Seventeen days left in my career as a teacher.
Only seventeen kids in class today, wow. Three were absent. The dynamics of what you're able to do change so dramatically when the number gets that low. Everything seems so much more personal, each child stands out a little more. It is a wonderful group I have this year.
I spent a couple of hours after school writing an impassioned email to some of my colleagues. It sits in my drafts folder right now. How many of those have I written over the years? The ones written, and not sent...
Not wanting to unnecessarily burn bridges, and yet wanting to speak my mind, this is where I am right now. I have to ask myself what the net effect will be. This one is for the good of the school, I know it. Still I waver.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
18
Today we came the closest to a lock-down that I have seen at Arbor Heights in the past 21 years. It's a very Sleepy Hollow school, both in nature and in location. Everyone was fine.
After a very intense school day, we had a staff meeting - where we spent over two hours trying to plan the calendar of special events for NEXT YEAR. Ugh. I actually voted on a couple of items, even though I won't be there. I was not voting for what I wanted. I voted for what I thought would be best for the kids of the school. Very interesting experience.
The attitude was very positive. Lots of laughter, actually. Sometimes this task has been really painful. But the meeting today was different, sort of like there was an admitted dysfunction that we could deal with - and even look back at with a smile.
I kept watching my colleagues, trying to visualize them in a meeting there next year. I left feeling good, positive, even a little hopeful about the future of the school.
But there is this nagging sadness over the erosion of, and in some cases disappearance of, events that we have done just for fun with the kids.
Looking to ramp up the fun factor over the next few days, 18 to go as a teacher.
After a very intense school day, we had a staff meeting - where we spent over two hours trying to plan the calendar of special events for NEXT YEAR. Ugh. I actually voted on a couple of items, even though I won't be there. I was not voting for what I wanted. I voted for what I thought would be best for the kids of the school. Very interesting experience.
The attitude was very positive. Lots of laughter, actually. Sometimes this task has been really painful. But the meeting today was different, sort of like there was an admitted dysfunction that we could deal with - and even look back at with a smile.
I kept watching my colleagues, trying to visualize them in a meeting there next year. I left feeling good, positive, even a little hopeful about the future of the school.
But there is this nagging sadness over the erosion of, and in some cases disappearance of, events that we have done just for fun with the kids.
Looking to ramp up the fun factor over the next few days, 18 to go as a teacher.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
19
Today 30 Google Chromebooks arrived at our school, as part of a proposal I developed for how to spend 10K raised at our PTA's auction last year - for technology. It's been a long process, and my neck is still out there on this one, but it is extremely exciting.
Except I won't be back to really participate in the experience.
Because I have nineteen days left as a public school teacher.
A month or so ago we got a brand new computer lab, full of really slick and fast iMacs. Here's a staff training session:
Next year each classroom will have at least four of them.
It is ironic, to say the least, to see this huge infusion of money and technology into our school just as I retire. I'm happy for the kids. I hope they get to use the new technologies in ways that will encourage creativity, self expression, and exploration.
My worry is they will end up being little more than test taking devices, and used primarily for preparing the kids to get higher test scores. I really, really hope I'm wrong.
19.
Except I won't be back to really participate in the experience.
Because I have nineteen days left as a public school teacher.
A month or so ago we got a brand new computer lab, full of really slick and fast iMacs. Here's a staff training session:
And here's my classroom of third graders up there:
Next year each classroom will have at least four of them.
It is ironic, to say the least, to see this huge infusion of money and technology into our school just as I retire. I'm happy for the kids. I hope they get to use the new technologies in ways that will encourage creativity, self expression, and exploration.
My worry is they will end up being little more than test taking devices, and used primarily for preparing the kids to get higher test scores. I really, really hope I'm wrong.
19.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
20
About three months ago I bought this sweet bike. After a dozen or so years commuting to school on old, used, or even free bikes, I thought I needed - and deserved - something easier to ride, and safer.
Then about a month later, I decided to retire.
Go figure. Maybe I had my mind on my retirement, who knows what was going through my mind at the time?
So I have 20 working days left - after which I will no longer be Biking to School. Maybe I'll try to chronicle those days here. But I know very well the toll the end of the year takes on my time, so I won't make any promises.
It's the Memorial Day weekend - my 31st as a public school teacher. This weekend has always been a serious benchmark in the school year. If you make it to Memorial Day, hey, you're almost there, it's homestretch time.
It's been a good, good ride. I plan on savoring every piece of my final homestretch.
Then about a month later, I decided to retire.
Go figure. Maybe I had my mind on my retirement, who knows what was going through my mind at the time?
So I have 20 working days left - after which I will no longer be Biking to School. Maybe I'll try to chronicle those days here. But I know very well the toll the end of the year takes on my time, so I won't make any promises.
It's the Memorial Day weekend - my 31st as a public school teacher. This weekend has always been a serious benchmark in the school year. If you make it to Memorial Day, hey, you're almost there, it's homestretch time.
It's been a good, good ride. I plan on savoring every piece of my final homestretch.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Measure THIS
To those who insist that standardized, high stakes tests in any way measure a child, I ask you to measure this:
There are many more measurements. Feel free to add on...
- the size of (or shape of) the smiles on my students as they come in the door in the morning, and as they leave at the end of the day
- the swell on the chest of the student who just did something really well, and his teacher told him so
- the angle of shoulders up and proper posture (the way they sit up) when kids are told they did something extraordinary
- the speed of the racing hearts of students who are about to give it all to improve their performance
- the volume of the sounds of dismay, joy, and exhaustion after students have given it their all.
- the depth of a furrow on the brow of a child who is really, really trying
They are children, not test scores.
There are many more measurements. Feel free to add on...
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Fixin' Odds and Ends
Fixed my rear brake yesterday, which had broken off a couple of weeks ago. The ride to and from school today, during our mid-winter break, was a lot more relaxing.
Last week 2 of my 12 desktops gave up the ghost. They had been slowly failing for a while. Support is me, so I spent a few hours on the problem today. I replaced one cpu with a machine I'd had sitting around for a few years "just in case". Running Windows 2K. Had 3 apart at one point, swapping hard drives, power supplies, and messing with switches. Logged on as admin to the other and am deleting as much unnecessary stuff as possible, so it will run.
The solutions are far from perfect, but they are about all I can do. These computers are still my school's best collection of computers outside of our computer lab. In many ways they are better than the lab. People still want to come and see what's going on in our class. Held together these days with duct tape, crossed fingers, and hours spent on them during breaks, it feels good when we're running on most cylinders.
Last week 2 of my 12 desktops gave up the ghost. They had been slowly failing for a while. Support is me, so I spent a few hours on the problem today. I replaced one cpu with a machine I'd had sitting around for a few years "just in case". Running Windows 2K. Had 3 apart at one point, swapping hard drives, power supplies, and messing with switches. Logged on as admin to the other and am deleting as much unnecessary stuff as possible, so it will run.
The solutions are far from perfect, but they are about all I can do. These computers are still my school's best collection of computers outside of our computer lab. In many ways they are better than the lab. People still want to come and see what's going on in our class. Held together these days with duct tape, crossed fingers, and hours spent on them during breaks, it feels good when we're running on most cylinders.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
The Charter Threat & Back to School
The day dawned extra-dark, I thought. What about those supposedly longer days?
There is a showdown coming in the WA state legislature, with a bill pending that will open the door for charters in this state. To most of the country already infiltrated with a growing number of charter schools, this probably seems like a so what.To the nine states like Washington that do not allow charters, it is a very BIG deal.
Here's a decidedly one-sided (the right side) discussion:
http://seattleducation2010.wordpress.com/category/charter-schools/
Meanwhile, teaching goes on. It was a heavy load on my back this morning, with 2 XO laptops in addition to the usual... I had them at home over the Break to help with the setup and configuration of these three newcomers, which I "debricked" a couple of days ago. I'll haul them in over the next couple of days.
There is a showdown coming in the WA state legislature, with a bill pending that will open the door for charters in this state. To most of the country already infiltrated with a growing number of charter schools, this probably seems like a so what.To the nine states like Washington that do not allow charters, it is a very BIG deal.
Here's a decidedly one-sided (the right side) discussion:
http://seattleducation2010.wordpress.com/category/charter-schools/
Wanting to do something to stem the tide, I can't seem to find the right place, given my time restraints. And I am definitely hamstrung from easily communicating with my colleagues, because I need to be ever so careful about "political" discussions carried by district resources, i.e., email. Twitter is ok, but it's pretty much preaching to the choir. So I keep adding to my delicious category, and thinking.
Meanwhile, teaching goes on. It was a heavy load on my back this morning, with 2 XO laptops in addition to the usual... I had them at home over the Break to help with the setup and configuration of these three newcomers, which I "debricked" a couple of days ago. I'll haul them in over the next couple of days. My brakes were great today, even in the rain. Best of all were the kids. I have a wonderful class. Happy New Year!
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