What I Learned Today #2 - (Listen to Older Folks)

This summer, I'm painting a house for an octogenarian woman (named Emma) in my parents' neighborhood. She is a fixture in the community, and she knows local history like nobody else around. Yes, she occasionally rambles on through her anecdotes, but she's fascinating to talk to.

While talking to me yesterday, Emma said something that not only stuck out, but really made me think. In fact, as I thought about what she was saying, I was considering writing this post. That, in turn, made me think about how many really intelligent things that people say to me that go in one ear and out the other. This led to what I learned today: really listen to people when they are talking to you; if they say something of quality, don't just note it, but try to use it.

So, what did she say? She was telling me the story of a man who did not have much intelligence but who found a job maintaining the carts at his local grocery stores. He cleaned, oiled, and repaired the carts, and Emma claimed that there were never better carts at any other store she's visited. As the man aged and eventually passed away, people questioned his sister about how much of a burden it was to take care of someone who she knew would never amount to anything. The sister's response? "My brother's life was a success. You're only a failure if you don't make the most of the opportunities that you're given."

Am I "cleaning the carts" the best that I can? Do I maximize every opportunity? I'm going to admit that I'm don't. But I'm working on it, and I'm going to keep this story in mind as I try to do my best each day as an educator. I'll also remember that I wouldn't even be thinking about this if I hadn't taken a moment to listen to and reflect on the words of a dear old lady.

What I Learned Today #1 (Painting and Rules)

Today, I spent most of my time painting my living room. We've been meaning to upgrade from the white that was on the walls when we moved in for quite a while, but only recently did I finally make the move toward getting this project done. It's gone well, and my family is really pleased with the results.

Which makes me think: Is there something that I've been putting off trying in my classroom that could really benefit my students and me? I'm the kind of teacher who comes up with 15 "really great thoughts" every day, but then either fall off in motivation or forget the ideas because I don't write them down.

This past year in my classroom, I had the idea to post three simple rules in my room. These were positively stated and clear, and I shared them with my students on the first day of school (they actually liked the way I had phrased them). However, as I wrapped up the year and got the classroom ready for the summer, I realized that I had never posted the rules. Over and over, I told myself to get to it, but never made the final motion in the right direction. In retrospect, I'm a bit upset with myself for not doing something that was very easy, but now I have the chance to make it right by starting the year with these rules clearly labeled in my classroom. A small amount of volition can have great results (whether it's my living room or my classroom).

By the way, if you're interested, the three rules are:

1) In this room, we think first.
2) In this room, we consider others' thoughts and feelings.
3) In this room, we solve problems rather than creating them.

They'll be up on the first day of school this year (and my living room will finally be a different color than boring, dull white).

New Blog Series - What I Learned Today

I've been thinking about starting a new series of posts on my blog. I realize that I haven't been a faithful blogger, but somewhere near the end of the school year, I had the idea that what I should really be doing with this blog is "noticing". Noticing things about my classroom, my students, my own children, whatever I stumble across that can help me refine and expand my abilities as an educator. I was always encouraged in college to complete formative and summative assessments of my work, but I was never very good at making that formal step; this series of posts will hopefully help me to be a more reflective educator while also providing anyone who might also read the opportunity to think about a point that has come up naturally in my teaching career. I hope that any readers enjoy these posts (and that they keep me honest about blogging consistently in order to use this tool effectively).

But the kids know more than we do!

I've been to a good number of meetings this year (both formal and informal) that involved discussions about the best ways to use technology with children. I really enjoy these conversations, and I'm excited about all the possibilities that the digital domain presents for teachers and students in schools. However, time and again I have heard teachers turn a phrase that disturbs me a bit, and it goes something like this: "Sometimes, I think the kids know more about technology than we do. We should be learning from them!"

Really?

I mean......really????

Okay, there are two ways to look at this, I'll admit that. On the one hand, it is fair to say that the children of this digital generation probably are a bit more acclimated to certain technologies and devices than some adults. If an adult hasn't had a chance to play with a new iPhone and a child has, then the child will have a bit more experience with the device and could therefore be considered to "know more" about iPhones than the adult.

On the other hand, just because a child has played with a device and knows a good number of its apps, that does not automatically mean that the child "knows more" about how to use that device than an adult might. I try to point this out to teachers who make the claim when I'm talking to them. A child who has played with multiple devices, has e-mailed and IMed numerous times, and who has a social networking page is not necessarily better prepared to explore ways to use that technology to create products and respond to the world than his or her teachers.

I often joke, "Just because a kid can tell me about hammers, screwdrivers, and wrenches doesn't mean that I'm going to let him or her try to fix my bathroom or car." Knowledge of a tool does not trump the knowledge of how to use tools to create things. Surfing the web a lot doesn't displace a well-earned Master's degree; having your own webpage doesn't counter a decade of experience in education; and when your first impulse is to "ask Google" or "go to Wikipedia" (two of my students' common solutions), that doesn't hold up against the knowledge about how to evaluate resources and refine research.

Yes, I agree that the children of the modern world know quite a bit about technology. What they do not need are teachers who defer to that limited knowledge and are afraid of knowing less than the kids; instead, they need teachers who are ready to show them how to use those technologies to be a integral part of the world.

The Meaning of "Uniform" in School

As the first online homework assignment for my class this year, I had the students read an article about uniforms for public schools. The school uniform debate is always a good conversation starter, and the kids enjoyed responding to the pros and cons of the issue. As you might expect, there was a flurry of "personal expression" arguments. The kids were smart about how they presented their views, though. They understood why one might say that uniforms could improve self-esteem, decrease negative peer interaction, and remove gang and clique cultures from the school. They understood those arguments; they just didn't believe them. They countered (and most research shows) that those anticipated effects really don't take place, and that bullying and grouping and low self-esteem happens with or without uniforms.

And so we wrapped up the debate (leaving a few loose ends), and I moved on through the week. A few days later, though, I realized that I was participating in a different "uniform" debate, and it had nothing to do with what my students were wearing. I found myself in multiple conversations about the school's literacy program and ELA curriculum. I began to notice that the arguments being made in favor of certain methods (and the curriculum at large) were very similar to those used in the dress code debate. I found myself at odds with the notion that there is a way to teach language arts in a uniform manner, conforming to the terminology and processes of a certain method and ensuring that all students have a common experience in class.

I keep trying my best to see the need for this uniformity in curriculum. I know that no district wants to explain why certain teachers won't follow along with a given program. It looks like disrespect and dissent, and it reflects poorly on the district at large. At the same time, I continue to see language arts as an area in flux; the digital age has started a transition that is effecting what language is and how it is used. I believe that there are positive aspects to most programs and methods, but I also believe that a teacher needs to be free to find the best avenues of work with his own students and their specific needs. Beyond that, each teacher develops his or her own teaching style, and not all programs mesh perfectly with all styles.

An acting professor of mine was once discussing the art of acting and creating a character. I asked him which method was "best": the popular Method created by Stanislavsky, or the variation on that theme by Sanford Meisner, or perhaps something else entirely. And his answer still resonates: he told me to immerse myself in all of the various processes, and then to take what was best from each of them to create something personal that worked for me. I now find myself in a similar scenario with the curricula and practices being used in education. Rather than ascribing completely to one method of doing things, I prefer to learn about all the various programs and take from them what's best for me and my students. In effect, it's the "personal expression" argument from a different perspective.

My hope is that this will not look as though I refuse to "buy in" to a given system that the school is supposed to be doing; I don't intend to dismiss any educator's work as wrong or irrelevant. However, I also know that when it comes to actual teaching in the classroom, I will always choose the freedom to experiment, develop, and explore different ways of doing things that will best help my students succeed.