rcatkinson’s blog

Chaos. That was may classroom, utter chaos.  I'm not talking about student behavior. I'm talking about student work.  It was everywhere, on my desk, on tables, in boxes, and ALL ungraded.  I got so far behind with my grading I had to resort to a check system for nearly every assignment for 2nd quarter.  Thank goodness christmas came around; I needed a break.  During the break I planned to get myself more organized by developing a better system for collecting assignments.  Instead of daily assessments, my students had weekly packets to complete.  How did that go?  It went pretty well for the first few weeks than I ran out of copies and I quickly reverted back to the old system.  I have to admit that I was kind of relieved.  Doing the weekly packets required me to plan at least a week or two in advance.  And at this point in the year I was starting to plan my lessons only a day or two before I actually taught it.

No matter how much or how many times Ben Guest told us to stay a few minutes after school each day and grade our students' work, I couldn't find the energy, time, or motivation to do it. And so the piles began to grow and grow and over flow.  It was a vicious cycle.  A week or so before grades were due I would try to grade all the piles of student work from that quarter usually only grading approximately 20-40% of student work.  Not a true assessment, but an assessment nonetheless.

It was really sad that I didn't see my chaos or “organized chaos” as I call it as a failure until I was cleaning up my classroom at the end of the year.  I have leaved my whole life in “organized chaos.” In college I thrived on it.  It worked for me.  Why would teaching be any different? But it was.  It wasn't about me, but about my students.  As I packed my room I filled six boxes with student work, only of which two were actually filled with graded work.  Two thirds of my students' work was ungraded.  I truly failed my students.  I did not provide them with the feedback they deserved.

I have found that it is extremely important to give back student work as soon as possible.  It keeps them engaged and informed about their grades. No surprises.  It also helps with motivation.  Not all students are motivated by grades, but some are and for them it is crucial that you hand back their work in a timely manner.  I did not do this and I think it disappointed a lot of my students.  It left them constantly worried about their grade, whether they were passing or not. It also made it extremely hard to fail someone who I never gave notice to or never gave a chance to make up assignments or come in for extra help.  I really dropped the ball with my disorganization.  Please DO NOT be like me.

Next year, I'm going to tackle and address my disorganized ways.  I need to dismiss the idea that organization takes more time and effort.  The truth is organization actually saves time and makes your life as a teacher easier, in the long run.  Yes, it requires better/more planning initially, but it's worth it. I'm going to take it one step at a time.  Starting with student folders.  Organization Take Two.  

There is always a time in a teachers career when they question their effectiveness in the classroom.  I questioned my effectiveness throughout the school year, daily.  Were my students truly learning? Or merely cramming all this in their short-term memories to be later dumped? You say there's an easy solution to that.  Make your test or assessments accumulative.  I struggled with assessments. My district wanted multiple choice test that mimicked the state exam (MCT2), but what I found out early on was that their reading ability or lack there of was getting in the way.  Simply put the kids did not comprehend what they were being asked to do, and did not know the process for problem solving.  

I tried to avoid this problem by disregarding the district and gave my own style assessments, free response.  My students were doing well, or so I thought, until that day in December when the district decided to give my students and exam to see their progress thus far.  The results.... not good, I utterly failed as a teacher.  My kids did horrible on that district test.  I was shocked, disappointed, an scared.  Here I thought I was doing an okay job as a teacher. But all I was doing was enabling my students.  They have to read on the MCT 2 and be able to solve those problems.  It was then that I completely changed my strategy.  I had to teach them how to read math problems and solve them, something they have gotten through school without doing thus far.  I decided to stop what I was doing and teach problem solving and critical thinking for three weeks straight.  Thats all we worked on. I taught them case.

K- Key words and information.  I had my students circle he given information and underline the key words like: sum, total, difference, times, etc.
A- What is the question ASKING you to do?  Is it a two part question? What operation(s) are you going to use?
S- Solve. Now that you have the given information and the key words. We can answer the question or questions, using the operation(s).
E- Explain. You should always be able to explain your answer.  This step was the hardest to enforce but I made my students check their work and write a sentence or two, explaining what they did and why.

At first my principal was apprehensive; she did not like the idea of me deviating so much from the pacing guide and the other teachers in my department.  But after the first week she turned around.  She frequently stop by my classroom to observe the students using KASE on activities and assignments.  She loved my lessons so much that she asked me to show the other math teachers how to problem solve with KASE and incorporate it in their lessons.  My students caught on after week one and by week three they were pros.  My students now knew how to problem solve. YAY!  From then on, I made sure that my students used KASE to solve all word problems. I made sure to incorporate it in every lesson.

My principal really like my approach to problem solving.  She liked it so much that she made sure I taught every student in 7th grade during the state test review.  This meant doubling classes, but I was happy for the challenge.  What's twenty more in the class?  Teaching 35-40 students at a time is a challenge but my classroom management has never been better.  I learned that it doesn't matter whether there is 20 or 40 students in the class.  You can still be an effective teacher if your classroom management is on point.  All in all I think I had a successful year.  And to top it, I received the “Rookie Award” at my school.  I was recognized for my creative and innovative ideas ,and  my commitment to my students during my first year of teaching. I was completely shocked and grateful for this reward, that my administration saw how hard I worked. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” -in the words of Halle Berry during her oscar acceptance speech.  Wow, I cannot believe I got that award. I never win, but I did this time.

I like my school district. I like it so much it's named after me, Rosei Springs School District.  My district is a pretty classic district.  It does not deviate too much from any other school district in the south with the exception to a longer fall break and extra days off here and there.  The high school bell schedule is interesting though.  In all there are 10 periods.  Each period last 40 minutes with 4 minutes between each bell.  The 10 period is optional for all those students in good academic standing.  There is also a work study program in which a student can attend school for half of the school day (i.e. 1-4 period) then leave for their place of work.  There is also an accelerated program for exceptional student where they have a chance to leave campus to go to the local college and take classes there.  Another interesting thing about my district is the graduation policy.  In order to graduate from Rosei Springs High School you have to have a 2.0 grade point average and if at any time you fall below a 2.0 or you fail a required class you will be placed on academic probation, which means they will be required to take a 10 period class and are no longer eligible for the half day programs. If you want to check out my school district you can go to the this link:
http://roseann-uaihh.posterous.com/school-district-design

Three teacher skills I would like to practice and improve upon this summer at the MTC Summer School are questioning, time management, and organization.  I would like to practice my questioning skills.  Instead of giving my students DOK 1 questions (recall), I would like to give them more critical thinking questions that use thought and reasoning skills. I am going to give them DOK level 2 and 3 questions.  Throughout this past school year I have struggled with time management.  It always seemed as if the bell would catch me right before my closure.  This summer I am going to move my closure to the end of my lecture/lesson, right before independant practice.  That way I won't be caught of guard by the bell.  And oh yeah, I plan to get a watch. LOL The last skill I would like to work on is organization.  I do not return my students work to them in a timely manner.  This summer I'm going to work on a grading system/routine for myself that will be the most efficient. 

One thing I do well as a teacher is connect with my students.  I share my personal story with them.  About how I am the first and the only one in my family to go onto college.  How I broke the cycle of poverty through education.  I really impress upon my students the importance of education.  Many of the student I teach do not know anyone who has gone to college besides their teachers.  I have connected with my students through my past struggles and the fact that they know what I went through helps them see that there is a path for them to further education.  My students trust me and share things about their home life.  I show my students that I really care and that I am there for them always.  I care for all my student and I want them to succeed.

Swine Flu has become the phrase that makes many freeze with fear when they hear it.  Me, well it makes me smile.  I know this is a serious epidemic but I can't help but laugh at the name.  Swine flu?  Really?  You couldn't come up with a better name?  However, practical and accurate the name is, they still could have come up with another one. 

Laughing aside, the swine flu is a serious matter.  States are doing their best to insure the safety of all its residents.  I appreciate the efforts set forth by the school district in Texas.  Ensuring the safety of our children is the number one priority.  I commend that school district for closing school even though they are in the middle of state testing.  It was the right decision.  If that were my school I would do the same thing.  If I had several confirmed cases of the swine flu in my school district, my first thought would be containment.  And you cannot contain if students are having constant contact with each other, possible spreading the epidemic even further.  I am not sure what they will do about the testing. They will probably have to take it at a later time this month or even sometime in the summer.  I am also not sure what the state protocol is for state testing during a state of emergency - and that is what it is and emergency.  It will be interesting to see what the state and school district decide.  Until then, I believe they made the right decision.  Is a state test worth the lives of thousands of students and employees?  NO.  This school district got it right.  It may seem premature but with the threat of an epidemic running through your district you can never be too cautious, especially with children in your care. 

Strip-searched at school? I am appalled and disappointed in an administration that would take a “witch hunt” that far.  They left that child scared for life.  Strip-searches on young children have lasting psychological affects that can be equated to the psychological affects of sexual abuse.  The bottom line is that these people had no right to search that student.  They are not trained.  If they suspected drugs they should have called the authorities; let the police handle.  Another point is that they didn't have anything to go on besides one students word of where she got Ibuprofen. An over-the-counter drug for mild headaches and pain.  I would hate to work in a school district where they strip-search students.  As a teacher I know it is our job as educators to protect our students from all harm, including drugs.  Therefore, I have no problem with searches of backpacks and lockers.  I do, however, have a problem with having young children take their close off in front of unqualified people.  Since when is a nurse and secretary equipped with the skills for a strip-search? 

When I was in high school we had frequent locker searches and a few book bag searches throughout the school year.  I went to an urban critical needs high school, where the problem of drugs and weapons was prevalent. The police were a familiar face at my school.  Yes, there was tension at times.  Especially, when we'd have a lockdown and be in class for hours while they searched our lockers, but there still was that trust.  No one felt violated.  We all understood that our locker and book bags were "fair game." I think it would have been a different story if strip-searches were allowed, more kids would have dropped out of school and there would have been a distrust of the administration and teachers.

If students are afraid to come to school, for fear of being strip-searched, the focus shift from teaching and learning, dramatically affecting curriculum and instruction.  I'll be honest I am not actually entirely sure how and curriculum and instruction will be affected by strip-searching.  Curriculum will not change much if any.  I think perhaps schools will be sure to impress the importance of being a good citizen and in that maintain a harsh drug free policy.  I do know that the relationship between student and teacher will change forever. Students must feel as if they can confide in their teachers.  If they feel that they cannot trust their teacher there will be much anxiety and tension in the classroom, making instruction more difficult. For the students' sake and teachers and administration's sake I hope that the Supreme Court rules that this kind of action is inappropriate, unjustified and illegal.  Schools have no right to order strip-searches of students.  I look forward to seeing the ruling of this case.

Yea,  for alternative testing!  Now we are talking about progression in the education system and the way that we assess academic success. The video from Edutopia gives us an inside view of authentic assessment and what it entitles and requires from our young minds.  Authentic assessment is a performance task in where students are asked to apply real life application to a specific skill or subject.  This truly is an authentic assessment of each students ability to problem solve.  Each assessment requires students to think critically and work on a team as well as to be able to formulate their ideas for their peers and others to understand.  These are all skills that are necessary for an individual's success in the real-world.  Authentic assessment is a push away from multiple choice  test to performance task that require students to apply real life skills and application. This country is stuck on the idea that a standardized test makes an individual and measures their knowledge and skill, but all it really does is measure how well they can take a test.  How often do you take a test in the real-world (academia aside)? How about never. We are setting up our children for a huge obstacle.  How can they apply their knowledge to the real-world if they do not know what is going to be asked of them?

Teachers have a unique advantage and disadvantage.  While what goes on in our classrooms is our business we are still held accountable by the same standardized tests our students are.  Teachers are less likely to try out this authentic assessment for fear of consequences such as loss of employment.  As time closes on standardized test my assessments look like an imitation of the MCT2.  This summer is a time to try new things and with new things comes new assessments.  However, most performance assessments are over a period of weeks, giving each student ample time for their project.  Weeks is summer school is the entire course.  I have chosen that for summer school the 7th grade math class will have to pass on an authentic assessment. They will have a few mini performance tasks that you can equate to a science lab.  

In 7th grade, MCT2 is everything to the school and administrators, and unfortunately,  they do not like things that deter from MCT2 type of assessments.  There is so much pressure on teacher and students to succeed that it takes away from much, even childhood.  I recently read an article in USA Today by Bruce Kluger called “No Child Left Alone.” This article talked about the extreme amounts of stress and anxiety placed on young children to do well on these tests.  He's right we as educators place so much weight on these standardized test at the end of the year.  We  feel the pressure and we transfer it to our students. Sherry Cleary, executive director of the New York City Early Childhood Professional Development Institute as City University of New York , says “what is at stake is the children's perception of themselves as learners.  Kids are supposed to ask questions; schools are supposed to provide the path to answers. But now we're looking to the children for the answers – and the accountability.  We're telling them that if they screw up, they don't have a future.” Teachers are under pressure and it should stay that way.  Our children do not need to be stressed over one test.  Authentic assessments give students a chance to showcase and present their many talents and skills, yet simultaneously achieving mastery of the same objectives in the frameworks.  Hmmm..... But because administrators are so unwilling to change their mind that intense remediation of MCT2 practice questions leads to success teachers are restricted. Administrators leave little leeway for teachers who teach state tested subjects. But that's not going to stop me from mini performance tasks or projects; instead of a roadblock, I'll think of it as a speed bump. Summer school will be a time of experiment, a trial period, where I will be able to see what performance tasks work best.  Summer school, here I come!

Yea,  for alternative testing!  Now we are talking about progression in the education system and the way that we assess academic success. The video from Edutopia gives us an inside view of authentic assessment and what it entitles and requires from our young minds.  Authentic assessment is a performance task in where students are asked to apply real life application to a specific skill or subject.  This truly is an authentic assessment of each students ability to problem solve.  Each assessment requires students to think critically and work on a team as well as to be able to formulate their ideas for their peers and others to understand.  These are all skills that are necessary for an individual's success in the real-world.  Authentic assessment is a push away from multiple choice  test to performance task that require students to apply real life skills and application. This country is stuck on the idea that a standardized test makes an individual and measures their knowledge and skill, but all it really does is measure how well they can take a test.  How often do you take a test in the real-world (academia aside)? How about never. We are setting up our children for a huge obstacle.  How can they apply their knowledge to the real-world if they do not know what is going to be asked of them?

Teachers have a unique advantage and disadvantage.  While what goes on in our classrooms is our business we are still held accountable by the same standardized tests our students are.  Teachers are less likely to try out this authentic assessment for fear of consequences such as loss of employment.  As time closes on standardized test my assessments look like an imitation of the MCT2.  This summer is a time to try new things and with new things comes new assessments.  However, most performance assessments are over a period of weeks, giving each student ample time for their project.  Weeks is summer school is the entire course.  I have chosen that for summer school the 7th grade math class will have to pass on an authentic assessment. They will have a few mini performance tasks that you can equate to a science lab.  

In 7th grade, MCT2 is everything to the school and administrators, and unfortunately,  they do not like things that deter from MCT2 type of assessments.  There is so much pressure on teacher and students to succeed that it takes away from much, even childhood.  I recently read an article in USA Today by Bruce Kluger called “No Child Left Alone.” This article talked about the extreme amounts of stress and anxiety placed on young children to do well on these tests.  He's right we as educators place so much weight on these standardized test at the end of the year.  We  feel the pressure and we transfer it to our students. Sherry Cleary, executive director of the New York City Early Childhood Professional Development Institute as City University of New York , says “what is at stake is the children's perception of themselves as learners.  Kids are supposed to ask questions; schools are supposed to provide the path to answers. But now we're looking to the children for the answers – and the accountability.  We're telling them that if they screw up, they don't have a future.” Teachers are under pressure and it should stay that way.  Our children do not need to be stressed over one test.  Authentic assessments give students a chance to showcase and present their many talents and skills, yet simultaneously achieving mastery of the same objectives in the frameworks.  Hmmm..... But because administrators are so unwilling to change their mind that intense remediation of MCT2 practice questions leads to success teachers are restricted. Administrators leave little leeway for teachers who teach state tested subjects. But that's not going to stop me from mini performance tasks or projects; instead of a roadblock, I'll think of it as a speed bump. Summer school will be a time of experiment, a trial period, where I will be able to see what performance tasks work best.  Summer school, here I come!

Summer school the term that makes all students cringe.  It's a dirty word in the academic world. Yay or nay, is it effective or just another money pit?  The simple answer is it depends.  Summer school should be cohesive and complementary to the previous semester or school year of the student.  Too often summer school lacks direction and vision and winds up being ineffective and insignificant. In the article, "Summer School: Unfulfilled Promise," it urges for academic change. Bottom line, summers schools aren't cutting it; they're a joke. 
The section "Year Round School" on page 17 caught my attention. It stated that year round school "may be a promising option for policy-makers who are seeking ways to narrow achievement gaps between successful and failing students."  During the summer break, students lose much of what they have learned the previous year, some even regress. As a math teacher, I face the challenge every time we have a break, my student forget what they have previously learned.  If they forget things over one/two weeks I know that they lose a lot more over a two month break.  I like the recommendations for state policies on page 18. My favorite, of course, is the year round school; summer school should not be an afterthought, but rather it should be used as a time for growth and enrichment.  Another recommendation that I liked was emphasizing math and reading.  Those are the weakest skills of our student and if we want to tighten the gap we are going to have to work to include those skills in the courses that are taught in summer school.
I look forward to the summer school in Holly Springs.  My vision for summer school is to have it be motivative, inclusive, integrated, and fun.  In order for any summer school to be sucessful there have to be a few things set in place.  Summer school must be organized, have clear expectations and standards, and, lastly, have passionate and invested teachers.  I believe I have designed a cohesive and inclusive course.  I expect all my student to succeed and will do my best to make sure that that will happen.  Success for my summer school students will be defined as mastery of more that 85 percent of the objectives covered.  In order to ensure the success of my students I have planned the course so that it is comprehensive, continuous, and encompassing.  I have also been sure to focus on the objectives covered in the MCT2 for 7th grade math.  By focusing on those objectives I am making ensuring that they get the most effective instruction. In order to measure or identify this sucess there will be a pretest and post test given to the student. The pretest and post test will be the same. This will measure their growth.  Overall, I look forward to this summer in which I will be implamenting my own curriculum and pacing guide.

Sources:
"Summer School: Unfulfilled Promise." Southern Regional Education Board. (2002): 3-19.

I live in the port city, Greenville, MS and I LOVE it! I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but in the Delta.  The culture is so rich here. There are a few museums in the area (25 mile radius). In fact they just opened up the B.B. King museum in Indianola, MS. That's about a 30 minute drive, not too bad considering some people have a daily commute longer than that.  My community...