Tests: a double-edged sword

Test:  a set of questions, problems, or the like, used as a means of evaluating the abilities, aptitudes, skills, or performance of an individual or group; examination. 

Has any student learned while taking a test, or the more current term, assessment?  When I look back on my career as a student, which is quickly becoming quite lengthy, and think about all of the assessments that I have had the honor of taking, I realized that I can’t definitively say that I learned anything from any of them.  If students aren’t learning while taking a test, why is there so much emphasis put on the score that they get on them?  Aren’t they learning more when they practice? 

Testing, to me is a double-edged sword.  It is useful as a tool to assess student progress, but I think that it is even more useful as a tool for teachers to assess their teaching style and methods.  I believe that there is a direct correlation between teaching style/method and how well a student does on and assessment.  The more engaging a teachers teaching style is, (I like to think of this as putting on a great show) the more the students will pay attention and ultimately retain.  Each day, students are faced with constant “flashy” advertisements, loud noises, and graphic video games.  Because of this, we have to become even more interesting in our approach to getting our message through. 

Thinking about the point values associated with testing, why do the vast majority of teachers who hate high-stakes testing, still continue to utilize that practice in their own classrooms?  While I understand and appreciate the need for tests, I explain to my students that I am not really testing them, rather, I am testing myself to make sure that I am doing the best job that I can in teaching them.  I challenge anyone who reads this to take a step back and consider the reason that you are giving your students a test.  If it is just to wrap up the chapter or even a little more noble, to see how much they retained, maybe it’s time to re-evaluate your philosophy.  Teachers are called to use the best practices available to them, and we won’t know if we are doing so for that specific group of students unless we assess ourselves as well.

test. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved August 26, 2011, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/test

The Power of Positive Relationships

For teachers to be successful, they must be willing to form meaningful relationships with their students.  I believe that having meaningful relationships helps form a connection that allows the students to become more willing to listen to what I have to tell them, not only about my subject, but also about life.  On that note, someone told me the other day that my relationships with the students in my building caused them some concern.  I’m not entirely sure what they meant by that.  I can only imagine that they are concerned with the fact that my students are willing to talk to me about some of the most challenging things that happens in their lives.  I think of it as a badge of honor.  Having students know that I care about them as human beings, when no one else seems to, means a lot to me.  I find it interesting that the teachers in my building who are very willing to judge a student and condemn them because of their past, are usually the same teachers who are very critical of others.  These are, in some cases, not all, the same teachers who seem to always have horror stories about working with challenging students.  It’s those same challenging students that I tend to not have any problems with, and I attribute that directly to the relationship that I am able to build with them.  I challenge anyone who reads this to make an effort to form a positive relationship with your students, no matter the position you currently hold.

What is your reward? - Originally posted on thompsonsoc.blogspot.com

So, the other day, I am teaching, or some reasonable facsimile thereof, during 6th hour when our Renaissance group takes off to recognize the latest teacher, student, and staff member of the month.  That is a great honor for the people who work in our building, and not just the ones who get paid, but also the ones who HAVE to show up!  

 In my 6 years in education, I have not received that honor, but that doesn’t bother me as much as it once did.  You see, I am tough on my kids, but its tough love that they are getting, not just some jerk who doesn’t care one bit about who they are and what’s going on in their lives.  Would it be great to get that kind of award?  Well, yes, it would, but I am not driven by getting one or two awards in my career.  I am driven by having the opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of my students that they will remember for as long as they are alive.   

I remember a story that my dad told me about a teacher that he had when he was in middle school.  My dad was the son of a single mom who had some extremely tough health issues when he was young causing him to live with his grandparents while he was in middle school.  He was the definition of a young man who was the worst of the worst.  When you opened the proverbial dictionary, his picture was next to “holy terror”.  Well, this teacher actually took the time to get to know my dad, and because of that, my dad realized that someone did care.  Because that teacher showed my dad that he cared, my dad was put on track to become a faithful husband, a father of three, father-in-law of two, grandfather of two, and a pastor.   

I want to be like that teacher.  I want to have an impact so great that it will literally change lives.  That student who gets the tough love now, will most likely hate me during school, but in my short experience as a teacher, thank me for it in the future.  I was able to get a taste of that last fall when one of my former students who found himself in some very hot water came back and thanked me for being firm, but fair.  To me, it is worth all of the recognition in the world to see just one kid straighten themselves out and succeed in life.  

The Modern Educator - originally posted on thompsonsoc.blogspot.com

Too often in education, we see the need for educators to act more like parents.  The students in our classrooms are more likely than any other time, to come from broken homes, homes where the parents have to constantly work in order for the family to survive, or from homes where the parents don’t care enough to provide the parenting that the children so desperately need.  Because of this, the teachers in the classroom, the administrators in the office, the cooks, custodians, bus drivers, and others are finding themselves needing to pick up the proverbial “slack” and become a pseudo-parent. 

            

 Sometimes, I wonder what it would have been like to teach in the 1950’s where just about every kid seemed to have the support at home that they needed to grow up and succeed in life.  Don’t get me wrong, I realize that the 50’s were no cake walk in education, but it causes me to stop and think about how different my classroom would be if the vast majority of my students had two parent homes where time was taken to teach the “family education.”  The “family education” to me, means parents teaching kids right from wrong, respect, how to cope with adverse situations among myriad others.  Due to the fact that the storied family unit of “Leave it to Beaver” is becoming more and more the minority, we are seeing educators working to find new methods to teach their students not only the curriculum of the school, but the “family education” as well.

            

Some have said that a “hands-on” method of learning is the most effective manner to teach students.  I agree with this to a great extent, but believe that education can go much, much further.  Hands-on learning allows a student to experience doing task or activity, but does not necessarily affect the emotional growth of the student, which is, in my opinion, a very important part of the modern educators’ job.  In a day and age where students are coming to school without the support at home, without the “family” education I spoke of earlier, it has become the responsibility of educators to fill in the missing pieces. 

            

 "Character education" and "service learning" are buzzwords that are getting quite a bit of attention in educational circles today.  At one time, there would not have been a need for these ideas to even exist because it used to be the responsibility of the family unit to teach the children respect, right from wrong, etc.  Unfortunately, this isn’t the fifties any longer and we can’t always depend on parents to do their job.  The world has changed since then, and in my short experience, it has changed quite a bit in the last six years.  Character education and service learning have been around for some time and have long been used as a method by which teachers are able to effectively blend the hands-on experience while teaching the values that the community at large holds dear.  

I strongly believe that all great teachers teach because they want to change the lives of their students for the better.  With that said, I see the need for the modern educator to work to impact their students in the best way possible, and until something comes around that is definitely better than character education mixed with service learning, I believe it is our responsibility to utilize these tools to change the lives of our students.

Custodial Matters: thinking about the men and women who keep things in order.

Strong educational leaders need to work on building relationships with every staff member in the school.  I believe that doing this allows me to work more efficiently to provide the absolute best educational opportunity for my students as possible.  All teachers, cooks, bus drivers and custodians should be included in the team in order to produce a concerted effort toward a common goal.  With that said, it is important to acknowledge the contribution of each of the members of the group.  I want to take this opportunity to highlight the impact of an often overlooked and under-appreciated group:  the custodial team.  

Recently some of the folks on the custodial team were shuffled around our building and the district. This got me thinking about the relationships that I have formed with those men and women and the impact that we have had on one another.  I have made it a point throughout my career to learn the name of each member of the custodial team, and learn about some of their life experiences.  I believe that coupling the relationship that I have forged with my willingness to assist the custodial team has helped me include them in the educational process.  Due to my willingness to work with them, they have become more willing to go out of their way to help me.

It surprises me when a staff member in the building ask a member of the custodial team for help, just to complain about the result, without ever offering to help.   I believe that it is important for me to be willing to work with custodial on any problem I ask them to solve, after all, it's my problem, not theirs. I believe that doing this will help them to feel that they are more of a integral part of the educational program in our school.  I challenge everyone who reads this to work with the men and women who work to keep our schools in order and get to know them as people.