If You Think You Can "Get Over It" Think Again

For anyone who knows me personally, you know my story. Twenty years ago, I was diagnosed with breast cancer and started my treatment.For 20 years I've tried to be brave, and mostly calm when it comes to my annual foray in to "does she or doesn't she?" However this week's visit for a mammogram sent me over the edge again.  While I have managed to maintain decorum through past surgery, testing, surgery again, and 6 months of chemo, an insensitive radiology policy caused me to melt once more into a puddle of tears and terror.For the last 19 years, whenever I go for mammograms, I am always asked to wait for the radiologist to make a first reading. While this is never a pleasure, it has nearly always resulted in a second - or third - set of films taken on the spot. And a definitive answer to what is going on with the girl. This time I was told that because I'm more than 5 years post-surgery (yeah!) my mammo has somehow morphed into a screening and that I would not need to wait. When I questioned this, I was told it was "policy".And that's where I lost it.A person who has overheard the bad news through a thin wall at a doctor's office - which I did as the radiologist was discussing my initial diagnosis 20 years ago - needs to have some peace of mind on the one day each year that is hell on earth. For me, it doesn't matter that what I'm feeling is illogical, I am feeling vulnerable and scared. My need on that day last week, was to either hear good news and move on or not-so-good news and figure out what to do next. Clearly this "new policy" which was meant to move mammogram patients through quickly, was not going to be much peace of mind for me.So, sitting in the parking lot of the medical center after having been told to go about my business and I'd hear in 3-10 days (!) , so unhinged that I was unable to talk with my dear spouse, I finally regained enough composure to drive home where I was convinced to speak up for my self and call my internist to see if she could get somewhere. Can you believe I had to be talked into it? I'm an adult, not a pushover. Yet that's how conditioned I have become to  just accepting "policy".Lucky me that my doctor and her staff are far more compassionate and a good deal more sensitive. The nurse I spoke to knew immediately that, even after 20 years of living with this disease, I was unnerved and made a call to the head of radiology. The news was good and all ended well, make no mistake I am grateful for that.But this event shows once again, that no matter how far you get from cancer, it still comes back to bite you in the behind at least once a year. No one is a "pro" at this. Especially me.

Inviting Parents In

There is no magic bullet for creating partnerships between home and family. How I wish there was! However, once in a while I hear another teacher's idea and borrow it to suit my own purpose.  Isn't that something we all do?In this case I borrowed my colleague Kim Bonfilio's idea of seeking parent input on what they hope for their child in Third Grade. It's a great one, built upon the Responsive Classroom activity of students' Hopes and Dreams.In my case, I sent a 6-item questionnaire to parents -- remarkably I got about 75% of the questionnaires back the very next day. Many of them had thoughtful, introspective answers. The sheer number of returns was a pleasant surprise: conventional wisdom tells us that urban, high poverty parents are disengaged from their child's school life.  In this case, conventional wisdom would be largely incorrect.

Hopes and Dreams for My Student

1. What is your child’s strength in school? What is something he or she does well?
2. Is there an academic area (math, reading, writing, etc.) in which you feel your child needs help?  Be as specific as you can be.
3. What do you hope that your child will be able to do in Third Grade?
4. What overall goal or dream do you have for your child?
5. How do you see us – teacher, parent, and student – working together to reach this goal?
6. Is there something else you feel it is important that I know?

In addition to the questionnaire, I am trying to contact parents of students who seem to be well-below grade level in reading - reading is my focus at this time because that is what we are benchmark testing at this moment. Many students seem to be about one and a half to two years below grade level and this is a place where a home-school connection is not only necessary, it is essential. We will need to work extremely hard - and smart - to start to close the gap.How I wish I had the courage of Jonathan Kozol to make home visits. I need to get parents working with me pronto.This survey is a step toward that partnership.

Really?

With the Common Core Standards, we -- that means teachers -- are bracing for new and improved standardized testing.  An article in the Boston Globe this morning (link here) floats the idea. MCAS may or may not be replaced by a new Common Core test, presumably aligned to the new standards.If you read the story, take a close look at Paragraph 4. Yes indeed, the vision for the new test is that all students will take the test electronically.  Ponder that for a minute, does anyone else see a problem?I teach third graders. I know younger people do not have the same adjustment to reading directly from a computer, but developmentally speaking, I just don't see 8 and 9 year olds being able to focus on a screen, read the test, scroll around, scroll to the question, in a perfect world scroll back to check for accuracy of the answer chosen, click, and repeat ad nauseum. And that's just a reading based test.  Let's talk about math.  I'm picturing lots of guessing because using a scrap paper to figure something out accurately will be too much. Eye-hand coordination issues? Tough darts.So that's just the developmental/mechanical issue.  I suppose that the expectation might be that teachers practice the mechanics of electronic test taking. So now we should teach taking the test?Then there's logistics.  I have one aging iMac in my classroom, 2 if you count the one I use for personal work and to connect for demonstrations for the larger group. So with a classroom of 24 student - normal for my district - I can accommodate 2 students at a time while the rest of the class does..... what? We have a lab - without an Instructional Technology Specialist this year due to budget cutting. Now one entire classroom of students could take the test at a sitting, but they are right on top of each other. And we have 8 classroom vying for computer time - 4 thirds and 4 fourth grades.Don't even begin to think about technology failures.  ALL of the equipment, even the latest and greatest in the lab, is subject to failure: network, electronic, power. I believe there is ONE network guru for the entire system's multiple elementary schools. So when the system goes, or as happened yesterday, equipment is slowed to the point that a screen refresh takes 60+ seconds, that won't affect the testing?Keep reading this article and you'll probably discover more. The Commissioner of Education also floats the thought that the new Common Core exams could be used to progress monitor student achievement in addition to MCAS.Maybe the first and second grade teachers won't mind taking over the third grade curriculum so we can get all this testing accomplished?

Finding my compass - again

I've put it off for nearly as long as I dare. It is time to start getting ready for a new school year. Completing my list for summer has suddenly kicked in to overdrive: there's still much (re)painting to complete, sorting and throwing to do, cleaning and gardening/landscaping. But suddenly, there is a pressing need to squeeze it all in quickly -- the students return in about a week.I used to get pretty worked up about starting room preparations as soon as we turned the calendar to August. This year for the first time in my career, I've managed to make it all the way to the last 10 days before school begins. I suppose that's growth. Hopefully it's not burnout.I love what I have chosen for my life's work. But sometimes, more often now than in the beginning of my career, there are far too many experts telling me how to do my job. And demanding proof that I am doing it. This week,  I am in the processing of completing my self-assigned professional reading: The Cafe Book by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser - better known as "The Sisters". Reading this book is helping me to find the balance between all the frenetic demands made on teachers today and a calm and purposeful learning experience for my students. Here is a quote from Debbie Miller that the Sisters included in their book (page 60) which caused me to sit up and take notice:

...when getting done takes precedence over the doing, when finishing becomes more important than the figuring out, we've lost sight of why we became teachers in the first place. (Miller, D. Teaching with intention: Defining beliefs, aligning practice, taking action, Grades K-5. (2008). Portland, ME: Stenhouse. p 106

As I read and reread Debbie Miller's words, I realized that this is what has been causing me unease with what I do. In the rush to turn in this, that, or the other evidence, I have lost my bearing: why I am a teacher. I chose to teach because I believe that it is important to give every child the opportunity to soar to heights neither of us imagined possible. I do this on a selfish level because, when that moment of connection happens, when child and teacher both realize that something wonderful has happened, it is the most exquisite of emotions that makes all the hard, hard work worth everything.This year, my personal goal as teacher, will be to refocus on why I teach, to not let outside forces undermine why my students and I are here, working together. And if I let some of those demands for evidence slip, if I'm late with something someone somewhere wants in order to show that I have been working, that is what will be.You can find me here in Room 207 helping my students figure out how to take the next step in their learning path.

Photographing Local Farming

One of the ongoing creative projects Adrien has been working on is photographing some of the farmers working and learning through the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project. We receive a weekly share of the farmers' bounty through World Peas CSA and, so far, it has been a wondrous adventure in fresh local veggies - and fruits.This morning, Adrien set out to try to catch up with some of the farmers working their plots in Dracut. And, in my new role of photography assistant, I went along with him. Near Richardson's Dairy, where many of the new farmers work, we met up with Justine, a farmer who immigrated from Cameroon.  Justine was a bit unsure of us at first - who wouldn't be at 7 in the morning! - but remembered Adrien from an earlier introduction by McKenzie Boekholder, a coordinator for New Entry Sustainable Farming.  Justine also remembered that Adrien owed her a photograph ;-).Adrien convinced Justine to pose for him near her plot. She was very tolerant of both of us interrupting her morning chores. Here is one of the shots from this morning:One of the most fun things about this morning was the friendliness we were shown. Justine clasped my hand and walked us to a covered framed building. She not only insisted on giving me a beautiful bunch of collard greens, freshly picked before our eyes, she gave me directions on how to best prepare them for tonight's supper. I'm hopeful I won't screw it up!Meeting new people and learning about where my food comes from is turning out to be a wonderful adventure. One that is full of reminders of the generous goodness of humanity.

The older I get, the more things stay the same

Summer hiatus is a challenge for me ; I am compulsively obsessed with education. However, this summer I have made an effort and, until today, have left my pile of things to consider in a far corner of our spare bedroom.This week, the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education approved implementation of the National Standards. Standard based education - and the testing that goes with it - is nothing new. We've been working with standards for years. The new standards - like it or lump it - will be tied to testing and most likely funding. Isn't that the SOSDD?There seems to have been a lot of debate about the merits of adopting the National Standards in Massachusetts. I don't know for sure because 1) teachers are seldom invited to be part of the debates, and 2) most of this happened in the Spring when teachers are too busy with actual teaching to engage in investigations of new standards.  That would leave the politicos and "think tanks" to debate the merits. And despite the predictions of watering down the education (and testing!) of students, the Board adopted the National Standards.So, we in Massachusetts, have something new to consider. As a grade level Math Lead, I downloaded the National Mathematics Standards for my grade level (thereby breaking my summer hiatus) and to be honest, they seem to be exactly what we focused on with just the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks . This is hardly a surprise. The Massachusetts Mathematics Frameworks have historically been based on National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Standards and, if what one reads in news outlets is correct, the National Standards are heavily influenced by the Massachusetts Frameworks.Some who oppose(d) the adoption of the National Standards have predicted that this will mark the end of MCAS testing. Puh-leeze. If a single high-stakes do-or-die test is done away with in this state, I'll fall off my chair. MCAS or something resembling it (and possibly dictated by the Feds) is here to stay. For those who think that a single test tells whether or not a child has a good education, whether or not a teacher is qualified, whether or not real estate can fetch top dollar because students score well (oops, let that little piece of sarcasm slip), relax! We can and will continue to spend inordinate amounts of time testing the students.So what is all the uproar about? Maybe I'm missing something, but what I've seen doesn't appear to be education Armageddon.

How glorious a greeting the sun gives the mountains!

This is a quote from John Muir who advocated for preserving the natural beauty in our country.Every so often I need a head slap from nature to gain back perspective.  Last week, I was lucky enough to do just that when Adrien and I traveled to Mount Desert Island for a mini-vacation. The Island, long a summer destination, is the location of Acadia National Park.The first item on my bucket list was to be at the summit of Cadillac Mountain for sunrise. Cadillac, being the highest point on the Eastern Atlantic Seaboard, is easily reached by foot or by car. Obviously at 4:30 am - the time we would need to start out in order to be on the 1,532 foot summit for the sun's morning appearance - car travel would be my preference over a hike over unknown terrain in the dark.We arrived just as nature was getting ready to put on the show. Even with 50 or more people at the mountain top (and no small percentage of them with camera equipment), we were easily able to find a spot on the bare rocks so that Frenchman Bay and Bar Harbor stretched out below us.  The air was still damp and chilly even though it was July, and most people huddled in heavy sweatshirts or fleece jackets. Some had the foresight to bring coffee.A continually drifting blanket of clouds and fog enveloped us while, visible mid-horizon, a swath of puffy cloud stretched horizontally.Then bit by bit, the hue of that cloud changed as the sun began to make its presence known. Minute to minute, the sky changed its hues from cool blues to warmer, oranges and pinks until at last the sun washed us in the first light of July 16th.In that moment, watching the universe play out its opening scene as ithas for millions of years, the grandeur of the morning overwhelmed me. How precious is this gift of time on earth! How glorious a greeting the sun gives the mountains!

Reflections on the Fourth of July

It is no secret that politics in the United States are a puzzlement to me. Things I believe in - the common good, generosity and understanding in treatment of those who are not like me, a belief that freedom is a treasure that should not be eroded - these things are often not valued, if one can believe what gets reported by the fifth estate.  Can the media today be trusted to report on the facts, to dig deeper than the public relations of a situation? It is all so confusing, and often discouraging. Often I don't know what to make of things.Last night, however, I was watching a program on the History Channel about the Revolutionary War. As a matter of fact, this program was in the middle of the series and mostly what I learned was about how the United States came to have any kind of government at all.  Post 1776 was a chaotic time; a slight change would have taken this country down a different path.As you might expect, the emotional fervor with which colonists became part of the Revolutionary War turned into a "now what?" situation once the outcome of the the actual battles became apparent. By 1781, Cornwallis had surrendered to General Washington, but an actual Peace Treaty with England would not be signed until nearly a year later. The Continental Congress would form a government which little by little gained recognition of other countries - first Spain, then Denmark and then Russia. It must have been quite difficult to fly in the face of England, a world power, in support of this newly formed United States.Obviously everyone did not give this new United States much of a chance for success.  In fact, in 1783, General Washington had to persuade the remains of the Continental Army not to rebel against the newly formed government. When I consider all that happened after the battles, after the Declaration of Independence, it is a miracle that this country indeed exists as it does.So how does this history connect to the current state of affairs? For me, it is hopeful that over 200 years ago, despite all that could have gone awry, the United States came into being. It became the great and welcoming country to my ancestors, the country where differing views could be tolerated, where it wasn't a crime to think - and to say - what you believe.The United States is still a place where you can disagree and not end up in jail. And despite the discomfort with some of the politics of our time in history, I am glad to be here in the United States. If our country could endure the chaos of its beginnings, then there is hope. Hope that we will speak out when personal rights are challenged, hope that we will speak up against wrong and not just accept what is reported by those who may have an agenda. And hope that we will continue to be that welcoming place for all.Happy Fourth.

Well, they are gone.... and summer vacation is started. How I feel like hoarding these precious days off. Honestly, I don't know how people who teach during summer school manage it. By the last day of school, I am so dead tired, it takes about 2 weeks to become human again.And usually, the start of summer vacation signals that I will come down with a major cold. This year was no exception. Now that this too has passed it's on to more interesting, non-teaching activities. And the thorough housecleaning that gets pushed aside as the demands of the school year become more and more intense.So far I've already completed a couple of landscaping projects: I needed a new spot for our charcoal grill, so I built this mini crushed stone area. Also finished weeding the pool area, the side patio, and repainted a bistro table.  It takes me a while to get used to just sitting :-)

Bumping Up

It's a rite of passage, I guess. Yesterday my third graders bumped up to meet their fourth grade teachers.  My students were pretty evenly distributed across the four  fourth grade classrooms so while they will see some familiar faces next Fall, they will have an opportunity to meet new friends.While my current kids were down the hallway, my "new" class came to the room to be introduced. There are 24 students currently on my list and, while I'm sure that number will change - hopefully not too much higher - the proof that the students change and grow throughout third grade was very apparent.  These kids looked (and acted) so much younger! Several children were so much shorter than my current students that the desks seemed gigantic; several chins just made it to the desktop.The incoming students have lots of questions - learning to multiply is definitely something they are anticipating with excitement. And writing in cursive, too. When they return to me on August 31, we will spend much of our first few weeks together learning signals and routines that make the management of a class more, well, manageable.  We will learn to become the community of learners that my current third graders have become.So while I was energized to meet some fresh faces - and perhaps a few new challenges - I was glad to spend another few hours with my grown up third graders. And to savor the changes that 180 days bring.

The end of a year

We have five days to go. I find it incredible that this journey of an academic year is quickly coming to the finish line - or more accurately, getting ready to crash and burn.It's a time of year when every culminating activity that was ever invented gets scheduled: field trips, tests, report cards, field days, art fairs... you name it and you can find it in the last 2 weeks of school. It's always been that way. The reliable routines that we used all year are constantly being adapted to accommodate one or another special event. After all, it is the end of the year and everyone is looking forward to summer vacation, right?Wrong. Not all my students are looking forward to spending about 10 weeks at home. This is a phenomenon with which I became familiar the first year I moved from a white, middle class school to one where the poverty level was 92% - you read that number correctly. Children of poverty don't always have fun in mind when they anticipate spending a large chunk of time at home where they may be hungry, beaten, spend large amounts of time in front of the electronic babysitter, or verbally abused. These kids aren't looking forward to a summer of fun and relaxation.One might think that, looking at 10 weeks of a less than idyllic summer vacation might cause a student to savor each and every remaining moment of school - a place of safety. Not true. Starting sometime after Memorial Day when the realization hits, these are the very students who act out in school. They hit, they swear, they bolt, they otherwise break every rule that they have learned to live with in our school community. Why? Because they are pissed off, frustrated, and most definitely not looking forward to those lazy days of summer vacation.And those end-of-year activities serve as yet another reminder that we are approaching the danger zone - summer vacation. It is a time when juggling schedules and cajoling good behaviors out of really angry kids is nearly constant. For me, it is a time of exhaustion.

Sound the alarm

I have an emotional relationship with alarm clocks. Not the hate relationship that most people have because it interrupts sleep. My relationship is far more basic than that.When Adrien and I were first married, we saved extra pennies in a jar until we could afford a radio alarm clock. We finally achieved our goal, which may have been $25, and purchased an Emerson clock radio with alarm from Lechmere - the big store that used to exist right near the Museum of Science in Boston.  To my thinking, it was the best alarm clock ever made. We used that bad boy for years and years and years. Until I wanted something more modern, something with two alarm buttons and a snooze setting. Oh, and by then CD players on alarm clocks were the gold standard.So I convinced Adrien that we needed a new alarm clock. And I bought an RCA with a lovely CD player-radio-two alarm-snooze button-environmental sound option. The first night I plugged it in and the hideous blue light kept me awake. Changed the light color to something more subtle and still, I couldn't sleep. What was wrong with the old red numbers anyway? THEY didn't keep me awake. But I digress.I did manage to play one CD in the CD player before the thing crapped out. The light display was so bothersome that I ended up turning the clock face toward the wall so it didn't glare at me. Here I was with a spiffy new alarm clock that after a week kept me up with its hideous light display, didn't play CDs after one try and I couldn't glance at the clock to see what time it was because the clock face had to face the wall.And then there was the cacophony that passed for an alarm.  I've heard sweeter sounds in a junior high marching band. It that alarm didn't wake you up, you must be dead. Okay, poor consumer research. I'd do better next time; I'd buy something simpler, something with a gentle awakening sound. Something that didn't blare a hideous blue light in my eyes all night.Just about this time, LL Bean offered a Sunbeam alarm clock. No clock radio, just an alarm clock.  An updated version - I remember my grandparents had a similar model which was encased in real wood - this one came in a variety of soft pastel colors. I chose yellow because we had recently painted our bedroom yellow.This clock had a spiffy analog clock face. Very basic.  What I didn't realize was that for about 3 minutes prior to the alarm actually sounding, this bad boy would pulsate all along the clock case. Its furious blinking quickened as the time for the alarm approached.  In theory, the marketing literature claimed this would gradually wake the sleeping owner so that, refreshed and relaxed, said owner would reach over, turn off the sounding alarm -- which once again turned out to be a most horrible low sounding buzzing  - just as it began to go off.  In actuality, the pulsating light show just ticked me off because I lost an extra 5 minutes of sleep each morning watching the show and waiting for the nagging alarm to buzz.  We relegated this purchase to a spare bedroom where even unplugged it continued to nag us from afar.  You see, this clock featured a battery back-up.For several months the stupid thing would glow, pulse and warm us that it was approaching the time to wake up. Then one day, my son, the engineer in the family, took the foolish thing apart and removed light bulb from the clock case. Peace at last.About a year ago, convinced I could be a good consumer and purchase an alarm clock that would not only wake me, it would charge my iPod. Fixed on the convenience of no longer connecting my iPod to the computer when it needed a charge, I was confident that here at last was an alarm clock that would take me into the next millenium.Wrong. This clock - again - features a hideous bright blue clock face; something of the wattage one might expect from a sign on the Vegas strip.  A bit of genius on my part, I faithfully cover the clock face with a piece of cardboard each night so that the ever present glow does not keep me awake. I bet  you thought I hadn't learned anything from my previous purchases. See, I did learn something, really I did.And wait, there's more. It beeps. Not a nice chirping. A nagging beep, beep, Beep, BEEp, BEEP until you figure out which of the many cryptically marked buttons will release you from the hellish reminder that it is indeed time to get out of bed. This alarm is only made more special by the fact that about 10 percent of the time, it doesn't go off at all. Bonus.Given my purchase history over the last 20+ years, I now have to admit that I just am clueless about alarm clocks. Maybe someone out there has a suggestion. Or maybe I can just get a rooster. It surely would be less obnoxious sounding and definitely would not glow in the dark.

The Road Not Taken

A lifetime ago, I was involved in music. Growing up, as I did, in the midwest - home of Friday night football and marching bands - I can't even remember when music performance wasn't on the radar. As an elementary school student we were prepared to be in the high school music program fairly early, fourth or fifth grade.  If the band director mentioned there was a need for saxophones in a couple of years, well everyone scrambled to rent a sax and take lessons the minute we were deemed old enough to take instrumental music lessons. By junior high, we were competing to be first chair in each section; as for me I belonged in the flute section.I also was a semi-serious pianist. I could sight read music fairly easily. When I went to undergraduate school, I was a music education major. In between methods classes and exposure to all genres of music - you haven't really lived until you've attempted a final music history exam complete with "drop the needle" listening tests (needle, as in phonograph records), I worked at becoming a better performer, not as a soloist, but as an accompanist. Probably not very hard though - I hate, hate, hate practicing and drilling. And without practice, without the drills and exercises, excellence in sight reading could only take me so far. Short fingers and less-than-optimal technique sealed my fate as a music has-been.Do I miss being able to play? I may have left my music life behind, but I do miss playing for myself. Now when I sit at my piano - one that we bought when we were first married - I look at the music on the page, I can imagine how it is played and how it should sound, but my fingers don't cooperate. The muscle memory that used to allow me to automatically reach from one key to another with precision has atrophied. When I reach for an octave, I sometimes get a seventh.While I know that the career path I ultimately chose was the right one, there is something left unsatisfied. The demands on me leave  no time to seriously revitalize piano techniques that have long lapsed. Maybe maturity would allow the discipline to practice to kick in, but my dislike of practice would probably come roaring right back.Yet, there is that feeling of something left unfinished. How different would life be had I stayed with music? It is the question that will remain unanswered.

Defining the term "furlough"

The public hearings on the 2010-2011 school budgets begin tonight in Lowell. No one thinks that there is any way the schools will be able to get through the next fiscal year without massive cuts of programs, services and teachers. The last several years the budgets have been decreased and belt-tightening measures have been put in place. Optional services and programs have already been cut or consolidated so that, for this next massive round of cutting - or more accurately, unfunding - the cuts are to the bone. Teachers and paraprofessional staff  have been hearing about the possibility of job loss for the last month and now those murmurs are reality.One idea being floated is the idea of teachers taking "furlough" days - unpaid leave. As you can imagine, the unthinking masses who hate spending a dime on educating "those people" are frothing at the thought of those "lazy teachers" who work only part of a full day (see my previous posting) earning less money.Hold on here folks. If you assign a particular day to me as a "furlough" does that mean you expect me to still show up for work because that seems to be the popular belief?When a public works employee takes a furlough day, he or she stays home and the work just does not get done. If I stay home from work, the plans for the day and the preparation to implement those plans, still get done - on my own time - and the City hires a sub at the tune of $75-$90 per day. The school day just doesn't disappear because I'm present or not.  How is that a budget saver?Here's what I would be willing to do: I would be willing to work partial days at strategic times throughout the school year. For example, the first 3 days of school and/or the Friday before a vacation week. In return, the students would be dismissed at lunch time similar to what happens on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving break. The day would count as a school day so that would not impact the state's requirement for 180 school days, the afternoon would be left to my discretion, and the City would not have to pay anyone for the balance of the day.And in return? If I'm willing to reduce my pay and potentially impact my retirement, I'd like to see some of those 90 teaching positions restored. Our students get little enough without massively cutting technology teachers, music teachers, tutors, or paraprofessionals who are essential in helping teachers reach every student.And if you have a better idea? Attend the budget meetings. Call your School Committee. Call the City Council. Our children's futures depend on you.

What would be fair?

This week I was asked at a Team Meeting what I thought about particular student's participation in MCAS (this student has serious health issues which limit school participation). Was there an alternate way to assess this student that would enable us to know what had been achieved?And that got me thinking about what I really feel about MCAS, this 4-day brain drain.I get that standardized testing and MCAS is a part of teaching now. I get that teachers need to be help accountable for teaching the state (and now federal) standards. Honestly, watching my student navigate the Mathematics tests this past week made me realize that there are some weaknesses in the curriculum that was delivered. My teaching will be informed by my students' performance on the test -- a test which, by the way, I thought was reasonable.What I don't understand is how one high-stakes test can serve as the ultimate measure of my students' achievement, particularly when more than half of my students are English Language Learners. Six and a quarter hours of correctly spoken and written English each day can only go so far - the vocabulary that English speakers take for granted is daunting for many of my students.And before anyone's shorts are tied in a knot about second languages, let me say that I wish those who disparage people whose first language is not English tried to take that test in another language that they were in the process of learning. My experience in learning a second language, a Romance and therefore related language, was and is one of the biggest challenges I've ever encountered. I think if you attempted an important reading/writing task in a second language, you too might be hanging onto new vocabulary by the tips of your fingernails. I'm not advocating for abandoning the goal of performing in English -- that is the language of business in this country and therefore, the way to economic success -- I'm just saying cut these English speaking/writing "toddlers" a little slack on the high stakes tests.What would be fair? Well for one thing, look at my students' growth over the year. We have data for that - Fountas Pinnell Benchmarks, SRI Reading tests, Writing Portfolios, and district-wide Math assessments. Consider these as well as the MCAS when commenting on my students' achievement. Look at the Massachusetts Growth data -- are we making progress? Is it just at a slower rate than the students in more affluent, parent-involved suburbs?We need to look at a more complete picture of our students before pointing fingers of blame at educators. Nothing in education is black and white - we aren't producing widgets on an assembly line. To know what students know and don't know, we need to dig deeply. Standardized state testing should be just one item to consider.

Amazing Teachers Need Not Apply

If you have been reading the postings of the Massachusetts DESE, you may have noticed their new campaign for "Amazing Teachers".  This appears to be a recruitment program to entice teachers to work in the Tier 4 Schools -- those who are being carefully scrutinized because test scores haven't moved out of the sub-basement.So, let me understand this, DESE. You are going to stick with the notion that these 37 schools are under-performing because of the teachers on staff? Parent involvement - or parent uninvolvement - has no bearing in these students' success? Presto,change-o with the change of the knowledgeable and dedicated teaching staffs, all will be well.I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Have the politicians and educational leaders in our state become such political kiss-ups that they are afraid to do anything more than make teaching faculties scapegoats? Or do they truly believe that experienced teachers working their asses off  in urban, multi-lingual, traumatized, high poverty classrooms can be quickly replaced by successful teachers from exurbia? Seriously?I get that there are teachers who should not be in a classroom -- the Bell Curve makes that a no-brainer. But there are many, many, many others who are those "amazing teachers" the DESE is looking for:

Amazing teachers...

• Are relentlessly committed to high achievement for all students. They demonstrate tenacity and persistence in pursuit of the goal of ensuring that every child develops the knowledge and skill necessary for college and career success.
• Have demonstrated success in enabling students to make significant academic progress. They have a track record of results with students and are skilled at using data to analyze and improve student performance.
• Build and value strong relationships with students, families and the community. They create a sense of community in the classroom that celebrates success, empower students with choice and responsibility and make content relevant and accessible to all.
• Thrive in diverse, multicultural settings. They respect and support families and students of all backgrounds – regardless of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, language or ability – and actively engage them in achieving rigorous academic goals.
• Work collaboratively with school leadership and their colleagues to help foster a culture of teamwork. They welcome and seek out opportunities to lead, plan, learn and collectively solve problems in pursuit of student achievement.
• Have deep content and pedagogical knowledge and skills and constantly strive to improve their practice. They have a strong understanding of content and learning standards, maintain strong classroom management skills, and differentiate instructional strategies so that all students comprehend key information.  They reflect on their teaching performance and seek feedback and new learning to improve.

Most of the people I teach with have these very qualifications; they are amazing teachers. We cajole, inspire, and open our students' eyes to the possibilities that effort and a great education can bring.We celebrate our students milestones and achievements no matter how great or how small -- our students are progressing. We would give our right arms for a partnership with parents. Sometimes that's possible, sometimes it is not - but we still try no matter how many times our outreach is rejected because maybe the next time, we will not be turned away.We are challenged by a multicultural society, and despite those challenges, we love teaching in a diverse classroom because more often than not, we learn as much from the children as they learn from us.We work collaboratively; we know our content; and we keep growing.So DESE, look no further. Those amazing teachers you are looking for? We are right here, right under your nose. What we need is a little respect, a lot of support, and less of the blame game.

History Around Us

I'm not sure I really appreciated Lowell's place in history. We live immersed in the history of the Industrial Revolution here in Lowell, and oftentimes we don't see or appreciate it.Carved out of Chelmsford, Lowell traces its beginnings to the 1820s. Lowell was a planned manufacturing center for textiles.This week, my third graders visited the Tsongas Industrial History Center and the Boott Mills as part of our third grade study of the community. The program we participated in, Change in the Making, chronicles Lowell's development from its beginnings as East Chelmsford to the development of the textile mills.We started in the Boott Mills Weave Room - where although only 6 looms were operating the noise of the looms was nearly unbearable. Climbing five flights of stairs to the class rooms was a chore for my third graders - but something Mill workers did numerous times each day, and in record time.  As tempting as it might be to romanticize the past, there was much that made life as a Lowell Mill girl (or boy) hard. Long regimented hours, dangerous machinery, unreasonable mill overseers, and an often unhealthy environment caused by the cotton fibers in the airless weave rooms. I'm not sure many of my students thought they would enjoy being part of the good old days.I'm fairly sure I wouldn't have.

Earth Day 2010

Forty years ago - on the first Earth Day - I was still in high school. Today, 40 years later, have we come any closer to a sustainable environment? In my family, we do our best to separate recyclables and garbage. Can we do better? I am sure that we can. For starters, we could be more mindful of over packaged, over processed foods.Last night, PBS's documentary program, Point of View, broadcast Food, Inc. This 90-minute video is available through April 29th on the link, but is also being rebroadcast on local PBS stations.The fallout caused by faster, bigger food - will affect our earth for many, many years. This video is not for those with a weak stomach; even though Adrien and I have been mainly vegetarian -- and from time-to-time vegan, we have consumed some of these improved "foods". Food Inc. is making me look again at our consumption and talk with my wallet. Have we become suckered into the cheaper foods and larger portions? What price do food conglomerates and agribusiness exact from our Earth? Do we really need faster fatter bigger cheaper foods?On this Earth Day 2010, I plan to re-examine my food consumption. Smaller portions of real foods will affect my own health. And it will break the cycle of cheaper, mass-produced foods that have become my family's habit; we can slow down and be more mindful. We need to be more thoughtful about our consumption and that can begin with me.

Poiint of View's website: filled with web resources

World Peas CSA - Locavores take note

Local Harvest Web Resources

An April Gift

One of the warmest days since last summer crept up on us today. We're not even in April's double digits yet and the thermometer read 85 degrees. How wonderful it was to throw open the front door of our school building and go out into sunshine and warmth this afternoon!Because the weather was so wonderful and because the last month has been filled with relentless rain, we stayed outdoors an extra ten minutes. Sue me time-on-task police. My students, and the other third graders, were having so much fun playing tag, jumping rope, playing kickball, basketball and catch that none of us wanted it to end.This day was an unexpected gift for April. When we finally had to go in and back to the classroom, every single student seemed to be smiling.And so were the teachers.

10 Things I didn't expect to come out of my mouth

1. Don't make me stop this car2. Do you think we own the electric company?3. Do you think money grows on trees?4. Wait 'til your father gets home5. If <insert name here> told you to jump off a bridge, would you do it?6. There are thousands of people in <name third world country> who would kill to eat this food7. Leave a little water in the river (to student taking too long at the bubbler)8. I'm burning hard coal (okay, that one definitely dates me)9. Settle down.10. That's what a good test-taker does.