Education and Law Project | NC Justice Center
I mentioned briefly a few posts ago that there were several hard-hitting, Republican-led approaches to public education in the works in our great state. The NC Justice Center monitors these policy approaches to ensure compliance with the common good. Yes, public education means inclusion of the entire populace. Republicans, too. Visit their website for some news on NC education policy.
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Sailing towards the end of year 21 in a teaching career
My job as a high-school teacher remains a high-end, challenging and rewarding one. Despite the political turmoil that has surrounded North Carolina public education the past few years - school boards shenanigans, Obama-derangement syndrome, anti-government Republicans who want to take part in government - and getting electing because of aforementioned medical condition - all these things have made the typical NC teacher disgruntled, angry, demoralized and often searching for an alternative way of life.
My gig at my school is a primo one. My students are all respectful, with supportive families, and they all seem genuinely interested in taking German. When reflecting on my efficacy as a teacher I do tend to be hard on myself, but the fact that I still keep getting marvelous students streaming into my solo German program is testimony enough that I am doing something right. My colleague at the middle schools keep German alive with her zany middle school approach, highly effective, and I take her students on in a more intensive way, I believe, quicker with the material, higher expectations. Success at maintaining this level of rigor throughout a 180 day school year varies considerably, but that is the way life works, ebbs, and flows, and peaks and valleys. In the end, though, I always earn considerable satisfaction in knowing that I brought some great students to a high-level of discourse.
This year has been a great year: 2nd place overall at German Day, a student being awarded the Philip Watts Scholarship, another student being awarded a three-week sojourn in Germany because high National German Exam test scores. Six out of eigh AP German students will be taking the AP German Exam. German Club maintained consistent attendance, because of a collective effort to keep it that way; we have great officers and steady membership. Now the possibility of finally getting t-shirts for the club would do a lot to forwarding the Club mission at our school. An altogether good year.
Things missing: shall I revive the National German Honor Society for next year? That would be current German 3 and 4 students (non-seniors, of course). It's decided: I WILL. Their service hours would be tutoring struggling German students and maintaining my classroom, etc.
Speaking of my classroom, it appears that I will have a couch in my room on Monday. How that's going work is open to varied scenarios. Most good.
My gig at my school is a primo one. My students are all respectful, with supportive families, and they all seem genuinely interested in taking German. When reflecting on my efficacy as a teacher I do tend to be hard on myself, but the fact that I still keep getting marvelous students streaming into my solo German program is testimony enough that I am doing something right. My colleague at the middle schools keep German alive with her zany middle school approach, highly effective, and I take her students on in a more intensive way, I believe, quicker with the material, higher expectations. Success at maintaining this level of rigor throughout a 180 day school year varies considerably, but that is the way life works, ebbs, and flows, and peaks and valleys. In the end, though, I always earn considerable satisfaction in knowing that I brought some great students to a high-level of discourse.
This year has been a great year: 2nd place overall at German Day, a student being awarded the Philip Watts Scholarship, another student being awarded a three-week sojourn in Germany because high National German Exam test scores. Six out of eigh AP German students will be taking the AP German Exam. German Club maintained consistent attendance, because of a collective effort to keep it that way; we have great officers and steady membership. Now the possibility of finally getting t-shirts for the club would do a lot to forwarding the Club mission at our school. An altogether good year.
Things missing: shall I revive the National German Honor Society for next year? That would be current German 3 and 4 students (non-seniors, of course). It's decided: I WILL. Their service hours would be tutoring struggling German students and maintaining my classroom, etc.
Speaking of my classroom, it appears that I will have a couch in my room on Monday. How that's going work is open to varied scenarios. Most good.
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
The big issues
The biggest issues at my current school involve our struggling students. There are many and they deserve our attention if we want our mission of public education to withstand scrutiny from an increasingly polarized political climate. This is a climate that views public education with mistrust, sometimes rabid, sometimes subtle. Public schools are inclusive symbols of American democracy; their success is paramount if America is to remain great. Now, my school has a marvelous faculty, and wide diversity of course offerings, accolades everywhere, but there remains a constituency flailing apart from the strengths of our curriculum.
We can easily identify the members of this group, and outline the prevailing attitudes that prevent these students from conforming to the written and unwritten rules of a school setting. Question is, how do we remedy it? How do we integrate more students into the academic club?
Education theorists have spoken repeatedly of the need to adapt our curriculum and instructional delivery to the caliber of the students. The rowdy, disinterested ones, the students manifesting the attitudes that make their success more difficult to attain, these kids demand a different approach. After years in the classroom I do believe in this dictate of American public education.
We can easily identify the members of this group, and outline the prevailing attitudes that prevent these students from conforming to the written and unwritten rules of a school setting. Question is, how do we remedy it? How do we integrate more students into the academic club?
Education theorists have spoken repeatedly of the need to adapt our curriculum and instructional delivery to the caliber of the students. The rowdy, disinterested ones, the students manifesting the attitudes that make their success more difficult to attain, these kids demand a different approach. After years in the classroom I do believe in this dictate of American public education.
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