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Have you been to the gym lately? No, I wasn't implying anything... I just mean, What are people wearing to the gym these days? Anything ...

Saturday, December 8, 2012

I know what the policy is, BUT...

It's been said that if you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space.

True if you're considering a drastic career move, not so much if you're considering a dangerous one.  And by dangerous, I mean blatantly disregarding the rules.

In a school system, the policies are in place whether you like them or not.  They are often there to protect you, the teacher, from any unfortunate incidence upon which you may be fired or sued.  Call me old fashioned, or an old fogey, but following rules is part of the job.

Take eating in class for instance.  I overheard one of my students say to a classmate that he had detention from another (first-year) teacher because he bought lunch before her class and came in late.  I was chatting with said teacher the other day and I was expressing my sympathies.  I simply thought this student had some nerve.  I was very shortly corrected when this teacher began, "I know what the policy is, that there's no eating in class, but..." and I cringed from there on out.  She told me the story of how she 'understands the students are hungry throughout the day' and 'they won't be able to focus if they're hungry' and so she 'allowed them to bring a snack to class and eat it' despite the policy that there is no eating in class.  She has since experienced an abuse of this 'privilege' (lots of trash, unfocused students, and buying lunch at unassigned times).  She henceforth removed this provision from her class.

There is always someone who has to learn the hard way.  By following the rules, you point the finger at the system and you are not the 'bad guy'.  By following the rules, you have recourse and built-in consequences for students who tend to break those rules.  By following the rules, you cover your own new-teacher derriere and people will view you as a straight shooter. And that means you have rehire potential.

Cool Book Store

After a relaxing weekend in the city that never sleeps, we passed this store in Brooklyn Heights:

www.idlewildbooks.com

The name is hard to say out loud, but the store is apparently named after the old NYC airport now called JFK.

They have 2 locations of language classes, foreign language books for kids, and events every so often.  Check 'em out!

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Beg, Borrow, and Steal Appendix A

In one of my posts, I discuss the importance of cooperative planning.  I've spent hours and hours scouring the internet for helpful sources and I'd like to share one of my favorites with you:

www.martinabex.com

She is a teacher in the south who seems to have an endless fountain of energy and ideas.  She is also on www.teacherspayteachers.com and both sells material and gives material for free.  Don't forget to tell her who sentcha: PJ from NewTeachersNewletter.

Saturday, September 22, 2012

The First Month of School aka How to Set Yourself Up for a (Relatively) Painless Year

We've all done it.  No need to be ashamed.  We have all waltzed into a year, generally our first, thinking we know how we want our classroom to run.  "I'm pretty laid back," you say. Passes to the bathroom? No need. Assigned seats? Come now. Raising your hand? This is a community of learners!

The fact is, most of us do not know the first thing about establishing an atmosphere of respect and authority in a group of pre-teens, tweens, teens, or newborns, for that matter. Whoever they are, we draw heavily on our most recent experience of an academic setting, which for most of us is college.  So we don't see the need for bathroom requests, assigned seats, agenda book checks, or various other classroom procedures which seem at first to be suffocating, annoying, and irrelevant.

Things at first are going swimmingly.  A quick jaunt to the water fountain, a droll comment to a classmate; it's all very liberal and democratic and sophisticated. And then the last week of September rolls around.

Students aren't doing homework.  There is a dull roar emitting from your classroom at all times.  You get the sense that students aren't taking your class as seriously as others.  You would be correct my friend.

The sad truth is that the first month of school can set you up for a year of success and focus on your craft, or for a year of drudgery and a nagging sense that you aren't so much teaching as tolerating your students.  It is not natural for us to raise our hands when we want to speak with our family at mealtimes; or stay after the party when everyone else has left to explain why we didn't end up bringing the chips and dip after all. There are certain requirements that we have to make of our students - which vary from teacher to teacher - that in themselves set the tone of respect, responsibility, and results.

The first day I actually discuss these 3 R's which are the guiding principles of my classroom (more about that in a later post). You have to anticipate and choose very specifically what you will require of students and how the classroom will run as a result. I know teachers who require that their students, upon needing the use the facilities, simply get up, take the pass, and leave.  I know others who allow two bathroom breaks per term per student, with a sign-in sheet with the name date and time by the door for those coming and going.  We all have our own style.  What matters is that you choose a set of rules that you can live by, and enforce.

My rules have changed every single year that I have taught.  Don't be afraid to try something new.  If it doesn't work, there's always next year.  But that first month is So. Important. for establishing your authority as their teacher.  If you ask me, it is far better to start out strict and anal, because you can let loose later on in the year.  If you start loose, there's no tightening up later.

So think long and hard about what you want, and don't back down. Ask other teachers what their policy is on everything from late homework to class materials.  Make it clear to the students from the first day. Write it in your course expectation sheet. Because when the last week of September rolls around, you want to be excited for the next nine months.  Not dreading them.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Your Best/Worst Teacher/Student Memory

Now that school has come to a close, we can all breathe a sigh of relief.  We made it.

This is where I invite you, dear readers, to contribute your experiences with teachers and/or students: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

To get you started, I will contribute an excerpt from a much-loved book of mine, Rookie Teaching For Dummies.

"I will never, never, never forget the safety lecture given to me by my tenth-grade chemistry teacher.  During it, she talked about how dangerous it was to wear loose-fitting clothing while performing experiments.  As she talked, she walked over to one of the most attractive girls in the class. 'You see, if Melissa's nice, expensive shirt caught fire because its sleeves are too loose, I'd be forced, and within my rights, to rip her shirt off to prevent her from becoming burned.'

"You could hear a pin drop.  Every male student's eyes bugged out of his head, trying to conjure up just that image, and every female students groaned inwardly, thinking of the humiliation such a dramatic event would prevail upon an adolescent... I still roll up my sleeves even if I just have a fleeting thought about a Bunsen burner."

Monday, June 11, 2012

Phenomenon: When a Student Wants to Hug You

There are few things quite as tricky and elusive as the Teacher-Student Hug.  Some believe it is a mythical creature, long extinct if ever existed, spun as a tale of folklore and more fiction than fact.   Others tout its origins as long-hence lost but its descendants ever present still, preserved by tradition and old-school values.

Bad judgment? Common courtesy?

I tend to think that if there were more pure, honest hugging in the world, it would be a better place.  That being said, you'd have to be completely unhinged were you to deny the dangers of touching a student with your pinky finger, let alone a full-on hug.  With all of the sad and twisted news of teacher/student relations, it is little wonder than even an accusation of inappropriate conduct is a career death sentence.

I hope this isn't you.

Working in a high school (I would say) poses far more danger than an elementary school, in terms of Hugging Tolerance.  I would say the opportunity to hug a student is not as commonplace as in elementary school.  Some things to consider:

Who is hugging whom first?

For what purpose? A good grade? A goodbye at year's end? Conflict resolution?

Who else is around? Where is the hugging taking place?

Consider the student: male or female? problems at home? is there even a slight chance this student has romantic feelings for you? has he/she just finished sobbing? will this student be voted most flirtatious in the year book?

The little ones sometimes cannot help themselves.  If they are too happy to see you they must just be overjoyed and throw their little arms around you and you cannot stop them.  This happens from time to time; call it a hazard of the profession.  And to be honest, don't we sometimes want to give those tiny people a squeeze?

As cute as they are, they grow up fast.  While working in a middle school I once had the unfortunate occasion to have a mature and quite large seventh grade boy try to hug me.  The only thing I could do was pull my arms up to my chest and he ended up hugging me as if I were in a straight jacket.  I felt awful and embarrassed but that's not appropriate conduct for the student, either.  Hugs should be accepted by both parties before being given.

In the upper grades, hugs are far less tolerated.  I'd say the only two situations in which I could envision myself being comfortable with hugging are: before summer break, or upon a student or teacher leaving the school permanently.

If you find yourself in a situation outside of those two categories and a student actually asks, Can I hug you?, I would assess the potential consequences and decline, 9 times out of 10.  You could say something like, "How about a high five?" or "How about a big ol' handshake?" Put 'er there slugger.


Monday, June 4, 2012

Nuggets: Of Truth and Wisdom

From time to time I read something I like.  It's well-put, original, funny, or all three.  This goes under the 'Nuggets: Of Truth and Wisdom' category.  For today:

"You have a strong personality. The women I know with strong personalities, the ones who might have become generals or the heads of companies if they were men, become teachers."
                                                                                                                  -Jeannette Walls
                                                                                                                    Half-Broke Horses

Friday, May 25, 2012

Your ETA: Crash and Burn or Clear For Landing

None of us ever want to be late to work.  A few of us like to be so early that the security guard has to open the door. Most of us however like to be comfortably punctual, enough to enjoy a leisurely stroll to our class and not a heart-pumping sweat-inducing 'see I made it before the bell but now I'm in cardiac arrest and need a shower' sprint. We all know school starts early (and when friends are late for a 9 o'clock punch-in we all feel a little elitist disdain, do we not).  But your arrival time says an awful lot about you, unfortunately, to the Higher Ups.

A librarian friend of mine recently told me that her principal - who loiters at the school's main entrance to greet both faculty and students every morning - confirmed this.  He claims that your ETA to school puts you in a category as identified by Administration: those who arrive before 7 a.m., those who arrive around 7 a.m., those who arrive at 7:15, 7:30, and those who just barely squeak by at the 7:40 deadline.

We can conclude that earlier is better.  It suggests dedication and a serious commitment to preparation.  We tend to think the earlier you are, the more you have to do, the more responsibility you are claiming, the more professionally motivated, and therefore the more valuable the employee.

Is the converse also true? The later you are, the less you can accomplish, the more casually you view responsibility, the less dedicated, the less valuable the employee.  This is true for any engagement for which we have an appointment: a job, a class, a doctor's visit, a lunch date, collecting your child from summer camp.  The earlier you are, the more respect you will get.  The later you are, the more irresponsible you are.

Take this from someone who has been diagnosed with Chronic Tardiness (I'm currently in counseling).  People simply view you differently.  If you are late, you are dubbed disorganized. No one will question your control if you are early. And as a New Teacher, you want to make a big impression.  Don't let it be while you're screeching into the parking lot on Monday morning.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

When a student says... something about another teacher

No matter what students think of you, they will at some point or another make comments about another teacher.  Beware the temptation to raise an eyebrow, sit back, and pretend to be a therapist.  Even if you connect with a student and may even sympathize with what they are about to say, my advice is to shut it down. Immediately.
If the students are talking about someone else while in your class, they most definitely talk about you while in other classes.  This is a pencil-in-the-other-hand scenario: would you want another teacher encouraging talk about you? Or entertaining it?  As teachers we want to present a united front to our students.  We need to show them we are a team - not that students are the enemy, they are more like our fans.  Fans don't like conflict on their team.  It sure is juicy, but we like to see teammates working hand in hand, cooperating with each other, the slap on the shoulder type of camaraderie.  Gossip can undermine your respect for that teacher, and it will start to show.
So the minute they try to entice you with a snippet of gossip, act as disinterested as you possibly can.*  Change the subject.  I have said many times, very simply, "I don't want to hear about another teacher" and move on.  If for some reason you feel the need to respond at all, make a noncommittal, innocuous statement, such as "I'm sorry that happened" or "Let's focus on the positive" and leave it alone.  There are two sides to every story.
So let's give our fans something to cheer about, and nothing to chew on.  Those students will leave you after June comes around, but that teacher will most likely stay put for a chunk of your career.

*This obviously excludes a legitimate complaint, such as reporting inappropriate conduct between a teacher and student.  This post is referring to things like "Mr. Smith never checks our homework," or "Mrs. Johnson is late to every class."

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Top Ten Things You Need to Know But No One Has Told You

10. Every student will have a cell phone, on their person, powered on, during class, no matter what the policy is

9. Exactly how 'decorated' does your classroom need to be?

8. Do teachers have to wait in line in the cafeteria? 

7. What if you need an emergency bathroom break during class?

6. What to do if a student writes you romantic notes

5. How to keep your rear end from jiggling when you erase the board

4. Which secretary to ask for things, and which to stay away from

3. When to approach your department head about a problem with another teacher, and when to suffer in silence

2. Your Facebook and your students DO NOT MIX

1. You will have favorite students, but you must pretend you do not

When a student says... Can we do something fun today?

They file in as ordinary as always, and you are gearing up for the lesson: tidying, locating papers, taking attendance, having a mild panic attack, what have you.  A student plops down in her seat and before class even begins she says, "Can we do something fun today?"

And this runs through your mind: Something fun? Really? I stay up late and spend way more time than I'm paid for to find interesting, engaging activities for your young minds to thrive on every day. I cut paper. I use markers. I go through index cards like they're toilet paper trying to organize 'fun' things for you all every day. Every. Day.  And this is the thanks I get?

This phenomenon might come from a place of exasperation, boredom, insensitivity, or it may be a completely insignificant comment altogether.  Who knows? Perhaps we should ask one day. But maybe they don't even know.
There are two facts which we all must face if we shall live on in such trying conditions (read: sarcasm):

Numero Uno: Students, no matter their grade level, will always want to learn by having fun.  Note that I did not say, 'will always want to play games' because that is not the case.  Although they may not admit it, students want to be stimulated, they just don't want to know they are being stimulated.  They want it to be sneaky.  They want to be able to exercise their minds and use them; this is why meaningless games of Hang Man and Seven Up does not always pacify them.

Numero Dos: Alas, 'tis but too true. Learning is NOT always fun.  Perhaps its the way I was raised but I think this is more the rule than the exception.  Don't get me wrong, the old days of a teacher standing at the front of the room and talking at the class should be over.  But think of some of the most important things you've learned - did you learn them in a fun environment? How to talk? How to walk? How to do CPR? How to say "I'm sorry"? How to accept discipline in a mature way, call your insurance company, know when you're being taken advantage of, buy a car, etc?   Did you do any of those things while laughing hysterically, having a party, or throwing confetti in the air? Probably not.

Life lessons are not always learned in a fun way.  But that doesn't mean that we as teachers should not try to put a new spin on things in our day-to-day classes.  We keep trying.  And when a student asks, "Can we do something fun today?" maybe we'll be able to say, You know what, I'd like that.