Category: Teachers

What is a "good" teacher?

6/6/2016

For the past couple years, you can find my family on most Friday nights at Macaroni Grill for Happy Hour. This tradition started one night when the families from my daughter’s soccer team were looking for a place to go for dinner after a Friday night practice, because no one felt like going home to cook dinner. We all landed at, what all the kids now lovingly call, Mac and Cheese Grill.

This tradition is something her soccer team has continued all these Friday’s later. It’s where we continue to meet with families who no longer play on her soccer team and get to know new families who join each year.

This past weekend was no exception.

Because I’m a teacher, as are several other parents, the conversation often turns to education. This weekend turned to teacher salary and the raises districts all over Orange County are negotiating for teachers this year.

From our hour-long conversation, one comment from a parent stuck with me. He was arguing the merits of teacher raises and amid his many cogent arguments mentioned, “We need to pay well so we can get good teachers.”

This idea has been percolating now for a few days. It’s a ubiquitous line bantered about any time teacher salary is discussed. I began to wonder this weekend -- what do we mean by “good” and is this argument true?

Let’s start with “good.” What do we mean by a “good” teacher? Sure, teachers have a set of teaching standards by which they are evaluated, the CSTP (California Standards for the Teaching Profession). But how do these standards translate to the day-in and day-out in the classroom?

In addition to the standards, I might argue a “good” teacher must, first-and-foremost, love kids. More money doesn’t change this. I might also add a “good” teacher must love their content. More money doesn’t change this, either. From an administrative perspective, a “good” teacher might mean the teacher is coachable. Does more money change or influence this? I think not.

I challenge you to think about what you think makes for a “good” teacher and ask yourself if more money changes any of those key traits.

During this Friday night’s discussion, we tried to equate teaching and teacher salaries to what I call the “real world.” It felt like an exercise in futility. Industry is driven by results -- you perform, get performance reviews, and earn performance increases, or you get fired. Unfortunately, education isn’t driven by results; both “good” and bad teachers are contractually paid the same. Should ALL teachers be rewarded with an 8 or 10 percent pay increase this year -- just because?

Let’s go back to my friend’s claim that “We need to pay well so we can get good teachers.” I’m going to disagree. Don’t get me wrong. I’m a teacher and would love a big raise, but I think his claim is a fallacy.

I argue that teachers teach because they are called to it. Most teachers are teachers because it’s their passion, because to become a teacher isn’t easy. It’s not a profession that you can just fall into. To earn a credential requires lots of jumping through hoops; it’s an intentional decision. And we don’t have a teacher shortage in California, so many young people are already deciding to teach. Why is this? Could it be that teaching offers something no other career can? Something more than money can buy? How about benefits. Job security. Holiday breaks. Step raises year-over-year regardless performance. Stipends for work above and beyond the contract day. A quality of life that contractually requires a teacher to work only 185 out of 365 days of every year.

Again, don’t get me wrong. I love teachers, and a “good” one can inspire kids to greatness. But I’m not sure pay is the answer to ensuring our kids get one of the “good” ones.

What I wish is that more parents demanded results. What I wish is that more parents spoke up about teachers who cause detriment to our kids. What I wish is that more parents got involved in more ways than just writing more checks.

What I wish is that some of that money going to raises was spent on kids, because, let’s not forget, that’s the business we’re in.

I don’t claim to know or have a silver bullet for “good” teaching, but I do know that money isn’t the answer.

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Use maxims to drive instruction

5/23/2016

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Nike lives by 11 guiding principles, their maxims: “It is our nature to innovate,” “The consumer decides,” “Evolve immediately,” and “Do the right thing” are just four of them. You can Google the rest; that’s how I found them all. Not only are they interesting, but they inspired me to take action.

I led a professional development meeting with my English department this week at school. The meeting was to refine our curriculum and embed more 21st century learning. We realized we couldn’t start this discussion until we’d decided on our English department’s maxims first.

So we set out to do just that. And we got to them by asking two guiding questions: “What are the fundamental principles that drive our instruction?” and “What type of English student do we want graduating from our department?” Honestly, how can a department of any discipline make decisions about end goals, assessments, mastery, homework, summer assignments, or even daily lessons without knowing what they stand for.

Philosophically who they are as teachers. And, most importantly, who they want the kids to become as learners and citizens of the world when the graduate.

As our brainstorming and planning day came to an end, I began to reflect on the experiences of my own children. I wonder if their teachers are clear on their purpose. If their teachers know the type of student they are trying to create. If their teachers talk about the driving principles of their discipline. Sometimes I wonder. When my kids come home with worksheets, packets, rote memorization tasks, and mindless regurgitation, I wonder if they feel as disengaged from the content as the work feels from real life.

I challenge you to ask, “What type of adult do your kids’s teachers’ activities intend to create?”

As a district, Los Alamitos is very clear about its brand. We ignite unlimited possibilities for students. We embrace the whole child. We build well-rounded students with a focus on activities, arts, athletics and academics. But how does this trickle down to each school and then, most importantly, into the classroom -- where the real work happens. It’s not enough to stand for the “what” without also building the “how.”

As a parent, I want us all to start asking the questions that get our district teachers to start asking questions of their practice. Why this assignment? Why this task? What’s the purpose? What type of adult is this activity building?
I also realized during my meeting this week that I want to more clearly identify the maxims for my family. What do we stand for? How do we make the tough decisions? How do we stay focused on what matters? As I type, I think about phrases I say over-and-over to my kids: “Anything worth doing is worth doing well,” “Effort unlocks your potential,” “Your level of success is completely up to you,” and “Find your own purpose.” I’m sure all of you have phrases that bounce off your walls on a regular basis, because as parents these are the principles we use to build our little adults. The same needs to apply in the classroom.

If every teacher worked to build little scientists or thinkers or innovators or independent learners -- whatever the courses’ maxims -- our kids would be engaged. They would be excited about their learning. They would be inspired to find their path.

It’s time for teaching and learning to be purposeful and meaningful every day with every assignment -- because the world can be changed one maxim at a time.

Just do it.

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The Future of Education

5/2/2016

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If I were to ask you to list the conditions for powerful learning, I’ll bet you would come away with a list very similar to mine, including: safe environment, personal investment, real world application, fun, relevance to students’ lives, social, interesting questions, positive environment, real audience, passion, autonomy, challenging, not time constrained.

I’ll also bet that in a room of 100 adults, not one of them would say that powerful learning comes with sitting in rows, one-sized curriculum, teacher controlled, standardized tests, emphasis on grades, no choice, lack of relevance, no real world application.

So why do we continue to run our schools the same way they’ve been run for over 100 years? Why do we continue to test, emphasize grades, restrict learning to the textbook, expect all kids to learn at the same rate and ability, and isolate content in 50-minute blocks?

I read an article this week published in the summer of 2014 by the Hawken Review written by the Head of Hawken School, D. Scott Looney. He spoke of the future of education -- the scary, daunting, exciting time in education where “we are now at a point where we must educate our children in what no one knew yesterday, and prepare our schools for what no one knows yet.”

We live in an extraordinary time in human history. We are witness to unprecedented economic, environmental, and political instability. At the same time, we are witness to incredible advances in technology, medicine, and communication. This paradox of fear and excitement poses a challenge to us all, young and old. And yet we continue to teach our children in an antiquated system of sameness, as if we need all our children learning ubiquitous content, at the same time, at the same rate, in isolation. Where is the power in this model?

I was thinking this week about the interviews we see on TV every year wherein some host stops random people on the street to ask them questions about some factoid we all “learned” in elementary, middle or high school. We laugh collectively as we watch the interviewee hem and haw before answering incorrectly. Do we laugh because we know, or do we laugh because we, ourselves, would answer incorrectly, as well?

These interviews simply reflect the truth that we forget most of what we “learn” in school. So why do we continue to teach and test content knowledge like this?

Powerful learning, the knowledge we remember, comes from moments in which we were completely immersed and engaged. True learning requires a personal interest in what’s being learned. The process of learning for the sake of a test just isn’t effective or purposeful. In fact, I argue that kids with access to the internet and technology are “learning” more outside of school than they are inside of school.

So what should schools be doing?

We need to be teaching kids how to USE content. Teaching kids how to think, collaborate, wonder. Teaching kids how to navigate ambiguity, complexity and interconnectedness.

Our kids need to find a passion that pushes them to “learn” what matters to them, so their learning can solve problems and impact the world -- or at least their own small corner of the world.

It’s time to rethink what we do on a school’s campus and why we do it.

The future of education? It’s going to require we ignite students’ curiosity and interests -- or we aren’t going to have much of a future at all.

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What you need to know about Open House

4/4/2016

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Open House is important. Our schools have prepared, our teachers have prepared, and our kids know their work will be on display for the world to see. The stakes are high, as they should be. Not only is this evening a celebration of all that has been accomplished, but also a glimpse into the learning environment.

As a teacher, Open House is a tough night. I inevitably find myself dodging parents who want to line up and get one-on-one time with me to talk about their child. Dodging is maybe too harsh a word, but I definitely work diligently to avoid these conversations. And I want to avoid them because this isn’t the time or the place. Parents of stellar kids want to hear kudos about how stellar their kids are. Parents of struggling kids want to discuss what can be done. Both conversations are important, but in a classroom with dozens of kids and parents milling around, discussing private, confidential details about individual children isn’t appropriate.

Additionally, Open House isn’t about just one child. Open House is about the school’s learning environment.
So with it being Open House season, I wanted to share a few suggestions about how to learn the most possible from your child’s Open House -- without having to wait in line to talk to the teacher. I promise, my approach will be much more enlightening.

Is the displayed work engaging and purposeful? When I attend Open House this week for my own kids, I will be looking closely at the displayed work. I’m hoping the walls and desks will be filled with it. Be wary, however, of just a “pretty picture.” Look for lots of writing -- in all classrooms. I want to see that the writing has been generated by my kids and not just information gathered from websites and textbooks. I want to see thinking and creating. And does the writing I see demonstrate a true skill or strategy that can be used in multiple settings and classes and situations. I want to see engagement and purpose in the writing process.

Do I see depth or breadth? I intentionally look for depth. It is easy to be swayed by “stuff,” but more doesn’t necessarily mean better. Look for multiple activities created for one concept. Look for process. Look for content mastery to be demonstrated in various ways. I want more than just rote, superficial work; I want to see deep engagement and rigor in what is being learned.

Can your kids walk you through the learning? Think of your own children as docents. Take them with you and ask them to walk you through their classrooms and explain the displayed work. Can your children articulate what they learned? Why they learned it? Where they struggled? How they persevered? The importance of the skill or strategy? I want my own kids to be able to explain their growth this year; I want them to see the value in the learning.

Are assignments new and relevant? In the social studies classes I want to see infographics, current events and parallels between history and our current realities. In science, I want to see hands-on activities, experimentation and scientific articles about new findings. In math, I want to see integration of multiple concepts to solve real-world problems and not so many textbook equations. In English, I want to see reading, writing and speaking. I could go on-and-on. But I won’t. Nevertheless, I hope you see my point -- new and relevant.

Do I see evidence of collaboration? Whether online or on paper, is it observable? I want to see my kids have opportunities to work with others in groups to solve problems and generate new ideas. Collaboration is a skill they will need in the real world, so I expect the school to be helping them become good teammates and leaders. You’ll see this reflected in the layout of the classroom. Are desks in traditional rows or small groupings? Imagine yourself as a student in the classroom -- does the environment lead to isolation or collaboration?

And if we are really lucky this year, then our schools will have kids on display: choir performances, drama monologues, band performances, poetry readings, science experiments in action, art decorating the campus, rockets on the field, and student-created computer programs up and running. This is true learning in action.

With all there is to see and do in such a short amount of time, don’t spend your time talking one-on-one with the teacher. It’s not necessary.

Instead, have fun, enjoy yourself and revel in the accomplishments of all our kids -- they have earned it!

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What's in a name?

3/23/2016

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If your kids are anything like mine, then they oftentimes couldn’t be any more opposite one another. My friends and I talk about this quite a bit, wondering how our kids -- created by the same parents, raised in the same houses, given the same opportunities -- can be so different. It’s astounding and disturbing all at the same. Makes me wonder about the power of nature over nurture, but I’ll save that discussion for another week.

Regardless a kid’s drive, demeanor, sassiness and attitude, each one of them has to attend school. And our local schools have a responsibility to create an inclusive school climate where all students can achieve their maximum potential, regardless their personalities.

But with all these different personalities milling around any school campus -- elementary through high school -- how does a school go about creating one cohesive climate where all students can be their greatest selves?

Climate is determined by many factors: how discipline is handled, bullying acceptability thresholds, availability of clubs, teacher/student interactions, approach taken with struggling students, the feeling of being safe, among myriad other things.

Reflecting on my own kids again, each of them has different needs to feel part of their school’s climate.

My daughter is social. She needs to belong to clubs, participate in school-sponsored events, and take classes that encourage belonging to a larger purpose. She thrives in being part of the school and feeling like she makes a difference. This is the traditional understanding of school culture -- belonging, participating, leading.

My son is not social. His needs are less about other kids and more about his sense of comfort with his teachers. His day can be made or destroyed because of his interaction with teachers and substitutes. Don’t get me wrong. He has a group of friends he hangs with socially at lunch, but he isn’t motivated by what is traditionally thought of as school culture. He would rather lose a limb than attend a club meeting or an after-school dance. His needs are less traditional -- he needs to feel that the adults care.

Other kids can’t function unless they feel safe.

Others, still, don’t want to be forgotten when they struggle academically.

Regardless your kids’ needs, they all need to be met in order for your child to be successful. And this is not an easy task. Building an inclusive school culture can begin, however, with two simple initiatives: knowing every child’s name and knowing every child’s need. Not easy, but doable.

I work in a school where the English department teachers have made it a habit to greet kids as they walk into the classroom. This happens every day for most every period. Some of us just welcome the kids to class, others give kids a high five, some take that time to address each child by name. Regardless the why, the power lies in simply the doing. Does it take time? Does it mean we have to get out from behind our desks? Does it require we have a good attitude? Yes. Yes. And yes.

You would be amazed at how impactful this small gesture is to the students on our campus. We know it’s impactful because the kids tell us. This momentary interaction requires we look our students in the eyes, requires we see them each as individuals and not just part of a large classroom of kids, and requires us to put ourselves out there to make them feel welcome.

The beauty of this small gesture? I see them outside the classroom. And seeing a child outside the classroom helps me learn his name, see his needs, feel his anxiety, notice his stress, interact on a more personal level, and tell him he matters.

Does this small gesture solve all school culture problems? I’m not arguing that it does. I am suggesting, however, that this is a first step in knowing how I can best support each student.

For my daughter, this means a teacher can make her feel part of that classroom’s social dynamics.

For my son, this means a teacher can appear friendly, thoughtful, and caring, creating an environment where my he feels ready to learn and fully supported.

For us, as parents, this means we can rest assured, knowing that our kids are noticed and known -- giving them every opportunity to be their best selves.

So I ask again: What’s in a name?

Everything.

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The Role of a Teacher

11/2/2015

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Education is a field inundated by acronyms.

I was sitting in a meeting just this morning and was reminded of the alphabet stew that feeds my profession. In just sixty minutes, I heard MTSS, RTI, SLT, AP, AVID, CTE, ELD, STEM, VAPA, GATE, NGSS, PTA and WASC, and I hadn’t even yet opened my emails for the day.

As a teacher, it’s easy to get lost in the acronyms; it’s easy to get lost in the data, initiatives, programs, and next-best research discoveries that fuel this maelstrom of education-ese. Education, unfortunately, seems to be a business of self-perpetuating confusion.

As a teacher, it’s also easy to lose focus on what matters most, to get lost in the confusion, and to forget the why we chose this profession in the first place -- the children.

My meeting this morning was focused on student support systems. During this sixty-minute meeting, we discussed concepts such as “top-tier intervention” and “sink or swim.” And as we bantered about the how’s and why’s and what for’s, I found myself thinking about my job as a teacher. I found myself thinking about why so many students are in peril. About why some kids succeed and others fail. About what constitutes teaching. I came away with a few thoughts.

My job isn’t to just teach content. Although content is an important component of what we do as educators, the real work happens outside of the content. But oftentimes it is a student’s mastery of content that primarily drives a teacher, rather than the “outside of the content” work I argue is more important.

I wrote down a few thoughts about what constitutes this “outside of the content” work and narrowed it down to a few key phrases; my job as a teacher is to help kids find success, be their best, feel safe, find importance, and, ultimately, be inspired to tackle the world. I’m not talking about encouraging entitlement or inflating self esteem -- I’m talking about having compassion. I want every student to know he matters, and that I won’t let him fall between the cracks. That’s my real work.

When talking to my family or to friends at the end of a work day, I am often flip or dismissive about my job. I respond to their “How was your day?” question with something like “Great! Just inspiring young minds.” I respond with this phrase almost every time I am faced with this greeting, and I never fail to get a laugh. But today, my after-meeting thoughts left me reflecting on my role as a teacher. As much as I enjoy the laugh I get with my response, I do know that my work matters.

My work matters because every child matters. So when we talked this morning about supporting students, I wanted to remind us all that EVERY child matters: the high achievers, the average students, those with learning disabilities, those who need intensive intervention, and those who just need a smile or a pat on the back. And they matter in a way more than simply a grade can expose. And I matter more than just my content.

I never want to underestimate the power and influence I have on my students. A hurtful word can be just as impactful, if not more so, than a kind and encouraging word. When I have students who excel, do I reach out to them to continue to push? When I have students who struggle, do I consider my role in their struggles and ask myself what I can do to help them find success? Do I ensure I’ve done everything I can to impact each of my students in a positive way every day? Would I want my own child treated the way I just treated a student? No student deserves to be forgotten, and every student deserves my attention regardless their achievement level. And sometimes more because of it.

I find it hard to hear excuses from teachers -- excuses about too many students, too little time, too much testing, or too little money. At the end of the day, none of the excuses can excuse a teacher from the responsibility of making sure that every child is treated fairly and with compassion. And by “fair,” I don’t mean equal; I mean meeting the needs of all students -- all the time.

All we can hope is that all teachers do this same reflection. That all teachers who interact with our children on a daily basis reflect about their role in our children’s lives.

Parents, it’s time we start demanding this compassion from our children’s teachers. Knock on the teachers’ classroom doors, expect them to know your child, and don’t accept any excuse for their not meeting your child’s needs.

Our children are more than an acronym -- they are the business of education.

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Why a teacher on the Board?

10/4/2014

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I participated in the Rossmoor Homeowner’s Association (RHA) “Meet the Candidates” evening this past Thursday. I didn’t know what to expect, given I’m new to this whole political scene. However, I was pleasantly surprised; they put on a great, informative, well-run program. I was able to learn more about all our local candidates, helping me make decisions about how I, personally, want to vote in November. Additionally, I was given a chance to introduce myself and answer a few questions about school issues as part of the School Board panel of candidates. But most impactful that night was the opportunity to meet my local neighbors.

In fact, I had a conversation with one woman that has stuck with me the past few days and has inspired tonight’s blog.

Within just a few minutes of my arriving at Rush Park Auditorium, she approached me and introduced herself. She is a teacher at one of our Los Alamitos elementary schools, mom of children who attend our schools and a Rossmoor resident. She told me she’d been following my campaign, reading my blog posts and spreading my name around her school. I think I can actually say she might be one of my biggest supporters … and we hadn’t even met yet!

She told me that while reading my blog she yelled to her husband, “You’ve got to read this! It’s like I could have written it myself!” Turns out, my “teacher” voice is coming through loud and clear. And it got me thinking … I’m running for a Los Al School Board seat because I have a passion for education, but I now realize having a teacher on the board is more necessary than ever.

As a teacher, I can bring perspective, insight, voice, and knowledge to this entrusted Board position. Because of new standards and a new funding formula in California, the next four years are going to bring some tough decisions about:

teacher tenure
raises and benefits
teacher training
common core implementation
special education
funding plans for programs
safety
technology implementation

When I think about the list, I realize each and every one of these touches a teacher. They are tough issues, and I want a teacher helping to make decisions about each one of them. I’m sure that any one of the current Board members, well-respected doctors and business people, can speculate and surmise and guess about possible impacts and implications, but until you’ve been a teacher in a classroom dealing with district mandates year-over-year, all the assumptions about the impact those mandates have on a classroom or teacher mean nothing. I can’t promise to know all the answers, or even promise that I will always make decisions that are easy for teachers, but I can promise that a teacher’s voice will be heard before decisions are made. Isn’t that all a teacher ever wants? To be heard? To be valued? To be respected?

Yes, schools are a business; however, our business is kids. Our kids deserve the best we can offer … and that responsibility lies in the hands of the teachers – the one person who has the most impact on a child’s success. Nothing our district achieves is possible without them.

So to all my teacher supporters … I “get it.” And I plan to help all the other Board members “get it,” too.

My fellow teachers, go, teach, inspire – and let me take care of business.

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What is a "good" teacher?

Use maxims to drive instruction

The Future of Education

What you need to know about Open House

What's in a name?

The Role of a Teacher

Why a teacher on the Board?

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Categories

What is a "good" teacher?

Use maxims to drive instruction

T﻿he Future of Education

What you need to know about Open House

What's in a name?

The Role of a Teacher

Why a teacher on the Board?

Archives

Categories

The Future of Education