Data

In education data is becoming the new wave.  What really surprises me is how bad we are at using the data.  As an AP teacher for many years I can not remember the last time I had a conversation about my results.  Yes, I get the "good job" when I perform but we never look into the numbers.

Recently I had some of these conversations with my colleagues.  Did any of your students exceed expectations?  Who improved the most throughout the course of the year?  Did any of the students surprise you by failing the exam?  If you had the same students who failed the exam, what would you do differently to make sure that they passed?  How will you change your instruction based off the instructional report that your received from college board?  Did your grades match up with the results of your students?

All of these questions lead to good honest discussion which actually might make teachers better.  Instead their is either silence or good job.  My question is why?

What do I want from an Administrator

At our school we have a week without students to get our class rooms organized, our lessons planned and to get some professional development.  During this time I reflected upon what I would want from our leadership team.

The first thing I want is an administrator who spends 80% of their time thinking about ways to motivate and inspire teachers and students.  I want them checking the school to make sure everything is done so that teachers can do their job properly.  At my school we were out of staples for the copying machine the first day back.  How could that possibly happen.

I want an administrator who supports teachers so that the teacher can spend their time making kids better each and everyday.  An administrator who is constantly thinking how can I make the teacher's job easier even if it makes my job harder

I want a person who will fight for teachers especially during adverse times.  It is easy to stick behind people when things are going well but I want a leader who will stand bye me when I am going through tough times.  Who cares enough about me to make sure that things are going well in my world.  Who would fight for teachers even if it meant losing some points with their boss in the process.

I want an administrator who values the teachers perspective, who sets a vision but allows the teachers to get to the vision.  Who might suggest a method of doing something but realizes it is just one method not the only method.  A person who apologizes for their mistakes and is forgiving of yours.

I want an administrator who calls teachers into their office to ask them for solutions to problems.  Who realizes that the people in the trenches have better answers than the people in the air conditioned offices.I want an administrator who rather be talking with teachers than talking with bosses.

I want an administrator who does not allow people to stroll in late consistently, or leave early.  A person who will work their hardest to make me a better teacher.  Who sets high standards, models them and motivates us to exceed them

Am I asking a lot?  Probably so, but our kids deserve it

Attitude

The next year we are going to work on character traits with our students.  The three traits are self-control, GRIT and integrity.  Modeling self control should force me to not be negative about the administration.  To quote Buck Showalter, "I choose not to live in that world, even though it is easy to get there"  Buck refuses to be negative, make excuses, or feel sorry for himself.  He usually responds with "I like our guys"

When I think about it, both quotes make sense.  I love my students and feel lucky to have had the opportunity to teach them.  Also the only person that can control my attitude is me.  So I am going to join Buck and not live in that world.  I understand it will be hard for me but I think it will help my students, and certainly help myself.

Instead of seeing mistakes by the administration as a negative, I am going to see them as a challenge that my students and I can overcome.

Character, Paul Tough, Angela Duckworth and others

As we start to look at the data we find some interesting statistics.  In our school 80% of our students go to college.  63% go to a four year school and 17% go to a two year school.  From that total 60% graduate with a degree from a four year college withing 6 years.  What amazes me is that only 48% of our graduating seniors will end up with a four year degree.

Now that might not sound bad until you realize that our average SAT scores are above 1650 and 86% of our students pass the AP exams.  So it is obvious that we are giving them the cognitive skills to be successful.  However what is missing from this picture.

Duckworth and Tough would state it is grit and self control.  The ability to be persistent, not lose focus and continue until the task is done.  With that in mind a group of us are going to start trying to teach these characteristics next year in our class rooms.

I will keep you posted.

New evaluations, they must be kidding me

I just went to the new evaluation training which was extremely scary to me.  The only way you can be rated a highly effective teacher is by doing group work.  As a teacher I often ask my students for feedback and in the last ten years I have less than 1% of my students express that they would want more group work from me.

What truly bothers me about this model is that they are saying that only one method of teaching works.  That is the method designed by a person who did all of her research with middle and elementary school students.  A system that does not allow for flexibility in the way the material is presented seems quite unfair to me.

When I questioned the presenter she told me "that there is no way to be highly effective if your lesson does not have group work.  She then went on to say do not worry if you are not highly effective it does not matter".  So we have an evaluation system that does not motivate me to be the best?  Does that make sense.

Another ironic thing was that the person delivering the training did a straight lecture with very little interaction and powerpoints that would put most people to sleep.  Now that is the model for me?  Man to we need some smart people to get into this field and fix many of the problems.

So please be honest with me, do you have to do group work to be effective?  Are there teachers you have seen or have that are effective without this method?  While I might not be a highly effective teacher it is not my style but other things that prevent me from accomplishing this.  I would accept that what is hard for me to accept that the socratic lecture discussion style can not be highly effective.

Your thoughts.  Honest is always welcome and cherished on this blog.  So if I am wrong challenge me and let us have a great debate.  Tell me if

Bliss video

Phil Bressler

• Fri, May 17, 2013 9:50 PM
• Actions ▼

I was shown that video by a student and it is making its way around the country.  I have to be honest I do not like the way it is being used to attack teachers.  I am extremely sensitive to how teachers are being blamed for everything that is wrong with education.  I know there are days that I am bad, that I say things I would like back and I surely do not want that circulating through the world as more evidence of why teachers are ruining education.

On the reverse side I have recently spoken to a teacher who received tremendous amount of positive feedback from her students but agonized over a couple of student's negative feedback.  The fact that this teacher searched her soul, searched out guidance from peers, showed me the side of teachers that we do not publicized.  The part of the profession that cares so deeply about kids that they go to great lengths to make sure that kids the very best education they can deliver.

That being said, do we have to as teachers get angry when people are not doing a good job?  My thoughts are yes.  The anger should only be for one reason and that bad teaching hurts kids.  As a profession we should not become like other professions who protect their own even when they are wrong.

Recently, this also happened to me when a teacher's course load was changed and other people seem disturbed by this action.  My comment was that we need to do what is best for kids not what is best for the teacher.  Now of course I would expect our administrators, department chairs and colleagues to do what ever they could to help this teacher become better so that they can help kids.

I know you were not looking for this type of reply so I am sorry.  As you know since I put them all in your mailbox I believe deeply in student feedback.  The truth is that 90% of the good things I do in the class room came from students, the other ten percent came from colleagues.

I am interested to hear others reactions to this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bYv2AKPZOk&feature=youtu.be

Where have I been

I have really been focused on trying to help my students prepare for their AP exams.  I was amazed by the effort many of the students put in.  So now that this is behind us I am hoping that I can get back to my blogging self