A "Pink '57 Quandary"

First: THE STATEMENT...

So it's been determined by state-mandated tests that a majority of our students are not "proficient" in Language Arts and/or Math. According to those tests our students are way behind in English and Math compared to the students in other, more successful, districts. Test after test has shown this (approximately 20 class days of state or district mandated tests).

Now: THE QUANDARY...

If we keep losing so many days and classes for testing how will we ever catch up to the "proficient" schools? With so many days devoted to testing (not learning), are our students destined to languish in the lower levels of the "data mine"? What a cruel joke... a test that was originally developed to level the playing field for all students in the state turns out to be the engine of inequality of education.

Comment update

I am having some difficulty with comments. It appears that there is a "glitch" in the program and some readers' comments are not appearing. I'm not sure what is happening and I'm trying to correct the problem. However, if you do want to comment, sign on as "anonymous" in the drop-down box and your comment will appear. If you like, you can include your name and URL in the comment and I will respond.

Where's the Fun???

I love this new High Stakes Testing!

No teaching...just testing!

So far we have lost three teaching days in the fall, three more this week, and another three more projected for next week. All for state-mandated tests. Add to that the new benchmark tests for marking periods one and three (two days for each) and the mid-terms and finals (two more for each). (Incidentally, in true Through the Looking Glass fashion, the benchmarks test to see how well the students will do on the state-mandated tests. How innovative! Testing to predict performance on the test! In the old days, we just took one test to determine how well the students did on that test. How backward we all were then!

Mind you, these are just the state-mandated tests. I haven't even calculated the quizzes,tests, projects, that I must give in class to determine marking period grades. Yikes!

No wonder those state-mandated tests only test general skills and grade holistically. We don't teach enough hard knowledge for the students to be tested on a real achievement test.

Seriously though, when do I get to teach the "fun" stuff - reading for enjoyment, poetry writing, choral readings, dramatic writing and presentation, media studies, connective/interactive presentations, art and literature, music and literature, history and literature, philosophy and literature, the human condition and literature, etymology and word play, and on, and on, and on... All the things that give school, learning, life meaning and depth - the things that help us to give shape to our amorphous existence on this planet.

I mean it's like teaching students only to add and subtract over and over again. Nevermind the
beauty of defining the world in the specific terms that mathematics requires ...and then comparing it to how other disciplines define or describe the world. Just give us the basics - what is the main idea of the story, what is the meaning of this specific word in paragraph three, who would most likely agree with this story? UGH, what a dry, ugly way to read a story, especially at the academic age and level of my students.

I firmly believe that it is the "fun" times in school that we remember the most (and influence us the most). Few people remember the time that they first learned long division. However, the shock when we realized that Peyton Farquhar really hadn't "escaped", or the puzzlement when we found that Richard Cory had done the "unthinkable", or the hitch in our breath when we first understood (really understood) the vision of a poem - those things stay with us forever. Those are the topics we should be discussing/testing not the facile, superficial questions on state-mandated tests.

Circle the wagons, ma...

"Circle the wagons, Ma! I think I see a band of consultants ridin' down on us!"



Well, the inspectors are here with that "kicking ass and taking names" look on their faces. They're ducking into and out of classrooms so fast that I think I'm watching a Marx Bros. movie. All we teachers can do is sit in our Potemkin Village classrooms hoping that they don't look behind the newly decorated bulletin boards and discover the sham that we teachers "must be" (because why would they be here if we weren't?). I feel like a subjugated ward of the state.

However, they too are guilty of a sham. How can they possibly know what is the one (or two) right teaching steps that we should take to immediately turn our high school around - "Show more student work." ..."Use fewer 'teacher-directed' lessons in your class." Yeah, right!

I think it's their sanctimonious certitude that bothers me the most. If they knew the answers - I mean REALLY knew the answers- the districts in which the state took control would be "flying high" in academic achievement. But those districts are still mired in the 10 percentile swamps of the state tests.

I could understand suggestions from the inspectors, but it seems that they spell suggestions d-i-r-e-c-t-i-v-e-s. But they, like us, know that failing districts are like "unhappy families"- each is failing in its own way, and usually for myriad reasons.

Moreover, it's presumptuous when anyone says that we know how to "fix" broken schools. If that were true, then there wouldn't be so many broken schools still out there.

Looking back at this blog, I realize that it is so very bitter in tone, but I'm getting very tired of all these "experts" who are so sure that their "simplistic" remedies will effortlessly solve our complex problems. I believe that failing schools can be fixed, but it will take hard work, time, and money. Remedies that most people don't want to hear or to acknowledge.

Surrender or Die!

Well, after seven years of declining state test scores, we are on the verge of being declared a failing school. The state dept. of education has sent in observers to evaluate the quality of the entire school - administrators, teachers, students, physical plant, community, etc. However, I have a feeling that only the administrators (central and of our school) and the teachers will be held accountable. All others will be granted dispensation. I'm not saying that staff is not responsible for some of the lack of progress, but this "play" has many actors and, to paraphrase the Prince in Romeo and Juliet, "... all should be Punished"*


*Pronounced - Punis-'shed- because that way it sounds more Shakespearean!

Where's the rest of me?

I'm dying the "Death of a Thousand Acronyms". Everywhere and everyday I am constantly reminded of my and my students' accountability to the PSAT, and/or SAT and/or the ACT, and the HSPT (High School Proficiency Test), or, if they don't pass it the SRA's (now renamed the AHRA's), and/or the NEAP (National Educational Assessment Program), or the CAPA ( I forget - but some monitoring program), and/or the HSTW (High Schools That Work), and the GPA (Grade Point Average), or the NMSQT (National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test), or the ASVAB (Armed Forces Vocational Aptitude Battery), the IQ test, not to mention the CAT's or the ERB's, and many, many more... . ARRRGHHHHHHHHH

Two things are evident to me with all these acronyms:

1. With all this Jargon (some might say Argot) somebody's hiding something...

2. With all these extra programs it's evident that public schools aren't seen as bastions of learning, but as reservoirs of "mineable" data.

and, as a corollary to #'s 1 & 2, there's a lot of money to be made serving up "Alphabet Soup"...

"Three card Monte"

It seems to me that one of the hallmarks of troubled schools is the inability to allocate resources efficiently and effectively. Perhaps this is the effect of ineffective or non-existent planning or in lack of continuity. In any case, failing or troubled schools always seem to engage in practices which are at cross purposes to practices which would actually allieviate or solve problems. One might say that they are, "Robbing Peter to pay Paul," but it's actually worse than that. They are "Robbing Simon to pay Peter to get better credit from Paul." Everything is reactive - very little is pro-active.

Mea culpa

Well, what I was afraid would happen - happened. I feared that as the school year progressed I would become too tired or too preoccupied to write a continuous blog. This has always been one of my shortcomings when I've tried to keep a journal (I have numerous journals - started with a New Year's resolution - all petered out by mid-January). So it seems to have happened again. However, I will try once again to revive my creative juices (Oh boy, that sounds like fun!) and continue to write more often - at least something.

One other thing, when I started this blog I envisioned it to be sort of a dialogue between me and whomever might want to engage in it. However, it seems that the dialogue is not taking place. I have some reason to believe that there is something wrong with the comment box. So, if you want to engage in dialogue and can't seem to post a comment you can reach me at russ.zolotoi@gmail.com.

Well, what do you know????

I'm back... with the end of the story... finally.

So, we started to discuss "naughty" words (using euphemisms, of course)...and they pretended to be "shocked" that I knew those words, and I, in return, pretended to be shocked that they knew those words. At last, one female student asked me if the "B" word was one of those "naughty" words. I replied that it depended on the context. If someone were calling someone else a "B" then, indeed, it an was inappropriate metaphor. However, if I were talking to someone whose profession was raising dogs then the word Bitch was appropriate and correct. Immediately, the classroom went silent with shock (He said, "BITCH").
Then, they rebounded and shouted their incredulity that I would ever consider such a
word "correct."

One girl asked, "Mr. Zolotoi, what would you say if I said 'That bitch peed on my floor?' "

"Well...," I answered, "...depending upon the context... I would tell you either your dog needs more training,...or ... you need better behaved friends!" ...and we all laughed.

As we were laughing, I happened to look up on the board and I saw the Fun With Words phrase on the board and suddenly I realized that, yes, indeed, we were having fun FUN WITH WORDS!

I simulated shock, and said "Oh, my goodness!"

"What? What?" they all wanted to know.

So I shared my revelation that today really was FWW - day and that's what we were doing... having Fun With Words. There was an immediate sharp intake of breath as students do when they learn a "truth" and then, just as quickly, there was the loud clamor as students do when they feel they have been "tricked" into learning.

But I hadn't tricked them, ...couldn't have... I hadn't even planned the course of events ...but I and the class both learned something.

They learned that language can be enjoyable.

I learned that sometimes the "Teachable moment" works both ways.

F.W.W. - Day (continued)

So, as I was saying... on this Friday (first day of vocabulary study) I thought that I would call it FWW-Day instead of Friday. FWW would stand for Fun With Words (pronounced FWA-day)... and I meant it both as sarcasm and as a bit of a hint.

So, on the board, under Friday I wrote FWW-day and in my best Buffalo Bob imitation I said "Hey Kids, what day is it?" Some mumbled softly "Friday", but most just looked on with puzzled indifference.

Then, I answered with as much feigned enthusiasm as I could muster "It's not Friday but FWA -day!"

By then, even the sleepers were awake and almost all of the students shouted, "What's FWW-day?". And I answered in my best carnival barker's voice, "FUN WITH WORDS - day".

Immediately the groans and hoots of derision started. The waves of disgust was so palpable that I thought I saw Gidget surfing one of them. But I laughed as if I mis-heard them and acted as if they were shouting to convey their enthusiasm for word study.

As I was writing the word elements of the new vocabulary word NONCHALANCE, a student raised his hand and asked if there was a word for "not caring" was there actually a word CHALANCE meaning caring. Well, I wasn't sure, and I told them that. But I also hazarded a guess that perhaps, at one time, there had been a word like that and that it was now obsolete or archaic. I reminded the students that language and words are dynamic entities whose usage lives or dies, waxes or wanes, or changes through passages of time and place. The students seemed satisfied with that answer.

And then, another student asked me for an example of words that change and I mentioned that in Shakespeare's time the word "NICE" was considered an insult and a naughty word.

And that of course prompted the question the question/response, "What exactly were naughty words?" Now of course, the classroom was riveted on every word.

FWW-Day

Well,what do you know? Even teachers can have the "teachable moment." It happened to me.

On Friday I introduced vocabulary study to my juniors. I know that the approved (for this decade) manner for teaching vocabulary is teaching vocabulary in context - which is fine if your students are avid readers, and if you have "oodles" of time to waste, and if you don't mind that much of the enjoyment of a story is fragmented by word study. However, I don't feel that my classes meet any of those criteria so I use word lists and sentence context clues. As a former language teacher I believe that in many ways studying English (even at the high school level) is like studying another language. So, I use many of the same techniques teaching English vocabulary as I would have teaching a foreign language - that includes oral repetition, memorization, word elements, contextual meanings, oral sentence construction, etc. I'm also using vocabulary to prepare students for the SAT's, to encourage vocabulary acquisition and us and, more importantly, to realize that often, they know more than they think. I'm constantly encouraging them to "Get full credit for partial knowledge" (Princeton Review) by using their language experiences to help them figure out what an unfamiliar word may mean. I urge them to try to figure out what the words mean before looking them up in the dictionary. It's a class project and all the students are encouraged to participate orally.

For example, if BELABOR is one of the vocabulary words, a student may recognize that "labor" is part of the word and relate that "labor" is work and that BELABOR must have something to do with work. Then I'll encourage them to read the supplied definitions to see if one of those definitions has anything to do with work. Or, if the word is CONGEAL, a student might observe that in Spanish "con" means "with" and I might ask what "-geal' might mean... and if that gets no response, I might add "gel" and then "jelly" and then, "Jello". By that time one (or more) student gets the idea that CONGEAL has something to do with liquid turning into a solid and there's one more word that they don't have to look up in the dictionary.

I must add that I love language - especially words, wordplay, word formation, word pronunciation, etc. As a result, the lesson is usually presented in a pretty dynamic manner with many puns, bad "teacher" jokes, double-meanings, mistaken meaning, word origins - all done in a rather rapid-fire manner. I feel that the jokes, bad as they are, often create an additional device for the students to remember the word. For example, the definition of LARGESS might be generosity or what Superman wears on his chest. There are usually many BOO's after this atrocity but if they remember the joke, they'll remember the correct pronunciation of LARGESS. Of course, the verbal wordplay usually gets a raucous response - but I remind them that I've had an ear operation that alters my hearing so that all boo's sound like loud guffaws. And, anyway the response is part of the fun and I do believe that often students learn more and better if they are enjoying themselves.

This post has become more involved then I anticipated... (to be continued)

Rules and observations

Rule #1: There is no school function that is so well planned and organized that some dumb SOB can't screw it up.

Rule #2: Don't you be that dumb SOB!

Back to school insight

In my last post I mentioned the dreaded "Back-to-school" night. It seems to me that I have always thought of it as just one more onerous task that was necessary but terrifying and, a bit demeaning. Sort of like, "Look, Ma, that trained seal is balancing a ball on his nose and eating a kippered herring ... AT THE SAME TIME!" Believe me, observing the teachers' performances at my own children's back-to-school nights (flushed face, tight jaws, strained smile, forehead glistening with flop sweat, babbling incoherently, eyes darting wildly from face to face searching for even the faintest sign of friendly understanding -even pity) did not fortify my image of own presentations. Perhaps I exaggerate, but, as I mentioned, there was always that opportunity for panic.

However, I realize now that I was kidding myself. I have enjoyed my interactions with parents, more than I have admitted to myself. In my self-centered way, I incorrectly imagined those meetings as a command performance, in which the central object was me, my class, and my ability to convince the parents of my effectiveness in teaching their children. That is not how it usually turned out. Of course, there is always a bit of parental judgment of me, personally. However, it has been my experience that many parents come back to school to find out two things - first, to find out the "nuts and bolts" of the course, and secondly, to find out my philosophy of teaching. They are not so interested in "What?" I am doing but rather, "Why?" I am doing it. They are looking for some common sense rationale that guides my teaching - stated in such a way that they have no trouble understanding it or, at least, understanding (if not agreeing with) my purpose.

So, instead of filling up the time with the "specifics" of the course I try to share visions of education and its purpose with parents. The number of parents who are looking for some positive outlook for their child - some teaching philosophy that challenges their child while at the same time taking into consideration that their child is vulnerable, has shortcomings, and may be afraid to take risks.

So, I guess what I'm saying is that BTS nights are as much about giving parents inspiration and hope that, maybe...just maybe, this year might be a that productive and enjoyable year that they wish will re-ignite their child's zeal to learn. Or, if their child already possesses that zeal and drive they hope that this year will be an continuation of years past. What they dread is another school year of uninspired, lackluster, pedantic teaching that dulls the mind and deadens the spirit .

Back onTrack

Well, I'm back. As I mentioned before, it's been as chaotic an opening first month as I have experienced in my 38 years. After playing "class list roulette" for three weeks, the students are finally settled in to their correct classes. (Well, most of them anyway). I guess it's time for me to make up my official roll book. The computer print-out sheets I've been using are jammed packed with scribbled-in (and scribbled-out) information - assignments, grades, attendance, book #'s, latenesses, withdrawal dates, entry dates, # of lav/nurse/locker passes given, to whom, and when. All information that will eventually find its way into my roll book (and not by magic I can tell you).

Did I mention that the library is finally open. It had been closed because a summer snafu created a mold-filled LRC. I'm not going to make any bad jokes about how the Librarian is such a fun-guy, but things were so bad that almost all of the books could have been filed in the 570 section. So they say that all is well in the library, but I am skeptical since the rooms adjacent to the LRC still smell like the back of a cave. We shall see...

We just held our Back-to-School night. It was quite successful, many parents showed up - maybe it was the free food at our newly renovated cafeteria, but I sensed that the parents were quite concerned with the material and the quality of their children's education (even the traditionally low attendance classes). It was nice having a win - especially after so many losing seasons. There were some nights in the past in which so few parents attended that we teachers ended up giving our presentations to each other. I can't always blame the community, a few of those years the dates of Back-to-school were never sent out to the parents. Not a good idea - but it sure reduced the number of parental complaints.

I'd like to relate my thoughts on the Back-to-school experience - an experience that, in retrospect has been quite positive, but it's time to go. Next time...

Here we go again...

It's been as hectic an opening as I have ever experienced. Opening day was a shambles. Initially, only the students had schedules not the teachers. Moreover, many of those schedules had holes in them so students had to sit in the cafeteria during undisclosed periods. Not only didn't the teachers have class schedules-homeroom schedules were delivered by hand- but there was no school opening schedule. So... few, if any, knew what the time frames were for the periods. It's tough to start anything if you're not sure how long you have to complete the task. For the experienced teachers it was easier, we've been on voyage before (although we've always had a schedule). However, the new teachers, especially the first year teachers, were baffled. They had the look of Bambi crossing an eight lane superhighway at mid-day. No schedules, no keys, no books, no lockers, no guidance, no advice - just "Write down your name on this sheet of paper please, so I'll know if you were in the right class when I find the right class."

Have to go... but this year at "Event Horizon High" promises to be fun - if you're Franz Kafka.

Missing post

I sent a missive into the air/where it went I know not where... (apologies to Longfellow)

I wrote a blog last night and, truth be told, it was a masterpiece :). It was about the effects of summer and the dreaded "first day of school". However, when I hit publish it never made it to my blog. The lettering at the bottom kept telling me that it was saving my message, but even that is labeled "draft", and is incomplete. I know that the message is saved ... somewhere. But I don't think I can get there from here.

Anyway, Scrodinger's cat is probably reading it at this very moment.

There is more to this blogging than I expected. Pardon me while I study this some more.

There's much to talk about today's experiences, but it's much too complicated to detail right now. Suffice it to say that life ain't easy at "Event Horizon High".

8/26/09

Rationale: After close to 40 years in the profession, I have decided that this will be my last year in public education. I will leave reluctantly. I enjoy teaching; it is my life's work. I have striven to be one of those teachers whose classes students enjoy and learn, and from some of their comments I have been, at times, successful. Teaching (or thoughts about teaching) structure my life and thinking. Whenever I see or experience a new or novel idea, my first question is "Can I use this experience in class?" The second question is "How can I structure this experience so that my students can comprehend the import of the experience and use it to connect with the world?" Teaching often comes down to explaining the same point in as many different ways as possible so that all students, no matter what their experiences, can understand. It seems to me that my attempt to see the world from as many different points of view has been vastly beneficial to my education as well.

And yet...

I notice that I'm not as energetic as I once was. It seems that I have less patience. The stress seems to get to me about November/December rather than the Spring recess. I seem to be looking forward to the holidays with more anticipation than in years before. I do not want to be the last one to leave the dance. I fear that I will be the teacher of whom older students say, "...but you should have seen him teach in the old days..." I want to go out at the top of my game, so to speak. Moreover, at post-60 years of age and in these times, it makes economic sense (although that is a secondary concern).

So...

This will be my last year. I hope to share thoughts, events, situations, explanations, ruminations, etc. with others. To maintain my objectivity; my, my fellow-educators', my students', and my district's privacy; and my expressive freedom; I will not reveal my name, nor my location, nor my students'/fellow teachers' names. In all other ways, I will try to be as forthright as I am able.
That's all for now.