. So between days of test anxiety and excitement over who has the best spirit day costume, I'm using the old egg trick to get their attention and then inspire them to design an experiment of their own. The problem is they have no real experience with inquiry science. So I give them a day in the computer lab to do some research on factors that affect diffusion. Many of them come up with the factors, but fail to explain HOW they affect diffusion. After a bit more guidance, they get another day in the computer lab to come up with an experiment. Soon I'm looking at day five and the experiments they have proposed are cookie cutter copies of stuff they have found online and they can't even tell me what variable is being tested. I don't mean this to sound so grumpy because I'd love to work through this with them, except I'm out of time. We need to move on to cell structure and so many other topics. It kills me that as soon as I have them really engaged, I'm out of time.
The kicker is that I am encouraged to teach this way, BUT I am not given the time to allow my students to make it meaningful for themselves. We are continually preached to about student engagement and what brain research says works in terms of ideas sinking in deep, and then the time to do this is taken away. Regardless, I will put in the time to make sure that every single student gets feedback on their ideas; that every single group has the materials needed to do their experiment (although I have to buy it out of my own pocket) and that everyone comes away with SOME understanding of what terms like concentration gradient mean. So when my test scores come back and my students have not met expected growth, at least I know they have experienced something related to how science works. The really funny thing is that they will remember the egg experiment, but still bomb the questions on the test because they don't remember WHY it shriveled up in the syrup OR they won't care enough to take the time to seriously consider the question.
July 26, 2014
Learning Styles
How do people learn? That is the fascinating question that got me into education in the first place. For myself, my process to learn something feels a bit chaotic. Typically I go into "gatherer" mode first. I collect as much related information as I can find on a topic. When I say "related" I mean centrally, peripherally, tangentially, and any other way a topic can be connected. I need to "see" all the ways I could go before I can find a focus. I'm one of those that must get the whole before I look at the parts. So I'm in gatherer mode right now and here are a few tidbits I am trying to weave together to answer the question.
It is the forever question, how we learn. Doesn't matter how many years I've been at it, the answer is always the same: make it personal. But how does a high school student relate to cells? What personal connection can I help them make to cellular respiration? Why do they need to know how DNA and RNA work together to make proteins? As a biologist, my first instinct is to look to neuroscience to help understand how learning works in the brain. According to Dr. Caine: "Gestalt psychology suggests that everything comes together in the moment of action, and if we want to know why and how students are learning then we have to know how they are making sense of a situation – how they are relating to what is being learned."
This past year I started out by talking about diversity and I asked my students to share with me their thoughts about how they learn and what I should know about them. Of course, they are teenagers and so the responses I got varied from insightful to "I don't like school". In an article by Jay N. Giedd, what happens at this stage of life is described as "....... a changing balance between brain systems involved in emotion and regulating emotion spawns increased novelty seeking, risk taking and a shift toward peer-based interactions." So each year, in addition to finding out what makes each student tick there is the added factor of who is in the class with them and how they interact. Many of my students have known each other since grade school, but I'm new to them so I have a chance to create a bit of novelty. From the NPR series on stress:
"hormones spur action and increase fuel to the brain, helping the animal react to danger appropriately. Those hormones also flow to memory centers in the brain, to help the critter remember those notable moments and places." The trick is to add enough newness to get them out of their comfort zone, but not so much that they shut down on me. Humor is a great strategy to help make stress less threatening, for example this podcast is quite silly and I use it when talking about cell growth.
To make it personal this year these tidbits begin to suggest a plan. Instead of asking them to share with me their thoughts about how they learn and what I should know about them, I'll give them the opportunity to make a profile like you do when joining an online community. It needs to be open ended, but also have categories that will provide insight like the priority list mentioned in my previous post.
It is the forever question, how we learn. Doesn't matter how many years I've been at it, the answer is always the same: make it personal. But how does a high school student relate to cells? What personal connection can I help them make to cellular respiration? Why do they need to know how DNA and RNA work together to make proteins? As a biologist, my first instinct is to look to neuroscience to help understand how learning works in the brain. According to Dr. Caine: "Gestalt psychology suggests that everything comes together in the moment of action, and if we want to know why and how students are learning then we have to know how they are making sense of a situation – how they are relating to what is being learned."
This past year I started out by talking about diversity and I asked my students to share with me their thoughts about how they learn and what I should know about them. Of course, they are teenagers and so the responses I got varied from insightful to "I don't like school". In an article by Jay N. Giedd, what happens at this stage of life is described as "....... a changing balance between brain systems involved in emotion and regulating emotion spawns increased novelty seeking, risk taking and a shift toward peer-based interactions." So each year, in addition to finding out what makes each student tick there is the added factor of who is in the class with them and how they interact. Many of my students have known each other since grade school, but I'm new to them so I have a chance to create a bit of novelty. From the NPR series on stress:
"hormones spur action and increase fuel to the brain, helping the animal react to danger appropriately. Those hormones also flow to memory centers in the brain, to help the critter remember those notable moments and places." The trick is to add enough newness to get them out of their comfort zone, but not so much that they shut down on me. Humor is a great strategy to help make stress less threatening, for example this podcast is quite silly and I use it when talking about cell growth.
To make it personal this year these tidbits begin to suggest a plan. Instead of asking them to share with me their thoughts about how they learn and what I should know about them, I'll give them the opportunity to make a profile like you do when joining an online community. It needs to be open ended, but also have categories that will provide insight like the priority list mentioned in my previous post.
July 16, 2014
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
School starts "officially" for me on Monday and YES it is the most wonderful time of the year because all kinds of things are possible. Last year I missed the first three days of school and I paid for it all year long. Sure I had a student teacher and I video-taped an introduction, but things just never felt right. One of my colleagues said the first three days are the best time to miss because "nothing happens". I could not disagree more!
So much for starting my blog off right this year........ I wrote the above paragraph back in August 2013 and it has been neglected ever since until this publication in July of 2014! It's been that kind of year. New computer system, more students, fewer resources - a hard year to be optimistic as a teacher here in North Carolina, but you have to be optimistic to continue to teach especially now.
So much for starting my blog off right this year........ I wrote the above paragraph back in August 2013 and it has been neglected ever since until this publication in July of 2014! It's been that kind of year. New computer system, more students, fewer resources - a hard year to be optimistic as a teacher here in North Carolina, but you have to be optimistic to continue to teach especially now.
Nevertheless, a small miracle occurs every summer.
I read, I daydream, I reflect on all of the things I love about science. It's not about daily lesson plans, managing student attitudes, dealing with administrative issues.... It becomes about why I want to teach..... why I want kids to learn to love the world around them the way I do..... how the quest for knowledge and understanding can be a beautiful part of life..... The Joy of Learning! That's what I want to communicate all year long, but it is mostly present those first few days of school when I am trying to convince students to trust me and follow me on a journey. The most wonderful time of year is when I can see these possibilities.
So, I think I am going to change the focus of this blog a bit. I am going to use this space to remind myself of the bigger picture as I read and reflect. I hope it will be more than a catalog of resources, but if that is all it becomes so be it. You who are reading this may find something useful (I hope so), but this is just my journey to become a better teacher.
There are two things I am currently struggling to put into my teaching practice. Emotion & Neuroscience. Connected, yes, but quite different. I think the neuroscience will be the easiest and I already do a bit with that. The emotion part stems from my long standing envy of language teachers. They get to read and discuss people's emotions, life purpose, personality traits..... all those things that are most important to teenagers. How do you do that in a biology classroom? I am currently reading The Priority List by David Menasche. This just reinforces my envy. The stories he tells about how he made an impact on student lives just puts me in AWE. I know the power & responsibility of my role as a teacher, but how do I leverage that into the positive outcome of empowering students to take charge of their lives and their learning? That is now my own focus for learning and hopefully this blog will help document my growth.
There are two things I am currently struggling to put into my teaching practice. Emotion & Neuroscience. Connected, yes, but quite different. I think the neuroscience will be the easiest and I already do a bit with that. The emotion part stems from my long standing envy of language teachers. They get to read and discuss people's emotions, life purpose, personality traits..... all those things that are most important to teenagers. How do you do that in a biology classroom? I am currently reading The Priority List by David Menasche. This just reinforces my envy. The stories he tells about how he made an impact on student lives just puts me in AWE. I know the power & responsibility of my role as a teacher, but how do I leverage that into the positive outcome of empowering students to take charge of their lives and their learning? That is now my own focus for learning and hopefully this blog will help document my growth.
July 7, 2013
Teachers get the Summer Off!
So what exactly DO teachers do in the summer?
I think people understand that teachers work hard and that the school year is very intense. Many people also understand that teachers reflect on the school year during the summer, but there is a general misconception that teachers don't really WORK at teaching during the summer. So - for those of you curious about what happens during the summer.......
I took about two weeks to clear my head of schedules, lesson plans, and weekly updates on Race to the Top, Home Base & Power School, summer reading assignments, webpage maintenance and all else school related. It's kind of like going from cruising at 80 on the interstate to 35 on a winding mountain road. The reverse will happen as I gear up for the next school year in August. The transition is important because it allows me to meander through what I have learned from my students. It's a funny thing - the last few weeks of school. Somehow everyone becomes more relaxed (once testing is over) - communication becomes clearer - students talk more openly. Why can't it always be like that?!
So the next phase - the meander through lessons learned - becomes the planning which I never have enough time to do properly during the school year. This year in particular I have so much to sort out from my first year of teaching physics (oh - and I must have my curriculum outlined, explained and submitted by July 15th). I've lost track of the hours spent on professional development: reading resources from other physics teachers, searching the web for activities & ideas, watching online lectures from an MIT physics professor, looking at information from a math teacher at my school so I can coordinate my expectations with his syllabus..... you get the picture. I love learning and this is what I want to take with me back into the classroom next year. It is so easy to become negative, but the summer allows me to rediscover how INCREDIBLE the world around me is! Sometimes as a teacher I feel sucked dry - summer is when I become re-filled.
For those who do not think that is enough of a reason to be out of the classroom during the summer - there are a vast array of "work" type things I could list.....summer reading assignments, webpage maintenance, meetings, curriculum updates.... but I think that really misses the point.
I think people understand that teachers work hard and that the school year is very intense. Many people also understand that teachers reflect on the school year during the summer, but there is a general misconception that teachers don't really WORK at teaching during the summer. So - for those of you curious about what happens during the summer.......
I took about two weeks to clear my head of schedules, lesson plans, and weekly updates on Race to the Top, Home Base & Power School, summer reading assignments, webpage maintenance and all else school related. It's kind of like going from cruising at 80 on the interstate to 35 on a winding mountain road. The reverse will happen as I gear up for the next school year in August. The transition is important because it allows me to meander through what I have learned from my students. It's a funny thing - the last few weeks of school. Somehow everyone becomes more relaxed (once testing is over) - communication becomes clearer - students talk more openly. Why can't it always be like that?!
So the next phase - the meander through lessons learned - becomes the planning which I never have enough time to do properly during the school year. This year in particular I have so much to sort out from my first year of teaching physics (oh - and I must have my curriculum outlined, explained and submitted by July 15th). I've lost track of the hours spent on professional development: reading resources from other physics teachers, searching the web for activities & ideas, watching online lectures from an MIT physics professor, looking at information from a math teacher at my school so I can coordinate my expectations with his syllabus..... you get the picture. I love learning and this is what I want to take with me back into the classroom next year. It is so easy to become negative, but the summer allows me to rediscover how INCREDIBLE the world around me is! Sometimes as a teacher I feel sucked dry - summer is when I become re-filled.
For those who do not think that is enough of a reason to be out of the classroom during the summer - there are a vast array of "work" type things I could list.....summer reading assignments, webpage maintenance, meetings, curriculum updates.... but I think that really misses the point.
June 8, 2013
Class of 2013
If you're an educator then you know every year you'll hear students, principals, and other speakers trying to find their own way to wish the graduating class best of luck. It's always a joyous time for me to see the whole group together cheering each other on, but it is also a sobering moment. As I watch them cross the stage I think about how they were as sophomores in my class and realize just how little we know each other.
I teach many academically gifted students and they are not what you might think. Many bright students have done the calculus and know when a class or a teacher is not really worth their time. They usually crave stimulation and if they are not getting it academically watch out - that's when the truly creative become an incredible handful. I enjoy these students for the most part because they challenge me too. A few of them even submit themselves to additional classes with me as juniors or seniors. I really like seeing where they are headed next, but I know they could have made it into Chapel Hill without me. My hope for them is that I showed them a way to look at the world just a bit differently.
The group of students that always get me fired up at graduation are those hard luck cases. I am really drawn to the misfits - both the gifted and the challenged. The gifted ones are smart, but have already closed the door on education in some way. Perhaps they've been bored so long they've just given up - or they are too socially awkward to develop into a class clown and withdraw. It gives me great joy to find that idea or activity that wakes them up a bit so I feel I've touched them both academically and emotionally. The biggest joy is seeing the kids who are challenged walk across the stage. I don't just mean intellectually - there are so many challenges out there. I realize I only have a glimpse of the hardships teenagers face in my rural area and they know nothing about my life.
Nothing has changed and yet so much is different for these teenagers. I can't even imagine cell phones with cameras and Facebook and all that "enhances" the social experience of these students. You can read about all the annoying behaviors somewhere else, my point is that I had a difficult time getting through high school so the pressures these kids face put me in awe - especially given the small town everybody knows you community where I teach. But I didn't grow up here and I don't even live in the same county as where I teach, so what they know of me is limited and every graduation ceremony touches me deeply. Best of everything class of 2013!
I teach many academically gifted students and they are not what you might think. Many bright students have done the calculus and know when a class or a teacher is not really worth their time. They usually crave stimulation and if they are not getting it academically watch out - that's when the truly creative become an incredible handful. I enjoy these students for the most part because they challenge me too. A few of them even submit themselves to additional classes with me as juniors or seniors. I really like seeing where they are headed next, but I know they could have made it into Chapel Hill without me. My hope for them is that I showed them a way to look at the world just a bit differently.
The group of students that always get me fired up at graduation are those hard luck cases. I am really drawn to the misfits - both the gifted and the challenged. The gifted ones are smart, but have already closed the door on education in some way. Perhaps they've been bored so long they've just given up - or they are too socially awkward to develop into a class clown and withdraw. It gives me great joy to find that idea or activity that wakes them up a bit so I feel I've touched them both academically and emotionally. The biggest joy is seeing the kids who are challenged walk across the stage. I don't just mean intellectually - there are so many challenges out there. I realize I only have a glimpse of the hardships teenagers face in my rural area and they know nothing about my life.
Nothing has changed and yet so much is different for these teenagers. I can't even imagine cell phones with cameras and Facebook and all that "enhances" the social experience of these students. You can read about all the annoying behaviors somewhere else, my point is that I had a difficult time getting through high school so the pressures these kids face put me in awe - especially given the small town everybody knows you community where I teach. But I didn't grow up here and I don't even live in the same county as where I teach, so what they know of me is limited and every graduation ceremony touches me deeply. Best of everything class of 2013!
March 24, 2013
Time to Learn?
North Carolina is in the middle of a monumental shift in the way we educate and we all know change is painful. As a teacher, my biggest issue is always time. There's the usual stuff like time to grade, time to talk to each student, time actually in class which varies with the weather. What gets to me the most is time to really think about what we are doing & teaching & learning. There is a big push to use "data driven instruction" based on not just test scores, but "formative assessments". I am supportive of this of course because I am a science teacher and data is always welcome in my classroom, however the time factor complicates actually making this happen.
What kind of data? I haven't really seen any except what I collect personally and test scores. Consider what data driven instruction would look like in a perfect world. I'd be handed a portfolio of information for each student on the very first day. It could be modeled after those report cards you get in elementary school.... "plays well with others", "mastered the multiplication tables", etc.... a checklist of academic skills documenting progress from kindergarten on. I would know at the very start of my class who has trouble reading. But other information is important too: "has trouble with authority", "gets easily frustrated", etc..... a checklist of social skills would be just as helpful. In theory, students cumulative folders are supposed to have lots of this stuff, but all I've ever seen is a list of test scores.
Test scores are not very helpful for a few reasons. The biggest reason is that there is no breakdown of trouble areas. If a student scores a 3 on their algebra EOC, that tells me that they have average math skills. But what does that mean? I learned the hard way this year that the seniors in my Physics class were not comfortable re-arranging algebraic equations (what I consider basic algebra) even though they are currently enrolled in Pre-Calculus. So next year I'll have to take the time to give my own math assessment before we even begin to talk about Physics. Not all data is useful and the stuff I've seen so far is a waste of my time. That's why we teachers grumble with new state initiatives. It's not because we don't want to change - it's that we want to make better use of our time because we have so little time to make a difference already.
What kind of data? I haven't really seen any except what I collect personally and test scores. Consider what data driven instruction would look like in a perfect world. I'd be handed a portfolio of information for each student on the very first day. It could be modeled after those report cards you get in elementary school.... "plays well with others", "mastered the multiplication tables", etc.... a checklist of academic skills documenting progress from kindergarten on. I would know at the very start of my class who has trouble reading. But other information is important too: "has trouble with authority", "gets easily frustrated", etc..... a checklist of social skills would be just as helpful. In theory, students cumulative folders are supposed to have lots of this stuff, but all I've ever seen is a list of test scores.
Test scores are not very helpful for a few reasons. The biggest reason is that there is no breakdown of trouble areas. If a student scores a 3 on their algebra EOC, that tells me that they have average math skills. But what does that mean? I learned the hard way this year that the seniors in my Physics class were not comfortable re-arranging algebraic equations (what I consider basic algebra) even though they are currently enrolled in Pre-Calculus. So next year I'll have to take the time to give my own math assessment before we even begin to talk about Physics. Not all data is useful and the stuff I've seen so far is a waste of my time. That's why we teachers grumble with new state initiatives. It's not because we don't want to change - it's that we want to make better use of our time because we have so little time to make a difference already.
December 15, 2012
Mental Health
Even before learning of the shooting in Sandy Hook, CT I was considering writing about the struggle to keep a positive attitude in the classroom. This time of year is difficult because every one's thoughts are focused on friends and fun and celebration. We teachers pull out all our best tricks to capture the attention of our students enough to feel we've done something productive. I had a whole host of thoughts about overcoming frustration and maintaining a caring, supportive, fun and informative disposition, but all those thoughts are suddenly gone.
Now I'm thinking about what I teach my students. Many students in my general biology class (and even some in my Physics class!) don't even try to do the work before them. Their attitude is I'd rather look lazy rather than stupid. A safe learning environment is not just a place free from violence, but a safe mental place where their thoughts are not ridiculed. I have been most frustrated this week by my students' performance in my AP Biology class. They work hard (at least when they know a test is before them), but we are just not communicating and I've tried so many different ways to get them to let me in - to allow me to help them struggle through this difficult class. They are much more interested in each other.....after all they are seniors finding their way through the last phase of dependency.
My hope is that I am teaching all of my students that they are important and that we (the adult community) don't always understand their lives, but the differences are really quite minor. I want my students to know the value of hard work - to feel exhilaration when successfully tackling a problem. Even if it's just because they've witnessed me overcoming my issues. They should leave my classroom knowing that even though I am frustrated with them, I will spend hours over the weekend working on a new way to reach them. I want them to know they are never alone no matter how hard asking for help seems.
Now I'm thinking about what I teach my students. Many students in my general biology class (and even some in my Physics class!) don't even try to do the work before them. Their attitude is I'd rather look lazy rather than stupid. A safe learning environment is not just a place free from violence, but a safe mental place where their thoughts are not ridiculed. I have been most frustrated this week by my students' performance in my AP Biology class. They work hard (at least when they know a test is before them), but we are just not communicating and I've tried so many different ways to get them to let me in - to allow me to help them struggle through this difficult class. They are much more interested in each other.....after all they are seniors finding their way through the last phase of dependency.
My hope is that I am teaching all of my students that they are important and that we (the adult community) don't always understand their lives, but the differences are really quite minor. I want my students to know the value of hard work - to feel exhilaration when successfully tackling a problem. Even if it's just because they've witnessed me overcoming my issues. They should leave my classroom knowing that even though I am frustrated with them, I will spend hours over the weekend working on a new way to reach them. I want them to know they are never alone no matter how hard asking for help seems.
November 6, 2012
All at Once
Each profession has their host of acronyms, but somehow education cultivates an exponential new crop each year. Today we had a staff development day to try to get our collective head around all the changes to the new State Assessments which are tied to the common core and RttT, ACRE, PLCs, etc....This is my 11th year at my high school and I feel I finally understand the way change happens. Teachers start off in a classroom with a hand-full of core ideas/activities and each year they build a little broader foundation along with a few experimental diversions. As time goes by, the reservoir of materials can be sorted into files labeled: perfect for this concept, try again with modifications, or what a waste of time. Of course, the curriculum changes on a regular 3 to 5 year cycle (so never throw activities away - they may be back in style soon!). So part of why many educators are stressed these days is NOT because the curriculum is changing or the way teachers are evaluated is changing or the expectations and measurements of student performance are changing - we KNOW change is part of teaching. What is stressful is that everything is happening at once! In addition, budgets have been cut which increases the number of students.Then we have new technologies that make more data available that are specific to each student and provide a vast array of information that may help teachers really connect with their students - except that we have NO time to analyze any of this new data. Educators come in all shapes and sizes. So do students. Unfortunately time is one of the variables that never changes....... and THAT is stressful.
September 20, 2012
Embracing Change
Since I'm trained as a biologist and an educator, I've always embraced the phrase "variety is the spice of life", but this year I'm trying to live it in my classroom. True I've always incorporated some variety into my daily approach to education, but this year is different. This year I'm taking all the transformational talk surrounding the new common core and the essential standards (not to mention the whole re-vamping of the AP Biology curriculum) and really embracing the idea that we can accomplish a cultural change in education one classroom at a time.
I like the idea of formative assessments (although I hate the name) because it validates what all good teachers are doing anyway - getting feedback from students and responding appropriately. As a science teacher, classes are a daily experiment with data collection. I also like formative assessments because of the change it has made in grading. For some reason it is easier to read something a student wrote, make comments and hand it back than it is to put a number grade on the paper. The biggest issue as I see it is the adjustment students have to make to getting feedback instead of a number grade. The other even bigger obstacle is getting them to embrace the struggle and let go of the idea of a "right" answer. This is a huge cultural change and it is painful.
The roots of this curriculum change are far from nefarious, but the implementation will take the tenacity of gangsters. Teaching is an art - an intellectual art. It requires skill in motivating rebellious teenagers (in my case) to not only be cooperative, but to step outside their comfort zone and share their explorations. If we are serious about embracing the diversity of our students and making a safe environment for all of them to learn in ways that are most meaningful to them, then our cultural change needs to reach far beyond each individual classroom. The issue for many educators is will we stick with it? It will be difficult to transform student learning patterns, but they are much more open and flexible than many teachers, administrators, parents, departments or schools of education and certainly more than any politician out there.
So why embrace this change? That's a question I hope to answer in this blog. It is my own personal journey through the public education system and I'm hoping it will sustain me for a few more years.
I like the idea of formative assessments (although I hate the name) because it validates what all good teachers are doing anyway - getting feedback from students and responding appropriately. As a science teacher, classes are a daily experiment with data collection. I also like formative assessments because of the change it has made in grading. For some reason it is easier to read something a student wrote, make comments and hand it back than it is to put a number grade on the paper. The biggest issue as I see it is the adjustment students have to make to getting feedback instead of a number grade. The other even bigger obstacle is getting them to embrace the struggle and let go of the idea of a "right" answer. This is a huge cultural change and it is painful.
The roots of this curriculum change are far from nefarious, but the implementation will take the tenacity of gangsters. Teaching is an art - an intellectual art. It requires skill in motivating rebellious teenagers (in my case) to not only be cooperative, but to step outside their comfort zone and share their explorations. If we are serious about embracing the diversity of our students and making a safe environment for all of them to learn in ways that are most meaningful to them, then our cultural change needs to reach far beyond each individual classroom. The issue for many educators is will we stick with it? It will be difficult to transform student learning patterns, but they are much more open and flexible than many teachers, administrators, parents, departments or schools of education and certainly more than any politician out there.
So why embrace this change? That's a question I hope to answer in this blog. It is my own personal journey through the public education system and I'm hoping it will sustain me for a few more years.
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