Take a Look Back...

I'm preparing some application materials for graduate school and had cause to look at my original teaching portfolio that I carried around to my many interviews in 2004 and 2005. I'm happy to say that as I perused both my professional philosophy and my application essay, I found the values and beliefs presented still hold true, as if I'd just written them last month.

I encourage you to take a bit of time as the school year ends to read through some of these original documents. They may contain your original ideals for teaching. They may inspire you to keep doing what you're doing and they may inspire you to change some things. Either way, the (oft-overly) reflective teacher in me encourages you to take a look back!

I've enclosed mine, if you're interested...

Enjoy this last day of May!

2004 Professional Philosophy
2004 Teacher Application Essay

Thinking vs. Plugging

I am studying for the GRE. This is proving very difficult, as I haven't worked with math for years and even when I was working with it, I wasn't very good at it. As I've worked in earnest over the last few days, I have noticed several things about myself, which are making me revert back to my mindsets of high school and college. I'm struggling with checking my work and being careful with positive and negative signs, for instance. I'm also struggling with the use of algebra in any cases in which the question differs at all from the manner in which it was taught. I am able to do exactly what was laid out in the text, but then when I'm asked to find a different number, or I'm given a different value to start with, I'm unable to translate the problem and then can't figure out the answer. Sometimes, I mindlessly "do" the problem, plugging in the numbers and then realizing that my work is not geared toward the posed question. This is a symptom of "exercise" versus "activity;" a matter of memorization versus understanding; of plugging versus thinking.

I can't help but think that this is what is happening to our students via standardized testing. In standardized testing, our students can memorize a process, whether in writing or mathematics and they can plug the information into the formula or pattern they have created, but they struggle with using the information practically. I will try to use these symptoms of my own work to inform my teaching of writing and of thinking. I thought it would be helpful to point this out.

Seniors

This morning I came to work thinking hard about the fact that it's my seniors' last day of school. I have five classes and about 120 students with whom I work on a daily basis. I was looking forward to speaking with them at the end of each period, but my plans were thwarted when it was announced (by our principal, over staff email) that during 2nd and 3rd periods, the seniors would be pulling their senior prank. I was saddened that I would be unable to wish my students well during 2nd and 3rd periods, but as I've pondered through the day, I've realized that, like anything, school isn't about the last day. Here are a few things that I'll take away from working with this group of students:

When students feel strongly about something, they will come and discuss it with you. If they do, take courage in their courage and know that they care about what you have to say.

When students are comfortable with their surroundings, they will take risks. When they are allowed to create and are responsible for creating their own school environment, they can be more successful than you ever imagined.

When students write about what they want to write about and when they choose what they want to read, they are much better students. They are students in the natural sense of the word. They are students who can grow to be inquirers, challengers and creators.

I appreciate these three things among many others. Congratulations to East High School's Class of 2012!