Guiding kids away from "Neverland"

Over the weekend, a Saturday Essay caught my eye.  Ben Sasse, a junior U.S. senator from Nebraska, published an editorial in WSJ detailing how more and more millennials are stuck in a phase dubbed perpetual adolescence. I realize I stand at a unique perspective from this essay; I was born in the late '80s so I am technically considered a "millennial," yet I see more of the qualities listed in the editorial in my current students than I do my peers.  I'm afraid my students may find Neverland and simply refuse to learn #adulting skills. An intervention might be needed and so the Saturday Essay became our Article of the Week as a preemptive strike.

Source: LinkedIn

I'm sure most people have seen the terrible memes making fun of millennials; everything from their stereotypical love of Starbucks and smartphone to their inability to do any actual "work" gets a laugh.  Everyone makes fun, but has anyone actually sat and thought about why millennials act this way?

"Too many of our children simply don't know what an adult is anymore--or how to become one. Perhaps more problematic, older generations have forgotten that we need to teach them."

Guys, I can hear my father chuckling incredulously as I write.  I can hear his voice cackling, "Ha! They don't want to know anything," or "Kids today have no idea what real work is!" He's probably grumbling about how kids today just want to blame all of their problems on someone else.  I love him and I know he has spent many years doing that hard labor. Although he absolutely taught me how to be an adult, there is an undeniable truth to be pointed out--our older generations did forget that behaviors must be taught and learned.

The question then becomes, how do we teach them?  

I believe the editorial does a fairly good job of pointed out key places where life skills could be applied.  For one: learning the difference between need and want. So many times I've caught myself making the mistake in distinction.  I sometimes think I need a Starbucks Frappuccino after school some days. This is certainly not the case.  My survival does not depend upon consuming that extra bit of caffeine for the day; I simply want to indulge.

...caffeine

This too can be applied to my dear students.  One kid, last semester, showed up with one of those fidgety-spinner-things.  One out of approximately five hundred in our school.  Only one. Last week I maybe saw two or three more, nothing outrageous.  This week I've seen more of those things spinning than I've seen dollars in my paycheck. When I've asked kids about why they have them I'm met with assertions that the fidgety-spinner-things are needed to help ________________ calm/focus/listen/relieve-anxiety, you can choose one to fill in the blank. Although I'm sure some kids might actually need them (and that's a stretch even,) most are not depending on the use of the spinners to survive.  It's definitely a want.

"Part of learning to be an adult is figuring out that our real needs can be separated from the insistence call of our wants."

If we encourage the distinction between the two, kids will be better prepared for adult life later on.  Another way to prepare kids for life: encourage a strong work ethic.

 

But kids should just be kids!

I don't think anyone is arguing that kids should grow up faster, but they should learn the value of working to earn something.  The editorial makes a good point that many families are so concerned with their student's educational enrichment that the value of working is lost.  I understand not wanting a student's grades to slip because of having a job; but, there is something to be said for learning the value of hard work outside of academic pursuits.

One comparison that comes right to mind revolves around my first cell phone.  I was 16 the first time I was allowed to own a cell.  It came with two conditions. 1) I would have to keep my grades up and 2) I would have to pay the bill myself.  Paying the bill myself meant I had to have a job.  My monthly bill was $56 and some change.  It covered 100 minutes of talking and 100 texts.  Minutes after 9 pm were free so I told everyone I wouldn't answer until then so that I wouldn't ever go over my minutes and texting required hitting each number until the desired letter appeared.  I was so proud of my little-red-flip-phone! It was something I wanted that I worked for and I was responsible for it.

The cellphones today are far more advanced than my first phone and way more expensive.  How does this compare to my story?  I've noticed over the years of collecting cellular devices during testing that many students have the latest and greatest and many of those phones are beat up. Most have cracked screens and various other flaws.  I would have been absolutely heartbroken had that happened to my little-red-flip-phone.

Sidenote: My first phone died a horribly tragic death my freshman year of college.  It was senselessly drowned zipped in my jacket pocket as I did the laundry. RIP little-red-flip-phone!

You can infer what you like from the two stories, but in my opinion and from listening to the students, many don't appreciate the value of their cell phone.  Ironic, considering students claim their life exists on their phone and each cringe and complain every time I collect them.  Perhaps if more student were chipping in for the bill they would learn the value of ownership.

Whose job is it to teach #adulting?

Isn't it everyone's job?  Parents, teachers, community members, society?  Should we not all be encouraging young beings to develop and grown into contributing members of the human race?  The whole adage of "it takes a village" is 100% true.  That said, most of the burden joy falls to the parent.  Education starts at home. Whether it is reading, counting, speaking, or moving, the first place a child learns to do anything is at home. 

I personally consider reading to be a life long skill. It is something that is absolutely essential to adult life.  I was really interested in the statistics stated in the editorial.  If proven correct, adults on average only spend nineteen minutes per day reading.  WHAT?! How can this be? Is this just the number of minutes spent reading for pleasure?  If so, I'll accept that. If it includes time spent reading directions, recipes, emails, social media posts, text messages, etc., then we have some work to do.

"Reading done well is not a passive activity like sitting in front of a screen."

So much truth is packed into such a simple sentence.  Reading carefully, questioning intent, thinking critically--these are all skills humans need to live productive lives.  I don't expect my students to go out and read War and Peace but I would like to know each could if he or she wanted to.  I've heard so many times during ELA teacher development that one of our main jobs is to create life long readers.  I agree and accept that task, but something must be said for the fact that a love of learning and a love of reading starts at home.

 

Ideally, students will take away one singular lesson from our AOW this week: Growing up isn't scary when you have someone there to help guide you--all you need is a can-do attitude and a willingness to work for it. I hope each one can now spot the signs and symptoms of perpetual adolescence in themselves and work to alleviate it.

 

Please, don't take music away!

Warning: this post is far from inspirational.   

I'm worried! Music, arts, and P.E. in our schools are be threatened and I'm worried. For those of you who are unaware, the state legislature passed laws regarding class size in the lower grades.  Why? Allow me to walk you through the situation as I see it.  Be aware that I am but a lowly educator and not privy to the super secret budgetary talks, reasoning, and rationale from the top dogs of our system.  This is how I imagine it all went down.

Setting: NCDPI late at night. Players are seated around conference table in a stuffy room discussing educational policy

Scene 1: 

Top Dog #1: Class sizes are too large in the lower grades.  This is affecting test scores once students reach third grade. 

Top Dog #2: We should pass legislation restricting the capacity of lower grade classrooms.

Top Dog #3: We don't have enough space to accommodate those numbers.  Wait, we don't have enough teachers for the classes. Oh no, how will we pay those teachers?

All 3 Together: We will SLASH THE ARTS! And P.E. just for fun! School should be torturous, why should we allow kids to have fun in music, art, and P.E. class?

End Scene 

There you have it, the idea to balance the budget by cutting all non-essential classes.  Not to worry though, the state did pass HB13 allowing for waivers to be obtained during the initial years of roll out. The really upsetting part is the fact that no one ever really addressed the actual problem in this conundrum: testing.  You see one of the key reasons lawmakers stated in making the original size restriction was the quality of instruction.  Students in the 3rd grade were not performing quite as well as one would hope on the "read to achieve" reading assessments probably because of all the instructional time lost to assessment.

Those who are in charge of educational policy latched on to the idea that too many students in one class in hindered access to quality instruction.  This is a very simple answer to an intricately complex problem.  I do not disagree that class size should be small(er), I just don't believe this to be the best answer.

An even more simple solution to the problem of low test scores: cutting the arts and P.E.

Source

I read in the WRAL comment section a disturbing suggestion that we should place even more focus on the basic skills of reading, writing, and math instead of the arts simply because other "industrialized" nations are producing smarter students who are better apt at competing for jobs worldwide than our students.  I do not possess the patience to point out every fallacy with this argument so I'll only address one--we educate every child regardless of his or her abilities.  If we only tested our best 10% I'd be willing to best our scores would more closely resemble those of the nations who practice selectivity. Either way, our kids need music education! 

There is way more to life than answering questions on a test.  I can't think of a single adult who thinks back to his or her time in school with fond memories of testing.  Yes, reading is incredibly important and so is writing.  Being able to compute basic math will be helpful in life; but eve more so will be the lessons one learns through music, art, and cultural studies.  Music is math for your ears, art is literature for your senses. Drama teaches empathy and communication, dance helps fine tune motor skills.  All are so very important in development.  I want my students to be well rounded and defined as an individual, not molded from the same cookie cutter. 

Students should absolutely be exposed to music, art, and culture! I urge anyone who disagrees to do a quick google search of, "music and art education benefits."  It may surprise you to find that students who are exposed to the arts actually do better on standardized tests.  Music and art education opens the minds of students and encourages critical and creative thinking.  These skills are important in classes such as English, math, and social studies.  Creative and critical thinking are basic skills with which every student should be equipped.

Source

Interestingly enough, students who are higher risk academically are the same students who receive little (if any) music and arts education.  According to a Department of Education blog, "Student's who are at high risk usually receive little to no arts education." In my opinion, having few creative outlets for expression leads to difficulties in the classroom.  If all of the research on the benefits of music and arts education is to be believed, higher risk communities MUST include music and arts as a part of their curriculum.  At this point, not providing music and art class should NOT even be an option for schools.

So what is our purpose as educators?  Perhaps we should re-examine that before trying to patch up amputations with band-aids.

Personally, I believe our purpose should revolve around life-skills.  We should be providing students with skills to help them succeed academically as well as in life.  Show me where an adult is asked to choose the best answer from a list of possible responses?  I'd be willing to bet most adults must think creatively on the daily and provide new solutions for old problems frequently.  This is a skill we should teach our kids.

But again, I'm just a lowly teacher; what do I know? 

Special Notice: This post is my opinion freely given. I am not an expert on educational policy, I just read and listen to other educators and parents.

Why Are We Still Assigning Homework?

So prom happened this weekend! It was so much fun to see the kids in their shiny tuxedos and formal gowns.  I really enjoyed chaperoning and watching the all the fun the kiddos were having on the dance floor.

I don't really dance in public (unless it's Copperhead Road or the Cupid Shuffle) without my husband.  That said, I found myself on my phone to pass the time for a while.  It is there I found my inspiration for this little entry.

According to a post being shared far and wide through the intricate webs of the internet, parents are fed up with homework.  I found this declaration among various photos of students getting ready for prom and posing for the obligatory prom day photos at the local gazebo posted by their loving family members.

Your child is done with homework? Really? I don't really understand the rationale; however, I am a reasonable individual and I'll hear you out. It always interests me to hear the logical arguments one poses against education.

"Why should my kid do more work after sitting in class for 7-8 hours?"

"Homework is stressing my ten-year-old out."

"...this is a homework-free household and I don't care who knows it.  My kid needs to be a kid."

Are you serious?  Are you sure you'd like to set a precedent where your child is encouraged to not complete assignments? Do you really want to go down that route with your pre-teen?

I honestly could not believe what I was reading.  Educators, I'm sure you can relate.  Again, I have the ability to empathize with someone and I hear the parents' frustrations, albeit I don't agree with the method. I knew it would be pointless to add my two contradictory cents to the conversation so I left it alone.

Yet, I couldn't really leave it alone because it continued to nag me.  The notion that people out there actually think that negating their student's educator is a good idea weighed on my conscience.  This is getting away from homework, which I will address in a moment, and getting to the real reason why I'm so frustrated with this: the complete dismissal of the educator's professional autonomy.

"But it's just homework and it's taking up all of our family time"

Stay with me here, I promise I make my point after the following scenario...

Imagine for a moment your parents are divorced.  Then imagine that one parent asks you to sweep up the kitchen and wipe down the counters when you get home from school.  That's a normal chore, I think. It was something I was required to do in my youth since both of my parents worked and I needed to help them take care of the house--we all lived there after all.

So Parent A asks you to do a chore to help teach you shared responsibility for the home (henceforth referred to as PA).  It takes you maybe 30 minutes to complete this chore. You hate it. What lesson does cleaning the kitchen really teach anyways?  You complain to parent B (PB) about the fact that PA makes you complete a seemingly meaningless task.  PB tells you that you need time to relax after school and unwind from your day. PB sends PA a kind but firm email explaining why you will no longer be required to complete any household chores for them.

Fast forward a few weeks.  PB asks you to pick up your room when you return home from school, it's dirty and is starting to smell bad.  You tell PB, "Nah! I just got home from school, I think I'm going to play X-Box and unwind from my stressful day."

So what have these fictitious parents created for you? Is it an environment where responsibility and helpfulness have been instilled or one where it's okay not to do what is asked of you?

Sidebar: is family time truly taking place? Are you eating dinner together without electronic devices or discussing current events? Are you participating in cultural activities and being active outside together? Or (and I'm afraid this is the case) are you simply co-existing in the same space?

Let's apply this scenario to parent, teachers, and schools.  When a parent tells a child he or she does not have to do the work the teacher has assigned, the student is first excited that he or she doesn't have to follow the rules and then becomes defiant of the teacher. This completely undermines the rapport the teacher may have developed with the student and creates an environment that is not conducive to the education and success of the student.

It was no accident I used a set of divorced parents to illustrate this scenario. More often than you would think the parent-teacher relationship comes to resemble that of a relationship between ex-partners.  For various reasons, a parent will come to resent or dislike the child's educator and even though both parties have the child's best interests at heart it becomes almost a tug-of-war between them. This is not to say that parents and teachers cannot have a respectful and collaborative relationship. Teamwork is always the best policy when parties share a common goal.  In this case, the goal is to see the child succeed. My purpose is in drawing attention to the relationships that do not collaborate and work together for the common good of the student.

If a parent decides in elementary school that his or her student does not need to complete homework, what happens when that student reaches high school? Does homework suddenly become a requirement at home? How do you address that with your child? "Well, little Johnny, high school is different and you actually have to do the work assigned or not earn credit for the course?" A contradicting precedent has already been set and encouraged. "There will be no homework in this house!" What happens then? How will the child find success?

Please don't think I don't understand the position the parent is in.  I'm sure some teachers out there assign a cruel amount of homework each night.  If this is the case I encourage you to speak to the teacher about it before blowing homework off altogether.  I recently spoke to two parents on opposite sides of this issue.  One parent was concerned her child was given too much homework each night while the other thought her child was not receiving enough.  Granted, these were two different schools in the county with two different teachers; it just goes to show that we as educators receive complaints on both sides of the spectrum.

 

But what does the research say about Homework?

I am a professional educator and as such I must stay abreast of all the current educational trends and research-based studies.  I have done my due diligence by reading up on the subject of homework in the interests of creating an informed environment for my own classroom and the success of my students.

According to the Center for Public Education, there are too many variables to pinpoint whether or not homework helps or hurts an individual.  Variables include, but are not limited to: available parental help, home resources, and social economic status. It's pretty obvious to me that if a child does not have a stable home life or if a child has too many responsibilities at home that homework isn't going to be made a priority, thus hurting the child. Some researchers assert that homework increases childhood stress and can lead to other physical symptoms. We should totally just 86 the assigned homework, right?

No, don't write it off just yet.  The Center for Public Education actually provides research-based guidelines for age assigned homework.  It suggests a 10-minute rule--that is 10 minutes per grade.  A student in the 4th grade should have no more than 40 minutes of homework each night.  That sounds reasonable to me.  I teach high-schoolers though.  Following these guidelines, my students should be studying between 90-100 minutes per night.  That's for all of their subjects and includes any assigned reading.

I recently came across this article about a teacher who completely stopped assigning homework to her class. You can probably guess that this idea was praised and appreciated by the parents.  There are two things worth noting here:

1. She is a 2nd-grade teacher.  Remember our guidelines? 10 minutes per grade level. 2nd grade = 20 minutes of homework.  If a parent is taking the time to read with and to the child, learning is taking place.  This is in fact "homework."
2. The teacher was not disparaged by a parent's proclamation that her child forbidden to complete homework.  Because the teacher was allowed to make an informed, autonomous, and professional decision for her class without the parental pressure, the parent-teacher relationship remained intact.  Teamwork will continue to happen as it was always meant. The teacher provides educational lessons and the parent reinforces them with reading and developmental appropriate family activities.  

I personally love this! Again, it reinforces the adage, "it  takes a village." Parents are encouraged to be involved with the development of their children while the teacher introduces and teaches curriculum skills.  This is a true win-win!

Yet that sweet little elementary student will one day become a high schooler, what then?  According to Duke University professor of psychology and neurosciences, Harris Cooper, "High schoolers need some homework because they need to learn how to study independently." I tell my students almost daily that the activities and lessons we do in class are done for the sole purpose of preparing them for life after school.  Regardless of whether or not a student enters the work force or attends a 4-year university after graduation, being able to work independently and proficiently on an assigned task will be an essential life skill.

Homework is a part of the educational experience.  When assigned with a purpose it will always help the student!  Keep in mind that too much homework will have a negative effect. Assign too little, and it's pointless.

"Homework can be like medicine," [Harris] says. "If you don't take enough, it has no effect. If you take too much, it can kill you. So get the dose right."

 

My policy on homework:

Homework is an extension of classwork.  Projects, Articles of the Week, essays, novel readings, are all assigned in class.  Students are given ample time to complete most of the assigned work in class and what is not finished becomes their responsibility on their time.  For the most part, if a student is using his or her time wisely during class, the assignments will be finished during assigned time and not on theirs. I like to think I have a life outside of school but I know students have one. I don't want to make it a miserable for them.

Want to do further reading on the subject? Check out the articles and resources linked below for more information. Leave me a comment with your thoughts on homework, too! Is it useful or just plain pointless?

Study: Homework doesn't mean better grades, but maybe better standardized test scores
The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing
Should Schools Be Done With Homework?
3 Questions for High School Teachers Before Dumping Homework
What Research Says About the Value of Homework

TL;DR: Some parents are no longer encouraging their children to do homework. This could be a dangerous precedent if this is set in place. Current research shows there are too many variable, but it's safe to say earlier grades should probably not be assigning too much. 10-minute rule for grade level. Homework is a vital part of independent study skill practice. Teamwork between teacher and parent is extremely important!

Also, please enjoy this picture of my baby cousin and me at his junior prom.  I just also happen to work at his school. 

Life Skills > Tests?

I have an angel and a devil sitting on my educational shoulders. One is constantly preaching "You should teach more life skills!" While the other lazily suggests, "But it won't be on the test."

The constant nagging and apathy of these two figurative figures are enough to drive any sane person over the edge of reason!  I am constantly being pulled in two very different directions as both imaginary beings try to convince me the other is wrong. Anyone who has ever lived through a terrible divorce between parents knows this feeling extremely well.

Don't get me wrong, both preparing students for standardized tests and preparing them for life outside of school are important skills, perhaps; but which should take precedent in my classroom?

Like many educators, I am a firm believer in reading as a vital skill and without it, one would be at an extreme disadvantage throughout his or her life. Yet, being able to read is not the same as reading critically.  Reading critically and thinking outside of the realm of "choose the best answer" is imperative to the overall success of the child as he or she steps out into the big, bad, "real world."

1 point for team "Teach-them-life-skills"

One of my favorite weekly assignments is our Article of the Week.  Each week I pursue Kelly Gallagher's Article of the Week (AOWs) for an interesting article to share with my students. We've read about several controversial topics and discussed many different opinions over the year.

No, I don't just print off an article and tell students to go to town with it.  We set precedents in the beginning weeks of instruction for how and why the student should be interacting with the text.  I demonstrate how students should mark on it, annotate it, question it, whether they love it or hate it.  Students take time in class reading and interacting with the source material and are then required encouraged to write a one-page response where they support an idea they've formulated while reading the issue.

I. Love. This. Activity!

Why? Because it gives students a reason to reading critically.  So often we ask students to provide us with a simple summary of a text.  Don't get me wrong, summarizing is necessary before moving up to higher order thinking.  AOWs are springboards for critical thinking. Students read about something of which they might have a working knowledge just from listening to the news or their parents speaking around them and then formulate an original opinion in writing based on facts and emotions from a credible source. Reading+Critical Thinking+Writing Clearly!! Oh man, this is the dream child of any educator.

There is one problem, however.

Many students don't care, and a handful will refuse to do it.

Yes, I said it.  So many of them don't care to learn about the world outside of their four walls.

If you feel like that sentence is a harsh statement, you are correct.  It hurts me just to see the words "students" and "don't" and "care" strung together so haphazardly.  It hurts because as an educator I want to feel like I've created this undeniable exigency for knowledge, a curiosity for culture, and an enlighten educated spirit in each and every student. I want that feeling because it means I've done my job in teaching valuable life skills. I can't make my students care, and that hurts worse than physical pain.

Regrettably, so many of them fail to see the value in this opportunity. Many students hate strongly dislike this activity. Why? The simple answer is because it forces them to think.  It paves an avenue for them where thinking is required. It's not a "read-this-and-answer-the-question" assignment, but rather a pleading for applied logical thought. I'm certain there is a more complicated answer, but I'm still working my way through that particular debacle.

Several times I hear students and parents alike complaining about the lack of applicable life skills being practiced in the school setting.  Sadly, these are the same students who would rather sit on their cellular devices doing various cellular device type things (things they are not supposed to be doing in the first place) than actually read and think about a global issue. How dare I expect them to be living, breathing, thinking human beings?!

As you can probably tell, this extremely frustrates me on several levels.  At what point do I give in to their silent demands?

This leads me to the other being speaking in my ear: Mr. "Teach-to-the-Test."

There comes a point in every semester where I step back and ask myself, "where exactly did you go wrong?"  On that day during the semester, I resign myself to contemplating my significance in the universe.  It is, in my opinion, an existential crisis day. It is a time for self-loathing and questioning of ever single seemingly meaningless decision I've ever made in life.  This day passes each semester; each time I must pull myself out of despair and reassess my purpose in the classroom.  In some cases, I must redirect my instruction to the dreaded practice of teaching to the test!

 

I lost a little of your respect just then, didn't I?  I know fellow educator, I know.  I too am ashamed of this. But it is something we all must do sometimes.  It is the proverbial deal with the devil we must make in times of desperation. Test scores mean something to the powers that be and if my students do not do well on said test, then I'm branded with the scarlet color of my EVAAS failure--forever known as a sub-par educator, a poor excuse for a teacher. Parents will oh so subtly start sending me applications to Wal-Mart and making suggestions for leaving the classroom.  I digress.

 I could sit here and type out an example of how I photocopy excerpts from Schoolnet and go over exactly how to read it and locate the best answer and then have the students explain why that particular answer is the best answer, but you've seen it all before.  It's boring and  takes up close to the last two weeks of my instruction. This type of instruction kills a small piece of my soul each year.

But why must this be so? Why do the powers that be place so much emphasis on taking a simple test? This is a string of rhetorical questioning for I have neither answer nor reason for it. Alas, a test at the end of the year seems to become the end-all-be-all of my students' measurement of success.  I hate it, they love? hate? deal with it, and administrators devour it. 

There comes that point in every semester where I must begin teaching to the test.  Student don't mind practice because it means less thinking on their part.  To be honest, it is easier for me to plan this type of instruction as well.  This should be a win-win so why does it feel like a lose-lose?

In writing these musing I realize I have not been at all inspiring for my fellow teachers, so let me leave you with this.  It is okay to teach to the test, in moderation. It is also okay to expect higher order thinking skills, just don't burn yourself out with it. Don't worry about the angel and the devil sitting on your shoulders telling you what you should and should not be doing in your classroom. Listen to the needs of your class and yourself. It'll all work out in the end.

Leave me a comment with your classroom content struggle.  I'd love to hear from you!

Inspired

For many years I've searched the internet for materials that I can use both in the classroom and in my everyday life.  I've read countless blogs about literacy, writing, motivation, classroom management, and even more blogs about home improvement, organization, cooking, cleaning, etc.  I love them all, but I found myself wondering: could I do this?

Recently, while speaking with a colleague, she mentioned the need for us to be good models for digital citizenship.  I'd toyed with the idea of starting a blog for a while.  Now I feel like I must. Not only does it set an example for my students to be active readers and writers, but it gives me an avenue to practice my skills as a writer and model digital citizenship simultaneously.

So, what will I write about? I decided to name this blog Inspired Education because I feel it describes my teaching philosophies.  As an English teacher,  I have more creative direction in the classroom than other disciplines.  I can meet almost any standard using a plethora of source material.  Current events often inspire my direction and we are granted the opportunity to use those events to further our study of whichever topic we are working on.  Thus, inspiration meets education.  Also, as a Christian, I feel inspired daily in my walk with God. Not that I can legally bring that into the classroom, separation of Church and State and all. Regardless, I can write about whatever inspires me here.

I hope to illustrate how I use inspiration in the classroom to help motivate and engage students.  If you are a fellow teacher, I hope this helps.  Ultimately, this blog is for me to be inspired.

I have no plans for how often I will update or when I'll just let inspiration take control of the situation.