I think I need this shirt...
Friday, October 23, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
What would teachers do without him?
Yes, I made that. This site is fun.
Hilarious fake news story: Science Guy Bill Nye Killed In Massive Vinegar/Baking-Soda Accident
Future Plans
Since I obviously didn't get hired over the summer (boo), I've had to re-evaluate my plans because, as I'm sure you can understand, I don't want to remain a sub forever.
Initially I considered giving up teaching and earning my Master's in Library and Information Science. I've worked in libraries before, and I love reading. So why not? So I applied and was accepted into an American Library Associated accredited program. However, I didn't get any funding, and after completing an internship at a local historical library, I realized I wasn't ready to give up teaching.
My licensure is 7-12 History and Earth Science. It's weird, I know, but after some drama early in college and switching my major, I decided to study the two subjects I loved most. Unfortunately for me, Small State U didn't tell me I would be very unlikely to get a job in either of those. Schools are looking for Integrated Social Studies and Integrated Science, which allows more flexibility in teaching assignments and covers high qualified status requirements from NCLB. Plus, it is the sad state that most schools, when hiring social studies positions, are actually looking for coaches for their major sports, thus fulfilling the horrible stereotype of the football coach history teacher.
So I decided that I needed to expand my certification. However, the only way to become certified in mainstream subject areas is to go through a teacher education program in my undergraduate, so despite having all ready done that at Small State U, I'm going to have to go through another teacher education program. This time, however, it will be a M. Ed. graduate program at Big State U.
The idea of the M. Ed. (Master's in Education) program is that students complete all their content courses in their undergraduate program and then complete their teacher education program as part of a graduate program. This is a foreign concept is certain states such as Michigan, where teacher education programs are integrated into the undergraduate degree. There are arguments for and against the M. Ed. program. The main agrument against the M. Ed. program is that students don't receive enough exposure to education classes and concepts, so they can get to the M. Ed. program only to discover that they really aren't cut out for teaching. However, by having students focus on content in their undergraduate, they can become "experts" in their field and then focus on methods and education theory in their graduate. My personal opinion, and the opinion of Hub and friends in the M.A. and Ph.D. education programs at Big State U, is that the M. Ed. is a joke and most M. Ed. students have inflated egos. Earning a M. Ed. is not a true statement of "mastery" as those graduates are on the same experience level as the lowly bachelor's degree yet receive a pay raise.
In any event, it works in my favor. Although I will had to complete a second student teaching experience, I get a Master's for an eventual pay raise and increased certification. Plus, additional methods and pedagogy classes can never hurt.
I am currently enrolled at Local Community College to earn the few content classes I need while I wait for my (potential) acceptance letter. So that's the plan right now. Hopefully by Fall 2011, I will have my own classroom and finally join the ranks of "real" teachers and bade farewell to my "sub" status.
Initially I considered giving up teaching and earning my Master's in Library and Information Science. I've worked in libraries before, and I love reading. So why not? So I applied and was accepted into an American Library Associated accredited program. However, I didn't get any funding, and after completing an internship at a local historical library, I realized I wasn't ready to give up teaching.
My licensure is 7-12 History and Earth Science. It's weird, I know, but after some drama early in college and switching my major, I decided to study the two subjects I loved most. Unfortunately for me, Small State U didn't tell me I would be very unlikely to get a job in either of those. Schools are looking for Integrated Social Studies and Integrated Science, which allows more flexibility in teaching assignments and covers high qualified status requirements from NCLB. Plus, it is the sad state that most schools, when hiring social studies positions, are actually looking for coaches for their major sports, thus fulfilling the horrible stereotype of the football coach history teacher.
So I decided that I needed to expand my certification. However, the only way to become certified in mainstream subject areas is to go through a teacher education program in my undergraduate, so despite having all ready done that at Small State U, I'm going to have to go through another teacher education program. This time, however, it will be a M. Ed. graduate program at Big State U.
The idea of the M. Ed. (Master's in Education) program is that students complete all their content courses in their undergraduate program and then complete their teacher education program as part of a graduate program. This is a foreign concept is certain states such as Michigan, where teacher education programs are integrated into the undergraduate degree. There are arguments for and against the M. Ed. program. The main agrument against the M. Ed. program is that students don't receive enough exposure to education classes and concepts, so they can get to the M. Ed. program only to discover that they really aren't cut out for teaching. However, by having students focus on content in their undergraduate, they can become "experts" in their field and then focus on methods and education theory in their graduate. My personal opinion, and the opinion of Hub and friends in the M.A. and Ph.D. education programs at Big State U, is that the M. Ed. is a joke and most M. Ed. students have inflated egos. Earning a M. Ed. is not a true statement of "mastery" as those graduates are on the same experience level as the lowly bachelor's degree yet receive a pay raise.
In any event, it works in my favor. Although I will had to complete a second student teaching experience, I get a Master's for an eventual pay raise and increased certification. Plus, additional methods and pedagogy classes can never hurt.
I am currently enrolled at Local Community College to earn the few content classes I need while I wait for my (potential) acceptance letter. So that's the plan right now. Hopefully by Fall 2011, I will have my own classroom and finally join the ranks of "real" teachers and bade farewell to my "sub" status.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
15 Famous People Who Used to Teach
If I ever get an actual salary (as opposed to this day-to-day schtuff), I'm going to subscribe to Mental Floss because I love their website. Looking through their list archives, I found this interesting one: 15 Famous People Who Used to Teach. My favs are Gene Simmons and Mr. T.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Portable Electronics & Students
Last week, I met a 5th grader with a cell phone.
Okay, I'm not that old, but I grew up in a time before cell phones. Heck, I remember car phones.
I got my first cell phone at 20. Now it seems every kid has their own cell phone, iPod, and whatever the new thing this old lady hasn't heard about yet. I don't understand it at all. I've asked students how they got them, and they say their parents pay for them. That blows my mind! My future children are going to hate me because I am not going to buy them the latest and greatest cell phone/iPod/electronic device with every feature and service imaginable. I know I'm unusual; the only thing I use my cell phone for is to make telephone calls. Okay, well, I sometimes play Tetris on it too, but these day everyone's texting and buying custom ringtones and surfing the Internet on their phones. Kids can rack up major charges, and I can't understand any parent allowing it, let alone paying for it.
Electronic devices have major issues in education. Okay, fine, buy your kid an expensive device and pay all of the associated charges. Just keep those darn things out of the classroom!! They're impossible to get rid of. It's almost disturbing how many students I see with those things in the hallways and in the classroom. Watching kids try to hid them is rather funny as well. They try to hid their plugs by running the cord under their shirt and wear their big hoodies or they'll only put in the ear plug on the side facing away from the teacher's desk. More than once I've seen cell phones in their laps as they text a friend.
One of the first questions I get after, "Are you the sub?" is "Can we listen to our iPods?" I don't get paid enough to fight that battle, so despite my personal opinion that portable electronics is slowly destroying our nation's youth, I just tell them that as long as I can't hear their music, I don't care. It's sad, I know, but when you're in a different classroom everyday and hardly acknowledged by the staff, it's hard not to be a bit apathetic.
One day... when I have my own classroom, all that will be banned, and if my students want music, they will have to pick something from my music collection!
Okay, I'm not that old, but I grew up in a time before cell phones. Heck, I remember car phones.
I got my first cell phone at 20. Now it seems every kid has their own cell phone, iPod, and whatever the new thing this old lady hasn't heard about yet. I don't understand it at all. I've asked students how they got them, and they say their parents pay for them. That blows my mind! My future children are going to hate me because I am not going to buy them the latest and greatest cell phone/iPod/electronic device with every feature and service imaginable. I know I'm unusual; the only thing I use my cell phone for is to make telephone calls. Okay, well, I sometimes play Tetris on it too, but these day everyone's texting and buying custom ringtones and surfing the Internet on their phones. Kids can rack up major charges, and I can't understand any parent allowing it, let alone paying for it.
Electronic devices have major issues in education. Okay, fine, buy your kid an expensive device and pay all of the associated charges. Just keep those darn things out of the classroom!! They're impossible to get rid of. It's almost disturbing how many students I see with those things in the hallways and in the classroom. Watching kids try to hid them is rather funny as well. They try to hid their plugs by running the cord under their shirt and wear their big hoodies or they'll only put in the ear plug on the side facing away from the teacher's desk. More than once I've seen cell phones in their laps as they text a friend.
One of the first questions I get after, "Are you the sub?" is "Can we listen to our iPods?" I don't get paid enough to fight that battle, so despite my personal opinion that portable electronics is slowly destroying our nation's youth, I just tell them that as long as I can't hear their music, I don't care. It's sad, I know, but when you're in a different classroom everyday and hardly acknowledged by the staff, it's hard not to be a bit apathetic.
One day... when I have my own classroom, all that will be banned, and if my students want music, they will have to pick something from my music collection!
Understanding NCLB: Dentist Example
If you don't understand why educators resent the recent federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), this may help. If you do understand, you'll enjoy this analogy.
No Dentist Left Behind
My dentist is great! He sends me reminders so I don't forget check-ups. He uses the latest techniques based on research. He never hurts me, and I've got all my teeth. When I ran into him the other day, I was eager to see if he'd heard about the new state program. I knew he'd think it was great.
"Did you hear about the new state program to measure effectiveness of dentists with their young patients?" I said.
"No," he said. He didn't seem too thrilled. "How will they do that?"
"It's quite simple," I said. "They will just count the number of cavities each patient has at age 10, 14, and 18 and average that to determine a dentist's rating. Dentists will be rated as excellent, good, average, below average, and unsatisfactory. That way parents will know which are the best dentists. The plan will also encourage the less effective dentists to get better!" I said. "Poor dentists who don't improve could lose their licenses topractice."
"That's terrible," he said.
"What? That's not a good attitude," I said. "Don't you think we should try to improve children's dental health in this state?"
"Sure I do," he said, "but that's not a fair way to determine who is practicing good dentistry."
"Why not?" I said. "It makes perfect sense to me."
"Well, it's so obvious," he said. "Don't you see that dentists don't all work with the same clientele, and that much depends on things we can't control? For example, I work in a rural area with a high percentage of patients from deprived homes, while some of my colleagues work in upper middle-class neighborhoods. Many of the parents I work with don't bring their children to see me until there is some kind of problem, and I don't get to do much preventive work. Also, more educated parents who understand the relationship between sugar and decay. To top it all off, so many of my clients have well water which is untreated and has no fluoride in it. Do you have any idea how much difference early use of fluoride can make?"
"It sounds like you're making excuses," I said. "I can't believe that you, my dentist, would be so defensive. After all, you do a great job, and you needn't fear a little accountability."
"I am not being defensive!" he said. "My best patients are as good as anyone's, my work is as good as anyone's, but my average cavity count is going to be higher than a lot of other dentists because I chose to work where I am needed most."
"Don't get touchy," I said.
"Touchy?" he said. His face had turned red, and from the way he was clenching and unclenching his jaws, I was afraid he was going to damage his teeth. "Try furious! In a system like this, I will end up being rated average, below average, or worse. The few educated patients I have who see these ratings may believe this so-called rating is an actual measure of my ability and proficiency as a dentist. They may leave me, and I'll be left with only the most needy patients. And my cavity average score will get even worse. On top of that, how will I attract good dental hygienists and other excellent dentists to my practice if it is labeled below average?"
"I think you are overreacting," I said. "'Complaining, excuse-making and stonewalling won't improve dental health'...I am quoting from a leading member of the DOC," I noted.
"What's the DOC?" he asked. "It's the Dental Oversight Committee," I said, "a group made up of mostly lay persons to make sure dentistry in this state gets improved.
"Spare me," he said, "I can't believe this. Reasonable people won't buy it," he said hopefully.
The program sounded reasonable to me, so I asked, "How else would you measure good dentistry?"
"Come watch me work," he said. "Observe my processes."
"That's too complicated, expensive and time- consuming," I said. "Cavities are the bottom line, and you can't argue with the bottom line. It's an absolute measure."
"That's what I'm afraid my parents and prospective patients will think. This can't be happening," he said despairingly.
"Now, now," I said, "don't despair. The state will help you some."
"How?" he asked.
"If you receive a poor rating, they'll send a dentist who is rated excellent to help straighten you out," I said brightly.
"You mean," he said, "they'll send a dentist with a wealthy clientele to show me how to work on severe juvenile dental problems with which I have probably had much more experience? BIG HELP!"
"There you go again," I said. "You aren't acting professionally at all."
"You don't get it," he said. "Doing this would be like grading schools and teachers on an average score made on a test of children's progress with no regard to influences outside the school, the home, the community served and stuff like that. Why would they do something so unfair to dentists? No one would ever think of doing that to schools."
I just shook my head sadly, but he had brightened. "I'm going to write my representatives and senators," he said. "I'll use the school analogy. Surely they will see the point." He walked off with that look of hope mixed with fear and suppressed anger that I, a teacher, see in the mirror so often lately.
No Dentist Left Behind
My dentist is great! He sends me reminders so I don't forget check-ups. He uses the latest techniques based on research. He never hurts me, and I've got all my teeth. When I ran into him the other day, I was eager to see if he'd heard about the new state program. I knew he'd think it was great.
"Did you hear about the new state program to measure effectiveness of dentists with their young patients?" I said.
"No," he said. He didn't seem too thrilled. "How will they do that?"
"It's quite simple," I said. "They will just count the number of cavities each patient has at age 10, 14, and 18 and average that to determine a dentist's rating. Dentists will be rated as excellent, good, average, below average, and unsatisfactory. That way parents will know which are the best dentists. The plan will also encourage the less effective dentists to get better!" I said. "Poor dentists who don't improve could lose their licenses topractice."
"That's terrible," he said.
"What? That's not a good attitude," I said. "Don't you think we should try to improve children's dental health in this state?"
"Sure I do," he said, "but that's not a fair way to determine who is practicing good dentistry."
"Why not?" I said. "It makes perfect sense to me."
"Well, it's so obvious," he said. "Don't you see that dentists don't all work with the same clientele, and that much depends on things we can't control? For example, I work in a rural area with a high percentage of patients from deprived homes, while some of my colleagues work in upper middle-class neighborhoods. Many of the parents I work with don't bring their children to see me until there is some kind of problem, and I don't get to do much preventive work. Also, more educated parents who understand the relationship between sugar and decay. To top it all off, so many of my clients have well water which is untreated and has no fluoride in it. Do you have any idea how much difference early use of fluoride can make?"
"It sounds like you're making excuses," I said. "I can't believe that you, my dentist, would be so defensive. After all, you do a great job, and you needn't fear a little accountability."
"I am not being defensive!" he said. "My best patients are as good as anyone's, my work is as good as anyone's, but my average cavity count is going to be higher than a lot of other dentists because I chose to work where I am needed most."
"Don't get touchy," I said.
"Touchy?" he said. His face had turned red, and from the way he was clenching and unclenching his jaws, I was afraid he was going to damage his teeth. "Try furious! In a system like this, I will end up being rated average, below average, or worse. The few educated patients I have who see these ratings may believe this so-called rating is an actual measure of my ability and proficiency as a dentist. They may leave me, and I'll be left with only the most needy patients. And my cavity average score will get even worse. On top of that, how will I attract good dental hygienists and other excellent dentists to my practice if it is labeled below average?"
"I think you are overreacting," I said. "'Complaining, excuse-making and stonewalling won't improve dental health'...I am quoting from a leading member of the DOC," I noted.
"What's the DOC?" he asked. "It's the Dental Oversight Committee," I said, "a group made up of mostly lay persons to make sure dentistry in this state gets improved.
"Spare me," he said, "I can't believe this. Reasonable people won't buy it," he said hopefully.
The program sounded reasonable to me, so I asked, "How else would you measure good dentistry?"
"Come watch me work," he said. "Observe my processes."
"That's too complicated, expensive and time- consuming," I said. "Cavities are the bottom line, and you can't argue with the bottom line. It's an absolute measure."
"That's what I'm afraid my parents and prospective patients will think. This can't be happening," he said despairingly.
"Now, now," I said, "don't despair. The state will help you some."
"How?" he asked.
"If you receive a poor rating, they'll send a dentist who is rated excellent to help straighten you out," I said brightly.
"You mean," he said, "they'll send a dentist with a wealthy clientele to show me how to work on severe juvenile dental problems with which I have probably had much more experience? BIG HELP!"
"There you go again," I said. "You aren't acting professionally at all."
"You don't get it," he said. "Doing this would be like grading schools and teachers on an average score made on a test of children's progress with no regard to influences outside the school, the home, the community served and stuff like that. Why would they do something so unfair to dentists? No one would ever think of doing that to schools."
I just shook my head sadly, but he had brightened. "I'm going to write my representatives and senators," he said. "I'll use the school analogy. Surely they will see the point." He walked off with that look of hope mixed with fear and suppressed anger that I, a teacher, see in the mirror so often lately.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Keeping It Cool
It amazes me how different 6th graders are from 9th graders. 9th grade have discovered their arrogance, their sense of omniscience and self-entitlement. Yesterday I was in the 6th grade student and let me tell you, they had those kids trained to a T. They didn't so much as breathe without permission. How soon they forget. Actually, how soon they lose the self-control. Their raging hormones and identity crises probably lead them to it. I just have to try to not let it get under my skin. Sometimes it's hard to stay calm and enforce discipline with compassion... to be the strict sub while secretly laughing on the inside while the students squirm. However, it's bad when I become a bit vindictive. You cut me, I bleed. I'm only human, but as a teacher you have to become super human and hold yourself a bit higher. It's going to take a lot of practice. A LOT.
Word on the street is that schools are starting to consider candidates for the next school year. That means I have to start updating my applications, but let me tell yeah it sucks. Good schools, please hire me!
Word on the street is that schools are starting to consider candidates for the next school year. That means I have to start updating my applications, but let me tell yeah it sucks. Good schools, please hire me!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
File Under Another Job I Didn't Get
I'm not going to lie; I got my hopes up. To continue my metaphor from yesterday, I am Anne Hathaway, Melissa Leo, and Angelina Jolie. Not Meryl Streep, though. She all ready won several times and didn't need this Oscar to confirm her greatness as an actress (or me as a teacher).
I didn't get the long-term substitute job I interview for, and I was very disappointed by that. It was the kind of disappointment that can only be remedied by eating junk food while watching three hours of model reality shows and then sleeping in 'til ten.
So, I continue with the day to day subbing and interviewing for jobs I won't get. Such is the life of a substitute. Word on the street is that schools are starting to look for next year. However, unless you've successful taught a classroom of deaf-mute paraplegic orphans and been the president of the World Constructivist Literacy Panel for ESL Students while turning intercity gangbangers into highly functional members of society, don't plan on getting a job. They don't want average people as teachers. After all, how would they relate to average kids? They must have teachers who have dramatically altered the course of human events before the age of twenty five.
And so I buck up (again) and head back into the schools to attempt to make some sort of contribution to the world of education.
I didn't get the long-term substitute job I interview for, and I was very disappointed by that. It was the kind of disappointment that can only be remedied by eating junk food while watching three hours of model reality shows and then sleeping in 'til ten.
So, I continue with the day to day subbing and interviewing for jobs I won't get. Such is the life of a substitute. Word on the street is that schools are starting to look for next year. However, unless you've successful taught a classroom of deaf-mute paraplegic orphans and been the president of the World Constructivist Literacy Panel for ESL Students while turning intercity gangbangers into highly functional members of society, don't plan on getting a job. They don't want average people as teachers. After all, how would they relate to average kids? They must have teachers who have dramatically altered the course of human events before the age of twenty five.
And so I buck up (again) and head back into the schools to attempt to make some sort of contribution to the world of education.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Sitting on Pins and Needles
I had an interview yesterday for a long term sub position in a small rural district about thirty minutes from where I live. It went better than previous interviews I've had, but at the same time I wish I could go back and change some of my answers. I tried to prepare, but when you're sitting in front of the principal and the head of the department, it can be very intimidating.
Some things they asked:
So now I feel like Kate Winslet at the Oscars, expecting to lose but hoping to hear my name. The difference will probably be that she won and I won't. I never thought getting a job would feel like winning a big award. Congratulations, you get to work!!
Please, please, please, please, please let me get this job!! As the saying goes, as long as there are tests (or job interviews), there will be pray in schools.
Some things they asked:
- Describe a lesson that went well for you.
- Describe a lesson that didn't go so well for you.
- Tell us about your background in education.
- Our students really loved the teacher who's going on leave. How are you going to deal with the transition?
So now I feel like Kate Winslet at the Oscars, expecting to lose but hoping to hear my name. The difference will probably be that she won and I won't. I never thought getting a job would feel like winning a big award. Congratulations, you get to work!!
Please, please, please, please, please let me get this job!! As the saying goes, as long as there are tests (or job interviews), there will be pray in schools.
Monday, March 2, 2009
THIS ftw
Don't judge teachers by students' work
By Thomas M. Stephens
Would you like to have your competency judged by results over which you have only partial control? Most people, I suspect, prefer to be evaluated by their actions.
Yet some education reformers want to use students' test results as a basis for teachers' pay and even continued employment. Others claim that no one knows how to prepare effective teachers. This might be one reason why they claim teachers should be judged by students' test results, because if teachers are paid for their students' success, they will try harder to find ways for their students to test higher.
Such arguments erroneously assume that learning is the sole responsibility of teachers, and that the major factor in student achievement is teacher effort -- that teaching is simply a matter of filling students with knowledge, like pouring liquid into empty containers.
First, let's deal with the phony belief that no one knows how to prepare effective teachers. That's a strange position, given that the large majority of teachers are effective, as validated by students, parents, supervisors and teacher organizations. The problem is how to evaluate them and how they can maintain their expertise.
Gov. Ted Strickland wants to remove teachers whose students "aren't learning," without stating how learning will be determined. The problem is that no one can guarantee students will learn what they are taught. Schools and teachers can't control all factors that affect learning, such as biological conditions and socioeconomic status.
If teachers are to be paid according to students' success, should not others, who deal with segments of people's lives, be treated similarly? Let's pay attorneys only when they win cases and lawmakers and governors when their legislation and policies prove effective.
Obviously, lawyers, doctors and elected officials can't be responsible for events and people they don't fully control. Nor should teachers.
Teachers' effectiveness should be measured by numerous criteria, including how they engage their students, how they personalize instruction, how they manage their classes and how well they demonstrate knowledge of the subject matter. Teachers who excel in these areas won't necess-arily have students who excel, and often will have students who, for any number of reasons beyond the teachers' scope, fail.
Studies have revealed the best practices of teachers who are rated effective by students, supervisors and parents. There are also established principles for successful teaching and learning derived from research in education.
Advocates for paying teachers for students' test gains propose using state test results for dual purposes: judging student progress and teacher effectiveness. Instead of spending millions each year on standardized tests that cannot separate teaching effects from other factors in students' lives, why not use some of the money to develop a best-practices approach that ensures teachers are being as effective as possible? Validate an Ohio Classroom Teachers' Best Practices Protocol for each subject and for specific ages, grades and special-needs students, similar to what is used for obtaining the highly esteemed National Board for Professional Teaching Certificate.
This can identify teachers who demonstrate competency and those who don't. It also will help keep teachers current; as new practices are validated, they will be added to the protocol and teachers will be updated.
Here's one way to use a best-practices model: Teacher-preparation programs will continue to address principles of teaching and learning; professional ethics; in-depth knowledge of subject matter; and provide related internships under qualified and licensed mentors, as proposed by Strickland.
Practicing teachers will be evaluated through direct observation and written records of their methods, following the professional board-approved protocol. The observations should occur at least twice a year for beginners and annually for experienced teachers. Trained peers, supervisors and/or building principals will conduct the evaluations. And, teachers will be encouraged to conduct self-evaluations annually. When improvement is needed, it will be provided. When malpractice is found, teachers will be subject to penalties including, if necessary, loss of license.
Other licensed professionals are evaluated by what they do. Why not teachers?
Thomas M. Stephens is professor emeritus, College of Education and Human Ecology, Ohio State University, and executive director emeritus, School Study Council of Ohio.
Published February 12, 2009 in the Columbus Dispatch
By Thomas M. Stephens
Would you like to have your competency judged by results over which you have only partial control? Most people, I suspect, prefer to be evaluated by their actions.
Yet some education reformers want to use students' test results as a basis for teachers' pay and even continued employment. Others claim that no one knows how to prepare effective teachers. This might be one reason why they claim teachers should be judged by students' test results, because if teachers are paid for their students' success, they will try harder to find ways for their students to test higher.
Such arguments erroneously assume that learning is the sole responsibility of teachers, and that the major factor in student achievement is teacher effort -- that teaching is simply a matter of filling students with knowledge, like pouring liquid into empty containers.
First, let's deal with the phony belief that no one knows how to prepare effective teachers. That's a strange position, given that the large majority of teachers are effective, as validated by students, parents, supervisors and teacher organizations. The problem is how to evaluate them and how they can maintain their expertise.
Gov. Ted Strickland wants to remove teachers whose students "aren't learning," without stating how learning will be determined. The problem is that no one can guarantee students will learn what they are taught. Schools and teachers can't control all factors that affect learning, such as biological conditions and socioeconomic status.
If teachers are to be paid according to students' success, should not others, who deal with segments of people's lives, be treated similarly? Let's pay attorneys only when they win cases and lawmakers and governors when their legislation and policies prove effective.
Obviously, lawyers, doctors and elected officials can't be responsible for events and people they don't fully control. Nor should teachers.
Teachers' effectiveness should be measured by numerous criteria, including how they engage their students, how they personalize instruction, how they manage their classes and how well they demonstrate knowledge of the subject matter. Teachers who excel in these areas won't necess-arily have students who excel, and often will have students who, for any number of reasons beyond the teachers' scope, fail.
Studies have revealed the best practices of teachers who are rated effective by students, supervisors and parents. There are also established principles for successful teaching and learning derived from research in education.
Advocates for paying teachers for students' test gains propose using state test results for dual purposes: judging student progress and teacher effectiveness. Instead of spending millions each year on standardized tests that cannot separate teaching effects from other factors in students' lives, why not use some of the money to develop a best-practices approach that ensures teachers are being as effective as possible? Validate an Ohio Classroom Teachers' Best Practices Protocol for each subject and for specific ages, grades and special-needs students, similar to what is used for obtaining the highly esteemed National Board for Professional Teaching Certificate.
This can identify teachers who demonstrate competency and those who don't. It also will help keep teachers current; as new practices are validated, they will be added to the protocol and teachers will be updated.
Here's one way to use a best-practices model: Teacher-preparation programs will continue to address principles of teaching and learning; professional ethics; in-depth knowledge of subject matter; and provide related internships under qualified and licensed mentors, as proposed by Strickland.
Practicing teachers will be evaluated through direct observation and written records of their methods, following the professional board-approved protocol. The observations should occur at least twice a year for beginners and annually for experienced teachers. Trained peers, supervisors and/or building principals will conduct the evaluations. And, teachers will be encouraged to conduct self-evaluations annually. When improvement is needed, it will be provided. When malpractice is found, teachers will be subject to penalties including, if necessary, loss of license.
Other licensed professionals are evaluated by what they do. Why not teachers?
Thomas M. Stephens is professor emeritus, College of Education and Human Ecology, Ohio State University, and executive director emeritus, School Study Council of Ohio.
Published February 12, 2009 in the Columbus Dispatch
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Shock, Surprise, and Sadness
After my nightmare experience teaching 6th, 7th, and 8th grade science in that trainwreck urban charter school, I am always amazed at the difference between the public school suburban students and my former beloved terrors. Today's science lesson for sixth graders:
"Have them read pages 55-61 and answer the
questions on page 61. Go over the questions if there is
time."
So I tell the students what to do and.... wait for it.... they do it! I mean, really do it! Suddenly the room is filled with the sounds of adolescent voices taking turns reading the book. Reading the book? What?! I could barely get my students to read the questions, let alone the chapter. In fact, most probably couldn't read the book, having been passed over too many times in a decripite system.
But these kids? "Describe how the motions of gas particles are related to the pressure exerted by the gas." No sweat. Of course it's "as the moving gas particles collide with the walls of their container, they push on the container walls." In the words of Liz Lemon, "A doiii!"
Still, I miss my charter school kids. They have flavor and soul and pizzazz. I miss their dancing and their swagger and their banter. Most of them had to grow up too fast, unfortunately. It wasn't their faults that they were stuck in a charter school that fed their parents a good line and then screwed them over. I wish I could have taken them out of that school and into this district with me. I really, really miss them, but then again I wouldn't be able to stand any more abuse by the administration.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
The Substitute Survival Kit
Most sub plans can be summed up thusly:
"Tell them to do this work and make sure they don't kill each other."
(a loose interpretation)
In the nice suburban school district I sub in, most teachers have trained their students well enough to have them do self-directed work relatively quietly. The few rebels can be easily cowed by a stern command and the teacher "look of death." Therefore to prevent utter boredom, the substitute must come prepared with her own means of amusement in order to prevent certain death by boredom.
My substitute survival kit usually contains:
"Tell them to do this work and make sure they don't kill each other."
(a loose interpretation)
In the nice suburban school district I sub in, most teachers have trained their students well enough to have them do self-directed work relatively quietly. The few rebels can be easily cowed by a stern command and the teacher "look of death." Therefore to prevent utter boredom, the substitute must come prepared with her own means of amusement in order to prevent certain death by boredom.
My substitute survival kit usually contains:
- Light reading material
- Cell phone equipted with Tetris
- Illicit login and password (although all subs sign the acceptable use policy, we aren't given logins-- another sign of our "sub"-par (get it? lame, I know) status)
- Super strong coffee
- Lunch
- Knitting (usually a toy for my cat)
- Additionnal work, i.e. applications for jobs or grad school, transcriptions I'm working on
Is there anything I'm forgetting? Look, I know I'm probably not putting a model version of substituting out there, but there's not much "teaching" to it. I get excited whenever I can actually teach something or help a student, but to be honest, it doesn't happen very honest. So let's not pretend subbing is something it's not.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Welcome to the fabulous life...
...of a substitute teacher. Here are some of the benefits you can look forward to:
I began subbing in January 2009 in a suburban district in Ohio after leaving the urban charter school I had taught at for four months. Believe me, this suburban kids are cake compared to what I put up with at the urban charter school. I was naive enough to believe that the administration would support me and run the school consistently. Now I'm stuck in the limbo of substitute teaching. My husband is getting his master's, so I'm stuck in this area. He keeps me going, along with the goal of getting 30 sub day so I'll get a pay raise.
So welcome to the jungle.
- Never knowing if you'll get a job
- Groggily typing your passcode after being woken up by your cell phone
- Watching the same movie five or more times in one day
- Kids who equate substitute with day off
- Teachers & administrators treating you as a sub-par educator and human being in general
- Wondering if taking out all of those college loans were really worth this
- Constant prayer that you will get a full time job over the summer
I began subbing in January 2009 in a suburban district in Ohio after leaving the urban charter school I had taught at for four months. Believe me, this suburban kids are cake compared to what I put up with at the urban charter school. I was naive enough to believe that the administration would support me and run the school consistently. Now I'm stuck in the limbo of substitute teaching. My husband is getting his master's, so I'm stuck in this area. He keeps me going, along with the goal of getting 30 sub day so I'll get a pay raise.
So welcome to the jungle.
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