Archive for November, 2009
#30) Don’t Smile Until Thanksgiving
I began my first year teaching weeks prior to my 23rd birthday. One of the veterans on the staff shared with me that because I was so young that the students would try to get over on me. Because of that, she suggested I should begin the school year very firm and stern. To insure a no-nonsense approach, she also recommended that I not smile until Thanksgiving.
On the surface, that advice seems both humorous and cantankerous. Yet, beneath the surface lies the value. It is much more to a teacher’s advantage to begin the school year firm and fair and eventually develop a rapport that is friendly and loving but mandates excellent effort; than it is to begin the year too friendly and fun only to be left scrambling the rest of the year attempting to regain control.
Effective instruction cannot happen in a mismanaged classroom. While it is true that we seek to develop learners with a voice and ability to reason, the classroom still remains most successful under the reigns of a caring, driven, benevolent monarch. Meaning there should be clear lines of leadership, organization, responsibilities, roles and expectations. This does not advocate tyranny or intimidation, but it does prescribe to a teacher managing the learning environment as a responsible adult leading children.
It has always amused me that some of the most incorrigible students, after their initial rebellion, respond so productively to a well-organized and firm teacher. Yes, the teacher laughs (sometimes). However, their leadership, their instruction, and their sincere concern about student learning is not a joke.
Too often in mismanaged classrooms, we find teachers attempting to be buddies with the students. Being a buddy and having buddy moments are different. If a student is troubled and seeks compassion – that can be a buddy moment. Allowing student misbehavior for fear of hurting their feelings is being a buddy and it is a recipe for disaster. Want to witness a horror movie in the making? Visit a teacher who is too chummy with the children during the first weeks of school, within months you will watch in horror as that teacher fumbles additional task like time management and completing instructional objectives. Why, because too much energy will be used in hoping to coax their young buddies into listening.
That doesn’t mean that the buddy-teacher cannot turn things around, because they can. It is a massive undertaking, but can and has been done. One thing that has to change is their perception of themselves. Sure, buddies care about each other. However, buddies often do not know more than their counterparts, as if they are peers or on equal footing. So if the students think that they are buddies with the teacher, it distorts their understanding of the teacher’s role. The transformation of the buddy-teacher begins with the teacher’s own understanding that they are the educational professional, the resident expert within their classroom. This self-perception establishes them as the sage and because of their care and concern, they choose to practice a variety of strategies to facilitate the learning of the children blessed to be in their classroom. By no means, is the intention snobbish; but in seeing oneself as the leader and as the expert, teachers carry themselves in a more responsible way – a responsible way that belies buddy-buddy relationships with children.
Once the roles within the classroom are defined, expectations established and there is evidence of how those things can work for everyone – when all those things happen, then the teacher can smile … and hopefully it’s before Thanksgiving.
Share your thankfulness with the ones you love this Thanksgiving!
#29) But It’s Not Appropriate for Children
A few years back, it was quite a fashion statement to wear Al Wissam jackets in urban areas. These leather winter coats had the fashion distinction of uniquely hand-stitched depictions all over. Some of those depictions were of local landmarks, magazine covers and scenes from popular movies.
One of the most popular Wissam jackets when I was a principal depicted scenes from the 1980’s movie Scarface featuring Al Pacino. Scarface holds cult status in urban communities. Its violence, drug use and heavy profanity appeals to tough guys everywhere. While the movie has it fans and Al Wissam jackets posses artistic flair, the merging of the two onto the body of a six year old was enough to cause this administrator great alarm.
For the sake of privacy, we’ll call this adorable first grader, Bobby. Bobby was the only child of an overworked, young single mother. In many ways, it appeared that as if her happiness and aspirations for life was all channeled into Bobby. Bobby had worn a blue winter coat with sleeves a tad too long that zipped up just below his nose. During recess, it was fairly common to see those blue sleeves flapping about in pursuit of his classmates. Yet on the first Monday following Christmas break, Bobby came to school with a Scarface Al Wissam jacket.
As the students entered the main hallway, I noticed some fifth graders in a circle gawking over something. Within that circle was Bobby, basking in the praise of his cool jacket. He was modeling the front and back artwork for the fifth graders. When I joined the group, I came face to face with a depiction of Tony Montana (Scarface) shooting a gun. I have seen the movie and recognized the movie’s quotes that the fifth graders were reciting. Although I admired the craftmanship needed to design such a coat it; under no circumstances did I believe a coat with that type of depiction is appropriate for a child.
I joined Bobby for dismissal that day and invited his mother inside. After some small talk, I brought up Bobby’s jacket. His mother asked did I like it and shared the cost of it. She elaborated that Bobby had asked for it and she wanted the best for her son. I agreed that it was a distinctive coat but shared reservations about the image on the coat. I told her about the fifth graders, who while admiring the coat were reciting the line from the movie when Tony Montana shoots his enormous gun. She laughed and said she’s seen the movie many times. I shared that I had seen it also, but zeroed on the fact that my parents would not let me see the movie as a child. My parents believed that a movie about a violent drug-dealer was too much for my young mind.
I attempted to rationalize with Bobby’s mom by saying that in wanting the best for her child, she may have indirectly done him a disservice by valuing that particular coat. She really thought I was giving her a hard time and angrily retorted: “you goin’ to kick him out over a coat?” To which I responded, “no, but I am asking you to let him wear his blue coat to school.” She was pensive. My next approach worked better. I inferred that how do we know those big kids were not plotting on taking Bobby’s coat? I do not believe that they were but I so felt strongly against that image being glorified in our school that I was hoping for something short of using the policy manual. She never expressed an understanding for my reservations but the threat of theft prompted her to consent.
The next day, Bobby asked me why I was playa-hating on his coat? At that moment I was further convinced that the work of educators has to go much farther than the classroom. I also felt a sense of defeat. Yes, I had gotten Bobby’s mother to not send him to school with it – but the true lesson of not allowing our children to wear adult themed garments was lost. So in addition to being Bobby’s principal, I was a man with nothing more to do than playa-hate on a six year old with an expensive jacket – Lord, have mercy…
#28) My Love for Learning Centers / Kids Say the Darndest Things
One of my favorite strategies for instruction and classroom management was the use of learning centers. Learning centers being the simultaneous use of a variety of distinctively different learning activities with varying levels of difficulty.
My comfort zone hovered around four to five learning centers with five to six students working at each of them. The most challenging center would be the newest skill / objective that I taught. I would actively teach / guide / facilitate at this learning center. A second center that required a balance of input from me and independence from the students would be located nearby for my periodic interjections. The remaining activities would require student independence on skills they needed to perfect. For example, here are a few centers I would use during language arts time:
A) My Center – Reading aloud from reading level texts
B) Somewhat Independent Center – Creative writing with prompts and guidelines
C) Independent Center A – Writing spelling words, dividing them phonetically and using them in a sentence
D) Independent Center B – Sentence Pyramids beginning with a word (a noun), then making a two word sentence with it, then a three word sentence, a four word sentence and so on.
Using learning centers promoted a level of on-going activity in my class and was also a reflection of how I like to work. I would give the directions for each center to the whole group before designating which particular center I wanted them to start. I would set a timeline that would encourage student accountability as they were responsible for completing all the centers within the designated time.
Learning centers really help me cover a significant amount of curriculum while also permitting whole and small group instruction. As an instructional and classroom management strategy, I found learning centers to be tremendously effective.
I must share that while teaching kindergarten, one of the learning center activities was to create an invitation for parents to attend an after-school event. The invitation was to be crafted in the form of a personalized letter complete with a heading, a salutation and a complementary closing line. The closing was “Love” and the student’s name. After I gave the directions and modeled how completing this activity would look, one of my boys raised his hand with a question formed as the most hilarious statement uttered from a five year old. He said, “Mr. Duncan, I don’t know how to make love.” The classroom assistant and I burst into blushing laughter. This boy was referring to his disappointment with making the letter L backwards. At the learning center, I was able to properly demonstrate the proper way to make an L when writing love – truly kids say the darndest things.
#27) The Eyes Have It….
Gordon Parks photography
This photograph by the legendary Gordon Parks speaks volumes. Most notably the little fellow with the briefcase, his eyes are overflowing with hope, respect and trust. Although this picture is decades old, it continues to strike a chord in my spirit.
Often for teachers and school staff, such a look from a child is momentary. But in that moment so much is communicated. Which is why our roles as educators is so important. We touch lives. We mold lives. We can detract or build up lives with our words and actions.
If such a little fellow were looking up to you … what would his eyes say?