Launching Learning?

Our job is to establish safe and supportive relationships first between teachers and students, and then student to student. Our parents are primarily concerned with the physical and emotional health of their children; scholastic education is in the backseat. We need to address that before instruction can begin. To do so, teachers must establish solid communication channels with both students and parents. The village has been on lock-down for months and parents are desperate to engage with their academic collaborators, their children’s teachers. Children too miss the support and caring they receive from their teachers and classmates. This must come first. Many summer school teachers commented on the importance of daily check-ins that included eye contact and asking questions like, “how are you today.” The students’ worlds have been restricted to their homes and their phones. They need people. They need to laugh. They need to feel good. Teachers can facilitate that. In fact, I believe Maslow would argue they need that before learning can resume. The first week of school should be focused on self reflection, and establishing a personal learning plan for the school year, no matter the classroom format. 

We must create engagement by first acknowledging the anxiety levels of our pupils, and then helping them design a pathway to success that relieves that anxiety. Whatever tasks are completed need to count towards a grade. Hold harmless was anything but harmless. When students are held accountable they respond appropriately because the recognition of a grade shows that what they do is important. And for the last few months, nothing they have done has been very important.

Messaging from the school district is vital. A video announcement from the superintendent welcoming students back to school that is shared on the first day will set the tone for the year and encourage students, teachers, and parents. A similar consistent message from each site principal that includes clearly identified expectations for teachers and students will make the difference between success and failure. We all need to be on the same page. Everybody.

To regain our parent’s trust in public education we must once again lead, and not just react, to our circumstances. True, we are governed by many forces that we cannot control. However, we can speak a message of hope for the future back into reality by once again presenting the opportunity that education provides. Education is our way out of this mess, and we should celebrate that by supporting our teachers and students while being open to the challenges brought on by a time of reformation.

Steps:

• Establish daily communication to build relationships between teachers, students, and parents

• Acknowledge the students concerns and create a pathway plan for educational success

• Positive messaging from Superintendent and Principals including clear expectations

• Focus on the opportunities education provides and be flexible to the reformation

Learning in a Time of Covid?

Rahm Emanuel said, “You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that it's an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before.” COVID-19 changes everything, including education. I believe that this crisis will end the 19th century industrial model of students meeting in classrooms sitting in straight rows taking notes from a sage instructor. Although some educators have already engaged in the online learning model, it is now the clear answer for delivering learning to many students where they are, quarantined or not. 

The role of the classroom teacher has changed forever. No longer is their primary job to deliver information, we have TED and YouTube for that. Nor are they alone in their assessment and grading practices, there are digital supports for that as well. The duty of the teacher now is to guide students in their learning. That is a change in thinking and approach. An experienced Art teacher once entered my multimedia classroom and looked around at the walls. He asked me, “Where is your art?” I dodged the question by explaining that we worked in a virtual environment, often with animation or live video, and that’s hard to display. He pushed back with something like, “you need to demonstrate your work as you learn alongside your students. You are the lead learner.” Effective teachers lead their students through the learning process as they strive to build their own capacity as learners. Teachers now have an unprecedented opportunity to redesign their own learning experiences and invite the students to participate with them.

It’s never been about what teachers teach; it’s always been about what students learn. We now have the opportunity to embrace a new model for learning that focuses on the importance of student efficacy. And it’s important to their long term successes in the new economy where entry level service jobs may not be available. Service has been a staple industry sector for young people in the United States for years. From baristas to fast food, many entering the workforce get their first jobs in the service industry. It’s a great way to pay for higher education, no matter what path they choose. However, periods of isolation diminish the need for service as consumers spend more time at a distance from large groups. While many established businesses can shift to a work-from-home model, our youngest workers have not yet ascended to that level of success.

Students in the TK-14 system must be prepared for success in a world unlike any other. They must be creative entrepreneurs of the highest quality if they are going to succeed in the “gig” economy that now has no gigs. To be successful, they cannot be passive receivers of knowledge, but active engagers in their futures. After being told that school was canceled indefinitely, my 14 year old daughter asked if she could enroll at the local community college for online classes. While she waits for the public school system to respond, she wants to get started on her associates degree. Another avenue for students is the trades. Vocational education was once seen as a place to put students who did not fit into the academic track. Today, Career and Technical Education is viewed as a pathway for student success that begins with preparation during high school and leads to employment opportunities in high wage jobs as they pay their way through a post-secondary certification or degree program avoiding student loan debt.

For high school students, the answer is courses available through a variety of online platforms guided by a teacher actively engaged in their own learning process. Virtual meetings with students through video conferencing tools along with 24 hour chat boards for questions and answers replaces the need to meet in person. Many virtual lab activities are available for students learning laboratory science. In addition, simple project based learning opportunities completed in small groups at home provide other worthwhile experiences. On the job work based learning experiences in smaller office settings or virtually provide opportunities for CTE students to practice their professional skills. Online education could also expedite the process of earning a high school diploma along with an associates degree as students are no longer restricted to a school site master schedule. Success in an online environment requires that a student exercise discipline and commitment, two extraneous lessons that set them on a direct path to efficacy and long-term personal success. 

Right now, the rule for gathering is 10-12 people or less. That’s not very different from the current model for some levels of special education and could still work for our lower elementary students. These classes could resume for these populations to meet on a more traditional schedule at school sites as soon as school reopens. For upper elementary and middle school, a hybrid model of meeting in smaller groups for shorter periods than the traditional school day could be effective. These meetings could be an opportunity for small group instruction and pacing. After a few hours and a meal, students would be sent home to complete their studies for the day. Another option for some families is homeschool. Families who are able to support their students’ learning at home full time have access to many resources available through both public institutions and private groups. And they can get started immediately.

Perhaps the most regrettable victim of the epidemic is student athletics and other extra curricular experiences like field trips, dances, and graduation ceremonies. Although an effort is being made in many districts to go virtual through social media platforms by asking students to post pictures and videos of them celebrating at home, this cannot replace the experience of hitting a home run, exploring a new park or museum, dressing up for a formal dance, or hearing your voice called as you walk across the stage. Children already spend a large amount of time interacting on their devices, but real social development must evolve through an in-person environment. For now, these events may be postponed, but they are too important to whole child development to be canceled.

Public education is just that. Daycare is a byproduct of the system, but not its primary purpose. Nor is parenting students. I am impressed with school districts who have sent out parent resources that include a daily schedule for students including cleaning their rooms and going outside to play. I share parents’ frustration and their desperation at these challenging times, but a child’s daily routine is not the responsibility of educators. This is the time when groups beyond public education also need to support children and families. This Coronavirus crisis will pass, but the impact will be felt for many years. We need to rethink, retool, and reinvent our education delivery system along with our cultural, political, and practical responses to existential threats like this. 

Hybrid High?

Did I mention that my children are homeschooled? I was recently challenged about being a public educator and a homeschool parent. Really? The best possible model for instruction is 1 to 1 regardless of setting. That’s difficult to achieve in a public classroom; it’s much easier if you have a parent willing to stay home with a child and devote their time to his or her learning. Another option is alternative education. No, not continuation school, although that is a wonderful option when it fits the needs of the student. I’m talking about a hybrid model that supports individual students.

Independent study is an option that some students exercise within the public school setting. They are not dependent on a teacher to pace a class, or focus the instruction based on the needs of all of the students in a class. They do not have to go to a building, or wait until tomorrow for their next class session. Instead, the independent study student meets with a credentialed teacher to set his or her own academic goals. The student is then free to pursue their education on their own schedule checking back in with the teacher to assess their progress.

The industrial model of education no longer fits our technological world. Teachers are the facilitators of knowledge, not the keepers. Flipped classrooms, online courses, and alternative education settings are all excellent options for students who want more from their education than they are currently experiencing in the 6-7 period day and the 35+:1 classroom. I believe that a new hybrid model of education that embraces all of the educational resources available, maintains the rigor and relevance of current courses, and that supports students pursuing their own academic interests without restraint is the best possible preparation for college, career, and life.

Defining Details?

Details matter. Greatness exists in the details. While it is important to keep the big picture in mind, and not get stuck in the minutia, getting the most important details right is worthy of the required investment of time and energy. Regardless of the realm, whether it is academics, sports, or the Arts, the difference is made by the way the student, athlete, and artist works out the finer issues of their endeavors; even the ones nobody else can see. The extra time spent in study and review, training and practice, reworking and editing defines the excellence of one’s efforts.

In academics, teachers guide their students through the learning process. An effective instructor provides a series of steps for their pupils to follow that allow them to address the most important finer details along the way, and not push them off to the end. The teacher needs to be well prepared for the facilitation of the lesson or project, having worked out as many different scenarios and potential problems as possible to help anticipate what the students will encounter at every step. Experience helps, but is not a requirement for successful instruction.

In athletics, coaches motivate their athletes as they prepare for competition. It is the job of the coach to understand and address the athlete’s needs in order to efficiently progress in their sport. Everything from nutrition to sleep patterns can positively or negatively effect performance, and it is up to the coach to make sure that the athlete is aware and focused on all significant areas at all times. Athletes who are best prepared both on and off the field have the best opportunity to be successful on the field of play. The details of training will give athletes the competitive edge.

In the Arts, students want freedom to express themselves on a variety of levels. That is a good thing. It is the duty of the art teacher to provide structure and process to that creativity. Of course there are always some students who establish their own process and need little guidance, but they are the exception. Most artists need constant feedback and direction as they apply their invention to paper, canvas, or computer screen. Pointing out specific areas for improvement, polish, and modification as well as knowing when to push, and when to pull, is part of the art of teaching Art class.

All teachers and coaches want their students to succeed. Teaching students to recognize that it is the details of what they do that make the difference is key. It is our job to not only raise awareness of the value of excellence when working through the details of their work, but also to show and guide our students through the process of addressing the finer details of what they do. We must teach them how to develop their critical eye and to make appropriate and meaningful changes that will improve their efforts and their results. Defining the details with students will equal success!

Think Time?

The issue came up recently in the teacher credential class that I teach concerning procrastination and the benefits of working under pressure. Sure, we all work harder when we know a deadline is approaching, and hard work produces better results. But the more we can do as teachers to eliminate procrastination both in our students and in ourselves the better and more effective educators we will become. Part of that is recognizing the importance and value of review and reflection as part of the creative academic process when we design our assignments, and building in “think time” for our students.

In production classes we use the pre-production, production, and post-production model. Students should schedule an equal amount of time for each of these three steps. The pre-production step includes brainstorming and writing, usually in small groups. The production step includes creating the actual project as designed during pre-production. The post-production step includes editing, refining, and polishing the final product. Most students hate the pre-production step, and want to jump right into production. This is like going on a car vacation without a map of how to arrive at your destination.  And too often post-production suffers from lack of remaining time.

This same model can easily be applied to any subject taught or project assigned in any class at any educational level. The three steps can be simplified into: planning, applying, and revising. The key to success is making sure that ample time is budgeted to each step in order to insure the deadline is met. Too often students have difficulty getting started. They have lots of good ideas, but trust few of their ideas to actually work. Once students set their project into motion a lack of disciplined time management leaves little time left over for the editing and polishing.

That is where procrastination hurts the most: not allowing enough time to work out the finer details. Once the production process is complete, students need to pause, relax, and reflect, before beginning the revising process. Just because the project is not in the forefront of the students’ thinking does not mean that their brains are not still working on it in the background. In fact, some of my best ideas on making improvements to a project have come up when I am not actively working on that project. It’s that think time that makes the difference to the end result.

But we eliminate any chance of taking advantage of think time if we have procrastinated so badly that the best we can do is simply finish with “something.” Sometimes that is necessary, but always it is unfortunate. Teachers need to structure their assignments and their classes so that students can take advantage of the benefits think time adds to their work. Strict and regular deadlines throughout the production process that build in think time are a great way to make sure students not only learn excellent time management, but also a process that encourages them to produce their very best.

Miracle Grow?

The most important lesson I teach my students is time management, and I’m afraid I don’t teach it very well. Most classrooms in most schools are very structured and organized palaces of instruction full of meaningful and complex coursework assigned and submitted on a regular and reliable schedule. Vocabulary words on Mondays, definitions due Wednesday, spelling quiz on Friday. New chapter on Monday, lab time on Wednesday, chapter test on Friday. It’s a schedule ballet that teachers and students have danced for years. If students can keep pace with the teacher and tender their completed work on time they pass.

But what happens when the structure is loosened up? Have you ever transplanted a plant from a smaller to a larger pot, or into the ground? When my father taught me to transplant I was shocked by what he did to the roots. My dad would pull the plant out of its happy and comfortable home and then “massage” the base breaking up most of the dirt and loosening up the roots. As my dad put the plant into its new home he explained that by properly preparing both the roots and the soil the plant had a better chance.

The plant did not look happy in transition, in fact it looked more like it might die. The exposed roots were tangled and twisted. Dad explained that was because they were “root bound,” the old pot was now too small for the growing plant; If the plant was left in the smaller pot, it would die. We needed to provide a larger space, with looser dirt in order for the roots and the plant as a whole to continue to grow. And he was always right. Whatever plants we transplanted always came back bigger and healthier. Miracle Gro helped too.

What does transplanting plants have to do with teaching and time management? I wrote earlier about how I handle late work. I always take late work, and I rarely assign makeup work. When the students ask what they can do to improve their grade, I tell them to do the work that I have assigned, and if they didn’t like the grade they earned, then to go back to the assignment, redo or finish it, and then resubmit for a re-evaluation. Returning to unfinished work forces the students to reflect on their efforts, make needed improvements, and complete the assignment.

Offering students the opportunity to return to their work does not fit the schedule ballet experienced in most classrooms or into most teacher’s idea of proper time management. But students who are doubling up on assigned work must manage their time appropriately to complete all of the requirements by their scheduled due dates. This forces students to do two very important things: spread out their roots, and find fresh dirt to grow in. The transition may be ugly and uncomfortable, but the end result will be a student who is learning and growing into a better and healthier human being.

Work, Learn, Enjoy?

I believe that a student getting an education should have three goals: work, learn, and enjoy. These should be the same three goals of their teachers, and the educational institution they attend. While I think that these three goals remain at the core of the beliefs upon which everything in education is built upon, as I talk with the graduating seniors this year about their educational experience, I wonder if educators and education have 1) fail to communicate to students that these are our goals, and 2) lost sight of our goals while trying to appease forces outside of education.

Getting an education should be work, hard work. I make my students work hard and they are shocked by it. However, I don’t make them work as hard as they should, and that shocks me. Many teachers will assign packets of “busywork” (the students’ description) in lieu of projects, reports, and essays. Sure, packets are easier to grade, but they are also easier for the students to fake. I often see kids copying each others answers in these lengthy packets of worksheets. For the students to work hard, the teacher must work hard, and don’t we already work hard enough?

The larger question is do teachers work hard at the right things? Are we working hard to teach our students to learn? I am afraid that we are raising a generation who do not know how to learn, and cannot solve problems independently. When I raised this concept in class I had a young lady ask me what learning was? Scary. As reflective teachers I think we need to focus on not just the content of the courses we teach, but the process. Are you teaching your students how to find information, synthesize it, and apply what they have learned?

I said many times that school should be fun, and some teachers disagree with me. Ok. But at least students should enjoy the process of gaining education. Think about it, we like to do things that we like to do. Do your students like to learn? Do they enjoy the learning process? Do they enjoy working hard to reach the goals set by you in your classroom? I believe that they should. It’s easy to point out that school teaching isn’t real fun for teachers right now. It’s not. But our frustration should not be passed on to our pupils.

I am the educational leader in my classroom. I intend to maintain the following three goals for my students: 1) that they work hard at the assignments I give them, 2) that they learn how to learn and problem solve on their own, and 3) that no matter what the task is at hand, that they enjoy the process of working and learning. Perhaps it is not possible for all students and teachers all the time. I can’t change that. What I can do is keep myself and my students focused on what makes an education so valuable and worthwhile.

They don't know that they don't know?

I didn’t know that I didn’t know, and neither do my students (most of them.) Events in my life over the last few weeks have had a whopping impact on my perspective on teaching, life, and especially on my efforts with my students. I had this topic written down for quite a while, but it has taken me some time to realize how and what to write about the fact that I didn’t know that I didn’t really know about poverty. And not just poverty, but about desire, about homelessness, about ambition and dedication and commitment. I thought I knew.

I went to Mexico over spring break. Almost as a clique of what to do during my two weeks off, I went with a group of students to build a house for a homeless family. I know that there is poverty in Mexico; I know that there is poverty in my school. I’ve seen pictures of shanty towns. My father drove me down to 4th street in Los Angeles when I was a young person. But this was the first time I have worked along side someone desperately trying to improve the quality of his life, and life for his family.

Or is it? Isn’t that what I do as a teacher everyday: work along side someone desperately trying to improve the quality of his or her life? I think it’s the “desperate” part that is missing from my students. Most of them do not seem very desperate to learn. Perhaps it is the population that I teach. Perhaps it is the times we live in. Or perhaps they do not feel the urgency to improve because many do not understand the opportunities of an American education and have not experienced a real need. They don’t know that they don’t know.

I was struck by the children of Mexico who have nothing to occupy their play time; nothing but each other’s company. I wondered if they have the same ambition for their lives as I have. Then I watched Slumdog Millionaire. No wonder it won best picture; what an amazing story, and an amazing film. The brothers who lived in a trash pile clearly had ambitions for a better life, and were willing to do whatever was necessary to survive. Jamal was desperate to endure, even if he couldn’t read the Three Musketeers and never learned the name of the third.

As educators, I feel that it is critically important that we keep our eyes open. Just because we can’t see what goes on beyond the closed doors of our classrooms does not mean that it is acceptable for us to choose ignorance. We need to recognize in ourselves that we don’t know what it is like to walk in the shoes of ALL of our students. We don’t. But we need to make the point with ALL of our students that we all need to be cognizant of the whole world we live in, and not just our small corner.

Teaching Patience?

To teach patience we must provide opportunities to BE patient. Kids today are so used to immediate gratification, that they struggle with waiting for anything (Ok, we all do.) Working time into our lessons forces students to work through their assignments, and by doing so learning to focus more keenly on each individual step required to reach their goals. I’ve already written about how I believe patience and respect are the keys to teaching. Here are three suggestions of how you can incorporate more time into your classroom schedule that will ultimately help teach the students how to be patient.

Teaching patience requires a patient teacher. Some people tell me that I am a patient person. I don’t feel patient. However I can say that I spend so much time around people (students) less patient than I am that it makes me appear very patient. I am blessed with a relatively long fuse, and I am continually given opportunities to practice patience; it seems like I have to wait for EVERYTHING. As we all know, practice makes perfect. So the first step is the teacher recognizing the importance of patience and being open to acting with patience in the classroom.

Teaching patience requires a patient presentation. Every classroom has a pace. For some, the pace is fast and furious, for others, the pace is slow and steady. Both are fine so long as the teacher and students are comfortable. Within the daily routine of all classes there are activities and assignments. These assignments are often complex and include a deadline. To help teach students patience, try breaking down the complex into smaller, perhaps daily doable chunks. Much like spoon feeding a baby, introduce the curriculum a little at a time. Smaller chunks of information are easier for students to digest.

Teaching patience requires a patient process. When setting deadlines for student work a set of staggered due dates can be useful to help encourage all students to turn in their assignments. Allowing for early submission helps to motivate the students who like to work more quickly without penalizing those who work more slowly. I offer additional extra credit for any student who, once their work is completed, assists another student to finish their work on time. I also allow for resubmission of work to students who meet the deadline, but may have overlooked a particular aspect of an assigned project.

Perhaps I am too patient, too liberal in my approach to teaching the pupils to be patient. I believe that high school should be a safe place to make mistakes. Therefore, it is important that the teachers, coaches, and administrators who work with students be willing to reach down and help up our kids when they stumble. In our world of “I want it all and I want it now” I feel that it is necessary that educators not only model patient behavior, but also act as the agents of patience in the lives of students. Teach them to wait.

Individual Support?

I am a parent and a teacher. No, I don’t think you have to be a parent to be a teacher, but sometimes the insight provided by being both a parent and a teacher helps me both parent and teach. It also helps to have a child who is the same age as the children that I teach. Because I spend time with my son, seeing school through his eyes, I can sympathize with my students just a little bit better. Life ain’t easy for kids these days.

Teachers guide their students along the journey of discovery that these young explorers must travel during their school-age years. These are wonderful days for individuals to discover who they are and to begin the process of actualizing their discovery. All along the way, each and everyday, every students learns a little bit more about who they are, what they are good at, and what they enjoy. They also find out who they are not, what they are not good at, and what they do not enjoy. It can be an emotionally polarizing experience, but fundamental to the process of self-discovery.

Teachers shepherd their students along their individual paths while building them up with knowledge and empowering the students with self-confidence. We provide opportunities for success and celebrate with our pupils when they do well. However, the same opportunities may lead to failure, and we commiserate with our kids when they fall short. It is both wonderful and painful sometimes at the same time as we teachers invest in our students and fly or fall right alongside them.

My son is entering his sophomore year of high school. He is excited by all of the opportunities available to him through sports, academics, arts, and clubs and wants to participate in just about everything. He, like so many other students I teach everyday, is immersed in the process of self-discovery. As my son samples the smorgasbord of high school life he is naturally learning about himself and where his talents lie. As his teacher I am enjoying watching his future unfold before his eyes; as his father it is pure agony.

I am use to the teacher role where I work with children everyday to guide them along. As a teacher I can recognize a student’s strengths and weaknesses and help them to realize what directions and avenues will fit them best. I teach elective courses at a variety of levels, some focused on the general population, and some that specialize. It is never a struggle for me to look a student in the eye and tell them that the advanced courses I teach simply are not for them (and this the exception, not the rule). Sure, the student may be disappointed for a short period of time, but ultimately it frees them to discover their strengths. Other times students who I believe show great potential quit, or choose to explore a different path. Either way, these kids go home to their parents.

My son recently chose not to continue with an opportunity presented to him at school. He participated for about 6 months, and then decided to quit. As a teacher I respect his decision and how it fits into this discovery process. But as his father I am concerned. Not because I think he made the wrong decision, he never had a passion for this pursuit he was really just exploring, but because I’m not sure what happens next. As a teacher I trust that he will find his way to something else. As his father I wonder what next thing is and how long it will take him to get there.

As teachers (and as parents) it is important that we recognize the individual in each of our students and children. Our pupils are individuals, each with their own road to travel. As teachers we are lucky that we can separate ourselves from the pupils somewhat during these periods of trial and error. Parents, sorry, you’re in to it much deeper with your own kids.

When I spoke to my son’s advisor about his desire to quit, the advisor (who is also my dear friend) was concerned for my son, but readily accepting of his choice. It was the right position to take. Teachers need to support their pupils and empower them to survive through the journey. Our job is to make sure that our individual students achieve a strong sense of self are ready to face the world with confidence.

Swing Away?

I teach an advanced production course to high school students. It’s a brutally difficult class, and I don’t try to make it easy for my students. Two groups of ten students each have two weeks or 10 class sessions (less than 10 hours) to create their own 10 minute television program. Their work is viewed by the entire school of 3500 students, teachers and staff (Ok, not all of them tune in, but they could if they wanted to.) The “Friday Show” airs on Fridays and the advanced class watches and critiques the show immediately afterwards. The critique is aided by an evaluation sheet the students fill out while watching the finished show. The ensuing discussion is usually led by me or one of the students. The first question is “What did you like?” Students raise their hands and offer their positive reactions. The follow up question is “What will we do differently next time?” Again, the students raise their hands to offer their constructive opinions. Recently I’ve added, “What can we do to make the Friday Show better?” This question has enlisted some even more positive and constructive ideas from students who might not normally speak up. Asking students to evaluate their work in this manner forces them into higher-level thinking rarely experienced in the high school setting. It’s a very good thing. And each week the show improves because the STUDENTS identify their own weaknesses and collectively create an action plan for improvement. I know this model doesn’t work for many high school or even college courses, but I encourage you to look for opportunities for public presentation leading to real assessment of student work. It simply makes them work harder and strive to improve more.

On a Friday not long ago while critiquing the students’ work with them in this manner I was grasping for a relevant way of expressing my reaction to the quality of work the students had produced that week. My mind immediately went to the climatic scene of the M. Night Shyamalan film Signs when Mel Gibson’s character, Rev. Graham Hess, while confronted with an alien being about to kidnap his only son tells his former baseball playing brother while reflecting on the dying words of his wife that immortal line, “Swing away Merrill. Merrill… swing away.” For those of you who have never seen the film, I won’t reveal what happens next (but you can imagine). I thought to myself, that’s it. The kids had bunted, when they should have taken a full swing. (A bunt is a half-swing at the ball for you non-baseball fans.) So I told them, “Guys, you bunted. Next time, swing away.” That same group presented their Friday Show this week. Full swing, hit the back wall.

How often do you tell your students to “swing away?” As teachers we all have expectations for the students in our classrooms. Those expectations can be as diverse as our student populations. But how often do our expectations require our students to take a full swing at their assignments? What do we really expect from them? Do we really respect them and their potential? Think about it for a minute.


In the current day and age of NCLB education including standards, standardized testing, common assessments, API and AYP there is a huge push to teach to the test. I don’t have any problem with that approach so long as we don’t lose sight of our goal: building people. We need to do more in our classrooms then simply build great test-takers. However, the opportunities to strive for more then that are few and far between. It is easier for an elective teacher like me to talk and write about project-based learning and challenging students because I have no common assessments and my scope and sequence is somewhat more flexible. But elective courses are quickly being replaced by remedial courses for students struggling to pass the exit exams and as a result, more of the “thinking outside the lunchbox” load is being placed on the core subject area teacher. As a core subject area teachers with a heterogeneous grouping of learners and everything else piled on top of you, it simply may be impossible to create assignments like the one I described earlier. But then, that’s not my point. My point is, just how much do you really expect from your students not matter what the assignment? Do you expect a homerun every time? Do you ever expect a homerun?

For example: packets. I hate them. But, assigning packets for students to complete can be an effective and efficient method for getting the job done. I don’t like packet work because I see students in my classrooms sharing answers on a regular basis. Not much learning going on there. Packet work doesn’t require much of a swing but it will get you to first base. Another example: multiple choice tests. Sure you can write very effective multiple choice test and there is certainly nothing easier for a teacher to grade. But what kind of higher-level thinking do most multiple choice test require from the test taker? I’ve often heard them referred to as “multiple guess.” Hmm.

We want our students to be successful both in our classrooms and in their lives. If we teach them well in their youth they’ll be well prepared to take care of us in our old age. I want to encourage all teachers to design their curriculum in a way that not only authentically challenges their students to learn and grow, but that also includes opportunities for them to “swing away” at their assignments. Sure, they may strike out. Remember, the learning experience from a strike out can often be more beneficial them simply bunting to get on base. And just think of how amazing it will be when one of your students, your pupils, your prodigies actually knocks one over the fence! That can only happen if you, their teacher, gives them the chance.

The Metrics? (part 2)

(Read The Metrics part 1 here)
How we measure our personal success with our students is very important. Our internal metrics are, to a degree, relative to the individual teacher. I have to be careful here because I do not want to suggest for a moment that a teacher who measures their personal success with students by a daily tally of how many smiles he or she receives from their students, or how many apples are left on their desks at the end of the day are either legitimate, appropriate or meaningful ways of determining success in the classroom. They may make us feel good, but the life-long success of students is more important then the feelings of the teacher.

With so many external metrics being used to assess our students, and indirectly our effectiveness as educators, it’s easy to become very discouraged very quickly. Teachers at my campus are now working in “data teams” to evaluated the test results of the students in their classrooms. All the students’ scores on the standardized tests and the common assessments are organized by teacher and laid out for everyone in their team to see. It’s not easy to compare my Algebra 1 scores with your Algebra 1 scores when clearly my students are not as proficient as your students. Your students scored higher, but I know that I am a better teacher than you are and so on and so forth. It can get ugly quickly. The goal is to analyze the data and as a group come to a consensus on how to modify instruction to make it more useful for students. However, some truly inept instructors can be flushed out in the process, and that can be a good thing, but no one, NO ONE, wants to be considered inept among their peers. Add to all of this the steady increasing pressure laid down by NCLB (how many years until 2014?) and the teaching environment becomes one that is strained to say the least. Pressure is also applied by parents many of whom have wonderfully good intentions but that sometimes hold unrealistic expectations for their students and their students’ teachers.

I love teaching and I’m willing to work within the system (however frustrating) so that I can continue to affect what I hope is a positive influence on my students and by extension on the world I live in. That is my main internal metric for teaching.

One way I measure my positive influence is by the number of alumni that I maintain contact with, sometimes daily. My counsel for my students doesn’t end when they graduate high school or grad school. I maintain communication through personal visits and email. Currently I am working with a former high school student who is applying to film school. I am helping him polish his application essays and offering my advice on how best to take the next step. A relationship that started in a high school classroom that grows beyond into an opportunity to mentor a life. That’s how it happened for me too. My high school teachers still provide me with advice and counsel when I ask for it.

Another way I measure my positive influence is through working with other teachers to improve their craft. Four of the teachers I taught at the university last year got hired on my high school campus this year. I am working with the principal to organize an in-service day for the five of us to get together and observe master teachers practicing their craft with students in their classrooms. When I was in my second year I was given the opportunity to participate in a similar activity. I still think about that day and all of the useful tips and techniques I learned from watching the best do what they did best, teach. My goal is that this day will provide an opportunity for these baby teachers to learn and grow.

Some of my colleagues are truly über-teachers. Sublime in their ability to change the lives of their students in positive ways as they teach them mathematics, history, and English, and yes, help them pass the CAHSEE and other mandatory assessments. They may not have started out quite so successful, but they have kept at it, learned from their mistakes, and prevailed in the quest to change the world. Do you think these individuals who excel in their classrooms have allowed their ability to adjust with the ever-swinging pendulum of scholastic reform to determine whether or not they consider themselves successful teachers? Do you think that these masters have allowed the challenges presented by the evolving school population to stop them from reaching out, picking up, and molding those fragile and formidable young lives? Do you think that a falling API score or a “difficult” graduating class ever made these professionals reconsider their place in the world? Any teacher who allows the challenges of teaching to keep them from the higher calling of teaching needs to stop calling themselves a teacher, and move on to the next career.

No one can argue with a changed life. Teachers change lives. How many lives have you changed? Have you tried to keep track? Think about that the next time you get discouraged because Little Johnny won’t listen, or 3rd period failed yesterday’s quiz miserably. Just because a student is struggling, or a quiz needs to be retaken does not diminish the impact and positive influence that we teachers have on the lives of our students, and that should be the major focus of our efforts. I’d like every student in my 3rd period class to earn an A this quarter. But if that does not happen it does not mean that I failed in my efforts to teach my students. And in a population of kids who so easily give up, it’s important that we teachers not quit when the test scores dip a little. Our purpose in the classroom transcends the role of test proctor; our purpose there is to change lives.

The Metrics? (part 1)

I haven’t written in a while. I’ve had a few ideas, but nothing compelling enough to make me actually sit down and work it out. That, plus the introduction of new computers to my classroom have made me feel like a first-year teacher at the start of the school year all over again. It’s been so frustrating that once again I am considering an assignment change, a level change, or perhaps even a whole career change. We’ll see how the school year progresses.

One of the things that is making me crazy this year, again, is the kids. Yea, I know, they make me crazy every year, but this new entitlement generation is, well, special. I’ve never worked with a group that literally felt comfortable with asking for an “A” simply because they came to class occasionally. A group that so easily and openly exclaims “I’m bored,” and then proceeds to simply turn off for the remainder of the period. A population who does not respect adults and authority so boldly that they feel no shame about being asking daily, even hourly, to comply with the simplest of instructions like, “spit out your gum.” This group seems to lack motivation, desire, or any sense of urgency in their lives to do much more then to respond to their next text message, check to see who wants to be added as a friend on their MySpace web page, or get in line for the newest and goriest splatter (horror) film. It’s kinda scary.

My high school recently celebrated Homecoming. We still go old-school with a parade including dignitaries, the band and floats decorated by the different graduating classes. We have a rally, a football game half time show including fireworks, and of course, a dance. My campus educates approximately 3400 kids. At best no more that 25% of these kids participated in the festivities. And the parade that starts at the campus, tours the downtown area, and returns to the school site is increasingly being seen by many in the city as a “nuisance.” There are many traditions celebrated at this over 100 year old public high school that many hold very close to their hearts; and that many others don’t know exist, and aren’t interested in learning about. We teach in a changing world. But who are really the ones that need to change?

Frustrated with all of this, and a 2-4 football record to date, I and many of my colleagues instinctually point to the students as the problem. As a population, the kids regularly disappoint us when they fail to meet our expectations. I, along with others, believe that high expectations are the best way to raise up an individuals performance, improve their abilities, and ultimately teach them how to be successful. However, when the contrast between a teacher’s expectation for student success (hard-work, commitment, dedication) and a student’s expectation for his or her success (just give me an “A” for showing up) is so severe, what’s left is a quandary not easily solved. After all, these kids will be running the country and the planet someday, they need to be well prepared. Unfortunately, too few students in the population I teach have a tangible understanding of their future, why they should set goals, and how to plan to achieve those goals. Sadly, the main goal in life for too many of the kids in my classroom is to “get paid,” without any idea of what to do to “get paid” that doesn’t involve something they heard once in a song on their iPod, or while watching Mtv.

Contrast that with the three sister students I recently had the opportunity to chat with. The two younger girls are twins and their sister is one year older. All three want to go to college and practice medicine. The twins were born with heart problems and had to stay on heart monitors for the first two years of their lives. Now they recognize the value of those doctors and others who helped them live and have built a strong desire to contribute positively to the world. How influential their early life experience actually is on their goals and dreams now I can’t say for sure, and these girls are not an anomaly in the current population, however, they do feel like the minority.

So, for us as teachers, what do we do? We can’t change the students, we can’t change the standards, we can’t change the general blasé in the average student, and we can’t single-handedly change the world. What we can do is change our internal metrics for how we evaluate and relate to our students. Our football team may not finish this year with a winning season. Despite the best efforts of our coaches, they may not be able to turn what is a good group of light-hearted boys into a serious group of dominating athletes. But does that mean that their season will be a failure? Is the record of 2-4 the only metric they should use to measure success? It’s an important metric but it’s not the only metric. Should our student government group who worked so hard to put on a fantastic homecoming event be discouraged by the low participation rate, or by the unfortunately negative attitude of some of the locals? One of the sisters who wants to be a doctor went to the homecoming dance and told me that she had a wonderful time.

Unfortunately, I can’t honestly guarantee that every student in my classes is going to pass my course, or even learn any of the expected outcomes that I have chosen to teach. I can’t force them to participate, come to class on time everyday, or even remember to spit out their gum. I can’t make them care or choose goals for a future they cannot comprehend (yet). Does that mean that I am a failing teacher? The answer depends on how I define my personal metrics for success.
(Read The Metrics part 1 here.)

Main Attraction?

Recently, while talking after class with two of my new teacher grad students, it dawned on me that in education the delivery of content should be the sideshow; the building of people should be the main attraction. But it doesn’t appear that way. Right now all of the attention is focused sharply on test scores. Schools live and breath by standardized test results. It’s warped. Of course accountability is critically important, and the accountability of the education system that trains today’s youth and tomorrow’s leaders should be taken very seriously. But the current pendulum swing emphasizes training outstanding test takers over creating exceptional people. We need to remember that it is the students who are the reason we are teaching, not the test scores. Sadly, today the "education of exceptional people" is bumped over to the side-stage, falling in the shadow of the headliner, "achieve higher test scores."

Any teacher can tell you that the external pressure to “teach to the test” is greater than ever. I don’t have a problem with the “teach to the test” approach in general, but if “teaching to the test” means that all the lessons in the classroom must be focused on test taking, there is a problem. When you add up the amount of time consumed by the number of standards in any curriculum framework, the rigor of the scope and sequence guidelines, and the schedule of frequent common formative assessments, there isn’t much time for anything that is not going to be assessed on the tests in the spring.

It’s happening at every grade level. A friend and colleague of mine has a student in kindergarten. His son’s kindergarten class is devoid of play-dough, musical chants, and letter or number dances. They have been replaced by carpet-time drills, severe discipline, and homework. Yes, homework for kindergarten. Kids are learning right away that school is serious business, and rarely any fun. The amazing thing is that kindergarteners don’t take the tests that count for overall school accountability. Well, we have to start somewhere.

My children attend the same school district. We recently received a letter explaining that my son and daughter’s school did not achieve an adequate overall score in math, so changes are being made. Actually, it was only the low SES (socio-economic status) subgroup that did not hit the benchmark. However, all students are now receiving more instruction in math that has materialized in even more math worksheet homework for my kids. Both of my own children achieved proficient or advanced scores in math on last years test, but they are still receiving the extra math homework. Many of the kids from the low SES subgroup who failed to reach the mark in math also failed to attend school regularly last year. Even with a free bus pass for 95% attendance as an incentive, many of these students did not or were not able to attend school a sufficient number of days for the teacher to prepare them adequately for the spring tests. So the whole school pays the price.

Speaking of paying the price, I was thinking that the answer to the problem must be a fine for the parents whose students do not attend school either because the parents don’t send them or they children decide to be truant. However, I asked one of our security guards about this and he told me that there is already a $100 fine for students caught truant. He also told me that he didn’t feel that it was fair to the parents to fine them when the problem at the high school level was really with the students, and that $100 was a real hardship for many of the parents involved.

Education should be valued. It should be the most important thing in a child’s life outside of their family. But I’m afraid that education is not valued in our society today, and that many children and parents don’t take it seriously. It seems like getting educated is less important then “gettin’ payd!” Forgetting of course that at least up to high school one with a diploma is likely to get paid more, then one without the paper. Why don’t people take education more seriously? Could it be because public education is free? Generally speaking, people tend to value less that which cost them less, or nothing. Furthermore, if the general public starts to realize that the best public education can do for their children right now is to make them outstanding test takers, then I’m afraid that the devaluation of education will continue.

But teachers know better; at least we hope for the better. We know that regardless of where the pendulum currently swings, that our roles in the lives of our students are far more valuable then simply those of a test proctor. We know that when these young minds sit in our desks and listen to our voices that the messages behind what we say is far more important then just how to bubble in A, B, C, or D. We recognize that while we may have to “teach to the test” that there are hundreds of “teachable moments” that occur so that we can continue to include the sharing of our own life’s lessons, the fruit of our wisdom, and the passion of our hearts. Our enthusiasm for life and our insatiable appetite for learning will continue to be infectious and our students will continue to cling to those moments as they hinge on our every word and the true classroom learning occurs.

Like the sideshow at the circus that includes the amazing magicians, the incredible contortionist, or even the bearded lady, we lure our students into the classroom with promises of great feats in algebra, biology, and economics. Then we keep them glued to their seats with our parade of lions, elephants, and standards. On the way to the Grand Spring Testing Finale, we teach them how to be better humans, and prosper in the big top of life.

Diplomas Matter?

Earning a high school diploma is a great achievement. It’s one of the challenges that most Americans share and that unite us as a community. From kindergarten to senior year we follow a structured schedule of demanding courses that do more than simply teach us to read, write and add. The diploma at the end of the journey represents a lifetime of accomplishment earned through a rigorous and common course of study and reflects a mature level of preparation for adult life.

There seems to be a philosophical battle between those who recognize the personal and social importance of receiving a high school diploma, and those who understand the intellectual and academic impact of earning a high school diploma. It feels like the personal and social group is winning the war when employers continue to complain about the inadequate job public schools do preparing the work force. It seems like every year we hear about more and more public schools that graduate or promote students into the world without teaching them to read, write and add at the most basic level.

However, California schools today are more focused than ever on rigorous standards and common assessments to make sure that the students do meet at least the most basic levels of proficiency. The current push in California is for all high school students to meet the A-G requirements as determined by the University of California whether or not they plan on attending college. There is additional pressure being applied by California Career Technical Education to teach more vocational education courses that incorporate the standards and better prepare students for the job market. And yet there remains a population of students who either fail to graduate, or instead receive their diplomas without mastering basic skills.

In an effort to ensure the high school diploma maintains its relevance, the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) was recently mandated by the California Department of Education as a requirement for graduation. The CAHSEE is intended to prevent students in California from receiving a high school diploma without first proving that they can indeed read, write and add as assessed on a standardized exit exam.

Last week an Alameda County superior court judge issued an injunction that may remove the requirement for the class of 2006. In an article from the Redlands Daily Facts posted on May 14, 2006, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell said, “The preliminary injunction against California's exit exam denies the vast majority of students in the Class of 2006 the opportunity to graduate with diplomas that certify mastery of essential skills in reading and math, and it's bad news for California students who have worked hard to pass the exit exam."

If diplomas don’t, “certify mastery of essential skills in reading and math,” then what do they certify? Is the high school diploma losing its value? Why isn’t the course work completed over 13 years of study adequately preparing some students at even the most basic level? The CAHSEE graduation requirement promotes it to significance almost equal to the catalog of course work required of students to earn their diploma. The effect is huge. Students still have to earn a predetermined number of credits in a variety of subject areas to graduate, but without the CAHSEE, their course work is insufficient to earn them a diploma.

In recent years, California high schools have focused major class time and resources to preparing all students to pass the CAHSEE test. If a student fails the CAHSEE on their first attempt as a sophomore, their elective course choices in some high schools are restricted to review courses designed to help them pass. Students who fail the CAHSEE on subsequent attempts are put at the front of the scholastic line and given even more resources to help them attain the skills needed to pass the test, and ultimately receive a diploma.

O’Connell also stated, "we do no favors to students who have not mastered basic skills by handing them a diploma," he said. "We can better serve those students by helping them to complete their education. I look forward to appealing the case so that, at the end of the legal day, the exit exam will stand as an important measure of accountability in California schools."

How is it possible that students who “have not mastered basic skills” can still receive a diploma? How large are the cracks and how deep are the chasms these students are falling into? So long as social promotion continues to be a normal and acceptable practice, and students continue to move between districts and campuses without a strong support mechanism to ensure an appropriate transfer and placement, kids will continue to fall behind. Add to that the large immigrant population in California pouring students into the system late in their academic careers and it’s not hard to see why some kids struggle to master basic skills despite our best educational efforts.

Accountability in California schools is crucially important. Measuring accountability by a single standardized exit exam that all students must pass in order to receive a diploma may not be as crucial. The problem is the “all” part of the statement. Of course we need a measurement by which “all” students can be assessed. But isn’t that what their course work already measures? How do we design a single test that equally assess a student who was born and raised in California and spent 13 years in the education system the same way it assesses a student who has just moved here from the Philippines and is just learning English?

Diplomas matter. They are a significant and consequential document, not just a simple symbol of mastery of the most basic skills. This year at graduation when we watch our students walk through the gateway of destiny and out into the world armed with their diplomas we should be confident that they are more than adequately prepared for whatever new challenges await them.

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5-25-2006 UPDATE

EXIT EXAM REINSTATED Today, the Supreme Court of California issued a stay in the case of Valenzuela v. O’Connell, regarding the California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE). The stay reinstates the requirement that public school students pass the CAHSEE in order to graduate from high school.

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Moments Matter?

Kids need to know we care about them. That it’s important to you that they come to class everyday and give their best effort. By taking a moment to talk to them personally they come to understand that you care not just about their attendance but also about their personal success.

Some people call them “teachable moments.” But that term generally refers to those moments during class when your instruction takes an unscheduled but welcomed turn. While those moments are very important, and can be wonderful affirmations of our efficacy as teachers, the more personal moments we spend with students, when we make a connection between individuals, has an even greater impact.

When I was student teaching high school English my master teacher gave me a great tool for the last six weeks of school. During the first week in May he gave the students a list of vocabulary words, short stories, and essays that they could complete at their own pace without direct instruction (having already occurred). It was an opportunity for the students to work independently while the teacher began to close out the school year. Brilliant.

I’ve used this technique ever since to great success. By the end of the third quarter I am effectively finished with any type of instruction and students are heavily involved in completing both group and individual assignments due in late May and June. At this time of year I am freed up to grade projects, and work more closely with students. Since the format of the day is less teacher-focused and more student-structured, I am able to move around the room checking in with groups and answering individual questions.

More than any other time during the school year, I now have opportunities to develop and refine relationships with the students. These relationships often lead off topic and into the kids’ more personal concerns. For example, one of my students stopped me after school Friday to ask for my guidance concerning a close friend of his involved in drugs. I counseled him the best I could. Another student just bought his first Jeep. I gave him some suggestions as to where to go for service and parts.

These conversations may not be a regular part of the curriculum, but the impact on the students is long lasting. Of course I would never commit an entire hour to Jeep repair, but within the context of a working environment, there should be time allowed for sharing beyond the confines of the class work. Students learn from teachers in obvious and intentional ways as well as ways unseen and unplanned.

My high school Algebra and Geometry teacher was named Bob. Bob loved to tell us stories about his time in the war. We soaked it up like syrup on pancakes. Students learn from us when we share our stories. But storytelling is only one-way communication. Dialogue is a far more effective tool when we pay attention to who they are and are willing to connect at a level they understand.

This year my advanced students are a little nutty. Enthusiastic, exuberant, and fun to spend time with for sure, but they are also a little bit out of control from time to time. One of their assignments is a 5-minute personal project video. One student is recording different dance styles to put to music. He wants to include my dancing in his project. I’m no dancer; but I do feel the “movement of the beat” occasionally. I’m a good sport so I let him record just a few seconds of my moves.

Another thing I have time for at this time of year are letters of recommendation. Taking a moment to write a letter about a student for their college application or personal portfolio is important. I am always shocked, usually in good ways, by the things people write about me. I just don’t see myself the way others do, and neither do our students. A great deal of positive good can be achieved through taking a few moments to write down your observations about a student in a professional format that can be used to expand their horizons. I’ve even written a few letters to vouch for the good character of students facing expulsion. Those letters can sometimes by difficult to phrase correctly. However, taking time to write a short positive letter that helps a reformed student return to school is worth anybody’s time.

I don’t have an office, so like Fonzie in the men’s room, when I need a private moment to speak frankly with a student we have to step outside my classroom. I have had many important, perhaps even life-changing, discussions with kids I felt needed to hear an adult speak honestly with them about their choices. Without judgment or pretense I have shared my perspective and what I hope was useful experience. (I made enough rotten choices in my own life to be an expert.)

It’s in these moments that our job as teacher transcends the cold distance between lecture and desk and takes on an intimacy when lives truly can be changed. Not all teachers are comfortable with sharing their life stories, or taking the time to get to know their students, and that’s fine. But it is the teachers who do put forth the extra effort who will be remembered fondly by their students.

Every morning in the fall a young lady walked into my classroom looking down at the floor, sat at her desk, and would not talk to anyone unless she was forced to. I got into the habit of welcoming her to the classroom every time she walked through the doorway. For the first few weeks she would wait outside for other students to walk in, and then hide behind them so I wouldn’t see her come in. That never worked. Eventually she would show a small smile when she heard me say, “howdy.” At the semester break she was moved into sixth period. A few weeks later she began to say hello to me when she walked into class. Quiet and shy, if anyone else was speaking near me I would miss her greeting. Now, every day she walks into class with a bright smile and makes sure I hear her say, “hello.”

The little moments we take to acknowledge our students matter a lot more than we might think. With all of the standards, and test preparation teachers are required to do today, it’s not easy to take time to communicate to the kids that they are important individuals, not just test takers, worthy of our personal time and attention.

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Activities Matter?

School is about more than academics. School is about sharing a common experience when we grow into young adults, learn about the world we live in, and sometimes score a touchdown, win a debate, perform on stage, and for the really lucky, fall in love at Prom. Some teachers think that extracurricular activities like sports, clubs, performing arts, and dances are not an important part of school since they can sometimes distract from the academic experience. I think that an equally important amount of education occurs when students are on campus, but not in the classroom. For some students, extracurricular activities are the reason they come to school everyday.

Think back to your own school days; did you really passionate about Social Studies? Did Spanish class make you rush to school everyday? Maybe for some of us it did. But I think that most high school students find their reasons to come to school outside the regular classroom schedule.

I have some experience in this area as not only a student, but also a teacher and advisor. In middle and high school I was involved in the Drama department. I performed in plays, hung lights, and hung out with my friends in the “cafetorium.” It was the time of my life, and the reason I loved coming to school. I didn’t love my academic class because I struggled so hard to simply survive. I was a fair, but in no way outstanding student, and I hated, really hated subjects like English, foreign language, history, P.E., pretty much everything other than Drama, band, and math. Because of my school experience I never wanted to become a teacher; that happened much, much later.

As a teacher I spent two years advising the Associated Student Body student government group at the high school where I currently work. During that time I worked closely with students and administrators planning and implementing numerous activities for the students on campus. (I even wrote a manual you can download here.) The goal was always to provide a positive experience for the students and to give them an additional reason to come to school. Student should love the school they attend and should be made to feel not only a part of the campus, but also to feel like their presence and the contributions they make to their school are part of the institution’s biology. Most of the time that doesn’t occur naturally in their academic classes. Its not that teachers don’t make students feel welcome, but that the daily focus of class should be on learning, not necessarily campus inclusion. That’s what extracurricular activities are all about.

The students I currently teach are not created from the same mold as the ones who participate in student government. Most of my advanced students would be branded “at risk.” While bright and fun to teach, most are not on their way to university, (however I am proud to say that I have two attending USC in the fall.) These kids need a reason to come to school and they don’t find it in English, Algebra, and Science. They come to school to shoot and edit video, make web site, and create animations. Those types of assignments aren’t (yet) available in most A-G course offerings. I think eventually elective courses like mine will vanish when the type of work students do in my classes becomes a regular part of the general academic curriculum. But for now, electives like multimedia along with football, cheerleading, and choir draw students in and give them a motivation to at least maintain the 2.0 GPA required to participate.

Friday nights in the fall you can find me on the football field. No, not playing, or even coaching, but working with a group of students who videotape the football game for the football coaching staff. Three students shoot from two angles, and one runs back and forth on the sideline getting up-close shots of the players and action. I love contributing my time to the football program because the students I work with love to participate and contribute to the team. We even eat dinner with the players. My students, who might otherwise look forward to party-central come Friday night, instead spend the week talking and thinking about their jobs on the field. The kids even get a small amount of pay from the parent boosters for their work.

My high school is known for more than just the football program. There are numerous elective and after-school student groups that recruit kids into positive experiences that offer them a wide variety of opportunities to shine and grow. From Mock Trial and Academic Olympiad to Speech and Debate to AFJROTC, there is a place for every kind of student to call home, and group to call family.

My lovely wife and I chaperone Prom every year. I love Prom for all that it represents: a celebration of the school year and all of the student’s accomplishments. For four magical hours on Prom night everyone looks great, the kids are on their best behavior (well, most of them) and all of the stress and complications of the school year seem to evaporate. Every year I take a group picture with my senior students. Those photos are some of the treasures I hold on to after another class of students has said goodbye.

Of course academic classes lead more students to higher test scores than do extracurricular activities, but what leads students into those academic classes? What keeps students coming to school everyday? What motivates them to earn good and even great grades? Where do kids find a place to belong? Where do they discover their unique and individual identities? Where do they have the chance to contribute to and become a part of something bigger than themselves? Where do they battle apathy and realize compassion? How do students broaden their collegiate opportunities? Where do we teachers have the most fun spending time with our students? The answer is usually on campus, but not within the boundaries of the six-period day or within the confines of the four walls of the classroom.

If you teach high school and are not involved with a club at lunch, or a sport, or an activity after school, give it a try. Sure it will require more of your time, but it will time well invested into the lives and success of your students. Like the kids, involvement in an extracurricular activity may actually make you look forward to coming to school. The more you enjoy coming to school, the harder you will work, and the more you will improve as a teacher.

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