Walking in Someone Else's Shoes

January 3, 2016

Day 188 as an Oklahoma Teacher

     I read an article titled, "Teacher Spends Two Days as a Student and is Shocked at What She Learns," by Valerie Strauss. Strauss was a classroom teacher for many years, but became  High School Learning Coach. The Principal told her to shadow a 10th grade and a 12th grade student for two days; she also had to do the work the students were given. Here are a few interesting tidbits that she noticed those two days: students sit a log only moving around when changing classes, students rarely had discussions in class, only if the teacher initiated it, the students copy notes that the teachers had already wrote for them, and teachers were always calling on students to be quiet and pay attention. If she could back and change her classes, she would use these ideas: mandatory stretch in the middle of class, put a Nerf basketball hoop in the class for the students to use, build in daily hands-on and move around activities for every class, include mini-lessons where the students listen to a brief lecture, work in small groups for research, and then act out a poem, use an egg timer to limit the time given for lecture, have students bring in essential questions to use them for class discussions, and ask students more questions. Surprise! This is the article that my students had to read for the semester test. I had one student suggested that our class needed a Nerf basketball hoop for the class. There were mixed responses that either their classes were all lecture or in some of their classes, they completed hands-on activities. Also, how do you become a high school learning coach? That sounds like something I would like to do. 

     Are you ready for some of my thoughtful wisdom? It doesn't matter; I'm still going to tell you. I have been those teachers that she described, a teacher-led classroom, with lots of notes and lecture, and students as passive learners. I guess I was just copying my teachers in high school or what I was taught in college. That probably describes the first half of my teaching career. Now, I want my class to be student-led where the students have the control of how they will learn the material. There has been many times this year when I just stand back and listen to the discussions my students are having about the literature. That gives me more insight into their understanding than just having them regurgitate the notes. When I'm the Sage on the Stage, I can show them the strategies. When I'm the Guide on the Side, I just watch and listen.  There can be a mixture, but we have to get our students up moving, collaborating, and solving problems. Education is not about regurgitation; it's about collaboration and innovation.

      I also think teachers need to visit other classrooms. We need to collaborate and learn from each other. Why is it that we have closed door teaching? You are welcome to visit my class. The only way that we can make positive impacts is that we learn from each other.  WE CANNOT BE CLOSE-MINDED; WE MUST BE WILLING TO BE PART OF AN EDUCATIONAL RENAISSANCE. I've heard reform, which has a negative connotation, used by everyone who wants to destroy education. It needs to be a Renaissance of new, refreshing ideas that takes us down a road not taken. Every educational idea that I have dealt with over these 24 years is just a regurgitation of what has already been offered. It's time to think like there is no box and choose a road not taken.

Adieu!

      

     
     

     

Think like There is no Box!

January 2, 2016

Day 187 as an Oklahoma Teacher

     This morning,  I watched  a Josh Flores video on twitter. In his  30-second video, he talked about having older students teach younger students a vocabulary concept or skill. He referenced Elmo and Sesame Street and how vocabulary is taught on the show. He suggested having students make sock puppets as a way to teach a lesson. I have used a couple of creative lessons over the years that required my students working with younger students. One of my lessons required students to create children's books; the book contained sentence patterns and academic vocabulary. They read the books to a 5th grade class. For another lesson, my students rewrote Romeo and Juliet and gave it an Oklahoma flavor. They rewrote the lines using Oklahoma diction, went through the stages of the writing process, and then acted out the play in front of an 8th grade creative reading class. The last example is one that I did with this class that I am teaching right now. When they were sophomores, I had them plan and create a Shakespearean Faire. The students who were the musicians played Elizabethan songs; there were also games, crafts, and food. Students from other classes came to the Faire.
     So enough with my reminiscing, let me get back to Josh's idea. I tweeted that I would try it with my seniors and that I thought the puppets should be characters from literature or the authors. There is no limit from this lesson. Students could make puppets, write a script for vocabulary, grammar, or literature, and do a live version of a play or videotape it. I imagine puppets that are famous poets discussing their poetry and the poetic devices used in their poetry. There could be a rap, a cheer, a song, or a poem. Students could also dress in character if they don't mind being seen on camera. All of these ideas, if planned out, would fit every Oklahoma standard. It's not a sit down and take the test or write an essay assessment, but it would bring in creativity, innovation, and think like there is no box. Even though older students can do this for younger students, they also need to think about how they can learn vocabulary and grammar. I am going to give my students a set of grammar rules, and ask them what they would do to learn, apply, and not forget them. I'm going to work on my plan for this lesson and blog about it when it is finished.

Adieu! Adieu! Parting is such sweet sorrow, but I will be back with another blog tomorrow!

365 Days as an Oklahoma Teacher

January 1, 2016

Day186 as an Oklahoma teacher

     I spent the day writing lesson plans and grading the rest of the semester tests. Yes, I know that I should have been finished with grading those tests, but I don't get time at school to grade the tests. I always have to take them home. Semester tests are supposed to show a teacher what students remember, to remind the students what they learned in class, and to show the students what a college final looks like. Since I am a person who follows the rules, I created a test that took my students the full 90 minutes to work on it. This year, my students annotated an article, created five questions with answers using the Answer, Cite, and Explain strategy, created a formal outline for a compare/contrast essay, and was supposed to conduct a 10 minute discussion about the article, but we ran out of time. Are semester tests becoming obsolete because of high stakes testing? Are teachers really taking these tests seriously? Do I require my students to complete too many tasks on the test? If we are going to push students down the college path, they need to know what it takes to pass a college final. EOI testing doesn't follow a college final format, but a semester test would allow students to experience that idea. EOI testing is too limited and is not even looked at by colleges. It's time to make the semester test the most important test in high school, other than the ACT, and relate it to a college final. For the second semester, we are doing projects in some classes.

Despair

     This week, a blogger challenge was issued to some Oklahoma bloggers. Even though I wasn't on that list, here are my thoughts about hope and despair in education. I'll start with despair. A tweet by Kent Bush caught my attention the other day. He said "You have to wonder how history will remember these states that cut education in the name of ALEC experiments." He was referencing what is going on in Kansas; a school district was going to a four day week while extending the school day. The problem has to do with budget cuts. Sound familiar? Until the teaching profession is respected by politicians, until authentic solutions are given to improve education, and until schools quit facing budget cuts, the problems caused by all this inaction will persist. All of what has happened has been a set up by other groups to destroy education, to manipulate the public, and to denigrate teachers. I didn't go to college and earn three degrees so that I could work for lower pay, but I don't see the light at the end of the tunnel. Toll roads, outside groups, and political mayhems are more important than the education of my children and my students. This problem is not caused by one political group, but by both Democrats and Republicans. They serve us; we don't serve them.

A New Hope

     I saw the Star Wars movie for a second time. In the movie, Poe asked Finn why he was helping him escape the First Order. Finn responded, "Because it's the right thing to do." It's the right thing to stand up for education. How can we stand up for education? Get the message out: share blogs, make videos, send emails to legislatures, visit the Capitol, and collaborate with Oklaed. I've seen the influence that we have; we just can't give up. The Oklaed bloggers and the #oklaed chat that has kept teachers informed have made the biggest impact. However, it's time for the rest of us to pick up the gauntlet and do our part in this situation. I feel that teachers in the rural areas are too silent and need to voice their ideas and opinions. The bridge has been built; we just need to cross it. It's time for teachers to go to the upcoming Edcamps in Tulsa, OKC, and Lawton so that we can collaborate, plan, and get ready for the next battle. The force has awakened. 

The Ambitious Procrastinators

 Here are some thoughts and reflections about the first semester.

 I previously taught these students in English I and English II. This experience is called looping,
 and I think that it is beneficial to follow a class for two years. Teaching the same class for three
 years creates more issues; I have found it challenging and exhausting. I have a high number of
 going through concurrent enrollment, more students who should have taken college classes, and
 the students with the same problems they had a few years ago. I have students who have a job, and
 students who are involved in many activities. They wanted me to describe their class using one
 word. One word cannot describe this class; I came up with an oxymoron, ambitious
 procrastinators. Some students are very ambitious and work hard to achieve their goals,
 some students are ambitious but procrastinate, and the rest of the students who just procrastinate.

 I love English literature, but I noticed that when the students were forced to read Beowulf or a
 Shakespearean play, they became apathetic. Of course, when they chose something to read based
 on their interests or career choices, then they read without whining about it. I tried to match up       students interested in the medical field with books about medicine or students who liked history
 read about people or events in history. Students had to complete the rough draft of their senior
 paper this semester, and they worked every Friday on it. Most of the students worked, but their
 were some who wanted to waste the time they were given. Even though I have to play the high
 school game, next semester I am going to set up my classes like a college class. Well, the best
 at I can do. I'll lecture one day; then the students will work in study groups the next day. On
 Wednesday, the students will be in discussion groups. On Thursday, I will again be the Sage on the
 Stage and get them ready for Monday. Friday will be our Genius Hour Day. They have to
 complete the final copy of their senior paper and give the senior project speech in May. The most
 difficult part of this year was creating new curriculum for this class.

Even though I have taught almost 25 years, I still make changes. I changed the curriculum to better fit the students, I did an extreme-makeover of the classroom this last summer so that it became my classroom, and I am always willing to try something new even though it may not work like I want
it to work. Being the a teacher doesn't mean that you have to play follow the leader. You have to
forge your own path to take just like your students have to find the one best for them.
     

It's Just a Bill!

     This weekend, I read about State Bill 911 which would give schools the opportunity to punish unruly students without suspending them. These students would appear before a volunteer judge who would decide to either require the student to do community service or pay a fine. The fines could pay for additional security at the school or help with to bring in character education. The one comment that really caught my eye was "This is the number one problem in education." This bill is just a bill because it doesn't address the real problems that we are facing in education.
     First, the number one problem for schools is the teacher shortage, and the only solution is to make education first in our state. Several years ago, someone told me that Oklahoma should be the education state, not the toll road state. It's time to quit insulting teachers, it's time to listen to teachers, and it's time to give teachers a pay raise. Solving the teacher shortage would help reduce class size which would lead to fewer discipline problems. Teachers could also focus on the needs of the students and not just trying to get through the curriculum to meet testing requirements.
     Next, show students different paths that they can take in school. School should not be just about passing a test. In my opinion, students should be on a plan of study that is followed and updated at they progress through school. This plan of study would focus on their interests and also help them overcome weaknesses in reading and writing across the curriculum. If students have a path to take, then school becomes more important to them. Then, discipline problems should be not be an issue. It's all about the curriculum and making it relevant to the students. Adapt the curriculum to fit the needs of the students instead of making it fit a test.
     Finally, I told my husband about this bill. His first response was that students could just pay their way out if their families have the money. We cannot ignore the lives of our students, the way they live, and where they live. Education is the only path out of any situation; we just have to guide them down the right direction.

Thanks, Mrs. Allen!

      When I started teaching at Cache 23 years ago, Yvonne Allen was the senior English teacher. She has been retired for several years, but I have mirrored some of my ideas I use in the classroom after her. Here are three ideas I learned from her.
       To begin with, students in her English IV read books and research about their interests or career choices. On reading days, they would discuss at the end of the hour what they learned from their reading. Sometimes, they would write weekly summaries and reflections about what they read. I believe that if students make connections, relate what they read to other books or current events, and share their ideas with a group, then they have achieved a higher level of reading. It's all about reading to connect, reading to learn, and reading for fun.
      Next, all the essays that the students wrote in class were about their career choices or interests. If a student's career choice was welding, then this student wrote compare/contrast, definition, a personal narrative, and a research paper about it. Some of the students even decided at the end of the school year not to pursue their paths. Just like with reading, if teachers give students the choice, then the student becomes an active participant in their educational experiences.
      Finally, her classes were student-centered and not teacher-centered. The students set goals, planned out what they would accomplish for the week, and completed independent work. She mixed sage on the stage with guide on the side. Students took responsibility for their learning. Recently, a student needed help with correcting run-on sentences. I told her that she has covered this idea for the past six years and asked her how she would learn this skill.  She decided to use compound sentences in her essays and make sure to use correct punctuation. If students learn how to apply the rules in their papers and repeat it over and over again, then they will form the habit needed to sustain it.
       In conclusion, it's about showing students how to become independent learners and thinkers and giving them choices. Thanks, Mrs. Allen, for showing that education is not about a test, but about the student.

That Little Thing Called Looping

      This year, I moved up to Senior English. During my teaching career, I spent most of my time with the freshmen and a couple of years with the sophomores. What made this decision so unusual was that I was going to teach the same group of students for the third time. Yes, you just read it! The third time! I taught them in English I and English II. My son is also in this class, and the thought of having his mom as teacher for the third time was very traumatic for him. He thinks that I will follow him to the college level next year. When a teacher follows a class for two years, this idea is called looping. I wonder what it should be called if a teacher loops for three years. How about "Once, Twice, Three Times a Looper?" Okay, back to my thoughts about an advantage and a disadvantage of looping.
      So what is an advantage? Well, I know the strengths and weaknesses of my students. When they were in 9th grade, my main focus was on reading comprehension skills. Then, at the 10th grade level, my focus changed to essay writing mixed in with reading comprehension.  Truthfully, it was all about the EOI test that year. Of course, reading, writing, speaking, listening, and vocabulary skills were involved. Without  the repetition of the skills and strategies, then students lose what they have learned. It's like playing a sport; if you don't play awhile, then you get out of shape. You may remember the concept or the terminology, but you have to use it to regain that skill. Therefore, the focus this year is on writing skills, not for a test, but for the college level. It was time to move away from EOI essay writing to academic writing. They are getting a reading and writing workout. Maybe, that's why I was voted as The Teacher Who Gives the Most Homework.
      And now, here is a disadvantage. My students are used to my teaching style and methods. I had this problem going from 9th to 10th grade. I didn't want them to think that they were still in a 9th grade class. I have had to change some of my methods and become more of a Guide on the Side than a Sage on the Stage. I already set the foundation; they just need more practice and repetition to improve their skills. I conduct more individual writing conferences and treat students more an individuals on different educational paths. All of this innovation and writing curriculum is mentally exhausting, but if I don't, the students and myself will become complacent.
      Finally, I would recommend that schools use looping at all grade levels. It does work, but as I have learned these last four years, it takes a lot of work, dedication, and innovation to make it work.