Pledge Now

Great lessons are co-created between students and teachers

I've decided that the three rules for being a great teacher are as follows;
1. Do the right thing
2. Say the right thing
3. Do your best

Isn't that right? If a teacher does and says the right thing and does their best they will be an amazing teacher. Of course, how one knows what the right thing is -- that can be debated forever. The reality is that the right thing changes constantly. It is different depending on the day, the child with whom you are working, the mood you are in that day, etc. The right thing is local, contextual, and impossible to fully plan.
The same goes for doing your best. What is your best? Isn't that also local, contextual, and difficult to really know. We often don't know until after the fact.
So, how do we operate in order to come close to doing your best and the right thing as much as possible. I believe that you must be in the moment with your students as much as possible. Plan, of course. Have the plan, know the content. But, then free yourself to really listen to your students and respond to what they tell you they need. They might tell you verbally, maybe just through their body language, or maybe the message will be in the work that they produce.
I am in the midst of grading papers and have been too busy to write. But, I needed to get at least this much down now. More later.

Teacher as Rhetor

For the past few years I've been thinking a lot about the relationship between rhetoric and teaching. This was after seeing a presentation by Gary Woodward on what he calls the Rhetorical Personality. Woodward's ideas about rhetorical personality are from the more modern idea of rhetoric -- or the oldest Sophists -- depending on your perspective. He notes people like Bill Clinton and others who seemed to be able to capture a room and face opposition with poise. I immediately began thinking about how this relates to teaching. Teachers must sometime present things that are unpopular, content they don't know as well as they wish they did, to students who may love them, hate them, resent them, fear them, need them, etc.
Teachers can never have just one self. In fact, no one can. We are all multiples of ourselves. I can't help thinking of that old Michael Keaton movie -- Muliplicity -- where each time he made a copy of himself they became more and more demented in some way. However, they were all legitimately part of him even if those around him weren't aware of all of his selves. Isn't that what we all are? Multiples?! For some people their professions make this multiplicity more or less salient. In teaching it is strongly salient.
There is an idealized teacher -- one that loves learning, is a content expert, is pedagogically neutral, nuturing to his or her students, supportive of a diverse range of students in terms of ethnicity, SES, ability, etc.. But, even if there is such a teacher out there, that is only part of who they are. They may also be [just like Michael Keaton's character] insensitive, developmentally disabled, overly emotional, and a myriad of other things.
There is a need for realization that we are a reflection of our context. Our selves are local and ever changing. In any moment teachers must do the right thing. But, how the hell are they to know what the right thing is? They can plan for a theoretical right thing but in the moment, depending on the student, depending what happened a moment before, what is happening in that exact moment ---- everything can change, the right thing can change. And, you don't know whether it was the right thing until after.
For instance, a teacher puts students in groups because the right thing is to encourage cooperative learning. On Monday it works brilliantly. On Tuesday, a few students argue and the activity unravels and objectives aren't met. The right thing becomes the wrong thing. How can a teacher ever know what is the right thing? Must they know? Or, is it a personality that accepts multiple truths, is flexible, accepting of what the moment brings, the one that is ultimately most successful?

An honest to goodness lesson plan

I just wrote a lesson plan. An actual lesson plan -- for my college class. I was feeling so uncertain and out of sorts about what to do tomorrow that I wrote a plan. It feels good actually.

She said what?

In my class yesterday I was confronted with questions about teaching in the Urban context. Two students in particular pressed me on how to handle "urban language". When I asked for them to give me some examples of what they meant they were intially unable, or maybe unsure about how to phrase what they were thinking.
Two issues emerged, 1. African American Vernacular English, and 2. Values. First, the concern was expressed in terms of "how I was raised" and shouldn't I be able to expect students to act in the way that I think is right. There seemed to be little acknowledgment of the possibility that there could be another version of right in terms of the way a child behaves.
The second issue was around AAVE. I don't even remember what they called it but I just rephrased to a more appropriate terminology. The students seemed dubious when I warned that they should not make a big show of correcting students. I explained that there were times when Standard English would be expected -- writing for example and that expectations about language might change based on the context.
They listened and nodded but I think just because I am the professor. I am not sure I made my argument in a way that welcomed their input. I think I just told them what they are supposed to think. And, I understand that is not very authentic.

Week One down! What worked, what didn't?

Applied Theatre

First, I would like to start by saying that I am inappropriately obsessed with whether I should spell theatre or theater. I am going with theatre. I actually think that theater is correct. However, theatre somehow seems more authentic. And, I believe that most people are too intimated to challenge that spelling.
Now, about the class. Our class meets on Fridays from 2p until 5:20p. As you can imagine I was immediately nervous that my students would be resentful about having essentially a Friday night class. Therefore, I feel it is necessary to spend as much time playing as I can. I had planned some games that we could play outside. But, when I saw my students -- one in a dress, quite a few in clothes with which I am guessing they do not want to contact the grass -- I realized I had to make some quick changes. After I asked them to make sure they wear play clothes next week, we engaged in some great games. We basically worked on warm-ups in a circle -- you, name, fruit; bunny, viking, wok; zip, zap, zop and the like. We laughed and the students got to know each other and bond and it was a blast.
We then moved on to the Children's Book assignment which I think is going to turn out quite brilliantly. Last, we did the boring syllabus stuff. But, even that was great because they asked good questions and it forced me to realize items that I thought were written clearly, but clearly weren't.

Internship I
I was blown away about the absences this week. One person was absent on each of the three days. And, let me tell you that we cover a lot of ground each day -- three hours each of collaborative work that can not be made up. I had to lay down the law and give the old, "the requirements of the class don't change based on your ability to meet them" speech. They looked a little bit scared and I was pleased in spite of myself.
We discussed what made a great story by discussing a two great New Yorker articles -- Trailhead and Strangers on the Mountain. We used vintage post cards as prompts to create and tell our own stories, and we paired up to begin creating original lessons. All this, working in part with college students with developmental disabilities. I felt very strong this week with this particular class. I do love graduate students and the enthusiasm with which they participate.

Seminar

My first seminar class -- another scheduling nightmare -- Wednesday night from 5:30 until 8:20 PM! -- turned out to be just OK -- at least from my perspective. We did an activity to bridge into figuring out personal educational philosophies by examining cliches about education (i.e. all children can learn). We shared hopes and fears as student teaching begins. And, of course, we reviewed some parts of the syllabus. Although, I just didn't have the heart to go through all of it. This is also the class with my student who I believe has Tourette's Syndrome. She has agreed to meet with me this week. I have been doing some research on TS and found a woman named Susan Conner who was a teacher for 33 year and also has TS. I learned a lot and sincerely hope that I can support my student so that she can realize her hope of being a successful teacher.

Facing my shortcomings

During tonight's class I was faced with a student who has a disability for which I am not accustomed. While I am not sure (because she did not disclose), I am guessing she has Tourette's Syndrome. Let me start by saying that I believe that a person with Tourette's can be successful in pursuing just about any career. Susan Conners demonstrated the success of someone in the teaching profession and dealing with Tourette's. However, in my class -- a teacher education class that is the seminar for students who are currently doing their student teaching -- I was caught off guard by this student.
As my students filed in and took their seats I began to notice that one of them had several distinct tics. In addition, she would frequently yell out with loud sounds and grunts. I realized early on that it was involuntary and chose to just ignore it. However, many of her classmates could not. Often, just as someone was getting ready to speak she would let out a loud sound and the speaker would jolt with surprise. The class was visibly uncomfortable with these verbal outbursts.
I wanted to give this student an opportunity to address this so I had each of them share something they were excited about and something that made them nervous about beginning this student teaching experience. I imagined that this particular student might say that she was nervous about how 7 year olds would perceive her. Or maybe, she would mention that it is so hard to keep second graders from being distracted she was nervous that her outbursts would distract them. But instead, she just said that she was nervous about all the work associated with our class and student teaching.
Now about me -- I suck too. I realized upon reflecting on the class that I almost completely ignored her. I was so focused on not paying attention to her outbursts that I have no idea if she ever raised her hand or wanted to speak. For some reason I am feeling very strongly that it would help everyone if she would just disclose what is happening and address the elephant in the room. But, maybe I am wrong. Maybe that is what I need and not really what she needs. I also feel like she should address it with her second graders head on. Am I wrong? I just don't know.