Must Reading for Educators

Remember, Teaching As A Subversive Activity, is one of my all-time favorite education books. Focus and Readicide (not finished yet) are two, "must read" books for educators. "For those educators who resist the political in favor of the authentic" is the inside jacket quote. My desire is to be that educator. "Readicide is the systematic killing of the love of reading, ofter exacerbated by the inane, mind-numbing practices found in schools, (Gallagher, 2009, p. 2). Amen!

Any teacher who is teaching in a failing school (according to NCLB) understands this process very well. We have instituted well-meaning programs to try and jump start skills that students coming out of middle schools are sorely lacking. We beg, we bribe, and we even punish to try and ramp up skills of those students who, for one reason or another, have not learned to read fast enough, close enough, do math, write, or read science. Middle school teachers in Illinois, your day is coming, no more stop everything and teach the ISAT for two or three weeks and then thump your chests because your students met or exceeded. In a short few years you will also be struggling with mandated tests that are now based on ACT college and career skills. These are skills that build not skills that can be committed to short-term memory.

What am I doing? For next year.....more reading, deeper (close) reading, more writing, and more discussion. Increased current events WITH map activities so a student actually knows that Vietnam is not an island when they are a junior in high school. Vanishing will be my best friend for the past twenty plus years, the scan-tron test. Increased formative assessments and fewer, more thoughtful summative assessments. Participation will be evaluated as to level of understanding, empathy, respect for others, and thoughtfulness (formative in nature). Our culture has lost the ability to hold a civil discourse and I will not go into all the reasons for that loss. Suffice to say that one political party is not the sole cause. We have a great opportunity before us and even though it is the end of the year I am optimistic about the future.

The "Right" Thing

A reply to my last post got me thinking, what is the "right" thing for education? Educators have, for too long, allowed the larger culture to make the profession of teaching seem to be a position that anyone who can't do anything else can do. It isn't true. If you follow the running commentary about what will fix our schools and then you go back twenty years you will find a similar lament. Go back thirty, same thing. Maybe the fundamental issue is that schools need a fundamental overhaul. For consideration:
1. Hire a financial person to deal with the dollars and cents, true educators don't really get all excited about budgets, salaries, m & r, etc.
 2. Hire one business leader (chief executive officer) to guide educator teams in return on investment, technology use and misuse, public relations, liaison with supporting corporations, universities or local businesses who have a vested interest in the quality of product being produced.
3. End the agricultural model school year. Planting and harvesting have not influenced most students lives in forty years. Adopt a school year that best suits the local student needs (I always want to study the year around model of 9 weeks on 3 weeks off with remedial opportunities during two of the three weeks).
4. Consider ending the five day school week for most subjects; Social Studies and English classes would meet three days face to face with technology being used to keep contact the other days. Science, Math, and Vocational classes would meet at least four days. All students are required to take a basic vocational program. Fifth day, grading the increased writing that all would perform, committees, parent conferences, tutoring those who are struggling, the list for this is endless.
5. Teacher teams would run the day to day school operations. Service in every capacity of school governance would be shared. Compensation would come in a reduced teaching load during their 2-3 year rotation of "school leadership." Membership on the leadership teams would not be allowed until a teacher had demonstrated outstanding skills in teaching and leadership. Graduate level coursework in education and business would be mandated. Minimum of ten years classroom experience. NO permanently leaving the classroom. All those making any decisions about the school must be serving in the classroom. Simply put, you quickly forget what the day to day struggle of teaching can do to your energy. No more leaving the classroom, you wanted to teach....teach.....you may be a skilled leader.....opportunities will come to do both. This is where I always return to my good friend, Sean O'Laughlin. He was one of the best teachers I have observed and now he is a building principal. He will be outstanding but he should still be teaching one class of U.S. History each and every semester. Those twenty-five to thirty students would forever be grateful.
6. Outstanding teachers would be rotated in and out of local teacher prep universities. They would handle all instruction pertaining to lessons, discipline, and the art of instruction. To give a clue as to this problem, I was just asked by the local teaching university to place two student teachers in my department for next year. Both students had D's in their major. We are not in a day and age where any student should be entering education where D's are a part of their grades let alone where D's are a part of their major.
Okay, parts 1-6 are roughed out. Tear it up.

A Framework for Teaching

Our education system is a mess. That does not take genius to conclude. The hidden agenda of privatizing education is becoming less hidden each month. Typically, statistics are misrepresented to provide the information that one system is broke and the other system works very well.

Please, remember who is selling you the system that works very well. I usually see politicians, former heads of large corporations and businessmen, most of whom did not attend the type of schools they are attacking as failed. I have never had any of these people volunteer to teach my classes for one month. I have invited but, alas, never received a reply. I once begged President Bush to come to my school to help me with the child who wanted to be left behind but, alas, he never acknowledged my contacts.

I believe that Illinois may be moving in a decent direction. I have dug out my Charlotte Danielson and am preparing to review the "frameworks" for effective teaching. She at least understood that no matter what new technology comes along the basic practices encouraged by Madeline Hunter work very well. Doesn't matter if it is 1980 or 2011. Good instructional practice is good practice. Now, how will we get parents to understand that not all children are above average?

Afternoon Hike on Trail Ridge Road, RMNP

Just back from a late afternoon hike on Trail Ridge Road. We drove to where the road is closed, put on wind pants, snowshoes, and took off. The corners provide great views of Sheep Meadow, Lawn Lake flood area, and off in the distance you can see Mary's Lake. By leaving late afternoon we only shared the "road" with two other people. One guy was just returning from hiking up to see the view, he was pumped and sure enough he climbed into the SUV where the son sat in the backseat with ear buds in playing a game on his phone. The young man couldn't get even get out to take a short hike that really gives you an idea of your significance in the big scheme of life. We truly are a culture where the only the thing that counts is me.

Wild Basin via Snow Shoes

Sun was shining, truly a great day to be outside. Cold and a strong wind as we headed toward Copeland Falls. Only one couple on the trail and they passed us as put on wind pants. We moved at a steady pace for two hours, found the falls...they were just beginning to melt through to the surface. Headed back and ran into several people enjoying the day in Rocky Mountain National Park. Opening picture of the mini-movie is of Long's Peak.

Wild Basin, RMNP

Morning Drive

It was a good morning for a drive. Light snow falling but the sun would appear for just a few moments at a time. We stopped at this church and I was able to take a few shots before the light changed.The inside is wonderful, like stepping back into the Middle Ages.