Cheeky Grins

1. The gap between high school curriculum and post-secondary education is as wide as ever.

Well, according to Dartmouth University among other high institutions of learning. You know that I’m still fired up about this if I am talking about a story that made its waves in January. But the truth is, “Dartmouth’s Last Stand” against the College Board and AP tests is just the tip of the iceberg in this story. http://thedartmouth.com/2013/02/13/news/ap 

Dartmouth’s policy of no longer accepting AP scores as credit for college courses beginning in 2014 is beyond dumbfounding. Dartmouth statistics show that just 10% of students who pass these tests could pass the school’s placement exams. So that must mean Dartmouth’s curriculum is just that more comprehensive and avant-garde than what we do in high schools, right?

Wrong.

What most American high schools are doing to prepare kids for college and the real world is way more progressive that what our universities are doing. Work programs, co-ops, internships, and business partnerships formed by our high schools have given kids more opportunities than ever to advance their career before they are even old enough to watch an R-rated movie. Teachers that have worked within the structure of the College Board curriculum have not only given their college bound students a chance to be successful in passing these tests, but have made the curriculum relevant to their lives. So you tell me what is more progressive: A policy that suppresses student achievement  in high school in favor of collecting more tuition dollars, OR, a curriculum that is comprehensive enough to value achievement, encourage career paths, and motivate students to choose a job they will enjoy the rest of their lives…


2. No matter how spontaneous you are, structure is still important.

A while back, I wrote about how the model of classroom management established in Harry Wong’s, The First Days of School, was somewhat archaic and maybe even a regressive method for teaching a class. I am an educator who values creativity and capturing student attention because it helps my students learn more. I believe that.

But sometimes, structure is necessary, even with the smallest of things.

I am an ardent supporter of having my students stand and say the pledge of allegiance every day before 2^nd period begins. From a legal perspective, I suppose they don’t have to- per their first amendment rights. But coming from a family with many veterans, I think it’s the least we can do to honor our country every day. I guess that is part of my not-so, “hidden curriculum.”

It took me 31 class days to figure it out, but today I realized my class was no longer saying the pledge. I was the only one belting it out this morning. My students were standing, half of them had their hands over their hearts, but I was literally talking to “Old Glory” by myself.

Then I realized that I never established that as a routine and a priority during the first few days of class this semester, and now I am paying the price. Harry Wong was right. The first few days of school are really, really important to your class functioning the way you want it to.


 3.       Don’t judge a book by its cover.

I’ll admit to falling prey to the occasional reality TV show my wife imposes on me. The Susan Boyle(a must watch video above) story on "Britain's Got Talent," eventually led us to watch "American Idol" and "The Voice." Although I remain steadfastly committed to anything that's on TV in the man-cave when the "Real Housewives" or "The Bachelorette" walk into my family room, I do find the signing competitions entertaining.

Not to sound holier than thou, but the Susan Boyle story is a constant reminder of this important message. Don't judge a book by its cover. Whether its administrators questioning a staff member, teachers judging a student, or educators who just over-value first impressions...there's a lot more to Susan Boyle than that "cheeky grin."

The Greatest Force in Civilization

1. We have an obligation to teach our students about the influence of the media.

In the last 24 hours, we have been inundated with news of a bizarre and almost unbelievable story of Notre Dame football star Manti Te'o's apparent hoax of having a deep relationship with a woman over the internet, who tragically died of cancer, but then somehow never existed in the first place. Yes, you are reading that correctly. If you are still reading my blog, thank you, and please consult the video above for further clarification.

I asked colleagues at school what they thought about the story and if Te'o was the victim or the perpetrator of the hoax. Most agreed that Te'o was at fault. Then I thought to myself, why do I care and why are we talking about this?

I think the story raises a larger question for us as educators about how we teach the influence of media to our students. The only reason people in America knew Te'o as an incredible football player and stand-up guy was because the media built him that way. Newspaper articles, feature stories, Sports Illustrated magazine articles and internet message boards validated his character and created a perception of yet another "heroic" sports figure. On Wednesday, that all came crashing down as the talking heads of sports radio, the bottom line of ESPN, and every media source in America chased this story throughout the day and night. 

So I ask, how do we teach our students about the influence of media?

Legendary newspaper editor William Randolf Hearst once said, "the newspaper is the greatest force in civilization." In an age where the television and the internet are the greatest forces in the universe, I think we are obligated to teach our students how to consume media and judge the accuracy of all news sources.

2. We should cherish our school's graduates when they return.

If you work in a school, you know all about the feeling I am about to describe. You see a person walking through the halls and you immediately do a "double take." You've seen the kid in the hall a hundred times, but just not in awhile. You strain yourself a bit to remember who they were and then you start to think about how many years ago they graduated. They are, of course, the former students who have returned to hang out at their Alma Matter. 

From a teacher's perspective, admittedly-a selfish one, I really like having these kids back. It helps me complete the story of who these kids were, and are. One of my former students joined me for my final class of the day last week and I found it to be a rich experience for my current students. After our lesson was over, my former student fielded questions from my current students about college academics, living away from home, and financing school. In a school full of to-be first generation college attendees, our students should have access to graduates who can tell them like it is. 

3. You are what you tweet.

As I continue to meet more people from my Twitter PLN in person, I've realized that you are what you tweet. I think this is a good thing. I think the majority of our society tends to be less genuine and more emboldened with their digital personalities. Let's face it, people say and do things behind a screen that they might not say and do in person. But I think this is changing among professionals on Twitter and it is contributing to more authentic interactions between all of us, both digitally and in person. As the great Dr. Seuss once said, "Be who you are and say what you feel-because those that mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind." That applies to Twitter, too, right Dr.?

Danielson, Hard Work, and a Little Love

1. The Charlotte Danielson Model is flawed. 
Recently school districts around Illinois and around the country have turned to Charlotte Danielson's "Framework for Teaching" (http://usny.nysed.gov/rttt/teachers-leaders/practicerubrics/Docs/Teachscape_Rubric.pdf) to evaluate the effectiveness of their educators. While many districts will ultimately determine how to implement and make sense of the model, the framework has many flaws. If you read all 54 pages of her dissertation, you will find many contradictions like this one below---

Under component 2C "Managing the Classroom" Danielson lays out requirements to achieve a "distinguished" rating for classroom management. She says, "A smoothly functioning classroom is a prerequisite to good instruction and high levels of student engagement. Teachers establish and monitor routines and procedures for the smooth operation of the classroom and the efficient use of time. Hallmarks of a well-managed classroom are that instructional groups are used effectively, non-instructional tasks are completed efficiently, and transitions between activities and management of materials and supplies are skillfully done in order to maintain momentum and maximize instructional time. The establishment of efficient routines, and teaching students to employ them, may be inferred from the sense that the class “runs itself.”

Yet, under component 3E, where Instruction is evaluated and responsiveness to student needs is valued, distinguished teachers:

"Seize an opportunity to enhance learning, building on a spontaneous event or student interests or successfully adjusts and differentiates instruction to address individual student misunderstandings. Teacher persists in seeking effective approaches for students who need help, using an extensive repertoire of instructional strategies and soliciting additional resources from the school or community."

So what exactly am I supposed to do as a teacher when I sense inquisition among my students? According to 2C, I should maintain a smooth functioning classroom routine that maximizes instructional time and "keep moving" through my instructional goals for the day. If I truly bought into that style of teaching, and tried to grind out every minute of 180 days of instruction, my students will be bored stiff. Moreover, this contradiction in evaluation categories pits the creative and spontaneous teacher against organized and target focused teacher. Both teaching styles have their merits and places in schools. My hope is that our Illinois school districts are able to drastically adapt the wording of this model to evaluate and reward good teaching.



2. True confidence can only come from your work. 
I often think about the qualities that separate great school leaders and teachers from others. Many times, I think about the age-old question that we ask prospective job seekers in education, "What quality separates you from others?" I think the answer, "I am a really hard worker," is corny at face value. But the more I think about it, that may be the most genuine answer someone can give if they are truly being honest.

Confidence comes from many different sources. Most notably- people gain confidence from the feedback of others, from their own personal accomplishments, and from their own sense of self-identity.

But when you really tighten the sphere of who you are as a professional-- when you block out how you are evaluated or what your colleagues think of you-- when you put your accolades and accomplishments to the side- nothing speaks louder than your work. Your personal level of commitment to your job is something only you can judge, and only you can gain confidence from.

3. We all need to stay positive and look at the world a little differently. 
A special thanks to George Couros for the inspiration and the reminder- enjoy this awesome commercial!