Own It!!!

I recently had a conversation with some former students that was really insightful and thought I would share here.

After the usually catching up, the classic topic between parents and kids came up... discipline. One of the kids had recently made some poor choices at school. As punishment, the kid had been grounded and had some items taken away. Of course, the kid thought this was not fair.

I tried to explain that kids have more control over their lives than they realize. Parents can only react to the behaviors and choices that kids give them. The trick is to own your life and take responsibility for your actions. If you are sick of getting in trouble, then stop making the choices that get you there. If you enjoy being rewarded and praised, then continue the behavior that got you rewarded.

I then explained that it is the same for teachers. We can blame our problems on the kids and their behaviors, or we can own our classrooms and figure out a way to improve them.
-Kids being disrespectful? Then I need to be better at modeling and giving respect to them.
-Class is too loud or chaotic? I might need to try a different management style.

So, are you blaming others (kids, parents, administration) for a lack of fulfillment in your classroom? ...But, who is in a better position to make things improve than you? How much better would your classroom be if you owned those problems and took it upon yourself to make a change?

I guarantee it will make a difference! :)

Disrespect... or acting their age?

I recently finished mentoring a student from a local university for his student-teaching experience. It was a good time of sharing ideas about students, curriculum, and the education system, but a couple of topics seemed to come up repeatedly... student behavior and classroom discipline.

Over the last few years, I have learned to differentiate between a student being disrespectful in class and one showing behavior that is appropriate for their age.
You see... it is easy to confuse the two and treat them the same, but that would be damaging to the relationship with your students and the long term management of your classroom.

Yes... sometimes kids decide to mouth off, overreact, and get themselves in trouble, but many times they are just acting their age, and things are escalated by the adults around them. Is having some boys horseplaying in the classroom or dealing with girls gossiping and being hurtful to each other the best part of my job? No, but that behavior is not from them intending to disrespect me, but more out of their not yet learning to control their impulses/behaviors in different environments.

Where the problem occurs is my reaction to the kids. I have found that the majority of the disruptions in my class come from age appropriate behavior and few come from a disrespect towards me. However, that reverses when educators fail to see the teaching moment in the students' poor choice of behavior and overreact to the situation. Treating the child's age-appropriate behavior as a personal attack on who they are as a teacher and their authority in the classroom only serves to escalate the emotional response. This often ends up with a student in the office not completely understanding what happened and with another story of an emotional, yelling teacher to tell their friends...and from there, the cycle continues. Kids behave like kids. Teachers take it personally and yell. Kids mistrust teachers.

I know... I know.... sometimes it really annoys us adults having to deal with childish behavior over and over, but shouldn't it be an opportunity to teach them a better way? Besides, according to this article, that behavior may be just what they MUST live through to be a productive adult in the future.

Once more into the breach...

I don't like repeating topics so soon, but it seems that testing is a popular topic lately. The unfortunate thing is that these tests and testing results are hard for educators to understand, much less the leaders and parents outside of the building ...and programs like No Child Left Behind only serve to confuse us even more.

The basic premise behind NCLB is that all children will meet a high level of skill in reading and math by 2014. No excuses! Now, of all the complaints about the NCLB program, several issues stand out to me, one dealing with human nature and the other with how testing results are interpreted by the government.

First, the nature of humans. We have tens of millions of children in our schools, and sometimes I wonder if our politicians and leaders confuse them for machines that just need the right programing. Too often they fail to take into account the outside influences that impact our children and blame those shortcomings on the schools and the teachers (For example, concerns about their neighborhood/community, financial status of the family, medical problems for themselves or a family member, lack of parental support, social expectations from peers, etc). All of these affect the school day of our students but are just brushed under the rug in regards to test results. A couple of test days out of 180 schools days is not a good gauge of our students' abilities, especially if that day is influenced by one of those examples mentioned above. Besides, when was the last time you ever saw a large group of (individualistic) human beings all do the same thing, on the same day, in the same way?

As for interpretations, it's not as simple as saying, "Since 86% of your students passed the test, you're a good school," or "Only 54% of your students failed the test, so you are a bad school." A school's student body is broken into many different categories such as gender, ethnicity, economic status, special education, and English language learners. These groups are then graded individually. So... a school could be doing well with 86% of the students passing the math test, BUT if one of those individual groups fail (male special education, female economically disadvantaged, African-American females, Caucasian males), then the school is considered to have failed as a whole. If that happens two years in a row, you are now a school that "needs improvement." Schools earn this title regardless of a large majority of the students passing the tests at the required levels.

So when I hear about things like this from the Feds and this from the State, I can start to hope that level heads will prevail when it comes to the education and future of our children.

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Before I sign off, let me clarify one thing... I'm not saying that we get rid of all accountability for schools. That would be a swing too far in the other direction. I just hope we can come to an agreement on a high standard of education for our children and stop moving the bar like some carnival game that you can never win.

To The Rescue!!!

There has been a LOT of talk in my building lately about testing and student scores. This is nothing new as it is seems that the education world revolves more and more around this particular assessment type. The frustrating part of the whole thing is that these tests, as most teachers can tell you, are not the most ideal way of checking to see if our kids are learning.

First off, the only tests that count towards the "grade" a particular school building receives are the Reading and Math tests. Don't get me wrong... math and reading are important. They are probably the most important areas of knowledge for kids as they build a solid foundation for learning throughout their lives. However, right from the start, we are leaving off all the other areas that students excel in during the school day (sciences, social studies, the fine/performing arts, athletics). I would hate to think that we are telling our future brilliant scientists and musicians that they are "dumb" just because they happen to be average at reading and math. It's funny how we are told the importance of multiple intelligences in planning our lessons, but fail to reward them within the educational system.

Second, this "testing only" method of grading our students and schools can cause unneeded levels of stress for the students AND the teachers. Yes, the final product is often the thing that matters most in real world jobs, but the work and effort leading up to that moment can be just as important in helping someone learn and grow. This concentration on the end result often means that our children are being trained to take a test instead of engaging in meaningful learning. (I haven't even mentioned the temptation to cheat on these tests to inflate the results. I'll just let you Google "testing scandal" to catch up on the latest news on this growing problem.)

Third, I believe that many of the politicians, administrations, and companies in the driver's seat of our education system have ulterior motives. Many leaders will ignore a long-term solution (class size) in favor of the short term (buying programs/technology that often go unused). These people will profess their desire to help the children, but, in reality, it is about having something successful to point at when re-election time comes around. What about the testing companies?! They make LOTS of money off of the current system, and I don't think they will be giving up that cash cow anytime soon!

So... What about a solution?!? Like most things in life... the answer is simple, but it is often hard to put into practice. Here are a few ideas I believe could make a BIG difference.

Smaller class size in elementary schools. Many studies will talk about the importance of building a solid educational foundation with our youngest students, but schools will often see their highest student-to-teacher ratio in these critical K-3rd grade classrooms. I would LOVE to see no more than 15 students in our early elementary classrooms. I believe that many of the students who struggle academically today do so because they fell through the cracks in those crowded settings and failed to develop critical skills in reading and math.

Rearrange our priorities. Just as a healthy lifestyle can often save a person the pain and expense of medical problems later in life, a good education can empower people to take charge of circumstances in their lives and see the options (both short-term and long) available to them. As teachers and school districts, we can do this by continuing to focus on proven strategies and avoid tying up our resources in educational fads or buying items that only serve the purpose of making us look good for the local newspaper or TV report. Also, parents should constantly remind their children that their education is a process that will see benefits down the road. Be their external motivation to keep going (when they want to quit) until they mature and develop the internal motivation that drives most successful adults.

Read! I cannot overstate the importance of reading. Many of us cannot afford to see and experience the many wonders that our world offers, but through reading, we have those wonders and stories at our fingertips. Reading allows us to stretch beyond ourselves. We learn of the successes and problems of others throughout history, and we gain the ability to see the world through the eyes of others, both of which are crucial in becoming a tolerant and productive citizen.

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My teacher friends and I often joke about being able to solve the dilemmas in our educational system if the various leaders in our field and country would just listen to us, but I don't think that will happen anytime soon. However, I have left my pessimism behind years ago.
I truly believe that, if teachers don't get bogged down in what we can't control and focus on the bright, eager students we are given each year, things will turn out for the best more often than not! :)

Early Days

It's still early in the year, but I thought would share a couple of stories that have happened so far. These are the kind of little things that keeps this teacher coming back for more!

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Being a social studies teacher, I REALLY like using Dr. Mark Forget's teaching methods. His activities are a great way to integrate reading and writing skills into my curriculum.

One of his activities is called an "Anticipation Guide." I had passed out the guide to kids and was going over how it was used, but one little girl was adamant that she use her own notebook paper because she didn't want to get the Guide "messy." I laughed, but insisted that it was okay to write all over my worksheet. After some huffing, puffing, and pouty lips, she put her notebook paper aside, and we finished the activity.

So imagine my surprise the next day when I am grading papers and her notebook paper is stapled to the back of the guide worksheet I gave her. My first reaction of irritation quickly subsided as I flipped over to her notebook paper, only to find the paper blank except for three words near the bottom, "Love This Class."

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I am pleasantly surprised each year by the number of eighth grade students that say they miss my class from the year before. ESPECIALLY, the students that I felt like I was constantly having conversations with about poor behavior choices and being responsible for their actions. So it was quite a surprise when one such student came up to me with an announcement while I was walking to my car after school.

"Mr. Farnham, I want to be a teacher when I grow up because of you."

Now I don't know how serious he is, but if, at the least, my words and actions have caused him to take school a little more seriously, that is great, and if he does grow up to join the teaching field, then I hope I have been a good example of how to treat students while getting them to learn about the world and themselves.

Reflection vs. Self-reflection

"Oh yeah... I reflect on my actions and learn from my mistakes." That is a phrase that many claim is true, but I wonder if it really happens. After thinking this over, I believe many people (teachers, parents, and students alike) confuse the process of reflection and self-reflection.

Now wait a second, Teach! Is there really even a difference?! I believe so!

Reflection is simply the act of looking back on past events or interactions with others. We look at the events and people involved, begin to draw conclusions, and make plans for how it all could of been improved if OTHERS would have done it differently.

On the other hand, self-reflection keeps the focus on yourself! It is less about what others have done and more importantly focused on what I could have done to do or be better in the situation. Considering that I am the only human that I can control 100% of the time, I find this the best approach when dealing with the circumstances around me.

I find that because of this difference, self-reflection will lead to more growth for you as a person. In thinking of ways to improve yourself, avoiding the need to place the blame for your problems elsewhere, you build a solid foundation from which to own your life instead of depending on others.

So as we get back into the routines of the school year and dealing with our students and curriculum, are you looking for ways to strengthen yourself and become a better educator (self-reflection), or do you prefer to seek out parents, administrators, students, or policies to blame for your problems (reflection)?

Whether you own your situation and fix it or throw your hands up and look for someone to blame, life will go on, but wouldn't it feel better knowing you have some control over it?

My Mission Field and My Art...

The summer is almost over, and my thoughts have started to wander back to my upcoming mission trip. That's right... I just referred to my job teaching middle school as a mission trip! :)

...But, isn't that the best way to describe it? This annual, nine-month long trip is a big part of my life, and I give it as much energy and thought as I can spare from my family, my first priority. I love spending time with and helping the locals (middle school students) to visualize and strive for a better future, and I truly hope that teachers, as well as other professionals, can say the same for their outlooks on work!

In preparing for this school year, I have also been thinking about the idea of leaving a legacy and what that means. This is probably not an uncommon thought for most people because, no matter the person, at some point you begin to wonder what your life was worth, what you will leave behind for others, or how your friends and family will remember you.

I have thought of this before and realized that beyond my wife and kid... my students will be a large portion of the proof that I have done something useful with my life.

While some of you might find that depressing, it gives me a sense of focus, frees me from being weighed down with frivolous matters, and makes sure my energy is used on things that will matter in the long run.

Therefore, my classroom is more than a collection of tables and books... it's my workshop, and the students are my paints. I only hope, in the end, I will be remembered as the creator of true masterpieces and not some graffiti on a bathroom stall. :)