The Way Back

When I was a kid, every family in our neighborhood had a station wagon model of vehicle….every single family.  The rear of the interior had an area referred to locally as “The Way Back.”  This was a seat that faced the rear of the vehicle so that the occupants had a view of what happened behind. In essence, you were sitting backward.  “The Way Back” was a popular seat to claim.  I can’t remember why. That’s where the windows weren’t; unless you had that really cool electric window that Dad didn’t let down. How could he?  After all, that is where the fumes from the tailpipe came up.  Then again, there was no ventilation back there so you sweat like a kid anticipating their first kiss.  Plus, the seat was retractable so it sat lower, which put your rear end right on top of the undercarriage.   Awesome design…so was the Hindenburg.  We took a few vacations in this vehicle as a family – all memorable, but not necessarily on the same side of the number line.  I do know this:  the kids who sat in the Way Back had an entirely different vacation than those riding in the front.  A lot of time was spent wondering what the billboards read, where the “Welcome to...” signs were, and how my brother’s feet could smell so incredibly bad…or was that my own feet?

While we may not have a “Way Back”, we do have kids who have an entirely different experience at school. While our intention is to reach every kid, the reality is that to do that requires considerable planning and carry through. Buzz words like “differentiated instruction” and “cluster groupings” come to mind.  There is nothing wrong with either of those.  The bottom line is that not every student learns the same way.  That is why we need to use a variety of engagement and instructional strategies throughout each lesson.  Not every kid has a sincere interest in learning about what it is you’re trying to teach.  That is why we need to make instruction relevant to the kids.  If they can see the connection, your chances of succeeding increase exponentially.  When the teacher is excited about what is being taught, the kids will follow.   Not every kid has a clear view of the concepts.  Like “The Way Back” the skill is past them before they know it and then you’ll have to back-track.  That is why RtI period is so important.  That is another opportunity to recapture what was missed and/or to challenge kids to even higher levels of understanding.  Make the most of every opportunity.  In this station wagon that we refer to as school, remember that not everyone is riding in the front.  Some are in “The Way Back” and it is our task to get them turned around.

Chasing Things

There is a lot of chasing in the world.  Dogs chase cats.  Meteorologists chase storms.  Dogs chase their tails.  The foolish chase the wind.  Star gazers chase comets.  Dogs chase the mailman.  Cats chase laser pointer lights.  Dogs chase more things. Police chase bad guys. Sometimes we dream that we are chased by things that go bump in the night.   Greyhounds chase a fake rabbit.  Little kids chase fireflies (also known as lightning bugs to us older folks), Deb chases kids going west on 231. O.J was chased while in a white Bronco.  We all chase dreams.  Wait a second!  Deb does what?  Yep, it’s true – she went on an extended hike this week through a good portion of Crown Point “proper” to reason with a child who was making a bad decision.  That has to count for extra credit somewhere.

In our profession, we all chase kids in many ways.  Sometimes, this is in a physical way as demonstrated by Deb.  Other times, it is chasing them in a myriad of ways.  Maybe you want a kid to improve their behavior and you keep after it.  Another time it may be about turning in their assignments.  Perhaps you are wanting to take them to the next level in understanding.  The chase is designed to result in a catch.  There are many chases that beg the question, “What do I do now that I have caught what I was chasing?”  That’s where the relationship part comes in.  That’s where the ability to spiral up and down with your students comes into play. That’s where you vary your levels of Bloom’s questions. That’s where you use your informal assessments.  That’s where the example comes in.  That’s where you match your words and actions.  That’s where your dedication shows through.  That’s when you make the difference.  That’s when you truly show them that you care.  While we often concern ourselves about the seemingly continuous chase, it’s really about the catch.  Make the most of every opportunity.

March Madness

It’s March Madness”, the time when college basketball tournament games will be on every channel except Lifetime.  Actually, there are FOUR tournaments running concurrently with the National College Athletic Association.  A grand total of 148 teams will be competing. This is a change from past practice.  The NCAA tourney is the “Big Dance.”  The NIT Tourney is the line to get in the dance.  The CBI tourney is wondering if there is a dance.  The CIT is equivalent to being the tallest midget at the circus.  The NCAA tourney is the only one in which you can earn the title of “National Champions.”  ALL of the teams in the tournaments were selected by a committee based on a body of work throughout the season and the strength of schedule that they played.  However, if you do not have enough wins, then your chances of making it to the “Big Dance” is equal to my hair growing back.  In any case, this is a new season for these teams.  Your seeding doesn’t make you the champions; you have to earn that by winning multiple games in the tournament.  One loss and you’re out.  The only way to earn a national championship is to keep on dancing.  It’s a new season for these teams; another chance to demonstrate what they can do.

Education is changing.  Funding, budgets, evaluations, buildings, blended learning, the list goes on and on.  There are changes from past practices on the horizon.  Understand that much of this is from the state of Indiana.  Often, I am the messenger of this information with the intent of educating folks. One of those is teacher evaluations.  I spoke about this in a limited amount of time at our recent Lunch & Learn.  Like the NCAA tournaments, there will be four categories of teacher ratings.  However, these should not be compared to the analogies in the first paragraph. Not to be Captain Obvious, but there is a lot at stake at various levels of thought.  Unlike the NCAA tournaments, everyone will be there.  Student achievement and student growth must “significantly inform” the evaluation.  To compare from above, these data points will be like the wins achieved. This is a gateway to getting to the top.  Your body of work (classroom strategies, instructional methods, etc.) helps to make the “W’s” possible.  In the NCAA, there are many procedures, rules and behaviors to follow as well; which in our world may be called professionalism.  A range of things from promoting a positive environment and school development to exchanging ideas and strategies.  It’s a new season in education.  As the good book says, “Be prepared in and out of season.” Although it may be difficult to do so at times, look at this as an opportunity.  This is another opportunity to demonstrate what you can do.  It’s another opportunity to show that you make a difference.  Make the most of every opportunity.

Junk Drawers

Everyone has a junk drawer, right?  You know, that place where you see a good part of your life lying at the bottom.  Then one day you think, “God only knows what this junk is for.  What the Sam Heck are the reasons why I am holding on to this stuff with such dear life?  Well, maybe one day you will use the button that doesn’t match any others, the broken ruler, washers that don’t fit any of the screws, the menu from the Chinese restaurant that went out of business several years ago…finally, you decide, “Here’s where I let go.”  The time has come to dump it, not a little at a time, but the whole dang thing – every bit of it.  Then you neatly arrange the “new” drawer for some short-lived satisfaction.  Next year, you’ll do it again.

Understanding the interests of the kids is one thing; understanding their backgrounds is much more of a challenge.  You may know that some of your students enjoy sports, play musical instruments, are in Art Club, or are very enthusiastic about skateboards.  You may use that knowledge to make some of your lessons relevant.  The other side is the understanding of backgrounds. Like a junk drawer, kids carry a lot of baggage that we may not be aware of.  Sometimes geography paints us as the mecca because all is well…or so you may think.  This is an outstanding community, we have hundreds of parents who value education, and we live in relative safety. BUT, we have kids who come here daily with hungry bellies.  We have kids who have yet to meet their father, yet alone have "A Dad" experience with him.  We have kids who do not have friends.  We have kids who just had to move in with their grandparents because of the economy.  We have a very high number of kids from broken homes.  We have kids who have been abused.  We have kids who can’t afford school supplies.  We have kids who never get told “Good Night” by anyone.   We have kids who have witnessed things that no one should ever have to see.  Yet, isn’t everything rosy?  Nope, it’s not.  We have to work hard to help kids clean out their junk drawers. Yep, that is part of this seamless garment that is called teaching…or counseling…or administrating…or being a custodian…or a lunch lady…or a secretary. What is asked of some kids to bear is well beyond what they should be responsible for.  You have a chance to be the adult, maybe the only adult, who shows any resemblance of caring about how they are.  You may be the one smile they can count on.  You may be the only one who tells them that you are proud of them, that they did a good job at the concert the night before, or that they have great potential.  Speak that into their lives and just see if that junk drawer gets less full.  Make the most of every opportunity…

90

90.  Ninety.  Right angles have 90 degrees.  I wonder how many degrees there are in a “wrong” angle…The latitude of the North and South Poles is 90 degrees.  The atomic number of Thorium is 90 (more plentiful and just as powerful as uranium by the way).  There are 90 feet between bases on a baseball field.  The direct dial international code for Turkey is 90.  The North Sea has an average depth of 90 meters.  Antartica has 90 percent of the world’s ice.  90 is the age to be considered a nonagenarian.  There are 90 minutes in a standard soccer game. The average number of days that Chicago has a temperature over 90 is 17.  There are 1.9 million people over the age of 90 in the United States. ( I hope the folks running for political office understand that).  Google has 90 million daily users.  Interstate 90 is the longest highway in the country at just over 3100 miles.  I fell in love with my wife after 90 minutes…actually it was more like 60. 

A 90% passing rate on ISTEP is the goal for our school.  90 is more than just a number – it’s our goal!  That hasn’t changed since the results of the 2011 ISTEP came out.  You may recall me saying that this will put us where we wanted to be when we wrote our first School Improvement Plan – 90% of our kids passing both the LA and Math sections of ISTEP.  We never have had that.  I do know this – if you want something that you have never had, then you will have to do things that you have never done. Well, the time has come.  It’s time to show our cards.  We can’t call a timeout.  I have said repeatedly that the best night of sleep a teacher should have is the night before the summative test.  Well, how’s Monday night looking for you?  Some wise man once said that luck happens when preparation meets opportunity.  Next Tuesday-Thursday is the opportunity.  It is time that it is introduced to preparation!  Let’s get this done.  Let’s do this for our kids.  Let’s do this for each other.  Let’s do this because we can.