Wow! You Teach What?

     The new school year is off and running and I have a new job this year. I am a STEM teacher. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. This year my job is to support science education in our school, teach computational thinking and to foster curiosity in the students that come to my school. This year we are focusing on "Moonshot Thinking." I was inspired when I watched this video and I hope you will be too!

http://youtu.be/0uaquGZKx_0

     We need to foster "moonshot thinking" in our students today. So many of them are only focused on getting the "right" answer and in reality, it's not their fault that this is their main focus. We have become a nation of "test takers." We have suck the curiosity out of our children and our students. Student success has been defined by how well "they have done on the test." Is this really how we want to educate children? How we want them to learn? Who will solve the great problems of science, medicine and ultimately, society?

     Los Altos is leading the way in revolutionizing learning for students. We are building this new STEM program as we go and my colleagues and I are pioneers in this new frontier. We don't have all the answers yet, but we are fostering curiosity and "big" thinking in our students and I am proud to be a part of all this change. We need help with this mission and I will be reaching out to community members and organizations to make all this happen for students. I hope that businesses in the Silicon Valley will see the importance of our work since we are helping to educate your future employees. We have STEM labs to create, technology to buy and integrate, and we need to collaborate with the professionals in our STEM fields of study. If I have provoked thoughts and interest, let's work together!

   

Where Are We Going?

     For years I resisted joining the Twitter nation. Twitter was a way to follow professional athletes, movie stars, etc. who talked about their every move and thought because what they thought and did really changed the world. I always asked myself, who really cares what they do or think? I know I don't. "I will never join the Twitter Nation." Well, one should never say never...
     As most of you know, I have a new job as a STEM teacher in my school district and I joined the Twitter nation. To my surprise, there are some great ideas and thoughts on Twitter if you are selective about who you follow. There are some very interesting articles, blogs and comments about education reform and innovation. I have spent a number of hours reading and getting ideas from others in education about reform and innovation. For those of you that know me personally, you know all this information has lead to questions. How do the Common Core Standards fit with innovation in the classroom? How much project-based learning can a teacher accomplish with a sundry list of standards to meet? What are we doing as a District to help teachers understand and prioritize the new standards in order to create these innovative lessons? As a teacher, I am required to teach the standards the State of California has adopted and I don't have a choice about that. Giving teachers additional tools "in their toolbox" to teach creative and innovative lessons is great, but we need to start with understanding the standards. This process of understanding the standards takes time and conversations and work needs to begin soon since the new assessments for Common Core begin in 2014-2015.
     So, where do we begin? How about unwrapping the standards themselves and creating priority standards? How about using staff meeting time and District meetings to accomplish this task? How about creating a subcommittee to help the process? How about more collaboration time for teaching teams and cross grade level discussions? Unwrapping a standard gives each member of the teaching team a clear understanding of the learning outcome and it allows each teacher to teach that standard their own way. This is where the innovation and art of teaching comes into play.
     As a parent, I would want to know the grade level standards for my child. What is my child going to learn in this grade level and how does it tie into the next grade level? How will I know that my child has met this standard? How is my school preparing my child in terms of college and career readiness?What can I do to help my child be successful in this quest?
     I hope we are going to start to have these conversations with all the stakeholders in the District because right now it feels really fragmented to me.
   
   
   

   

 

A Year In Reflection

       I've been spending quite a bit of time on Twitter in the past week or so and have been reading about the importance of the practice of reflection for improving teaching practices and student learning. I am very surprised to find that this is not a common practice amongst teachers. I have been reflecting on my teaching for years and for the past three years, those reflections have been public on my Facebook page. This year I decided I would post my reflection on my blog, so here it goes..........
     I began the year with a story that I tell every year. It is my own math story. I was a great math student in school. I was in the GATE (Gifted and Talented) Class where we were taught advanced everything. Math came very naturally to me and I didn't have "math phobia," so when I went to high school, I expected that everything would be the same. Well, did I have a surprise waiting for me.
I walked into my Freshman Algebra class and the teacher began. He wrote a bunch of gibberish on the chalkboard and turned around and said to the class, "So, that is how you do the problem. Are there any questions?" Of course there were questions. He never explained a single concept. He never taught any vocabulary. He never told us why we were learning this stuff or how it was relevant to our lives. A few students, including myself, asked the questions everyone was afraid to ask. He turned around, pointed at the board and repeated EXACTLY the same thing he had been saying as he wrote all that stuff on the board the first time. Then he assigned the homework and sat down at the desk in the front of the classroom. The next day we came to class and we started by correcting the homework. This meant you might be called to the chalkboard to work the problem for the class. I prayed that he wouldn't call on me because I had NO idea what was going on in this math class and this process went on day after day after day. I took quizzes and tests and I failed. My homework scores were dismal. For the first time ever in my life, I was a failure! I knew my parents would kill me if I got an F in this class and I was sure my father would disown me, since he was an engineer and math came so easy to him. Then towards the end of the semester, I was called to the teacher's desk at the front of the room. He said to me, "You know you are failing my class. I will give you a C in this class if you promise to never take another math class again." Knowing that my parents would kill me for the F, I made the promise and I never took another math class in high school again and I got the C. Back in those days, you only needed a semester of math to graduate and I had it. I knew that I would have to take math again at some point, but my misery and stupidity was over and I was grateful. My experience in math taught me that I was an idiot, that something had happened to my mind between 8th and 9th grade and I couldn't do or understand math. A teacher's words had changed my mindset, my life and not in a positive way.
      Then came college -- "You are going to have to take all these math courses," my academic advisor said to me. I started to panic, but I knew I was going to have to get through it and this was my mindset. I had to take these class and that meant that my GPA would suck and I would be lucky to get a C, and so on. The negative self-talk was relentless. The semester started and I walked into my algebra class and sat down in the front. Dr. Thomas walked into the room and introduced herself. She handed out the syllabus and talked about math; doing the math, the importance of notes, homework, class work, asking questions and then she started teaching the first lesson. I will never forget this moment in this class. I don't remember exactly what she was teaching, but I understood every word she was saying. It made perfect sense to me and I thought, "This is so easy. I don't understand why I didn't get this before!" I got an A in that math class and every other math class I took in college (except my 6 week Trigonometry class that I got a B+) and math was easy. I wasn't afraid of math anymore and I knew I could do it.  So, what did I learn? I learned that it never really was me. I wasn't an idiot. I was never "bad" at math. I had an unprofessional, ineffective math teacher in my very first math class in high school and it changed my mindset about me. I learned that the words a teacher uses with a student and in the classroom can have long term effects on the student's self esteem and confidence.
     I end that story by telling my students that it is my job to make sure they understand math; that they need to ask questions, that they can come and talk with my about math at recess or lunch or after school. I promise them that I can answer their question in 10 minutes. Most importantly, I hope they will actually come to like and enjoy math.
     That story changes mindsets. It changes the mindset of my students because my mindset is different. I teach differently because of my personal experiences. I send positive messages about math, especially to girls and my underrepresented students.  I make math relevant to their lives; how will they use all this "stuff" I am teaching. I tell stories in class. They problem solve. They work in small groups. They work in pairs. They are peer experts. There is technology used in the classroom. They talk about math in math class and outside of math class.
     On the last day of math class, I asked each of my students to write me a note anonymously about their experience in math this year; the good, the bad and the ugly. I wanted their honest opinions about the class. What would they change? What would they keep the same? What would they add? I had a few notes that told me they still didn't like math and that I was a tough teacher and expected too much of them. Trust me, I know who authored those notes, but for the most part, I got what I had hoped for....
"You have changed my mind about math."
"You explained math so clearly. I really understood what I was learning."
"You are the best math teacher ever."
"I looked forward to math class everyday."
"At first, I really didn't like the note taking, but it really did help me with homework."
And I got suggestions...
"Try and incorporate more projects in math. I really liked the ones we did and we need more."
"Use Khan Academy more in the classroom" and an equal number of "You know everyone hates Khan, so just get rid of it."
     As I look back on the year, this is what I am thinking about --
I felt pressure to get through all the math curriculum by April 17th for the junior high math placement test and STAR Testing and I did it, but......
Did my push through the curriculum payoff for my students? Did I increase their math knowledge?
I know what my formative and summative assessments tell me and the answer to those questions are yes, but could I have slowed down to add more projects? What concept or concepts could I have spent less time teaching? Why are we giving a math placement test in April, when there is so much material to cover? How will common core math standards change all of this?
     I will continue to think about these questions through the summer, and I will answer them one by one. It was a great year of teaching. I got to teach a subject that I am passionate about and I am grateful for the opportunity to do so. My teaching partners, Amy and Vanessa, entrusted me with their students in a subject that is tested to demonstrate student learning and school/teacher accountability. This was a big risk for all of us. Thank you for your trust and confidence in me. It has been such an honor to work with both of you. This "dream team" as we have been called, is going our separate ways. Good luck to both of you on your new career paths. As for me, I have a new job next year. I am the new STEM teacher at my school where I get to share my passion for math and science with all the students K-6. There's going to be a bunch of scientist and mathematicians running around my campus now because their teacher loves teaching math and science and let's be real --- math and science are so cool!

The Perfect School

     In my 18 years of teaching experience, I don't think there has ever been a time that anyone asked me to describe the "perfect" school. I have been thinking about these ideas for quite a while now and I think it's time to share some ideas. Some of my ideas run contrary to our current system of education, but most of the changes I would make are substantiated by research. For those of you that know me, most of everything I do in the classroom is research based. There is a purpose for every routine and lesson in my classroom. Even my own students have finally caught on to this idea. I want to acknowledge that what I will be describing costs more money than what is currently spent on education, however some of what I will suggest is about setting priorities and allocating money differently. With that said, here we go.
     I would begin by extending and changing the schedule of the day. Instructional minutes should be determined by academic need and not by the schedules of programs served by itinerate teachers such as music, physical education, art or cSTEM. Don't get me wrong, I support all these programs. I think these programs help to provide a well rounded education for students, but not at the cost of academic instruction. If you are setting a schedule by academic need and you want to provide other programs, then you have to hire the staff to teach it on site.
     Next, I would extend the school day 30 to 60 minute depending on the grade level. Those last minutes of the day would set aside for homework only. The research behind this model has shown that students benefit more from homework when the teacher is there to answer any questions that arise from the day's lesson. This is particularly true for our English Language Learners and our Socio-Economic Disadvantaged students. Additionally, it would insure that homework would be done before students left school for the day and it also stops the "homework battle" at home.
     Then, I would create small learning communities within the school. A small learning community or SLC is a group teachers working together to analyze student performance data which in turn, drives instruction for every student. In this model, students may be regrouped often because the grouping of students is based on mastery of the standards. There are several ways to create the grouping, but most often you see K-2 ( if K is full day kindergarten) then 3-5 and 6-8. All the teachers in the SLC are teaching the standards for their grade level, however there would be movement between the grade levels by students. In other words, it's possible that a third grader could be sitting fourth grader in math class. A SLC has several other advantages as well. The teaching teams get to know each of the students in the SLC very well and every teacher is responsible for the learning of every child. Also, teachers are working in teams where collaboration is the expectation and the norm. Research has shown that teacher collaboration increases student success. More importantly, teachers are not teaching in isolation. Also, the SLC model provides for a positive connection with an adult at school and research has shown that students that make and keep positive adult connections at school are more likely to succeed.
     Additionally, I would hold two conferences a year. One at the beginning of the school year somewhere in early September and the last conference in May. The first conference would be a goal setting conference based on assessment data in which the teacher, student and the parent would set academic and asset building goals for the year. The conference in May would be a student lead conference reviewing their portfolio and how the student met his/her goals. Obviously, this would look very different in primary grades and upper grades. Which brings me to the discussion of report cards.
    What exactly is the purpose of a report card? Most will say that it is a way for the school to give information to the parent about how their child is doing in school. But what exactly does an "A" mean? For that matter, what does any letter grade mean? When I am planning my lessons, I am thinking about the standard I am teaching. What does the student need to know? What do they have to be able to do? How will he/she show that they know this? I want my students to master the standard. I am after mastery of a standard. So, what does A, B, C, D or F mean in terms of mastering the standard? Does "A" mean they mastered the standard more than a grade of "B". How is that determined? Is a "C" still mastery? How is that different than an "A"? In other words, our current grading system really doesn't tell parents anything. I think parents AND students would be better served by moving to a standards based report card. Students have either mastered the standard or they have not. This allows teachers, parents and students to identify areas of weakness and provide remediation to assure mastery.
     I have other ideas floating in my head that I have not shared in this blog, but stay tuned. I will write about those ideas as well. If I have provoked your thoughts about teaching and learning, I suggest you do some reading about these ideas. They have come from some very interesting individuals in educational research. Spend some time reading Doug Reeves, Becky and Rick DeFour, Larry Ainsworth, Robert Marzano, Charlotte Danielson and Tom Guskey. It's time to start a conversation...
   
   
   
   

Change

     I have come to the conclusion that we spend a lot of our time learning to deal with and accept change. Change is something that doesn't come easy to most people. We get set in our ways of doing things or ways in which we think and then out of the blue.......the situation changes. I walked into work two weeks ago to find out we were getting a new principal next year. Keep in mind that this will be our fourth principal in the last seven years. While I was happy that my current principal was growing professionally and moving on to bigger and better things, a part of me was just angry. The self talk began, "Why couldn't we continue the work we had begun? Why was my principal chosen? What about the students? What about the continuity of their school experience? What about the community?"
I found myself asking all the questions everyone asks themselves when change happens in a school community. Once again, I was confronted by change. But change, my friends, can be a good thing.
    For change to be a positive experience, it requires open mindedness, lots of discussion, and patience.
It requires everyone to reserve judgement, to listen, watch and to be kind. There are many changes headed our way at our school. Teachers are retiring, new teachers are being hired, families that have been at our school for years are moving on to the junior high and new families will join our school community. Upon reflection, I realized that although there will be new faces at school, the mission stays the same. It's all about the kids! Everything we do is about educating children and that will continue regardless.
     My students are facing change in a huge way in the next month. Most will be leaving the only school they have ever attended and go to a new school in August. This can be a rough time for them as they come to this realization. It's my job to let them know they are ready, they are prepared and they can do it. I saw amazing changes in my students this week when we were at Science Camp. They became more independent, took care of themselves AND others, showed caring, kindness, and took responsibility. They have learned many things this year and some of it is about life and getting along in this world. The academic lessons were easier than the life lesson, but in the end, the life lesson are so important. I hope the memories and successes they experienced this year and particularly, this week, will stay with them for a lifetime. On my classroom wall I have posted, "Expect the unexpected." Change happens.
 

 

"The Sky is Falling"

       Most of you know the story of Henny Penny who runs around telling everyone that "the sky is falling" when an acorn falls on her head. Henny warns everyone there is grave danger and recruits a cast of characters to help spread the word. Depending on the version you read, the moral to this fable is not to be a "chicken" but have courage or not to believe everything you are told. Perhaps we should take heed of the message in this fable again as it relates to public education? Is the public education system in the United States in grave danger? Are our students failing to learn or do we have "Henny Penny's" sounding an unfounded alert?
      For quite a few years the public has been barraged with the message that public schools are failing. The media reports that our students are far behind in math and science compared to other countries. Public schools are berated for low test scores, lousy teachers, and Federal and State Departments of Education across the country are calling for reform and looking at other countries' education systems for the answers to our "problem." If you really want to know the answer to these questions, you must look at the data. What do the test scores really say about student learning and progress?
      Don't get me wrong, there are weakness in our education system that need to be addressed, but overall, we do a really good job educating the children of this country. In today's issue of Education Weekly there is an interesting article called "International Tests Reveal Surprises at Home and Abroad" in which the authors conclude you can't just compare overall scores, you must disaggregate the data to get the true picture. In the analysis, the authors find that if you compare similar students, you will find that the US education system is doing a pretty good job educating the children in this country.
      Those of you that know me personally are aware of my recent trip to China over the Christmas holiday. I had the opportunity to talk with Chinese educators and to visit a Math and Technology Middle School in Xiamen, China. I think it is time to talk about the comparison made between the Chinese education system and the US education system. I can't count the number of times I have heard that the Chinese system is far superior to the US. In my opinion, you are comparing apples and oranges. The educational mission for both systems of education are polar opposites. In the US, we educate everyone and provided the opportunity for everyone to go to college. We have students in our classrooms with behavior issues, learning disabilities, social and emotional issues, English Language Learners, as well as those that are socio-economic disadvantaged. In China, the education system is a "weeding out" process. Students take tests at various points in their education career that determine their educational future. If a student passes the test, they move on in the education system and if they don't their education is complete. As I walked through the Math and Technology Middle School, I saw classrooms with 50-55 students in each class. Every student was on task, the classrooms were dead silent and there were stacks of books on each desk. I did not see students with disabilities or students with behavior issues. I didn't see student collaboration, small group instruction, creativity, or student work on display. These observations lead to a very interesting conversation at dinner with one of the Ph.d candidates who was teaching my Mandarin language class at the University. She told me, "In China we memorize many facts in order to pass the tests." Out of the 78 students in her high school classroom, less than half went on to college. She continued by telling me "we memorize and in the US, you create." Yes, we do. We create and this is what leading educators like Dr. Heidi Hayes Jacobs have been talking about for the past several years.
      You cannot compare the two systems of education because their missions are completely different. It is comparing apples to oranges.  So, this brings us back to our original question. Is the public education system in the United States really in grave danger? Is the sky really falling? I don't think so.

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2013/01/23/18rothstein.h32.html?tkn=NSYFWq%2BQlUNF901uyLGxCdm2nkcMQo3s7san&cmp=ENL-EU-VIEWS1

     After a couple of years of talking about starting a blog, I am finally taking the plunge! I will not be writing about one particular subject, but many subjects that interest me and provoke thought. My blogger name comes from a line I say in the classroom on a pretty regular basis. In fact, I have said it so often my students quote me. "If you are going to do the work, turn it in. It's a good thing!"

      I hope my writing will make you think about situations, issues and everyday life from a different perspective. I look forward to reading your thoughts and responses!