Bye bye 4th. *waving*

Oh the insanity. Students were hyped because exam week started. Most teachers were not covering new content, but reviewing. With a sick child at home I was running late. The tween needed to go to the doctor and I needed to organize the day for a sub so I decide to take a half day. When I inform our secretary she says a lot are out and I have to find my own coverage. Oh joy. Several had meetings and a few just weren’t willing. I spent the few minutes I had before school trying to work it out. When I finally get to my room I realize something rather important, I had forgotten the arrival of my student teacher. Oops. Fortunately, I managed to work out the tween to doctor situation. The rest of the day was spent maintaining students and completing various tasks that others had to have IMMEDIATELY.

The real insanity actually started the Friday before…

Formatives were being given. Teachers were not allowed to give their own so we had to trade classes for the formative period.

Students are creatures of habit. They don’t like change. We decided it would be best for the teachers to swap, not the students. That way they get to take the formative exam in their regular classroom. At this time the formatives are field tests. They do not count for or against the teacher student. The students know this and resent having to do it. I asked my students to take the test and do their best, so they did. They don’t want me to get into trouble if they choose to simply mark ‘c’ or nothing and turn their paper in. Yes, my little darling are loyal. The teacher I swapped with did not have the same loyalty. If I had to teach his students every day I would quit. They were awful. Almost as bad as my previous school. For the most part the boys weren’t the problem. The girls have the mouth, the sarcasm, the resentment for another female. They did not want to be seated for the exam. They did not want to stop talking. They did not want to even bother reading each question and taking a guess. “Howee sposed to know dis?” You’ve been in the class for 18 weeks, the district has hope that you have retained something??? I managed to get most of the class on my side. With proximity, smiles, and encouragement most students made the attempt. Only one flat refused and thankfully she slept. This was a class of freshman, with many on the “extended” program for high school. I could not leave this class unattended for me and the other teacher to change back so he left my guys and came to me. When I returned to my room they were relatively quiet and patiently waiting. Yes, my loyal little darlings. I was told by the other teacher that two of my students walked out, that they didn’t want to go to last lunch. Both returned within minutes of my arrival. The boys said that he had to go to the bathroom and the other teacher wouldn’t let him. I reminded student that the other teacher was just following the rules. Student understood, but he really needed to go. I then asked him where he ended up because he had been gone a long time if it was just a bathroom issue. He had been searching for his administrator so he could explain why he walked out and was going to be referred. Since he couldn’t find him he came back to see if I was back. I figure he really must have had to go to the restroom if he didn’t just take off and not bother coming back to the room. The girl that walked out admitted that she went to second lunch. She stayed in my room for third lunch while everyone else went on to eat. She didn’t tell me why, but her administrator dropped by to check that she wasn’t in third lunch. Apparently she had a contract to stay away from a third lunch student and she didn’t want to get in trouble for breaking that contract. Both breaking the rules, but both doing what they had to do in order to avoid bigger trouble. Baby steps…

There was also a fairly major fight and a teacher melt down. Not me, but the teacher across the hall. She is on leave now. Sad when someone is pushed to their limit. No single cause, but a collection of mishaps. The semester ends next week. Hoping for calm.

My first observation was today. It was during my lowest and most difficult class. They were amazing. Of course, my problem child wasn’t there…that helped. I think it went well, but you never know. I’m comfortable with it, and that’s what counts.

On a down note, I have to have three observations this year. Licensure failed to do their job and submit my information for renewal. I have documentation from last March that says they would handle everything. I asked repeatedly if there was anything I needed to do or give them. All they could say is sorry if fell through the cracks. What?!?!?! This is my life we’re talking about here and that’s all you have to say? The individual responsible is taking care of it. It is time for me to follow up. Hoping for the best…

So anyway…it’s time. Usually I am simply ready for a change of scenery. Now, I’m ready for a change of pace. I desire no contact with parents who firmly believe their child is perfect. I desire no grading or paper correction. I desire no formal lesson plans, personal education plans, IEPs, 504s, extensive self assessment, extensive professional development plans (that are completely unrelated to the reality of the classroom experience, no non-educational sponsorship of a social program for student entertainment, no dance planning or pep rally, and I would prefer not to be standing from 7 AM until 4 PM.

Oh, and I really don’t want to take a lot of crap home.

And I don’t want to be required to say: “Do you want fries with that?”

Students completed applications. More than 70 applications went out. Forty-nine applications were returned. One interview was completed a day early and three more students didn’t show for their interviews. I only wanted to accept 15, but increased that number to 20. Only one student with a school parental was accepted. I almost didn’t accept that student b/c of the parent connection but felt that was just as unfair as accepting the student b/c of the parent connection. One teacher made the statement that it was a courtesy. Um…no. I responded that I did not realize that was the way things worked here and had I known that I would have NEVER accepted the responsibility since that is not how I work. This tuned changed as another parent made serious waves. Emails were exchanged. Nothing too major, but the tone was tense. I stopped responding and turned it over to administration who gave me their 100% support.

I would hate to know that my children received ANYTHING that they did not deserve. They know that they are responsible for themselves and I will not step in to get them things they don’t deserve. I will support them and speak for them if they need assistance, but I will NEVER demand that they receive something that they did not earn.

When you do that, what are you teaching your kids?

7th Grader “It does concern me because the way children are going these days and the way things are happening, they need that enforcement,”

Another middle schooler “We just like to go wild and do things, so I just hope when there is fewer, I just hope they can manage us children.”

What telling quotes.  Read it again for the full impact. What does that say about today’s youth?  Parenting?  What about managing yourself, acting right and getting your education?  Where’s THAT mentality?

Students shouldn’t be afraid to go to school!  Teachers and police officers shouldn’t have to spend their time controlling children who do not have a clue how to behave.  It is NOT our JOB to PARENT kids that we did not BIRTH.  It is our job to offer an education that will help them be successful in life.  Do you have any idea how difficult it is to be parent, counselor, officer and educator?  Freakin’ ridiculous that we even have to.

Parental support along with administrative support will do wonders for a successful school year and academic growth.  When the hands of administration are tied, things get real difficult in the classroom.

Last year, I didn’t have to worry about a state or district made final. I was able to teach the course of study AND have fun with it. We learned the basics, but I focused on cultural influence and decision making. As a class we frequently discussed the driving forces behind our choices, viewpoints, and personal stance on issues. We studied world cultures and compared traditions, way of life, and evaluated from our personal perspectives while questioning the acceptance of the traditions in our own society. We reviewed advertising and its influence on our lives, as well as the steady changes in advertising and media. We had a great time and many students commented on how they received benefit from the class. There were several who asked about possible careers related to sociology. They learned and were genuinely interested. I was able to conduct the class in such a way that students were engaged and had a say in the learning process. We were not driven by test review. Many of my students went on the psychology and were not happy with the class. Yes it was a different teacher, but that teacher also had to focus on the fact that there was a district assessment at the end.

Had I had to issue a district assessment at the end of my sociology class I would have taught the class differently. I know that some believe it shouldn’t matter, but if you step into the classroom you will see just how much it does. Knowing that you will be held accountable for specifics, and not broad goals, changes your approach. My students could have written a wonderful essay about sociological perspectives, but would have bombed a multiple choice test on sociological specifics.

Think of it this way…

I have a master’s in American History. I can adequately discuss any time period of US history, but if you get into specific recall of what battle where and the date for this and that, I’m going to stumble. I can tell you cause, effect, build up and influence, but I am very weak in the minor details.

Maybe I’m doing a poor job of explaining the difference. I know that my students knew nothing about sociology at the beginning of the class and were inspired to seek more knowledge at the end. Had I had to stick to strict textbook learning they would have gotten through the class, filed the content in short term memory, and moved on. We did the book route, but it was not our focus. With a high stakes district assessment at the end, it would have had to be…there wouldn’t have been time for research and discussion.

High stakes testing is a game changer. A teacher (or student) is not considered successful if the student can’t accurately answer 100 multiple choice questions about the subject. No doubt, there are things students MUST know about a subject, but their learning should not be based upon a response to 100 multiple choice questions designed to test their reasoning and test taking ability. On a multiple choice test students are not able to demonstrate what they DID learn. They are not allowed to demonstrate their understanding of a topic. They are demonstrating their test taking maturity. if questioned on their knowledge, and given reasonable alternatives, most individuals will second guess what they know they know. With confidence and maturity they will choose the correct response. Many students lack this confidence and most lack the testing maturity required to land on the correct response. They will fall for the distractors because distractors are designed as reasonable alternatives to the accurate response. Test taking requires a maturity that some students do not yet possess.

I don’t know the best alternative for determining teacher effectiveness. Oral response? Knowledge defense with an assessment panel? I do know that good teachers are limited by the current assessment requirements and bad teaching is encouraged by it.

via Duncan Urges Master Teachers to Help Transform Teaching Profession | U.S. Department of Education.

No doubt. Education needs reform. Teachers need a better salary. The school year needs to be ongoing, not the daily equivalent of nine months and a big break.  It is time for change, and we keep hoping.  What seems to be coming down the wire is more of the same.  More testing. More PfP, without adequate evaluation procedures. More responsibilities that have NOTHING to do with teaching. Less control over what happens in the classroom. Less discipline support from parents and administration.

Are there bad teachers who need to go?  ABSOLUTELY.   Get rid of them. If a teacher is not doing the job they need to be warned, instructed on how to correct the problem, and then dismissed if they can’t.  A standardized test is not required to determine this!  There is a place for assessment in schools.  However, students are tested at an insane level.  We have a course of study. That is enough of a guideline for my teaching.  Prior to my current district, I NEVER stressed over the state made final exam.  I didn’t even give it much thought.  I taught the course, I taught the required standards…and more. My students had no problem on the final.  My current district conducts pre-tests, summatives, cummulatives, finals, and retests. The emphasis on testing is INSANE.

Until districts are eliminating “bad” teachers the educational crisis is not going to improve. The emphasis on hiring a good coach over a good teacher needs to end.  Students know the poor teachers, and admin knows as well.  Why are they allowed to continue their employment?  They are never given the high stakes testing subject because they don’t do their job.  Why do they even have one???

Increasing teacher salaries sounds like a great plan, but how do you pay for it?  How do you justify it? What cuts would have to be made?  How do you determine a teacher’s success? Pay for performance, based on students that don’t care and refuse to work is not a fair method. There has to be some method of eliminating  those students who refuse to come to school, create discipline problems when they are present and flat out don’t care if they learn anything.  An alternative environment must be provided for their educational needs.  They receive education in core classes only, and in a restricted environment.  No more repeated suspensions for one, two, or ten days.  After teacher intervention has failed… First offense, Saturday school.  Second, suspension for three days, minimum.  After that alternative placement for 45 days.  If a student cannot return to the regular school environment they can complete their diploma in alternative placement where they are given the core subjects and life skills instruction.  There should be at least one early college option in every district.  Students who want to fast track high school should be allowed to do so.

Educational improvements must be a collective effort.  Parents have to be willing to allow changes to the school calendar and help teachers by teaching their children how to behave.  State tourism industries have to stay OUT of calendar decisions.  It is ridiculous that school districts can be legally restricted by a completely unrelated industry.  We also have to realize that despite our desires, college is not for everyone. Vocational training is a respectable option that should not be dismissed.

When I applied to teach summer school I did it with the thought that it would not be bad. The students had already failed the course so they came to summer school because they wanted to pass right? Right?????

Wrong.

They came to summer school because they thought it was an easy pass and all you had to do was attend to get credit. They fail to realize that you are completing more than a weeks worth of work in one eight hour day. You are completing an 18 week course in 8 days and a testing day. Ten goals. Eight days.

I have already ranted about day 1. Several were sent out, all came back for a second chance. You have to do that when they have 504s, IEPs, or they somehow manage to convince administration that they are willing to do the work and capable of behaving. Yeah…no.

For everyday add, chronic sleeper removed, returned and removed again. It is like a baby who can’t handle the chaos so it goes to sleep. Crazy. He works well in a separate setting, but head down and asleep when in the classroom. Poor thing can’t help it.

Day 2, was a little better and very much a blur right now. I covered a lot of what I needed to cover. There were a couple of new additions to the room. I threw out my main problem after he said it was time to show his a$$ and eventually did. 80s throwback (think Kid ‘n Play hair) was taken out along with his partner in disturbance. We had an OK day after that. Constantly telling the girls to stop talking and the boys to stop giggling. There were almost twenty interruptions in the first two hours. With every one the class has to be regained. The district social studies guy came in to observe and instead of observing silently while I had a fast paced review he decided to interject. Now, I don’t care if anyone is in my room but DO NOT DISRUPT MY CLASS! If I want your input I will ask for it. I was going quick, asking questions getting responses, making corrections where appropriate and not adding anything new. Students were preparing to take the test and I had their FULL attention. I ask a question, get a response, then turned around to get something when district guy decided to offer his example and tie it to the next goal. The state is requiring 185 student days next year, instead of 180. The students had not heard this and it caused quite a commotion. He starts stumbling to explain how it works and I just interrupt, telling students to calm down and I will explain it more tomorrow when we GET to state power and supremacy of federal over state and state over local. They babble a little but see that I am frustrated at the disruption that killed almost ten minutes of my review time. I know it was obvious and I feel a little bad about that, but I do not have time to waste on something that hasn’t even been fully decided and is NOT 100% related to the topic at hand. We did discuss it on Day 3 and it was without disruption. The only other issue for day 2 was when students were supposed to be working on their test and someone came to the door. Students began to chatter, call out to the person at the door, make silly comments, joke around and laugh. I tried to get what was needed for the visitor and get students back on task at the same time. One of the boys said something crude about the visitor and she attempted to call the office to have him taken care of. I made the statement that they really needed to be working and take this seriously. Students did not hear that. All they heard was her response of it was sad they weren’t since they had already had the course and had an opportunity to finish it now. One of my divas took offense and was seriously rude to the visitor. It was a drama filled day, but I was able to teach for some of it.

Day 3, Happy b’day to me… a$$ shower is out (blessing) and 80s throwback is back with a promise of behavior. Again, I had called parents to let them know and had a little hope that day 3 would be better. It was. The boys made it all the way to 2:00 PM before the giggling started. The girls still chattered and had to be corrected, but for the most part people worked. No one was thrown out. I had mentioned to admin the issue with class interruptions, explaining that my main problems occurred when people came to the door for this that or the other. She understood and took care of it.

After school I head home to change and then go across town to work a concert for teen kid’s band fees. Heart and Def Leopard. EXHAUSTED by the end of it.

Day 4, I am in no shape or form capable of extended patience. A$$ shower is back along with all the rest. More than a goal and a half to cover. We were off to a great start. Students were attentive, doing notes, copying graphics, and listening. Only minor issues. First break they earned a little extra. After break, back to it. Not as easy as first hour, but still OK. A$$ shower puts his head down to sleep and refuses to keep going. I send him out with security. While I am writing the issue up two other students get into it. The girl who has been wonderful each day is saying to a boy across the room that he better STFU about her and stop saying sh!t. I send them all out. They bring a$$ shower back after a good talking to and it is his last chance. I request that the girl come back after a warning and that the other guy just leave. We are now discussing city zoning and planning. They are brainstorming, designing, and most are taking it seriously. A$$ shower wants anarchy and legalize everything. He keeps trying to distract others and I keep redirecting. During lunch a counselor brings the other guy back to my room to apologize. He explained that he hadn’t said anything, he was just laughing at what some girls across the room had said about the one that exploded in a tirade. He will spend the rest of the day in a separate setting, now has a behavior contract, and will be back in my room on Monday. I think he will be OK, but we shall see. After lunch we have graphics, questions and notes to do. For whatever reason, A$$ shower takes his belt off and hits the girl beside him. I know they are playing and I simply say really? When I turn around she hauls off and hits him. We have one hour of the day remaining and I have political parties and the election process to explain. REALLY! NO TIME FOR THIS! Go to call security and they are walking by as I pick up the phone. The girl is a hard worker and has a mouth, but she has been pretty decent with me. I really want her to stay and the boy really did deserve what he got. I’ll talk to the girl and let her know there are no more chances. She can come back but it will be while sitting in isolation. A$$ shower is done. Go away, do not come back. The rest of the class was great and we finished five minutes early.

It is the last day of the week and I am ready to go, but I don’t want to come in at the butt crack of dawn on Monday so I am staying to make my copies. Heading downstairs to ask a question and then make my copies, I notice a bus has returned to school and there are students being separated into two groups. Oh joy. One group is being taken into a classroom and the other to another location. Since I was there, security was dealing with another issue, admin is handling admin things…guess who gets to babysit. I didn’t have to. I could have ignored the situation and been on my way. That is the right thing to do, so I help. The kids in the room aren’t that bad. Escorts are taking four at a time to call parents since no one was going to be allowed back on the bus. Students are not happy, but this group is understanding that there are rules and some individual decided to break them. Someone was tokin’ up in the back of the bus. Smart.

Police and drug dogs are brought in. Procedure is followed. Dog makes a hit on the bus. A$$ shower strikes again. I guess b/c he no longer has anything on him and they can’t 100% prove it was him, he was not arrested. He was simply told to get off the property and if he stepped foot back on it he would be arrested for trespassing. He had to wait for his ride up the hill and across the street.

Eventually we are allowed to let students go to the restroom one at a time. I take girls and a security guy takes the guys. We are waiting on parents. The second group that was taken to a separate location was the back of the bus folks and they were NOTHING like the classroom kids I was originally with. They were less than cooperative.

I was finally able to make my copies and get out of there by 6 PM. I know admin and support staff were there with students even longer.

This is the population that can determine my effectiveness as a teacher. Unfreakinbelievable. It is just a few that ruin the learning opportunities for others. Next week has to be better.

This week of insanity and my survival brought to you by ten years of experience, administrative support, Monster energy drinks, and Rosemount Shiraz.