write now

Another week has gone by without posting to the blog. Some days I haven't even written. I've had meetings, classes, conversations that have been positive and productive--and those are understatements. I've actually written two posts this week, but I didn't publish them; I couldn't convince myself to. I'm still thinking; I'm still considering and contemplating. A lot is going on--in my life, at home, at school, and consequentially in my brain. It's more to process than I want to put out there, but I still feel to push to put it out there. I'm getting more and more scared about sharing though.

These are my thoughts today, October 15, 2010, during third period, 10:23 am CDT.

education reform

Tavis Smiley, in his show with Geoffrey Canada, CEO of Harlem’s Children Zone, and Davis Guggenheim, director of Waiting for Superman:

Some of this Geoffrey, you came out of the classroom, before you were running a school you were a teacher. Some of this to me, I think words have meaning, I think language is important. I want to be frank about this, this term “Race to the Top” which is this administration’s approach to this. This term “Race to the Top” disturbs me. One, education, pardon my English, ain’t a race. It’s not a race; it’s a guarantee. Every kid in this country ought to have access to an equal high quality education. The very notion of a race to the top means by definition that somebody’s going to win, somebody’s going to lose, if it’s a race. I don’t understand how we’re going about solving the problem starting with the language and the process itself.

I really enjoy the fact that Tavis Smiley, (1) let’s his feelings be known, and (2) challenges his guests. It makes me happy that these things happen, but truthfully, in these situations, as a good host, he offers his guests the opportunity to rebut his statement and make their argument stronger.

I haven’t seen Waiting for Superman. Much, if not all, that I’ve heard from the really good teachers that I am connected to, the classroom teachers who spend much more than 8 hours a day dedicated to their craft, their students, their community, is negative. I don’t recall a single one talking about the positive movement that could come to education with this movie. I’ve heard positive publicity from Oprah and NBC’s Education Nation, both of whom are absolutely massive movers of misinformation and superficial thinking.

I also haven’t seen Race to Nowhere, a movie also about education reform. I haven’t heard much about it either, from the classroom teachers or from the media hype machine. I may not see either, simply because I fear being emotionally worked up without being able to respond intellectually. I’m a whole lot more likely to react out of irrationality and anger rather than respond after deep thought. (That’s something that I’m actually working on here.)

So how do I respond to this situation? I don’t know. Mostly what I notice is that the teachers in my school, the smallest building in our district, far on the outskirts of the city, don’t seem to be aware of some of these issues. Truthfully, I need to be more aware of the local issues that are present within our district and city, while I also want the teachers in my small school to be aware of these larger issues that seem to be setting fire to large cities that eventually may affect our small school.

On a barely related note, these are the things I’ve learned about Davis Guggenheim from his Wikipedia entry, in no particular order: he's married to Elisabeth Shue, who's been "hot" since Karate Kid; he was born in St. Louis, MO; he directed and produced An Inconvenient Truth, also a fairly provocative documentary; "he directed Barack Obama's biographical film, which aired during the Democratic National Convention;" he directed It Might Get Loud, a really cool documentary about the electric guitar, told from Jack White, the Edge, and Jimmy Page, and given to me by my brother; and he was an executive producer of the movie Training Day, a movie which scared me in its fierceness and brutality. 

newspaper

I'm trying to get things going with the school newspaper. I really don't have a plan other than creating a space and a time for the kids to write about what they want, create something that they want, and to put it out for the school. There are some things that do "need" to happen. That need extends from my perception of what the other teachers expect. Certainly there are comparisons all the time, statements regarding how things are and how things were, and judgments made about each. I'm competitive by nature, and I don't want to hear something negative about my work. I want to do a good job. I would gladly accept someone pointing out faults or shortcomings of the newspaper, while also telling me what they think could/should go in there; I wouldn't accept the murmurings and whispers about the faults and shortcomings. More than anything, I want to listen to the students and what they want in the newspaper. I want to get them writing, creating, editing. That was the most fun time today, turning them loose on the computers with "assignments" that they chose or they created, and seeing them go to work. They encouraged one another; they challenged one another. It was a really fun experience. I'll be having that time and space available every Wednesday--whoever wants to come is welcome. I think that'll create something really, really cool. And I believe that will make my job better, meaning more enjoyable, and I think it will make PV a better place. I've got to believe it, otherwise I'm not sure I have a reason for doing it.

it was a good day

Well, I'm extremely tired, so as has become my custom, I'm going to keep this short.

1. School went well. Lots of different short activities. Talked symbolism in Haroun and the Sea of Stories; heard from the kids about their own ideas. My favorite interaction: Student 1: "Are turtle doves a symbol of anything, Mr. Maerke" Me: "I don't know. Why don't you use the computer to see if you can find an answer." Student 1: "Sweet." Students 2, 3, 4: "Hey, can I look up something too?" Me: "Is it about symbolism?" Students 2 and 4: "Yes." Student 3: "Uh, nope." Me: "Yes and yes. What are you looking up?" "Student 2: "What time the Chiefs' game starts tonite." Me: "Nope." Student 1: "Hey, 2 turtle doves from the 'Twelve Days of Christmas' song represents the Old and the New Testaments from the Bible. I found a site that tells about everything. The five golden rings isn't about rings at all, it's about the first five books of the Bible." Student 12: "What's with the Bible?"

2. Exploratory even went well today. We read. We watched a video of Irving Roth's testimony. We even watched Channel One. They're getting the hang of things. Good thing, because it's the fourth week of school. Tomorrow we respond to the video on the wiki. I'm excited.

3. After school I did my best to get organized. I'm not great at that, but I tried.

4. I met with Lisa and Sarah about their experiences in Berkeley with the NWP MAKE initiative. They had some really cool stories to tell, and I loved hearing them. I'm hoping that experience really was a positive one for them, and helps them find a niche. We talked quite a bit about a mini-grant for the site. I don't even know if a mini-grant is necessary, but it sounds like they're going to spend some time working one up. When I heard what they were doing I was really excited. It sounds amazing and wonderful and I'm totally jealous of their experiences.

5. At the meeting with Lisa and Sarah, at Panera Bread on N. Kansas Expressway, I saw a former student and his mom. It wasn't a pleasant meeting because none of our meetings when I had the student in my classes were pleasant. All are unfortunate.

6. I could have gotten more grading done than I did, but I'm totally ok with out it. It'll get done.

3 thoughts from today

1. Today, at school, I slept for about 1.5 hours on a couch in a closet. It was awesome. I wish I could do that more.

2. It seems that, regardless of how much I comfort myself with food--today it was a smoothie from Cold Stone Creamery, chicken and potato soup (that I made with Kristin), Triscuit, Oreos--I still somehow lose weight. Maybe I do have a worm or a parasite.

3. I'm not a good leader; I'm just a good doer that occasionally does things well enough for people to appreciate and attempt to emulate. I wish I were more transparent in my thoughts (that might be scary) and actions, so that I really could be replaceable. I've always thought of that as the best indicator of good leadership. I like to ask myself the question: how fast I could be replaced by someone I've led? If I'm not replaced, and the job goes undone--like middle school soccer at Pleasant View--then I've been more negative than positive. If the outcome reveals that people were totally dependent upon me, then I've done the opposite of leadership. If I'm replaced easily, and the transition is smooth, then I've done a good job. But I don't have any examples of that right now, so I'm back where I began: I'm not a good leader.

new school year

I'm pretty sure I'm one or two days away from making the couch my permanent bed, as I've done the past few years. I was really hoping that I might be able to make my way to the bed every night, but the truth is, it's a whole lot easier to simply stretch out on the couch and fall asleep. When I do 80% of my work on the couch, it's not hard to make that transition.

perspective

Yesterday, while flipping through students' binders to check their Reading Records, I realized that I had made a pretty big mistake. Students must read at least 6 books per quarter, 24 books per year. I read one book aloud to them, Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie, and the rest is up to them. We go to the library every Tuesday so that they can check new books out. I try to develop an atmosphere where reading is understood as at independent way to learn and grow as a human being. I also emphasize to the students that their interests will dictate much of what they do for the rest of their lives, so they should read about what interests them. It sounds simple, but with reluctant readers it can be very tough. And it's a constant job of making sure that students have books that are engaging to them. But it is so rewarding when they have conversations about the good books that they are reading. When students gather around the stacks in the library, or sit at tables and pass books and tell one another about what's going on, talking about characters like they're real people, or share insight in Science or Social Studies from something they read in a nonfiction text, it makes the constant effort worthwhile.

Well, the students must keep a Reading Record to keep track of all the books that they read, even the ones they don't finish. Students must keep records of the genre, total pages, lexile level, and the date finished or date abandoned. Students must all use MLA citation format for documenting the other pertinent details of the book (author, title, publisher, etc.). This seems like a whole bunch of crap to keep track of as a reader. No adult reader keeps track of this stuff, so why should my students? Well, that's a great question. I want my students to learn about themselves as readers--what genres they like and dislike, how much they are reading over time, and what level of the books they are reading (although I'm not too hip on the whole lexile thing to begin with). I also want my students to be be familiar with and practiced in using MLA citation; they'll be using it my class, in Social Studies, in Science, and all through high school.

My problem is one of perspective. I have the perspective of one who has experienced much in the way of education, and I have all these thoughts in my mind. My students obviously don't see things the way I do, and don't find keeping these records important. I've talked to them about why we keep track of the genre, page numbers, and date finished or date abandoned, but not about lexile levels or MLA citations. And what do you know? The biggest problem I'm seeing in the students Reading Records is in the lexile level and MLA citation documentation. Where I have not explained the importance of the documentation, the documentation suffers. That makes too much sense.

So on Tuesday, after we come back from the library, we'll not only be going over how to cite some different books using the MLA standards, but we'll also be talking about why citations are important in the first place. I really hope that leads to a discussion about copy right laws, especially those affecting music and movies, but even getting into things like intellectual property and things like the borrowing of html code.

And in unrelated news:
I was on a walk today. It's something I'd like to make a routine on Saturdays: take a walk to refresh my mind and body. Well, as I was walking a group of young guys went riding by on their bikes. The last one turned as he passed me and did a double-take. Then he slammed on his breaks, almost making him fall, and asking, "Mr. Maerke, is that you?" This was one of my students from my first year of teaching at Cherokee Middle School. He's a senior now, if my math is right and his grades are right, but who knows. The kid's about 6'3" now, tall and lanky just like the way he was in 8th grade. He was one of my brightest students, but never quite did well in any of his classes. As he's riding away, he turns and says to me, "Oh, I'm probably going to be a teacher." It completely took me by surprise. Here's a kid who figured out how to game the system. He was smart enough to get by without doing much, and was clever enough to figure out where the line was with each teacher, and made sure not to cross it. This meant that, although he could have had straight A's in all of his classes, he got C's and D's and made sure he had a good time doing it. 


Seeing former students is always fun, and this encounter especially, because of what happened at school yesterday. An especially challenging student, who had a long list of problems through 6th and 7th grade is starting out on a poor note in 8th grade. This student is also very bright, and has great potential, but he needs to make better decisions. I flat out told him this in last period on Friday. I told him that even if he got very little from my English class, when it comes to reading and writing, if I could help him understand the importance of making better decisions--first of all being considerate of and to others--then I would be pleased that he learned something this year. And I mean that. Yes, teaching reading and writing is why I collect a pay check from SPS, but students are why I choose to do it. Working with them is my passion and pride. Running into them years later, seeing them as more mature young men and women, who have gained perspective, is a great joy. 

scratchy and twitchy

That's the way I feel when I don't take my new medication. My head itches. My shoulders ache. I want to run.

I think I'm going to get a hair cut tomorrow. And tomorrow, I will write about the need for making things important. When things are important, people care. When I'm able to show the importance of a lesson, students pay attention and care.

More to come tomorrow.

stream of consciousness

What’s on my mind?

Sometimes I do just want my students to listen.

I like being surprised by my students, but not when they say something vulgar or they hit someone. I know it happens, but I figured they might try to hide it at least a little bit. Blatant disregard for another really makes me mad. Add pure, narcissistic egotism to the list too. (That’s what my 7th period class feels like).

I’m totally cool with my students when they think outside the box. When I “hand” them the box and they think outside of it, I get excited because then we get to have some fun. Who likes being stuck in a box anyway? Right now, though, when I “hand” them the box, they ignore the box completely and do something completely different. It makes no sense. I don’t understand it. I’ve had 26 students doing a timed focus writing in their Writing Notebooks, and then have 3 guys listening to music on the computers or walking across class to talk to a friend. I could understand drawing, or not writing, or even reading a book.

What has just occurred to me is that I am changing. Dear Lord, please help me to not become “that” teacher. For the most part, I’m cool with students doing a bit of chatting, as long as they whisper and can still do whatever I’m asking of them. Lots of times, that chatter is important for some students to process and think aloud through an assignment. But lately, I’ve noticed that I’m being a bit harsh about every little thing, and that’s just not me. The students need some leeway right now. As I write this, I hate phrases like “whatever I’m asking of them” and “’hand’ them the box.” Why can’t I have my students set their own goals and objectives, and then determine how to meet those goals? Is that doable in a room of 29 to 32 8th graders? Can someone out there tell me?

I want to get to know my students. I want my students to get to know one another. I want my students to work toward independence. When they walk into my class, a structure should be in place that supports their learning, without totally directing it. They determine the direction. Is this possible?

I liken my goal as a reading instructor to that of a connector or a bloodhound. I simply want to connect readers to texts in a meaningful way. Students are given books to read on a regular basis. I don’t want to give anything to anyone; I want to help students find what they’re looking for, even if sometimes they don’t know what they’re looking for. And if I can connect readers with one another in meaningful ways, so that conversations take place, so that questions are raised, so that solutions are sought, then I would be really happy too. I’ve found that, sometimes, in an effort to connect a reader to a text, it is first important to connect the reader to another reader. That added connection sometimes makes the connection to a text easier and stronger at the same time. I’ve used the word sometimes quite a bit, because I’ve also found that there is no absolute when it comes to human beings.

When it comes to my goal as a writing instructor, I’m at a bit of a loss. Basically, I think of writing as a journey on this really long path. When I look at my own path, I see that I was a good writer when I was young, but only when writing essays and arguments. Those were things that I enjoyed engaging in because it was about organization, it was about research and synthesis, it was about reading and learning and then taking that and putting it together to say something meaningful. I’m pretty sure I first learned that when I was in 8th grade and had to write an essay on either The Crucible or Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller. I had to write a paper on both of those plays, but I don’t remember which one was in 8th grade. I didn’t quite understand the grammar and sentence level complexities and creativity that is available to writers until I got into college and started taking foreign languages. When I had to break down Greek into phrases and then translate it, I began to gain the ability to think of my writing in English in the same way. So now, often, I’m thinking of English in words and phrases rather than sentences and paragraphs. Maybe that’s why it’s hard for me to write longer pieces. How does this relate to me as an English/writing teacher? I’m not sure.

When it comes to my writing instruction, I simply want to point the way for those that I teach; I liken myself to Google Maps and Wal-Mart. There are lots of paths that writers can take. They should get to choose. I want to be there to say, “OK, this is where you’re going. Let me show you three ways to get there. You choose which you think is best.” That’s what I want to happen in my classroom. When my students start writing, I want to have a conversation with them that helps them along their way. Whatever tools or supplies they need, I can help them get. Whatever direction they need in how to get there, I can provide. Maybe that is a pretty narcissistic, egotistical thing for me to think, but I guess that’s how I want to think of myself. Maybe it would be a whole lot better if I were able to help them be the Google Maps and Wal-Mart for each other. Yeah, I’m pretty sure that would be much better. First I need to get there though. 

not what I intended

I wrote a bunch with my students today, and some of it was really good. I intended to post that writing here, but I guess that'll have to wait for another time. 

After school though, I had a meeting with the other Comm. Arts teachers in the building. One thing we talked about was assessment. Then I counted, and by my calculations, my group of 8th graders this year will have to take eighteen assessments this year. 

1. Language Arts Performance Series test - September, January, May

2. Reading Performance Series test - September, January, May

3. Science Performance Series test - September, January, May

4. Math Performance Series test - September, January, May

5. District Middle School Writing Assessment - Beginning of Year and End of Year

6. Explore Test - October

7. Communication Arts MAP test - March/April

8. Math MAP test - March/April

9. Science MAP test - March/April

Eighteen. I think I've got them all. If that's not ridiculous, please tell me what it is. 

highs and lows and some humanity

highs: 
Yesterday I had a good day at school. In my 7th period class, Holocaust Studies, I talked to the students about why we're actually studying the Holocaust. It's the one time in class when I set aside time for actually talking directly at the students. I never like doing it because the resources of books and videos and websites are much more effective in conveying a message, but on this occasion I had everyone's undivided attention. It was almost fun. The students had many questions, showing they were engaged and thinking about what we're going to spend time studying. 


Then we went to the Library for a book pass. I'd forgotten how cool book passes can be, but was reminded about them this summer at the OWP SI. I do book talks, and have the students do book talks, and see value there, but part of me wants to judge which is more effective at connecting students to books, and that part of me thinks that book passes are better because it puts the books in the hands of the students. But then I think about how book talks give a reader voice, to tell about a book and their experiences in reading, and that is pretty powerful. 


Well, I'm blessed to have a librarian who works really hard to provide the students with amazing books and resources. She really is great. She's written grants every year I've been teaching the class (this will be my 3rd) in order to add to the Holocaust Literature library. So, I worked with her to find a good mix of books and then placed them at different tables. The students (28) sat at different tables, looked at the books in 1 minute cycles, and then passed the books from table to table. It worked out really well. Actually, I wasn't feeling like it was working all that well, because they were pretty talkative and a bit louder than I would have liked, but the cool thing was that they were talking about the books, asking questions to one another, and telling each other about the books they had already read. Because many of the books had pictures, they were also sharing the pictures and captions (learning already). I do have my own supply of books, and two were signed by the authors: Bondi's Brother, by Irving Roth and Edward Roth, was signed by Irving Roth during my attendance at the 2008 Holocaust Educators Network Summer Seminar; Eva's Story, by Eva Schloss with Evelyn Julia Kent, was signed by Eva Schloss for my mother after a lecture at the World War II Museum in New Orleans. The students love looking at and showing off the signatures. 


The most fun moment came during the selection of books. After getting to look at the different books, I had the students rank their top three. I showed off the book, and then had those who wanted it check the book out. The problem came when multiple people wanted a book that we only had one copy of. This turned into a great problem for me to have. Students were competing, making cases, for why they wanted the book more and why they should be the one to get to check it out. It also allowed the Librarian and I to connect students with other, similar books. The experience was a bit wild and frenzied because it was happening at the end of the day and I wanted everyone to get to check out, and it certainly could have gone better if I had maybe 5 more minutes, but that's the way things go. On Monday we'll talk about the reading schedule and they'll get set up with wiki pages to share about their books. I'm really excited, and hope that they keep the enthusiasm. 


lows:
I didn't blog about this experience yesterday, which means that I'm the first to lose out on blogging every day of the school year. Thankfully, Sara is really patient with me. I'm trying to blog from school, before I leave, but things weren't working out for me. I left later than normal, without blogging, and headed over to hang out with Casey and Keri. It had been a while since we've done that, and it was really good for me. Then I forgot to blog.


Then this morning I woke up feeling lousy. I've been dealing with some crazy stomach issues that I won't go into, but I will simply tell that I puked enough this morning to scare me. It wasn't one of those, "I'll-puke-and-feel-better-after" pukes either. This happened as I was going out the door to school, so when I arrived at school I asked the secretary to get me a sub as soon as she could, and she was super nice about everything. THANK YOU, ROBIN! I left school around 8:30 to go home before a 10:30 doctor's appointment--the 3rd in 7 days. Not cool. Running more tests, getting more and more invasive, having more scary conversations; it all left me cold and uncomfortable. I walked out of the doctor's office feeling so lonely and tired that I totally broke down in my car. I wept for at least 10 minutes, not knowing how to feel better, how to be healthy. This totally sucks. I didn't even get to finish my first week of school because of this junk. I'm not happy because I don't feel good, I'm legitimately sick according to the doctor but he can't figure out why, and things are now affecting my job. I hate this. 


So there it is. Sorry I had to lay that out there. It wasn't my original intention for this to be some personal blog, but I'm human. My humanity affects my ability as a teacher.

writing with my students

I wrote with my students today. I vividly remember thinking, as I sat with them at the tables, "This is what I missed yesterday." And I was so right. First period is a bit behind, so I didn't get anything substantive with them, although I did do the Found Poem activity with them. I needed some time to just write, and although we only wrote for 8 minutes, it was good for me and them. Sharing was cool too, but I'll have to put those pictures up on the class website. 

I provided prompts, after we talked about different successful teams. I brought up teams such as the New York Yankees and Chicago Bulls (actual sports teams), as well as Metallica, the New York Fire Department, the design and construction team of Extreme Home Makeover, and those who work at Mission Control at NASA. The students brought up the sports teams at PV, as well as the band there and other bands that they liked a lot. Oddly enough, one student actually brought up the NASDAQ stock exchange and described the traders and everyone on the floor, but I think he was making a connection to NASA and thinking of the NYSE floor. Anyway, below are the prompts.

• What makes a good team?
• When have you enjoyed being on a team? Why?
• What type of a team would you like to be on? Why?

Keri brought up a good point in her response to my previous post. I probably need to probe more specifically regarding the actions of the team and teammates, rather than broadly address "a good team." I will admit that I love language and am very attentive to what I the words I use, but I'm not all that good at asking questions, especially unbiased ones. Sometimes I think that I want a biased question, especially with 8th graders, but other times (like when I'm challenged by Keri) I realize that certain questions elicit certain responses, and that's not necessarily good. So maybe we'll consider actions of a team and teammate--like shared interests in writing specifically with regard to identifying and developing topics/genres to write about/in, peer conferences, sharing work space, publishing and positive feedback. 


I've got a lot to think about, and a lot to consider with my students. Casey and Amy had a really neat Cinchcast about teacher/student feedback with regard to writing, and I think I'll have to relisten to that, and probably bring that question to my students too. 

I'm uninspired

I'm uninspired. I only want to sleep. I've just finished watching a special about the Saints' preseason training camp, and then a documentary, "Jordan Rides the Bus." I'm about to take a sleeping pill in an attempt to pass out.

I've been doing a lot of thinking about September 9. I've been doing a lot of thinking about September 15-17. I haven't been doing enough thinking about today or tomorrow with my kids. That's because I'm being selfish with my own time and doing what I want with it.

Our schedule at school has changed, and honestly I don't even know what it is. We've got a new program for taking attendance and doing grades, and I don't feel comfortable with it. I'm still trying to sort out issues with seating arrangements and seating charts and outlets and space for computers. It's all the tools that I'm trying to use the right way that are somehow distracting me from the real goal, interacting with students in meaningful ways.

I want my students to think deeply this year. I want them to stare off into space, to write in order to process, and to ask questions like, "What about ... " or "What if ... " or "Why don't ... " because I know they're anticipating something, they're thinking ahead and considering the possibilities. I want them to work with their teams to think things through in conversation. I want to trust them enough to allow the conversation to wander just enough to keep things interesting.

Tomorrow, I want to consider what teams look like and how they act together. I want them to tell me about a time when they've been on a successful team--a family that worked well together, a sports team winning a game, a band cranking out an amazing song, a group of friends achieving something totally amazing like scoring the perfect slushies at the gas station on a hot Saturday afternoon. Teams come in all shapes and names, and it's not just sports.

I don't know what I really need to do tomorrow. I left school thinking that I need to tighten up some things, mostly simple procedures like passing papers out, turning things in, dismissing the class, transitions from one thing to another--these things play a huge role in the use of instructional time with any group of learners, let along middle-schoolers. I do have to continue to go over the emergency procedures, because we've got drills coming up on Thursday and Friday. I do want to remind them of little things, like pushing their chairs in when they leave class, and keeping the computers neat with regard to how they leave the keyboard, mouse, and monitor. A lot of that stuff has to do with (1) not being in a rush because your teacher is dismissing you late, and (2) being considerate. Sure, we could ask ourselves the question, "Do we every NOT have time to be considerate?" But I must remember that I'm dealing with students who are 13 and 14 years old.

So, we started the Found Poems in 2, 3, and 4 periods. I'll start it in 1st and finish it in all. I want the students to see what it looks like when they all have voice that is equal, when they all contribute something to a whole that cannot be taken apart. I want to show them how to take the Found Poem, and make a further Found Poem by slashing out or blacking out words. I think that would be a lot of fun. I think it would also be most interesting to ask them about how they chose the words to keep and how they chose the words to toss, and why. If they can address each of those, then the deep thinking is actually happening. I'm pretty sure that thoughtful self-awareness is not 8th graders strong suites.

After the Found Poem, we'll go over emergency procedures, and then talk about being on great teams. And then we'll write. We'll share our stories with our teams, and we'll develop community through it all. I do really want the students to develop an awareness and regard for the theme, which might mean that their attitude changes as well. That would be great.

Until next time, good luck!

We're All on the Same Team

Yes, this is a Verizon commercial, but there are elements that illustrate some of the things we want to achieve this year at Pleasant View. At first, our theme was going to be “We’re All in this Together” but it was decided that this saying could be negative just as much as positive. If we’re all on a sinking ship, we’re all on it together. Pleasant View is not a sinking ship, and we know that, but the theme was changed anyway. Now, our theme is “We’re All on the Same Team.” Teamwork is important in any community hoping to achieve great things. And we hope to achieve great things at Pleasant View this year.

In the commercial, characters mention that they make “communities,” “tomorrow,” and “lives” (among other things) better. How do they do it? They bring together “information,” “people,” “devices,” “machines,” “perspectives,” “expertise,” and “ideas.” Notice that many different things must come together, to work in tandem (or on a team) for one purpose, in order to make even a few things better.

At Pleasant View, and especially on the 8^th grade team, we strive to bring people, perspectives, ideas, information and expertise together. Many times that involves devices and machines available to us through eMINTS. Almost all the time, the devices and machines must come together with the people for the learning community, the lives involved, and our tomorrow, to be better.

I realize this is maybe oversimplifying things, and maybe I’m being a bit clichéd and maybe commercializing education by using Verizon’s commercial, but I think there is a message to be gleaned. I’m looking forward to this coming school year. I’m looking forward to working with new 8^th graders, and helping them connect and collaborate with one another. I’m looking forward to seeing their expertise come out, and for them to share their perspectives and ideas. And I’m looking forward to all of these things making each and every one of us, and our tomorrows, better.

the big "C" or one of the scariest things I can think of

Cancer. Saying it's scary is obviously an understatement.

On Monday night, Drew's dad died from an inoperable brain tumor. I found out yesterday, during a lavish dinner with wonderful people, as we shared our thoughts, our histories, and our plans for the future.

It's hard for Drew to have plans for his future. He actually quit his job. He was tired of it. I wonder how his father might think of planning for the future.

Today I sat next to Rhonda. She's already battled breast cancer. Last summer (if my timeline is correct) she found out she had a brain tumor. They operated on her to cut it out, but, as far as I know, they also put her through radiation. Late in July of this summer she found out that pieces of the older tumor probably remained, and are now growing. One doctor has told her to wait for 3 months--then they can decide if they operate or do radiation treatment. Another doctor wants to laster cut that sucker out and be done with it. Both of those scenarios scare me. Rhonda's having a hard time planning for school. She doesn't even know if she should be planning her life, and yet she goes on.

God bless Drew and his family. God bless Rhonda and her family.

This one’s inspired by the Good Book

“A time is coming and has now come.”

These are words attributed to Jesus throughout the Gospel of John. I quote them often, mostly to myself, as a reminder that the time for procrastination has passed. There is no more time. Action must be taken now. In fact, it’s too late for action. I’m feeling like this in so many areas of my life.

Yesterday, at the Life Group (a small group from the church I attend) I lead, a guy who I’ve become very close to, told us that his dad had hours to live. His father has been suffering from a brain tumor for almost a year now, and the end is here. The doctors allowed the family to take him home, where he has now been unconscious for three days. As I type this, I have not heard word how things have gone. This friend shared the news with us, a group that includes three teachers (decent at handling sudden truths) and two counselors (both very good at their jobs), and we were shocked into silence. “A time is coming and has now come.”

Tomorrow begins my final week of preparations before the beginning of my fifth year of teaching. After year one, I figured I could do this for the rest of my life, even if I sucked at it. Now, it’s weird to think that I’ve made it five years. I’ve got meetings all the way until Tuesday, when the students will finally be asked to break their leave and return to the cinderblock city. My responsibilities are growing and changing, and honestly, I’m scared out of my mind. There are so many things that I want to do well, and people that I want to impress, or at least not let down, that I’m almost overcome with anxiousness. “A time is coming and has now come.”

I just got off the phone with a wonderful person, who I’ve only known for a short time, but with whom I feel oddly connected. This is the first time I’ve written about this relationship development, but with this quote in my head, I cannot deny the kernel of an idea ready to pop. I need to process, but I don’t know if I’m ready to publicly. “A time is coming and has now come.”

These scenarios all scare me in one way or another, but they also hold immense hope. Why is it that such a paradoxical statement, like, “A time is coming and has now come” so completely encompasses my confusion on these matters. Lord, I wish I knew the answers.

I kept writing about Twitter today. It's a way for me to figure out what I want to say in my presentation on Thursday. I'm going to finish up the handout tonite. Here is what I processed through today though. It's pretty ridiculous, but it was a decent chunk of writing time.

Twitter is a social networking tool, which means people develop social connections. The descriptor “social” doesn’t need to carry a negative connotation though.

Like many things, teachers have found a way to use twitter as a tool to our benefit, and for two reasons: teaching can be isolating, and teachers love free stuff. By following good teachers and administrators on Twitter, we open up a door to what is happening around the country and the world in other classrooms. The transparency that is achieved through sharing thoughts and practices works against the isolating feelings that can accompany teaching.

No longer do teachers beg, borrow, and steal ideas and resources for use in the classroom. That’s a one-way street, with no reciprocity. Now, we collaborate. Teachers share ideas and resources in conversation; it’s a two-way street involving reciprocity.

I’m the only 8^th grade English teacher in my building. I’m one of three English teachers in my building. Counting the Librarian and the “At-Risk” educator, there are five people that I can go to for ideas and resources. That’s not very many, no matter how good they are. Through connections on Twitter, I have access to exponentially more educators in my field; the potential for collaboration is immense. Why would I not use this?

On Twitter, I propose there are two different types of interactions: friendship-driven and interest-driven.* We’re interested in becoming better teachers. We’re interested in using new and innovative tools in meaningful ways. We’re interested in engaging in meaningful conversations about what we teach and how we teach it. The connections established on Twitter allow for all of this.

As teachers, we’re probably not initially going to use Twitter for friendship-driven interaction, but as use increases, I’ve found that there’s a recursive process between the social (friendship-driven) and the professional (interest-driven). This doesn’t happen in every scenario, but it can and will happen.

I first met @poh on Twitter because I tweeted about reading a book. He asked me to write a book review on it, which I did. Then I met him f2f in Washington D.C. at a conference, and there we began hanging out. There he asked me to write something about Twitter, so he invited me to a writing retreat in Austin, TX, where we hung out more. Now I would say he’s a friend. We joke about football and baseball. We’re not great friends. The social connection grew from the professional connection, but in life that is how many things happen. First you teach down the hall from someone, then maybe if you’re ladies you have a shopping day together, or if you’re guys you go to a Springfield Cardinals game.

So, Twitter increases the number of meaningful connections available to us as educators, thus increasing the potential for collaboration. Two questions should then immediately arise: Who do I connect to/with? How do we collaborate? Both of these questions are very good questions. First, I recommend you connect with those you know. The follow up question to this: why would I need to connect and collaborate with these people through Twitter if I can connect and collaborate with them without it? Again, good question. The answer: because it’s easier. Second, I recommend you connect with those you admire, and then with those who they follow. So, if you love webquests then you should follow @BernieDodge, and probably some of the people he follows, based on the tweets. If you find yourself emphasizing independent reading your classroom, you may want to follow @donalynbooks and @paulwhankins, and probably some of the people they follow, based on the tweets. If you find yourself emphasizing current events and social justice in your classroom, you may want to follow @paulallison (and listen to his weekly Wednesday evening podcast), and some of the people he follows, based on the tweets.

Once you begin to share your own ideas and resources with others, you are collaborating. Connections can happen even when you don’t bring anything to the table. This is often called listening or lurking on Twitter, and it’s totally acceptable especially early on.

One significant way that collaboration occurs is through chats, which usually happen on a weekly basis focused on a topic question. One of the best chats, #edchat, is held on Tuesdays at 11 am and 6 pm CST and covers broad categories regarding education. Specific to English is #engchat, held on Mondays at 6 pm CST. There is also #yalitchat, held on Wednesdays at 8 pm CST, and #kidlitchat, held on Tuesdays at 8 pm CST. During these chats, you will find people who make very intelligent statements (and those who don’t) and who link to very interesting articles/videos/blogs (and those who don’t). Because of this, they’re great places to connect with people (meaning meet people to follow).

There’s much more that goes into Twitter, like understanding compositional conventions, trending topics, or using management systems, but this write-up certainly isn’t meant to be comprehensive. If you have questions, email me.

*The two types of interactions are borrowed from Hanging out, messing around, geeking out: Kids living and learning with new media by Mizuko Ito, et. al.

I promise

I wrote this yesterday, I promise. I'm working on a piece on Twitter, which I've been working on for too long to admit. I'm now doing an hour long presentation on Twitter for other English teachers in the district. It's funny, and not at all exciting. I wish I could figure out why. That would be something worth writing. Well, yesterday I wrote this, and I'm not ashamed to post "work writing" on this blog to make sure that I post something everyday, even if I forget to post it that day. Yes, I make mistakes. This is more about the commitment to write everyday than to be a rule follower. So, here it is. It isn't great, but it is the portion I am willing to share. The presentation is on Thursday, so maybe then I'll writing about how everything goes.

Twitter for Teachers: A social networking tool as professional learning network

Yes, it is a social networking tool, which means people develop social connections. But like many things, teachers have found a way to use it as a tool to our benefit, and for two reasons: teaching can be isolating, and teachers love free resources. By following good teachers and administrators on Twitter, we open up a door to what is happening around the country and the world in other classrooms. The isolation can easily be broken down by transparency in practice. That transparency in practice is accomplished through the sharing of ideas and resources. No longer do teachers have to beg, borrow, and steal for something to use in the classroom, all we’ve got to do is listen and learn.

There’s two different types of interaction: friendship-driven and interest-driven. As teachers, we’re not really focusing on the friendship-driven interaction, although I think you will find that once connections on Twitter are developed through interest-driven activities, friendships will arise.

Spring Break

I’m now watching Aston Villa vs. Wolverhampton on ESPN2 in HD. I must say that it is a beautiful picture, but not yet a beautiful game. Both teams need to bring the ball down and look for open spaces to pass; there are too many balls in the air. It is the first time I have turned on the TV since Sunday. I didn’t turn it on at all during the week, and I’m very pleased of that. It was a productive week without the distraction; I came home each night to read and grade, usually grading first and reading before I head to bed. I think I’m going to continue to try to temper my TV watching, limiting it to Tuesday nights of Lost and Thursday nights of Community, The Office, and 30 Rock. That would leave Monday, Wednesday, and Friday open for grading and reading and writing. I would love that.

I’m leaving on Monday to head to Washington DC to see Brandon and then go to the Spring Meeting for the NWP. I don’t think I’m going to be very helpful at all at the Spring Meeting, but I’m going. I plan to write an apology letter to Keri about what I haven’t done to help or prepare with that meeting. In most situations, and I could even argue all situations, I need to have a detailed description of goals and an understanding of how to achieve that in order for me to be successful. I don’t feel like I have a full understanding of the goal for this Spring Meeting, and thus I don’t understand how to achieve it. For that reason, I flounder, and am more of a distraction than a help. I hope that is not the case, but I do believe it is true.

Spring Break is here and the fourth quarter is upon us. It seems like this 3^rd quarter has absolutely flown by, maybe because of soccer or the OWP. It has definitely been the best quarter we’ve had so far; the students are maturing and developing and becoming more independent in their learning by taking initiative in helping and challenging one another.

As I sit in my living room, with the big blinds open and looking out at the wet pavement and glistening grass, I can’t wait for Spring and Summer weather to really get here. I hope it isn’t too wet, but the rain is necessary for growth. The big problem is that it disrupts our Soccer schedule. The temperature is currently 34 degrees with a Winter Storm Warning in effect through the weekend. That’s not very Spring-ish. I really want to get a Bar-BQ pit and build some horse shoe pits and maybe even get a fire pit, all in the back yard, so that I can have people over and we can hang out, or at least I can enjoy the wonderful weather during the Spring and Summer. I would love to cook and eat and read and relax outside during the summer knowing that I’ve got my own space. This is one of top reasons why I’m hopeful about having the house now. Maybe I am buying into the selfish aspect of not wanting to share space, but really I would be all for sharing the space with many of my friends and even neighbors, as the weather gets nice. I want to have the Life Group over, and have the OWP people over, and have school friends over, and even meet the neighbors down the street and have them over to enjoy some good food and hang out. I don’t just want the space to myself all the time; there will be times when I want it for myself, but I would welcome having people over to share the space and to enjoy the time and weather and company.

I look forward to using some podcasting tools this morning at the Tech Team meeting, and for that reason I am now off to prepare. By they way, the game has turned around. Wolves now lead 2-1, and the football is getting to be challenging and more technical. Until next time.

rat race

Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary defines Rat Race as: strenuous, wearisome, and usually competitive activity or rush.

UsingEnglish.com defines the idiom Rat Race as: the ruthless, competitive struggle for success in work, etc.

I’ve read on blogs, nings, and tweets of the importance for me to build my Professional Learning Network. I’ve heard in lectures, meetings, and conferences of the importance of engaging within a community of learners. All that sounds great, but in practice, with all this technology, I can’t get away from the fact that it all seems like a rat race.

Who’s the first to be doing . . . in their classroom? Well, they’re on top of things, and we should be emulating them because that’s also what the kids (and, gasp, even the adults) are doing outside of the classroom – in the “real world.”

Who was the first to tweet about . . .? Well, that person gets more credit than anyone else in the entire community of tweeters who also had a hand in spreading . . . And we should all be following . . . because they tweet 400 times a day about everything they’re reading, or inspirational sayings, and they’re doing . . . in the classroom, so they’re an innovator.

Who was retweeted most on . . . because they obviously know what they’re talking about when it comes to . . .

Who is on the most #followfriday lists, or #teachertuesday lists, because you know you really do need to be following those people, because they pack so much into 140 characters on . . . that they must be an expert.

Who participates in the most #edchat discussions, or #TTT podcasts? And who asks the question that everyone is talking about in the discussion, because that person is clearly asking the right questions to their students, and that means their students are going to be smarter than . . .

Who created the . . . ning? They have gathered some great minds together and people really are talking about . . . on the site and more people should be reading and listening to and watching what’s going on there.

Did you read what . . . wrote on his blog? Did you hear who now has a blog? My goodness, I’ve been waiting for years to see what . . . has to say, and now they’re giving it to me for free, in an amazing format, and they have links and profiles and I feel like I know . . . so much better, and now I can gain so much more from their PLN too.

I’m tired of all this . . .

The world is changing. Communication is changing. Learning is changing. Education is changing. All of that seems wonderful. I am only in my fourth year of teaching, and the last three years have been as part of an eMINTS classroom with rich technology use, so maybe I don’t know what I’m talking about, but it sure seems like education is a rat race.

I teach in a K-8 school, and the unwritten competition I witness on twitter, and then through blogs, nings, podcasts, and videos, seems like a race to be first at . . . You fill in the blank. I witness the same competition when I listen to my students talking about . . . in the hallways, lunchroom, and gym: whoever was the first at . . . wins an invisible crown of cool, until the next big thing rolls around. And the next big thing in the grand scheme of things isn’t that big at all, unless looking with that short-sided obsession that blinds one from all other perspectives.

I don’t want to compete. I’m really not good at competition. Usually I become increasingly nasty and mean, and I feel ugly inside because of it. Winning is supremely important to me, but it never feels that good. Losing makes me feel like an absolute waste, literally, and I usually want to throw myself away afterward. And that’s how I’ve felt the past few days as I attempted to actively participate in whatever community I was a part of out there (or rather, here) in cyberspace. No matter how much I read, no matter how many comments I left or posts I added, I never felt good about this whole thing. I felt overwhelmed, then rushed, then tired. I felt like I was part of a rat race.

I told myself, “I want to keep up with . . .” and “I’m as good as . . .” and “I’d like to try . . . in my classroom.”

I had bought in, but now I want a refund. The innovation and information will never end. The desire to keep up probably won’t either; I’m human after all. I can't just walk away though; I need to respond. Here’s my early attempt:

I don’t want to be an overnight expert at anything that is trending overnight. If that’s how long it takes to become a trend, it will probably be gone just as fast. I want to be a scholar at something that has been around long before I came into existence, and will be around long after I leave this world. There are lots of definitions for “digital divide.” My defined divide is between those who engage in multiple and pervasive technologies and those who don’t. I want to be ok with this divide, and not feel like I am less of a human being, man, teacher, or creative mind because I don’t engage in multiple and pervasive technologies.

And that’s where I stand, for today.