A student randomly came up to me in the hall who hasn't had me as a teacher all this year and told me that she thinks I am one of the best teachers in the school on the grounds that she always sees me standing and walking around the room, that I always seem to be teaching, and that she remembers she learned a lot in my class last year.
While this was a very kind sentiment there is the dark flipside which is: if that is all it takes to be the best teacher in the school, then what aren't the other teachers doing?! I mean after she told me that she basically said "you aren't like those other teachers who always sit behind their desks and give out work in the first 5 minutes" and then pointed at a certain english teacher's classroom.
This just reaffirms the reason I have to talk to Ms. Rhee and try and work something out here. Our teachers are flat out lazy, and it is killing this school and making it a place that students don't want to be in. If I am the 'best' teacher (and while I think I do a good job and try pretty hard there is no way I should be considered a 'best,' especially since she had me last year when I was even worse than this year) that says way more about the other teachers then it does about me. So thank you my dear, you have convinced me that my cause is righteous and I will fight for you until I can't fight any more.
(Now what I have to do is see if I can get some students to fight for themselves. Admittedly it is hard when one does not know how to change people who have such authority.)
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Financial Anti-Literacy
On the 14th and 15th my director, in her illustrious wisdom, decided that we should have a financial literacy training for the whole school during 1st and 2nd period the week before the DC-CAS. Now I'm not all about teaching to the test, but I am against wasting time (especially before the all powerful test). This is time we could have at least spent practicing the math, reading and writing skills necessary for this test. But no, instead we get a super-dumbed down (to the point of being wrong) series of 'lessons' on financial literacy provided by the FDIC.
I will be the first to agree that financial literacy is extremely important, so if these lessons had taught some of the more important and complex issues with finance that would have been great. But instead, the kids are given the basics, and this being a school that focuses on the Business side of things, the students (at least the ones in my class) knew basically all of it. Now I could maybe even look over that fact if there hadn't been a parade of extremely bad advice to go along with the very very basic information.
I have provided a few choice examples from this morning below:
I will be the first to agree that financial literacy is extremely important, so if these lessons had taught some of the more important and complex issues with finance that would have been great. But instead, the kids are given the basics, and this being a school that focuses on the Business side of things, the students (at least the ones in my class) knew basically all of it. Now I could maybe even look over that fact if there hadn't been a parade of extremely bad advice to go along with the very very basic information.
I have provided a few choice examples from this morning below:
- 9:15 - Carryout EVERY DAY is apparently a great way to save money. Who knew? Never mind the cost to your own bank account, the environment and your health. Who knew long term costs don't actually affect you (and that doesn't negate the fact that it is also a short term cost)?
- 9:45 - since when is POPEYE'S a wise financial decision?
- 10:22 - Keep it legal people. Keep it legal.
- 10:29 - Glossary = cheating
- 10:38 - Don't trust the internet. Especially paying bills and online banking.
- 10:48 - 2nd time we have brought up that you shouldn't bring a baby in when you ask for a loan. I mean ok, but twice? Really, it needed saying twice?
Monday, April 6, 2009
Guilty as charged
On Friday afternoon the entire school had a meeting to discuss the shockingly low attendance rate on Friday and why it is occurring.
Our entire school has a definite cycle where on a half-day students don't bother coming to school. This is for a variety of reasons, but the main one is probably because they don't think we will be doing anything of use on the half-day. Now unfortunately they are largely right. Classes don't do much of value on the half-day.
The question is: why aren't teachers doing more on half days? The answer: because students aren't showing up, and if you do too much that day you will probably just have to re-teach it to the class when they show up the next class day. So we have this cycle of low expectations that has to be broken, and the students aren't going to be (and shouldn't have to be) the first ones to break it.
Thinking about this I realized I am guilty of fulfilling this low-expectations of turn-out on the recordkeeping day this year. I planned a survey and work period for projects into my curriculum because I knew many students wouldn't show up. Therefore students still got credit for coming, but we didn't cover any new material.
This compromise is probably too large, and I will do better to make half-days more essential for the class to try and force them to come. But here's the dilemma: If I do that, and then the rest of the classes are a waste of time, then it will really just further reinforce the idea that it is useless to come to school on those days. Therefore we really need to come together as a staff and make this happen.
Now I'm going to go die on the floor laughing at the idea that a bunch of teachers who can barely muster up the energy to show up to work on time will actually teach a real lesson on a half-day. Man this staff is making me pessimistic. Good thing I have a meeting w/Ms. Rhee at the end of this month to try and change them by force. If bottom up won't work, then top-down it is!
Our entire school has a definite cycle where on a half-day students don't bother coming to school. This is for a variety of reasons, but the main one is probably because they don't think we will be doing anything of use on the half-day. Now unfortunately they are largely right. Classes don't do much of value on the half-day.
The question is: why aren't teachers doing more on half days? The answer: because students aren't showing up, and if you do too much that day you will probably just have to re-teach it to the class when they show up the next class day. So we have this cycle of low expectations that has to be broken, and the students aren't going to be (and shouldn't have to be) the first ones to break it.
Thinking about this I realized I am guilty of fulfilling this low-expectations of turn-out on the recordkeeping day this year. I planned a survey and work period for projects into my curriculum because I knew many students wouldn't show up. Therefore students still got credit for coming, but we didn't cover any new material.
This compromise is probably too large, and I will do better to make half-days more essential for the class to try and force them to come. But here's the dilemma: If I do that, and then the rest of the classes are a waste of time, then it will really just further reinforce the idea that it is useless to come to school on those days. Therefore we really need to come together as a staff and make this happen.
Now I'm going to go die on the floor laughing at the idea that a bunch of teachers who can barely muster up the energy to show up to work on time will actually teach a real lesson on a half-day. Man this staff is making me pessimistic. Good thing I have a meeting w/Ms. Rhee at the end of this month to try and change them by force. If bottom up won't work, then top-down it is!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Fires
Our school is known for fires being set by students. Today we had our first one of the school year. Not too bad all things considered. But now the building smells like smoke.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
And it's off
I just sent an email to Michelle Rhee requesting a meeting with her to discuss the future of the Academy.
I am very nervous, but also excited that I am actually trying to be proactive instead of just running from my problems by applying to another school.
While I don't know exactly what she can do, at least I am going to try to fix things before I head for the hills.
UPDATE (8:40 AM): "Sure thing, Angie pls schedule." And with that... we begin.
I am very nervous, but also excited that I am actually trying to be proactive instead of just running from my problems by applying to another school.
While I don't know exactly what she can do, at least I am going to try to fix things before I head for the hills.
UPDATE (8:40 AM): "Sure thing, Angie pls schedule." And with that... we begin.
Monday, March 30, 2009
This can't be healthy
Things that have to get done:
- Debate Team preparations for meetings
- Earth Day celebration plans (finalized)
- Letter to Ms. Rhee
- Class lessons for 3 different classes
- Project for AU Assessment Class
- Project for AU Foundations Class
- AP Syllabus Submition
- Junior Class Meeting to discuss change of plans
- Readings for classes (yeah... right)
- Prepare for Praxis Pedagogy on April 25 (sorta need that to get my license)
- Survival?
Apparently it has been a long day...
The school counselor came in just now to make an announcement and asked "where are all the students? I have been looking around and they're just not in the classrooms. Why is that?" It was 3:35, class had ended 20 minutes prior.
Yeah it was that kind of day...
Yeah it was that kind of day...
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