A couple of items came together in my brain over the last 24 hours...one was a conversation I had with a parent from Sherrard High School, and the other was a portion of a 10-Minute Teacher podcast I was listening to this morning. The similarity in both items was a discussion regarding the commitment requirement of a dedicated coach/teacher.
And what was interesting about both conversations was an admission that if a person is going to do either job "RIGHT", the foundation of that effort is going to be a commitment by not only the individual but also the individual's family. This was something early on in my career as a coach and a teacher, but it was really something that was modeled for me when I was growing up as a student and athlete at Rockridge. My two primary role models in high school were Jim Gieseman and Frank Dexter. They were intense individuals and very competitive, but they were completely dedicated to coaching and teaching. The were willing to spend time with me before and after and everything in between.
This week, Sherrard is interviewing candidates for their varsity boys basketball position, so my discussion with the parent entailed the qualifications of the best candidate. My input was that the best candidate will be the one that not only cares about the number of wins and success with his varsity team, but also with the level of success at the fresh/soph, junior high, and youth levels. In addition, the best candidate will be someone who cares about fostering development in the off-season through spring and fall workouts for those athletes not involved in another school sport. The summer months are also vital through high school summer league play, shootouts, and the school's summer camp for all levels. Finally, there is a personal commitment to the athletes - helping them find their path after high school and helping them with personal and academic difficulties.
This kind of year-round success is also a commitment by the candidate's family. Family events, vacations, celebrations all are planned around the program's schedule. The coach is going to miss evenings and afternoons and is going to often have 12-hour days. This is a commitment that many families aren't ready to embrace.
A good teacher also is committed in a similar fashion. The good teacher is concerned about the middle school and youth levels. The good teacher is concerned about her/his students' futures. The good teacher attends professional development year-round and works to attend other events in the school. Teaching too, then, involves a family commitment - also including 12-hour plus days. There is sacrifice of time and energy that her/his family must embrace.
If you want to find a good candidate, find the candidate that understand the size of the commitment and has demonstrated previously experience and dedication towards that commitment.
Friday, March 31, 2017
Thursday, March 30, 2017
School Newspaper Could Be So Cool
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about our school yearbook, which is on life support. And in that blog, I admitted defeat. More honesty...more defeat...our school newspaper, The Rocketeer, is in even worse shape.
When I took the job at Rockridge and become the school newspaper adviser (along with the yearbook adviser), I didn't know how bad things had gotten. The journalism class was a shell of it's former self back in the mid-80's when I was young strapping and aspiring journalist. I was informed by our administration, in fact, that the journalism course was going to be removed from the course schedule. The solution at that time was to try to keep the newspaper alive somehow as an extra-curricular activity. The plan was to meet at least once during activity period (an extra period built into the schedule once a week for groups to meet), and I was pumped the first meeting when over twenty students showed up.
Here's the deal...in order to have a school newspaper, the paper needs students who want to make contributions. And I was just a simple naive adult. The students were mostly interested in just getting out of their 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th period class. We didn't have enough money to actually have a newspaper printed, so I worked hard to learn about Google Sites and crafted a basic website to start an online newspaper publication. And my naive weakness struck again...students now-a-days aren't as excited about ONLINE stuff - they see and use it every day.
While admittedly naive, my persistence was strong, so I basically forced the yearbook class to make contributions to the online newspaper. My logic was solid...while staffers were covering their beats for their yearbook spreads, they could make a 200-word contribution on the newspaper site. In fact the newspaper site could be like a file cabinet of information to eventually utilize while writing the copy for yearbook spreads.
Little did I know since my 1984 graduation year was that writing a contribution about anything, was similar to asking students to run a 10K. I faced it then, and I must admit that I'm still constantly shocked at how students view writing as such a labor intensive task. Needless to say the addition of the Rocketeer contributions by the yearbook staff wasn't met with much love.
In year two, I proposed to change the name and structure of yearbook class to Publications - tah dah! We would continue both publications, and students would surely understand my creative ideas of the connection of the two publications together and be equally excited....ya, not really. Time and time again, keeping The Rocketeer was a battle. According to the students, it was just too much work.
In year three, another big change. A bigger staff would surely do the trick. I would convince the administration to allow seniors to take the course for an English credit. Sure, there would be some additional units needed to include some literature analysis, but this idea DEFINITELY would propel both publications to launch themselves into a really cool thing - students would want to join Publications instead of the state recognized music department or popular FFA or perhaps even more than sports!
NOPE, NADA, NEGATIVE, NO WAY....the students basically hate the class...hate me...often times grumble at each other. Writing an interesting and captivating 200-word story in journalistic style is just too hard. (Insert deflated heavy, heavy sigh.)
WHERE DID I GO WRONG? How and when and why did school journalism become so uncool, when it could be so cool?
I've raised the white flag it despicable surrender; I've resigned. My hope is that sometime, somewhere, somehow, someone will have a different approach and be able to show students the fun in journalism. And when that happens, I hope I somehow can be a contributing part.
If you have ideas...please share them. I'd enjoy hearing from you.
JBiz
When I took the job at Rockridge and become the school newspaper adviser (along with the yearbook adviser), I didn't know how bad things had gotten. The journalism class was a shell of it's former self back in the mid-80's when I was young strapping and aspiring journalist. I was informed by our administration, in fact, that the journalism course was going to be removed from the course schedule. The solution at that time was to try to keep the newspaper alive somehow as an extra-curricular activity. The plan was to meet at least once during activity period (an extra period built into the schedule once a week for groups to meet), and I was pumped the first meeting when over twenty students showed up.
Here's the deal...in order to have a school newspaper, the paper needs students who want to make contributions. And I was just a simple naive adult. The students were mostly interested in just getting out of their 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th period class. We didn't have enough money to actually have a newspaper printed, so I worked hard to learn about Google Sites and crafted a basic website to start an online newspaper publication. And my naive weakness struck again...students now-a-days aren't as excited about ONLINE stuff - they see and use it every day.
While admittedly naive, my persistence was strong, so I basically forced the yearbook class to make contributions to the online newspaper. My logic was solid...while staffers were covering their beats for their yearbook spreads, they could make a 200-word contribution on the newspaper site. In fact the newspaper site could be like a file cabinet of information to eventually utilize while writing the copy for yearbook spreads.
Little did I know since my 1984 graduation year was that writing a contribution about anything, was similar to asking students to run a 10K. I faced it then, and I must admit that I'm still constantly shocked at how students view writing as such a labor intensive task. Needless to say the addition of the Rocketeer contributions by the yearbook staff wasn't met with much love.
In year two, I proposed to change the name and structure of yearbook class to Publications - tah dah! We would continue both publications, and students would surely understand my creative ideas of the connection of the two publications together and be equally excited....ya, not really. Time and time again, keeping The Rocketeer was a battle. According to the students, it was just too much work.
In year three, another big change. A bigger staff would surely do the trick. I would convince the administration to allow seniors to take the course for an English credit. Sure, there would be some additional units needed to include some literature analysis, but this idea DEFINITELY would propel both publications to launch themselves into a really cool thing - students would want to join Publications instead of the state recognized music department or popular FFA or perhaps even more than sports!
NOPE, NADA, NEGATIVE, NO WAY....the students basically hate the class...hate me...often times grumble at each other. Writing an interesting and captivating 200-word story in journalistic style is just too hard. (Insert deflated heavy, heavy sigh.)
WHERE DID I GO WRONG? How and when and why did school journalism become so uncool, when it could be so cool?
I've raised the white flag it despicable surrender; I've resigned. My hope is that sometime, somewhere, somehow, someone will have a different approach and be able to show students the fun in journalism. And when that happens, I hope I somehow can be a contributing part.
If you have ideas...please share them. I'd enjoy hearing from you.
JBiz
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Google Classroom Is AWESOME
Prior to arriving at Rockridge, I had dabbled in Google just a tiny bit. I started working with Google Docs, and I learned about sharing and a few other things.
When I arrived at RHS, I was encouraged by the building principal to join a cohort program within the school district that was planning to learn more about Chromebooks and Google. Little did I know at that cohort would propel me into GOOGLE WORLD.
Please understand that I am no expert. In fact, I really would like to explore the possibility of completing Google Certification for Educators, but I haven't crossed that threshold just yet. On the other hand, I have embraced the uncertainty and awkwardness that accompanies technology. I hear about something, learn a little bit to be dangerous, give it a whirl, and then decide whether or not it's something of value.
One recent experiment actually didn't go very well. Trying to cast in my classroom from our Chromebooks just didn't go very smoothly. It's a great concept, but as Jon Lehtola, our IT guy says, it was "too bulky". And that's one thing that I need out of technology...if I'm going to utilize something, it needs to work smoothly most of the time. (Let's face it, sometimes a semi trailer rips down our internet access wiring at the pole outside the building and the internet just doesn't work on those days.)
Google Classroom, on the other hand, has been fun and has really helped me be more efficient. Here are a couple of examples.
1) Right now, there are training path presenters visiting our classroom, so I always videotape the first presentation of the day using my $200 little Canon mini-video recorder. I then load the video files of the presentation into Google Drive, as well as the presenter's presentation slides. It does take a few hours for the video files to load and be available, but by the next school day, I have the video files and the presentation notes posted as an announcement through Google Classroom. Students who were absent can view the notes and the video files and complete the assignment for the day.
2) I also can post my daily agenda as an announcement into Google Classroom, so instead of me sharing the doc or an absent student having to email me a request for the day's work, I can simply have it loaded each day as an announcement.
What I like most about Google Classroom is the idea of preparing our students for their futures. Their post-secondary path is going to involve electronic assignments, quizzes, notices, etc. While their future may use some other type of digital classroom platform, this experience in high school with Google Classroom will help them feel more comfortable with whatever platform they may experience next.
I admit it...I'm a Googler...and it's exciting and fun to always be ready for the next bit of technology to try out.
Have a wonderful Wednesday!
When I arrived at RHS, I was encouraged by the building principal to join a cohort program within the school district that was planning to learn more about Chromebooks and Google. Little did I know at that cohort would propel me into GOOGLE WORLD.
Please understand that I am no expert. In fact, I really would like to explore the possibility of completing Google Certification for Educators, but I haven't crossed that threshold just yet. On the other hand, I have embraced the uncertainty and awkwardness that accompanies technology. I hear about something, learn a little bit to be dangerous, give it a whirl, and then decide whether or not it's something of value.
One recent experiment actually didn't go very well. Trying to cast in my classroom from our Chromebooks just didn't go very smoothly. It's a great concept, but as Jon Lehtola, our IT guy says, it was "too bulky". And that's one thing that I need out of technology...if I'm going to utilize something, it needs to work smoothly most of the time. (Let's face it, sometimes a semi trailer rips down our internet access wiring at the pole outside the building and the internet just doesn't work on those days.)
Google Classroom, on the other hand, has been fun and has really helped me be more efficient. Here are a couple of examples.
1) Right now, there are training path presenters visiting our classroom, so I always videotape the first presentation of the day using my $200 little Canon mini-video recorder. I then load the video files of the presentation into Google Drive, as well as the presenter's presentation slides. It does take a few hours for the video files to load and be available, but by the next school day, I have the video files and the presentation notes posted as an announcement through Google Classroom. Students who were absent can view the notes and the video files and complete the assignment for the day.
2) I also can post my daily agenda as an announcement into Google Classroom, so instead of me sharing the doc or an absent student having to email me a request for the day's work, I can simply have it loaded each day as an announcement.
What I like most about Google Classroom is the idea of preparing our students for their futures. Their post-secondary path is going to involve electronic assignments, quizzes, notices, etc. While their future may use some other type of digital classroom platform, this experience in high school with Google Classroom will help them feel more comfortable with whatever platform they may experience next.
I admit it...I'm a Googler...and it's exciting and fun to always be ready for the next bit of technology to try out.
Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
Have A Plan
We are nearing the end of our training path presenter series in English III. Students have viewed presentations from a variety of representatives and are viewing a presentation from Jodie Eaker of Morrison Tech today, and a consistent message has surfaced - HAVE A PLAN.
Yet in a lot of secondary schools around the United States, do we really equip students with the resources they need to HAVE A PLAN after high school? Our school at Rockridge is very good, but we have one guidance counselor, and her duties and responsibilities include everyday assistance of students, testing compliance and administration, and student grades/records. Bless the heart and effort of Mrs. Bohnsack and her assistant Mrs. Hawk, but her time available to assist students with post-secondary planning is very limited.
In English III we will spend about a month on the training path presenter series, and I truly believe it is "English" instruction. More importantly, though, it's a variety of people (not including their boring day-to-day English III teacher) telling the students to HAVE A PLAN. And that plan includes...
Yet in a lot of secondary schools around the United States, do we really equip students with the resources they need to HAVE A PLAN after high school? Our school at Rockridge is very good, but we have one guidance counselor, and her duties and responsibilities include everyday assistance of students, testing compliance and administration, and student grades/records. Bless the heart and effort of Mrs. Bohnsack and her assistant Mrs. Hawk, but her time available to assist students with post-secondary planning is very limited.
In English III we will spend about a month on the training path presenter series, and I truly believe it is "English" instruction. More importantly, though, it's a variety of people (not including their boring day-to-day English III teacher) telling the students to HAVE A PLAN. And that plan includes...
- exploring career and secondary training path options beginning in 9th grade
- speaking with visiting career and secondary training path representatives beginning in 10th grade
- visiting 5-7 options starting at least during 2nd semester of 11th grade (preferably 1st semester)
- completing the SAT/ACT during the Spring of 11th grade
- research and appliation for scholarship opportunities beginning second semester of 11th grade
- applying to post-secondary training options first semester of 12th grade
- completing FAFSA the first week in October of 12th grade
- comparing costs of post-secondary training options in February/March of 12th grade
- accepting/deciding on a post-secondary training path by April of 12th grade (some paths have earlier acceptance deadlines)
And in and among and between all of that are homecomings, proms, concerts, sports competitions, clubs and activities, and all sorts of stuff, which is why it's important that high school educators and parents/guardians help their students HAVE A PLAN.
Enjoy the experience!
Monday, March 27, 2017
Custodians Deserve Our Appreciation
Each Monday morning, we students and staff arrive at our school. The hallways, classrooms, restrooms, lockerrooms and other areas have been cleaned and prepped for us to use.
It's not an easy job, so the next time you brush past your building's custodians, greet them with a friendly smile and tell them "Good morning!" or "Good afternoon!".
Believe it or not I consider it a great learning experience to serve as a summer custodian at Geneseo High School about twelve years ago. We were at the building by 6:30 a.m., and we did all the things that occur in a school's summer cleaning program - moving classroom furniture out of classroom, cleaning all furniture all classrooms, cleaning and waxing the floor, wiping down all the walls, boards, cabinets, cleaning all the classroom furniture and moving it back in. IT'S A LOT OF WORK...and cleaning gum off the bottoms of chairs and desks with a putty knife is gross!
Then there are the restrooms and lockerrooms - cleaning toilets, urinals, and showers is yucky!
Custodians don't just clean, though, They change light bulbs, perform light maintenance, clear snow from sidewalks in the winter, clean up after a student gets sick or is injured, deal with chemicals, and a variety of other jobs.
Thank you custodians for the work you do!
It's not an easy job, so the next time you brush past your building's custodians, greet them with a friendly smile and tell them "Good morning!" or "Good afternoon!".
Believe it or not I consider it a great learning experience to serve as a summer custodian at Geneseo High School about twelve years ago. We were at the building by 6:30 a.m., and we did all the things that occur in a school's summer cleaning program - moving classroom furniture out of classroom, cleaning all furniture all classrooms, cleaning and waxing the floor, wiping down all the walls, boards, cabinets, cleaning all the classroom furniture and moving it back in. IT'S A LOT OF WORK...and cleaning gum off the bottoms of chairs and desks with a putty knife is gross!
Then there are the restrooms and lockerrooms - cleaning toilets, urinals, and showers is yucky!
Custodians don't just clean, though, They change light bulbs, perform light maintenance, clear snow from sidewalks in the winter, clean up after a student gets sick or is injured, deal with chemicals, and a variety of other jobs.
Thank you custodians for the work you do!
Saturday, March 25, 2017
Be Gracious In Defeat
Defeat is like taxes, rainy Saturday mornings, accidents, death, and a variety of other things in our lives that exist but sting. They happen.
I think the word grace is fascinating. Defined by Merriam-Webster, grace means "the quality or state of being considerate or thoughtful." Gracious is defined by Merriam-Webster as "marked by kindness and courtesy." So how does grace or gracious connect with defeat.
ONE MORE DEFINITION - defeat is "to win victory over" - Merriam-Webster.
Last night I stayed up late to watch the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, and in our area the Wisconsin Badgers are pretty popular because a Rockridge alumni, Ethan Happ, plays for the Badgers. Last night, Ethan and the Badgers were defeated. It was a heart-breaking, gut-wrenching defeat as the opponent shot and made a three point shot as the overtime horn sounded. The Florida players and fans went crazy in joy for their team. The Badgers remained briefly on the floor stunned, then proceeded to shake hands and congratulate the staff and players of the Gators.
Turn back a few hours and another defeat occurred. President Trump's attempt to amend the Affordable Care Act faced defeat, and despite his assurance that the bill would receive a vote, he directed the bill to be pulled. For him and many who oppose the Affordable Care Act, it was a heart-breaking, gut-wrenching defeat as the bill was pulled and those in favor of the Act went crazy in joy for their win. The President did not react as graciously as the Badgers.
He gloated over his efforts; he blamed the democrats for the defeat; he painted a picture of future destruction for our country.
It's not easy to be gracious in defeat. In fact, it's very, very hard sometimes when we feel like we should have won, should have had the opportunity to go crazy in joy for a victory. When defeat occurs, we should not gloat over our efforts, blame others, and paint a picture of destruction moving forward.
The next time you face defeat, allow yourself to be stunned, and then try to be as gracious as you possibly can. Your grace towards others in defeat says so much about your character.
Be gracious today!
I think the word grace is fascinating. Defined by Merriam-Webster, grace means "the quality or state of being considerate or thoughtful." Gracious is defined by Merriam-Webster as "marked by kindness and courtesy." So how does grace or gracious connect with defeat.
ONE MORE DEFINITION - defeat is "to win victory over" - Merriam-Webster.
Last night I stayed up late to watch the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, and in our area the Wisconsin Badgers are pretty popular because a Rockridge alumni, Ethan Happ, plays for the Badgers. Last night, Ethan and the Badgers were defeated. It was a heart-breaking, gut-wrenching defeat as the opponent shot and made a three point shot as the overtime horn sounded. The Florida players and fans went crazy in joy for their team. The Badgers remained briefly on the floor stunned, then proceeded to shake hands and congratulate the staff and players of the Gators.
Turn back a few hours and another defeat occurred. President Trump's attempt to amend the Affordable Care Act faced defeat, and despite his assurance that the bill would receive a vote, he directed the bill to be pulled. For him and many who oppose the Affordable Care Act, it was a heart-breaking, gut-wrenching defeat as the bill was pulled and those in favor of the Act went crazy in joy for their win. The President did not react as graciously as the Badgers.
He gloated over his efforts; he blamed the democrats for the defeat; he painted a picture of future destruction for our country.
It's not easy to be gracious in defeat. In fact, it's very, very hard sometimes when we feel like we should have won, should have had the opportunity to go crazy in joy for a victory. When defeat occurs, we should not gloat over our efforts, blame others, and paint a picture of destruction moving forward.
The next time you face defeat, allow yourself to be stunned, and then try to be as gracious as you possibly can. Your grace towards others in defeat says so much about your character.
Be gracious today!
Friday, March 24, 2017
Yes, You Can Do A Marathon!
Recently I completed a 5K distance on the treadmill in the basement. This is a bit of a big deal for me, because I'm 50 years old, overweight, out of shape, and my right knee needs replaced - really, I was told a couple of years ago by an orthopedic doctor that it's gunked up with arthritis and needs replaced, but he wanted me to try to hold off another five years.
As bad as my knee is, I know if I dropped 50 lbs., I could and would be able to move much easier and have much less pain in the knee. Bad knee and all, I do have a goal of running a marathon...again.
AND YOU CAN TOO. My first motivation to run was back in college. I was on the student staff of athletic trainers at Augustana College, and we were assigned the duty of helping care for runners at the Distance Classic Half Marathon. In order to help keep runners safe, we were assigned to various locations throughout the course to observe and monitor runners. It's been a long time ago...1987 maybe?...and I don't know all the specifics, but I remember seeing an older gentleman laboring near the finish line area - probably a couple of miles away.
In 1987 I was not in the shape I am in today, so it wasn't really a big deal physically for me, but I ended up finishing that last portion of the run with gentleman, and I was so impressed with his grit and determination to finish the run. That day's event planted the seed of distance running for me.
From that point on, I dabbled here and there in running - local 5K's, 10K's, and eventually tackled the Bix 7. The Bix is a grueling, hilly race in the streets of Davenport, and it's grown over the years to what it is now - one of the more famous races in the Midwest. A friend of mine heard that I had started running and asked me to participate in a relay race for a fairly new event in the area during that time, which was the Quad City Marathon. My leg of the relay really wasn't very far, probably something like 5-6 miles, and I agreed to be on his relay team.
The Quad City Marathon features an AWESOME course that runs on both sides of the Mississippi River. The course itself is fairly flat but runs through Moline, Bettendorf, Davenport, Rock Island, and East Moline. Again, my specifics of my experience are a little blurred by time, but I do remember that my leg of the race included the Rock Island Arsenal Island, which includes running near the Arsenal Cemetery. While running through this quiet part of the course, I encountered a senior female runner and we struck up a little conversation like runners do. We asked how each other was doing, what the day was like, etc. Then I noticed that she was limping a little, but her limp wasn't really bothering her. I then looked at her bib number and realized she was running the entire 26.2 mile course. In fact at that spot of the course, my leg of the race was going to be ending soon, and she had just finished the half-way point of her run.
It wasn't just that encounter that motivated me. I saw runners of all sizes and ages and abilities running, jogging, sometimes walking. What I really saw, though, was all of those people courageously testing themselves - challenging themselves to complete something that too many people think is just impossible.
Here's the deal. There are people that have medically limiting conditions that simply are too big of obstacles to complete a marathon. For the vast majority of us, though, it's doable. And the hard part really isn't the marathon itself. The hard part is the preparation leading up to the marathon - usually a 6-12 month experience.
BUT IT'S WORTH IT!
When I finished my first marathon, I cried. It was so gratifying to complete something like that. And there were people at the finish line (and all along the race) that were so encouraging and inspiring. Since that time, I've participated in several marathon distance and ultra distance events, including 50-mile trail runs and even a 24-hour run held every year in Eldridge, Iowa.
Unfortunately for me, life experiences and poor discipline with my diet and exercise have limited my involvement in distance running. I think the farthest event I've completed in the last few years is a 5K in fact. I hope to get back someday, though.
How about you...ever thought about a MARATHON...sounds scary and insurmountable, but it's doable.
Enjoy your day today!
As bad as my knee is, I know if I dropped 50 lbs., I could and would be able to move much easier and have much less pain in the knee. Bad knee and all, I do have a goal of running a marathon...again.
AND YOU CAN TOO. My first motivation to run was back in college. I was on the student staff of athletic trainers at Augustana College, and we were assigned the duty of helping care for runners at the Distance Classic Half Marathon. In order to help keep runners safe, we were assigned to various locations throughout the course to observe and monitor runners. It's been a long time ago...1987 maybe?...and I don't know all the specifics, but I remember seeing an older gentleman laboring near the finish line area - probably a couple of miles away.
In 1987 I was not in the shape I am in today, so it wasn't really a big deal physically for me, but I ended up finishing that last portion of the run with gentleman, and I was so impressed with his grit and determination to finish the run. That day's event planted the seed of distance running for me.
From that point on, I dabbled here and there in running - local 5K's, 10K's, and eventually tackled the Bix 7. The Bix is a grueling, hilly race in the streets of Davenport, and it's grown over the years to what it is now - one of the more famous races in the Midwest. A friend of mine heard that I had started running and asked me to participate in a relay race for a fairly new event in the area during that time, which was the Quad City Marathon. My leg of the relay really wasn't very far, probably something like 5-6 miles, and I agreed to be on his relay team.
The Quad City Marathon features an AWESOME course that runs on both sides of the Mississippi River. The course itself is fairly flat but runs through Moline, Bettendorf, Davenport, Rock Island, and East Moline. Again, my specifics of my experience are a little blurred by time, but I do remember that my leg of the race included the Rock Island Arsenal Island, which includes running near the Arsenal Cemetery. While running through this quiet part of the course, I encountered a senior female runner and we struck up a little conversation like runners do. We asked how each other was doing, what the day was like, etc. Then I noticed that she was limping a little, but her limp wasn't really bothering her. I then looked at her bib number and realized she was running the entire 26.2 mile course. In fact at that spot of the course, my leg of the race was going to be ending soon, and she had just finished the half-way point of her run.
It wasn't just that encounter that motivated me. I saw runners of all sizes and ages and abilities running, jogging, sometimes walking. What I really saw, though, was all of those people courageously testing themselves - challenging themselves to complete something that too many people think is just impossible.
Here's the deal. There are people that have medically limiting conditions that simply are too big of obstacles to complete a marathon. For the vast majority of us, though, it's doable. And the hard part really isn't the marathon itself. The hard part is the preparation leading up to the marathon - usually a 6-12 month experience.
BUT IT'S WORTH IT!
When I finished my first marathon, I cried. It was so gratifying to complete something like that. And there were people at the finish line (and all along the race) that were so encouraging and inspiring. Since that time, I've participated in several marathon distance and ultra distance events, including 50-mile trail runs and even a 24-hour run held every year in Eldridge, Iowa.
Unfortunately for me, life experiences and poor discipline with my diet and exercise have limited my involvement in distance running. I think the farthest event I've completed in the last few years is a 5K in fact. I hope to get back someday, though.
How about you...ever thought about a MARATHON...sounds scary and insurmountable, but it's doable.
Enjoy your day today!
Thursday, March 23, 2017
We All Need Some Quiet Time Now And Then
This is our cat Stormy, and this is normal for him about 7:30 a.m. as I'm headed out the door on school days. I must admit that I'm very jealous sometimes.
There are many people in our society that believe teachers are overpaid for the job they do. After all, teachers even get paid in the summer, and there isn't even any school! (I love that one.)
In fact I will be honest and admit that I earn a very competitive salary for my career, and I know many other very good teachers that also earn a very competitive salary. And by the way, we are not compensated for summer vacation. School districts generally allow their salaried employees to choose whether they would like to be paid only during the contracted school year or to have their salary split across twelve months. Most salaried school employees just opt to receive paychecks year round.
While I admit - and proudly so - to earning a very competitive salary, I also admit that teaching is a draining profession. In fact some days, some weeks, some months, and some years are just downright exhausting. A few days ago a friend of mine asked me, "So how is the school year going for you?" I was honest and replied, "This has probably been the busiest year of my career - I'm really, really tired right now."
I'd like to encourage you - if you need to - to look for a way to have a "Stormy Day", and to avoid beating yourself up over taking a break. We all need breaks, and a healthy break does more to help us continue to be hard-working teachers. Healthy breaks allow us to just relax, and in that process allow us to recharge our minds, our hears, our bodies, and our souls.
Are you feeling drained? Do yourself, your family, and your students a favor - have yourself a "Stormy Day" - sleep in, have some quiet time, watch a good movie, read a book, go for a walk or a cup of coffee at a little cafe, have lunch at some place you've never been, take a walk in the woods, meet up with an old friend and have a beverage. If you need to catch up on some schoolwork, give yourself an hour or two to accomplish something, but don't work the whole day.
You work hard...your students work hard...you have high expectations that deplete energy. If Spring Break or Summer Vacation are just a little too far off on the horizon, don't be afraid to take a "Stormy Day".
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
Grading Writing Assignments And Allowing Revisions...Hazards of Good Teaching
I sometimes struggle to get assignments back to students in a timely manner. In fact, I recently struggled to get yearbook spreads scored and back to students for revisions. As teachers, we don't live in a vacuum where our entire existence revolves around our classroom and students. We teachers sometimes have other jobs; we have family responsibilities; we need to care for our homes; and sometimes we just want to have a little relaxation and fun.
The "education gurus" have attempted to help ease the issue of grading by instilling in us the importance of rubrics and other methods. And to be honest, most students look at the final grade without paying much attention to the feedback that dedicated teachers attempt to provide.
I've stated before in other blogs, I don't consider myself a candidate for national teacher of the year, but I am proud of the effort I get and the results I see in student improvement and achievement. I'm sure there are more productive ways to get papers back to students faster with more feedback, but I'd like to believe I'm trying and giving my best.
I do enjoy providing comments on papers submitted as Google Docs. The ability to highlight a particular area and provide a comment digitally is faster and cleaner for me. Students also have the opportunity to resolve the comment or respond to the comment with an additional question if needed. I know other teachers have expressed the concern that scoring and commenting electronically is cumbersome, but for me it's quicker than pen on paper.
What I have found particularly helpful in recent years is simply allowing students to revise their work and resubmit for an increased score. Surprisingly few students take advantage of the opportunity, but those that do genuinely give themselves to improve their writing skills. My approach is pretty simple. Students may revise as many times as they would like as time allows. In most cases, I can satisfy all student's comforts within three revisions. For the students that are willing to invest the time, then, they can earn a grade they are comfortable with.
While this does increase the amount of papers to grade, it also gives me energy to help students who truly want and appreciate the help - so I guess there is a trade off.
And for those teachers that give writing assignments and then just accept anything for a product - PLEASE STOP! If a teacher isn't willing to formally grade a required writing assignment, the students is negatively impacted for being awarded a good grade for a poor product. I would much rather have students come into my class with very little understanding of good writing skills than fight the battle of students who have been given participation grades for poor writing skills.
It's a hazard...grading papers...it's part of the job, though. And I love the job, so I deal with it. That's what we do with what we love, right?
Do your students a favor this week...assign them a writing assignment and have high expectations for them. Work to provide a score and feedback in a reasonable timeframe. Finally, let them revise their work if they would like to earn a better grade.
The "education gurus" have attempted to help ease the issue of grading by instilling in us the importance of rubrics and other methods. And to be honest, most students look at the final grade without paying much attention to the feedback that dedicated teachers attempt to provide.
I've stated before in other blogs, I don't consider myself a candidate for national teacher of the year, but I am proud of the effort I get and the results I see in student improvement and achievement. I'm sure there are more productive ways to get papers back to students faster with more feedback, but I'd like to believe I'm trying and giving my best.
I do enjoy providing comments on papers submitted as Google Docs. The ability to highlight a particular area and provide a comment digitally is faster and cleaner for me. Students also have the opportunity to resolve the comment or respond to the comment with an additional question if needed. I know other teachers have expressed the concern that scoring and commenting electronically is cumbersome, but for me it's quicker than pen on paper.
What I have found particularly helpful in recent years is simply allowing students to revise their work and resubmit for an increased score. Surprisingly few students take advantage of the opportunity, but those that do genuinely give themselves to improve their writing skills. My approach is pretty simple. Students may revise as many times as they would like as time allows. In most cases, I can satisfy all student's comforts within three revisions. For the students that are willing to invest the time, then, they can earn a grade they are comfortable with.
While this does increase the amount of papers to grade, it also gives me energy to help students who truly want and appreciate the help - so I guess there is a trade off.
And for those teachers that give writing assignments and then just accept anything for a product - PLEASE STOP! If a teacher isn't willing to formally grade a required writing assignment, the students is negatively impacted for being awarded a good grade for a poor product. I would much rather have students come into my class with very little understanding of good writing skills than fight the battle of students who have been given participation grades for poor writing skills.
It's a hazard...grading papers...it's part of the job, though. And I love the job, so I deal with it. That's what we do with what we love, right?
Do your students a favor this week...assign them a writing assignment and have high expectations for them. Work to provide a score and feedback in a reasonable timeframe. Finally, let them revise their work if they would like to earn a better grade.
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
Positive Self Talk in the Form of Podcasts
I'm a recent Podcast junkie. I'm usually a few years behind technology, so this really doesn't come as much of a surprise to only now discover the world of podcasts. My relatively new experience with podcasts has taught me a couple of things.
First, be prepared to soak in podcasts in moderation. Much like the abundance of good reading materials, there is an abundance of good podcasts. My advice is to surf and test drive two or three that are of interest to you and that post new episodes fairly regularly. Be careful not to drive yourself crazy and attempt to become a regular with too many different podcasts.
Second, be prepared to be inspired. Social media has opened up the possibilities of hearing more and more stories about inspiring people. I listen to 10-Minute Teacher by Vicky Davis every weekday. I put in my earphones, start the treadmill, and fill my brain with all sorts of things that teachers and educators all over the world are sharing. I find it inspiring to hear voices that are passionate about teaching.
Third, be prepared to be comforted. We all have doubts from time-to-time about everything from our personal lives to recreational lives to relationships to our professional careers. Chances are that you and I are doing a lot of things right. Listening to podcasts episodes often confirm what I already know, which brings me comfort.
Fourth, be prepared to be somewhat uncomfortable. How can podcasts be inspiring, comforting, and uncomfortable? Great question. While I am inspired by my podcasts, occasionally they leave me a bit frustrated. I hear wonderful suggestions and teaching strategies and coaching strategies and technology applications, and I start to wonder how I can do more, which is uncomfortable. When I get to those moments, I try to remind myself that while I always have room to grow, I really have developed many aspects of my life.
You need to make your own adventure into podcasts, but my regulars include 10-Minute Teacher, which I previously mentioned. I also enjoy Pure Sweat Basketball Show (Alan Stein), Talks With Teachers (Brian Sztabnik), and Google Teacher Tribe (Matt Miller and Kasey Bell_. And as a back up, I sometimes listen to TED Talks
If you have a podcast to recommend please email it to me at jbizarri@rr300.org
First, be prepared to soak in podcasts in moderation. Much like the abundance of good reading materials, there is an abundance of good podcasts. My advice is to surf and test drive two or three that are of interest to you and that post new episodes fairly regularly. Be careful not to drive yourself crazy and attempt to become a regular with too many different podcasts.
Second, be prepared to be inspired. Social media has opened up the possibilities of hearing more and more stories about inspiring people. I listen to 10-Minute Teacher by Vicky Davis every weekday. I put in my earphones, start the treadmill, and fill my brain with all sorts of things that teachers and educators all over the world are sharing. I find it inspiring to hear voices that are passionate about teaching.
Third, be prepared to be comforted. We all have doubts from time-to-time about everything from our personal lives to recreational lives to relationships to our professional careers. Chances are that you and I are doing a lot of things right. Listening to podcasts episodes often confirm what I already know, which brings me comfort.
Fourth, be prepared to be somewhat uncomfortable. How can podcasts be inspiring, comforting, and uncomfortable? Great question. While I am inspired by my podcasts, occasionally they leave me a bit frustrated. I hear wonderful suggestions and teaching strategies and coaching strategies and technology applications, and I start to wonder how I can do more, which is uncomfortable. When I get to those moments, I try to remind myself that while I always have room to grow, I really have developed many aspects of my life.
You need to make your own adventure into podcasts, but my regulars include 10-Minute Teacher, which I previously mentioned. I also enjoy Pure Sweat Basketball Show (Alan Stein), Talks With Teachers (Brian Sztabnik), and Google Teacher Tribe (Matt Miller and Kasey Bell_. And as a back up, I sometimes listen to TED Talks
If you have a podcast to recommend please email it to me at jbizarri@rr300.org
Monday, March 20, 2017
Classroom Life With An Overhead Projector
Life in RoomNE10 would be extremely abnormal without the trusty overhead projector. This little bit of cherished technology is as important in my classroom as anything else. As simple as this sounds, having the class period's agenda viewable on the screen in front of the classroom just makes my day more effective, and the projection of the agenda helps get students ready for the day.
This is a screen shot of Friday's agenda (I don't like to call them lesson plans.) It's nothing really fancy, but students can walk into the room, glance at the screen, and have a basic understanding of what we are going to try to accomplish. On this agenda, I can also remind students of what we accomplished yesterday, and this feature accomplishes a couple of things. First, students can be reminded of yesterday's activities, but second, students that were absent can view yesterday's class that was missed.
Also on this agenda, I can give students a preview of what is likely coming up in the days ahead. I feel like this is important for them, but it's also important for me as I strive to accomplish objectives on that day with the future in mind.
So the agenda includes
- The day's date plus anything special - Happy St. Patrick's Day in this screen shot example.
- Today's Agenda - What are we going accomplish? - Kassie Daly from WIU was scheduled.
- Previous Day - I had listed training path presenters that had visited earlier in the week.
- What's Next - In this case, I want to view some SAT essay tutorials.
I then keep these agendas in folders and have them stored on my Google Drive for safekeeping. I can review previous years' agendas for ideas I may have forgotten or to determine if I'm behind or ahead of the curriculum for the course.
I could write this stuff on a marker board, but that's too much work. I could hand it out as a handout, but that would be a waste of paper. I could send an email preview, but I'm not sure students would read it, and I already send out too many emails (according to students).
If you aren't previewing the class period with this simple little technique with your overhead projector, give it a try. You will find your classroom just runs a little more smoothly.
Have fun today!
Saturday, March 18, 2017
Umpiring Softball (Baseball) Offers Opportunities
It's March in Illinois, and March means more than tournament basketball. March also means the beginning of high school softball season (as well as track and baseball and soccer), so it's time for me to start my umpiring season. As a certified IHSA umpire I get to experience a variety of opportunities.
- involved in the game - I miss participating in athletics, but at my age and with my current knee issues, participating even in recreation sports is challenging. I miss the competition and teamwork that is part of athletics, but through umpiring, I get to be near those things. And to be honest, I am participating on a team to help manage the game when I'm umpiring. My partner and I have to work together and be a team to help us be successful.
- exercise - My previously mentioned knee issues no longer permit me to train for marathons, but umpiring does get me out of a chair and out of a house and does give me some exercise.
- income - A teaching career features a competitive salary, but earning extra spending money through umpiring is helpful. Depending upon the school, pay for a high school double-header date can be between $80-$100.
- camaraderie - As we get older, our "friendship fun" becomes limited. Our circle of friends largely depends upon factors like our work, parents of our children's friends or teammates, and family. Through umpiring, I get to meet new people or I get to reconnect with other guys/gals that I have umpired with previously.
- professional development - As an umpire, I am required to manage a contest, which includes people. Sometimes mistakes happen, and sometimes confrontations happen which require conflict resolution. In addition, I have to value establishing a rapport with coaches, players, and fans by looking professional, hustling, and knowing the rules of the game.
Could you help students and coaches/players by utilizing your knowledge and skills somehow to be an official, umpire, or judge of school contests? Consider contributing your efforts...you may be surprised about the benefits you receive in return.
Let's play ball!
JBiz
Friday, March 17, 2017
Coaching a Club Basketball Team
Club sports seem to be increasing in their popularity...that's no secret. Club sports, though, seem to me like a ravaging beast that appears to be trying to take over the world.
Okay, perhaps my description is a bit over-the-top, but I've been concerned about club sports for a long, long time. I'm worried that we adults are exploiting children for our own needs. We have grade school children playing softball, volleyball, basketball, dance, cheer, and a variety of other activities all year around. Folks, that's INSANE.
I am a registered softball umpire for Iowa State High School, Illinois State High School, and with USA Softball. I have first hand experience EVERY SEASON regarding the damage caused by adults - it's in their eyes.
I share this example often when I am talking club sports. As an umpire, when I work a 10U game at the beginning of the season, the girls' eyes are electric. They are nervous and excited and energetic. And if the coaches and parents are new to the activity, they are also upbeat and positive and full of spirit.
At the same sports complex on the same day at another diamond with the 18U division, it's a complete different atmosphere. These girls have likely played over 100 games of softball since age 10. They have played in many different venues - perhaps have toured their state or region or perhaps have traveled all over the country. They have played in rain, sleet, cold, hot, and everything in between. They have played good teams, bad teams, have won championships, and perhaps lost some games too. And 800-1000 games after their 10th birthday, softball is no longer fun. They would much rather hang out with their friends, go to a movie on a date, or maybe just stay at home and watch Netflix.
Their eyes are clouded over; there is no bounce to their step; vocal energy is forced; any smiles that do occur are courtesy. It's depressing.
I coach a club basketball team. In fact, we had a workout last night. We workout a couple of times a week, we stay local for any events we play, we keep costs down, and most of our time is just letting the players play the game. We currently have three 1-day events scheduled this Spring, and we might schedule on more. We will take a break from our Cagers events during the month of June to allow our players to focus on their school teams, and maybe if their is interest we might play in an event or two in July and/or August. We don't play in the fall or winter months; we don't require individual training sessions; we don't charge the players coaching fees. I don't just speak critical of our society's club team craziness...I work to avoid it.
As a society, I believe we can do better. Parents, you don't need to spend hundreds of dollars on specialty coaches. Parents, you don't need to spend thousands of dollars on club team fees and hotel rooms. Parents, you don't need to consume your child's life in sports. LET THEM BE KIDS ONCE IN AWHILE TOO.
My advice is to work with your child to make choices. Talk together to limit the number of school activities and non-school activities. Plan together on your calendar UNWEEKENDS that involve nothing but free time. Tell your club coaches that your child WILL NOT participate in year around workouts, and if that's not okay, find a different club team or start one of your own.
They only get to be children once, and they only get to be your children once.
JBiz
Okay, perhaps my description is a bit over-the-top, but I've been concerned about club sports for a long, long time. I'm worried that we adults are exploiting children for our own needs. We have grade school children playing softball, volleyball, basketball, dance, cheer, and a variety of other activities all year around. Folks, that's INSANE.
I am a registered softball umpire for Iowa State High School, Illinois State High School, and with USA Softball. I have first hand experience EVERY SEASON regarding the damage caused by adults - it's in their eyes.
I share this example often when I am talking club sports. As an umpire, when I work a 10U game at the beginning of the season, the girls' eyes are electric. They are nervous and excited and energetic. And if the coaches and parents are new to the activity, they are also upbeat and positive and full of spirit.
At the same sports complex on the same day at another diamond with the 18U division, it's a complete different atmosphere. These girls have likely played over 100 games of softball since age 10. They have played in many different venues - perhaps have toured their state or region or perhaps have traveled all over the country. They have played in rain, sleet, cold, hot, and everything in between. They have played good teams, bad teams, have won championships, and perhaps lost some games too. And 800-1000 games after their 10th birthday, softball is no longer fun. They would much rather hang out with their friends, go to a movie on a date, or maybe just stay at home and watch Netflix.
Their eyes are clouded over; there is no bounce to their step; vocal energy is forced; any smiles that do occur are courtesy. It's depressing.
I coach a club basketball team. In fact, we had a workout last night. We workout a couple of times a week, we stay local for any events we play, we keep costs down, and most of our time is just letting the players play the game. We currently have three 1-day events scheduled this Spring, and we might schedule on more. We will take a break from our Cagers events during the month of June to allow our players to focus on their school teams, and maybe if their is interest we might play in an event or two in July and/or August. We don't play in the fall or winter months; we don't require individual training sessions; we don't charge the players coaching fees. I don't just speak critical of our society's club team craziness...I work to avoid it.
As a society, I believe we can do better. Parents, you don't need to spend hundreds of dollars on specialty coaches. Parents, you don't need to spend thousands of dollars on club team fees and hotel rooms. Parents, you don't need to consume your child's life in sports. LET THEM BE KIDS ONCE IN AWHILE TOO.
My advice is to work with your child to make choices. Talk together to limit the number of school activities and non-school activities. Plan together on your calendar UNWEEKENDS that involve nothing but free time. Tell your club coaches that your child WILL NOT participate in year around workouts, and if that's not okay, find a different club team or start one of your own.
They only get to be children once, and they only get to be your children once.
JBiz
Thursday, March 16, 2017
0'fer
My colleague in the Social Studies Department was part of the title of today's blog post, but he has indicated that he isn't complete sold on the title.
In this case O'fer represents 0-for-the-season regarding wins. The case in point was the 8th grade girls basketball team that I coached and earlier this week ended it's season 0-for-13...or "O'fer". Is an O'fer season a waste of time and energy, or can a group of athletes benefit from participation in a sport despite winning any games or contests?
photo by John Holbert
I'd like to report that it's been my experience in coaching that EVERY student-athlete I've ever coached benefited greatly through participating on a team sport. That would be inaccurate because the number of benefits experienced by each student athlete is largely dependent on him/her. Here are factors that are relevant.
In this case O'fer represents 0-for-the-season regarding wins. The case in point was the 8th grade girls basketball team that I coached and earlier this week ended it's season 0-for-13...or "O'fer". Is an O'fer season a waste of time and energy, or can a group of athletes benefit from participation in a sport despite winning any games or contests?
I'd like to report that it's been my experience in coaching that EVERY student-athlete I've ever coached benefited greatly through participating on a team sport. That would be inaccurate because the number of benefits experienced by each student athlete is largely dependent on him/her. Here are factors that are relevant.
- coachable - participants that recognize and appreciate coaching benefit more that participants that aren't very coachable
- considerate of others - participants that want to see their teammates be successful often benefit more from a team experience over other participants that are more individualistic
- realistic understanding of abilities - participants that have an accurate understanding of their athleticism and skill set have a greater opportunity to improve.
- grasp of the "big picture" - participants that understand the "journey" are better able to see the importance of each practice and each contest and each activity and value those opportunities more than other players that don't or can't connect their future with their present
With these four factors, players that participate on a team will benefit through their participation regardless if a championship or even a single game was won. An O'fer season isn't necessarily a losing season and by no means should ever be considered a waste of time if players learned how to be coachable and considerate of others. In addition, if they developed a realistic understanding of their abilities and developed an understanding of how a particular year fit into their overall progress, they likely experienced improvement.
O'fer seasons can be frustrating, but they can also honestly be rewarding and will eventually lead to winning.
Have a successful day today!
Have a successful day today!
Wednesday, March 15, 2017
SAT Prep And Khan Academy
On Monday I spoke on the phone with Kitt Hirasaki and Anju Khetan from Khan Academy to discuss my "story" of my use of Khan Academy with my students. It was refreshing to talk with them as they asked questions and gathered information that they can now take back to their "think tanks" when considering product revisions and development.
I actually started my journey with Khan Academy last Fall at an SAT informational conference I attended in Princeton, Illinois with two of my colleagues - Anne Bohnsack and Angie DeKeyrel. Anne is our guidance counselor and Angie is a math teacher in our building, and the three of us drove Princeton to learn a little more about the SAT. With the SAT new to the State of Illinois, we attended the conference to start our work on gaining a better understanding of the assessment that we could then pass along to our students.
Part of the SAT training included information from the College Board representative about the relationship between College Board and Khan Academy. We learned there at the Princeton training that our students could link the PSAT NMSQT scores to Khan Academy and receive an individualized improvement program - FOR FREE. The free component definitely caught our attention, so after arriving back to school I dove into learning more about Khan Academy.
I am honestly only a novice, but I've learned at least enough by this point of the school year to utilize Khan in two different ways. First, the English III and Advanced English III students completed all of the grammar units in Khan Academy to "brush up" on their grammar skills. The students were required to play the videos and complete the practice items for each of the skills in all of the grammar units. I created a spreadsheet for students to enter their results and give me a score that I then entered into our grade calculation system to give students credit for their work. Next, we used Khan Academy's SAT Prep Units in class as "bell-ringer" opportunities to view brief video tutorials and practice SAT formatted questions.
As I mentioned to Mr. Hirasaki and Ms. Khetan, I felt like students genuinely appreciated the information and practice. The students appeared to be attentive and on-task, and several students expressed how they appreciated the opportunity to review the skills they will be tested on through the SAT.
I know I am just in the beginning stages of using Khan Academy in my instruction, but I'm looking forward to seeing the future. For example, I suggested how I could envision reading a student essay, recognizing that the student has inadequate skills in capitalization, and assigning a Khan Academy tutorial and practice on capitalization as a remedial activity that could serve as a separate grade or perhaps as an extra credit opportunity.
If you aren't familiar with Khan Academy, find it and check it out. https://www.khanacademy.org And if you have a unique way you are using this resource in your classroom, please share. I'd enjoy hearing about it!
I actually started my journey with Khan Academy last Fall at an SAT informational conference I attended in Princeton, Illinois with two of my colleagues - Anne Bohnsack and Angie DeKeyrel. Anne is our guidance counselor and Angie is a math teacher in our building, and the three of us drove Princeton to learn a little more about the SAT. With the SAT new to the State of Illinois, we attended the conference to start our work on gaining a better understanding of the assessment that we could then pass along to our students.
I am honestly only a novice, but I've learned at least enough by this point of the school year to utilize Khan in two different ways. First, the English III and Advanced English III students completed all of the grammar units in Khan Academy to "brush up" on their grammar skills. The students were required to play the videos and complete the practice items for each of the skills in all of the grammar units. I created a spreadsheet for students to enter their results and give me a score that I then entered into our grade calculation system to give students credit for their work. Next, we used Khan Academy's SAT Prep Units in class as "bell-ringer" opportunities to view brief video tutorials and practice SAT formatted questions.
As I mentioned to Mr. Hirasaki and Ms. Khetan, I felt like students genuinely appreciated the information and practice. The students appeared to be attentive and on-task, and several students expressed how they appreciated the opportunity to review the skills they will be tested on through the SAT.
I know I am just in the beginning stages of using Khan Academy in my instruction, but I'm looking forward to seeing the future. For example, I suggested how I could envision reading a student essay, recognizing that the student has inadequate skills in capitalization, and assigning a Khan Academy tutorial and practice on capitalization as a remedial activity that could serve as a separate grade or perhaps as an extra credit opportunity.
If you aren't familiar with Khan Academy, find it and check it out. https://www.khanacademy.org And if you have a unique way you are using this resource in your classroom, please share. I'd enjoy hearing about it!
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Training Path Presenter Series
I'm old, so when I say "Tech Prep", some people reading this won't really know what I'm talking about. I was introduced to Tech Prep in the mid-90's, when there was a state and national push to encourage students to explore technical careers. At that time, "tech" usually meant construction trades, but "career training" has taken the place of "tech prep" and career training is more than just the trades.
Tech Prep in the mid-90's, though, was the seed that motivated me to see high school education a bit differently. Post-secondary training (training after high school) is more than just college, but unless we educators help our students see the variety of options that are available, many students just don't realize what our world offers. Not everyone is a great fit for college; just like not everyone is a great fit for military service. Yet in high schools today, how much information gets to all of our students about the other possibilities - options like apprenticeships, technical schools, school-to-work opportunities, specialty schools, community college career programs, online schools, academies, and many other options?
In a nutshell, the Training Path Presenter Series is a research project and it's a public speaking/presenting project. I invite representatives from a variety of post-secondary paths to speak with the students. The students are required to positively participate, and they must complete a short assignment. One of my goals if for students to determine the aspects of each path that may be attractive and not so attractive. Another goal is for students to determine which training path seems to be a good fit and which training path seems to be a poor fit.
After all presentations are completed (usually around ten), students then use the information they have gathered to create their own presentation to share what they are currently considering for their post-secondary training path. In addition, they must also present which path seems to be the worst fit for them.
The "start-up" for this project is a bit challenging, but most presenters return each year to spend time with students, describe their paths, and answer questions student may have.
For students, the experience is very valuable. I firmly believe the ability to see their possible future after high school makes their current experiences in high school more relevant. Even students interested in a non-traditional post secondary-path now can envision for themselves a training path after high school - something that may be a brand new concept.
For me, I get the chance to hear about changes or developments in a variety paths that help me feel more knowledgeable about life outside the walls of our high school. I do feel like we teachers too often see ourselves in a bubble, and we need to understand and always remember that our students are not all headed to the nearest university after graduation.
Parents are often very appreciative of this unit as well. They appreciate that their students are receiving a little blurb about a variety of possibilities to consider, and I often hear back from parents that their children started a conversation about their plans after high school.
Below is shared Google Doc with information about the unit. Feel free to steal anything or everything for your specific purpose. Nothing I do is copyrighted, and nothing I do is perfect. Use it to fit your needs.
Have fun inspiring your students today!
Handout of Training Path Presenter Series
Sgt. Rupp speaking with students about a military training path with the Army.
Monday, March 13, 2017
Snow Day?
Yes, it is March 13, but this is the view out of my window towards the school today. The snow is cleared from the driveway, the installer from Knox Heating and Air has arrived to replace our furnace which died a week ago (yes, we've gone a week without a furnace), and I'm now able to add a post about our snow day....wait, technically we did receive snow, and no we do not have school....and oh the evil irony! THIS IN FACT IS NOT A SNOW DAY!
At Rockridge, today was already a "break day". In fact, I'm not even sure what we are calling this day. It's a result of the new parent-teacher conference week we had back in October. For two evenings, teachers had parent-teacher conferences until 8 p.m. to hopefully accommodate parents schedules better. In exchange for the two 12-hour work days, a "break day" (my terminology) was scheduled for March 13.
So the run continues! Here in our little corner of Rock Island County, Illinois, we haven't had a snow day now in two years, and that's a little strange. This winter weather this season, though, as really been strange. We had a good snow in November, barely anything in December, virtually nothing in January, 70-degree weather in February, and now 4 inches of snow in mid-March.
For me, today will be grading assignments. I need to catch up on some grading from last week that I was unable to get to until today. For that reason, I'm going to cut this short and get started...happy almost snow day students! Look at the bright side...we won't have to make this day up in May.
Enjoy your day!
JBiz
Saturday, March 11, 2017
Confessions of An Inexperienced Yearbook Advisor
I've failed, and it stings.
Prior to arriving at Rockridge, I had taught plenty of English courses but never worked with a journalism or publications course. To be honest, I entered college back in the mid-80's planning on becoming a journalist. I had been on the yearbook and newspaper staff at Rockridge ('84 graduate), and I actually had worked as a correspondent for a local weekly and daily newspaper in the Quad Cities. While at Augustana, I even earned college work study money through a job in the Sports Information Department.
When hired at Rockridge and discovering that I was going to get a chance to be the yearbook and newspaper adviser, I was thrilled. I was returning home to help other students capture the journalism bug and discover the fun in covering and sharing stories.
I soon realized, though, that times had changed. Due to a lack of interest, the journalism course was going to be dropped. The administration asked me to try to keep the school newspaper going without the journalism course, so I agreed. After all, every high school should have a school newspaper, right? The end of the journalism course, though, turned out to be just the beginning. I soon found out that the fund balance in the yearbook fund was "problematic", which would impact not only how much we could do with the yearbook and some sort of newspaper, but would also impact equipment and supply purchases.
Three years later....trying about everything and anything possible to generate more interest in journalism and a school newspaper and a yearbook, five students have registered for the course for the 2017-18 school year.
Confession #1 - I'm not much fun. I've tried to interject activities and energy to help the course be fun, but a publication eventually comes down to someone spending time and energy learning about a particular story and then working to share that story - through words, pics, video, audio, etc...
Confession #2 - I'm not happy with mediocrity. During these past three years I have plunged myself into professional development and training to produce publications according to established professional standards. I worked hard to learn the "do's" and "don'ts" of publications. I learned that I want the yearbook and the newspaper to be more than boring stories and selfies.
Confession #3 - I struggle assigning good grades for bad effort. While trying to consistently find ways to be encouraging and motivating, most of the students I've worked with aren't interested in producing quality. Most just want a grade. Yet, most also want to spend as little time and effort possible towards the project that is receiving the grade.
In short, despite wanting to rescue a drowning publications department, I'm pretty sure I've killed it. I've never handled losing well, but this one hurts.
Hoping your day and your efforts are working out better for you. And I'm hoping the next adviser at Rockridge experiences better success because each school does deserve to have a quality school newspaper and yearbook.
JBiz
Prior to arriving at Rockridge, I had taught plenty of English courses but never worked with a journalism or publications course. To be honest, I entered college back in the mid-80's planning on becoming a journalist. I had been on the yearbook and newspaper staff at Rockridge ('84 graduate), and I actually had worked as a correspondent for a local weekly and daily newspaper in the Quad Cities. While at Augustana, I even earned college work study money through a job in the Sports Information Department.
When hired at Rockridge and discovering that I was going to get a chance to be the yearbook and newspaper adviser, I was thrilled. I was returning home to help other students capture the journalism bug and discover the fun in covering and sharing stories.
I soon realized, though, that times had changed. Due to a lack of interest, the journalism course was going to be dropped. The administration asked me to try to keep the school newspaper going without the journalism course, so I agreed. After all, every high school should have a school newspaper, right? The end of the journalism course, though, turned out to be just the beginning. I soon found out that the fund balance in the yearbook fund was "problematic", which would impact not only how much we could do with the yearbook and some sort of newspaper, but would also impact equipment and supply purchases.
Three years later....trying about everything and anything possible to generate more interest in journalism and a school newspaper and a yearbook, five students have registered for the course for the 2017-18 school year.
Confession #1 - I'm not much fun. I've tried to interject activities and energy to help the course be fun, but a publication eventually comes down to someone spending time and energy learning about a particular story and then working to share that story - through words, pics, video, audio, etc...
Confession #2 - I'm not happy with mediocrity. During these past three years I have plunged myself into professional development and training to produce publications according to established professional standards. I worked hard to learn the "do's" and "don'ts" of publications. I learned that I want the yearbook and the newspaper to be more than boring stories and selfies.
Confession #3 - I struggle assigning good grades for bad effort. While trying to consistently find ways to be encouraging and motivating, most of the students I've worked with aren't interested in producing quality. Most just want a grade. Yet, most also want to spend as little time and effort possible towards the project that is receiving the grade.
In short, despite wanting to rescue a drowning publications department, I'm pretty sure I've killed it. I've never handled losing well, but this one hurts.
Hoping your day and your efforts are working out better for you. And I'm hoping the next adviser at Rockridge experiences better success because each school does deserve to have a quality school newspaper and yearbook.
JBiz
Friday, March 10, 2017
It's Story/Film Festival Day!
This is not a new concept. It's a bit new for me.
Faced with PARCC and narrative writing a couple of years ago, I developed an instructional unit centered around narrative fiction writing. At the time, I wanted to help students develop their storytelling skills that could eventually be used in personal narrative writing that was going to be required in PARCC. Then PARCC went by the wayside for high school juniors in Illinois.
The fiction writing unit, though, was valuable and new and refreshing for me as a teacher, and the unit allowed the opportunity for creative collaboration for the students. Little did I know that keeping the unit in the course despite the exit of PARCC would be healthy and rewarding for all of us.
In year one, we used shared folders and shared documents through Google to collaborate crafting our stories. While I preferred partnerships or small groups, I did allow individual students to write their own stories.
The stories had to be prequels, sequels, or spinoffs of three short stories we had analyzed in class - short stories that were from our textbook. Students, then, first needed to possess a solid understanding of the short stories. For that reason, we analyzed the elements of the short stories and attempted to understand the author's purpose and his stylistic tools.
In year two, we continued to used shared folders and documents, but this time through Google Classroom. And in year two, we added the option of creating a story or a video. The option of creating a video really appealed to many students, and eventually six videos were submitted. Students quickly learned that creating an effective video wasn't the "easier" of the two options. In fact, a few groups had intended to create a video but later decided to submit stories.
This is year three, and what has helped is that I now have several examples of stories and videos that I have been able to share with this year's students. Students also examined three different stories than we had used in previous years. The previous stories weren't bad, but I've found that our ancient textbook really doesn't feature many women authors. This year, then, I decided to feature three short stories written by women that were in our course textbook.
Today is story/film festival day. It's the day we get to view all of the stories and films that students have been working on for the past two weeks. They can bring in popcorn that our FFA provides on Fridays or other treats and drinks they might take with them when they go to a movie. A new wrinkle this year, too, is that the stories had to be presented in some type of online book format. I encouraged students to search for free online book presentation apps, and I did show them how they could possible turn their story into online book format using Google slides.
Before arriving to class today then, students were required to load their videos and stories into a shared Google folder. This will help speed up the viewing process. We may not be able to collectively read all the short stories and view all the films in one period, but we will get to as many as possible. PLUS, I will then send an email out to parents asking them if they would like access to the shared folder, so they can view student work.
Below is a link to the project. I know this unit will continue to evolve, and I know there are other things that can be added to enhance the effectiveness and value of the unit. It's a start though. After the week I've had this week personally and professionally, having some fun festival time today will be refreshing.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TnDVm-SxZuoM2lAqZJJjFJouFviaWxTpbgpl4LuraW0/edit
Faced with PARCC and narrative writing a couple of years ago, I developed an instructional unit centered around narrative fiction writing. At the time, I wanted to help students develop their storytelling skills that could eventually be used in personal narrative writing that was going to be required in PARCC. Then PARCC went by the wayside for high school juniors in Illinois.
The fiction writing unit, though, was valuable and new and refreshing for me as a teacher, and the unit allowed the opportunity for creative collaboration for the students. Little did I know that keeping the unit in the course despite the exit of PARCC would be healthy and rewarding for all of us.
In year one, we used shared folders and shared documents through Google to collaborate crafting our stories. While I preferred partnerships or small groups, I did allow individual students to write their own stories.
The stories had to be prequels, sequels, or spinoffs of three short stories we had analyzed in class - short stories that were from our textbook. Students, then, first needed to possess a solid understanding of the short stories. For that reason, we analyzed the elements of the short stories and attempted to understand the author's purpose and his stylistic tools.
In year two, we continued to used shared folders and documents, but this time through Google Classroom. And in year two, we added the option of creating a story or a video. The option of creating a video really appealed to many students, and eventually six videos were submitted. Students quickly learned that creating an effective video wasn't the "easier" of the two options. In fact, a few groups had intended to create a video but later decided to submit stories.
This is year three, and what has helped is that I now have several examples of stories and videos that I have been able to share with this year's students. Students also examined three different stories than we had used in previous years. The previous stories weren't bad, but I've found that our ancient textbook really doesn't feature many women authors. This year, then, I decided to feature three short stories written by women that were in our course textbook.
Today is story/film festival day. It's the day we get to view all of the stories and films that students have been working on for the past two weeks. They can bring in popcorn that our FFA provides on Fridays or other treats and drinks they might take with them when they go to a movie. A new wrinkle this year, too, is that the stories had to be presented in some type of online book format. I encouraged students to search for free online book presentation apps, and I did show them how they could possible turn their story into online book format using Google slides.
Before arriving to class today then, students were required to load their videos and stories into a shared Google folder. This will help speed up the viewing process. We may not be able to collectively read all the short stories and view all the films in one period, but we will get to as many as possible. PLUS, I will then send an email out to parents asking them if they would like access to the shared folder, so they can view student work.
Below is a link to the project. I know this unit will continue to evolve, and I know there are other things that can be added to enhance the effectiveness and value of the unit. It's a start though. After the week I've had this week personally and professionally, having some fun festival time today will be refreshing.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TnDVm-SxZuoM2lAqZJJjFJouFviaWxTpbgpl4LuraW0/edit
Thursday, March 9, 2017
Updating Parents With Class Information
Email is my friend. I frequently send email to students - so much that some students have Mr. Bizarri as a label and have my messages filtered their own folder. Emails, though, aren't just for students or co-workers. The best way to use email is with parents.
Now, I'm not talking about sending email for discipline issues, course grade reports, project reminders, etc. I'm talking about sending emails to teacher to inform them about what is happening in their students' lives.
We parents can appreciate how our children once came home from grade school and couldn't tell us fast enough what they did at school. Then those kids became teenagers, and less and less reporting occurred. Our interest as parents in our children's lives doesn't really stop at middle school, though, does it? Even when our children have graduated high school or college, we still like to know how they are doing, what they are doing, or what's happening in their lives.
With email and the internet, there is no excuse for parents or guardians to be uniformed. Teachers, I believe we owe it to our parents and guardians to keep them informed. This information doesn't have to be released in a pretty weekly newsletter or formatted professionally on a class website. The information just needs to let parents know where the class has been in the last few weeks and where the class is headed in the next few weeks.
Will all parents voraciously gobble up your email updates and send you back glowing thank you's? Well, no. In fact, perhaps only a few parents each year will respond with any feedback. You, though, have made attempts to share yourself and your class with important stakeholders in your students' lives.
Informing parents is helpful in keeping them "in the loop", and contacts with parents is something your administrators want from you, right? MOST IMPORTANTLY, keeping your parents updated with the content of the course give you an opportunity to show how much you care as a teacher and how hard you are working to help them learn and grow. Below is an example of an email I sent out to parents on 2/28/17. Happy Friday Eve! See you tomorrow.
Parents,
Now, I'm not talking about sending email for discipline issues, course grade reports, project reminders, etc. I'm talking about sending emails to teacher to inform them about what is happening in their students' lives.
We parents can appreciate how our children once came home from grade school and couldn't tell us fast enough what they did at school. Then those kids became teenagers, and less and less reporting occurred. Our interest as parents in our children's lives doesn't really stop at middle school, though, does it? Even when our children have graduated high school or college, we still like to know how they are doing, what they are doing, or what's happening in their lives.
With email and the internet, there is no excuse for parents or guardians to be uniformed. Teachers, I believe we owe it to our parents and guardians to keep them informed. This information doesn't have to be released in a pretty weekly newsletter or formatted professionally on a class website. The information just needs to let parents know where the class has been in the last few weeks and where the class is headed in the next few weeks.
Will all parents voraciously gobble up your email updates and send you back glowing thank you's? Well, no. In fact, perhaps only a few parents each year will respond with any feedback. You, though, have made attempts to share yourself and your class with important stakeholders in your students' lives.
Informing parents is helpful in keeping them "in the loop", and contacts with parents is something your administrators want from you, right? MOST IMPORTANTLY, keeping your parents updated with the content of the course give you an opportunity to show how much you care as a teacher and how hard you are working to help them learn and grow. Below is an example of an email I sent out to parents on 2/28/17. Happy Friday Eve! See you tomorrow.
Parents,
- We have completed ACCUPLACER for those students that have a goal to enroll in English 101 and 102 next year. Several students struggled with the reading; a few struggled with the writing. This was the first time we experienced this test, and it appears we should have taken some practice tests, especially reading, as the format was unique.
- We are now launched into a creative writing OR film project. We recently read and analyzed three contemporary short stories written by well known American women authors. Students now have the challenge of writing a prequel, sequel, or spin-off story utilizing the information they learned from the stories that were read. The "power of Google" allows you to view/monitor/enjoy your students work. Simply ask your students to share their work with you. Right now they are completing an outline in their respective groups that they have chosen, so if you would like to see how they are doing so far, ask them to share their outline with you. (It's a Google Doc.) As they are creating their stories or films you could also ask to be included in those activities by requesting they share their progress.
- We are 37 days away from SAT...we continue to refresh our brains with "test prep activities" to assist students with performance on the SAT. We also will be taking some practice segments. And soon, I will show students the SAT essay writing, which honestly will likely be very challenging for the students. Your student can also be practicing on their own through their Khan Academy account at home.
- Finally, we will soon be embarking on our Training Path Presenter Series Unit where students have the opportunity to view informational presentations from a variety of post-secondary path representatives. I have attached a link to the "unit" below. Even if your student is committed to a particular path, he/she can learn aspects of another path that may be of interest. For example, a presentation by the military might discuss one of its benefits as an opportunity to travel and see the world, which might be appealing to a college bound student. That student then might choose to investigate travel opportunities that might be available through the school(s) he/she is considering.
It's crazy how fast the school year is going...probably has something to do with the crazy weather in February. Your students continue to be fun to work with!
Have a great day.
JBiz
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
Free Read Wednesday
YES! It's Free Read Wednesday!
In Room NE10 we have Free Read Wednesdays, and this concept has been an evolving journey ever since I started teaching back in 1989. The beliefs and values of Free Read Wednesday may be a bit uncomfortable for many teachers, but I'd like to share my perspective with you and see if it might work in other classrooms.
Each Wednesday, students are granted 20 minutes to read; they can read anything that is not academic. In other words, reading the U.S. History assignment due next period is off limits. I would really prefer students read challenging fiction and non-fiction, but let's face it that not all students enjoy reading or there may be days when students want to read the local newspaper or their favorite magazine.
I do allow students the opportunity to visit our school library to return books, ask for an overdue extension, or look for another book. I usually give them 5-10 minutes to complete this task, so at least everyone is quietly reading something for 10 minutes.
After getting passes to the library for selected students and before beginning our free reading session, I get my Google timer set for the session, I grab my book, and I get ready to join the students. I find an unoccupied desk somewhere in the room and start reading myself.
It's important for me to share that if I have recently read a good book or have some other interesting nugget about a book, I do my best to promote reading. I'm always quick to share evidence I might read or see how reading for enjoyment benefits students - either for standardized test purposes, mental health, or any other of the many benefits science has prove to us.
And we read. The timer sounds off after the 20 minutes, and we transition to another activity that is planned for the class period.
And THAT'S IT. Huh?
There are no book reports in Room NE10! I have found over the years that book reports do more to frustrate me and students more than anything else. If required to read a book, students go to online sources for a summary or perhaps select a book they have already completed in a previous year - basically, they cheat.
You are skeptical, right? I find that most students at the beginning of the year tell me they don't like reading or hate reading or don't have the time to read. My experience has been that by the end of the year, most students are not only reading more...they enjoy the time they get to read and usually end up reading more on their own outside of class.
I read with them. I promote reading (and good books I have read.) I get them to the awesome library where Ms. Peterson is great at matching up books with students. I avoid book reports.
That's my formula - a bit unconventional, but effective.
Have questions? Send me a comment and ask.
JBiz
p.s. I selected Wednesdays because at our school we receive a classroom set of free newspapers on Wednesdays from our local newspaper. If a student has forgotten her or his book or is a reluctant reader (which is okay), I hand them a newspaper.
In Room NE10 we have Free Read Wednesdays, and this concept has been an evolving journey ever since I started teaching back in 1989. The beliefs and values of Free Read Wednesday may be a bit uncomfortable for many teachers, but I'd like to share my perspective with you and see if it might work in other classrooms.
Each Wednesday, students are granted 20 minutes to read; they can read anything that is not academic. In other words, reading the U.S. History assignment due next period is off limits. I would really prefer students read challenging fiction and non-fiction, but let's face it that not all students enjoy reading or there may be days when students want to read the local newspaper or their favorite magazine.
After getting passes to the library for selected students and before beginning our free reading session, I get my Google timer set for the session, I grab my book, and I get ready to join the students. I find an unoccupied desk somewhere in the room and start reading myself.It's important for me to share that if I have recently read a good book or have some other interesting nugget about a book, I do my best to promote reading. I'm always quick to share evidence I might read or see how reading for enjoyment benefits students - either for standardized test purposes, mental health, or any other of the many benefits science has prove to us.
And we read. The timer sounds off after the 20 minutes, and we transition to another activity that is planned for the class period.
And THAT'S IT. Huh?
There are no book reports in Room NE10! I have found over the years that book reports do more to frustrate me and students more than anything else. If required to read a book, students go to online sources for a summary or perhaps select a book they have already completed in a previous year - basically, they cheat.
You are skeptical, right? I find that most students at the beginning of the year tell me they don't like reading or hate reading or don't have the time to read. My experience has been that by the end of the year, most students are not only reading more...they enjoy the time they get to read and usually end up reading more on their own outside of class.
I read with them. I promote reading (and good books I have read.) I get them to the awesome library where Ms. Peterson is great at matching up books with students. I avoid book reports.
That's my formula - a bit unconventional, but effective.
Have questions? Send me a comment and ask.
JBiz
p.s. I selected Wednesdays because at our school we receive a classroom set of free newspapers on Wednesdays from our local newspaper. If a student has forgotten her or his book or is a reluctant reader (which is okay), I hand them a newspaper.
Tuesday, March 7, 2017
SAT Essay Writing - Part 2
Yesterday's introduction to SAT Essay Writing did get met with some groans and heavy sighs and grumbles, but as requested the students didn't shoot the messenger. We looked at a sample prompt and passage, and we also looked at the scoring rubric. We learned that the assessment is scored in three ways: reading, analysis, and writing. And we determined that our goal for every student is to aim for scoring at least a 3 in each category.
Essentially, I view the SAT Essay assessment as a college level writing assignment. And since this assessment essentially is a predictor of college success, it's not unreasonable for high school students to complete the test to determine whether or not they appear to be ready for college level instruction.
The SAT Essay Writing is more difficult that COMPASS, ACT, and ACCUPLACER. Students are asked to read a passage that makes a claim and strives to support that claim. Students are then required to analyze HOW the author crafts her/his message in order to present an effective and efficient argument. Finally, students must express their analysis in a mature, coherent, and effective essay.
Isn't this what we want to teach students? Don't we want them to not only understand the message but determine HOW the author has crafted the message? Don't we want students to be effective consumers of information?
I certainly should hope so. In a world that now consists of "fake news", "alternative facts", and Breitbart News, it's more important than ever to teach students to look deeper than the content of information. Students and adults need to be able to look past the content and see the author and the crafting of the message in order to determine whether or not the message is credible and objective.
So bring on the SAT Essay Writing assessment. Yes, it's harder, but harder is sometimes a very, very good thing.
Let's go get this Tuesday!
JBiz
Essentially, I view the SAT Essay assessment as a college level writing assignment. And since this assessment essentially is a predictor of college success, it's not unreasonable for high school students to complete the test to determine whether or not they appear to be ready for college level instruction.
The SAT Essay Writing is more difficult that COMPASS, ACT, and ACCUPLACER. Students are asked to read a passage that makes a claim and strives to support that claim. Students are then required to analyze HOW the author crafts her/his message in order to present an effective and efficient argument. Finally, students must express their analysis in a mature, coherent, and effective essay.
Isn't this what we want to teach students? Don't we want them to not only understand the message but determine HOW the author has crafted the message? Don't we want students to be effective consumers of information?
I certainly should hope so. In a world that now consists of "fake news", "alternative facts", and Breitbart News, it's more important than ever to teach students to look deeper than the content of information. Students and adults need to be able to look past the content and see the author and the crafting of the message in order to determine whether or not the message is credible and objective.
So bring on the SAT Essay Writing assessment. Yes, it's harder, but harder is sometimes a very, very good thing.
Let's go get this Tuesday!
JBiz
Monday, March 6, 2017
SAT Essay Writing Monday
All teachers would likely tell you that one of the most frustrating things about teaching is the moving target of standardized assessment. This is my third year at Rockridge, and this is my third different attempt at trying to prepare students for their end of the year assessment.
Year 1 was PARCC, which featured a lot of panic and uncertainty and unknown. PARCC was suppose to the THE new way to test students. It failed. And it really failed before it even got off the ground in Illinois.
Year 2 was the State of Illinois deciding it didn't have enough money in its budget to do any testing at all. So after several years of the State of Illinois supplying a standardized test, students ventured "back in the day" to journey to their local community college and complete the ACT on an ACT testing day.
Year 3 now is the SAT. The State of Illinois granted testing to College Board (instead of ACT), so teachers have now been attempting to shoot at that target. This target, though, is brand new to most teachers. Most of us here in the Midwest are simply accustomed to the ACT.
Since the beginning of the school year, but with more focus since after Christmas break, I've been attempting to help students prepare for the SAT Reading and Writing an Language. Today, though, it's the SAT Essay.
AND IT'S HARD. It's not like the COMPASS Essay - a product of ACT that had been previously used by many community colleges as a college placement test. It's not like the ACCUPLACER Essay - a product of College Board that is now used by an increasing number of community colleges as a college placement test. SAT Essay involves reading a passage, analyzing the passage, and creating a written analysis of the passage.
Wish me luck!
JBiz
Year 1 was PARCC, which featured a lot of panic and uncertainty and unknown. PARCC was suppose to the THE new way to test students. It failed. And it really failed before it even got off the ground in Illinois.
Year 2 was the State of Illinois deciding it didn't have enough money in its budget to do any testing at all. So after several years of the State of Illinois supplying a standardized test, students ventured "back in the day" to journey to their local community college and complete the ACT on an ACT testing day.
Year 3 now is the SAT. The State of Illinois granted testing to College Board (instead of ACT), so teachers have now been attempting to shoot at that target. This target, though, is brand new to most teachers. Most of us here in the Midwest are simply accustomed to the ACT.
Since the beginning of the school year, but with more focus since after Christmas break, I've been attempting to help students prepare for the SAT Reading and Writing an Language. Today, though, it's the SAT Essay.
AND IT'S HARD. It's not like the COMPASS Essay - a product of ACT that had been previously used by many community colleges as a college placement test. It's not like the ACCUPLACER Essay - a product of College Board that is now used by an increasing number of community colleges as a college placement test. SAT Essay involves reading a passage, analyzing the passage, and creating a written analysis of the passage.
Wish me luck!
JBiz
Saturday, March 4, 2017
Blogging? Who Knew? Start A Blog And I Will Follow You
It's Saturday, which doesn't necessarily mean down time. If you are a coach or a sponsor of an extra-curricular, your weeks often are not Monday-Friday. Even this morning as I look out my window, our school is hosting a music solo and ensemble contest. So Saturday mornings are often practices or events, or perhaps a sports coach is off to some gym or field to support youth teams at the lower levels.
Saturdays do offer a little break from the routine of the school week, and perhaps an opportunity for a little extra sleep and an additional cup of coffee in the recliner watching the weekend news. So now that I have those items completed, I'll take this opportunity to reflect a little on this whole blogging business.
I've heard of people becoming "bloggers", but I honestly just thought "bloggers" did their thing for the fun of it - to share what they know or what they do. And now that I'm learning more and figuring some stuff out and looking at videos and other blogs, I'm realizing that for many folks it's some type of business. Who new?
And, of course, if you are an experienced blogger and you happen to be reading this, you are already aware of this.
But now I'm wondering if there are people that are "bloggers" that actually make a lot of money. Do followers pay for newsletters; do advertisers pay to place ads on popular blogs? To be honest, I wasn't really thinking of this blogging experiment turning into a money maker. I'm not a "national teacher of the year". I don't participate on any regional, national, or international advising boards. I can't, therefore, list a bunch of credentials that might perhaps catch the eye of a potential follower.
I tell you what, though. If you are reading this, and you have considered blogging, start one. See where it takes you, and let me know about it, and I will follow you. To be honest, I have added some sights to my reading list (now that I have figured out what that was). I'm following Cool Cat Teacher, Talks With Teachers, and Pure Sweat Basketball, as I have really come to enjoy these podcasts.
Enjoy your Saturday...and if you have some extra time in between walking the dogs, putting up a new set of blinds, and getting ready for tomorrow's USA Illinois Softball Umpiring Clinic, start a blog, send the link to me, and tell me how it's going.
JBiz
Saturdays do offer a little break from the routine of the school week, and perhaps an opportunity for a little extra sleep and an additional cup of coffee in the recliner watching the weekend news. So now that I have those items completed, I'll take this opportunity to reflect a little on this whole blogging business.
I've heard of people becoming "bloggers", but I honestly just thought "bloggers" did their thing for the fun of it - to share what they know or what they do. And now that I'm learning more and figuring some stuff out and looking at videos and other blogs, I'm realizing that for many folks it's some type of business. Who new?
And, of course, if you are an experienced blogger and you happen to be reading this, you are already aware of this.
But now I'm wondering if there are people that are "bloggers" that actually make a lot of money. Do followers pay for newsletters; do advertisers pay to place ads on popular blogs? To be honest, I wasn't really thinking of this blogging experiment turning into a money maker. I'm not a "national teacher of the year". I don't participate on any regional, national, or international advising boards. I can't, therefore, list a bunch of credentials that might perhaps catch the eye of a potential follower.
I tell you what, though. If you are reading this, and you have considered blogging, start one. See where it takes you, and let me know about it, and I will follow you. To be honest, I have added some sights to my reading list (now that I have figured out what that was). I'm following Cool Cat Teacher, Talks With Teachers, and Pure Sweat Basketball, as I have really come to enjoy these podcasts.
Enjoy your Saturday...and if you have some extra time in between walking the dogs, putting up a new set of blinds, and getting ready for tomorrow's USA Illinois Softball Umpiring Clinic, start a blog, send the link to me, and tell me how it's going.
JBiz
Friday, March 3, 2017
Join Them Whenever Possible
So today's topic may sound like common sense to many teachers, but here we go!
Life frustrates me to walk by classrooms when the students are obviously getting the opportunity to complete sustained silent reading, and the teacher is at his/her desk grading papers.
Huh? First, the teacher is missing a wonderful opportunity to read. Who doesn't look forward to that? Second, and perhaps most important, though, is that the teacher is sending a mixed message to his/her students. The teacher is saying to his/her students, "Class, it's important for you to read, but I'm too busy and/or really don't enjoy reading and/or really haven't taken the time to find something of interest to me."
What about when a class is assigned to journal write? Yup, there is the teacher at the desk grading papers or checking email while the timer is running on the screen and the students are writing. Huh? Once again, the teacher is not only missing a great opportunity to have fun writing a journal entry, but he/she is sending mixed messages to the students.
One more example - what about when the teacher shows a film or a video clip or something visual to the class? Does he/she roll the video and find something "more important" to do? Why should the students see the importance of the video if the teachers don't?
Please understand one important thing before I wrap this up...joining them means sitting with them in a desk in the class with them. I know that can be scary, and teachers obviously need to have first established class room atmospheres where they can comfortably and confidently sit with students and not have discipline issues. I find, though, that by sitting with them we (students and teachers) all get a chance to feel like we are together in this thing called education.
So when I laugh at something funny in my book I'm reading during "free read Wednesdays" the students around me hear me giggle. When I'm writing my thoughts in my journal, and I pause to quickly consider a new topic, they see me. When that video is playing, and the climax is nearing, they see me on the edge of my seat - 1st period, 2nd period, 5th period, and 7th period (I have two prep periods and 4th period is Publications.)
So yes...I have four sessions of silent reading, four journal entries, and I watch that same video four times! And I give my best effort to show students that the fourth time of the day is no different than the first.
Join them whenever possible. They are great kids full of potential. We are all in this together.
JBiz
Life frustrates me to walk by classrooms when the students are obviously getting the opportunity to complete sustained silent reading, and the teacher is at his/her desk grading papers.
Huh? First, the teacher is missing a wonderful opportunity to read. Who doesn't look forward to that? Second, and perhaps most important, though, is that the teacher is sending a mixed message to his/her students. The teacher is saying to his/her students, "Class, it's important for you to read, but I'm too busy and/or really don't enjoy reading and/or really haven't taken the time to find something of interest to me."
What about when a class is assigned to journal write? Yup, there is the teacher at the desk grading papers or checking email while the timer is running on the screen and the students are writing. Huh? Once again, the teacher is not only missing a great opportunity to have fun writing a journal entry, but he/she is sending mixed messages to the students.
One more example - what about when the teacher shows a film or a video clip or something visual to the class? Does he/she roll the video and find something "more important" to do? Why should the students see the importance of the video if the teachers don't?
Please understand one important thing before I wrap this up...joining them means sitting with them in a desk in the class with them. I know that can be scary, and teachers obviously need to have first established class room atmospheres where they can comfortably and confidently sit with students and not have discipline issues. I find, though, that by sitting with them we (students and teachers) all get a chance to feel like we are together in this thing called education.
So when I laugh at something funny in my book I'm reading during "free read Wednesdays" the students around me hear me giggle. When I'm writing my thoughts in my journal, and I pause to quickly consider a new topic, they see me. When that video is playing, and the climax is nearing, they see me on the edge of my seat - 1st period, 2nd period, 5th period, and 7th period (I have two prep periods and 4th period is Publications.)
So yes...I have four sessions of silent reading, four journal entries, and I watch that same video four times! And I give my best effort to show students that the fourth time of the day is no different than the first.
Join them whenever possible. They are great kids full of potential. We are all in this together.
JBiz
Thursday, March 2, 2017
If All Else Fails, Find Something Positive
When I was first starting in my educational pursuits, I was fresh out of college, jumping into my first varsity basketball coaching position of a program that had won four games the previous four years - combined. (Needless to say, there wasn't a long line of applicants for the job.) And as teachers my age look back on their careers, they recognize the special people that really shaped the educator they eventually became.
One of those people for me was a guy named John Elder. He taught middle school science, was an assistant coach in a variety of capacities - football, basketball, track, and probably a lot more. He was an extra-miler, and he was genuinely passionate about kids. I don't really know the exact situation...it may have been on the football field; it may have been in the classroom, but one thing he said to me was something I have carried with me for the rest of my life.
When things are really bad, I mean REALLY BAD...the classroom group of kids you have are a handful...the team you are working with isn't very skilled...the group of people you are working with just isn't very good...the answer is to find SOMETHING positive. And John Elder was a master at this skill. His science lesson plan could be a complete flop with chaos and confusion and failures everywhere, but he would find SOMETHING positive and build off that.
He reminded me of that consistently in that first year of my teaching and coaching career, as I worked to try to teach middle schoolers and rebuild that basketball program. He would see me frustrated and confused and desperate and angry, and he would get in my face and tell me to take a breath and find something positive - even if the only thing positive was that someone communicated correctly or set a good screen or moved the correct direction. In an ocean of bad...find SOMETHING positive and highlight that.
And truth be told, it's a skill that takes development. I suppose age helps and feeling totally helpless helps. At the end of the day, though, it's much more gratifying and fun to find the positive rather than dwelling on all the negatives. My mom frequently reminds me of a saying her dad (my grandfather who's first name was also John) used to share, and I'm sure you have heard it or something similar. When you are at rock bottom, the only direction is up.
I've blended those two philosophies together often in my career. When things are really, really bad and there is only one direction left, start in that direction by finding SOMETHING positive, even if it seems very, very minor and insignificant to everyone else. Amidst all the bad at the bottom, find a positive and start your journey up.
Try it today...when something isn't working in your classroom or in your personal life...find that SOMETHING. You'll feel better, and you'll help others feel better.
Anyone like John Elder or my Grandpa John in your career? Send me a comment and tell me about your person. I'd enjoy hearing your story.
Enjoy your positive something today.
JBiz
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
RoomNE10 Is Launched!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DiAThrHQgOq14uc_mhOlHBOZqHS_sasZzOI-9BYZInY/edit
My side note of the day. The 8th grade girls basketball team I coach has struggled this year. Coaching and playing sports is hard when wins are hard to achieve. We all know what we should feel about sports - pride for participation and improvement. Ya...that sounds good...but winning is nice too.
Have a great day!
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