Mistakes are Steps Toward Learning

It was February of 2011...

When You Need a Home Run and all you get is first base.  It was a good lesson, but what I needed was amazing.  Last Friday I was observed by the big dog, an important observation for my reapplication next year (as I am on temporary status).  Three things I took from this experience: first, teaching is about connecting with students, second, stay true to your theories of teaching no matter how difficult your situation makes it, and third, how important context is in education.

The lesson: 3rd Grade Order of Operations (keep in mind that we have 60 students)
Anticipatory set: I activated prior knowledge and connected to students' experience by using a narrative advance organizer.  I drew 6 pictures depicting three directions: pour, shake, and open and orange juice bottle.  I then discussed that sometimes order is important in directions.  Then I showed the different outcomes for changing the order of these instructions.  I then asked kids to come up with the right order.  I then introduced order of operations.

Next, we made a flip booklet on which we numbered 1. Parentheses, 2. Multiply/Divide, 3. Add/Subtract.  Under the flap we put the signs of the operations, an example and "left to right."  I then modeled how to use the tool, and students practiced how to use the tool with some guided practice on their whiteboards.  I had a worksheet to practice further, but my cooperating teacher suggested that just practicing on the whiteboard would be more effective.

The critique:

Although he thought the metaphor was very effective and the kids understood the concept, I've got to move faster.  There is just too much curriculum to cover to spend so much time waiting for everyone to get it.  So and so were drawing on their whiteboards under their desks.  He commended me on checking in on the success of so many students.

Today:

This was my first taste of the bias in the system.  What he was saying: the ones who are privileged enough to access the curriculum from the standard entryways will get it, the others may catch on eventually, or maybe not... but who cares, move on.

Even today, as I look back at this draft post from 2011 I still feel the chains of the system.  I find many creative ways to improvise and adjust, but regardless we are still pulled forward through the years of curriculum, regardless of the abilities or prior knowledge of our students.  Are students are pushed through as well.

If you are wondering, I did not get the next year's opening.  Besides being green and needing improvement in many areas, the principal and I did not agree in many fundamental areas.  He told me I have "unshakeable patience" and should be in special education.  Which I very much considered, but decided it was not the right choice for me -- God bless special educators.  On the bright side, I got hired at the perfect position for me the next fall: a 4/5 blend in Southern Oregon.

14 Days and Counting... :O

There are exactly two weeks until I meet my first (real) class.  I have never felt so excited/exalted/anxious/terrified.  I feel prepared but that pessimistic part of me that is always doubtful is nagging in the back of my mind.  Luckily, I drown it out with all the work there is to be done, large and small.  On that note, I found some great resources and blogs I would like to share:

Yearning

I know you know the feeling...  I have never wanted anything more than having my own class.  As my current temporary position soon ends I've begun the applying process again...  I just hope I can find the right place for me.  My goal: turn my longing into the most persuasive interview ever witnessed.  It's a long road ahead, and previously well trodden.  It's like that stretch of I-5 I know so well.  It's familiar and yet not a place I want to be...  I simply pray for the chance to have my own space to make a difference.

HUMOROUS BIO!? WHAA?

I am in the process of applying for a job that required a "humorous, creative, informative bio."  First I hastily left my computer, instantly overwhelmed with the thought and underwhelmed with the number of ideas I had.  Too cliche...boring...childish.  Turns out, I'm not funny.  But, I still managed to scrape up an ok humorous bio (or so I think).

You know that adult woman you see buried in the children’s section at the bookstore laughing out loud as she reads and keeps sorting and resorting books into the “to buy” and “save for later” piles?  That’s me, nice to meet you.  What you don’t know about me:

I had a thirty-minute conversation with a student about the history of videogame consoles this week.

I once read an entire professional development book in a day, when my husband asked what class it was for I was confused.

I think talking to oneself is a very efficient strategy for many things.

I’m an ounce of clever a pound of quirky (which I find comes in handy when working with children).

My motto: Will sacrifice sleep for success.

I truly know everything (according to my husband) but, of course, modestly disagree.

I watch kid movies and call it research.

Rumor has it on the day of my birth the world did not change, though I like to think otherwise.

I race bicycle motocross.  (No, that one’s serious).

I collect post-its, bins, totes, and any other item that could be confused with an organizer.

I enjoy astonishing those with limited perspectives.

If list making were an Olympic Sport I would for sure be at least a bronze medalist (see, modest again).

I take serious joy from working with over 60 kids every day.

I got the interview for this job, but had already accepted another!

"Did you Know?"

Outdated, but still incredible:

"Check Out These Buns!"

Yesterday was one of those days where it was necessary to stop everything and regroup, reteach, and reflect.  But in the moment where I felt like pulling my hair out because everything seemed to be going wrong, I was reminded why I love working with children it the STRANGEST way.  During this classroom meeting one student was sharing a mistake he made that day and this is what he said in the most lamenting voice:
"Today at lunch I took my hamburger buns and put them on my butt and yelled, 'look at these buns!'"
I don't know why but this comment caught me hilarious, but I couldn't stop laughing.  I laughed, my kids laughed, and then we had a serious conversation about what is appropriate at school and what is not.  Ok, so this seems like a weird moment for my career choice to be reaffirmed, but...  In this moment I simultaneously realized that kids are hilarious and I love working with them, and it became clear that the kids appreciated that I'm human.  I may have made a mistake, but it brought me closer to my students.  Always a give and take.

Testing or torture?

Every day for the past three weeks I've watched my intensive reading group struggle through the state reading test.  During the painstakingly long process they have been missing out on much needed reading and math instruction to work on a test that would be the equivalent of an adult taking a test in a language unfamiliar to him or her.  They leave the computer lab with a bleak contentment with having completed another story.  Prior to testing I have been instructed to teach them "testing skills" rather than language, reading strategies, an appreciation for reading, or even phonics.  More instruction missed.  And when we do get to reading we work in our mandated curriculum, reading leveled readers that make so little sense that I struggle coming up with meaningful comprehension questions let alone questions that inspire higher order thinking.
But, the testing will determine our school's fate so we keep investing every moment in passing the test.  What has happened to education?  I watch as schools cut recess, P.E., art, our school has limited social studies, science, and health down to one half hour block per week.  At least we still have P.E. every day, that's more than most schools can say.  We are stripping all the joy from education and wondering why we have so many behavior problems...

Check out this article from the Oregonian by Sally Angaran.

"It's a great time to be a teacher"

For those of us that have a rather bleak outlook on the state of education today (those of us who don't have jobs, who are forced to retire, etc.).  After all of the negative, it is a good time to be in education.  I was having a discussion with an administrator and once-teacher that has been in education for a long time.  She said to me, "Bad economy aside, it is a remarkable time to be a teacher..."  From manipulatives to mandatory reporting, she described the ways that education has slowly improved since she first became a teacher.  While she agreed that education is a pendulum that swings from one extreme to the other in many instances, she believes that with every swing the pendulum edges toward the side of improvement (maybe with the occasional edge back, i.e. NCLB).

GASP! Facebook Post

Today my husband was checking his Facebook page and suddenly I heard a loud gasp from across the room.  After reading the first sentence he was fired up and so was I.  Upon reading to the end, though I found it does bring up some good points, see for yourself.  Since Facebook only shows the first paragraph as a preview, I hope the general public reads on.

"Are you sick of highly paid teachers? Teachers' hefty salaries are driving up taxes, and they only work 9 or10 months a year! It's time we put things in perspective and pay them for what they do - babysit!
We can get that for less than minimum wage.
That's right. Let's give them $3.00 an hour and only the hours they worked; not any of that silly planning time, or any time they spend before or after school. That would be $19.50 a day (7:45 to 3:00 PM with 45 min. off for lunch and plan-- that equals 6 1/2 hours). Each parent should pay $19.50 a day for these teachers to baby-sit their children. Now how many students do they teach in a day...maybe 30? So that's $19.50 x 30 = $585.00 a day.
However, remember they only work 180 days a year!!! I am not going to pay them for any vacations. LET'S SEE.... That's $585 X 180= $105,300 per year. (Hold on! My calculator needs new batteries).
What about those special education teachers and the ones with Master's degrees? Well, we could pay them minimum wage ($7.75), and just to be fair, round it off to $8.00 an hour. That would be $8 X 6 1/2 hours X 30 children X 180 days = $280,800 per year. Wait a minute -- there's something wrong here! There sure is!
The average teacher's salary (nation-wide) is $50,000. $50,000/180 days = $277.77/per day/30 students=$9.25/6.5 hours = $1.42 per hour per student--a very inexpensive babysitter and they even EDUCATE your kids!) WHAT A DEAL!!!! Make a teacher smile; repost this to show appreciation for all educators."

Application 135 and counting...

Since my graduation this summer I have completed at least 135 applications, handed business cards out at numerous schools, gone to job fairs, and completed three interviews (all of which came to the same verdict: "your interview was perfect, but we selected someone with more experience).  Besides this I had a researcher, both of my supervisors, and my cooperating teachers tell me they would "for sure" find me a job!  Besides the experience catch 22, I have a flawless application with over 1,200 hours of volunteer experience (not including my work experience as a teaching assistant) in 11 different schools in six different cities K-College, and a Master's and Bachelor's Degree in education.  In summary: the education field is a tough one right now to say the least.  At one of my interviews in a city with a population of 300 the principal stated:  "We had over 100 highly qualified applicants this year.  The last time we had an opening we had 7, only one of which had a Masters."  This sentence pretty much sums up the education field right now.

So... after all that here is my advice: whilst in your undergraduate or graduate degree program WORK AS A PRESCHOOL TEACHER OR INSTRUCTIONAL AIDE!  That way when the dreaded paid teaching experience question comes about, you don't have to put that big conspicuous 0.

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Playing to Learn by Susan Engel