Another Power of the PLN Post

I get it.

While my purpose here in Philadelphia is to learn how to be a better English teacher, I find that the sessions offered have not had as much impact as other forms of professional development in my life.

I’m currently sitting near the window in my hotel room (a very old building that has been well maintained; one cannot help but appreciate the elegant history) I can hear the marathon being run outside. No, not the sound of the running participants but the incessant shouting and cheering of the supportive crowd. Actually, as I was waking up and still groggy, I thought my neighbors were listening to The Price is Right loudly on their television!

My point is that it suddenly makes sense to me why the informative sessions have been useful but not life altering or as exhilarating as I had anticipated. What has been more important are my connections to fellow teachers on twitter and on the English Companion Ning.

They are my supportive, shouting crowd. “You’re doing great!” and “You can get through this - you will make it!” Just like the crowd below.

What would the marathon be without these people? How do they impact their runners? (Certainly we could ask Jen Ansbach!) How different would it be if they were running alone?

Teachers are often forced to run alone in the island that is their classrooms.  And how many flounder as a result of this? For me, I have met some of the most amazing teachers in the country and have felt guided and supported by them. Teaching should be about more than just our own students, but about the collective. When we support other teachers, we are ultimately helping even more students to have opportunities for success.

What a terrific experience it has been to meet my own cheerleaders and counselors. What a lonely trip this would have been if not for them. What a lonely profession.

So I’m here to say thank you and to look for more ways that I can support other teachers through this most rewarding and challenging of careers. Thanks.

*********************************************

But wait, there’s more!  So much of what I heard in sessions was information or ideas that I had already gained from my online networks.  One cannot help but wonder if 24/7 PD like this is going to replace some of what these types of conventions are about in the same way that the internet is slowly killing printed newspapers.

Why only learn a few special times a year (and OD on info at those times!) when one can learn as we can handle it. I love watching for new articles, links, and teaching strategies but I only read as much as I can understand or implement at a time. Often, it’s even more personal than this, however. Often, I am able to learn how to do something new AS the issue or question arises.

Here, I am supposed to find a whole slew of relevant but different sessions and cram them into to a few hectic days. But online I can find the information in tidbits. Better than that, I can ask my colleagues (PLN) what they think or if they can help me develop a deeper understanding.

The advantages of timeliness and of reciprocity seem to be some of the most fundamental needs of “21st century learners”. Teachers need to be part of this!

Chasing the Light Bulb

Sometimes as teachers, we have the priviledge of observing or even participating in a light bulb  moment. I would venture to say that it’s very different at the secondary level. Perhaps even a bit more elusive. But that just makes it more special, right?

I’ve realized that in my teaching, most of these moments seem to come from a big writing unit. You know, the laborious work with some necessary lectures (dull) and research. Sounds awful, and I used to say that I hated teaching writing units (umm… last month) but I noticed that I saw more aha! moments during these units so far this year.

I wonder if it’s because it is the most genuinely “skills based” and “assessable” (is that a word!?) work we do in English class since much of the reading and thinking are invisible/difficult to grade. But maybe it’s part of it is that I get to really work with students on an individual basis in a way that is very different from most of our class time.

Overall, it’s a pretty neat process. Students pick a topic. We discuss it conference style. Students collect sources and start to craft their thesis statements and narrow their topics. We discuss it and I get to ask probing questions and watch them think. [Not regurgitate.] Then they create their Works Cited pages. We talk again. Then the outline. More chatting. Then the rough draft – again with the talking and questioning.

Even though these writing assignments are difficult for the students to write and challenging for me to grade, in some ways, the atmosphere feels more casual. In some ways, we are working together. I’m invested in their work and want it to turn out well. I’m interested not only in learning more about their topics, but more importantly, their interests and opinions.

While I still think teaching a nice novel unit is a joy, I think there is a lot of joy to come out of teaching a writing unit as well. And the two big moments in my short teaching career that truly stand out have both stemmed from these very short conferences. Amazing when teaching is in the small stuff.

Romanticizing

My good twitter friend (I hope I can call you that!) @paulbogush informed me that I, like many others, have romanticized my educational experiences that used traditional methods. I have never claimed that my academic career has been perfectly satisfying. In fact, my husband attended the same school during basically the same years and I would say that his experiences were dismal if the goal was to encourage and facilitate learning. I am not the girl to tell anyone that the public school system or even traditional educational methods are perfect (with grades and required courses and so on).

Yet I maintain that grades and required courses are still imperative. And this is because my experiences have taught me that sometimes hoop jumping can be futile, but often it provides necessary exposure. In elementary, I hated learning math. My dad said it was good for me and would help with problem solving. Whatever, I thought. Of course, I continued to do the work but I found no enjoyment or satisfaction. By junior high, I tested high enough that I “got to” be on a math team. It was forced and I still found not pleasure. But by Calculus – my senior year in high school- I truly began to love math!

If I had been allowed to discontinue the pursuit of (cumulative!) the mathematical component of my education, there are many things I never would have learned. In college, I only needed to take a statistic’s class (from which I learned a great deal about research which benefits me greatly in education) and I did not pursue it any farther because I did not need any more. For me, this was the point where I could personalize my education.

Before that, I feel like I benefitted from taking lots of classes. (I took 5 years of social studies, science, math, and well over 5 yrs of comm arts – shocking, I know.) I am glad that I had that foundation for my college experience. I’m not going to pretend like some classes were not a waste of my time (often the social studies because we were not able to take an advanced version so the classes were taught to the lowest common denominator).

Anyway, this quote ( and I’m sorry to single out one person – there are many who follow the same sentiment) really bothered me. “most people romanticize their education–don’t even know what doors were closed to them”.

Here’s what it reminds me of. Have you seen Mona Lisa Smile (Julia Roberts)? I really find this movie interesting in how it addresses gender issues from those days. The blonde girl (Julia Stiles) is brilliant and considering law school. Julia Roberts (the art history instructor) thinks this girl should go to law school, but the student gets married and chooses to be a traditional wife instead.

Roberts’ character is appaled but Stiles character seems to represent the idea that we can choose things for ourselves. When I stayed home with my children (which I would still be doing for another year or two if finances had allowed) people seemed to believe it was an archaic tradition and that I must be ignorant or have no choice in the matter.

Rather, it seems that if people don’t agree that they are being oppressed in some way, it must mean they simply do not see it. It could never be that people had thoughtfully considered the ideas and made an informed decision/value system/belief.

I think that being a woman who CHOOSES to stay home is a decision that commands respect just as I think that being an educator who stands behind some structures of traditional education (tweaking the system, not throwing it out) is an opinion that is worth  at least considering and respecting.

Is this logical? Am I truly just missing something?

Jesus and the Sabbath

We had our Homecoming mass today and our readings and homily were about honoring the sabbath. Except that they were about much more than that, they were about how we sometimes lose sight of our goals as we cling to the structure created to accomplish our goals. While there were many lovely connections made by our priest’s homily, I could not help but wonder how it relates to our educational systems.

Sometimes doctrine or religion or tradition or structure rises up to be more important to us than the original intention. Our intents are to be more like Christ and to be closer to Him. In education, our intention is to help students LEARN. We create structure to help model, scaffold, explain, clarify, teach, and of course, assess. Just as the notion of honoring God on the sabbath is a good structure but Jesus does not ask that the sabbath be rejected.

So often, we are trapped by the ideas we ourselves create for the sake of the education of our students. While I do not accept that this tendency to become narrow in focus means that we should reject any church structure, I similarly believe that schools and grades are neither the enemy nor the problem.

BUT- the way we and our students tend to use/view them may be highly problematic and tend to impede learning and growth.

I know as a teacher in my second year of teaching I am not yet truly “experienced” but I am starting to see how grades can be problems. How if I give a grade on a paper with a zillion comments, the students will only see the grade. The last paper I returned, I went ahead with my usual practice of commenting and marking (in pencil) but neglected to give a point or letter grade. Students were instructed to submit a revised copy in a week that could earn full credit. This is either their 3 or 4th draft depending on the student.

I’m optimistic that those students who are approaching A level writing will benefit by being forced not to accept their frequently B level work. Maybe it will help them see what their writing CAN be and help it ‘click’ (I went through something comparable as a freshman in college and it made a world of difference in my college experience.)

More than that, I am hoping that my students who frequently fail or nearly fail papers will see what it is like to turn in work that is more polished – something they can be proud of. Then their grade will (hopefully) reflect that effort and help them see that they are capable but have to be willing to put in the work.

I would love to teach my students the lesson that hard work can be truly satisfying.

All this just to say that I’m coming around. I get why people are frequently concerned about grades and their potential ramifications. But I think, like Jesus (you like that? lol), we can bend the rules but don’t have to throw out the whole system. There’s something nice about having a special day of the week to come together in a community and refocus ourselves to our faith. There’s also something nice about receiving a good grade for a good effort.

Teaching English Class

I know that many who are far wiser than I have attempted to define what it is that we English teachers are trying to accomplish in our classes. I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently. I’ll try to share what I know.

English is not like any of the other areas.

We may or may not be assigned to teach specific literary periods or types. We do have to expose students to multiple genres and styles of wrting. But that is not the basis of what we do.

We teach SKILLS.

HOW does one write a good paper? A good assertion? An organized argument?

HOW can I find the information I need? How do I know the source is credible?

HOW do I read to really understand? What does the author really think? Is the author trustworthy? Am I allowed to interpret this based on my experiences or will someone just tell me what to think?

Critical thinking skills are, for me, at the forefront of my course. I know we are learning all this other great stuff along the way, but ultimately, what matters is if students can think for themselves. Reading critically and writing logically and clearly go hand in hand with this lofty objective – and beyond that, it’s all applicable and relevent to the lives of all our students.

They all need to be able to question, interpret, and comprehend the news, the voting ballots, the contracts and bills they receive and more. Everyone should be able to write an intelligent letter to their representatives or to support their cases in issues that do not quite require legal counsel.

BUT, this means that English (imho) is not merely a test of whether or not students can regurgitate literature or even literary terminology back to us. Good writing is SO much more than just subject verb agreement, tense agreement, comma splices, etc. (Obviously, I understand that these play a key role is writing coherently, yet I maintain that they are not more important than content.) In fact, what purpose does it serve to polish the sentences of a meaningless paper? The content and thought must come first so that the work we are revising is worthy of the effort.

I believe that what we do in English class should support learning in all of their classes. (Then again, I went to a highly interdisciplinary liberal arts college so I supposed I’m biased!)

Responsibility and Reasonableness

Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about the grey area between a no late work policy and allowing students to do the appropriate work to salvage their grades. I understand that grades and all of that can be a controversial issue on their own, but for now, let’s look past that.

Currently, my rule is that students must turn work in on time, small assignments cannot be turned in late for any credit (exception of “gimme” – lowest small grade dropped) while larger assignments lose one letter grade (A, A-, B+, etc) per school day late. Beyond that, I do allow a week to make up work from an absence UNLESS it is known in advance (especially excused absences for sports/field trips).  

I consider myself a reasonable person (who doesn’t, right?).  I have certainly been known to bend my own rules for extenuating circumstances but mostly if students come to me BEFORE the class begins and the assignment is due. This may mean an email explaining the situation or perhaps the student can come and talk to me before school.  But when students don’t care enough to ask for help/grace ahead of time, I struggle to sympathize as much with the situation.

When it comes to these issues, is it better or worse for the students to offer continued extensions and permission? What happens when you have already returned the work and they now have 100 graded assignments to glean information from? (I don’t know about you, but the student network at my school is phenomenal!)

What does it tell students when we accept work late? Yes, it stresses the importance of the content itself. I get that and have a lot of respect for it. BUT what else?

When we say “No, you need to come to class prepared.” “But….” “You could have come to me to ask if anything was due or to tell me about your computer problems or” “Yeah. That’s true.” – Do you think this can have a positive effect? That maybe students will be more conscientious? Or will they just say it’s not fair and move on? Honestly, I’m unsure. I cannot help but be optimistic.

One of these days, I think I would like to discuss with my students what their understanding of the importance of completing work in a timely manner is. I wonder if they know they could lose jobs or go to jail (think taxes, bills, etc) or if they believe due dates are purely arbitrary in the so called real world.

What are your experiences with this area? Do you think students benefit more from strict policies or more from leniency? Where is the balance between the two that offers students the most benefits? How do you enforce this in your classroom?

Silver Lining

As a life long “goodie goodie” there are some gaps that I struggle to overcome as a teacher. It was not until recently that I came to fully grasp the ideas of positive reinforcement and how critical it is to student success.

In general, I am intrinsically motivated, but this does not mean I am not human. When someone says something negative or critiques us in some way, I realized that deep down part of me wanted to scream, “Yes, BUT… look at all the good I have done. Look how hard I work. Look how successful I’ve been in these other areas! Give me some credit.” But by the end of the thought, it is not screaming but a pathetic whimper begging in vain to be acknowledged.

I understand this may be common sense to many, but for me, this is a very novel realization.

I’ve realized that I need to work twice as hard (at least!) at congratulating students on their hard work and accomplishments, great or small. This could be for papers, projects, participation and more and it will not be easy but I finally “get it”.  Overall, it turns out that this has been a tremendously helpful and inspiring situation. Thanks for listening.

Personality

The Student Council class I’ve been helping with was recently required to take the Myers Brigg personality test. I joined in the fun and found that I continue to flip flop in which category I fall in to. Interesting.

More interesting is to consider how these personality types radically impact our teaching.

My most recent score was INTJ (Introverted, intuitive, thinking, judging) which one site refers to as the “mastermind“. By this account, I value pragmatism, efficiency, and thrive on complex problem solving. This could not be more accurate (while these are things I value highly, I’m not saying I always follow through!). ;P

It also indicates that this type has a strong skepticism. I also find this to be accurate for me, as I distrust new ideas even if they are based in research because I am wary of the way educational research is performed and reported.

One of the problems INTJs sometimes face is a struggle with interpersonal and moral issues. They are generally involved in science fields. This makes me appear to be an anomaly – I went to a liberal arts college and studied English literature. But here’s the thing. The “T” for thinking is weak and flip flops to the “F” sometimes when I take this test (was required to take it in a psych class and later in ed psych all during undergrad, I know it may seem weird that I’ve taken it on multiple occasions!)

This personality type is referred to as the “counselor” which is actually a career path I considered very seriously. (I believe the INTJ side feared I would grow weary of the less serious concerns and be too frank with patients. Shocking, I know.)

I think it’s interesting how accurate these tests seem to be in some ways because I do feel like my strengths include writing (well, maybe not blogging) and being aware of other’s feelings.

So what does it have to do with teaching?

I feel like as I was reading the descriptions, I kept thinking, “well of course that’s how it is – that’s what I try to show my students”. For better or worse, it’s hard not to try to show students how to see the world as I do because it’s all that I know.

I want them to see why problem solving is important (and exciting) and how we need to be skeptical of information, regardless of source. I want them to work on seeing other people’s points of view and feelings both by working cooperatively and by reading and discussing about characters. I want them to value reading writing as efficient modes of communication so they can express themselves and share with the world to evoke change.

But what I’m unsure of is what these strong personality traits cause me to ignore or neglect.  I’m hoping to spend some time reflecting on that this weekend…

Please feel free to share your personality type or to help me find my own weaknesses in this!

Fun Stuff!

I just wanted to share because I’m so pleased with this (and clearly so easily pleased in the first place).

Last class, I had the student teacher do the “House” activity as described in Cris Tovani’s book, I Read it but I don’t get it. The students were then to discuss reading with purpose and consider the author’s purpose in their lit circles which are revolving around our Banned (challenged) books unit. Tomorrow we will work in the lab and I will remind them to consider their purpose in writing, just as we discussed last class. (Read like a writer, write like a reader – is that how it goes?)

Tomorrow, in place of SSR for a nice change, I will read The Lorax (Dr. Seuss) aloud to the students after introducing the idea of theme and students will thinkpairshare to brainstorm possible themes for the book. Their homework will be to consider what the theme of their respective books (have chosen from a list of three) might be and be prepared to support and discuss it in lit circles next class.

The best part? The Lorax is also a banned/challenged book. Sometimes it’s the little things that tickle my fancy.

Having your cake…

Recently, I accidentally freaked my student teacher out. It caused me to reflect on my expectations for curriculum. What I realized is that after everything I’ve read in education, my brain has decided to be consistent with its nature and try to go straight down the middle! It comes across as “out there” and unrealistic but I truly believe it’s achievable.

But I should explain the context-

1: We should study literature chronologically.

2: We should study literature thematically.

I certainly can’t achieve both with precision. So I suppose I should use different words. It is my goal to use a timeline of literary periods as the backbone to my year (in both British and American literature, respectively). I think it is important and interesting to see how they bounce off of one another and I think it helps make history become more real. Reading a novel with characters that you can connect to can help us understand history in a different way that just looking at the wars and leaders and dates teaches us.

On the other hand, it’s critical that the curriculum not hop from one idea to something else that feels completely random. For example, if we read The Scarlet Letter, then Common Sense, then The Tell Tale Heart we would be  chronological but disjointed. I think of curriculum like a well organized, carefully crafted essay. How can I ask students to write this way if I can’t teach this way?

I’m still struggling and contemplating on how I can do this for American literature but I have a strong sense of where I’m going – just need to make sure I pull out the right pieces. Then I like to supplement thematically by pulling from literature (can be poems, excerpts, short stories, or even pop culture stuff like music, tv, movies) to enhance.

Still hashing out the details. I will share whatever I manage to come up with that attempts to satisfy both. And then I will try to post about how essential questions fit in. Sure, I have some lined up but have realized they are much more complex than I first thought and I need to do some more reading about it first.