Entry #8 - Oct. 26, 1998
"[Our] kids lack the skills to do group work, activities, and
the like very successfully: It seems that anything other than direct paper-and-pencil
tasks are perceived by many teachers as invitations to 'fool around.' So
new teachers quickly scale back any innovative projects they may have planned
because 'the kids can't handle it.' This bothers me, though. They have to
learn to handle it, and who else will teach them?"
One spin-off effect of the lack of resources in our school is that students
spend far too much time (in my opinion) copying from the board and doing
exercises out of textbooks, and then, as the science teacher observed, they
don't know how to set up experiments, write observations, and so on. Well!
We had a little real-life science this week. Monday is the day I normally
have the Therapy Pet's visit
(if I do), but on Wednesday I brought in the Therapy Dog's "wife"
and she obligingly gave birth to five healthy Sheltie puppies to a rapt
and attentive audience! This led to a good discussion on heredity, dominant
and recessive traits, comparing/contrasting human and canine birth (the
kids were fascinated by the fact that each puppy came in its own "baggie"
-- "like a Ziploc," as one commented). We sure got some writing
and organizing information activities out of that!
I'll bring the babies back once a week for the next little while so the
kids can weigh and measure them and note other changes. Puppies double their
birth weight in one week: we tried to figure out what a human baby would
weigh at one year if it did the same (and kept on doing it!): the number
was astronomical!
I've often wondered why we don't have a schoolwide uninterrupted silent
reading time at my school. It's common in many others, and we certainly
need to encourage "real" reading and writing activities.
Other teachers in the school have also noticed, as I have, that the kids
lack the skills to do group work, activities, and the like very successfully:
It seems that anything other than direct paper-and-pencil tasks are perceived
by many students as invitations to "fool around." So new teachers
quickly scale back any innovative projects they may have planned because
"the kids can't handle it." This bothers me, though. They have
to learn to handle it, and who else will teach them? We have to start somewhere.
I planned a physical geography activity for one class where they had to
compare several vegetables (whole and sliced in half) to the earth (surface,
layers, etc...) and before beginning I explained the purpose of the activity
in some detail and hinted that we could do more "fun" activities
if they displayed the proper work ethic. Or we could do more workbooks.
I must have made my point at least for the moment, because they worked well
together in small groups (even Danny tried to participate), and another
teacher who came in asked them what they were doing, seemed impressed by
the students' explanations, and made a face at me and mouthed "Wow!"
as she was leaving.
I made a point of congratulating the students on their success and promised
to organize another interesting activity about plate tectonics.
Can this be a self-perpetuating cycle? The students perform relatively poorly,
or lack certain skills, so we revamp the program to accommodate their deficiencies
instead of constantly challenging them to do better, reach higher, expect
more? On the other hand, I can see how it would be difficult to roll the
rock uphill by oneself. We really need a united, whole-school policy on
how to achieve higher standards and a better work ethic. Can we organize
it from below? I wonder, because the administrative level is so preoccupied
with paperwork (in our district, anyway) that curriculum and instruction
seems to be viewed as an afterthought.
We were given the deadlines for the Individual Education Plans: they must
be complete and handed in (printed, collated, etc.) by November 6 -- less
than 2 weeks from now. We have a completely new format to use, but it is
electronic, seven pages long, and it *must* be done on the computer -- no
exceptions. One problem, though: the computer program is not available yet.
Maybe sometime next week, maybe not.
I have to do more than 40 IEP's -- and I was expected to help the classroom
teachers do them for non-Special Education pupils who are supposed to have
them under the new regulations. Given the primitive equipment I have to
work with, the printing alone will take 1/2 hour each; the whole process,
easily 1.5 hours per IEP. I'm not a math teacher, but I don't see any way
of meeting that November 6 deadline.
Last year there was an outbreak of "report card flu" when thousands
of teachers in the system (many who were NEVER sick otherwise) were absent
trying to do these "new, improved" electronic report cards. Those
reports are due on November 17th, and we don't have the program for them
yet, either, and some on our staff have as many as 120 to do! I'll say it
again: Imagine if we invested as much in developing and improving programs
as we do in reporting on them! Gazing in my crystal ball, I see full employment
for substitute teachers in the next few weeks.
While doing an article this week for a local education newsletter, I had
a chance to interview a recently retired principal from our district who
was instrumental in creating a climate of high achievement in his inner-city
school. It CAN be done! His school found getting parents actively involved
was a key to success. My principal just asked me to represent the staff
on the newly-formed parent council, so we'll see if we can get any promising
initiatives going!
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COMMENTS
Susan:
At our school I find that most kids are engaged by the "fun" and
do rise to the demands in terms of behavior. My problem continues to be
the transfer of information. They love hands-on, but I constantly worry
about whether it's minds-on as well. Test scores are always disappointing,
even after a series of really strong labs.
Our grades are probably due next week. Your comments struck a nerve...I
have 165 to complete...grr.
Debbie
=======================
Susan,
Your comments made me reflect also on groupwork. You have to teach students
to work together, value each others' opinions. Does this work all the time?
Obviously no; however, I spend the first three weeks laying that foundation.
Teamwork, giving competence to students doing things well. I am getting
better results than anyone I talk with.
Greg Wiseman
gwiseman@iclub.org