All about those numbers

Testing is not teaching

Testing is not learning

A student is more than a test score

A teacher is more than a test score

Unfortunately politicians only care about those numbers.

I should just start video chatting my lessons. Why bother with actual teaching when numbers is what I need to obtain. Why impact a life when a test score measures how effective I am as an educator. Better yet my own test scores now play a role in in my effectiveness. Yes, my ACT or SAT scores determine if I am eligible for a scholarship (a.k.a. bonus). I am a highly effective teacher based on Florida standards but due to this new policy I may not qualify for this bonus. I would need to rank in the 80th percentile on my own ACT or SAT scores that I took over a decade ago in order to qualify. This policy which happens to be called Florida's Best and Brightest "Scholarship" gives teachers with highly effective ratings and their own high achieving ACT or SAT test scores up to $10,000. The thinking behind this policy is that the brightest teachers get the most out of their students. I am one of Florida's best teachers but I know that I am not one of their brightest stars.

When I first heard about this policy I thought it was a joke, nope it actually went through. Who would of thought that a test I took over ten years ago would play apart of me receiving a bonus. I was just taking these test to get into college...or so I thought. I never thought these scores would play any role in my adult life, but no here they are again. It's like a bad sunburn. Which is exactly what I had the day I took the ACT that bright and early Saturday morning in 2002.

Here is the official explanation of the "scholarship" from the state of Florida's website:

Beginning in 2015-2016 school year the scholarship program shall provide funding for scholarships to be awarded to teachers who have demonstrated a high level of academic achievement. To be eligible for a scholarship, a teacher must have scored at or above the 80th percentile on either the SAT or ACT based upon the percentile ranks in effect when the teacher took the assessment and also have been evaluated as highly effective pursuant to. s. 1012.34,F.S.

First Class ticket

Send me to the principals office 

I heard this phrase one too many times over the past year. This phrase can change to:

Just write me a referral

Can you just send me to ISR/ISS

Students are actually asking to get punished. When I was in school this was the last item on my to-do list; in fact I made it a habit to avoid trouble at all cost. 

Sadly, things have changed. Going to the principals office or being sent out of class is not a real punishment. In some cases it's a mini vacation a way for them to escape a struggle.

I have had students ask me to actually write them a referral so they could be sent out of the classroom. The look on my face must be priceless each time this demand is made. I ignore the requests and carry on. One student even threatened to throw a globe across the room. He was doing this as a courtesy for me you see. This way I would have something to write on the referral.
Pre-threat: student asked for a referral to be written for him
Post-threat: student threw a globe across the room so he could be sent out of the classroom
Thankfully, after a day passed this student realized his blunder and wrote an apology note.

One of my 8th graders, who tends to shut down when they are overwhelmed, asked me to email the principal in order for them to get out of class. Mind you this was during a group project.
I lost it.
I asked her if I could be sent to the principal's office and she replied with a no. I proceeded with, "Then why can students ask to be sent out and adults can't? I received a blank stare. By now I had an audience of listeners. "Do you know the adult translation of 'can I be sent to the principal's office is?' Jail, there is no adult principal's office. I can be fired from my job, I can become a burden to society because I do not want to take any responsibilities for myself. That is what happens when adults get sent to the principal's office. So do you still want to go or are you going to finish your work?"
No response, but work was quickly resumed and I was never asked that question again. 

This trend of requesting punishment concerns me. It concerns me that they want a quick escape from any challenging situation. That they are avoiding something that is outside of their comfort zone. And that they lack the skills to properly communicate what is truly bothering them. I am not sure there is a cure to this growing trend other than honest conversations.

{For those wondering}

ISR: in suspension room

ISS: in school suspension 

Those test scores

Test scores are funny. Especially state tests. You work all year for these tests and then once you are done taking them you have to wait months on end to find out your score. This was the first year I administered the FAIR test which is taken several times throughout the year. Unlike state tests the results are automatic which seems to motivate students to out perform their last test scores. 

On the last FAIR test a student did so well that he wanted to document a job well done so he could show others. I enjoyed watching his excitement towards his test results. I rarely see this type of reaction with tests; mostly because I do not hand out high stakes test scores. 

 I believe when students are automatically given their scores there is a deeper meaning to tests. When there is a prolonged waiting period when receiving test scores the test is long forgotten once they arrive in the mail. 

If tests are taken online shouldn't the results be automatic? Just wondering. 

The fact of the matter is a test score will not define your fate.

Surviving tests

I really do not like tests. I did not like taking tests when I was in school. I do not like proctoring tests. I do not like grading tests. In fact, I hardly give traditional tests in my classroom. A little piece of me dies whenever standardized state test season rolls around. Two months of on again off again testing is not much fun and drains every ounce of energy from everyone on campus. It's the worst. After a three hour tests students are spent and have no desire to accomplish anything academic. For the math test we actually pulled out I SPY books in order to unwind and relax our brain. 

I really do not think people outside of education realize how dreadful these tests are. Has anyone watched a plant actually grow for hours upon hours? Well this is similar to watching students take multiple tests. Pure entertainment I tell ya. John Oliver did a brilliant job explaining the joy of standardized testing. It's all too true and I encourage you to watch his clip. 

The outcomes of no change

I came across this quote a while ago and it made me stop and think. 
"If you focus on outcomes you will never change. If you focus on change you will get outcomes." 

Outcomes come slowly to begin with. But they will never come if we do not change. As a teacher I wait for those numbers to start pouring in over the summer. Ah standardized test scores. How glorious and nerve wrecking at the same time. Will the outcomes be what we aimed for all year? There are always let downs and surprises that come out of this discovery.

What I have been wrestling with this year is the quote above. The outcomes of these new common core state test scores seem to be a mystery not to mention how they will affect teachers and students is relatively unknown. Because these two factors are not chiseled out in stone the outcomes are taking a back seat this year. It's not that I'm ignoring potential outcomes; I just do not know what these outcomes are nor how they will affect others.

 Change has played a major role in teaching this year. The old test has retired and a new kid is on the block. Hello Florida State Assessment. Our song and dance for the FCAT is out dated. Causing us to develop new tricks in order to impress Mr. FSA.

 It's like going on a blind date. I am unaware what this person will find admirable. So what do you do in this type of situation? You change because quite frankly there is nothing else you can do. Change your clothes, jewelry and slap on a fresh color of polish because you have a boy to impress. Unfortunately this so called boy comes in the form of a test and could care less what you look like. Unless you are clumsy and some how mess up this computer based test by exiting before you were told to. So here's to the year of change. May the outcomes be ever in our favor. 

Looking in the mirror

I've always been perplexed by the double standard of being a teacher. There seems to be a microscope that pops out and examines various aspects of our lives at any given moment. If we say or do something that is less than teacherish we get our hand slapped. There is very little room for errors because we live our lives in the spotlight whether we like to admit it or not. I've been told on numerous occasions to not be seen in local bars or to be walking into a certain movie at a theater, looking at a type of book in a bookstore and even watch what I write about. You never know how people will interpret words, what eyes will see or what ears will hear.

To make matters worse we are expected to act like good little soldiers. New mandates and latest trends in education flood our classrooms on a yearly basis with little input from educators regarding these changes. You will hear very few teacher complain about these new standards as a whole, but behind closed doors eyes are rolling.

For the most part I don't mind being held to higher standards. I'm a rule follower. I put my students first and know what is best for them. Sometimes I just wish I was treated like an adult and not a student.

Know that I write my post in an honest manner. I am not here to offend anyone or any institution. I am just exercising my freedom of speech. After all that's the beauty of teaching in America.

Paper buffet

It's funny how we tend to worry about the littlest things sometimes. Over the last several weeks my main worry is focused around paper. I know odd. Who worries about paper. Apparently I do now. I've never been one to worry about paper but when you're given five reams of paper to last you the entire school year, worry tends to happen. To be honest, I didn't really know what a ream was until the beginning of this school year. I've heard of the word I just didn't know how big a ream was. Turns out it's a single pack of paper. I was hoping it would be a box of paper, but I was wrong. To make matters worse my paper worry has seeped into my dreams. Yep, I dreamed of endless amounts of paper and then had other dreams where I was experiencing a paper drought.  I have started to look at paper in a totally new light. Each piece more precious than a pound of gold. This paper worry is new territory for me. For the last five years I have been surrounded by endless amounts of paper at school. A paper buffet if you have it. At any given moment I could grab a pack of paper and no one would question me. Now, I slightly considered locking my paper up just to keep it safe. I triple think how many copies I need to make. If a student loses their notes they better fork over two dollars for me to print another copy. Who needs to have hard copies of IEP accommodations; I'll just look them up on the computer.

 Oh are the days of endless paper.   

Three letters PLC

First off I would like to ask who in the world came up with PLCs?

Before I go any further I need to tell you a little bit about myself...I like things to be organized, I enjoy being productive and in general I like being prepared ahead of time.

I was introduced to these three little letters two years ago.

I really had no idea what this PLC thing was going to be about and I'm pretty sure no one else around me did either.

The first two months of PLCing (yes, I just turned it into a verb) went fine...then again I do not remember anything significant happening. Then sometime in October I was over PLCs. It's like a truck carrying PLC ran me over and I wanted nothing to do with it.

I felt like I was not being productive and was being held captive. In my book not being productive is not an option...teaching three grade levels and IEPs...I don't have time to waste.

I had my fill of PLCs one Wednesday morning when I was sitting in a meeting and all of a sudden I had the urge to cry. I hate crying...nothing good ever comes out of crying. Tears were filling my eyes and my friend, who knew my frustration with PLCs, leaned over and sweetly said "why don't we take a walk."

I didn't budge because I knew if I left the meeting I was not coming back...so I sat there doing nothing praying that the watery substance in my eyes would go away!

The meeting ended and we were released to go about our day.

I talked this incident over with a few teachers and I came to the conclusion that I personally needed to lower my expectations of PLCs....and what do you know it worked! I started bringing my interactive notebook and lesson materials to PLCs and that little act made these meetings more bearable. 

That empty chair

I typically have one of these chairs in each class. Day in and day out there seems to be an empty chair. That chair should have a student in it and yet it doesn't. For this reason or that a student did not make it to class today. 

I often wonder what will happen to students who perpetually miss class on a regular basis. Perhaps schools not for them and they will seek other options to educate themselves. As educators, we desire for our students to be successful, but if they do not want that success for themselves then why bother. 

This week there has been a particular desk that has been empty. A student that I have been with for the last three years is finding it difficult to finish what they started. Every avenue has been traveled down to assist this student onto the path of success and nothing seems to work. After awhile all we can do is hand that student a map, wish them well and continue on our journey of helping others. Is it difficult to see that empty desk? Yes, but after a while there is not much I can do. How can I fill an empty chair if the student it belongs to does not want to be there?

Cute aspect

When you think of a teacher what comes to mind

I really hope someone thought of Jessica Day from New Girl...although I do not think she is still a teacher on the show. 

I'm not a big fan of the cuteness of education. You know...the warm fuzzies, an array of color and glitter. Which may sound funny to those who have been in my classroom because it has color and some glitter. 

There is nothing I love more than a sarcastic teacher with an edge. I have no idea how to relate to bubbly teachers that have butterflies and rainbows sprouting from their very existence...they creep me out. So here is my own rendition of Jessica Day's quotable:

Oh hey, I have something to say and I'm pretty sure you may interpret it as less than positive. I smile when I am telling the truth, which is a semi-problem. I do not like rocking school related t-shirts to school or anywhere else. I have touched a handful of colorful pens within the last nine hours. I spend my entire day talking to teenagers, which most people try to avoid.  And I find it fundamentally strange that a teacher's worth is based on a test score. That's just cruel. And I'm sorry I don't talk like I am Mrs. Frizzle from the Magic School Bus. And I hate when people put on a front. I wish we could say what we wanted and wouldn't be called negative. And that doesn't mean I'm not a positive person it just means that I am who I am.

The non-passing ones

I hate failing students, but at the same time I don't understand how you fail a class. I mean it's not that hard to pass....listen, follow directions, work hard and complete assignment...it's not rocket science. What boggles my mind even more is that there are students that have straight 100%s and then those that have 34%s. 

Quarter three is coming to a close which prompts me to create a whose failing list for each grade level. Each quarter I create this list and have noticed there are repeat offenders. I typically post this list two weeks prior to the quarter ending so they can get their act together and pass. There is nothing I hate more when a student asks for extra work when they are failing because we all know that if you did the work that was assigned this conversation would not be happening. 

 The sad thing is that a majority of the students on this list seem not to care...they're not panicking! They either don't care or they're so used to this happening that failing does not phase them. At this point in the game if you have failed multiple quarters the chances of you having to repeat a class is rather high. Even this piece of information does not seem to light the fire underneath them. Not only are the students not freaking out, but the parents are not even calling to see why they are not passing. I am the one calling the parents and informing them on their student's non-passing grade. Now tell me ...is there anything wrong with this scenario?

Energy stealer

Also known as bronchitis

I cannot exactly recall what happened in the classroom this past week

I was there, lessons were taught 

it's just a little fuzzy

To say that I was off my game is an understatement.

To top is all off I was contagious all week.

So taking Friday off was a smart decision given the fact that I lasted four days with 15% energy level. 

While I was away....

Poor April and May were entirely neglected as far as the blogging world goes. I'm not even going to lie..I did not even think about writing during these two months. Well the dust has cleared from this past school year and I am ready to share how it all ended...eventually.

 

Until then, I stumbled upon this little golden nugget:

Yep this happened without me knowing

The write up of my blog is interesting

 

17. Oh Happy Day – Despite focusing on one of the most challenging career paths in the world of middle school education, this blog maintains a hopeful, upbeat tone throughout. M.E. Hall, a Los Angeles educator who teaches children with mild disabilities, brings her readers into her world with thoughtful posts accompanied by illustrations.
Where to begin: Hall’s honest conversations with her students give the reader a snapshot of her persona and her outlook on teaching.

First of all I never knew I taught in Los Angeles

I guess when I said I teach middle school L.A. I should of been more clear

L.A .stands for language arts...not Los Angeles...

 

To lessen the confusion I changed my bio to:

I teach middle school Language Arts

 

Nevertheless I am flattered

 

Question

Should I get paid more since I have chosen "one of the most challenging career paths in the world of middle school education"?

 

 

The one with his head down

If you take a close look at this photo you will see that there are four students working and one student doing the opposite. I shall call this student Mr. F.

 

Let me give you some background information on Mr. F:

I have taught him language arts for two and a half years.

Half of sixth, all of the seventh and what is left of 8th grade.

He originally started off in general education classrooms, but was not making it so he was placed in all intensive classes.

I do believe his goal was to land himself into a life skills class so he would have the least amount of work possible...and by looking at the picture he close to completing this goal.

 

I have done everything possible to help him be successful.

Called "parents"

Spoke with other teachers

tried to get him to attend tutoring

gave him the benefit of the doubt

Provided him with art supplies

praised him with no end in sight

supported him when others wrote him off

 

and yet this is what I get. Head down with no interest to improve his writing ability. Now, he does have good days and even great days, but these last couple of weeks have been rough for him, myself and everyone around him. I am at the point where I have to let him go and give the attention he would be getting to my other students because clearly he has given up.

 

Do I want to give up on Mr. F?

No

Has he given me anything to work with?

No

 

If by chance he starts beliving in himself again I will reposition myself as his biggest supporter...until then I have others students to worry about.

 

 

And the count down begins

I hate tests

I hate that it turns my students into mindless machines printing out words to impress a scorer

Nevertheless testing season has begun in the sunshine state.

FL writes is less than a month away and to kick off the anticipation of this blessed day I made a paper chain. Yes, each paper ring has a date on it signifying one less day they can suck any knowledge out of me and cram it in their heads.

So to those other teachers out there...hang in there!

//SIDE NOTE\\

The majority of this post is saturated with sarcasm

Mam would you like to...

Buy a bag of school supplies for students who are in need this school year?

...no, thanks

For the last month and a half this question has been asked at several stores

...truth be told I have never bought any of those bags of school supplies for needy students

Do I feel guilty

...yes & no

There have been times where I explain why I am not going to donate money for other students school supplies

...I teach and I already provide students with supplies

And there have been times when no reason is given

...if they only knew what I do for a living they would not be asking me this question.

I am sure if you are a teacher you have noticed the penny deal policies have changed in some of the office supply stores. These changes have effected how I go about supplying my own classroom and in turn have allowed me to have some interesting conversations with people, who are not in the classroom, about school supplies. 

One such conversation was with an employee at Staples. I was with a fellow teacher buying the ever so valuable notebook paper; when this gentleman asked why teachers have to supply students with paper: "don't they bring their own paper to school?" 

...what a dream students that had supplies for the entire year

Students do bring their own paper to school. Unfortunately, this paper last to September and then the asking starts:

...miss do you have any paper?

We explained to the man at staples that teachers are not going to penalize students for not having paper. There is learning to be done and if a student needs paper we are going to give them some paper. 

I used to get annoyed when students did not bring a pencil to class and now I brush it off my shoulder because I know there are bigger things to worry about!

Then came the conversation with my dad when I said students would give me a quarter for a spiral notebook. He said I should not be taking money from students in return for a notebook...and I agree with him. However, if I have waited a week and a half for students to bring in a notebook for class and they have not I will gladly sell them one. It's a quarter. I find that when students buy there own supplies for a couple of cents they have ownership of that notebook; it's not a hand out...they take pride in knowing that they bought their own notebook. 

The fact of the matter is that it would be nice if students came to school prepared for the entire day or even year, but this is not the world we live in. I believe people outside the classroom think students come to school bright eyed and bushy tailed ready for a day of learning...sometimes they do and sometimes they don't! I want my students to have a positive experience in school and if that means I provide them with a piece of paper or a pencil for the day...even if they buy it for a couple of cents...I am going to do what I have to do!

...after all I am a teacher this is part of the job description

Cotton Headed Ninny Muggins

This is what I would like to call the genius' who decided to have three half days the week of Christmas.

Yep

that's right Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are all half days.

W-H-Y

To distract myself of all the merriment that I am missing at home I have created a list of distracting activities

an Anthropologie craft inspiration happening tomorrow

wrapping up Christmas presents

shopping for Christmas presents

baking Christmas treats
burning Christmas candles

and a whole lot of Christmas movies

FA-LA-LA-LA-LA
HURRY UP

Why be Punctual?

Well Mr. President gave his yearly speech to students today.

Which was fifteen minutes late...so we waited in limbo for him to grace us with his presence that lasted twenty two minutes and nine seconds.

//This is what was discussed\\

students are the future so make it a good one

stay determined and perserver

being the best of the best

troubled economic times
facebook/twitter drama

taking risks

//Here is my issue\\

Obama encouraged students to further their education after school by attending some sort of college. Going to any  college is not an option for everyone...especially for my students. He stated that more than 60% of jobs in the future will require a degree higher than a high school diploma. Well my students will most likely graduate with a special diploma and will be turned away from furthering their education...so what is their option? Take the 40% of jobs that require less than a high school diploma? There has to be other options!



//All in all I have heard better\\

Florida's Future

I recently received this email from student first that outlined changes in education that is soon to take place:

Dear Florida Member,

Thanks to your diligent efforts, next year Florida students will have a much greater chance at having a great teacher and attending a great school. Last week, following the transformative Student Success Law, Florida passed additional bills which will give parents the information and choices they deserve to ensure their child gets a great education.

Next year, Florida will be putting students first by:

• Allowing the expansion and fair financing of high performing charter schools, creating more choices for the 37,000 students that were turned away last year.
• Providing parents with information about the effectiveness of their school through a school rating system and giving parents the right to move their children out of failing schools and into high performing schools, even if that means changing districts.
• Expanding the number of children with disabilities that will be able to attend private schools that can meet their needs, through the McKay Scholarship.
• Implementing a fair and robust teacher evaluation system and rewarding the best teachers with salary increases.
• Saving great teachers by ending seniority-based layoffs so that more students will have a great teacher.
• Giving principals the tools to only hire effective teachers.

Congratulations Florida! Please take a minute to inspire our members in other states to work to follow Florida's lead.

Please tell us what this ground-breaking education reform means to you and to the students and teachers of Florida.

Thank you for your important role in putting students' interests first in Florida

The StudentsFirst Team

True story

 A parent called one day concerned thinking that their student would have to change to the Mckay school...I quickly explained what the Mckay scholarship was. I think most parents are unaware of this opportunity that their students have through the Mckay Scholarship...even though they receive multiple letters through the year about the Mckay scholarship!

M.S

Florida's school choice programs ensure that no child will be left behind by allowing parents to choose the best educational setting—public or private—for their child. The McKay Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program provided over 20,500 Florida students with special needs the opportunity to attend a participating private school during the 2008-09 school year. The McKay Scholarships Program also offers parents public school choice. A parent of a special needs student who is dissatisfied with the student’s current school may choose to transfer the student to another public school.

"The school-choice issue is not about public versus private; it's about choice. It's about knowing what works well for my family and being able to make that choice for them." -- Parent of a McKay Scholarships Student

//VIA\\

Also why are charter schools all of a sudden favored

Music to my ears

WASHINGTON
President Barack Obama said Monday that students should take fewer standardized tests and school performance should be measured in other ways than just exam results. Too much testing makes education boring for kids, he said.

"Too often what we have been doing is using these tests to punish students or to, in some cases, punish schools," the president told students and parents at a town hall hosted by the Univision Spanish-language television network at Bell Multicultural High School in Washington, D.C.

Obama, who is pushing a rewrite of the nation's education law that would ease some of its rigid measurement tools, said policymakers should find a test that "everybody agrees makes sense" and administer it in less pressure-packed atmospheres, potentially every few years instead of annually.

At the same time, Obama said, schools should be judged on criteria other than student test performance, including attendance rate.

"One thing I never want to see happen is schools that are just teaching the test because then you're not learning about the world, you're not learning about different cultures, you're not learning about science, you're not learning about math," the president said. "All you're learning about is how to fill out a little bubble on an exam and little tricks that you need to do in order to take a test and that's not going to make education interesting."

"And young people do well in stuff that they're interested in," Obama said. "They're not going to do as well if it's boring."

The president endorsed the occasional administering of standardized tests to determine a "baseline" of student ability. He said his daughters Sasha, 9, and Malia, 12, recently took a standardized test that didn't require advance preparation. Instead, he said, it was just used as a tool to diagnose their strengths and weaknesses, and show areas where they could use more emphasis from teachers. The girls attend the private Sidwell Friends School in Washington.

Obama, who has been pushing his education agenda all month, has expressed concern that too many schools will be unable to meet annual proficiency standards under the No Child Left Behind law this year. The standards are aimed at getting 100 percent of students proficient in math, reading and science by 2014, a goal now widely seen as unrealistic.

The Obama administration has proposed replacing those standards with a less prescriptive requirement that by 2020 all students graduating from high school should be ready for college or a career.

//VIA\\