How kids (and adults) learn

Many teachers and educational experts are against the standardized testing movement for many good reasons, one of which is because testing does not equal learning. One of the reasons why I believe that standardized tests are not accurate measures of what a student learns is because the brain naturally works in such a way that it forgets what it does not deem relevant. If memorizing an algebraic equation or analyzing a Shakespearean sonnet does not matter to the student, they may master this concept on a test, but they will not remember it for the long-term. Things that are irrelevant to students (and, for that matter, adults) have no meaning. This site has a great diagram (about 5/6ths of the way down) of what happens in our brains when something has no meaning for learners.

This theory is clearly observed when put into practice. We naturally gravitate toward what we enjoy. It should be no different in classrooms. In this blog post published almost a year ago, the author explains extremely well why students have trouble learning basic skills like spelling when teachers ignore (or don't know) how the brain works. She states that “[i]f spelling words are simply strings of letters to be learnt by heart with no meaning attached and no investigation of how those words are constructed, then we are simply assigning our children a task equivalent to learning ten random seven-digit PINs each week. That is not only very very hard, it's pointless.” Her idea about teaching morphemes so that a child will write “jumped” rather than “jumt” not only helps students develop meaning about words and therefore attach relevancy to them, but also helps them with deductive reasoning, which is a skill that is transferable to almost anything. But most standardized tests do not test deductive reasoning; most are based, instead, on rote memorizing, like spelling, which will likely be forgotten.

Teaching and testing methods that rely on this type of knowledge are not only ineffective, they are boring. This is one reason why children drop out of school. These children soon become adults, and since they have been out of school for so long, they often feel stuck, and they become unemployed and/or incarcerated. This is a problem particularly in DC, where more than 60,000 adults do not have a high school credential. The GED is designed in much the same way high school standardized tests are, so the problem remains: students must study for things they just don't care about. Can we blame them for not caring about quadratic equations and whether or not a character's mood changes in contrast with the setting? I don't think so. I think we should train teachers and test-makers instead to assess what is relevant. Students will be happier and more productive when we do.

Teaching and Leading

The fourth (and last) quarter always seems to be the most difficult one to get through. The teachers are just as sick of school as the students, and the students know it. It's so hard to stay motivated to teach, and therefore it's so hard to stay motivated to learn. Of course, it doesn't help that May is inundated with all the standardized tests, and regular teaching seems to get pushed aside.

I know I have complained this year that my supervisors have not been in my classroom enough, which has definitely affected my motivation, but according to veteran teacher Larry Cuban, principals' managerial duties are far more effective than their classroom visits. I really enjoyed reading this article, but I'm not really sure what to say about it. Really, it speaks for itself.

Here's another article that speaks for itself. Marion Brady makes an excellent point about comparing teachers to other professions that cannot be fit in a box. I wish more people would realize and appreciate the absolute complexity and nuance that goes into teaching (and learning, for that matter), and therefore understand that it cannot necessarily be measured in a standardized way.

Speaking of which, this kid has nailed satire and is only in eighth grade. There is hope for our education system yet.

Yes!

Midterms are in the works right now. Assessment after assessment, with a dash of curiosity and creativity thrown in (hopefully), is constantly happening. But how much is getting through? How much can the students take? Heck, how much can I take?

On a related note, I really enjoyed this article. The subject was briefly touched upon in grad school, and is never, ever discussed among the staff. Withhold praise? What!? But I think it makes a lot of sense. Especially since students need to get used to never being praised in the working world. Let's face it: even the most successful students will miss the praise they were awarded (sometimes undeserved) a hundred times over in high school. But real life ain't that.

Man... sometimes I think I'm way too cynical (realistic?) to be a teacher.

Mental Health Day

I'm taking today off for two reasons (though perhaps only one is legitimate). Firstly, and most legitimately, I am in the process of moving, and I would like a day to get things done, unpack, call banks about address change, etc etc. Secondly, and perhaps less (or not at all) legitimately, I need a break from my freakin' seventh period.

Seventh period is by far my most challenging of the day, but things were getting much better. I had a system, the kids were into it, it was working. But right after Thanksgiving, everything changed. I got a new girl who just made everything ten times worse (who I found out Friday was a foster child and has been popped around from school system to school system, which probably accounts for her discipline issues). She was absolutely uncontrollable. I essentially went off the deep end and my students know it. I lost authority over them for three minutes. But those three minutes, like all minutes in the classroom, are essential. I was shaking when the dismissal bell rang (from pent up anger, embarrassment, stress, and a sense of failure) and went to see an administrator about the situation. He was completely understanding and told me later he had dealt with the problem child accordingly.

For some reason, the weeks between Thanksgiving and Winter Break are the most hellish of the entire year, for both students and teachers. Earlier that same week, I had an issue with a different student from the same class who I suspected of being mentally unstable. I asked a fellow teacher if I should report her actions directly to the school psychologist, or tell her counselor first. He suggested that, since she had verbally threatened me, I tell the administrator and then the counselor. Whoa.

Ug... only eight more days of school, then a much deserved break.

Why so standardized?

I did not go to school today because I had to go to an all-day training for new English teachers. The training was supposed to teach us how to use our textbooks. Qua? A: Why was this training not done before school started? B: Why do we even need training on how to use a textbook? Surely (most) teachers are intelligent enough to figure out how to navigate through them. There are also people called Department Heads and Resource Teachers we can turn to.

To add another layer of ridiculousness to this nonsense, the county is discontinuing the use of these textbooks next year. Que?? We can surely spend our time doing other things (like, oh I don't know, LESSON PLANNING??) if what we "learned" today will be useless in another 9 months.

Now add ANOTHER layer of incongruity on top of that unappetizing cake. (Though not a surprising layer.) There were maybe 20 minutes of the whole day that were useful, out of the 6+ hours of the training. And it could have been handed to us in packets. We're adults. We will read it. Maybe I'm being optimistic; I'm also quite computer literate (most of the training was how to use the supplemental online resources, which I didn't even think were useful for my purposes... but I'll come to that in a moment), and perhaps some of the older teachers are luddites. Ok, fine, but the county does not need to pay for a private textbook company to send their Floridian consultant (even though we use VA textbooks.... ummmmmm ok....) to walk us through tons of information that most of us either won't use or will forget the second we walk out of that room. Not to mention paying for the subs who have to replace us. This seems especially ridiculous in a county as bountiful and wealthy as this; there are plenty of people and resources for media illiterate teachers to turn to.

The frosting on this masterpiece, though, was the insistence of doing EVERYTHING (or so it seemed) through this one textbook company. Sure, some of it served to save us time coming up with tests and the like, but most of it seemed like a marketing campaign toward standardization. Ug.

Ok, I am really not a sourpuss (except I am when it comes to this country's obession with standardization). One of the benefits of working in this particular county is the freedom with which we are allowed to teach. That can also be difficult, as I was given few guidelines and fewer texts. But clearly, standardization has not affected us as much as other counties. Yet.

And finally (whoops, didn't mean to write an essay...), I continue to love Valerie Strauss for reasons like this. Normally I don't like Alfie Kohn nearly as much, but he has earned major brownie points with me with this article denouncing standardized tests.

One more day!

Even though one of the mottoes of this school is "Learn many things," little of that goes on in the last week of school. I was subbing for a teacher today and her instructions to me were "They can play games, talk, do whatever." Really? You're not even going to attempt to teach them anything? Another room I walked by was playing SpongeBob on the TV.

On one hand, I can't say I blame them. Grades are turned in, students have checked out, everyone (students & teachers) just want to be done. But if that's the case, why is there still school? It's just a waste of time and money at this point. In fact, I even considered not coming into work tomorrow (the last day) because what will I have to do? But then I justified it because I would be paid for it. That's really a stupid reason.

Here is, probably, the last article of the year. I feel like it is an extremely accurate portrayal of what is wrong with DC school policy, and why what people are doing to fix it goes against everything education stands for.

And on that positive note... I want school to be over too.

Environs

It's kind of amazing how much impact one's environment has on one's personality. There is one teacher I work with whose style I really admire, and her kids seem to respect her, too. But when it came to dealing with the testing situation, she was a total bitch. Most teachers don't seem to realize what an ordeal it is for the testing coordinator to deal with all the minute details that are necessary for these required tests, but this woman was completely ridiculous about it.

On the other side of the coin, I was sitting in with the ED kids (emotionally distoibed) while they tested with a couple of "regular" students. I have been with these kids before in their self-contained classroom, where there are a pain to deal with. But here, they were fantastic. Because of the difference of the teacher. The difference was amazing-- it was like they were different children.

Oh, teaching styles. How much you matter.

Individual Learning

I was an English teacher for one period today. Or, more accurately, I was sitting at an English teacher's desk. Her lesson plans were to have her students work on several projects that related to their recent reading. They were all quite well-behaved and on-task, and thus I really didn't have to do anything.

I would consider that classroom heavily student-centered. The students were self-paced and meeting the necessary objectives on their own terms. But, that doesn't mean that all seatwork implies a student-centered classroom. It depends upon the nature of the work.

As an example, this article, written by Alfie Kohn (via VS, of course) calls attention to the danger of rote worksheets and meaningless standardization as replacements for real education. Same old, same old, but oh so accurate.

Who's in charge here?

So the woman in charge of the sub assignments (including mine) sent me an email WEEKS ago about the fact that I'm covering an English teacher first period today due to a meeting she has to attend. But apparently another teacher is running late so she asks me to sit with her TA class until she arrives (this teacher doesn't have a first period so it's not a conflict). I'm getting my stuff together right before TA when the other school based sub sticks his head in the door. I'm confused. So is he, because he was told to go where I already was. Ummmmm... k. But he leaves when he sees I'm there.

But then I'm called away from that classroom and back to the office. So the other SBS shows up again. When I get to the office, the woman in charge (supposedly) tells me to cover a math teacher for first period. I tell her about the email she sent, and she's confused, which makes me confused, because I think I have the date wrong. So I go to the math teacher's room, and she says, "What are you doing here? You're supposed to cover Ms. L's class!" Ummmmm... k. I go back to where I was originally supposed to be to teach Englishy things. Yeesh.

Then. I go back to the office after first period and she tells me to cover for an aid starting fifth period. But I have nothing to do until then, so I get on a library computer. She comes looking for me in the library at the end of third period and tells me I'm supposed to be covering for said aid. I tell her, "You told me not until fifth period." She looks confused, but then realizes I'm right. So then she asks me to cover for the drama teacher fourth period. So I go down there.

As the students are wandering into the class, she calls and tells me a different sub is going to take my place so I can sub for the aid like I was supposed to do. Ummmmmm... k. I do, and the last three periods of the day go off without a hitch. But still.

Holy crap, woman. Get your head on straight.

However, a bright point in the day came during the ESL History class (which I have helped with before so really know the kids). The teacher had them play a game of tug-o-war with slightly different rules to mimic the conditions of the Continental Army v. the British Army during the American Revolution. The kids loved it, and really understood the parallels. It was awesome.

To Yell or Not To Yell... That's Not Really the Question

It's obvious that different teachers have different methods of discipline, and even different views on what warrants a particular punishment. But what's not so obvious is why teachers hold these different views.

Case in point: My write-up of the student on Friday. The principal has asked him and me to sit down and "talk it out." Which I feel is a waste of time. So does the lead classroom teacher who was also involved. But the principal loves to micromanage and give certain students a chance. Which I already did with this boy. But whatever, clearly I'm not the one in charge.

Here's another example: Since it was so nice today, the kids could go outside to play after they finished their lunch. The other school-based sub and I were outside supervising. I feel that this is the one time in the day when kids can be kids, and as long as they're not putting themselves or anyone else in danger, they can basically do whatever they want. However, the other SBS is a friggin' stickler. The seventh graders were sitting on the concrete wall that separates the playground from the parking lot, and I berated students who were grabbing at these students' shoes or horse-playing while sitting on the wall. SBS was watching something else. I turn my back for two seconds and a boy is standing up on the wall. Not only does SBS yell at him incredibly loudly, but he made the student go back inside. If I had seen him first, however, I would have asked him (not scolded) to not stand up, because he could get hurt. I also wouldn't punish him and make him go back inside. I wouldn't want to imply anything besides a safety concern. But the way this guy did it, it sounded like the kid was doing something completely unforgivable. Whereas in reality, kids don't always acknowledge danger. This teacher has a reputation for being a strict ass, but even so. I found that utterly ridiculous.

Sometimes specific regulations are bad, but in this case, the same standards need to apply to all teachers. It confuses kids otherwise.

Let it snow...

Except don't really. Snow days can be nice, but they really screw everything up. Especially when they come out of nowhere. It started snowing like crazy Wednesday night and they didn't announce school was closed Thursday until after 9pm. Which was kind of ridiculous if you looked outside. Friday was a snow day too, even though things weren't that bad. But that was probably for the best, because who wants to go to school on a Friday after a snow day?

Today, of course, teachers were doing things they planned to do last week. Today the ESL kids were being tested in reading and math. They were benchmark tests, which means they weren't being graded, just used as assessment tools. I realize that it is important to test these kids to see how their language is progressing, but when is enough testing too much? Especially since these kids also get the same tests as students who do have English as their native language (i.e. SOLs). Culturally, these kids may be less used to tests, also, and therefore not have the test-taking skills most adolescents possess. Also, it depends on how well these tests are written. That, I cannot attest to.

Speaking of testing, Valerie Strauss again uncovered another great article about the art and science of teaching. Often there are more questions than answers. Just like in life.

Sounds like...

Teaching certainly requires some acting. I was running around like crazy yesterday, because they were actually short-staffed. But when I got to my regular placement (the ESL class), I had to pretend I wasn't feeling harried. And at the end of the day, I had to sub for the drama teacher's last period for an emergency and since I actually know something about drama, that was no problem. She told me we could just play games, and they wanted to play Charades, so we did. It was rather fun.

Today, however, I've been subbing for the Spanish teacher all day. All her directions are written in Spanish. I know very little Spanish. I have been pretty useless about answering questions, etc., and when they've completed their work, I need to hurry to find them something else to do. However, I still need to maintain the air of being an authority figure and look like I know what I'm doing. I can do that pretty easily, thankfully, but again, I have to make it look easy. That's something on which I'm still working.

To finish or not to finish

Different teaching styles exist because different learning styles exist. Everyone works at different paces. However, a persistent problem I have noticed in pretty much every class is there are no alternative options for students who finish their work before others. Often in these cases, boredom can be misconstrued for being unfocused, when it's actually just the opposite. These kids should be rewarded, not just made to sit there doing nothing. Also, I think some students are slow just to give themselves something to do, because even doing a stupid old worksheet is better than sitting there twiddling your thumbs. But more often than not, especially in remedial classes, teachers do not provide alternative activities for students who have finished. In grad school, these were called "anchoring activities," literally for anchoring students in their chairs until the bell. They are also supposed to provide enrichment on the same skill set, thus anchoring the students' knowledge. But in many classes I have seen here, different pacing does not seem to be an issue when it comes to lesson plans, even though it is a specific tenet of proper differentiation, which, in every interview I've ever been to, is the most important technique in teaching. I wish I could get more practice with experiencing it in action.

Hooray for Grammar!

A few posts back, I stated that I was fortunate to *attempt* to teach a grammar lesson about comparatives & superlatives (i.e. beautiful, more beautiful, most beautiful; easy, easier, easiest) and had a difficult time because I was unfamiliar with the vocabulary. And while the lesson took place (and once the regular teacher took over) I wondered how well the students would remember, and was the vocabulary necessary for them to understand the concepts. Essentially, the question was when to use "er" and "est" vs. "more" and "most". Then a couple days later, Mr. S. taught the same lesson, but very differently.

For one thing, he didn't have the students take notes (which is a consistency between their differences; Ms. L. always has them take notes and Mr. S. almost never does). Secondly and most importantly, while Ms. L. broke them into pairs and gave them different categories on index cards (i.e. if they received "sneakers," they would have to write sentences like "Nike are better than Adidas" or if they received "soccer players" they would have to write "Ronaldo is the best soccer player"), Mr. S. gave them each an adjective as they walked in the door and had them literally hop for "ugly, uglier, ugliest," etc., until he was satisfied with both their words and hopping. Was it more effective? Hard to say. Was it much more fun? Indeed. Chances are, then, Mr. S.'s lesson was more memorable for the students, and therefore, probably more effective.

Furthermore, when Ms. L. asks her students to move around the room, they groan. They are used to staying in their seats the entire period. Mr. S., on the other hand, *always* has them get up and move at least once during his class. It is more chaotic and more noisy, but it also forces the students to be more engaged. I'm not saying Mr. S. is definitely the better teacher, but I am saying his methods are certainly more interesting and more energetic, and he is by far the favored teacher. Therefore, his students most likely remember his lessons better and therefore probably score better. Of course, this is just my humble theory, but based on everything I learned in grad school and my observations during the day, I certainly prefer Mr. S.'s methods over those of Ms. L.

Subs. And I don't mean the sandwiches.

Substitutes come in two flavors. The first is timid and unwilling to take total control, which usually results in the students walking all over you, unless they have been told before by their teacher they will be persecuted if they do. In some cases, these subs actually know something about the subject they are teaching and are attempting to relay information but usually fail since the students have little or no respect for a stranger up in their bi'nis. The second, to which I was privy to yesterday, is a major bitch with a penchant for power. Holy crap, are these subs universally loathed.

I have been moved to a 7th grade social studies class, and there was a sub yesterday. The original teacher was smart and instead of playing a video or something, she had them fill out packets that would serve as their study guides for their major test at the end of the month. The sub informed the class that there was to be NO talking. Understandable. However, 12 year olds are prone to speaking before raising their hands, and several needed a pen or other necessary implement or asked what the abbreviation of Missouri was. I was happy to provide these things because they could not do the work without them. I even let two girls look at the same notebook since one forgot hers as long as they were doing the work by themselves. This woman, though, threw a fit whenever one of them said anything, even whispered, and one child was humming (which I didn't even notice), which apparently drove her even crazier. I was walking around answering questions and handing out packets, etc., trying to be helpful, and she was walking around drunk with power. It was ridiculous.

This woman was back today and handed out different packets. At first she told them to do the work without help but quickly realized the work was especially difficult and both of us were busy the entire class helping them out. Many students professed to me that this was boring and they didn't want to do it. I genuinely apologized because it did suck that they were stuck in this situation. The sub was also constantly interrupting their work to say what the punishment would be if she were pushed to hard and she was about on her wit's end. Of course, nothing happened. The students were not that bad before this remark, but the MOST important thing when disciplining students is consistency. If you say you will do something, DO IT. If the threats are empty the behavior will continue. It seemed as if this woman were on a power trip yet had no idea how to control the class. I realize she is just a sub, but it seems like common sense to do what you say you are going to do.

Yes, the students did their work but it was not at all an appropriate learning environment.

I taught today!

The female eighth grade English teacher had to go to a meeting during the first part of her class today, so she very briefly explained her plan for the day and had me teach the first part of the class. It was pretty invigorating, and the kids were actually extremely amenable, and even with the no preparation whatsoever it wasn't that intimidating (only a little). They started with a warm up and then I went over it (correcting grammatical errors), which went very smoothly. Then we moved into copying grammar notes from their textbook, and I was a little confused because even though I know grammar like the back of my hand, I don't know the terms for everything. When Ms. L. told me they'd be practicing comparatives and superlatives, I gave her a look like WTF? But after glancing at the textbook, I realized it was just "er," "est," "more," and "most." Even though I couldn't answer all their questions and kind of confused them with how to take notes (which Mrs. L. then went over once she got back) it went pretty well. The kids were really respectful and patient with me. Hooray!

Also, I've been helping the drama teacher run auditions. They have been pretty crazy, and today we finished and did the casting. It will be interesting working with 30 middle schoolers every afternoon. Should certainly wake me up!

As tomorrow is Veterans' Day, we all have the day off. But then we go back on Friday. Strange, and will probably screw everything up. So it goes.

Deja Vu

I've said it before and I'll say it again: librarians are amazing. Today was the first day of the school book fair, and the library is set up like a book store. It looks pretty authentic too. It obviously took a lot of work to do. Especially considering the fact that most kids aren't avid readers and books have to be set up in an alluring manner to entice them to read. And they were. I was impressed. There was also a section there for adults, with several cookbooks that I was drooling over. But I haven't cooked a lot recently, and the last thing I need is another excuse to make desserts.

Also, I went back to the counseling head to get my alternative assignment and the teacher with whom she said to be had a dark classroom when I showed up. I was, again, confused, and hung out in the library instead of being productive. But you know what, I don't even care, I do what I want.... Seriously, though, without sounding like a spoiled brat, I have eight of nine periods a day (including after school) in which I have an assignment. I don't think it's too much to ask for a forty-five minute break.

And more and more, I am preferring Mr. S's methods over Ms. L's. Yesterday he did an activity of which I did not see the point, but it was fun. My questions of relevancy, though, were answered with today's activity. Though Ms. L's students read the same story and had an interesting lead-in, I thought Mr. S's was better (and more bravely) run. However, both could stand to be more transparent with their students. I think this is one of the most difficult things to do in the teaching world, but also one of the most important. Speaking of transparency, I really liked the fact that Mr. S. handed out a state-written rubric for essays and explained how his grading system was similar because that's how they will be graded for the SOLs. Hooraaaay for explanations.

Pre-Halloween Excitement

Today was actually fairly exciting. The kids were really colorful since they were celebrating Halloween (the school does not allow actual costumes for some reason. I find that strange). One of my problem kids (the one who didn't care about getting a 1 out of 4 on his essay the other day and didn't have a book to read so I had to babysit him in another room while he read one of the teacher's books) was in in-school suspension so I didn't have to deal with him. He's in two of the classes I help with, and I hate to say this, but things were so much more manageable without him there.

Fridays are always kind of crazy but today was actually not bad. Many of the kids were much more subdued than usual (probably due to it being the end of the quarter and thus many tests & projects were done). However, my sixth period is seventh grade English, and the teacher there has absolutely no discipline plan in place whatsoever and it shows, though I don't know how bad her other classes are. Apparently this class is further behind since they waste so much time talking. I was never a fan of her discipline plan (or lack thereof) but today was just ridiculous, because she made a big deal about it being rude for them to ask for glowsticks just because her other classes got them, then at the end handed one out to everyone. She said she was disappointed with their behavior and they didn't deserve them but because it was Halloween she was giving them out. That is such a horrible idea in so many ways. If I were a kid in that classroom I would think, "Sweet! I can behave badly and get something!" It will be interesting to see how her kids' behavior affects their SOL scores at the end of the year (and thus, her job).

Also, I was between classes this morning and a girl who was walking next to me asked if I go to this school. I responded, a little taken aback, that I am a teacher here. She said she has never seen me. I asked what grade she was in, and after saying sixth, I responded that that made sense since I mostly deal with seventh & eighth graders. Siiiiigh. I knew it was going to happen eventually, me being mistaken for a student. Which I guess is a good thing, since so far that aspect hasn't diminished my authority.

Anyway, this week was mostly pretty good. This afternoon as I was driving home the local elementary school paraded their kids down the road in their Halloween costumes. So cute.

Also, when I got home I found my Master's Degree waiting for me, so now it's official. Woohoo!

Standardization? Not so much.

We all know about the gigantic move toward standardization of education, culminating with the state tests given at every grade level in every subject. But standardization of education is impossible because standardization of an occupation as amorphous and necessarily pliant as teaching is impossible.

Before the explanation, some background is required... next week an aide is going on maternity leave and the principal asked me to shadow her this week in preparation for covering her absence for the next two months. She mostly goes to integrated (which now means multiple levels of skills, not multiple skin tones) English classes. Both eighth grade English teachers do exactly the same thing (subject-wise) in their classrooms, but their styles are wildly different. Mr. S. is much more intense, more lenient, and slightly more engaging than Ms. L., for instance. He also gives much clearer instructions and has better time-management skills, but is less organized.

It's clear to see whose teaching style I prefer. But that doesn't mean this style works for everyone. If teaching styles are (and I would argue, must be) definitively different across the board, doesn't it stand to reason that the ways kids' knowledge is tested must be different to? I (as was every other teacher) was taught in grad school that differentiation is a MUST in the teaching profession. Which makes perfect sense. Why doesn't this differentiation extend to the state & federal level, from which all decisions arise?

A lot of work is left to be done.