My Kids Are Not Stupid

Our 8th grade class has been invited to this event called the half-cap ceremony.  Those students who are on their way to graduate from the 8th grade are all invited to this event, those that are not, well they don't get to attend.  Those that are not are put out on blast for not "meeting the requirements" to graduate 8th grade.  So during class today I only had about half of my kids (those who were not invited).  I decided to show this video:

Labeling students as "not meeting the requirements" doesn't raise their hopes to do better.  It keeps them at the bottom.  Especially kids.  Why seclude them?  Why not have a special assembly for them where they can talk to their teachers and parents one on one and figure out how they can meet these requirements?  What are we accomplishing here?  Raising the ones that are already raised and lowering the ones that are already low?  Labeling one group of kids as smart and the other group as stupid?

The big guy walks in the middle asks what they are watching (he already knows) says to shut it down that it is not acceptable.  End of story. He leaves.

I keep playing it until the end.  My kids are not stupid.  End of story.

-Ms. P

And Then There Were Two

We started with four middle school teachers: Math, ELA, Science, and Social Studies.  We lost the original math teacher first semester and we're about to lose our original ELA teacher this week.

I'm trying not to be selfish, but I really wanted her to stay.  Stay for me and stay for the kids.  I know it's bad and I know I shouldn't be selfish and let her go because her reasoning is completely understandable.  Personal issues on top of school issues would just be too much for her to handle. Totally understandable.  

Everything is basically up in the air right now.  Will my schedule change for the fourth time this year? Will science be considered a not so important subject and will I now have to teach 7th and 8th grade ELA?  Will they even hire a new ELA teacher?  Will the students' behavior be back to day 1 behavior? Who knows.  Anything can happen.  Like I've said before no consistency.  

But these kids!  They went through two ELA teachers last year now this is their second this year too. It's unfortunate but there is nothing I can do or nothing they can do.  We are helpless.  We will come back next week pick up the pieces and do it all over again.  What else can we do in a place where teacher turnover is greater than student achievement?

-Ms. P

The Death of Innovation

Watch the video: 

The first time I saw this guy was about three years back when I was watching the documentary Waiting for Superman.  That's Geoffrey Canada the CEO and President of Harlem Children's Zone (HCZ).  HCZ is a non-profit organization that supports families living in Harlem through various programs that include public charter schools.  Let's just say that this guy is actually doing something right.

But, there's one thing in particular that I truly got out of this video and that was the part about innovation.  I have experienced it first hand.  People in the world of education are literally afraid of innovation.  They're afraid of change.  Afraid of new ideas.  Afraid of new approaches.  Every time I come up with something new or try a new activity I'm being asked, "Why".

Why?  How is it going to work?  What does it have to do with that standardized test that they're going to be taking in spring?  How will it improve their test scores?

They're afraid of innovation.

 "Well Ms. P just do what we learned in our professional development.  Ms. P I tried this last year at my old school so it's definitely going to work here.  I need you to implement it now. "

And the best one..."Don't make it harder on yourself".

What do I do?  I keep innovating.  I keep searching on the web for new ways to teach my kids.  I keep reading books about teaching.  I keep buying resources.  I mean I'm a teacher!  It's my job to teach kids. Of course I'm going to try and find another way to teach these kids if one way doesn't work.  I work with these kids everyday.  I know why 6th grade Johnny over there can barely read a sentence and 8th grade Susie doesn't understand that question.  I work with them EVERYDAY.  I mean think about it.

No really think about it.

See?

It makes sense doesn't it?  So why is just so dang hard to get people to let you do your job?  You're already telling me WHAT I have to teach.  Now you're going to tell me HOW I'm going to teach it too? What's the point of being a teacher?  I want to be a teacher because it's an innovate and creative field or at least it's supposed to be.

So here's what I'm learning:

1.  You can come up with all the great ideas that you have but when I come into your classroom I want to see you do this, this, and this, and oh yeah this.

2.   Whenever you come to me with an idea you better have an example of how it's going to help raise our test scores because we need to make sure that they look great on those nice graphs and charts.

Hence, the death of innovation and the beginning of conformity.

-Ms. P

Ready

Remember that graph of attitudes toward teaching way back when?

School starts Monday and I'm ready for some rejuvenation and everything that will come with it.

Bring it. 

-Ms . P