Finish Strong!

What would you think about the home contractor who built a nice foundation, but from that point up, his work is pretty shoddy?  How about the marathon runner who sprints the first 285 yards and then walks the final 26 miles?  How about a baker whose products have an inviting aroma, but taste like they were half-baked?  How about the auto mechanic who changes your oil filter, but neglects to refill the engine oil?  How about the actress who does an excellent job in Act I, but never memorized her lines for the remainder of the play?  What would you think of the hostess who served undercooked food at a dinner party? How about the concrete crew who poured the cement for your new driveway, but failed to smooth it?  How about the tire center that only put 24 PSI of air in your tires instead of the standard 32? The fast food drive-thru that only gave you three- quarters of your order? The shoe store that gave you only one and three-quarters of shoes in the box?  The lawn crew who left 25% of your yard uncut?  In all of these, you are looking for someone to finish the job.

Now that the ISTEP is completed, many would think that the gig is essentially over.  Wrong!  There is still a job to finish!  Do this for the kids.  Do this for your colleagues.  Yes, it is understandable that there are some issues with having the state tests, the ones that are supposed to measure the academic achievement and academic progress of a student at a particular grade level over a school year in time is given in two parts – one 5 weeks before the end of the school year and one 12 weeks before we close up shop.   Now that the results are not expected back until sometime in the Fall, why not let us teach what needs to be taught until the end?  Let’s not go to the flaws of having two versions of the exam and two ways to take it and then compare the results as though everyone had the same playing field. Then, of course, the state insists on comparing growth on two different sets of standards rather than using this year as a base measure.  To say that some folks are disgruntled would be an understatement.  I have listened to and read opinions from colleagues around the state, parents, teachers, students, and the general public.  We have no control over these concerns and that is not what this message is about.  What we have now is an opportunity. Yes, we have an opportunity to make a difference.  Let’s face it – this may be the final chances that you will get to formally teach those kids that have been in your class since August. There is still a great deal more to teach our students this school year.  Think about those long-term goals that we are striving for in all subjects.  Think ahead of what these kids really need to successfully begin the next grade level.  Think about what they haven’t been taught yet in more than the academic sense.  Each grade level has some exciting events left.  Those are fairly large culminating projects that the kids have been working on for quite some time. It sends the wrong message to have “count down” calendars posted. The kids know how many days are left. We don’t need to advertise this.  We all need to finish strong with our best effort.  We need to finish the job.

Read the Fine Print

If your mailbox at home is like ours, it is filled with “special offers” almost on a daily basis.  These range from reductions on prices for oil changes, eyeglasses, sports physicals or dog neutering. Of course, the oil change does not cover synthetic oil, the eyeglasses are for single vision only, the sports physicals are between the hours of 1:00-1:15 p.m. and the dog neutering is only for dogs that do not have wet noses.  Maybe that junk mail is an offer for a special on laminate flooring installation, but the ends in 10 minutes and by the way, materials are extra.  How about five rooms of carpet cleaned for $119.00, but the fine print says up to a room size of 2” x 3” and only shag carpeting is included?  What about that “free” checking account?  Folks, there is no such thing.  The “$2.00 off any purchase of $15.00 or more”…if you pick up the entire dinner tab for the table next to you.  You get the point – there’s no such thing as a free lunch. If it’s too good to be true, then it is too good to be true.  This is not to say that all offers or coupons are bad, just be sure to read the fine print or you may be making payments on beach property in Nebraska. 

Take a look at your teacher contract.  The one that you signed.  In ink. With a date on it.  Within the contract is a bit of “legalese” verbiage such as “All of the terms of Chapter 182 of the Acts of 1915…” and “acts supplemental thereof and amendatory thereof” and a bit more that will exhaust you just deciphering it.  This is all under the title of “Regular Teacher’s Contract” (I would rather receive the “Exceptional” or Highly Effective” teacher contract, but I guess those don’t exist).  Regardless, in the entire contract it never really specifies what you are signing up for.  That’s where the beauty and dare I write, nobility, of being a teacher comes in. While others in different professions may say, “I didn’t sign up for that”, we cannot truly say so.  Yes, in signing up to be a teacher, we signed up for everything included in that.  Huh?  What’s “everything” mean?  I don’t know.  What comes your way.  We have to be the teacher in an academic sense.  We have to be the teacher in setting examples.  We have to the counselor.  We have to be the Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, or whatever gap needs to be filled.  We have to be the statistician. We have to be the planner. We have to be the mind reader. We have to be the support system.  We have to be a data analyzer. We have to be the communicator. We have to be….We just have to be whatever is needed.  Thanks for signing up.

Be Where Your Feet Are!

Roll Tide!  I have a direct connection to the University of Alabama football program.  My great uncle, Frank Thomas, was the Head Coach at Alabama from 1931-46 compiling a record of 115-24-7. His 1934 team finished 10-0 and beat Stanford in the Rose Bowl and was named national champions!  Prior to his coaching career, Uncle Frank played quarterback for Knute Rockne (yes, that Knute Rockne) at the University of Notre Dame from 1920-22.  One of his players – Paul “Bear” Bryant, who would later succeed Uncle Frank as Alabama’s coach.  Uncle Frank was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951.  Today, there is a statue of him outside of Alabama’s stadium. He passed away in 1955 of heart and lung disease - missed him by three years. I would have loved to have known him by something other than family records and books.  The Crimson Tide of Alabama continue to be one of the top football programs in the country.  They are continually ranked near the top and this past year made it to the “final four” of college football. Their current Head Coach, Nick Saban, was interviewed just prior to their final game and made a comment that stuck with me.  He was asked how he had his team focus on the task at hand and not get caught up in the hype of all of the festivities. His response was simple – “I tell them every day to be where your feet are.”  With that, he ran off to join the team.

Be where your feet are.  We have a big week next week. Round two of ISTEP.  We cannot afford to not be focused in. We have to be where are feet are. Here’s how it works – the Department of Education combines the results of the first round of ISTEP with the second round for a total score.  It’s not really like a first half/second half thing; it all counts!  Instruct your students to be dialed in.  Instruct your students to take care of business.  Instruct your students to give their best effort.  Instruct your students to be on time and on task. Instruct your students to show all of their work as required and to submit complete answers; even the ones that have more than one answer!  Instruct them to show, in dramatic fashion, just what they have learned this year.  Okay, that’s the kid part.  What’s the teacher part?  Encourage your students before and during the test.  Be up and about during the test. It is a temptation to get on the computer and answer emails while the kids are testing. Wrong move. Take this opportunity to check their efforts.  It’s the little things that make the big differences. Tell your students that the expectation is that no one is finished with their test until you physically see it.  Make that the expectation.  If you want to see achievement and bubble growth, this is another opportunity to encourage your students and increase their confidence.  Don’t miss that opportunity.  Be where your feet are!

Going the Distance!

What is the longest distance that you have ever walked or jogged without stopping?  Hopefully, your answer is not “from the couch to the refrigerator!”  We have several staff members who are active runners and who have completed full marathons.  Here’s the old coach in me coming out.  There is a vast difference in training for a marathon (26.2 miles) and the shortest sprint in Track & Field (100 meters). It means very little to a marathoner if he or she covers the first 100 meters in 10 seconds (but if they did, I can tell you that they are in the wrong event!). The finish line is still over 26 miles away.  It’s not about where you start. It matters where you finish. The best coaches will plan training for their athletes in a backward manner starting with the ultimate championship race.  They schedule training by then working back to day one. The end goal is always in sight and all work is directed toward achieving that goal.  For a long distance runner, it is the ability to stick with it mile after mile that counts. Being steadfast, not just short sprinting, will determine the outcome. 

You may want to spend time with your classes impressing upon them that the long-term goals are what they are shooting for and that the daily goals factor toward achievement. Use a backward approach to teaching = determine what the desired outcomes are, then script the assessments, and finally plan your instructional route.  Of course, be mindful of informal and formative assessments to guide your plan along the way.  This school year is not a sprint, although some days and units will feel like it.  It doesn’t matter where you start. In fact, it is far too late to change that.  It matters where you finish.  No one remembers who won the first race, but they do remember who the state champion was (missed that personally by one place…still bugs me). Always keep the end goal in sight and all work is directed toward its achievement. Right now, we are just past the three-quarters race that we call a school year.  That’s like lap 7 in the 3200 or the gun lap in the 1600.  This is no time to take your foot off the pedal!  Be intentional. Be purposeful. Be prescriptive.  Be inspiring. Be creative. Be logical. Be a critical thinker.  Nothing can stop you with a great plan!

Tossing Things Overboard

You may have heard that items have been thrown overboard from ships when in rough seas.  What exactly would be thrown into the sea?  A non-specific list would simply be cargo, tackle, and food. Thus, I am not including the Boston Tea Party.   Why would the crew do that?  Well, most importantly, it would lighten the ship.  The heavier the ship, the deeper the ship will sit in the water.  That is especially problematic in shallow water. Tossing cargo overboard lifts the ship in case the ship is blown to less deep areas where reefs and rocks could cause destruction. If the ship ran aground, the crew could be tossed into the sea. The moral of the story:  when faced with life or death, everything becomes expendable.  Taking weight off the ship also results in stability and prevents the ship from being capsized.  Lastly, throwing cargo overboard would allow the ship to go faster just in case the crew wanted to outrun the storm.  This all makes me think about the 60’s show, Gilligan’s Island. What the heck, “The Professor” could make an FM radio out of a coconut, but he couldn’t fix a hole in a boat?  Lame as it gets.

What things do you need to toss overboard as a teacher? As the remaining time available wanes, there is just no time for meaningless activities.  So, what can you get rid of? No, you cannot toss the kids.  Explore first the lessons that just don’t engage the masses.  Activities that do not have a positive impact toward reaching the daily or long-term goals is a waste of cargo. Throw it overboard.  But I really like that activity. It’s fun. I do it every year because well, that’s what my plan book says. Dump it. Next, take a good look at the collection of “materials” that you have. We don’t want to see you anytime soon on Hoarders. If you haven’t used something in the last two years, zip that sucker over to the USS Dumpster.  What else can lighten your load?  Try looking at grading in more specific ways. If you are assessing correct usage of adverbs, then why grade an entire paper?  Save the big grades for the big grades.  Outrun that storm by focusing on what the assessment is all about.  If you are assessing a Math problem set of “the odds on page 213 from 1-23 and each problem requires the same processes, why grade all twelve when grading a few will get you the data that you need?  Throw that to “Davy Jones Locker”.  Keep looking for things to toss overboard besides your cookies. While you are at it, toss the Gilligan’s Island DVD collection.

Navy Seals

It is without question that the dedication of those men selected to be a Navy Seal is peerless.  These men are physically fit, mentally sharp, emotionally mature, and resilient in character.  To be considered for this elite group, candidates go through multiple rounds of  testing that are closely scrutinized.  Only the crème of the crème are selected. Marginal candidates are simply not selected. After being selected, the team endures six months of rigorous and tortuous training. The creed of Navy Seals is five-fold:  (1) Begin each day with a task completed, (2) Find a buddy to help you through each day, (3) Know that life is not fair, (4) Step up when times are toughest, and (5) Never, ever give up.  Think about those for a minute…and then add this one in – Navy Seals put their personal belongings in coffins before they leave for duty.  Now, think about that for a little longer than a minute.  Navy Seals are not only willing to give the ultimate sacrifice for their country, they plan for it.  They are taught to never surrender and that giving your life for your country is part of the duty.  These men are a special group indeed.

How does the above relate to what we do as educators?  First of all, Navy Seals begin the day with a task completed.  To us, that could mean having your activity, your lab, your extension, and your plan ready to go for tomorrow before you leave for the night. It’s the old adage of those who fail to plan, plan to fail.  Navy Seals find a buddy to help them through the day. Now, although you may never go through a day similar to their day, the importance of collaborating with your colleagues is invaluable.  No teacher should ever be an island – use the human resources around you.  Navy Seals know that life is not fair.  It isn’t.  Sometimes, things don’t go as planned.  You don’t run and hide.  You come back with Plan B…or C…or D.  Navy Seals step up when times are the toughest.  So do great teachers.  No one promised that this calling would be easy.  Choose to be a teacher that is at his or her best when the biggest challenges come your way. Never surrender to mediocrity and never give up.

Destiny

I remember that day in the fall of 1964 very well.  It was a bright and sunny day and like any first-grader, I was looking forward to recess. Spelling lists and arithmetic…not so much.  At the designated time, out we went, as a class, single file, no talking until we reached the playground.  The playground at Mildred Merkley Elementary School was vast as I recall with adjoining softball fields and your standard slides, swings and monkey bars.  All of the boys headed over to do “boy things” while the girls did whatever girls did at recess.  I wouldn’t know what the girls did – they had cooties.  There was one boy in our class, Joe (not his real name), who was “different.”  He was gangly, talked “funny” and was not very good at the three R’s.  At recess, Joe was left alone. He wasn’t invited to the games that were taking place.  Thankfully, I had a Mom and Dad who taught me to treat others like you wanted to be treated.  So, Joe and I played together and like boys that age, we were rough-housing.  My teacher (name withheld), watched out the window and apparently thought that I was beating Joe up and flew out the door, grabbed me by the ear, and pulled me back into the building chastising me all the way.  I pleaded my case that we were only playing and I was befriending him, but she would not have it.  A few seconds later, I was instructed to grab the bars in the cloak room with both hands as she administered several swats across my rear end with her paddle.  Great way to start my school year. Actually, minus the sore butt and ear, this was a day that I shaped my future. You see, on this day I decided that I wanted to help people who were “different.”  16 years later, I began my work as a teacher of students with disabilities.

I am thankful for the evolution of the treatment and education of students who have disabilities.  When I first started teaching in 1980 with a full head of hair and shaving once a week whether I needed it or not, I taught in a school that was exclusively for “those kids.”  Thanks to the efforts of people like my Dad, who was a champion for the handicapped, schools became much more inclusive in the 1980’s.  Today, that same school where I began is for the most part, vacant.  A few years back, a parent approached me at our school with this question – “Mr. Vassar, what good is it doing for ‘those kids’ to be here?”  My reply, after counting to ten, was simply this – “I am hopeful that having these kids here does them a great deal of good, but I am convinced that having these kids here does everyone, and me personally, a great deal of good.”  I love our kids and look forward to interacting with them everyday.  I enjoy watching them make gains academically.  I marvel at their social development.  I long for their daily hugs and yes, I cried like a baby when I watched one girl “walk” for the first time.  Thanks to our staff for making this a great place for our students with disabilities where they are taught well and accepted without reservation by a dedicated team of exceptional teachers and paraprofessionals.  I marvel at our student peer program and the waiting list to get in.  That does my heart good as I see the good in so many kids.  While we are quite aware of “Disabilities Month”, we are much more tuned in to the recognition of what our special students are ABLE to do daily.  To our special kids here – thank you for letting me be part of your life. I am honored to be with you.