Embrace Change...I'm a work in progress!

On our very first day at Dodge, our principal offered a valuable piece of advice. He said, learn to embrace change because it will be all around you. It proved to be evident, as he began to run down the list of all the changes that would affect the school. These changes ranged from PBIS to grading policies to homework. However, one major change that he failed to include in his list was his departure. We learned last Wednesday that he would be resigning as the principal of Dodge on Friday to pursue other endeavors. Now, I don't know why this news it me so hard. I had only known him for a couple of weeks but I felt as if I was losing a leader.

That's when it hit me...Change is my weakness. I found that the uncertainty of change is the most fearful part. To lose a principal before the end of August is frightening. Not to mention all of the "heavy hitters" who are frequently visiting our school in the wake of our principal's departure. Brian Sims, Terri Gierki, and Amy Rome have visited my classroom on more than one occasion. Remember...everyday is a job interview (This message continues to haunt me!)

Speaking of uncertainty, what is really going on with the CTU strike!?!?! This strike became very real to me when I was preparing to dismiss my 4th graders and noticed the large picket line behind our school. It is apparent that this strike is more likely to happen than not. This will bring forth a wealth of new changes. How will this affect CTR residents? How much instructional time will we lose with this potential strike? Will it be like starting all over again with our students? What will happen with our vacations when school days are missed? It is so frustrating. According to the tribune, the mandatory 10-day notice was not filed this weekend so track R students will begin school on time. For now I guess we will just wait and see what will happen.
Change...Change....Change! Maybe this is a good lesson to learn now because who knows what we will face when we are teaching next year. I guess all we can do is wait and see.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-08-25/news/ct-met-ctu-leafletting-0825-20120825_1_teachers-union-vice-president-jesse-sharkey-president-karen-lewis

The Reality is sad....

So the first week of school is behind me and I thought I would be excited to get back into the classroom. However, I'm not quite sure how I feel. I am teaching 4th grade Language Arts and Social Studies and my students are amazing. Unfortunately, most of my students' reading levels fall far below the norm for 4th grade. I was working on planning a lesson on current events this weekend and I really struggled with finding a current events article that my entire class could read with comprehension. I don't understand how this could have happened. As these students get older, it will be more difficult for them to "catch up" academically. I am definitely up for the challenge but I do feel bad.

Longer hours for CPS just became a reality for me!!!

We have been preparing for this moment for weeks and finally it's here! My fellow Track E'ers will be heading to our very first day of class...with kids!!! (Professional Development week did not count, although I believe that it was AUSL's way of trying to weed out the weak ones...it was a CRAZY week)!!! I am so excited and so nervous to meet my new 4TH grade friends! BUT...the reality just kicked in! School starts at 7:45am! Ugh!!! I have heard talks about the proposed longer school day and I was aware of its approval. However, I never took the time to understand its purpose. Now that it is officially affecting my precious sleep, it is a good time to look into why CPS deemed it necessary to increase school minutes. According to the Chicago Tribune, the bell-to-bell school will increase from 345 minutes to 450 minutes.  And instructional minutes will increase from 308 minutes to 390 minutes. The longer school day will also allow for students to have a 45 minute lunch/recess period. According to CPS, Chicago's children spent 15% less time in the classroom compared to the rest of the country. The additional time will allow more time to focus on core academic subjects such as math, social science, and science in addition to literacy. In recent years, these subjects have suffered due to the lack of instructional time available. The opportunity for students to eat lunch and head to recess for 45 minutes was a huge deal for me because the time allotted prior to the extended day was unrealistic. Students literally had 20 minutes to eat their food with little to no recess on most days. Recess gives the students an opportunity to release energy and take a break for themselves before heading back into classes. Overall, I understand the need to increase school time and my sleep is not all that important. Besides, we were told on the first day: "It's not about you, it's about the kids" Have a great first week of school Track E folks :-)


http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/news_columnists_ezorn/2012/08/school-hours-and-staffing-q-a-.html

http://www.cps.edu/News/Announcements/Pages/09_06_2011_A1.aspx

When did uniform in school become a legal matter 0_o

I remember when I was in school and I thought that uniforms would prevent me from wearing that cute pair of jeans that I bought over the weekend. This was the most relevant argument against mandatory uniforms. My group's debate topic addresses the pros and cons of mandatory school uniforms and I have found some interesting points in my research.

I should start by saying that I have no interest in either side of the argument; I am indifferent. However, my research has identified parents who were so concerned about their child's freedom to express, that they brought this matter in front of a judge. So I changed my thinking for a moment to consider this issue as a potential violation of our United States Constitution.

In the case of Littlefield vs Forney Independent School District, parents argued that the school district violated their children's First and Fourteenth Amendment rights to freedom of expression and equal protection. The O'Brien test was applied to determine if the school district violated the students' Constitutional rights. The O'Brien test would determine the following:

• if mandatory uniforms is within the constitutional power of the government
•  if it furthers an important government interest
• if the interest is unrelated to the suppression of student expression
• and if the incidental restrictions on first amendment activities were no more than is necessary to facilitate the interest.

The 5th Circuit court determined that the school district met each point of the O'Brien test and was not in violation of the Constitution. The purpose of mandatory uniforms policy was to increase academic performance, improve discipline and self-esteem. Therefore, mandatory uniforms were justified as long as it was limited to dress and did not extend to other forms of expression.


In other cases similar to this one, the School Districts were favored in every legal case. Some people feel strongly about this issue but I do not believe that it should have gone before a judge. I understand both sides of this debate and I hope that parents/students and teachers will  see the every side equally.


Vopat, M. C. (2010, Nov). Mandatory school uniforms and freedom of expression. Ethics & Education, 5(3), 203-215.


http://kidsfashion.about.com/od/doityourselfstyles/tp/The-Arguments-Against-School-Uniforms.htm

It's really THAT bad, huh?!?!?!

The question of the day: Why do you think US students perform relatively poorly on international tests of academic achievement, relative to other countries? Is this a problem? What would YOU do (if you were in charge of American schools) to improve the schools? Would raising US performance on international tests be a high priority for you? Why or why not?

I must admit to my own ignorance. I have heard that the United States education system was not as great as other counties. I actually was unsure how to answer this question because I really did not have any concrete facts to compare and contrast the US with other countries. Unfortunately, it did not take me long to find out just how bad it is for children in the United States.

I came across an infographic that really shed light on how bad it really is in the US. The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is administered to 15 year olds in participating countries. The results of US students compared to other countries is dismal. According to this assessment, US students rank 17th in reading, 31st in math, and 23rd in science.

Now, these scores may bring forth the question...Why are students in the United States performing so poorly compared to other countries? One might respond that the recent state of our economy could negatively affect student performance. However, according to the infographic, Finland is the only country out of the top 5 whose socioeconomic profile is above the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's average. Another excuse could be that maybe these other countries invest more in education spending. Well, that is the exact opposite of what happens. According to the infographic, Shanghai, China is ranked #1 in reading, math, and science and spends roughly $42,000 per student. The US spends roughly $106,000. So how did the US fail its youth?

In my opinion, I believe that the US is more focused on the political aspect of education, rather than the children. Schools have become businesses rather than institutions of learning. There are too many underperforming schools and the "good" ones are tight knit with extremely selective enrollment, practically impossible for students to get into. We must find a way to transform our schools so that every school is a "good" one.

I also believe that it is our duty as educators to become actively involved in the whole child. I am aware that there are some things about a child's life that we simply have no control over. However, studies have shown that students perform better when there is a working relationship between the teacher, students, and parents. We all play for the same team, so it is important to work together to maximize the child's potential.

Now, I'm no fool! These things are easier said than done! I get that! Quite frankly, I'm not sure if the United States will ever get to a point where the education systems can compete with international greats. We owe it to our students to what we can, whenever we can to ensure that we are doing our part by providing effective learning environments and offering as much support as possible.

Check out the graphic below for more info on PISA:


Courtesy of: Online Schools

What is the "American Dream" anyway?!?!?

The question of the day is: Do American public schools have a responsibility to "compensate" for students whose out-of-school experiences aren't as rich or enabling as the experiences of other students? Why or why not? If so, what are some of the ways they should compensate? If not, how does this affect your understanding of the American Dream?

This question placed me in a space where I needed to reflect on my experiences as an urban student. My first response was: What is the "American Dream" anyway??? So I took to google and according to dictionary.com, the "American Dream" is considered the following:

1. The ideals of freedom, equality, and opportunity traditionally held to be available to every American

2. A life of personal happiness and material comfort as traditionally sought by individuals in the United States.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/american+dream

Now, it is safe for me to say that I was a student whose out-of school experienecs were not as "rich" as many of the other students in my classes. However, I can also say that I have been exposed to more amazing opportunities than the average student. Now, why is that? Did my CPS school over compensate...just for me? Not likely. I honestly believe that my school wanted to emphasize the importance of opportunity and exposure, despite the students' background. It is unfortunate that providing amazing opportunities could be considered "compensating." When I hear the term "compensate," I associate it with the word pity. All children are deserving of the best quality educational experience, and I find it to be demeaning to determine that one should "compensate" educational experiences because a child is not as economically fortunate as the next student. It should simply be the norm.

However, the challenge has been shifted back to the schools to go above and beyond to offer amazing experiences for every child, despite their situations at home. Their experiences outside of school should not be a factor. The truth is, we as educators can not predict or dictate what a child's life consist of when they leave school grounds. The goal is to maximize a child's access to opportunties in order to mold a successful, well-rounded person. Simply put, do as MUCH as you can WHEN you can!

Now, I must say, the idea of the "American Dream" is a bit unrealistic to me. In my opinion, there is no ceiling on my success so I don't think that I will ever be in a place where I will no longer want more, to do more, or to be more. The American Dream is a nice thought but we should teach our students aim high and go beyond.

Urban Student ===> Urban Teacher: Success is possible for ALL!!!

Repost: I strongly believe that every child should be afforded the best possible opportunity to excel. Unfortunately, students in under-served communities are faced with the challenges of success with limited resources. My dream of becoming an educator stems from the struggle these kids are faced with because I too was a student in an underserved community. I was born and raised in Cabrini Green, one of Chicago’s most poverty stricken and violent communities. I have witnessed the struggles of success, as many of my peers has fallen victim of their environment. Fortunately, I had parents who believed in the power of education and teachers who acknowledged my potential and nurtured my abilities. My teachers help build the foundation of who I am today and I am so grateful for their love and support.

My purpose as an educator is to make a difference in my students’ lives. I want to assure and support them in knowing that they are capable of great achievements regardless of their socio-economic status and urban environments. Not only can I empathize with the hardships of achievement when the odds are not in their favor, I can also relate. I am a living example of attainable achievements with hard work and dedication. AUSL's Chicago Teacher Residency Program has provided an avenue to addressing the needs of students in these under-served communities. I am honored to have this opportunity and look forward to impacting the lives of my students. 

I am well aware of the possible challenges that I will face as a teacher. I, personally, will struggle with clearly identifying my role as an educator and the natural maternal personality that I possess. As a mother, I am prompted to fix things without a second thought about it. I understand that my students may face situations that are beyond my control and I can't be overly concerned about their lives outside of my classroom. My purpose is to ensure that I provide a safe learning environment for each child while they are in my care.