Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
A Teacher's Love
ONE OF THE BEST STORIES I'VE EVER
HEARD!
As she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very
first day of school, she told the children an untruth. Like
most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she
loved them all the same. However, that was impossible,
because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a
little boy named Teddy Stoddard.
Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed
that he did not play well with the other children, that his
clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath. In
addition, Teddy could be unpleasant. It got to the point
where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking
his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and
then putting a big 'F' at the top of his papers.
At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required
to review each child's past records and she put
Teddy's off until last. However, when she reviewed his
file, she was in for a surprise.
Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, 'Teddy is a
bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and
has good manners... he is a joy to be
around..'
His second grade teacher wrote, 'Teddy is an excellent
student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled
because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home
must be a struggle.'
His third grade teacher wrote, 'His mother's death
has been hard on him. He tries to do his best, but his
father doesn't show much interest, and his home life
will soon affect him if some steps aren't
taken.'
Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, 'Teddy is
withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He
doesn't have many friends and he sometimes sleeps in
class.'
By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was
ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her students
brought her Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons
and bright paper, except for Teddy's. His present was
clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from
a grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the
middle of the other presents. Some of the children started
to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of
the stones missing, and a bottle that was one-quarter full
of perfume.. But she stifled the children's laughter
when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it
on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist. Teddy
Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to
say, 'Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom
used to.
After the children left, she cried for at least an hour. On
that very day, she quit teaching reading, writing and
arithmetic. Instead, she began to teach children. Mrs.
Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked
with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she
encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the
year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the
class and, despite her lie that she would love all the
children the same, Teddy became one of her
'teacher's pets..'
A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy,
telling her that she was the best teacher he ever had in his
whole life.
Six years went by
before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that
he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was
still the best teacher he ever had in life.
Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that
while things had been tough at times, he'd stayed in
school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from
college with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs. Thompson
that she was still the best and favorite teacher he had ever
had in his whole life.
Then four more years passed and yet another letter came..
This time he explained that after he got his bachelor's
degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter
explained that she was still the best and favorite teacher
he ever had. But now his name was a little longer.... The
letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.
The story does not end there. You see, there was yet
another letter that spring. Teddy said he had met this girl
and was going to be married. He explained that his father
had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs.
Thompson might agree to sit at the wedding in the place that
was usually reserved for the mother of the groom. Of course,
Mrs. Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet,
the one with several rhinestones missing. Moreover, she made
sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his
mother wearing on their last Christmas together.
They hugged each other, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs.
Thompson's ear, 'Thank you Mrs. Thompson for
believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel
important and showing me that I could make a
difference.'
Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back.. She
said, 'Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one
who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn't
know how to teach until I met you.'
(For you that don't know, Teddy Stoddard is the Dr at
Iowa Methodist in Des Moines that has the
Stoddard Cancer Wing.)
Warm someone's heart today. . . pass this along.. I
love this story so very much, I cry every time I read it.
Just try to make a difference in someone's life today?
tomorrow? just 'do it'.
Random acts of kindness, I think they call it!
'Believe in Angels, then
return the favor.
Coach Sherrie says: Most students never come back to tell
us the influence we've had on them, but every student has
a story like this, EVEN the ones who didn't go on to become
someone rich and famous.
HEARD!
As she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very
first day of school, she told the children an untruth. Like
most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she
loved them all the same. However, that was impossible,
because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a
little boy named Teddy Stoddard.
Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed
that he did not play well with the other children, that his
clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath. In
addition, Teddy could be unpleasant. It got to the point
where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking
his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and
then putting a big 'F' at the top of his papers.
At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required
to review each child's past records and she put
Teddy's off until last. However, when she reviewed his
file, she was in for a surprise.
Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, 'Teddy is a
bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and
has good manners... he is a joy to be
around..'
His second grade teacher wrote, 'Teddy is an excellent
student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled
because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home
must be a struggle.'
His third grade teacher wrote, 'His mother's death
has been hard on him. He tries to do his best, but his
father doesn't show much interest, and his home life
will soon affect him if some steps aren't
taken.'
Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, 'Teddy is
withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He
doesn't have many friends and he sometimes sleeps in
class.'
By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was
ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her students
brought her Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons
and bright paper, except for Teddy's. His present was
clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from
a grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the
middle of the other presents. Some of the children started
to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of
the stones missing, and a bottle that was one-quarter full
of perfume.. But she stifled the children's laughter
when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it
on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist. Teddy
Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to
say, 'Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom
used to.
After the children left, she cried for at least an hour. On
that very day, she quit teaching reading, writing and
arithmetic. Instead, she began to teach children. Mrs.
Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked
with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she
encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the
year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the
class and, despite her lie that she would love all the
children the same, Teddy became one of her
'teacher's pets..'
A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy,
telling her that she was the best teacher he ever had in his
whole life.
Six years went by
before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that
he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was
still the best teacher he ever had in life.
Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that
while things had been tough at times, he'd stayed in
school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from
college with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs. Thompson
that she was still the best and favorite teacher he had ever
had in his whole life.
Then four more years passed and yet another letter came..
This time he explained that after he got his bachelor's
degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter
explained that she was still the best and favorite teacher
he ever had. But now his name was a little longer.... The
letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.
The story does not end there. You see, there was yet
another letter that spring. Teddy said he had met this girl
and was going to be married. He explained that his father
had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs.
Thompson might agree to sit at the wedding in the place that
was usually reserved for the mother of the groom. Of course,
Mrs. Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet,
the one with several rhinestones missing. Moreover, she made
sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his
mother wearing on their last Christmas together.
They hugged each other, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs.
Thompson's ear, 'Thank you Mrs. Thompson for
believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel
important and showing me that I could make a
difference.'
Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back.. She
said, 'Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one
who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn't
know how to teach until I met you.'
(For you that don't know, Teddy Stoddard is the Dr at
Iowa Methodist in Des Moines that has the
Stoddard Cancer Wing.)
Warm someone's heart today. . . pass this along.. I
love this story so very much, I cry every time I read it.
Just try to make a difference in someone's life today?
tomorrow? just 'do it'.
Random acts of kindness, I think they call it!
'Believe in Angels, then
return the favor.
Coach Sherrie says: Most students never come back to tell
us the influence we've had on them, but every student has
a story like this, EVEN the ones who didn't go on to become
someone rich and famous.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Predictor of Child's Attachment to Parent
In lifewritersforum@yahoogroups.com, Stephanie West Allen wrote:
"Coherent narratives is based upon the incredibly amazing finding in
attachment research that the most robust predictor of a child's
attachment to a parent is the coherence of that parent's
autobiographical story. The child's attachment predicts all sorts of
things like social, emotional, and cognitive developmental outcome in
a positive way for secure attachments."
http://www.upaya.org/newsletter/view/2009/08/10#story3
Coach Sherrie says: I find this fascinating. ;->
"Coherent narratives is based upon the incredibly amazing finding in
attachment research that the most robust predictor of a child's
attachment to a parent is the coherence of that parent's
autobiographical story. The child's attachment predicts all sorts of
things like social, emotional, and cognitive developmental outcome in
a positive way for secure attachments."
http://www.upaya.org/newsletter/view/2009/08/10#story3
Coach Sherrie says: I find this fascinating. ;->
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
NCTE Explains How to Connect to Summer Reading
Connecting to Summer Reading This Fall
Even if you've made the jump to a Web 2.0 approach to summer assignments, there's still the need to connect to the momentum of summer reading once students return to the classroom in the fall. These resources from NCTE and ReadWriteThink.org can help you get started.
First and foremost, remember "Readers Just Want to Have Fun" (G)! As this short article from Voices from the Middle asks, "When was the last time you finished a book and thought, 'Gosh, I can't wait to take a test on this!' or 'This book would sure be great to write an essay on!'" Focus on fun by emphasizing sharing and discussion in response to summer reading.
Involve families and students' extended circle of friends in the conversation. The School Talk issue "Creating Readers: Talking about Books in Multilingual Classrooms" (E) includes some great suggestions and stories.
As the title of this English Journal article suggests, "Fifty Alternatives to the Book Report" (M) offers a number (50 to be precise) of ways to engage students in talking, thinking, and writing about books they read over the summer, or any time.
Tap 21st century literacy tools to build discussion of great summer reads. The English Journal article "Finding a Voice in a Threaded Discussion Group: Talking about Literature Online" (S) explains how these forums increase participation from all students, encourage reflection and critical thinking, and lend themselves to more interactive conversations.
Connect out-of-school reading practices to academic reading strategies. The College English article "Texts of Our Institutional Lives: Studying the 'Reading Transition' from High School to College: What Are Our Students Reading and Why?" (C) asserts that, contrary to common belief, students are reading quite a bit, at least at one university, although they are not spending much time on materials assigned in their courses. The more teachers connect this out-of-school reading to the reading in the classroom, the stronger and more engaged they will find students to be.
Also check out these lessons from ReadWriteThink.org: Book Report Alternative: Creating a New Book Cover (E), Book Report Alternative: A Character's Letter to the Editor (M), and So What Do You Think? Writing a Review (S-C)!
Even if you've made the jump to a Web 2.0 approach to summer assignments, there's still the need to connect to the momentum of summer reading once students return to the classroom in the fall. These resources from NCTE and ReadWriteThink.org can help you get started.
First and foremost, remember "Readers Just Want to Have Fun" (G)! As this short article from Voices from the Middle asks, "When was the last time you finished a book and thought, 'Gosh, I can't wait to take a test on this!' or 'This book would sure be great to write an essay on!'" Focus on fun by emphasizing sharing and discussion in response to summer reading.
Involve families and students' extended circle of friends in the conversation. The School Talk issue "Creating Readers: Talking about Books in Multilingual Classrooms" (E) includes some great suggestions and stories.
As the title of this English Journal article suggests, "Fifty Alternatives to the Book Report" (M) offers a number (50 to be precise) of ways to engage students in talking, thinking, and writing about books they read over the summer, or any time.
Tap 21st century literacy tools to build discussion of great summer reads. The English Journal article "Finding a Voice in a Threaded Discussion Group: Talking about Literature Online" (S) explains how these forums increase participation from all students, encourage reflection and critical thinking, and lend themselves to more interactive conversations.
Connect out-of-school reading practices to academic reading strategies. The College English article "Texts of Our Institutional Lives: Studying the 'Reading Transition' from High School to College: What Are Our Students Reading and Why?" (C) asserts that, contrary to common belief, students are reading quite a bit, at least at one university, although they are not spending much time on materials assigned in their courses. The more teachers connect this out-of-school reading to the reading in the classroom, the stronger and more engaged they will find students to be.
Also check out these lessons from ReadWriteThink.org: Book Report Alternative: Creating a New Book Cover (E), Book Report Alternative: A Character's Letter to the Editor (M), and So What Do You Think? Writing a Review (S-C)!
Sharpton & Gingrich On the Same Page for School Reforms?
Sharpton, Gingrich push Obama's school reforms
By LIBBY QUAID (AP) – 4 days ago
WASHINGTON — Education Secretary Arne Duncan is joining forces with two unlikely allies, the Rev. Al Sharpton and Republican former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, to push cities to fix failing schools.
The trio will visit Philadelphia, New Orleans and Baltimore later this year. They plan to add more stops as their tour progresses.
"These are cities that have real challenges but also tremendous hope and opportunity," Duncan told reporters on a conference call Thursday.
The idea came from a meeting they had with President Barack Obama in May at the White House.
Education is high on Obama's priority list. He is seeking to boost achievement, keep kids from dropping out of high school and push every student to pursue some form of higher education.
The president has vowed to make the United States the world leader in the number of people who graduate from college.
He argues that students who do better in school will help themselves in a work force that increasingly depends on high-skilled jobs, and that the country will benefit as well.
Obama discussed education issues in an interview with Damon Weaver, an 11-year-old Florida student.
"On Sept. 8, when young people across the country will have just started or are about to go back to school, I'm going to be making a big speech to young people all across the country about the importance of education, the importance of staying in school, how we want to improve our education system and why it's so important for the country," Obama said.
Sharpton, the liberal Democrat and community activist, said teachers and administrators aren't the only ones responsible for improving schools.
"The parents need to be challenged with the message of `no excuses,'" Sharpton said.
Gingrich applauded Obama for showing "real courage on the issue of charter schools." Obama wants to increase the number of charter schools, which have a controversial history and are a divisive issue for his party's base.
Charters get public tax dollars but operate free from local school board control and usually from union contracts, making them a target of criticism by many teachers' union members.
"I strongly believe that when you can find common ground, we should be able to put other differences aside to achieve a common goal," Gingrich said.
The group plans to visit Philadelphia on Sept. 29, New Orleans on Nov. 3 and Baltimore on Nov. 13.
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Coach Sherrie says: This is what happens when anybody with any money or power can opt out of the school system. The powers that be don't care because it doesn't affect their loved ones; they go to private school. If you have some brains and can't afford that, you can always find a magnet program to attend. <3
By LIBBY QUAID (AP) – 4 days ago
WASHINGTON — Education Secretary Arne Duncan is joining forces with two unlikely allies, the Rev. Al Sharpton and Republican former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, to push cities to fix failing schools.
The trio will visit Philadelphia, New Orleans and Baltimore later this year. They plan to add more stops as their tour progresses.
"These are cities that have real challenges but also tremendous hope and opportunity," Duncan told reporters on a conference call Thursday.
The idea came from a meeting they had with President Barack Obama in May at the White House.
Education is high on Obama's priority list. He is seeking to boost achievement, keep kids from dropping out of high school and push every student to pursue some form of higher education.
The president has vowed to make the United States the world leader in the number of people who graduate from college.
He argues that students who do better in school will help themselves in a work force that increasingly depends on high-skilled jobs, and that the country will benefit as well.
Obama discussed education issues in an interview with Damon Weaver, an 11-year-old Florida student.
"On Sept. 8, when young people across the country will have just started or are about to go back to school, I'm going to be making a big speech to young people all across the country about the importance of education, the importance of staying in school, how we want to improve our education system and why it's so important for the country," Obama said.
Sharpton, the liberal Democrat and community activist, said teachers and administrators aren't the only ones responsible for improving schools.
"The parents need to be challenged with the message of `no excuses,'" Sharpton said.
Gingrich applauded Obama for showing "real courage on the issue of charter schools." Obama wants to increase the number of charter schools, which have a controversial history and are a divisive issue for his party's base.
Charters get public tax dollars but operate free from local school board control and usually from union contracts, making them a target of criticism by many teachers' union members.
"I strongly believe that when you can find common ground, we should be able to put other differences aside to achieve a common goal," Gingrich said.
The group plans to visit Philadelphia on Sept. 29, New Orleans on Nov. 3 and Baltimore on Nov. 13.
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Coach Sherrie says: This is what happens when anybody with any money or power can opt out of the school system. The powers that be don't care because it doesn't affect their loved ones; they go to private school. If you have some brains and can't afford that, you can always find a magnet program to attend. <3
NCLB's Broad Impact
Studies Weigh NCLB's Broad Impact
By Dakarai I. Aarons
Washington
State-level implementation of the federal No Child Left Behind Act has changed how education is delivered and to whom, researchers have found. Still, they say, it’s difficult in some cases to measure which changes can be attributed solely to the law.
The researchers presented their findings at a conference hosted yesterday by the Washington-based Urban Institute’s National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research and the National Center on Performance Incentives at Vanderbilt University. They studied state implementation of the landmark federal education law and its impact on student achievement, teacher distribution and quality, and the teaching of subjects not covered in the law, among other topics.
With Congress likely to take up reauthorization of the law next year—an attempt in 2007 stalled on Capitol Hill—researchers and policymakers are looking for lessons learned.
Coach Sherrie says: Sorry, but I couldn't download the entire article. I just keep wondering where the leaders are going to come from if we don't care about the top students anymore. I also wonder when they are ever going to ask the teachers how they think things are going.
By Dakarai I. Aarons
Washington
State-level implementation of the federal No Child Left Behind Act has changed how education is delivered and to whom, researchers have found. Still, they say, it’s difficult in some cases to measure which changes can be attributed solely to the law.
The researchers presented their findings at a conference hosted yesterday by the Washington-based Urban Institute’s National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research and the National Center on Performance Incentives at Vanderbilt University. They studied state implementation of the landmark federal education law and its impact on student achievement, teacher distribution and quality, and the teaching of subjects not covered in the law, among other topics.
With Congress likely to take up reauthorization of the law next year—an attempt in 2007 stalled on Capitol Hill—researchers and policymakers are looking for lessons learned.
Coach Sherrie says: Sorry, but I couldn't download the entire article. I just keep wondering where the leaders are going to come from if we don't care about the top students anymore. I also wonder when they are ever going to ask the teachers how they think things are going.
Teaching Is Hot New Job
Teaching is the new hot job as recession forces career changes
By JESSICA MEYERS / The Dallas Morning News
jmeyers@dallasnews.com
Paul Washington oversaw hundreds of employees in the auto industry and navigated the finicky retail market for Target. Now he's taking on a much more daunting task: teaching history to eighth-graders.
Washington, who will start work this month at Stafford Middle School in Frisco, is among a cadre of professionals leaving corporations for classrooms as the economy continues to wallow and frustrated employees reconsider career trajectories.
School districts nationwide are seeing a rise in these applicants, though they are having almost as much difficulty finding a job in this field as in their previous one. Slim opportunities have them vying against trained teachers and reinvigorating the debate between real-life expertise and experience in education.
The New Teacher Project, a national organization that trains midcareer professionals for the classroom, said applications for its summer training programs were up by an average of 29 percent.
"Whenever people get laid off, we have an influx of candidates," said Chris Kanouse, the director of teacher preparation and certification for the state Education Service Center for North Texas.
"But it has been difficult for individuals who think it's going to be an easy transition into the teaching world when that world isn't opening positions like they used to."
Texas requires its teachers to be state certified, and most of these newcomers go through a program called alternative certification. It involves hundreds of hours of coursework and classroom observation and usually takes a year to complete.
The Education Service Centers – there are 20 around the state – are among a number of providers offering alternative certification programs. The local center, which is Richardson, just started a program specifically for laid-off engineers at the behest of Texas Instruments.
Two weeks ago 3,500 applicants who have their alternative certifications were looking for local teaching positions through the Education Service Center's job network. But only 312 jobs were available.
Washington considers himself fortunate to have snagged a position. The 36-year-old Frisco resident worked as a general manager for CarMax until he was laid off.
"I managed adults all the time," he said. "Then I started spending all day coaching kids in youth sports and thought I could do this as a career. I could give back."
Fewer jobs out there
Teachers are struggling to find jobs – regardless of training – because most North Texas school districts are hiring fewer of them.
The Garland district is hiring almost 400 fewer teachers than last year, and only accepted 48 with alternate certifications. Dallas, which is hiring 285 teachers this year compared with 754 last year, has selected 250 who are alternatively certified. Even Frisco, one of the few districts that hasn't seen a sizable drop in new teachers because of enrollment growth, is hiring more conservatively. The district is bringing on 376 teachers this year, down from more than 400 last year. Of those, 62 are alternatively certified.
Linda Bass, Frisco ISD's assistant superintendent for human resources, said administrators don't maintain a quota or actively weed out people with nontraditional training. Instead, she said, they look for "knowledge of the world and specialized experience" along with an understanding of "technology and creative ideas."
The dearth of teaching jobs is a bonus for districts that are more selective in their hiring. It gives those districts the opportunity to select applicants with more extensive education-centered backgrounds, said Amber Magness, who completed her master's degree in early education at the University of North Texas in May.
She's been applying for positions across the region since October but hasn't found a job.
"Those who are obtaining [alternative certification] could be qualified," she said, "but they don't have the classroom experience I bring to the table, the student teaching, the clinicals."
'Steep learning curve'
Educators say not all professionals can transfer their skills onto a chalkboard.
"Some people believe teaching is easier than it is," Kanouse said. "They look back at when they loved school and the three to four teachers they liked. This is a serious steep learning curve, and not everyone is suited to teach."
But Kanouse argues that they recognize this by the time they start teaching. They've completed their required coursework and observation. And these new teachers also are likely to stay in the field, she said.
"When people make this career change, they're doing it because it is important to them. Someone in midcareer is probably going to be there much longer than someone who is younger who transitions into teaching."
A connection with kids
Training and passion are important elements in teacher quality, but they don't determine effectiveness, said Kate Walsh, the president of the Washington-based National Council on Teacher Quality.
"You can't point to a study that shows that a teacher who has gone through traditional training is better than one who didn't," she said. "I'd argue that neither are doing a good job. We do know that being smarter matters. If you perform high, the chances of having high student achievement increases."
But a teacher's specific training doesn't matter.
"It's all about the connection with kids, which is not necessarily someone who is touchy feely," she said. "It's someone who holds you to a higher standard."
'Something rewarding'
That connection is what had Chad Davis staring intensely at an overhead projector screen this week during Frisco's new-teacher training session.
The 38-year-old McKinney resident re-evaluated his priorities when his finance company folded last year.
"I wanted something more rewarding," said Davis, who had spent 12 years in commodities and business management. He'll teach business and computers this fall at Frisco's Centennial High School.
"A lot of kids lack the knowledge to make financial decisions," he said. "I want them to have something they can rely on throughout life."
The bell rang for the next session, but he hung back as the cafeteria cleared.
Like any new teacher, he said, "I'm worried about getting it right."
By JESSICA MEYERS / The Dallas Morning News
jmeyers@dallasnews.com
Paul Washington oversaw hundreds of employees in the auto industry and navigated the finicky retail market for Target. Now he's taking on a much more daunting task: teaching history to eighth-graders.
Washington, who will start work this month at Stafford Middle School in Frisco, is among a cadre of professionals leaving corporations for classrooms as the economy continues to wallow and frustrated employees reconsider career trajectories.
School districts nationwide are seeing a rise in these applicants, though they are having almost as much difficulty finding a job in this field as in their previous one. Slim opportunities have them vying against trained teachers and reinvigorating the debate between real-life expertise and experience in education.
The New Teacher Project, a national organization that trains midcareer professionals for the classroom, said applications for its summer training programs were up by an average of 29 percent.
"Whenever people get laid off, we have an influx of candidates," said Chris Kanouse, the director of teacher preparation and certification for the state Education Service Center for North Texas.
"But it has been difficult for individuals who think it's going to be an easy transition into the teaching world when that world isn't opening positions like they used to."
Texas requires its teachers to be state certified, and most of these newcomers go through a program called alternative certification. It involves hundreds of hours of coursework and classroom observation and usually takes a year to complete.
The Education Service Centers – there are 20 around the state – are among a number of providers offering alternative certification programs. The local center, which is Richardson, just started a program specifically for laid-off engineers at the behest of Texas Instruments.
Two weeks ago 3,500 applicants who have their alternative certifications were looking for local teaching positions through the Education Service Center's job network. But only 312 jobs were available.
Washington considers himself fortunate to have snagged a position. The 36-year-old Frisco resident worked as a general manager for CarMax until he was laid off.
"I managed adults all the time," he said. "Then I started spending all day coaching kids in youth sports and thought I could do this as a career. I could give back."
Fewer jobs out there
Teachers are struggling to find jobs – regardless of training – because most North Texas school districts are hiring fewer of them.
The Garland district is hiring almost 400 fewer teachers than last year, and only accepted 48 with alternate certifications. Dallas, which is hiring 285 teachers this year compared with 754 last year, has selected 250 who are alternatively certified. Even Frisco, one of the few districts that hasn't seen a sizable drop in new teachers because of enrollment growth, is hiring more conservatively. The district is bringing on 376 teachers this year, down from more than 400 last year. Of those, 62 are alternatively certified.
Linda Bass, Frisco ISD's assistant superintendent for human resources, said administrators don't maintain a quota or actively weed out people with nontraditional training. Instead, she said, they look for "knowledge of the world and specialized experience" along with an understanding of "technology and creative ideas."
The dearth of teaching jobs is a bonus for districts that are more selective in their hiring. It gives those districts the opportunity to select applicants with more extensive education-centered backgrounds, said Amber Magness, who completed her master's degree in early education at the University of North Texas in May.
She's been applying for positions across the region since October but hasn't found a job.
"Those who are obtaining [alternative certification] could be qualified," she said, "but they don't have the classroom experience I bring to the table, the student teaching, the clinicals."
'Steep learning curve'
Educators say not all professionals can transfer their skills onto a chalkboard.
"Some people believe teaching is easier than it is," Kanouse said. "They look back at when they loved school and the three to four teachers they liked. This is a serious steep learning curve, and not everyone is suited to teach."
But Kanouse argues that they recognize this by the time they start teaching. They've completed their required coursework and observation. And these new teachers also are likely to stay in the field, she said.
"When people make this career change, they're doing it because it is important to them. Someone in midcareer is probably going to be there much longer than someone who is younger who transitions into teaching."
A connection with kids
Training and passion are important elements in teacher quality, but they don't determine effectiveness, said Kate Walsh, the president of the Washington-based National Council on Teacher Quality.
"You can't point to a study that shows that a teacher who has gone through traditional training is better than one who didn't," she said. "I'd argue that neither are doing a good job. We do know that being smarter matters. If you perform high, the chances of having high student achievement increases."
But a teacher's specific training doesn't matter.
"It's all about the connection with kids, which is not necessarily someone who is touchy feely," she said. "It's someone who holds you to a higher standard."
'Something rewarding'
That connection is what had Chad Davis staring intensely at an overhead projector screen this week during Frisco's new-teacher training session.
The 38-year-old McKinney resident re-evaluated his priorities when his finance company folded last year.
"I wanted something more rewarding," said Davis, who had spent 12 years in commodities and business management. He'll teach business and computers this fall at Frisco's Centennial High School.
"A lot of kids lack the knowledge to make financial decisions," he said. "I want them to have something they can rely on throughout life."
The bell rang for the next session, but he hung back as the cafeteria cleared.
Like any new teacher, he said, "I'm worried about getting it right."
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
The Obama Effect
'Obama Effect' at school: Black parents volunteer, expect more
Barack Obama greets a volunteer at a National Day of Service event in which volunteers wrote letters to the troops on Jan. 19 at Coolidge Senior High School in Washington. African-American parents who say they'll volunteer in their child's school rose to 60% from 23% a year ago.
By Greg Toppo, USA TODAY
A new survey suggests that President Obama's victory last November had a positive effect not just on the academic expectations of black Americans — it may have raised parents' interests in volunteerism.
The "Obama Effect," documented last winter, showed that Obama's rise during the 2008 presidential election helped improve African Americans' performance on skills tests, which helped narrow a black-white achievement gap.
BUDGET: Obama aims high for higher education
EXPERTS: A few words for the president on closing the 'achievement gap'
OBAMA ELEMENTARY: Renamed school made inauguration the lesson
In the new findings, African-American parents of children in K-12 schools say they're much more likely to volunteer in a classroom this fall, in effect narrowing a volunteering gap.
The survey, being released today by GreatSchools, a San Francisco non-profit that promotes parental involvement, finds a jump of 37 percentage points in the portion of African-American parents who say they'll volunteer in their child's school — 60% vs. 23% a year ago.
In the same period, the percentage of white parents who plan to volunteer rose six points, from 47% to 53%.
"Clearly, this data is showing that the parent in chief, President Obama, is having an impact on parents' thinking, especially African-American parents' thinking," GreatSchools CEO Bill Jackson says. He notes that in several speeches, Obama has urged parents to turn off the TV, read to their children and attend parent-teacher conferences.
"That jump that we're seeing … is clearly a response to that," he says.
The Internet survey of 1,086 parents has a sampling error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. For the African-American group, the sampling error is much larger — 12.7 percentage points — but the new findings are outside the sampling error.
In January, Vanderbilt University management professor Ray Friedman and a team of researchers found that in a series of online tests, the performance gap between blacks and whites shrank dramatically during two key moments spotlighting Obama in the 2008 campaign.
The findings, dubbed the Obama Effect, offered "compelling evidence of the power that real-world, in-group role models like Obama can have on members of their racial or ethnic community," Friedman said.
Barack Obama greets a volunteer at a National Day of Service event in which volunteers wrote letters to the troops on Jan. 19 at Coolidge Senior High School in Washington. African-American parents who say they'll volunteer in their child's school rose to 60% from 23% a year ago.
By Greg Toppo, USA TODAY
A new survey suggests that President Obama's victory last November had a positive effect not just on the academic expectations of black Americans — it may have raised parents' interests in volunteerism.
The "Obama Effect," documented last winter, showed that Obama's rise during the 2008 presidential election helped improve African Americans' performance on skills tests, which helped narrow a black-white achievement gap.
BUDGET: Obama aims high for higher education
EXPERTS: A few words for the president on closing the 'achievement gap'
OBAMA ELEMENTARY: Renamed school made inauguration the lesson
In the new findings, African-American parents of children in K-12 schools say they're much more likely to volunteer in a classroom this fall, in effect narrowing a volunteering gap.
The survey, being released today by GreatSchools, a San Francisco non-profit that promotes parental involvement, finds a jump of 37 percentage points in the portion of African-American parents who say they'll volunteer in their child's school — 60% vs. 23% a year ago.
In the same period, the percentage of white parents who plan to volunteer rose six points, from 47% to 53%.
"Clearly, this data is showing that the parent in chief, President Obama, is having an impact on parents' thinking, especially African-American parents' thinking," GreatSchools CEO Bill Jackson says. He notes that in several speeches, Obama has urged parents to turn off the TV, read to their children and attend parent-teacher conferences.
"That jump that we're seeing … is clearly a response to that," he says.
The Internet survey of 1,086 parents has a sampling error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. For the African-American group, the sampling error is much larger — 12.7 percentage points — but the new findings are outside the sampling error.
In January, Vanderbilt University management professor Ray Friedman and a team of researchers found that in a series of online tests, the performance gap between blacks and whites shrank dramatically during two key moments spotlighting Obama in the 2008 campaign.
The findings, dubbed the Obama Effect, offered "compelling evidence of the power that real-world, in-group role models like Obama can have on members of their racial or ethnic community," Friedman said.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Why Do Americans Struggle With Reading & Writing?
Why do millions of Americans struggle with reading and writing?
A new government study looks at factors like income and identifies specific skills that could be challenging.
By Stacy Teicher Khadaroo | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
from the May 7, 2009 edition
For the first time, a detailed portrait of America's least literate adults is emerging.
About 30 million people – 14 percent of the US population 16 and older – have trouble with basic reading and writing. Correlating factors that were explored in a new government report include poverty, ethnicity, native language background, and disabilities.
Of these 30 million people, 7 million are considered "nonliterate" in English because their reading abilities are so low. When shown the label for an over-the-counter drug, for instance, many in this subgroup cannot read the word "adult" or a sentence explaining what to do in the event of an overdose.
Adult literacy "is a core social issue that if we could fix as a nation, we would make inroads into fixing many other social problems," says David Harvey, president and CEO of ProLiteracy, an advocacy group based in Syracuse, N.Y. "Low literacy levels are correlated with higher rates of crime, problems with navigating the healthcare system, problems with financial literacy. We know that some of the folks who signed subprime mortgages didn't understand what they were signing."
In the coming months, Congress is expected to retool and reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), which includes a section to help fund adult literacy and basic education programs. Funding has steadily decreased in recent years, Mr. Harvey says. Since the original WIA in 1998, "we've had a radical change in the economy," he adds. "These folks who are on the lowest ends of the literacy scales are the first to lose their jobs.... Employers now require a higher level of reading, writing, math, and technology skills in order to do low-skilled jobs in America."
The government report, which was released Wednesday, looks at specific skills such as oral fluency (the ability to read out loud quickly and accurately) and decoding (the ability to break apart unfamiliar words and sound them out). It presents new analyses from a nationally representative survey conducted in 2003 by the US Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
A main goal of the report is to shed light on the extent to which people's low-level reading is due to lack of basic skills such as decoding or to lack of vocabulary or comprehension. The findings suggest that a lack of basic reading skills is a key problem, says Sheida White, a project officer at NCES. "Teachers of adult basic education and other practitioners may [need to] provide diagnostic assessments to adults to see if they could benefit from explicit and systematic instruction in decoding and oral fluency," she said in a conference call with reporters Wednesday.
Oral fluency is scored by the number of words read accurately per minute in word lists and longer passages. The average score among the general adult population is 98. By contrast, among the 30 million who have problems with basic literacy, 49 percent score below 60. Among the 7 million considered nonliterate, the average score is 34.
As part of the government's study, people in the group of 7 million were given an alternative assessment: Interviewers asked them to read individual words or sentences they pointed to on everyday items. The interviewers could speak in Spanish to those who preferred it, but answers had to be given in English. The study treads in relatively new territory by interviewing people who primarily speak Spanish and getting more detail about their English literacy.
In this lowest-level, alternative-assessment group:
•Language background clearly plays a role. Among those who spoke only English before starting school, 39 percent score below 60 in oral fluency. But among those who spoke Spanish before starting school, the percentage of slow readers is much higher: 72 percent.
•Income and education are also correlated with literacy. People below the poverty line account for 58 percent of this group. Most have not obtained a high school diploma or GED.
•Thirty-five percent of the English speakers and 12 percent of the Spanish speakers have disabilities (in categories such as learning, vision, and hearing).
Many community-based organizations that help adults learn English and improve their literacy report long waiting lists for their services. Yet there's still a stigma that makes some adults afraid to ask for help, says Harvey of ProLiteracy. "We need anti-stigma campaigns like those in the public-health field," he says. He also urges a better continuum of local services so that when people do come forward, they don't get "bounced around."
A new government study looks at factors like income and identifies specific skills that could be challenging.
By Stacy Teicher Khadaroo | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
from the May 7, 2009 edition
For the first time, a detailed portrait of America's least literate adults is emerging.
About 30 million people – 14 percent of the US population 16 and older – have trouble with basic reading and writing. Correlating factors that were explored in a new government report include poverty, ethnicity, native language background, and disabilities.
Of these 30 million people, 7 million are considered "nonliterate" in English because their reading abilities are so low. When shown the label for an over-the-counter drug, for instance, many in this subgroup cannot read the word "adult" or a sentence explaining what to do in the event of an overdose.
Adult literacy "is a core social issue that if we could fix as a nation, we would make inroads into fixing many other social problems," says David Harvey, president and CEO of ProLiteracy, an advocacy group based in Syracuse, N.Y. "Low literacy levels are correlated with higher rates of crime, problems with navigating the healthcare system, problems with financial literacy. We know that some of the folks who signed subprime mortgages didn't understand what they were signing."
In the coming months, Congress is expected to retool and reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), which includes a section to help fund adult literacy and basic education programs. Funding has steadily decreased in recent years, Mr. Harvey says. Since the original WIA in 1998, "we've had a radical change in the economy," he adds. "These folks who are on the lowest ends of the literacy scales are the first to lose their jobs.... Employers now require a higher level of reading, writing, math, and technology skills in order to do low-skilled jobs in America."
The government report, which was released Wednesday, looks at specific skills such as oral fluency (the ability to read out loud quickly and accurately) and decoding (the ability to break apart unfamiliar words and sound them out). It presents new analyses from a nationally representative survey conducted in 2003 by the US Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
A main goal of the report is to shed light on the extent to which people's low-level reading is due to lack of basic skills such as decoding or to lack of vocabulary or comprehension. The findings suggest that a lack of basic reading skills is a key problem, says Sheida White, a project officer at NCES. "Teachers of adult basic education and other practitioners may [need to] provide diagnostic assessments to adults to see if they could benefit from explicit and systematic instruction in decoding and oral fluency," she said in a conference call with reporters Wednesday.
Oral fluency is scored by the number of words read accurately per minute in word lists and longer passages. The average score among the general adult population is 98. By contrast, among the 30 million who have problems with basic literacy, 49 percent score below 60. Among the 7 million considered nonliterate, the average score is 34.
As part of the government's study, people in the group of 7 million were given an alternative assessment: Interviewers asked them to read individual words or sentences they pointed to on everyday items. The interviewers could speak in Spanish to those who preferred it, but answers had to be given in English. The study treads in relatively new territory by interviewing people who primarily speak Spanish and getting more detail about their English literacy.
In this lowest-level, alternative-assessment group:
•Language background clearly plays a role. Among those who spoke only English before starting school, 39 percent score below 60 in oral fluency. But among those who spoke Spanish before starting school, the percentage of slow readers is much higher: 72 percent.
•Income and education are also correlated with literacy. People below the poverty line account for 58 percent of this group. Most have not obtained a high school diploma or GED.
•Thirty-five percent of the English speakers and 12 percent of the Spanish speakers have disabilities (in categories such as learning, vision, and hearing).
Many community-based organizations that help adults learn English and improve their literacy report long waiting lists for their services. Yet there's still a stigma that makes some adults afraid to ask for help, says Harvey of ProLiteracy. "We need anti-stigma campaigns like those in the public-health field," he says. He also urges a better continuum of local services so that when people do come forward, they don't get "bounced around."
NCTE Synopsis of Young's Book on Asian American Narratives
Minor Re/Visions: Asian American Literacy Narratives as a Rhetoric of Citizenship
Author(s): Morris Young
Winner of the 2004 W. Ross Winterowd Award
Winner of the 2006 CCCC Outstanding Book Award
Through a blend of personal narrative, cultural and literary analysis, and discussions about teaching, Minor Re/Visions: Asian American Literacy Narratives as a Rhetoric of Citizenship shows how people of color use reading and writing to develop and articulate notions of citizenship. Morris Young begins with a narration of his own literacy experiences to illustrate the complicated relationship among literacy, race, and citizenship and to reveal the tensions that exist between competing beliefs and uses of literacy among those who are part of dominant American culture and those who are positioned as minorities.
Influenced by the literacy narratives of other writers of color, Young theorizes an Asian American rhetoric by examining the rhetorical construction of American citizenship in works such as Richard Rodriguez’s Hunger of Memory, Victor Villanueva’s Bootstraps: From an American Academic of Color, Carlos Bulosan’s America Is in the Heart, and Maxine Hong Kingston’s “Song for a Barbarian Reed Pipe” from Woman Warrior. These narratives, Young shows, tell stories of transformation through education, the acquisition of literacy, and cultural assimilation and resistance. They also offer an important revision to the American story by inserting the minor and creating a tension amid dominant discourses about literacy, race, and citizenship. Through a consideration of the literacy narratives of Hawai`i, Young also provides a context for reading literacy narratives as responses to racism, linguistic discrimination, and attempts at “othering” in a particular region.
As we are faced with dominant discourses that construct race and citizenship in problematic ways and as official institutions become even more powerful and prevalent in silencing minor voices, Minor Re/Visions reveals the critical need for revising minority and dominant discourses. Young’s observations and conclusions have important implications for the ways rhetoricians and compositionists read, teach, and assign literacy narratives.
Studies in Writing & Rhetoric (SWR) series. 224 pp. 2004. College. NCTE/CCCC and Southern Illinois University Press. ISBN 0-8093-2554-3.
No. 31808
ISBN: 0-8093-2554-3
Grade Level(s): College
Author(s): Morris Young
Winner of the 2004 W. Ross Winterowd Award
Winner of the 2006 CCCC Outstanding Book Award
Through a blend of personal narrative, cultural and literary analysis, and discussions about teaching, Minor Re/Visions: Asian American Literacy Narratives as a Rhetoric of Citizenship shows how people of color use reading and writing to develop and articulate notions of citizenship. Morris Young begins with a narration of his own literacy experiences to illustrate the complicated relationship among literacy, race, and citizenship and to reveal the tensions that exist between competing beliefs and uses of literacy among those who are part of dominant American culture and those who are positioned as minorities.
Influenced by the literacy narratives of other writers of color, Young theorizes an Asian American rhetoric by examining the rhetorical construction of American citizenship in works such as Richard Rodriguez’s Hunger of Memory, Victor Villanueva’s Bootstraps: From an American Academic of Color, Carlos Bulosan’s America Is in the Heart, and Maxine Hong Kingston’s “Song for a Barbarian Reed Pipe” from Woman Warrior. These narratives, Young shows, tell stories of transformation through education, the acquisition of literacy, and cultural assimilation and resistance. They also offer an important revision to the American story by inserting the minor and creating a tension amid dominant discourses about literacy, race, and citizenship. Through a consideration of the literacy narratives of Hawai`i, Young also provides a context for reading literacy narratives as responses to racism, linguistic discrimination, and attempts at “othering” in a particular region.
As we are faced with dominant discourses that construct race and citizenship in problematic ways and as official institutions become even more powerful and prevalent in silencing minor voices, Minor Re/Visions reveals the critical need for revising minority and dominant discourses. Young’s observations and conclusions have important implications for the ways rhetoricians and compositionists read, teach, and assign literacy narratives.
Studies in Writing & Rhetoric (SWR) series. 224 pp. 2004. College. NCTE/CCCC and Southern Illinois University Press. ISBN 0-8093-2554-3.
No. 31808
ISBN: 0-8093-2554-3
Grade Level(s): College
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Defining Critical Pedagogy
Defining Critical Pedagogy
From: Jeff
jeffreybillard@comcast.net To: Integrated Teaching through the Arts
Date: Sun, Jul 19, 2009 7:46 am
Critical pedagogy is a teaching approach that attempts to help
students question and challenge domination, and the beliefs and
practices that dominate. In other words, it is a theory and practice
of helping students achieve critical consciousness. Critical pedagogue
Ira Shor defines critical pedagogy as
"Habits of thought, reading, writing, and speaking which go beneath
surface meaning, first impressions, dominant myths, official
pronouncements, traditional clichés, received wisdom, and mere
opinions, to understand the deep meaning, root causes, social context,
ideology, and personal consequences of any action, event, object,
process, organization, experience, text, subject matter, policy, mass
media, or discourse." (Empowering Education, 129)
Critical Pedagogy includes relationships between teaching and
learning. It is a continuous process of unlearning, learning and
relearning, reflection, evaluation and the impact that these actions
have on the students, in particular students who have been
historically and continue to be disenfranchised by traditional
schooling.
This is excerpted from Karr.net
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"Integrated Teaching through the Arts" group.
To post to this group, send email to integratingarts@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to integratingarts+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/integratingarts?hl=en
From: Jeff
jeffreybillard@comcast.net To: Integrated Teaching through the Arts
Date: Sun, Jul 19, 2009 7:46 am
Critical pedagogy is a teaching approach that attempts to help
students question and challenge domination, and the beliefs and
practices that dominate. In other words, it is a theory and practice
of helping students achieve critical consciousness. Critical pedagogue
Ira Shor defines critical pedagogy as
"Habits of thought, reading, writing, and speaking which go beneath
surface meaning, first impressions, dominant myths, official
pronouncements, traditional clichés, received wisdom, and mere
opinions, to understand the deep meaning, root causes, social context,
ideology, and personal consequences of any action, event, object,
process, organization, experience, text, subject matter, policy, mass
media, or discourse." (Empowering Education, 129)
Critical Pedagogy includes relationships between teaching and
learning. It is a continuous process of unlearning, learning and
relearning, reflection, evaluation and the impact that these actions
have on the students, in particular students who have been
historically and continue to be disenfranchised by traditional
schooling.
This is excerpted from Karr.net
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"Integrated Teaching through the Arts" group.
To post to this group, send email to integratingarts@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to integratingarts+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/integratingarts?hl=en
Monday, June 15, 2009
American Music Conference BREIFS-Music And Education
The pace of scientific research into music making has never been greater. New data about music’s relationship to brainpower, wellness and other phenomena is changing the way we perceive mankind’s oldest art form, and it’s having a real-world effect on decisions about educational priorities.
The briefs below provide a glimpse into these exciting developments. For a more in-depth treatment of current music science, visit The International Foundation for Music Research, and to see updates on the latest findings, check the "Build Your Case" section of SupportMusic.com.
Did You Know?
Middle school and high school students who participated in instrumental music scored significantly higher than their non-band peers in standardized tests. University studies conducted in Georgia and Texas found significant correlations between the number of years of instrumental music instruction and academic achievement in math, science and language arts.
Source: University of Sarasota Study, Jeffrey Lynn Kluball; East Texas State University Study, Daryl Erick Trent
Did You Know?
Students who were exposed to the music-based lessons scored a full 100 percent higher on fractions tests than those who learned in the conventional manner. Second-grade and third-grade students were taught fractions in an untraditional manner ‹ by teaching them basic music rhythm notation. The group was taught about the relationships between eighth, quarter, half and whole notes. Their peers received traditional fraction instruction.
Source: Neurological Research, March 15, 1999
Did You Know?
Music majors are the most likely group of college grads to be admitted to medical school. Physician and biologist Lewis Thomas studied the undergraduate majors of medical school applicants. He found that 66 percent of music majors who applied to med school were admitted, the highest percentage of any group. For comparison, (44 percent) of biochemistry majors were admitted. Also, a study of 7,500 university students revealed that music majors scored the highest reading scores among all majors including English, biology, chemistry and math.
Sources: "The Comparative Academic Abilities of Students in Education and in Other Areas of a Multi-focus University," Peter H. Wood, ERIC Document No. ED327480
"The Case for Music in the Schools," Phi Delta Kappan, February, 1994
Did You Know?
Music study can help kids understand advanced music concepts. A grasp of proportional math and fractions is a prerequisite to math at higher levels, and children who do not master these areas cannot understand more advanced math critical to high-tech fields. Music involves ratios, fractions, proportions and thinking in space and time. Second-grade students were given four months of piano keyboard training, as well as time using newly designed math software. The group scored over 27 percent higher on proportional math and fractions tests than children who used only the math software.
Source: Neurological Research March, 1999
Did You Know?
A McGill University study found that pattern recognition and mental representation scores improved significantly for students given piano instruction over a three-year period. They also found that self-esteem and musical skills measures improved for the students given piano instruction.
Source: Dr. Eugenia Costa-Giomi, "The McGill Piano Project: Effects of three years of piano instruction on children's cognitive abilities, academic achievement, and self-esteem," presented at the meeting of the Music Educators National Conference, Phoenix, AZ, April, 1998
Did You Know?
Data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 showed that music participants received more academic honors and awards than non-music students, and that the percentage of music participants receiving As, As/Bs, and Bs was higher than the percentage of non-participants receiving those grades.
Source: National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 First Follow-Up (1990), U.S. Department of Education.
Did You Know?
Research shows that piano students are better equipped to comprehend mathematical and scientific concepts. A group of preschoolers received private piano keyboard lessons and singing lessons. A second group received private computer lessons. Those children who received piano/keyboard training performed 34 percent higher on tests measuring spatial-temporal ability than the others ‹ even those who received computer training. "Spatial-temporal" is basically proportional reasoning - ratios, fractions, proportions and thinking in space and time. This concept has long been considered a major obstacle in the teaching of elementary math and science.
Source: Neurological Research February 28, 1997
Did You Know?
Young children with developed rhythm skills perform better academically in early school years. Findings of a recent study showed that there was a significant difference in the academic achievement levels of students classified according to rhythmic competency. Students who were achieving at academic expectation scored high on all rhythmic tasks, while many of those who scored lower on the rhythmic test achieved below academic expectation.
Source: "The Relationship between Rhythmic Competency and Academic Performance in First Grade Children," University of Central Florida, Debby Mitchell
Did You Know?
High school music students score higher on SATs in both verbal and math than their peers. In 2001, SAT takers with coursework/experience in music performance scored 57 points higher on the verbal portion of the test and 41 points higher on the math portion than students with no coursework/experience in the arts.
Source: Profile of SAT and Achievement Test Takers, The College Board, compiled by Music Educators National Conference, 2001.
Did You Know?
College-age musicians are emotionally healthier than their non-musician counterparts. A study conducted at the University of Texas looked at 362 students who were in their first semester of college. They were given three tests, measuring performance anxiety, emotional concerns and alcohol related problems. In addition to having fewer battles with the bottle, researchers also noted that the college-aged music students seemed to have surer footing when facing tests.
Source: Houston Chronicle, January 11, 1998
Did You Know?
A ten-year study, tracking more than 25,000 students, shows that music-making improves test scores. Regardless of socioeconomic background, music-making students get higher marks in standardized tests than those who had no music involvement. The test scores studied were not only standardized tests, such as the SAT, but also in reading proficiency exams.
Source: Dr. James Catterall, UCLA, 1997
Did You Know?
The world's top academic countries place a high value on music education. Hungary, Netherlands and Japan stand atop worldwide science achievement and have strong commitment to music education. All three countries have required music training at the elementary and middle school levels, both instrumental and vocal, for several decades. The centrality of music education to learning in the top-ranked countries seems to contradict the United States' focus on math, science, vocabulary, and technology.
Source: 1988 International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IAEEA) Test
Did You Know?
Music training helps under-achievers. In Rhode Island, researchers studied eight public school first grade classes. Half of the classes became "test arts" groups, receiving ongoing music and visual arts training. In kindergarten, this group had lagged behind in scholastic performance. After seven months, the students were given a standardized test. The "test arts" group had caught up to their fellow students in reading and surpassed their classmates in math by 22 percent. In the second year of the project, the arts students widened this margin even further. Students were also evaluated on attitude and behavior. Classroom teachers noted improvement in these areas also.
Source: Nature May 23, 1996
Did You Know?
"Music education can be a positive force on all aspects of a child's life, particularly on their academic success. The study of music by children has been linked to higher scores on the SAT and other learning aptitude tests, and has proven to be an invaluable tool in classrooms across the country. Given the impact music can have on our children's education, we should support every effort to bring music into their classrooms."
Source: U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman (NM)
Did You Know?
"The nation's top business executives agree that arts education programs can help repair weaknesses in American education and better prepare workers for the 21st century."
Source: "The Changing Workplace is Changing Our View of Education," Business Week, October 1996.
The briefs below provide a glimpse into these exciting developments. For a more in-depth treatment of current music science, visit The International Foundation for Music Research, and to see updates on the latest findings, check the "Build Your Case" section of SupportMusic.com.
Did You Know?
Middle school and high school students who participated in instrumental music scored significantly higher than their non-band peers in standardized tests. University studies conducted in Georgia and Texas found significant correlations between the number of years of instrumental music instruction and academic achievement in math, science and language arts.
Source: University of Sarasota Study, Jeffrey Lynn Kluball; East Texas State University Study, Daryl Erick Trent
Did You Know?
Students who were exposed to the music-based lessons scored a full 100 percent higher on fractions tests than those who learned in the conventional manner. Second-grade and third-grade students were taught fractions in an untraditional manner ‹ by teaching them basic music rhythm notation. The group was taught about the relationships between eighth, quarter, half and whole notes. Their peers received traditional fraction instruction.
Source: Neurological Research, March 15, 1999
Did You Know?
Music majors are the most likely group of college grads to be admitted to medical school. Physician and biologist Lewis Thomas studied the undergraduate majors of medical school applicants. He found that 66 percent of music majors who applied to med school were admitted, the highest percentage of any group. For comparison, (44 percent) of biochemistry majors were admitted. Also, a study of 7,500 university students revealed that music majors scored the highest reading scores among all majors including English, biology, chemistry and math.
Sources: "The Comparative Academic Abilities of Students in Education and in Other Areas of a Multi-focus University," Peter H. Wood, ERIC Document No. ED327480
"The Case for Music in the Schools," Phi Delta Kappan, February, 1994
Did You Know?
Music study can help kids understand advanced music concepts. A grasp of proportional math and fractions is a prerequisite to math at higher levels, and children who do not master these areas cannot understand more advanced math critical to high-tech fields. Music involves ratios, fractions, proportions and thinking in space and time. Second-grade students were given four months of piano keyboard training, as well as time using newly designed math software. The group scored over 27 percent higher on proportional math and fractions tests than children who used only the math software.
Source: Neurological Research March, 1999
Did You Know?
A McGill University study found that pattern recognition and mental representation scores improved significantly for students given piano instruction over a three-year period. They also found that self-esteem and musical skills measures improved for the students given piano instruction.
Source: Dr. Eugenia Costa-Giomi, "The McGill Piano Project: Effects of three years of piano instruction on children's cognitive abilities, academic achievement, and self-esteem," presented at the meeting of the Music Educators National Conference, Phoenix, AZ, April, 1998
Did You Know?
Data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 showed that music participants received more academic honors and awards than non-music students, and that the percentage of music participants receiving As, As/Bs, and Bs was higher than the percentage of non-participants receiving those grades.
Source: National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 First Follow-Up (1990), U.S. Department of Education.
Did You Know?
Research shows that piano students are better equipped to comprehend mathematical and scientific concepts. A group of preschoolers received private piano keyboard lessons and singing lessons. A second group received private computer lessons. Those children who received piano/keyboard training performed 34 percent higher on tests measuring spatial-temporal ability than the others ‹ even those who received computer training. "Spatial-temporal" is basically proportional reasoning - ratios, fractions, proportions and thinking in space and time. This concept has long been considered a major obstacle in the teaching of elementary math and science.
Source: Neurological Research February 28, 1997
Did You Know?
Young children with developed rhythm skills perform better academically in early school years. Findings of a recent study showed that there was a significant difference in the academic achievement levels of students classified according to rhythmic competency. Students who were achieving at academic expectation scored high on all rhythmic tasks, while many of those who scored lower on the rhythmic test achieved below academic expectation.
Source: "The Relationship between Rhythmic Competency and Academic Performance in First Grade Children," University of Central Florida, Debby Mitchell
Did You Know?
High school music students score higher on SATs in both verbal and math than their peers. In 2001, SAT takers with coursework/experience in music performance scored 57 points higher on the verbal portion of the test and 41 points higher on the math portion than students with no coursework/experience in the arts.
Source: Profile of SAT and Achievement Test Takers, The College Board, compiled by Music Educators National Conference, 2001.
Did You Know?
College-age musicians are emotionally healthier than their non-musician counterparts. A study conducted at the University of Texas looked at 362 students who were in their first semester of college. They were given three tests, measuring performance anxiety, emotional concerns and alcohol related problems. In addition to having fewer battles with the bottle, researchers also noted that the college-aged music students seemed to have surer footing when facing tests.
Source: Houston Chronicle, January 11, 1998
Did You Know?
A ten-year study, tracking more than 25,000 students, shows that music-making improves test scores. Regardless of socioeconomic background, music-making students get higher marks in standardized tests than those who had no music involvement. The test scores studied were not only standardized tests, such as the SAT, but also in reading proficiency exams.
Source: Dr. James Catterall, UCLA, 1997
Did You Know?
The world's top academic countries place a high value on music education. Hungary, Netherlands and Japan stand atop worldwide science achievement and have strong commitment to music education. All three countries have required music training at the elementary and middle school levels, both instrumental and vocal, for several decades. The centrality of music education to learning in the top-ranked countries seems to contradict the United States' focus on math, science, vocabulary, and technology.
Source: 1988 International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IAEEA) Test
Did You Know?
Music training helps under-achievers. In Rhode Island, researchers studied eight public school first grade classes. Half of the classes became "test arts" groups, receiving ongoing music and visual arts training. In kindergarten, this group had lagged behind in scholastic performance. After seven months, the students were given a standardized test. The "test arts" group had caught up to their fellow students in reading and surpassed their classmates in math by 22 percent. In the second year of the project, the arts students widened this margin even further. Students were also evaluated on attitude and behavior. Classroom teachers noted improvement in these areas also.
Source: Nature May 23, 1996
Did You Know?
"Music education can be a positive force on all aspects of a child's life, particularly on their academic success. The study of music by children has been linked to higher scores on the SAT and other learning aptitude tests, and has proven to be an invaluable tool in classrooms across the country. Given the impact music can have on our children's education, we should support every effort to bring music into their classrooms."
Source: U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman (NM)
Did You Know?
"The nation's top business executives agree that arts education programs can help repair weaknesses in American education and better prepare workers for the 21st century."
Source: "The Changing Workplace is Changing Our View of Education," Business Week, October 1996.
MacEwen Patterson on "Keep the Arts in Public Schools"
As the nation is waking up to the long-term impacts of No Child Left Behind and what a tone of public policy can do to a generation of children, our ability to scientifically measure it is surfacing and adding new light.
Here's the results of the Nations Report Card:
The National Assessment Governing Board released the 2008 NAEP Arts, which presents the educational progress of eighth-grade students nationally in visual arts and music.
Theatre and dance were not surveyed because of budget restrictions and difficulty in previous years finding enough theater and dance classes to yield reliable results. In addition, the questions that assessed student creation of music were eliminated for budget reasons.
In both music and visual arts,
* Average responding scores were higher for White and Asian/Pacific Islander students than Black and Hispanic students. The pattern was the same for the visual arts creating task scores.
* Female students had a higher average responding score than male students. Female students had a higher average creating task score in visual arts.
* Students who were eligible for free/reduced price school lunch had a lower average responding score and a lower average creating task score in visual arts than those who were not eligible.
* City students scored lower than suburban, town and rural students.
Additional findings included the following:
* Eight percent of surveyed schools do not offer music instruction. Fourteen percent of schools do not offer visual arts classes.
* Eight percent of surveyed schools offer music instruction less than once a week. Ten percent of schools offer visual arts instruction less than once a week.
* Fifty-seven percent of eighth-graders in 2008 attended schools where students received music instruction at least three or four times a week.
* Forty-seven percent of eighth-graders in 2008 attended schools where students received visual arts instruction at least three or four times a week.
Although this survey is not designed to assess the frequency of instruction (unlike the 2012 F.R.S.S. in the arts will do), today’s press release began with the headline, “Frequency of Arts Instruction Remains Steady Since 1997 on the Nation’s Report Card in Music and Visual Arts.”
This report is thin. And it is the best we've gotten in over ten years. The New York Times ran a piece today with the headline:
The New York Times
June 16, 2009
‘Mediocre’ Arts Skills for American Eighth-Graders
Link: http://bit.ly/nytArts
The article by Sam Dillon begins... (excerpt):
Music and art instruction in American eighth-grade classrooms has remained flat over the past decade, according to a new survey conducted by the federal Department of Education, and one official involved in the survey called student achievement in those subjects “mediocre.” [Read More Here - http://bit.ly/nytArts ]
So where does this leave us?
As a Facebook Cause it leaves us with more information to work with and hopefully more inspiration to do something. I want, finally to introduce briefly, Gladstone & Narric, the Director and Associate Director of Federal Affairs. Quick Photo: http://twitpic.com/7hb97
I'll be sharing more with you as the week unfolds.
Two quick housekeeping items:
1. If you are in Los Angeles and are concerned about Summer School being canceled, we are doing what we can to create an option. If you have a willingness to help, that's great. I'll set up a volunteer page by Wednesday.
2. July 4th is our Day of Giving - we have a lot of new members who may not know we're gearing up for one day of coordinated donation. $10 is the minimum Causes can process. Please save up.
Thanks to all of you. I appreciate knowing how important this is to you!
MacEwen
Admin
www.twitter.com/KAIPS
Here's the results of the Nations Report Card:
The National Assessment Governing Board released the 2008 NAEP Arts, which presents the educational progress of eighth-grade students nationally in visual arts and music.
Theatre and dance were not surveyed because of budget restrictions and difficulty in previous years finding enough theater and dance classes to yield reliable results. In addition, the questions that assessed student creation of music were eliminated for budget reasons.
In both music and visual arts,
* Average responding scores were higher for White and Asian/Pacific Islander students than Black and Hispanic students. The pattern was the same for the visual arts creating task scores.
* Female students had a higher average responding score than male students. Female students had a higher average creating task score in visual arts.
* Students who were eligible for free/reduced price school lunch had a lower average responding score and a lower average creating task score in visual arts than those who were not eligible.
* City students scored lower than suburban, town and rural students.
Additional findings included the following:
* Eight percent of surveyed schools do not offer music instruction. Fourteen percent of schools do not offer visual arts classes.
* Eight percent of surveyed schools offer music instruction less than once a week. Ten percent of schools offer visual arts instruction less than once a week.
* Fifty-seven percent of eighth-graders in 2008 attended schools where students received music instruction at least three or four times a week.
* Forty-seven percent of eighth-graders in 2008 attended schools where students received visual arts instruction at least three or four times a week.
Although this survey is not designed to assess the frequency of instruction (unlike the 2012 F.R.S.S. in the arts will do), today’s press release began with the headline, “Frequency of Arts Instruction Remains Steady Since 1997 on the Nation’s Report Card in Music and Visual Arts.”
This report is thin. And it is the best we've gotten in over ten years. The New York Times ran a piece today with the headline:
The New York Times
June 16, 2009
‘Mediocre’ Arts Skills for American Eighth-Graders
Link: http://bit.ly/nytArts
The article by Sam Dillon begins... (excerpt):
Music and art instruction in American eighth-grade classrooms has remained flat over the past decade, according to a new survey conducted by the federal Department of Education, and one official involved in the survey called student achievement in those subjects “mediocre.” [Read More Here - http://bit.ly/nytArts ]
So where does this leave us?
As a Facebook Cause it leaves us with more information to work with and hopefully more inspiration to do something. I want, finally to introduce briefly, Gladstone & Narric, the Director and Associate Director of Federal Affairs. Quick Photo: http://twitpic.com/7hb97
I'll be sharing more with you as the week unfolds.
Two quick housekeeping items:
1. If you are in Los Angeles and are concerned about Summer School being canceled, we are doing what we can to create an option. If you have a willingness to help, that's great. I'll set up a volunteer page by Wednesday.
2. July 4th is our Day of Giving - we have a lot of new members who may not know we're gearing up for one day of coordinated donation. $10 is the minimum Causes can process. Please save up.
Thanks to all of you. I appreciate knowing how important this is to you!
MacEwen
Admin
www.twitter.com/KAIPS
Sunday, May 10, 2009
The Self-Esteem Dilemma by Robert Genn
Back in the good old days, the Girl Guides used to get badges for accomplishments. Nowadays they're also getting badges for loving themselves. The self-esteem movement is an epidemic that's been sweeping parts of the Western World--claiming that even young girls need to feel good about themselves before they can do good things. I don't think so. I think you have to do good things to feel good.
It's particularly noticeable in the art game. In some quarters, we go to a lot of trouble to help others feel good. These days some of us are getting all sorts of praise for just trying. The Internet is full of it. Jack writes to Bill: "Right on, Bill--I love your fence posts." Even though Bill's fence posts are substandard, he still gets approval and encouragement. I guess it's more democratic.
Instead of measuring work against examples of excellence, we now honour mediocrity as well. Actually, it's human nature--it makes us feel comfortable, particularly if we're mediocre ourselves. What's going to become of a society that persists in this folly? No child left behind in the field means fewer peaks on the hill.
True professionals don't stand for this nonsense. For one thing, they don't listen to non-authoritative commentary or ingratiating praise. They try to decide what excellence is, challenge themselves and bend their bones to make it happen. Actually, the whole self-esteem thing leads artists into marketing courses before they're producing creditable work. But just get reasonably good and the world will love and reward you. Stay bad and all the marketing in the world won't help you--and you'll end up thinking less of yourself, anyway.
Quality deserves approval and gets it. Quality breeds success, cash flow and, curiously, genuine self-esteem because it's warranted. And while all artists, no matter how evolved, need a little perk from time to time, when you're on top of your game, you can take things less seriously.
We once attended a concert where little tykes played solos on the piano, cello, violin and trumpet. It was all pretty cute, and we all applauded like mad, especially when one of the little people was ours. At the end, every last kid got a trophy or a ribbon. Some system.
Best regards,
Robert
PS: "People thought that kids who felt good about themselves would get higher grades. They don't. They only feel entitled to get them." (Margaret Wente)
Esoterica: "Self-esteem," says cognitive psychologist Martin Seligman, "cannot be directly injected. It needs to result from doing well, from being warranted." Artists need to consider this when awarding and receiving prizes and honours. I recently juried an art-club show where in my heart of hearts it seemed to me that no one deserved even an honourable mention. "You have to give prizes," the president told me, "or the club will collapse." I didn't. It didn't. Fortunately there was another juror available, so they gave my job to him.
Coach Sherrie says: I couldn't decide which of my three blogs to put this in. I finally decided on this one. As a techer, I have seen the damage done from inflating a child's self-esteem: anger, resentment, mediocraty, jealousy (of the actually worthy student). I am even aware of a teen being killed because his own cousins were jealous that he was such an outstanding young man, intelligent, honest, kind and caring. What we need to do is help each student find a plave where they really can EXCEL.
It's particularly noticeable in the art game. In some quarters, we go to a lot of trouble to help others feel good. These days some of us are getting all sorts of praise for just trying. The Internet is full of it. Jack writes to Bill: "Right on, Bill--I love your fence posts." Even though Bill's fence posts are substandard, he still gets approval and encouragement. I guess it's more democratic.
Instead of measuring work against examples of excellence, we now honour mediocrity as well. Actually, it's human nature--it makes us feel comfortable, particularly if we're mediocre ourselves. What's going to become of a society that persists in this folly? No child left behind in the field means fewer peaks on the hill.
True professionals don't stand for this nonsense. For one thing, they don't listen to non-authoritative commentary or ingratiating praise. They try to decide what excellence is, challenge themselves and bend their bones to make it happen. Actually, the whole self-esteem thing leads artists into marketing courses before they're producing creditable work. But just get reasonably good and the world will love and reward you. Stay bad and all the marketing in the world won't help you--and you'll end up thinking less of yourself, anyway.
Quality deserves approval and gets it. Quality breeds success, cash flow and, curiously, genuine self-esteem because it's warranted. And while all artists, no matter how evolved, need a little perk from time to time, when you're on top of your game, you can take things less seriously.
We once attended a concert where little tykes played solos on the piano, cello, violin and trumpet. It was all pretty cute, and we all applauded like mad, especially when one of the little people was ours. At the end, every last kid got a trophy or a ribbon. Some system.
Best regards,
Robert
PS: "People thought that kids who felt good about themselves would get higher grades. They don't. They only feel entitled to get them." (Margaret Wente)
Esoterica: "Self-esteem," says cognitive psychologist Martin Seligman, "cannot be directly injected. It needs to result from doing well, from being warranted." Artists need to consider this when awarding and receiving prizes and honours. I recently juried an art-club show where in my heart of hearts it seemed to me that no one deserved even an honourable mention. "You have to give prizes," the president told me, "or the club will collapse." I didn't. It didn't. Fortunately there was another juror available, so they gave my job to him.
Coach Sherrie says: I couldn't decide which of my three blogs to put this in. I finally decided on this one. As a techer, I have seen the damage done from inflating a child's self-esteem: anger, resentment, mediocraty, jealousy (of the actually worthy student). I am even aware of a teen being killed because his own cousins were jealous that he was such an outstanding young man, intelligent, honest, kind and caring. What we need to do is help each student find a plave where they really can EXCEL.
Monday, May 4, 2009
The Myth of the Lazy Veteran Teacher
I am so grateful someone finally said this!
The myth of lazy veteran teachers
By Joseph Staub
Updated: 04/25/2009 10:49:50 PM PDT
Almost every time the subject of layoffs in the Los Angeles Unified School District comes up, somebody bemoans the idea that enthusiastic, talented young teachers - the "best and the brightest" - are the first to be let go. Meanwhile, lousy, lazy and otherwise unfit teachers stay, protected by their seniority regardless of their ability.
As someone who has served as a master teacher and mentor teacher for California State University, Northridge, Cal State L.A. and Loyola Marymount, I know that perception is largely untrue. It is mostly a fallacy perpetuated by its romantic appeal and political expediency.
When a school district or college officials say they want to attract the "best and brightest," they may be sincere about a sound recruiting policy. However, they're really only talking about the candidates they want. We all know the best candidates don't always make the best teachers.
I have seen dozens of young (and not so young), talented people show up with their shiny new credentials and years of training, only to be dismayed by the difficulty and complexity of a real classroom.
My favorites are the ex-engineers who think because they can build rockets they can teach math and science to a roomful of sixth-graders. Whom do you think reaches out to mentor these new teachers, walking them through their first years, if they last that long? Why, the veteran teachers, of course. You know, those lazy dopes just hanging around until they retire.
This isn't to say there aren't brilliant and dedicated new teachers. There certainly are. But there are also a great many veteran teachers - the 10-, 20-, 30-year types - who are astoundingly good and astonishingly passionate at what they do. New teachers cluster around them - if they're smart - to copy lesson plans, borrow materials, unload stress and soak up knowledge.
But, the argument continues, aren't there also a number of senior teachers who should not be protected by seniority, and who need to be moved out of the profession? Yes, indeed.
And there are mechanisms in place to do just that. It takes a long time, though, I hear some of you saying, shouldn't administrators be able to hire and fire whom they please? Well, perhaps, but consider the assumptions on which this idea is based.
First, it assumes all principals are competent.
Most administrators are talented and committed, in my experience. But in the far too numerous cases where they aren't, do we really want them to have so much influence over the staffing? What kind of teachers do you think an incompetent administrator would hire, or keep?
Second, even when an administrator is competent, it's still a highly political job, especially the principalship.
Too often I have seen a teacher tagged as a "problem" for something completely unrelated to the quality of his or her instruction. Pointing out incompetence, abuse, or fraud, for example, or not being on board with somebody's pet project, or not having their bulletin boards just so.
Third, sometimes you need seniority, and the protection that comes with it, just to do your job.
I know I do. I am a special education teacher, charged with making sure the teaching and other services my students with disabilities receive complies with district policy and state and federal codes.
Many, many times I have had to slug it out with an administrator or other district official (or, to be fair, a parent, or teacher, or bureaucrat, etc.) who just didn't want to go through the time and expense to serve the student in accordance with the law. Now, how could I protect my students if the very people I had to stand up to had complete control over my livelihood? Only tenure allowed me to say and do what was necessary to ensure my students got what they needed and deserved.
Fourth, of course, school districts want young teachers.
They're without the protections mentioned above and cost far less than experienced teachers.
It is no secret that there are many issues to be resolved in the ongoing debates about tenure, layoffs, seniority, and so on. The resolution will be easier if we look past the emotionally charged descriptions of thousands of bright young experts being forced tearfully out of schools, leaving behind only a corps of smug, untalented, unmotivated union hacks.
It just isn't true. It's not even remotely accurate.
Joseph Staub is a teacher and writer in Los Angeles. He may be reached at josephstaub@hotmail.com.
The myth of lazy veteran teachers
By Joseph Staub
Updated: 04/25/2009 10:49:50 PM PDT
Almost every time the subject of layoffs in the Los Angeles Unified School District comes up, somebody bemoans the idea that enthusiastic, talented young teachers - the "best and the brightest" - are the first to be let go. Meanwhile, lousy, lazy and otherwise unfit teachers stay, protected by their seniority regardless of their ability.
As someone who has served as a master teacher and mentor teacher for California State University, Northridge, Cal State L.A. and Loyola Marymount, I know that perception is largely untrue. It is mostly a fallacy perpetuated by its romantic appeal and political expediency.
When a school district or college officials say they want to attract the "best and brightest," they may be sincere about a sound recruiting policy. However, they're really only talking about the candidates they want. We all know the best candidates don't always make the best teachers.
I have seen dozens of young (and not so young), talented people show up with their shiny new credentials and years of training, only to be dismayed by the difficulty and complexity of a real classroom.
My favorites are the ex-engineers who think because they can build rockets they can teach math and science to a roomful of sixth-graders. Whom do you think reaches out to mentor these new teachers, walking them through their first years, if they last that long? Why, the veteran teachers, of course. You know, those lazy dopes just hanging around until they retire.
This isn't to say there aren't brilliant and dedicated new teachers. There certainly are. But there are also a great many veteran teachers - the 10-, 20-, 30-year types - who are astoundingly good and astonishingly passionate at what they do. New teachers cluster around them - if they're smart - to copy lesson plans, borrow materials, unload stress and soak up knowledge.
But, the argument continues, aren't there also a number of senior teachers who should not be protected by seniority, and who need to be moved out of the profession? Yes, indeed.
And there are mechanisms in place to do just that. It takes a long time, though, I hear some of you saying, shouldn't administrators be able to hire and fire whom they please? Well, perhaps, but consider the assumptions on which this idea is based.
First, it assumes all principals are competent.
Most administrators are talented and committed, in my experience. But in the far too numerous cases where they aren't, do we really want them to have so much influence over the staffing? What kind of teachers do you think an incompetent administrator would hire, or keep?
Second, even when an administrator is competent, it's still a highly political job, especially the principalship.
Too often I have seen a teacher tagged as a "problem" for something completely unrelated to the quality of his or her instruction. Pointing out incompetence, abuse, or fraud, for example, or not being on board with somebody's pet project, or not having their bulletin boards just so.
Third, sometimes you need seniority, and the protection that comes with it, just to do your job.
I know I do. I am a special education teacher, charged with making sure the teaching and other services my students with disabilities receive complies with district policy and state and federal codes.
Many, many times I have had to slug it out with an administrator or other district official (or, to be fair, a parent, or teacher, or bureaucrat, etc.) who just didn't want to go through the time and expense to serve the student in accordance with the law. Now, how could I protect my students if the very people I had to stand up to had complete control over my livelihood? Only tenure allowed me to say and do what was necessary to ensure my students got what they needed and deserved.
Fourth, of course, school districts want young teachers.
They're without the protections mentioned above and cost far less than experienced teachers.
It is no secret that there are many issues to be resolved in the ongoing debates about tenure, layoffs, seniority, and so on. The resolution will be easier if we look past the emotionally charged descriptions of thousands of bright young experts being forced tearfully out of schools, leaving behind only a corps of smug, untalented, unmotivated union hacks.
It just isn't true. It's not even remotely accurate.
Joseph Staub is a teacher and writer in Los Angeles. He may be reached at josephstaub@hotmail.com.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Smart Does NOT = Happy
By Holly Lebowitz Rossi, Inspiration
Dalai Lama: Smart Does Not Mean Happy
What happens when one of the most revered spiritual leaders in the world visits two of the most revered educational institutions in the world? Wisdom, that's what.
This week, the Dalai Lama visited Harvard University and MIT with the message that being smart is not at all the same as being happy. I commend to you Michael Paulson and Jim Smith's fine Boston Globe article about the visit. From their article:
[The Dalai Lama] joked about Harvard's reputation, saying: "Some of my friends in the East once told me Harvard is so famous, even just to walk in that place is something sacred. That is too much, I think. Foolish people, or silly people, can walk [through] easily."
At another point, he observed: "There are very smart scholars, professors . . . full of feelings of competition, full of jealousy, full of anger. . . . I don't mean disrespect."
He said, as he often does, that compassionate feelings appear to be a biological component of human beings - he cited the early connection between children and their mothers - and said those feelings need to be cultivated, not only by families, but also by schools.
He noted that Buddhist monks have weathered imprisonment in Chinese prisons with less apparent psychological damage than that experienced by veterans of the Iraq war, and said, "More compassionate persons, in spite of traumatic experiences, their mental state is still calm." And he attributed some youth violence to a lack of "compassion, or affection, in family, or society."
But he suggested that "Warm-heartedness" is difficult to teach.
Coach Sherrie says: I decided we all needed a reminder.
Dalai Lama: Smart Does Not Mean Happy
What happens when one of the most revered spiritual leaders in the world visits two of the most revered educational institutions in the world? Wisdom, that's what.
This week, the Dalai Lama visited Harvard University and MIT with the message that being smart is not at all the same as being happy. I commend to you Michael Paulson and Jim Smith's fine Boston Globe article about the visit. From their article:
[The Dalai Lama] joked about Harvard's reputation, saying: "Some of my friends in the East once told me Harvard is so famous, even just to walk in that place is something sacred. That is too much, I think. Foolish people, or silly people, can walk [through] easily."
At another point, he observed: "There are very smart scholars, professors . . . full of feelings of competition, full of jealousy, full of anger. . . . I don't mean disrespect."
He said, as he often does, that compassionate feelings appear to be a biological component of human beings - he cited the early connection between children and their mothers - and said those feelings need to be cultivated, not only by families, but also by schools.
He noted that Buddhist monks have weathered imprisonment in Chinese prisons with less apparent psychological damage than that experienced by veterans of the Iraq war, and said, "More compassionate persons, in spite of traumatic experiences, their mental state is still calm." And he attributed some youth violence to a lack of "compassion, or affection, in family, or society."
But he suggested that "Warm-heartedness" is difficult to teach.
Coach Sherrie says: I decided we all needed a reminder.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Teaching Shakespeare by Jeffrey Billard
Hi Everyone,
I hope you are all well and moving to the conclusion of your school
year with many successes in teaching through the arts under your
belts. I thought it would be nice to share some successes here. Here's
a recent one of mine.
After reading Act One of Romeo and Juliet, I asked students to choose
a song that best sums up Romeo's feelings of love for Rosaline. Since
music is so important to students, they were very excited to jump into
this assignment. One student came in with seventeen songs! They
brought in songs on their IPod, which we played excerpts from, song
lyrics and a paragraph on how their song related to the topic along
with some analysis. It was a great success with the best song being "I
Want You to Want Me" by Cheap Trick! Remember that one?
I also asked the students to summarize the balcony scene as if Romeo
and Juliet were texting each other and write it that way. They had a
great time doing it and couldn't wait to share them with the class.
They agreed that both of these assignments forced them to read the
play more carefully and helped them to understand it better.
As a classwork assignment, I asked them to write a prologue for Act
IV. In pairs they had to summarize the events of the act and then put
it into sonnet form. It took about twenty minutes and got all of the
students involved; it was much better than just discussing the events
or answering questions about them. Plus it was fun, and you can't
discount that.
Ok, so let's hear some of yours.
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"Integrated Teaching through the Arts" group.
To post to this group, send email to integratingarts@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to integratingarts+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/integratingarts?hl=en
I hope you are all well and moving to the conclusion of your school
year with many successes in teaching through the arts under your
belts. I thought it would be nice to share some successes here. Here's
a recent one of mine.
After reading Act One of Romeo and Juliet, I asked students to choose
a song that best sums up Romeo's feelings of love for Rosaline. Since
music is so important to students, they were very excited to jump into
this assignment. One student came in with seventeen songs! They
brought in songs on their IPod, which we played excerpts from, song
lyrics and a paragraph on how their song related to the topic along
with some analysis. It was a great success with the best song being "I
Want You to Want Me" by Cheap Trick! Remember that one?
I also asked the students to summarize the balcony scene as if Romeo
and Juliet were texting each other and write it that way. They had a
great time doing it and couldn't wait to share them with the class.
They agreed that both of these assignments forced them to read the
play more carefully and helped them to understand it better.
As a classwork assignment, I asked them to write a prologue for Act
IV. In pairs they had to summarize the events of the act and then put
it into sonnet form. It took about twenty minutes and got all of the
students involved; it was much better than just discussing the events
or answering questions about them. Plus it was fun, and you can't
discount that.
Ok, so let's hear some of yours.
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"Integrated Teaching through the Arts" group.
To post to this group, send email to integratingarts@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to integratingarts+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/integratingarts?hl=en
Implementing Positive Change In the Classroom
Seven Thoughts on Implementing Positive Change in the Way We Teach our Students
by Jeffrey Billard, M. Ed.
1. Engage students more in what they are learning.
Getting the student interested in what he or she is learning is engaging and thought-provoking. We need to get away from what Paulo Freire calls "the banking theory of education" where teachers deposit learning into student's heads and make withdrawals for tests. The old factory model of education is just that...old and outdated; we need to reach out to students, find what's important to them, what they enjoy and reach them that way. "Teaching to the test" and "drill, drill, drill" are outmoded and need to be done away with.
2. Make what we are teaching relevant to our student's lives.
Can we turn the standards we need to address into situations that have meaning to our students? Definitely.
3. Teach kids instead of teaching content.
We know what has to be taught-that is clear, but it's in the delivery and how we treat the students as people in an empathetic and human way that is key.
4. Make our classrooms into "safe containers" where students feel welcomed, appreciated and valued.
Building community in a classroom is incredibly important, yet often overlooked. If more students felt safe, emotionally as well as physically, then more would come to school and learn.
Schools all over the country are attempting to curb rising drop-out rates. Doesn't making schools more appealing for kids mean that they'll want to come?
5. Assess students in a more global, inclusive way.
If the main way students are being assessed is through traditional forms of testing, then we are only appealing to the linguistic and mathematical learners. What about all of the other intelligences as put forth by Howard Gardner- spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalist? After all as Sir Ken Robinson says we think and process things in all the ways we experience the world. Doing that with our kids would speak to them, as we hit all the intelligences and learning styles.
6. Foster creativity and creative thinking.
Instead of a generation of students who are good at taking standardized tests, we need to foster creative and critical thinking. This makes school exciting and fun. What better way to get students to want to come to school and help prevent drop-outs.
7. Get students up and moving in the classroom.
Kids, no matter what age or level, want to get up and move in the classroom. Sitting for an hour in a hard chair is not conducive to learning. Creative movement activities make the room crackle with excitement and energy. This is especially effective if you have students with ADHD-think about it. I would guess that if asked, most students would tell you that they would rather be up and doing at least some of the time instead of sitting and listening all of the time.
We don't need to design new, elaborate systems as we re-think how our schools should look; we need to re-think the instructional methods we use in the classroom everyday and invest in restocking our teachers' toolboxes with methods that integrate the arts through creative movement, drama, poetry, storytelling, visual art and music in all grades and all levels.
Integrating the arts into the curriculum accomplishes all of these points and more. We all need to advocate for this type of approach as we take our first steps into the 21st century.
Posted by Jeffrey Billard, M.Ed. at 9:51 AM 0 comments
Labels: Examining our teaching practices, Jeffrey Billard, Rationale for integrating the arts
by Jeffrey Billard, M. Ed.
1. Engage students more in what they are learning.
Getting the student interested in what he or she is learning is engaging and thought-provoking. We need to get away from what Paulo Freire calls "the banking theory of education" where teachers deposit learning into student's heads and make withdrawals for tests. The old factory model of education is just that...old and outdated; we need to reach out to students, find what's important to them, what they enjoy and reach them that way. "Teaching to the test" and "drill, drill, drill" are outmoded and need to be done away with.
2. Make what we are teaching relevant to our student's lives.
Can we turn the standards we need to address into situations that have meaning to our students? Definitely.
3. Teach kids instead of teaching content.
We know what has to be taught-that is clear, but it's in the delivery and how we treat the students as people in an empathetic and human way that is key.
4. Make our classrooms into "safe containers" where students feel welcomed, appreciated and valued.
Building community in a classroom is incredibly important, yet often overlooked. If more students felt safe, emotionally as well as physically, then more would come to school and learn.
Schools all over the country are attempting to curb rising drop-out rates. Doesn't making schools more appealing for kids mean that they'll want to come?
5. Assess students in a more global, inclusive way.
If the main way students are being assessed is through traditional forms of testing, then we are only appealing to the linguistic and mathematical learners. What about all of the other intelligences as put forth by Howard Gardner- spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalist? After all as Sir Ken Robinson says we think and process things in all the ways we experience the world. Doing that with our kids would speak to them, as we hit all the intelligences and learning styles.
6. Foster creativity and creative thinking.
Instead of a generation of students who are good at taking standardized tests, we need to foster creative and critical thinking. This makes school exciting and fun. What better way to get students to want to come to school and help prevent drop-outs.
7. Get students up and moving in the classroom.
Kids, no matter what age or level, want to get up and move in the classroom. Sitting for an hour in a hard chair is not conducive to learning. Creative movement activities make the room crackle with excitement and energy. This is especially effective if you have students with ADHD-think about it. I would guess that if asked, most students would tell you that they would rather be up and doing at least some of the time instead of sitting and listening all of the time.
We don't need to design new, elaborate systems as we re-think how our schools should look; we need to re-think the instructional methods we use in the classroom everyday and invest in restocking our teachers' toolboxes with methods that integrate the arts through creative movement, drama, poetry, storytelling, visual art and music in all grades and all levels.
Integrating the arts into the curriculum accomplishes all of these points and more. We all need to advocate for this type of approach as we take our first steps into the 21st century.
Posted by Jeffrey Billard, M.Ed. at 9:51 AM 0 comments
Labels: Examining our teaching practices, Jeffrey Billard, Rationale for integrating the arts
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Funds for Literacy
City schools to use stimulus funds for literacy program
By Joe Smydo, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
City school officials are planning to use economic stimulus money to advance a key component of their high-school improvement campaign -- making sure students arrive in ninth grade ready for ninth-grade work.
The Pittsburgh Public Schools will receive an estimated $43 million in stimulus money over the next two school years, and Superintendent Mark Roosevelt said he'll seek the school board's approval to use much of the money for programs to boost middle-grade literacy.
Mr. Roosevelt said he will present the plan to the board April 14.
He said it likely would have two components, "interventions" during the regular school day and a summer program blending academics and extracurricular activities. The goal is to target students scoring basic or below basic on the reading portion of the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment.
Last year, 45.8 percent of the district's sixth-graders scored proficient or advanced in reading, and 55 percent of seventh-graders and 66.6 percent of eighth-graders did so. The state target was 63 percent proficient or advanced in each grade.
In sixth and seventh grades last year, the district's math scores were better than its reading scores.
Mr. Roosevelt said schools could design individual interventions for struggling students during the school year. He said the district would try to lure students to summer programs by blending class work with activities ranging from chess to sports to theater.
"I think, in the summer, kids are entitled to some fun," Mr. Roosevelt said. Some extracurricular activities may be directly related to literacy, he said, while others may send the general message that "hard work overcomes obstacles."
The plan drew support from Keith Kondrich, executive director of Beginning with Books Center for Early Literacy in East Liberty, who said an investment in "literacy at any level is money well spent."
Focusing on children as old as 8, Beginning with Books provides guest readers for two city schools and coordinates "Raising Readers" clubs for parents, among other initiatives. Mr. Kondrich said he was not aware of community programs that focused on middle-grade literacy.
Mr. Roosevelt said he might ask nonprofit groups for proposals to run summer activities.
Because of the planning involved, the summer component may not start until 2010. When stimulus money expires, Mr. Roosevelt said, the district might apply for a federal grant to continue the program.
The district has a 35 percent dropout rate, and officials fear some students quit high school because they start ninth grade behind and never catch up. Enhanced student counseling and the district's move to schools configured for grades 6 through 12 are two of a handful of district initiatives designed to help bridge the gap between the middle-grade and high-school years.
Joe Smydo can be reached at jsmydo@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1548.
Coach Sherrie says: When are these districts, states, etc. (i.e. the people who set the policy) going to learn that the way to move our students to higher literacy levels is to allow them to choose what they read. With computers and on-line porgrams, students should be able to take a test on any book they choose to read.
By Joe Smydo, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
City school officials are planning to use economic stimulus money to advance a key component of their high-school improvement campaign -- making sure students arrive in ninth grade ready for ninth-grade work.
The Pittsburgh Public Schools will receive an estimated $43 million in stimulus money over the next two school years, and Superintendent Mark Roosevelt said he'll seek the school board's approval to use much of the money for programs to boost middle-grade literacy.
Mr. Roosevelt said he will present the plan to the board April 14.
He said it likely would have two components, "interventions" during the regular school day and a summer program blending academics and extracurricular activities. The goal is to target students scoring basic or below basic on the reading portion of the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment.
Last year, 45.8 percent of the district's sixth-graders scored proficient or advanced in reading, and 55 percent of seventh-graders and 66.6 percent of eighth-graders did so. The state target was 63 percent proficient or advanced in each grade.
In sixth and seventh grades last year, the district's math scores were better than its reading scores.
Mr. Roosevelt said schools could design individual interventions for struggling students during the school year. He said the district would try to lure students to summer programs by blending class work with activities ranging from chess to sports to theater.
"I think, in the summer, kids are entitled to some fun," Mr. Roosevelt said. Some extracurricular activities may be directly related to literacy, he said, while others may send the general message that "hard work overcomes obstacles."
The plan drew support from Keith Kondrich, executive director of Beginning with Books Center for Early Literacy in East Liberty, who said an investment in "literacy at any level is money well spent."
Focusing on children as old as 8, Beginning with Books provides guest readers for two city schools and coordinates "Raising Readers" clubs for parents, among other initiatives. Mr. Kondrich said he was not aware of community programs that focused on middle-grade literacy.
Mr. Roosevelt said he might ask nonprofit groups for proposals to run summer activities.
Because of the planning involved, the summer component may not start until 2010. When stimulus money expires, Mr. Roosevelt said, the district might apply for a federal grant to continue the program.
The district has a 35 percent dropout rate, and officials fear some students quit high school because they start ninth grade behind and never catch up. Enhanced student counseling and the district's move to schools configured for grades 6 through 12 are two of a handful of district initiatives designed to help bridge the gap between the middle-grade and high-school years.
Joe Smydo can be reached at jsmydo@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1548.
Coach Sherrie says: When are these districts, states, etc. (i.e. the people who set the policy) going to learn that the way to move our students to higher literacy levels is to allow them to choose what they read. With computers and on-line porgrams, students should be able to take a test on any book they choose to read.
Shortage of Teachers Projected
Report Envisions Shortage of Teachers as Retirements Escalate
By SAM DILLON
Over the next four years, more than a third of the nation’s 3.2 million teachers could retire, depriving classrooms of experienced instructors and straining taxpayer-financed retirement systems, according to a new report.
When a Million Teachers Retire The problem is aggravated by high attrition among rookie teachers, with one of every three new teachers leaving the profession within five years, a loss of talent that costs school districts millions in recruiting and training expenses, says the report, by the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future, a nonprofit research advocacy group.
“The traditional teaching career is collapsing at both ends,” the report says. “Beginners are being driven away” by low pay and frustrating working conditions, and “accomplished veterans who still have much to contribute are being separated from their schools by obsolete retirement systems” that encourage teachers to move from paycheck to pension when they are still in their mid-50s, the report says.
To ease the exodus, the report says, policy makers should restructure schools and modify state retirement policies so that thousands of the best veteran teachers can stay on in the classroom to mentor inexperienced teachers. Reorganizing schools around what the report calls learning teams, a model already in place in some schools in Boston, could ease the strain on pension systems, raise student achievement and help young teachers survive their first, often traumatic years in the classroom, it says.
“In the ’60s we recruited many baby-boom women and men, and the deal we made was, ‘You’ll have a rewarding career and at the end, pension and health benefits,’ ” said Tom Carroll, the commission’s president. “They signed up in large numbers and stayed, and now 53 percent of our teaching work force is getting ready to collect. If all those boomers walk into retirement, our teacher pension systems will be under severe strain, with the same problems as the auto industry.”
This is not the first report to predict widespread teacher shortages unless policy makers took quick action. In 1999, an Education Department study warned that the impending retirement of millions of teachers could lead to chaos, a dire outcome that never materialized.
One economist who spoke out skeptically then was Michael Podgursky, who studies teacher retirement at the University of Missouri. The latest report, too, may overstate the case somewhat, Dr. Podgursky said in an interview. “There’s a bit of hyperbole” in the assertion that the teaching career is “collapsing at both ends,” he said.
The recession may help ease potential teacher shortages because the profession’s relative job security and generous health benefits will probably attract more new college graduates and career-changers than when plenty of good jobs were available.
“Still, the authors make a credible case that the number or teachers who retire will rise in coming years,” Dr. Podgursky said, “and it makes a good deal of sense to develop phased retirement systems that permit retired or semiretired teachers to mentor new teachers.”
Coach Sherrie says: Hang in there new teachers. If you have lost you position, you may get called back sooner than you think.
At least this article recognizes that veteran teachers have a lot to offer. A lot of districts seem to be saying "It's time to go!" when teachers have finally perfected their craft.
By SAM DILLON
Over the next four years, more than a third of the nation’s 3.2 million teachers could retire, depriving classrooms of experienced instructors and straining taxpayer-financed retirement systems, according to a new report.
When a Million Teachers Retire The problem is aggravated by high attrition among rookie teachers, with one of every three new teachers leaving the profession within five years, a loss of talent that costs school districts millions in recruiting and training expenses, says the report, by the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future, a nonprofit research advocacy group.
“The traditional teaching career is collapsing at both ends,” the report says. “Beginners are being driven away” by low pay and frustrating working conditions, and “accomplished veterans who still have much to contribute are being separated from their schools by obsolete retirement systems” that encourage teachers to move from paycheck to pension when they are still in their mid-50s, the report says.
To ease the exodus, the report says, policy makers should restructure schools and modify state retirement policies so that thousands of the best veteran teachers can stay on in the classroom to mentor inexperienced teachers. Reorganizing schools around what the report calls learning teams, a model already in place in some schools in Boston, could ease the strain on pension systems, raise student achievement and help young teachers survive their first, often traumatic years in the classroom, it says.
“In the ’60s we recruited many baby-boom women and men, and the deal we made was, ‘You’ll have a rewarding career and at the end, pension and health benefits,’ ” said Tom Carroll, the commission’s president. “They signed up in large numbers and stayed, and now 53 percent of our teaching work force is getting ready to collect. If all those boomers walk into retirement, our teacher pension systems will be under severe strain, with the same problems as the auto industry.”
This is not the first report to predict widespread teacher shortages unless policy makers took quick action. In 1999, an Education Department study warned that the impending retirement of millions of teachers could lead to chaos, a dire outcome that never materialized.
One economist who spoke out skeptically then was Michael Podgursky, who studies teacher retirement at the University of Missouri. The latest report, too, may overstate the case somewhat, Dr. Podgursky said in an interview. “There’s a bit of hyperbole” in the assertion that the teaching career is “collapsing at both ends,” he said.
The recession may help ease potential teacher shortages because the profession’s relative job security and generous health benefits will probably attract more new college graduates and career-changers than when plenty of good jobs were available.
“Still, the authors make a credible case that the number or teachers who retire will rise in coming years,” Dr. Podgursky said, “and it makes a good deal of sense to develop phased retirement systems that permit retired or semiretired teachers to mentor new teachers.”
Coach Sherrie says: Hang in there new teachers. If you have lost you position, you may get called back sooner than you think.
At least this article recognizes that veteran teachers have a lot to offer. A lot of districts seem to be saying "It's time to go!" when teachers have finally perfected their craft.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Teachers and Students Speak
Teachers & Students speak (1:32)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_Hakrq3nT0
LA Times Article:
http://i39.tinypic.com/2i1kyro.jpg
Coach Sherrie says: You will probably have to copy and paste these into your browser, but I think it is worth the time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_Hakrq3nT0
LA Times Article:
http://i39.tinypic.com/2i1kyro.jpg
Coach Sherrie says: You will probably have to copy and paste these into your browser, but I think it is worth the time.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Flip NCLB
Ed Secretary Duncan Wants to 'Flip' NCLB, Vows to Scale Up What Works
Instead of punishing students and districts that fail, Duncan suggests that NCLB provide clear guidance on what works. T.H.E. Journal, March 2009
Instead of punishing students and districts that fail, Duncan suggests that NCLB provide clear guidance on what works. T.H.E. Journal, March 2009
Saturday, March 14, 2009
The Education Budget
Many of us are worried about the education budget and the future of education in CA. CA already has the largest class sizes in the country and they're talking about making them bigger!
What I want to know is what happened to all the money from the hey day when they were building all over the state and getting a windfall of taxes. Also what happened to the lottery? They got it voted in by saying it was going to support education in the state. Have the schools ever seen a dime of it? If not, can we rescind the right to gamble?
There are many questions to be answered.
What I want to know is what happened to all the money from the hey day when they were building all over the state and getting a windfall of taxes. Also what happened to the lottery? They got it voted in by saying it was going to support education in the state. Have the schools ever seen a dime of it? If not, can we rescind the right to gamble?
There are many questions to be answered.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Teaching Students to Teach
They say the best way to learn something (as in putting it into log term memory) is to teach it so . . .
The hoennycenter.org has some interesting ideas on teaching students to teach each other.
The hoennycenter.org has some interesting ideas on teaching students to teach each other.
Learning Styles Inventory
The Learning Styles Inventory advertised here costs but sounds like an excellent one to use with students. In case the ad is removed, here is the website:
www.PlsWeb.com
Let me know if you try it.
www.PlsWeb.com
Let me know if you try it.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
It All Begins with Hope
It All Begins with Hope
"You know, you have to start with hope…you don't get anywhere in this country without hope. So it's a necessity. What Barack says is that people have to understand hope isn't just blind optimism. It isn’t passive. It isn't just sitting there waiting for things to get better. Hope is the vision that you have to have. It's the inspiration that moves people into action…There are more people engaged in this political process in this year than we've seen in my lifetime. And it is all because of hope because people believe in the possibility of something unseen."
Source: Interview with Katie Couric, CBS News
Coach Sherrie says:
I love this quote because it makes me think of why I became a teacher. I think teachers have so much hope for the future when we first get into the field. I HOPE that we will find ways to rejuvinate and reinvigorate ourselves so that we begin each new school year with that same HOPE.
"You know, you have to start with hope…you don't get anywhere in this country without hope. So it's a necessity. What Barack says is that people have to understand hope isn't just blind optimism. It isn’t passive. It isn't just sitting there waiting for things to get better. Hope is the vision that you have to have. It's the inspiration that moves people into action…There are more people engaged in this political process in this year than we've seen in my lifetime. And it is all because of hope because people believe in the possibility of something unseen."
Source: Interview with Katie Couric, CBS News
Coach Sherrie says:
I love this quote because it makes me think of why I became a teacher. I think teachers have so much hope for the future when we first get into the field. I HOPE that we will find ways to rejuvinate and reinvigorate ourselves so that we begin each new school year with that same HOPE.
A Quote from My Newest Hero(ine)
The Courage to Pursue a Dream
"[W]hen Barack first told me he was thinking about running for President, I had mixed feelings. I worried about my girls and what a campaign might do to their lives. I wanted the best life possible for them, and a presidential campaign wasn’t part of that equation. But then I thought about it. And the world I want for them is a world where they’re paid fairly and equally for their work; where they don’t have to choose between kids and careers; where they can dream without limits without a glass ceiling standing in their way. And I realized that if that’s the world I want for them, then I had to do my part to elect someone like my husband."
Michelle Obama
"[W]hen Barack first told me he was thinking about running for President, I had mixed feelings. I worried about my girls and what a campaign might do to their lives. I wanted the best life possible for them, and a presidential campaign wasn’t part of that equation. But then I thought about it. And the world I want for them is a world where they’re paid fairly and equally for their work; where they don’t have to choose between kids and careers; where they can dream without limits without a glass ceiling standing in their way. And I realized that if that’s the world I want for them, then I had to do my part to elect someone like my husband."
Michelle Obama
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Learning Styles
I use to give my freshmen the learnign styles test and then have them divide up a circle into their different size pieces to show them they are 100% smart. It took a while to complete and some students worked faster than others, but I felt it was worth the time and effort.
This one is for older students and adults (I just took it - not too many surprises).
The site is:
http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html
This one is for older students and adults (I just took it - not too many surprises).
The site is:
http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
About the Video Bar
I just typed "teaching" and these videos came up. I haven't finished watching them all yet, but they are quite interesting and remind me of some of the best trainings I've been too.
If you have any comments on these, please post them.
If you have any suggestions for other videos, please let me know.
Thanks!
If you have any comments on these, please post them.
If you have any suggestions for other videos, please let me know.
Thanks!
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