Teaching check in

Here it is, mid-year, and in most public schools, they're either done for the year, or winding it down. This is a good time as any to reflect on the way things are going.

Just before new year, I decided to switch the reading curriculum from all individualized instruction (do what you want, when you want--which is what I inherited) to mostly-whole class (everybody works on the same stuff) instruction. I did this for several reason both selfish and altruistic.

For one, it's a hell of a lot easier to grade assignments if they're basically the same. The other way (completely individualized instruction), you need a bunch of different answer keys, so you can't take things home to grade unless you have a complete set at home. It's also way easier to answer questions about an assignment, if everyone's working on the same thing because you know the material already. The other reason I decided to switch over is because for the most part, I am getting a lot of students who have the same approximate reading level. Instead of differentiating the whole class, I just put the "outliers" (both higher students and lower students like ELLs on a different plan). So in a given group of 15 kids, 2 or 3 may be working on other material, so it's easier if I have 4 things going rather than 15!

But of course, it's not just about me. The main reason why I did the switch was to better meet the need of the students. I switched to doing thematic units because they seem to like having a common experience as a class (rather than as individuals in a room), and being able to work together and collaborate on their assignments. The way I formatted the new whole class thematic curriculum was designed to result in shorter assignments, but more of them, so as to increase the amount of work the students actually complete during class. Using the textbooks mean the students may complete 1 assignment per class, which in my opinion wasn't enough practice for them. This way, I started getting a much higher volume of work (output) from each student.

The other problem was the format--traditional textbook assignments. Most of the assignments in the books felt too long to some of the students, so they wouldn't finish them...they'd kind of stall out midway and take forever to get them done. In the new system, each assignment is short (usually just one page of reading and one page of questions). Most students can finish three assignments per block, and the remaining time to work on something that requires sustained attention (such as reading novels for pleasure, or other reading material). Those who need the whole time to finish the work still have enough time to get the minimum done, and those who only get some of the work done aren't penalized as long as they finish SOMETHING during class. You'd think the students would balk at doing a lot more work, but generally they haven't. In fact, if anything, they seem to enjoy it. Most seem to enjoy the feeling of "finishing" something during class, so it's self-reinforcing, and they are usually quite happy to stay on task the entire time because it doesn't take forever to experience that "I'm done" feeling.

This kind of format works really well for students with ADHD and ADD, who are notorious for not getting work done in school, (and therefore not making much progress) because in this system, they can usually focus long enough to get one assignment done. The kids with ADD have a hard time staying focused on long reading assignments because they tend to space out midway through and forget what the story was about. The kids with ADHD have a similar problem, but it's compounded by the fact that they tend to get physically restless and chatty. The short-but-more-frequent assignment cycle breaks the long class period into manageable chunks, so both groups dramatically increase their likelihood of being successful at completing some of the work.

As far as how the curriculum is designed, I periodically ask the students to give me a list of things they're interested in, then go to my existing library of reading workbooks to see what material I have on that topic (or a closely related topic), then add more to it from online sources to round out a whole week of classes. I feel like this way, we use the existing instructional materials in a more meaningful fashion, and I can fill in the curricular gaps with more challenging material for extension activities. Then I pull everything I find together in a master binder, that I use for a whole week, then put away until the next year. Some things we've done so far this year are Black History, the Harry Potter series, China, Marine Mammals, Mexico, and Greek Mythology.

It isn't a perfect system, and there are still some minor issues, but it works a lot better than the old system where everything was individualized and the kids did whatever they wanted. Occasionally I still struggle with finding more advanced material for the students who need that (it's hard to find reading programs that go past the 9th grade level) and I think I tend to go heavier on the non-fiction, but I think overall, this way works pretty well in terms of ensuring the students get as much practice with various reading skills as is possible given the kinds of students I have (reluctant, often with reading disabilities) and the logistical constraints (a self-paced program where students can be there for as little as two weeks, or as long as two years).

Shiver Me Timbers

Living out here, feels a lot like the Tom Waits Song... I'm leaving my family, I'm leaving all my friends, My body's at home, but my heart's in the wind, Where the clouds are like headlines on a new front-page sky, My tears are salt water, and the moon's full and high... And the fog's lifting, and the sand's shifting, and I'm drifting on out, Old Captain Ahab, he ain't got nothing on me now, So swallow me, don't follow me, I'm traveling alone, Blue water's my daughter, and I'm gonna skip like a stone... There's nowhere I'd rather be than front row on the mighty Pacific. Most of the time, if I'm not at work, I'm off walking the beach someplace. Usually alone since no one enjoys it with the same level of enthusiasm. I take my son to be the beach by our house is the weather's cooperating, but usually it's a solo assignment. The Pacific is anything but pacific, at least in Oregon. It's usually stormy and full of rage, with wild tidal swings, treacherous sneaker waves, and a strong cold wind that's a gift from the Bering Sea in the north. Sure we have nice sandy beaches, but it ain't the kind you lie around on with suntan lotion and bikinis. For one, it's usually in the mid 50's or at best mid 60's. You usually need a coat year round. If you're lucky, the wind will only be 20 mph or so, but often in the winter it hangs out in the neighborhood of 30-50 mph and occasionally gets as high as 100 mph. The water's only around 52 degrees so you risk hypothermia if you try your luck at swimming, and really, between the currents and the temperature, only a fool would do so. So even during tourist season, it's still relatively quiet around here. Sure there's people around, but not like you'd have in Southern California. So even in the height of summer, it's possible to find solitude on the beach. I like to go before work and look for agates. I can usually find a few if the tide's out. The beach is also a good place to find jasper, which occurs along with agates. Usually they're small, but occasionally you can find bigger pieces. We don't have a huge variety of shells, so the main things I find are clams (locally we have soft shell clams, razor clams, piddocks, and geoducks), cockles, blue mussels, and occasionally an oyster shell or two. I also occasionally find small whelks, and tritons (snail like critters). Occasionally I find something that's fossilized. Given the forested nature of the coast, there's lots of driftwood, and I like to collect the smaller pieces. The main species of tree we have here is the sitka spruce, but there's also alders, big-leaf maples, hemlocks, and apparently a bit of redwood since I find the foliage washed up on the beach occasionally. Speaking of wood, I also periodically find small samples of petrified wood on the beach, which look nearly identical the driftwood, but when you go to pick it up, feels heavier. Most of the time I just like to walk the beach, but occasionally I'll go dig clams or go crabbing. Being at the mouth of a bay, this is a good place to do those kinds of things. Since I don't have access to a boat, I don't get to go fishing really which is too bad because this is a major commercial fishing area, so presumably there's stuff out there worth catching. If I didn't have a small child, I'd probably do more food gathering more often, but he's still too young to do this kind of stuff with. I really like being able to go walk around by the ocean. You never know what you'll find washed up on the shore, and you can't beat the exercise.

Shells of the Oregon Coast

Here’s some of the shells that I find regularly along the coast. This is mostly for my own reference, but if you find the information useful, great.

Blue Mussels (Mytilus edulis). I usually find them washed up on ocean shores, especially during the stormy season, but sometimes you find them in the bays if there’s a bridge or pilings for them to grow on. You’re more likely to find them in areas where there’s a hard substrate (offshore rocks, or pilings) for them to cling to. Tidepools are an excellent place to see them. It looks like there’s actually two species—the ones that come from the ocean seem a lot sturdier than the ones you find along the shores of the bay. They range in size from about the size of a peach pit, to occasionally as long as your hand, but most are about the same length as your fingers. Nice and shiny on the inside, they’re quite attractive. (Common, you can find these almost anywhere)

Cockle (probably Nuttall’s) Clinocardium nuttallii: You occasionally find these washed up on ocean shores, but the best place to find them are the bays they live in. They range in size from golf ball to occasionally much larger. (Fairly common) Dog whelk (unknown species) not usually intact when you find them washed up on ocean beaches, but occasionally you get lucky.

Gaper Clams: A huge clam that’s often bigger than your hand. Like razor clams, these guys bury themselves deep in the sand. I usually find these large clam shells washed up on ocean shores, but suspect they actually live in the bay. (I find these by the beaches near Waldport)

Keyhole limpet (probably Rough Keyhole Limpet) Diodora aspera: You find these washed up on ocean beaches. (Fairly common)

Nuttall’s Hornmouth: You rarely find these intact without a hermit crab living inside! Usually found on the shore in bays, they seem to like to hang out on seaweed covered rocks and pilings. (I find these near the Alsea Bay) Oyster: Not sure about the species. Pacific oysters are actually quite rare in the wild. Most are farmed in various locations. So, unless someone has left a bunch of shells behind after eating oysters on the beach, you aren’t likely to see them.

Pacific Razor Clams (Siliqua patula): These are primarily found on ocean shores in areas where there’s a good sandbar. (I find these near Waldport)

Piddock (probably Common Piddock) Penitella penita, rarely intact when you find them. Kind of a delicate looking shell that reminds me of angel wings. Their fragility is rather ironic, these clams bore holes in rocks! (I find these near the mouth of the Alsea Bay)

Purple olive: I’m guessing these are tidepool dwellers. Not commonly found on the beach. I mainly find these in Yachats.

Shield limpet (Acmaea pelta): You find these less frequently, as their shells are thinner and more fragile.

Softshell clams (Mya arenaria): These live back in the mudflats of bays and prefer brackish water. There’s a smaller rounder purple species, and a coarser looking white species. (I find these in the Alsea Bay)

Triton (unknown species): Not the fancy huge ones, but we seem to have some small species that you see around occasionally.

Whelk (unknown species): Again, not the big huge fancy type, but we seem to have some smaller species that occasionally washes up.

Other: Here’s some of the things that you find washed up that aren’t shells per se, but are interesting:

Acorn barnacles: Sometimes kelp breaks free, and you’ll find these barnacles growing on the holdfasts

Crab shells: You find a lot of intact crabs, but especially during May/June which I guess is when they’re molting. The reddish looking ones are rock crabs, and the yellow/brown looking ones are Dungeness.

Dead birds: You see a lot of dead shorebirds washed up after storms. Some of the most common ones in order of frequency are Western Gulls and Glaucous-winged Gulls, Cormorants, Common Murres, Crows, Black Oystercatchers, and Auklets.

Fungus: There’s a lot of trees that get washed into the ocean from the rivers during the winter storms. Sometimes these trees have a weird fungus that looks like Ganoderma growing on them, and this comes detached. So then you find these dinner-plate sized mushrooms lying on the beach. Truly strange.

Kelp Monsters: Sometimes huge masses of bull kelp break loose during storms and wash up on the beach.

Sea Stars: You see these more in the summer than any other time (when the coast experiences a series of minus tides—super low tides), washed up on ocean beaches.

Seals: On average, I’ve found 3-4 dead seals near the Alsea Bay.

Shrimp: Sometimes you find ghost shrimp washed up on the beach.

Sponges: I rarely find big ones, but you often find little sponges after storms.

Classroom Management: Bounce 'Em

Ever have a kid show up in your class who's too wound up and distracted to learn? Maybe they're upset and angry about something, and their energy is starting to infect the rest of the room. You tell they really need a "break", but you don't really have a "break room" for students. Try this instead: Rurik Nackerud (another Portland teacher) says, "One of my favorite interventions to use with a single student is to 'Bounce' them." (I never had a name for this intervention, so I will happily steal his). This is a great little technique to use when you have one student in the room that you can see is "heading for trouble" (even if they haven't done anything yet, you know the best thing for everyone is to remove them from class for a little while). "When this happens I send students on an errand. If you set up agreements with people in the building ahead of time and do it often (even if un-needed) students get used to it and do not realize they are being removed from a "sticky" situation." There's a lot of things you can potentially have a student do for you. A few ideas I have are: deliver messages to the office, return a book to another teacher (or the library, or book room), get you food/beverages (if you trust them), pick up AV equipment, put in a maintenance request to the custodian (for instance, if your light has been flickering badly for a few days), drop off or retrieve a copy job (or do the copying), take the trash or recycling out (if the cans are full), and so forth. Aside from giving the student a break (and a chance to reset), this is also a good way to plan movement breaks into the schedule when you have a student who has ADHD (who really can't handle sitting still in class all the time). Unbeknownst to many teacher, many students with ADHD have this tendency to want to be "helpful" and channeling this urge into something positive and productive reduces the need for these students to engage in other less desirable behaviors.

What I CAN do...

As a teacher who works with at-risk youth, I realize there’s a lot that I CAN’T do. I can’t change the socioeconomic backgrounds of my students, rid them of learning disabilities, prevent questionable parenting practices, or alleviate the negative impacts of the things they experience on a daily basis out in their communities or society at large. These all impact the education process to varying degrees.

On the other hand, there are things that a teacher CAN do to make the time spent in the classroom more beneficial for students, even students who have some or perhaps all of the risk factors mentioned above. These are a few of them:

I CAN make whatever we’re learning more meaningful and relevant to my students. To the extent possible, I can use curriculum in ways that the students perceive as bringing something relevant to their lives, making it far more likely that their time in class will be spent learning something that’s likely to be remembered after the bell rings.

I CAN maintain a positive social environment. “…School climate has a far greater impact on personality development than we ever realized.” I can’t control the social environment “out there”, but in MY room, I can have a classroom culture that is healthy and affirming—regardless of what is happening outside these walls. I CAN incorporate movement and physical activity into my lessons. “The typical classroom setting where students just "sit and get" was challenged by research findings showing that the brain is much more active when learners are moving around. Movement brings additional fuel-carrying blood to the brain… thereby helping students make meaningful connections between new and past learnings.” There are lots of ways to do this, and they can be applied in all subject areas, and all grades. (Adult learners even enjoy it.)

I CAN leave room in my teaching practices, the curriculum, and in my classroom procedures to deal proactively with my students' emotional development. (After all, they’re still developing, and I can assume it’s as likely to happen in my classroom as anywhere). I can do this by communicating through both my words and actions that I respect them and actually care about their success.

I CAN encourage creativity in my subject area. Creativity lowers stress, encourages divergent thinking, and connects concepts across multiple fields of knowledge. Music, art, and dance have a place in any content area as they encourage visual and spatial abilities, opportunities for collaboration, and complement a variety of learning styles.

I CAN educate myself about the learning differences that my students have. I can be more aware of how dyslexia, ADD/ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, and other disabilities impact learning. I can try a variety of interventions with children who have these conditions instead of lowering my expectations, or assuming they can’t learn.

(Quoted and paraphrased material from Larry Ferlazzo: http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/classroom_qa_with_larry_ferlazzo)