Welcome Back...

After an arduous six months of teaching and learning I am FINALLY finished with course work and spring semester. I am now finishing up my Dissertation Proposal and look forward to defending it by mid summer.

It's been a long time, I shouldn't have left you...

Now that I am back, I want to briefly revisit the last blog post I wrote way back in December.  It seems as if Education Week has caught onto the idea that teachers need to be more politically astute and aware.  In her article Ms. Van Shura stresses that educators must become political animals (Why Educators Must Become Political Animals).  I too echoed the same sentiment in my last post.  Interesting.

An internet note, I've recently been spending time on the Student's First (the new non-profit education reform group created by Michelle Rhee) Facebook page (Students First FB Page).  While I have never been a 100% supporter of anyone, I do think that much of what Ms. Rhee has done in her quest to create a better educational environment  is on the right course.  I encourage you to check out some of the discussions and even chime in.

Over the course of the next few weeks as we lead up to the SOS March and Call to Action (SOS) I'll be discussing in greater detail some of the topics raised on the SF page, and other ideas that I have been kicking around in my mind since I've started this PhD process.

I look forward to a more regular dialog on this page.  Please, let's remember to be civil.  - Peace

Beast of Burden

It seems recently in the wake of the groundbreaking film, Waiting for Superman, that teachers have felt under attack or blamed for the inequities in public education.  In almost every major newspaper around the country you see teachers fighting back with such statements as "we are under attack" or "why is the profession being treated with such disrespect, disdain?"

Newspapers are not the only places where we see the sentiment of teacher insecurity.  We also see it in the blogosphere and online.  My new Facebook page, Educational Reform for Urban Public Teachers and Students (ERUPTS) (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=113911811995707) has not been immune from this line of questioning.  One of the post comments "...I'm just tired of being blamed..."  My question is blamed for what?  Some critics like to think that if we somehow magically eliminated poverty (as if we haven't tried before?) then public schools would improve.  However studies have shown that it is not experiencing poverty which accounts for lack of educational opportunities and success, but lack of a positive adult mentor and low academic expectations.

Am I Tough Enough?

Teachers cannot be so soft skinned as to think that whenever educational reformers, the general public or even students demand more from their educational institutions or actors that the sole "blame" falls on them.  It may seem that way in the NCLB era with such an increased emphasis on accountability, but if I'm not accountable as an educator, what am I really doing in the classroom?  I have to be accountable to the school, to the district, to the parents and students and most importantly to myself.  Any criticism that comes from others pales in comparison to the amount of criticism and self-evaluation, and reflection I do internally.  Perhaps we need to acknowledge more what that internal reflection entails, as well as admit perhaps not all of us reflect on our craft, and have honest discussions on how to improve so that we do not take offense so easily.


Tell the Truth
We as educators, parents, peers and community need to come together and start telling the truth.  The Beast of Burden is in feeling attacked every time someone makes a film (Waiting for Superman is not the only educational film currently showing), critiques public schools, derides the status quo in education or wants to implement change.  Change is hard.  However continuing to do nothing is far worse and far more damaging - not for those who have been fortunate to have a good educational background, but for those who are without voice, without recourse and often go unseen (until Superman).  We cannot continue to allow state capitals, Washington DC or critics (however well intentioned) to stop the progress which is being made in urban areas when it comes to educational attainment.

In short, as one of the former counselors at the high school where I taught always said; "be a duck."  Let all the negative comments wash off of you like water on a duck.  Keep moving forward.

A Message to all Teachers from one who knows - Part Three (Final)

Continued from last week:

Third, there is a fine line between being a students “friend” and being their “mentor/teacher.”  It is crucial that teachers are considered friendly without necessarily playing favorites or being “buddy buddy” with students.  A teacher needs to be fair and firm, especially when dispensing homework assignments, readings and calling on students in class and of course, discipline.  Perception unfortunately is oftentimes reality – whether it is in politics, the media or in the classroom.  If a teacher is perceived to be too friendly, either by their colleagues or by the students, that particular teacher has a major obstacle to over come.  This is not to imply that teachers need to adhere to the old school adage “don’t smile until after winter break.” 

This era of students have far less respect for teachers who present a “false front” than those teachers who are honest and show their true selves – in other words, keeping it real.  We as professionals should know where the line is.  Teachers should not have to defend their personal teaching style to their colleagues.  There should not be a riff between teachers who are considered “popular” and those who are not.  Instead of putting down, or condemning the “popular” teachers, find out what they do in their classroom.  Are they fair?  Do they hold students to a higher standard and as such the students respect them for raising the bar?  Does the teacher respect all students in the class and not just the “good” ones?  These questions and more should be discussed openly and honestly amongst colleagues and collaboratively between both veterans and newbies alike.

Finally, this time of year is tough.  Teachers are reaching (or have reached) the point of burnout.  The fall highs have almost been completely replaced by the winter blahs. Teachers immune defenses are down, more are starting to get sick with the flu and some, unfortunately after months of frustration, quit.  It is also the season where testing frenzy is fast approaching, and pre-testing begins in earnest and the “normal routine” of the the first semester will soon be replaced by “testing, testing, testing.”  Teaching is tough. 

In many parts of the country, it is a thankless job made more difficult by unfunded mandates forced upon us from the Department of Education both in Washington and local capitals.  Left alone, most teachers, in due time, would be excellent professionals who demonstrate pride in their profession.  However, there are too many who have “messed it up” for the masses.  Teachers who do not show pride in their profession are what create the ability for the masses of teachers to be dictated to from the “top-down.”  There needs to be more collaboration in the creation and implementation of standards as well as we need to review and reform NCLB (or whatever the new reauthorization will be called) to include more assessments that are not just a-d bubble answers.  

As we recover from this election season, let’s not forget to include education as one of the central issues that needs to be on the radar for the incoming Congress.  NCLB is up for reauthorization and should be one of the first pieces of legislation drawn up and debated during their first few months. 

In the immortal words of the late 20^th century poet T.A. Shakur “keep ya head up.”

A Message to Teachers from One Who Knows - Part Two

Here is the 2nd half of my thoughts...Consequentially if it wasn’t for a relationship the school had with a university in the area, in which “coaches” came in and assisted teachers with implementation of standards and helped to increase test scores, I would have been languishing in the wind alone, or worse quit.  What kept me coming back day in and day out, besides my arrogance and stubborness was I had the advantage of being 1) older than many new teachers 2) from a family of teachers and 3) had the university coach take the time to sit in my classroom every day for over a month to help me with the adjustment.  In addition to pedagogy, classroom management and other first year issues, he also helped with the minutia of attendance, grades, homework and keeping up with general duties of having 40 kids per hour for 5 periods a day with only one “conference period” and 30 minutes for lunch.  The first two reasons helped, the third saved me.

So am I "teacher bashing" as some of my critics (or rather critic) claim?  Quite the contrary, teachers need to know curriculum, but they also need to know where the copy machine is and how to get the code – not to mention they need to know they need to bring their own paper (take note sign up for all the Staples, Office Depots or any other value cards you can!).  Teachers need mentors who have been either teaching for a while, are new themselves (the cohort philosophy), or both so that they can learn how to ask the right questions and have a shoulder to lean on.  

Oftentimes, teachers don’t even know what questions to ask because they are either so excited to teach that they think that’s all they have to do, or are so overwhelmed that they are embarrassed to ask for fear of their “not knowing” reflecting poorly on their performance evaluation (see: http://www.aetv.com/teach-tony-danza/).  No one learns through osmosis.  We need to be able to fail so we can succeed.  Not many professions are scrutinized by so many in the public arena as teachers.  We are supposed to be "experts," "highly qualified," just “know.” 

Final thoughts on Friday...please feel free to comment or tell your own new teacher story.

A Message to All Teachers from One Who’s Been There - Part One

Welcome back!

The first post for the school year is to all the teachers (first year and otherwise) who are approaching Thanksgiving with their tanks pushing perilously close to empty.  These are just a few of the things I wish I knew when I first started classroom teaching, or might even help those who are well into their professional career.

I last taught in a high school classroom in June 2007.  I knew it was my last few days at the school where I taught, but I didn’t anticipate it would be the end of my public school teaching career.  In my third year of a PhD program in urban education, I am nostalgic about not being in a high school classroom and miss teaching something fierce.  I am currently teaching a Youth Cultures course in General Education, but even that doesn’t seem akin to what my peers do in K-12.

First, I have a saying, “never let a kid f*** up your day.”  It sounds simple, but with over 150 live, smelly, plugged in, growing bodies coming through my door from 8am to 3:08 pm, it’s easy to let their lives and their stories become your own.  As much as we want to be mentor, older brother (sister), father (mother), psychologist, social worker and of course, teacher, we have to leave their problems for them to solve.  This is especially true in teaching high school and when we teach in low socioeconomic areas.  We have to remember that many of the feelings they experience we went through back when we were their age.  As such, we can be sympathetic, helpful and lend an ear, but we cannot live their lives. 

For many, just navigating their way to and from school through a “war zone” is a challenge, not to mention all the other ills currently plaguing both inner cities and rural communities in America. We have to honor their lives and respect their cultural mores.  We also have to learn how to both push our students through adversity while at the same time love them and assist them when they reach out for help.

Second, your colleagues are not always your friends.  Teaching is oftentimes an isolated, lonely profession.  My first year at the huge comprehensive high school where I taught was spent alone in the bungalows (trailers used to reduce overcrowding in the main building) far far away from the main building, from the department chair and from the Principal and Assistant Principals.  It seemed like the only visit I would get from any of them wasn’t for academic problems or for a social visit “how are things going Stuart?”, but rather the mundane – your door is broken, you shouldn’t let kids in class after the bell rings, you failed to turn in your attendance rosters in a timely manner, you forgot to sign in/out in the main office…It seemed as if I could do no right even though as a initially as a long term sub I was never introduced to anyone, much less someone to help guide me through the every day systems that are so necessary and “important” for a large school to function.

Continued on Monday...