Form: Re- or De-?

This article requires commentary, but first, some music to set the tone, but remember, the "more things change, the more they stay the same:"

Well, here we are in the initial stages of the 2023-2024 school year. Many things have changed over the years, but the excitement and chaos of the first week of school is pretty static. However, these days the chaos seems to be generated from above as opposed to the typical building-level chaos. Take what is described in the above hyperlinked article about the "reform" efforts in Houston.

First, give us a break with the increased pay "reform." The one and only compound question is this: "Where did that money come from and why was it not used to prevent this mess?" Educators need more pay and it should not be tied to ridiculous takeover measures. In other words, this is not a reform....it is a "shell" game where the money just appears or moves based upon the current legislative/executive mood. Plus, most building-level folks know that paying core teachers more than elective teachers, or vice versa, is a recipe for needless competition among building-level teachers when now is the time for unity....not more division. 

Second, rigorous evaluations do not make folks better, they subjectively measure performance. Professional development, motivation, and shared-purpose are actually effective for those willing to improve. In the article, there is only a brief mention of professional development and it is planned during the summer which I believe is non-contract time for most teachers.

Third, curriculum and instruction reforms. This has been a while in coming, but the writing has been on the wall for a few years. Project Lead the Way (PLTW) courses have had scripted curriculum for many years and the script can be extremely valuable for early-service educators. In a bind, the new teacher only has to refer to the curriculum prompts to get back on track. For the more experienced teacher, the script may be more of a guide and/or reminder of the "what" that needs to be taught. Scripted curriculum is a worthwhile tool that can be differentiated by the astute educator. Scripted instruction, the "how," may also be helpful to the early service educator, but more so insulting to the experienced educator. Instruction is the "heart and soul" of teaching and to take those elements of artistry and science away from the teacher may be a morale-buster. Scripted instruction may put teachers in the realm of widgets or "bots." Not good.

The only actual "reform" that may be considered novel is the absurd removal of media specialists in favor of having the media center space dedicated to "team centers" which is really a cute way of labeling in-school suspension (ISS) in the media center (sans a media specialist). This is scary on multiple levels. First, this is Texas and does not involve mandatory minimums or zero tolerance, but does involve eliminating a vital school position (media specialist) and re-dedicating a school space for other use (discipline). Applauding Texas for advocating for non-punitive and rational disciplinary measures would be otherwise be called-for here, but they still missed it by a Texas mile. Second, this is already happening in virtual/remote school spaces (ISS via remote school). Increasingly, district leaders are leaning on virtual/remote options for alternative discipline measures which is to say, the measure is essentially just a change in placement....not sure that will affect positive behavior change. This "reform" is surely a response to staffing shortages, but also it seems to fall in line with a more muddled disciplinary approach that appears to be evolving.

The alternative school (read behavior management school) model appears to be fading out. Leaders may have realized that the days of "Scared Straight"-type immersion may not be a viable solution for today's dabblers in habitual/serious behavioral infractions. However, those schools contain staff that may be re-deployed to schools with vacancies....see how that works....no more punitive prison-like school and available bodies to fill vacant school positions. Not so fast. Punitive, non-therapeutic disciplinary settings should be reformed, not shifting the site elsewhere (actual or virtual!), without intentional communication, planning, and implementation.

What is unfortunate is what is NOT mentioned in the article. An article about "New Education System" schools that does not mention (go ahead and ctrl-F to ensure accuracy): collaboration, teacher efficacy, teacher empowerment, teamwork, interdependence, trust, shared purpose, buy-in, critical-thinking (sarcastic chuckle here), problem-solving, etc. The term community is used in the article but only in the sense of something that exists, not something to be built, cared for, and/or repaired.

Harvester of Hope

Methinks musical tie-ins are this blog's mojo, so here we go...let's start with the actual musical piece...wait for it...wait for it...

Wow! That hits hard! Now on to the real meat of the blog post.

Educators must be Harvesters of Hope!

There is enough sorrow in the world, so let's harvest hope. 'Tis the season for summer conferences and all of the mantras, maxims, and platitudes that accompany these hopeful events. Sayings are great when followed up by action. Let's commit ourselves to being harvesters (action verb!) of hope! For farmers, harvesting occurs in the fields, for educators, it is in our classrooms. In order to harvest, we need harvesting strategies, thus we need to re-dedicate ourselves to excellent, needs-based, individualized professional development (PD) for all solutions-focused educators. 

The talent pool in education has become diluted due to multiple factors (COVID, compensation, morale, retirement, resignations, politics, etc.). Now is the time to re-focus on those educators that remain involved in educational problem-solving. COVID shifted our focus to survival and also tied us (tightly!) to technology. Classroom management has also be negatively impacted. Professional development is the way to re-focus our energies on once again making the classroom a sacred space for teaching and learning.

Some of the best PD comes from those doing the work....teachers. I am a firm believer in enhancing teacher efficacy (great article here) and having peers present PD is an amazing efficacy-builder and morale booster. PD should be focused on student outcomes and/or student experiences. If educators want great outcomes and great experiences for all students, then we can drill down to what may produce great outcomes and great experiences for our students. Check out this EdWeek article for examples and definitions of educator abilities (not an exhaustive list). The "Mind the Gap" visual in Elena Aguilar's EdWeek article is a great tool for reflection and planning. Let's use the teacher abilities listed (Skill, Knowledge, Capacity, Will, Cultural Competence, & Emotional Intelligence) in Aguilar's visual for convenience.

One area of PD should remain focused on leveled-"beginning" teacher skills (e.g. classroom management & content knowledge), which are relatively objective and measurable. The italicized leveled in the description is an indication that even the most experienced of teachers may need "updates" to their classroom management toolkit. Classroom management and content knowledge are invaluable to a teacher's success in the classroom, yet they appear to be eroding, perhaps due to distraction(s).  Teacher will and teacher capacity are absolutely necessary, but may not be within the building admin's locus of influence to develop. Thus, teacher will and teacher capacity are largely up to the individual teacher to develop themselves. I posit that the remaining abilities, cultural competence and emotional intelligence, should be the new frontier for educator PD. The infusion of much-needed student social-emotional learning (SEL) into our classrooms will pair well with teacher PD in the areas of cultural competency and emotional intelligence. By doubling-down on what we know works, effective classroom management & rich content knowledge coupled with greater emphasis on cultural competence and emotional intelligence, then we can set a renewed course for harvesting hope in our classrooms.

Here is the kicker, since collective efficacy goes hand-in-hand with epistemic influence (great article here), then educators should manage PD in their building, perhaps, dare I say it, even in their classrooms.  Individualized needs-based PD would be the most meaningful and effective. Building-level PD is a close second, so let's get out there and be Harvesters of Hope!

The "Treatment" Room

Imagine a hospital emergency room full of people. These folks come from different backgrounds and have had a variety of experiences, some negative, over their lifetime. Depending upon need, some individuals are diagnosed, treated, and released. Some may require an overnight stay. Others may require a long stay, medical intervention, and/or surgical intervention. The variance in an individual's "health" can be staggering. Consider the following excerpt from Thomas Francis' book entitled, The Emergency:

"Health. We use the word all the time, but what it is, really? The World Health Organization provides an aspirational definition of health: "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." By this definition, none of us is ever fully healthy. Whether we witness violence as a child or we're stressed as an adult, consume too little food while young or too much when we're grown, compounding and interacting physical and social exposures beginning in gestation and progressing over time shape our bodies into a state just short of complete well-being. When these functions work well enough, we call ourselves healthy and are free to pursue meaning in our lives." 

What if classrooms were like hospital treatment rooms? Students are patients and educators are practitioners. Educators assess learning, physicians assess health. From there it can be considered in general terms:  "treatment" plans are made based upon initial assessment and treatment begins. Progress is monitored and adjustments, if necessary, are made. These practitioners do not work alone, they typically work in teams, different members have different roles and areas of expertise (EC, ESL, content, MTSS, school psychologist, social workers, etc). The progress, or lack thereof, of the treatment plan is analyzed by the team and feedback is provided to the team and to the patient...oops, student.

I think the power to heal is comparable to the power to teach. Every physician had numerous teachers on their road to successful (hopefully) medical practice. Physicians abide by the Hippocratic Oath. According to Britannica.com, physicians pledge to "prescribe only beneficial treatments, according to his ability and judgements; to refrain from causing harm or hurt; and to live an exemplary personal and professional life." I realize these are just words, but most physicians I have encountered (in life and on television) take this oath very seriously and it seems to inspire and impact them in a positive way. What if educators had an oath that inspired us, positively impacted us, and banded us together? This is not a novel idea, I found one opinion piece by Anthony Cody (article linked here) in EducationWeek from 2007. There are many parallels between medicine and education...they are most certainly inter-related and inter-dependent. Why not develop an oath for educators? What would educators pledge to do? How would we agree on an acceptable oath? Who/what would be the inspiration for it? I know our children should be an inspiration given educator impact on our populace. My hope is that an oath is not needed to re-energize educators and remind them of their infinite value, but if it is needed, then let's get to work!

                                                              

Disconnect - Shared Purpose?

I have never understood when a disconnect exists between administrators and teachers. We all fall under the umbrella of being educators, so I feel as though we should have more in common than not. Administrators and teachers also, generally speaking, have similar shared purposes: academic support & progress, behavioral support & progress. Alas, my experiences have been mixed when looking for consistent admin-teacher synergy. Many days I feel as though I am more successfully connecting with and supporting students, and their parents, than I am with supporting and connecting with teachers. To be frank, I sometimes feel resented by teachers when I connect/support a struggling student and/or their parent. I have scoured my teaching memories for instances of feeling this way towards administrators, but my memories are of cooperation and shared purpose (not well understood back then, but present nonetheless). On my worst day, I recall thinking that administrators should be more vigilant about catching the smokers under the stairwells...I never even thought about the consequences for the student...I was just tired of the smell of cigarettes.

Merriam-Webster defines an educator as: "one skilled in teaching" and "a student of the theory and practice of education." Maybe educational theory is a potential source of disconnect. I am aware of five (5) theories:  Behaviorism, Cognitive, Constructivism, Humanism, and Connectivism. I subscribe to a mashup of cognitive, constructive, and humanist theories. Surely our views on educational theories cannot correlate to disconnect...all the theories lead to, or attempt to lead to, learning...right?

How about classroom management theories, perhaps a disconnect exists here. Below is a link to a resource summarizing three (3) types: Operant, Choice theory, and Student-Directed learning.

• https://www.theedadvocate.org/understanding-three-key-classroom-management-theories/

These all sound reasonable...the article even mentions how these management theories may correlate to enhanced student motivation and less need for punitive consequences...a win-win!

One potential disconnect may be beliefs regarding student discipline. Discipline certainly has a role in education, as it does in many other fields. Here are a few definitions for discipline from Merriam-Webster: "Control gained by enforcing obedience or order" and/or "orderly or prescribed conduct or pattern of behavior"...these are versions of noun usage. Most school folks use the transitive verb for discipline which is: "to punish or penalize for the sake of enforcing obedience and perfecting moral character", "to bring a group under control", and/or "to impose order upon". The use of the transitive verbs sound, to me, very military-ish (Sorry Beetle Bailey). The last definition is semi-palatable, "to impose order upon", especially given that order is certainly necessary in schools, but to impose upon does not sound like a collaborative situation and a collaborative approach is most certainly the direction education is moving. Less "command and control" and more "collaborate and innovate".

Views on disciplining other people's children can be a source of consternation for all involved. Check out this article from the National Association of Elementary School Principals:

• https://www.naesp.org/resource/speaking-out-disciplining-other-peoples-children/

I am on board with this kind of thinking and action. Effective and situationally sensitive (What?!?! No zero tolerance or mandatory minimums!?).

Student "discipline" should be more than meting out punishments. The "discipline" should be incorporated into the efforts of community-building, which would include all of the above theories, styles, strategies, etc. That could bring us all together...community-building, one classroom at a time. This will involve punishment from time-to-time and if we can just get close to being on the same page, then we may be able to move mountains. I leave you with a thought-provoking article by Alfie Kohn. 

• https://www.alfiekohn.org/blogs/cl/

Cheers to community, collaboration, and innovation!

"Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues" - A Brief History

Who does not love good music?! More than that, how about a piece of music with a great story, has thought-provoking lyrics, haunting steel guitar(s), and a seemingly endless array of musicians who have re-made the SAME piece of music?! Well, look no further....I present "Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues".

There are a few questions to ponder prior to listening to the tune:  Who is Charlie? Where did he live? Did he have a prescription for those "pills"?, and how much precipitation does Charlie's town actually get each year?!

My intent it present my Top 5 and, of course, generate a highly influential blog post that earns me millions of dolla bills, garners global attention on folks named Charlie, and facilitates world peace. Actually, a laugh or two will suffice. 

Numero Uno!

We begin with the original by the prolific Danny O'Keefe. Is that a raccoon hat he is sporting?

Number Two!

Dwight Yoakam taking the #2 spot with his Tex-Mex (my opinion) take on the classic!

#3!

Elvis, need I write more? I did not think so.

#Quatro!

I love that Chuck felt the need to adjust the age....when are we not a kid anymore?

Nummer Fünf!

Excuse me, is this Tom Hank's wife?

I hope you enjoyed this whimsical music journey....pls Like, Comment, Subscribe, RT, Repost, etc. 

#satire #music #charlie #goodtimes

"Don't Call it a Comeback"

LL Cool J’s lyrics still ring true, and no one needs to get knocked out! This post is about re-focusing on the classroom, with the reminder that the classroom “has been here for years”. I am a reductionist due to my science background. Reductionism, for me, is all about drilling down to functional subunits. For living things, this would be the cell. The cell contains all of the necessary structures to carry out cellular functions unless there is an issue within, or outside of, the cell. For example, structures inside of cells produce proteins, if that functionality is hindered, then problems can arise. Similarly, conditions outside of the cell may also impact functionality within the cell. Now that the science lesson is over….let’s think about the functional subunit of the schoolhouse...the classroom. The classroom should contain all of the necessary structures (teacher(s), student(s), technology, books, furniture, etc.) to carry out classroom functions….teaching and learning.

The classroom is where the “rubber meets the road”. The teacher is the frontline practitioner (artist) & diagnostician (scientist) in the classroom. The classroom should be as efficient and productive as a healthy cell. However, maintaining efficiency and productivity requires a net input of energy in order to maintain that functionality (see 1st and 2nd Laws of Thermodynamics). Being an effective practitioner and diagnostician requires motivation, inspiration, imagination, ongoing content/skill development (aka professional development) tailored to teacher needs/wants, and compensation. Similarly, the students are the recipients of the teacher’s practice and diagnostics, so students also require motivation, inspiration, imagination, ongoing content/skill development tailored to their needs/wants…..just not the compensation!!

For me, a classroom is a community. A community not unlike what we see in nature…two or more individuals (species) interacting in the same place, at the same time. Here is where I believe we need to have a foundation upon which to solidly “build” our classroom. Using four components of community-building and community-maintaining, we can work to have our classrooms as efficient and productive as possible. These components are trust, cohesion, sense of well-being, and shared purpose. Students and teachers should agree upon how to define (“What does trust look like in this classroom?”) these components at the classroom-level. Additionally, faculty and staff should also agree upon how to define these components at the schoolhouse-level. Regardless of agreed upon definitions, these four components must remain foundational in order to maintain the community ‘feel” of the classroom.

We should maintain laser-like focus on the classroom, what is happening in the classroom, and re-focus on the three primary driving forces the classroom….curriculum, instruction, and assessment. As educators, we should always categorize our work (lesson planning, implementation, and reflection) under one of these drivers and that may help keep us focused on the classroom as the subunit of teaching and learning. The classroom has to be a sacred space where the teacher and student can focus on these three drivers. The curriculum provides the teacher with the necessary resources (content, skills, scope, and sequence) for teaching, assessment informs the teacher about student progress/understanding, and instruction is informed/adjusted based upon assessment results and analysis of results. While curriculum and assessment may be somewhat prescribed (perhaps completely prescribed), there are still areas for teacher discretionary moves to enhance teacher autonomy and efficacy. However, instruction is where the teacher truly demonstrates their craft and should, in my opinion, have the greatest impact on the classroom community. Instruction is where the artistry of teaching truly exists and teachers should make the most of their ability to actively engage students in the learning process using their innate or learned instructional strategies. Instruction is also where the majority of the ongoing professional development should be focused for the teacher. Again, professional development should be based upon the teacher’s needs/wants with regard to their professional growth over time.

The classroom is not only the functional subunit of teaching and learning, but the classroom may also be the only true locus of influence for teachers. Now, this is going to be a let down for those who want to assign mountains of homework and/or blame parents for student issues. Teachers locus of influence is not guaranteed beyond the classroom level, so we need to make the most of the time we have with students in the classroom. This is where I lean heavily on selected text from Teaching with Poverty in Mind by Eric Jensen. The book’s title is self-explanatory and I believe what is outlined in the book also applies to students who may not be experiencing poverty. If we embrace the notion that student data (assessment) are information and not destiny, that students spend the vast majority of their time OUTSIDE of the classroom (approximately 87% of waking hours), and that what happens outside of the classroom impacts what occurs inside the classroom, then that should be enough evidence to support renewed focus on the classroom as a sacred space for teaching and learning.

The classroom, like the schoolhouse, should be an inviting setting for teaching and learning. Key components of inviting settings are safety, order, and structure. These three components keep it all together and make it so learning may occur as unimpeded as possible despite external variables beyond our locus of influence. Safety is always paramount in educational settings, perhaps more so now than ever and proactive safety measures should be a given, unmistakably apparent, and obvious. Structure and order lend themselves to feelings of comfort, harmony, predictability, safety, self-control, creativity. Further, social-emotional learning (SEL) has recently become more prevalent and necessary.  Education has always valued and modeled character development, but we now have renewed focus and vigor on SEL which also positively impacts the classroom. Does this sound like a place where teaching and learning can be maximally efficient and productive?  I think so!

The crude diagram below is meant to be a visual representation of the text presented above. An interesting activity would be to obscure some of the text within the diagram and then present a somewhat ambiguous gist of this post and see if an audience, ideally of educators, can determine what might fit within the locus of influence portion of the diagram. Not necessarily the italicized terms, but the big three of curriculum, instruction, and assessment. External variables may have so skewed our view of what to address, when to address it, and/or whether or not the variable even needs to be addressed.  This may have taken our focus off of what may matter, thus let's promote a laser-like re-focusing on the classroom as a major “what matters” in education.

This post is an accumulation of experiences and research accrued over 20+ years in education. I wish I was better at cataloging impactful articles and books, but I am not. Recently I was heavily influenced by articles linked below and, as mentioned earlier, Eric Jensen’s book entitled, Teaching with Poverty in Mind.  I do not think any of what I have presented above is earth-shattering or novel, but I felt compelled to organize and write out these ruminations that have rattled around in my head for years.  If this post helps/inspires/motivates just one fellow educator, then it was well worth my time and effort to post these ideas.

How to Build Community and Why It Matters So Much by Tracy Brower

The Past and Future of Teacher Efficacy by Thomas Guskey

Feeling Like You Matter:  A Checklist for Teachers by Shelly Wilfong

The Ride

I was recently pondering the current ride we are on.  Call it what you want, COVID Cruise, Viral Voyage, Pandemic Path, Antibody Adventure...have I mentioned that I adore alliterations?  My pondering was prompted by a song on the radio.  The song was Bruce Springsteen's Tunnel of Love...go ahead and take a quick trip down memory lane or enjoy it for the first time.  Let me make a personal point before we move on.  I do not typically listen to lyrics, I just pay attention to the song title, artist and the tune/beat.  So, ol' Bruce could singing about Satan worship on the Jersey Shore and I would be clueless, but if it has a good beat, then rock on with some pentagrams in Asbury Park.  Having gotten that clarified, then I want to point out that this song and these thoughts have been on my mind since mid-June, so the song and ideas associated with it have been percolating for a while.  

Let's run with this...one of Springsteen's lesser known songs as a metaphor for this ongoing Microbial March (got another one in!).  "Tunnel of Love" brings back childhood memories of carnival rides and firsts.  First time holding hands, first kiss, first time riding a thrilling roller coaster (Hello Scream Machine @ Six Flags over Atlanta!).  Looking back fondly.  Also looking forward.  Graduation, marriage, birthdays, holidays, new adventures, vacations.  The Boss presents us with two options...forward and backward.  But then, in life, we are encouraged to "never look back", "yesterday is history", "don't get stuck in the past".  Also, "be forward thinking", "life must be lived forwards", "define your future".  In these binary terms, in minimal verbiage, my COVID Cruise has been empowering (past) and hopeful (future).  Empowering in the sense that I have had more time to reflect, research, think deeply, and explore new interests.  Hopeful in the sense that this crapola of a ride has to end soon!

But Bruce, what about the side view?  Not just the forward and the backward.  The "Tunnel of Love" has no side view, but our present does have a side view.  This is the true ride....the moment we are in.  It is the journey and not the destination.  I always have to remind myself to look up and take notice of my surroundings...it is a product of the current "heads-down" culture where we are far too often looking at our phone during the journey.  So, let's look up and around.  I see the end of summer happenings...back to school blues, hot, sticky days (at least in the South), late afternoon thunderstorms, evening walks, brown lawns, fantasy football drafts, hissing sprinklers.  There is joy in these simple reminders of the normal rhythm of the season.  What does the side view look like for you? 

If we extrapolate this further, then how do we define a good "ride", a great "ride"?.  When we look backward, forward, and sideward, what do we see?  Is it a good ride?