As a teacher, I want to teach. Sounds simple enough, right? Wrong. Not only am I supposed to teach, but the NYC Department of Education wants data. Now, let me be clear about my opinion of data. I have no problem with using data to modify curricula or even evaluate teacher performance. I DO have a problem with ONLY using test scores as data. That is one incredibly narrow measure of how a student performs in a classroom and how a teacher teaches in a classroom.
But as a teacher soon learns working for the NYCDOE, they put up the hoops and we jump through over and over and over. Here is the problem though. Administrators want so much data, that the time spent entering that data begins to encroach on the time spent preparing meaningful lessons or giving students individual attention. I don't blame administrators as they are just doing what their told from their bosses. I enter data on Snapgrades (an online grade tracking system). I enter grades into spreadsheets (literally every answer for every student for every test needs to be entered and analyzed manually in a spreadsheet). I enter different lab data on a different spreadsheet (which is also entered on Snapgrades). I enter data using BUBBLE SHEETS (what is is, 1998!?) for attendance every period of every day (which is also entered into Snapgrades). I enter scores at the end of marking periods in a different spreadsheet (the same scores I enter on Snapgrades). Let's review. Data is entered on:
Snapgrades
Bubble sheets
Lab Spreadsheet
Test Tracking Spreadsheet
Marking period spreadsheets
With around 160 students throughout the entire day multiplied by the amount of data that needs to be entered for each one, clearly the amounts of data increase exponentially. Doing a bit of rough math, this works out to be somewhere around 80,000 pieces of data entered per teacher per semester. This data entry is just ONE aspect of teaching and really, it's not even teaching. Other tasks include:
Planning Lessons
Calling Parents
Emailing Parents
Managing Behavior
Getting students into class
Documenting Incidents
Dealing with students' personal issues
Preparing labs
Grading labs
Grading papers
Oh and all of this is supposed to happen in the 7.5 hours during the workday, four of which are used active teaching and lunch would fit in there somewhere.
I would love to see the morons from Wisconsin trying to strip teachers of their collective bargaining rights teach just one class of real students. They would not survive for a picosecond.
I am not a data entry specialist.
I am not a social worker.
I am not a police officer.
I am not a baby sitter.
I am not a lab technician.
I am a teacher. Please let me teach.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Ridiculous Parent
Today I received an email from a colleague informing me that a parent wanted to report me to the principal.
One thing I've learned as a teacher is not to panic. So I called my colleague and she explained the situation.
Apparently, today a student came into my class who I have seen no more than 10 times the entire school year. She ALSO came in with maybe ten minutes of class remaining. She didn't have time to begin the test I was giving, so I said she could come after school today.
Later, I find that I cannot stay after school. So granted, yes, I should have found this student and informed her. Instead, I left, granted somewhat hastily, without leaving a sign or touching base with the student. Apparently, when she showed up after school, she was accompanied by her parent.
As it has been described to me, this parent was livid that I was not there and appalled that I asked her student to stay after school.
Give. Me. A. Fucking. Break.
First off, I have no reason to believe this kid is going to show up after school in the first place. SHE DOESN'T SHOW UP TO SCHOOL IN THE FIRST PLACE. Second, as your student rarely, if ever, comes to class, I am doing her the favor of accommodating her by giving her the courtesy of showing up after school to take a test. Mind you, she showed up with ten minutes left of class and she's shown up so few times, I barely know what she looks like.
Now, as far as this parent reporting me to the principal. Bring it on. I will not have some irrational parent intimidate me, especially when they don't even ensure their own daughter is attending school. This shouldn't bother me, but it does. I look forward to seeing the outcome of this fiasco and putting this parent in her place.
She picked the wrong teacher to fuck with.
One thing I've learned as a teacher is not to panic. So I called my colleague and she explained the situation.
Apparently, today a student came into my class who I have seen no more than 10 times the entire school year. She ALSO came in with maybe ten minutes of class remaining. She didn't have time to begin the test I was giving, so I said she could come after school today.
Later, I find that I cannot stay after school. So granted, yes, I should have found this student and informed her. Instead, I left, granted somewhat hastily, without leaving a sign or touching base with the student. Apparently, when she showed up after school, she was accompanied by her parent.
As it has been described to me, this parent was livid that I was not there and appalled that I asked her student to stay after school.
Give. Me. A. Fucking. Break.
First off, I have no reason to believe this kid is going to show up after school in the first place. SHE DOESN'T SHOW UP TO SCHOOL IN THE FIRST PLACE. Second, as your student rarely, if ever, comes to class, I am doing her the favor of accommodating her by giving her the courtesy of showing up after school to take a test. Mind you, she showed up with ten minutes left of class and she's shown up so few times, I barely know what she looks like.
Now, as far as this parent reporting me to the principal. Bring it on. I will not have some irrational parent intimidate me, especially when they don't even ensure their own daughter is attending school. This shouldn't bother me, but it does. I look forward to seeing the outcome of this fiasco and putting this parent in her place.
She picked the wrong teacher to fuck with.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Jeopardy
Kids love jeopardy and I don't quite understand why.
If I can have them jumping out of their seat and screaming "ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION!," I'll take it.
If I can have them jumping out of their seat and screaming "ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION!," I'll take it.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Revival?
I has obviously been quite a span between my last post and the current one. Although I think it may have been beneficial and necessary. In the interim, much as transpired.
Vacation
First and most enjoyable, I was allowed to experience my first summer break as a teacher. Receiving paychecks and not working simultaneously is underrated. I don't want to overstate that teachers have it good, but you definitely won't hear me complaining about summer break. For the skeptic, teachers earn every penny of those paychecks during summer break. Most people wouldn't do this job if given the opportunity.
During those 10 weeks, I:
- went on an educational conference to Atlanta for a program called High Schools That Work (superfun! - the trip, not the conference).
- went camping with coworkers in upstate New York (also superfun).
- went to San Francisco and Los Angeles for pleasure and to visit family. If I wasn't in NY, I would be living in SF.
- completely disengaged myself from my profession for a healthy amount of time (every teacher should).
- did a ton of yoga.
- mentally healed from the trauma of first year teaching (now my students hesitate to call me anything other than sir;-)
1st Year Down
While chatting with my principal one day, I jokingly said that teachers age like dogs do; For every year they experience, they actually experience seven. In hindsight, this seems like more than a joke. With one year under my belt, I feel like I'm on top of my game. I can handle anything. As teaching is, I am certain that I have far more to experience, but it is nice to feel prepared for it.
I spoke to a coworker today. She's someone I always see, but have never formally met. That is one of the strange things about working in such a huge school (about 2000 students). I have spent an enormous number of hours with people in the same building doing the same thing with the same kids and I don't even know their name. Social quirks aside, we chatted about how you feel as a teacher throughout each year of teaching. She described the first year the same way I would - hellish. She said the second year, there's still a relatively steep learning curve and after that you stop changing as a teacher and the kids stay the same. Interesting thought and even a bit bleak, but it's nice to have someone else's perspective on teaching a few year into the profession.
Being Treated Like a Human Being
This year, there is still one thing of which I am unsure: Are my students actually much more well behaved or have I just improved as a teacher. It feels like the former. Either way I am not complaining.
I've begun to act much colder in the classroom. Last year, I would interact with students very personally, one on one. It is not that I'm opposed to such an interaction, but it's not practical when I am responsible for well over 100 students alone. I sometimes say (a bit cynically) that I want my kids to be afraid of me. I think I mean to say that I want them to be afraid of behaving badly in my classroom. It's actually quite the contrary. If approached politely, I am rather receptive and accommodating, but cross me, and well, you'll be sorry ;-)
Vacation
First and most enjoyable, I was allowed to experience my first summer break as a teacher. Receiving paychecks and not working simultaneously is underrated. I don't want to overstate that teachers have it good, but you definitely won't hear me complaining about summer break. For the skeptic, teachers earn every penny of those paychecks during summer break. Most people wouldn't do this job if given the opportunity.
During those 10 weeks, I:
- went on an educational conference to Atlanta for a program called High Schools That Work (superfun! - the trip, not the conference).
- went camping with coworkers in upstate New York (also superfun).
- went to San Francisco and Los Angeles for pleasure and to visit family. If I wasn't in NY, I would be living in SF.
- completely disengaged myself from my profession for a healthy amount of time (every teacher should).
- did a ton of yoga.
- mentally healed from the trauma of first year teaching (now my students hesitate to call me anything other than sir;-)
1st Year Down
While chatting with my principal one day, I jokingly said that teachers age like dogs do; For every year they experience, they actually experience seven. In hindsight, this seems like more than a joke. With one year under my belt, I feel like I'm on top of my game. I can handle anything. As teaching is, I am certain that I have far more to experience, but it is nice to feel prepared for it.
I spoke to a coworker today. She's someone I always see, but have never formally met. That is one of the strange things about working in such a huge school (about 2000 students). I have spent an enormous number of hours with people in the same building doing the same thing with the same kids and I don't even know their name. Social quirks aside, we chatted about how you feel as a teacher throughout each year of teaching. She described the first year the same way I would - hellish. She said the second year, there's still a relatively steep learning curve and after that you stop changing as a teacher and the kids stay the same. Interesting thought and even a bit bleak, but it's nice to have someone else's perspective on teaching a few year into the profession.
Being Treated Like a Human Being
This year, there is still one thing of which I am unsure: Are my students actually much more well behaved or have I just improved as a teacher. It feels like the former. Either way I am not complaining.
I've begun to act much colder in the classroom. Last year, I would interact with students very personally, one on one. It is not that I'm opposed to such an interaction, but it's not practical when I am responsible for well over 100 students alone. I sometimes say (a bit cynically) that I want my kids to be afraid of me. I think I mean to say that I want them to be afraid of behaving badly in my classroom. It's actually quite the contrary. If approached politely, I am rather receptive and accommodating, but cross me, and well, you'll be sorry ;-)
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Parental Accountability
In this weekly workshop series, this weeks main topics is blogging. As I already blog (however infrequently), this does feel a big pedantic, but I willingly oblige. The assignment here is to come up with an idea that is maybe controversial or stimulating and write about it. Last night in my graduate class, I think I came across a great starting point.
I often read another teacher's blog, Mr. Lee (his blog is linked on the right side of the page) and his most recent entry and poll I have found quite interesting. In fact, it has been circulating through my mind periodically. This is the concept of accountability. Who is accountable or responsible for the performance of our students?
In my second graduate class of the evening, we were discussing precisely this topic. It seemed that everyone was trying to give responsibility (or place blame, depending on how you spin it) to some figure or person in a students life. Mostly those figures included administrators, parents, teachers, politicians or students themselves. During discussion, one gentleman shucked everyone of responsibility, except for the teachers. I found this to be entirely irresponsible and quite frankly, irritating. He specifically said that students' parents are not responsible for their students academic well being because they lack to skills to be responsible.
That was the most irritating part. While parents may lack the skills to help their children with homework or even simpler tasks like acquiring notebooks or pencils, this does not relieve them of responsibilities. Lack of skill is not an acceptable excuse. I openly acknowledged that this may be a hard-nosed approach, but I think it's a hard line that needs to be drawn.
Kids learn by example. The first and foremost example from whom they may learn are their parents or guardians. So while parents may not have the skills to help their children, they should be required to figure out ways to be responsible. Some might say that jobs or familial obligations prohibit parents from participating in their child's education. Again, no excuse. This just means that a parent's priorities are not in an appropriate order.
Teachers, schools, educators, administrators, politicians and students constantly have accountability shoved down their throats, while parents are allowed to sit back and let the systems raise their child. It is disgusting and socially irresponsible. Parents should be held to the same (if not more) accountability as other figures in a students life. They had a child and they should take the appropriate responsibility to ensure that child receives a quality education.
I often read another teacher's blog, Mr. Lee (his blog is linked on the right side of the page) and his most recent entry and poll I have found quite interesting. In fact, it has been circulating through my mind periodically. This is the concept of accountability. Who is accountable or responsible for the performance of our students?
In my second graduate class of the evening, we were discussing precisely this topic. It seemed that everyone was trying to give responsibility (or place blame, depending on how you spin it) to some figure or person in a students life. Mostly those figures included administrators, parents, teachers, politicians or students themselves. During discussion, one gentleman shucked everyone of responsibility, except for the teachers. I found this to be entirely irresponsible and quite frankly, irritating. He specifically said that students' parents are not responsible for their students academic well being because they lack to skills to be responsible.
That was the most irritating part. While parents may lack the skills to help their children with homework or even simpler tasks like acquiring notebooks or pencils, this does not relieve them of responsibilities. Lack of skill is not an acceptable excuse. I openly acknowledged that this may be a hard-nosed approach, but I think it's a hard line that needs to be drawn.
Kids learn by example. The first and foremost example from whom they may learn are their parents or guardians. So while parents may not have the skills to help their children, they should be required to figure out ways to be responsible. Some might say that jobs or familial obligations prohibit parents from participating in their child's education. Again, no excuse. This just means that a parent's priorities are not in an appropriate order.
Teachers, schools, educators, administrators, politicians and students constantly have accountability shoved down their throats, while parents are allowed to sit back and let the systems raise their child. It is disgusting and socially irresponsible. Parents should be held to the same (if not more) accountability as other figures in a students life. They had a child and they should take the appropriate responsibility to ensure that child receives a quality education.
How Do I Want to Integrate Technology into the Class This Semester?
I want to communicate with my students the way they communicate with each other. Whether it is texting, emailing, calling or whatever it may be, any method aside from the usual chalk and talk is left to be desired.
The arrival of the second semester has begun with a sense of refreshment. New norms for behavior and performance can be established. Students have a clean slate in regard to their grades. For both of us, it is a chance to make changes so that the upcoming semester may be more successful than the last.
I would eventually like to get computers into my lesson plans so that students may use their technology-oriented skills to demonstrate their learning in my class. While I know behavioral issues may be the largest challenge while implementing this, I think it may work out better for all of us at the end of the semester.
The arrival of the second semester has begun with a sense of refreshment. New norms for behavior and performance can be established. Students have a clean slate in regard to their grades. For both of us, it is a chance to make changes so that the upcoming semester may be more successful than the last.
I would eventually like to get computers into my lesson plans so that students may use their technology-oriented skills to demonstrate their learning in my class. While I know behavioral issues may be the largest challenge while implementing this, I think it may work out better for all of us at the end of the semester.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Reflection Questions 1/22/09
While I find myself to be rather adept in regard to technology, there is certainly quite a list of unexplored ones I have yet to utilize. Keynote is a program I currently use to visually engaged my student, but it is a one way communication that occurs. I simply dictate, students record notes and watch short video clips and animations. While these have their own value, I am glad to have come across this website - www.voicethread.com - which allows users to create interactive slideshows. Students can comment on and respond to comments using voice, text, drawing and and even video. As many of my students are not confident enough or capable to richly express their thoughts through text, it seems this avenue of expression might lend them a new mode of showing me what they mean.
It is ironic that my second prompt question for this response deals with blogs because as I type this response it is being included in my personal blog. The function of a blog is only limited to the imagination of its creator. I've considered creating and utilizing a blog for my students to keep them informed about assignments or their progress in my class. The trouble I have most is keeping the paperwork I collect from them integrated with a technological update so they can see how they are doing. Throughout the year, I have experimented with a few different methods of posting grades and communicating with parents and students alike. In the beginning of the year, I even asked them to email me just to see if they had the capability and used that means of communication with ease. While implementing a blog or some other form of communal technological communication can be daunting, I think, if well-executed, it can be extraordinarily beneficial for students, parents and teachers.
It is ironic that my second prompt question for this response deals with blogs because as I type this response it is being included in my personal blog. The function of a blog is only limited to the imagination of its creator. I've considered creating and utilizing a blog for my students to keep them informed about assignments or their progress in my class. The trouble I have most is keeping the paperwork I collect from them integrated with a technological update so they can see how they are doing. Throughout the year, I have experimented with a few different methods of posting grades and communicating with parents and students alike. In the beginning of the year, I even asked them to email me just to see if they had the capability and used that means of communication with ease. While implementing a blog or some other form of communal technological communication can be daunting, I think, if well-executed, it can be extraordinarily beneficial for students, parents and teachers.
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