Meanwhile, I just thought I'd provide some perspective on the student population at MHS (My High School).
Three of my students are pregnant. Not 3 of the students at MHS. Three of mine.
I teach Geometry. Which is a 10th grade class.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
More fun stuff to talk about rather than grade those quizzes...
So I had about 8 kids in my class after school today for various reasons (after-class detention, test re-takers, quiz re-takers and kids seeking help). One kid asks me for the quiz I gave on October 2nd. I give it to her. She says she's never seen this stuff before, and can't possibly take the quiz. I ask her (kind of in a snotty way) why she was coming to take a quiz she was completely unprepared for. Meanwhile, another kid wants the same quiz. He looks at it and gives the same response. So, huffily, I tell them we'll use the time as review of the material they missed while absent, and they'll just have to come back and take the quiz another time. (All the while, I'm thinking about the principal in "Back to the Future" -- "Slackers! You're all slackers!")
So I explain the material to them, they seem to be picking it up, and they leave, properly chastened. I go to put the lesson plan on which I wrote the original quiz back into my notebook where I keep all my lesson plans. Which is when I notice I've given them the Algebra II quiz. These kids are in my Geometry class.
Oops.
So I explain the material to them, they seem to be picking it up, and they leave, properly chastened. I go to put the lesson plan on which I wrote the original quiz back into my notebook where I keep all my lesson plans. Which is when I notice I've given them the Algebra II quiz. These kids are in my Geometry class.
Oops.
Another story that isn't the 3rd anecdote
Picture days for the yearbook were this week, so this is also the week the seniors dress up in strange costumes all week... one day was "nerd day," on which many seniors dressed up as nerds, complete with taped eyeglasses, pocket protectors, etc. They actually did a good job -- many looked much like my high school chess team picture. One day was "twin day," with lots of seniors dressing as twins. Tuesday(I think) was career day, the day they were supposed to dress up as if they were in the career they want to get into. There were lots of doctors, guys in business suits, etc.
About 15 minutes before the end of my 3rd block class, a female senior comes in with a note for one of my students. (Many seniors have "jobs" with the guidance office or various administrators during their free period, if they have one.) I presume she wants to be a police officer. However, the outfit she was wearing was the "police officer" uniform you'd see on the stripper your buddies might get for you at your bachelor party. I swear, I was within a breath of blurting out "You want to be a stripper?!?" So now I'm wondering if (a) she actually wants to be a stripper (do they require a high school diploma for that job these days?), or (b) she's too naive to realize the uniform she was wearing wasn't REALLY a police officer uniform, or (c) she just likes the look, and really plans to be a dental hygenist, like everyone else.
About 15 minutes before the end of my 3rd block class, a female senior comes in with a note for one of my students. (Many seniors have "jobs" with the guidance office or various administrators during their free period, if they have one.) I presume she wants to be a police officer. However, the outfit she was wearing was the "police officer" uniform you'd see on the stripper your buddies might get for you at your bachelor party. I swear, I was within a breath of blurting out "You want to be a stripper?!?" So now I'm wondering if (a) she actually wants to be a stripper (do they require a high school diploma for that job these days?), or (b) she's too naive to realize the uniform she was wearing wasn't REALLY a police officer uniform, or (c) she just likes the look, and really plans to be a dental hygenist, like everyone else.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Three amusing anecdotes
Except I can only remember two right now...
#1
Students today have apparently come to expect to be allowed to make up any test, quiz or bad hair day they don't do well on, in order that we never, ever leave any child behind (even if they can't really do the math). But ok, I will give the make-up exam. (I am considered an ogre among the students because I don't offer an in-class make-up exam -- I make them actually show up after school to take it.)
One of my kids shows up, begins taking the make-up exam, and after about 15 minutes blurts out "Hey, wait a minute -- this isn't the same test!" I sort of chuckled, thinking she was kidding, and noted it was identical to the original with the exception that I'd changed a coefficient or two on each problem. "But it's supposed to be a re-take!" she exclaimed. "It's supposed to be the same test."
Turns out she's angry with me for forcing her to take an actual test of mathematics rather than memory. Except that it wouldn't even be memory, because I allow a page of notes for the test, so I guess she figured that bringing in a completed test and recopying it should be worth a good grade in Geometry.
#2
For reasons that don't really matter, I let it slip that I graduated from high school in 1975. I then got the following responses: "You mean you're 35 years old?" "No... he's 42." "Yeah, I was thinking you looked about 42." "No, he's 35." I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. But I did thank the student who thought I looked 42.
#3
Damn. Still can't remember the third one. If I ever do, I'll edit this post.
OK, I still don't remember the third anecdote, but I just got off the phone with the HR department of My County's Public Schools (MCPS) Office. Here's the situation: we receive 22 paychecks a year. We're paid essentially by the hour, but the paychecks are "equalized" by subtracting some hours from the paid hours and putting them in a "hours bank" so that in pay periods we don't work very much (e.g., winter break), we still get the exact same paycheck. Therefore, I was told, we will get an identical check (within a penny or two) every pay period for 22 pay periods. At the top of the pay stub, there's a little calculation noting actual hours worked, hours banked and gross "equalized" pay. Clearly, the gross equalized pay times 22 equals my gross pay for the year. Except that it doesn't. It's $600 short. Might not seem like much to you, but it's a fair bit of money to someone on a teacher's salary.
So I call Payroll. They tell me that I'm thinking about it wrong, and that I'm not accounting for equalization. I patiently ask if I'm supposed to get 22 equal paychecks. They say yes. I patiently ask if each paycheck is supposed to be for X amount (gross), which is what my first three paychecks were. They say yes. I patiently ask then, won't my total gross pay at the end of the year add up to 22X? They say it would. I patiently ask, then why is 22X less than the salary you told me I was making? They tell me I'm not accounting for equalization. I ask to speak to a supervisor. I get voice mail.
Today, I get a call back, and I go through the whole 22X thing, which he doesn't understand the first several times (really? no one has ever had this concern? no one has ever multiplied 22 times their gross pay and realized it's less than their supposed annual gross pay? how is that possible?). He starts with telling me I am not accounting for equalization, then agrees that's not the issue, only to come back to it later. But no matter, we finally agree that, at the end of the year, I should be able to add up all of my gross pay totals for each pay period and get my total annual salary. We also agree that 22X is less than my total annual salary, but that adding up each gross pay total for 22 pay periods should equal 22X. Then he remembers that the final paycheck won't be equalized. It will be for roughly 11 days' pay, instead of 9, which is what the equalized paychecks are for. The value of roughly two days' pay? $600.
The thing I find most incredible about all this is that no one has ever asked the question before. Can no one do math, even when it matters, like how much you're getting paid?
#1
Students today have apparently come to expect to be allowed to make up any test, quiz or bad hair day they don't do well on, in order that we never, ever leave any child behind (even if they can't really do the math). But ok, I will give the make-up exam. (I am considered an ogre among the students because I don't offer an in-class make-up exam -- I make them actually show up after school to take it.)
One of my kids shows up, begins taking the make-up exam, and after about 15 minutes blurts out "Hey, wait a minute -- this isn't the same test!" I sort of chuckled, thinking she was kidding, and noted it was identical to the original with the exception that I'd changed a coefficient or two on each problem. "But it's supposed to be a re-take!" she exclaimed. "It's supposed to be the same test."
Turns out she's angry with me for forcing her to take an actual test of mathematics rather than memory. Except that it wouldn't even be memory, because I allow a page of notes for the test, so I guess she figured that bringing in a completed test and recopying it should be worth a good grade in Geometry.
#2
For reasons that don't really matter, I let it slip that I graduated from high school in 1975. I then got the following responses: "You mean you're 35 years old?" "No... he's 42." "Yeah, I was thinking you looked about 42." "No, he's 35." I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. But I did thank the student who thought I looked 42.
#3
Damn. Still can't remember the third one. If I ever do, I'll edit this post.
OK, I still don't remember the third anecdote, but I just got off the phone with the HR department of My County's Public Schools (MCPS) Office. Here's the situation: we receive 22 paychecks a year. We're paid essentially by the hour, but the paychecks are "equalized" by subtracting some hours from the paid hours and putting them in a "hours bank" so that in pay periods we don't work very much (e.g., winter break), we still get the exact same paycheck. Therefore, I was told, we will get an identical check (within a penny or two) every pay period for 22 pay periods. At the top of the pay stub, there's a little calculation noting actual hours worked, hours banked and gross "equalized" pay. Clearly, the gross equalized pay times 22 equals my gross pay for the year. Except that it doesn't. It's $600 short. Might not seem like much to you, but it's a fair bit of money to someone on a teacher's salary.
So I call Payroll. They tell me that I'm thinking about it wrong, and that I'm not accounting for equalization. I patiently ask if I'm supposed to get 22 equal paychecks. They say yes. I patiently ask if each paycheck is supposed to be for X amount (gross), which is what my first three paychecks were. They say yes. I patiently ask then, won't my total gross pay at the end of the year add up to 22X? They say it would. I patiently ask, then why is 22X less than the salary you told me I was making? They tell me I'm not accounting for equalization. I ask to speak to a supervisor. I get voice mail.
Today, I get a call back, and I go through the whole 22X thing, which he doesn't understand the first several times (really? no one has ever had this concern? no one has ever multiplied 22 times their gross pay and realized it's less than their supposed annual gross pay? how is that possible?). He starts with telling me I am not accounting for equalization, then agrees that's not the issue, only to come back to it later. But no matter, we finally agree that, at the end of the year, I should be able to add up all of my gross pay totals for each pay period and get my total annual salary. We also agree that 22X is less than my total annual salary, but that adding up each gross pay total for 22 pay periods should equal 22X. Then he remembers that the final paycheck won't be equalized. It will be for roughly 11 days' pay, instead of 9, which is what the equalized paychecks are for. The value of roughly two days' pay? $600.
The thing I find most incredible about all this is that no one has ever asked the question before. Can no one do math, even when it matters, like how much you're getting paid?
Friday, October 2, 2009
6 Down Addendum
The mini-assessment that I had to give to my kids today...
a) had at least one question for which the answer is, I believe, incorrect,
b) had been copied from a test which highlighted the correct answer in several cases, giving the kids the answers to 3 of the 9 questions, and
c) required the use of about 6 formulas, which are available to all students on the state-mandated end-of-year test, but are not included on the mini-assessment. So it's my responsibility to make sure the kids have the formulas they need. Except no one bothered to tell me that.
a) had at least one question for which the answer is, I believe, incorrect,
b) had been copied from a test which highlighted the correct answer in several cases, giving the kids the answers to 3 of the 9 questions, and
c) required the use of about 6 formulas, which are available to all students on the state-mandated end-of-year test, but are not included on the mini-assessment. So it's my responsibility to make sure the kids have the formulas they need. Except no one bothered to tell me that.
6 Down...
First, on the "in-classroom" front: I'm getting better, but I have an awfully long way to go. The career-changers group from my county who got me involved in this teaching thing has some support for the people in the program, which was a complete surprise to me when I got the email from Elaine, my "mentor/coach." She's been in my classroom twice, and unlike everyone else who's been in my classroom, has actually provided immediate, specific, constructive advice. I nearly teared up talking to her the first time, because she gave me some hope I could make this work.
Anyway, I've implemented essentially all the things I said I'd do differently if I had it to do over (except the parent-calling thing, which I am for some reason avoiding like the plague), and I'm not sure whether they're really having an effect, but I still think they're good ideas. Also, Elaine gave me (as noted above) some specific, concrete, implementable advice which I've tried to implement, which mostly positive results.
On the downside, I'm still letting kid behavior get to me, and some of them are figuring that out, and (I believe) intentionally trying to bait me. Unfortunately, they're relatively successful, too. I go in thinking "No matter what, today I will be calm and professional all day, even if I'm kicking some kid out of my room for refusing to shut up after 19 warnings," and then I blow up within 30 minutes.
I'm not sure I've outlined the issues I'm facing, but here's the data: I have about 175 kids in 6 classes. Of those, over 100 scored a 1 or a 2 on the state-mandated testing, which means that unless they improve, they can't graduate. And let me just say, it's not that tough to graduate from high school. The point being, over 100 of my students are, at least currently, academically incapable of understanding the material I'm supposed to be teaching. Fully 1/3 of my class struggles with subtracting one negative number from another... to the question "what is negative 7 minus negative 2" I get 9, 7, 5, 2, -2, -5, -7 and -9. The eight-year-old child who lives in the house where I've been staying can answer that question correctly, but 1/3 of my students cannot. Half cannot multiply 2/3 times 6 and get a number. Not "the correct number" - I mean any number. They stare at the problem as if it is written in sanskrit.
So these kids cannot really hope to understand a mathematical concept with any depth, so every time I begin speaking of such a concept, they tune out and begin engaging in off-task behavior, as we say in the trade. Some of the ones who could get it if they'd work at it have decided they aren't willing to feel stupid while trying to understand, so they don't try. Which means I spend hours every evening trying to develop exercises, projects, etc., that will keep them entertained while I try to teach math.
Meanwhile, the administration keeps pouring on new requirements and other restrictions. I do not have textbooks for the kids, so I have to deliver homework and classwork on worksheets. Except that we don't have enough money for the copy paper we need, so we run out of paper on about the 20th, not to be replenished until the 1st of the next month. So I have to put all the assignments on the board. Which doesn't seem like that big a deal until you actually try to get kids to do word problems and other explanation-heavy exercises by writing it on the board.
I found out yesterday I am supposed to fill out some form on each of my low-level students, explaining how I am going to differentiate instruction for them, and what they need to do to improve their score. Most teachers have 10 or 15 of these. I have over 100. As a "turnaround" school, we are also required to fill out daily lesson plans for each class that describes how that day's lesson will be differentiated for the various learning groups in the class... this is in addition to the boxes on the lesson plan that lay out objectives, essential questions, etc., etc.... none of which really helps me in figuring out how to get the kids interested and working. I also am supposed to be developing an interactive word wall (updated daily), a standards-based bulletin board, an updated-daily workshop model (including an agenda I am supposed to go over with the students each class period), an evidence folder which no one has ever explained to me what it is except that my lesson plans are supposed to be in it, a tardy list updated daily, a list of students who were absent in my class but were present in school (although no one has ever explained how I'm supposed to know they were in school), a collection of posters describing what is expected of students in various stituations (like group work, group instruction, etc.), a professional development plan for myself and a plan for how to deal with the 7 - 10 ELL or ESE kids in each of my classes (separate from differentiated instruction, which is for the non-ESE / ELL kids who are not getting the material).
Each day, in addition to the lesson plan, I am obligated by the district to develop an "instructional focus" which is entirely aimed at the state-mandated test the kids will take later in the year. For this, we are given sample problems, which we are supposed to teach to the kids. But the sample problems are typically long, and printed on at least 2 (usually 3) pages. But of course, I don't have copy paper to create a set for each of my students, and don't even really have enough to create a class set that all classes could use. With a class set, the kids would have to copy the question and answer to another sheet of paper, if they wanted to study it. Most importantly, the instructional focus is completely unrelated to anything I'm going to be talking about in class, so it's 20 - 25 minutes out of every class that the kids don't get, don't care about and can't even take effective notes on. Plus, I have to give the kids a benchmark assessment and 5 different mini-assessments in addition to the actual test, so at least 6 times each year (about once every 4 weeks for the first 24 weeks of the school year, I give a test that's of no value to the course I'm teaching. The kids are tested-out, and it's only October 2.
All of which is my way of saying this: my administration, the district and every performance incentive I am aware of is focused on things that are ancillary to teaching the subject I'm supposed to be teaching. No one in the administration of the school at which I teach has offered a single comment about how I might be able to become a better teacher of kids, whereas I've gotten numerous memos, reports, presentations and one-on-one conferences about all of the ancillary stuff. We've stopped focusing on the kids and started focusing on the measurable actions we can take that someone somewhere thinks might be related to academic success.
So it's a struggle. I think it will get better, but it's hard to imagine that teaching at a turnaround school could actually be fun.
Anyway, I've implemented essentially all the things I said I'd do differently if I had it to do over (except the parent-calling thing, which I am for some reason avoiding like the plague), and I'm not sure whether they're really having an effect, but I still think they're good ideas. Also, Elaine gave me (as noted above) some specific, concrete, implementable advice which I've tried to implement, which mostly positive results.
On the downside, I'm still letting kid behavior get to me, and some of them are figuring that out, and (I believe) intentionally trying to bait me. Unfortunately, they're relatively successful, too. I go in thinking "No matter what, today I will be calm and professional all day, even if I'm kicking some kid out of my room for refusing to shut up after 19 warnings," and then I blow up within 30 minutes.
I'm not sure I've outlined the issues I'm facing, but here's the data: I have about 175 kids in 6 classes. Of those, over 100 scored a 1 or a 2 on the state-mandated testing, which means that unless they improve, they can't graduate. And let me just say, it's not that tough to graduate from high school. The point being, over 100 of my students are, at least currently, academically incapable of understanding the material I'm supposed to be teaching. Fully 1/3 of my class struggles with subtracting one negative number from another... to the question "what is negative 7 minus negative 2" I get 9, 7, 5, 2, -2, -5, -7 and -9. The eight-year-old child who lives in the house where I've been staying can answer that question correctly, but 1/3 of my students cannot. Half cannot multiply 2/3 times 6 and get a number. Not "the correct number" - I mean any number. They stare at the problem as if it is written in sanskrit.
So these kids cannot really hope to understand a mathematical concept with any depth, so every time I begin speaking of such a concept, they tune out and begin engaging in off-task behavior, as we say in the trade. Some of the ones who could get it if they'd work at it have decided they aren't willing to feel stupid while trying to understand, so they don't try. Which means I spend hours every evening trying to develop exercises, projects, etc., that will keep them entertained while I try to teach math.
Meanwhile, the administration keeps pouring on new requirements and other restrictions. I do not have textbooks for the kids, so I have to deliver homework and classwork on worksheets. Except that we don't have enough money for the copy paper we need, so we run out of paper on about the 20th, not to be replenished until the 1st of the next month. So I have to put all the assignments on the board. Which doesn't seem like that big a deal until you actually try to get kids to do word problems and other explanation-heavy exercises by writing it on the board.
I found out yesterday I am supposed to fill out some form on each of my low-level students, explaining how I am going to differentiate instruction for them, and what they need to do to improve their score. Most teachers have 10 or 15 of these. I have over 100. As a "turnaround" school, we are also required to fill out daily lesson plans for each class that describes how that day's lesson will be differentiated for the various learning groups in the class... this is in addition to the boxes on the lesson plan that lay out objectives, essential questions, etc., etc.... none of which really helps me in figuring out how to get the kids interested and working. I also am supposed to be developing an interactive word wall (updated daily), a standards-based bulletin board, an updated-daily workshop model (including an agenda I am supposed to go over with the students each class period), an evidence folder which no one has ever explained to me what it is except that my lesson plans are supposed to be in it, a tardy list updated daily, a list of students who were absent in my class but were present in school (although no one has ever explained how I'm supposed to know they were in school), a collection of posters describing what is expected of students in various stituations (like group work, group instruction, etc.), a professional development plan for myself and a plan for how to deal with the 7 - 10 ELL or ESE kids in each of my classes (separate from differentiated instruction, which is for the non-ESE / ELL kids who are not getting the material).
Each day, in addition to the lesson plan, I am obligated by the district to develop an "instructional focus" which is entirely aimed at the state-mandated test the kids will take later in the year. For this, we are given sample problems, which we are supposed to teach to the kids. But the sample problems are typically long, and printed on at least 2 (usually 3) pages. But of course, I don't have copy paper to create a set for each of my students, and don't even really have enough to create a class set that all classes could use. With a class set, the kids would have to copy the question and answer to another sheet of paper, if they wanted to study it. Most importantly, the instructional focus is completely unrelated to anything I'm going to be talking about in class, so it's 20 - 25 minutes out of every class that the kids don't get, don't care about and can't even take effective notes on. Plus, I have to give the kids a benchmark assessment and 5 different mini-assessments in addition to the actual test, so at least 6 times each year (about once every 4 weeks for the first 24 weeks of the school year, I give a test that's of no value to the course I'm teaching. The kids are tested-out, and it's only October 2.
All of which is my way of saying this: my administration, the district and every performance incentive I am aware of is focused on things that are ancillary to teaching the subject I'm supposed to be teaching. No one in the administration of the school at which I teach has offered a single comment about how I might be able to become a better teacher of kids, whereas I've gotten numerous memos, reports, presentations and one-on-one conferences about all of the ancillary stuff. We've stopped focusing on the kids and started focusing on the measurable actions we can take that someone somewhere thinks might be related to academic success.
So it's a struggle. I think it will get better, but it's hard to imagine that teaching at a turnaround school could actually be fun.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Random Ideas
Talking with my youngest a few minutes ago gave me an idea for what I could do on the back wall of my room, which would be interesting and possibly even relevant to mathematics, although it's more graph theory than geometry...
Get every kid in each class to provide a head shot and indicate which kids among their classmates they know, and which they consider friends. Put the head shots in a circle on the wall, and use string or tape to connect the ones they know or are friends with.
Lots of issues I can see immediately with this (e.g., what to do about the 10 or so who drop and similar number who add the class well after the first week of school), but maybe there's something in there we could salvage.
KB's teacher, according to KB, makes note-taking "fun." (KB is in 5th grade.) She uses drawings to illustrate text (e.g., drawing a sandal when discussing the need to "flip-flop" some mathematical concept), word bubbles around new vocabulary, dramatizations of key points, etc. Not sure what to do with that, but I like the thought of illustrated notes.
Get every kid in each class to provide a head shot and indicate which kids among their classmates they know, and which they consider friends. Put the head shots in a circle on the wall, and use string or tape to connect the ones they know or are friends with.
Lots of issues I can see immediately with this (e.g., what to do about the 10 or so who drop and similar number who add the class well after the first week of school), but maybe there's something in there we could salvage.
KB's teacher, according to KB, makes note-taking "fun." (KB is in 5th grade.) She uses drawings to illustrate text (e.g., drawing a sandal when discussing the need to "flip-flop" some mathematical concept), word bubbles around new vocabulary, dramatizations of key points, etc. Not sure what to do with that, but I like the thought of illustrated notes.
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