Ten New Year’s Tips for Teachers 2013

I hope that you are enjoying your Christmas holiday and are re-energizing yourself for your return to the classroom in the New Year. When you return you have a wide diversity of experiences from your students. Some may have traveled a great deal for a family vacation. Some may have just stayed home. Some of your students got as much loot as the GDP of a third world country and others got nothing at all.

As your return to the classroom here are a few tips and suggestions (in no particular order).

1)      It’s all about the students. No matter what happed during the holiday break, you need to be ready for school on the day you return.

2)      Establish goals for the class. Make a chart that illustrates their growth as a group.

3)      Stimulate creativity. Encourage your students to think independently and creatively.

4)      I know it sounds crass, but start to develop review plans for your state assessment testing in the spring.

5)      Take care of yourself. Winter is the time for colds and flu. Try to eat healthy and exercise.

Make sure you take time to relax and energize yourself.

6)      Make contingency plans for bad weather. Chances are if you work in the Northeast, Midwest,  the Plains, etc. you will have a few “snow days.” Be sure lessons are posted on your school’s web site and encourage students to keep up to speed while at home. Develop assignments that can be completed independently.

7)      Begin to explore professional development opportunities to sharpen your skills or develop new ones. Summer programs for teachers have application deadlines that often are in February or March.

8)      You may be receiving your mid- year evaluation from your supervisor or principal. Be sure to take the opportunity to meet and review your strengths as well as those areas that need improvement.

9)      Believe it or not you may be welcoming new students into your class. Some families may choose move early in the New Year as one family member may have secured a new job that starts in January. Make these new students feel welcome and encourage your class to do the same.

10)   If your school allows it, begin to develop plans for a spring class trip with educational value.

Best wishes for a Happy and successful 2013.

c. 2012 J. Margolis

Teachers are Heroes

This week I should be writing about how to teach about religious diversity and the richness that Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwaanza bring to American culture. I should be writings about tips and New Years resolutions for teachers to make 2013 a better teaching year. Or I should be writing about how high school economics and civics classes can discuss,debate and analyze “the fiscal cliff” issue.

But I cannot write about any of these topics- at least not today. Twenty first graders in Newtown, Connecticut are dead as are six adults, including  teachers, principal and a school psychologist.

These children loved school and loved their teachers. They were excited about the upcoming Christmas holidays. Now instead of talking about Santa Clause and presents, family visits and holiday trips, we are talking about funerals, school safety and gun control.

The NRA refused to appear on any of the Sunday news talk shows but they will probably produce the tired mantra that “guns don’t kill people, people kill people.”  I chatted with a friend of mine, an attorney from Canada, who both explained why gun control has been so successful in the land of our northern neighbors. He chided his American colleagues who have interpreted the Second Amendment to include gun ownership for reasons other than national defense.

What I want to write about today is that teachers are heroes, not just on Friday, but every day. Few people would ever believe that teaching is a dangerous job? Every day you step into a classroom you are a hero to your students. Even on your worst day as a teacher you are your students’ bets hope.  Teachers at the Sandy Hook Elementary School were heroes on Friday- doing what they always do- looking out for the safety and welfare of their students. Schools were always thought to be a safe place for students- a warm and nurturing environment in an often cold and indifferent world. We need to regain that safety. The sign  in fron of the school said "visitors welcome." We need to protect that notion.

May the souls of the children and their teachers who perished last week rise high in Heaven and may their memories be a blessing to those that loved them.

c. 2012 J. Margolis

Extending Classroom Time

A recent Associated Press article noted that an increasing number of states are taking part in an imitative to increase the number of hours in school students are required to attend. Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and Tennessee are cooperating in the program in the latest effort to improve student achievement.  This project is being funded by local state and federal funds in conjunction with the National Center on Time and Learning (http://www.timeandlearning.org/). The goal is to add 300 hours to the school years. Each district will decide whether to add hours on to the school day or add days on to the school year. US Education Secretary Arne Duncan has endorsed this effort which is part of a 3 year pilot project that will ultimately include 20,000 students. This latest maneuver is the continuation of a trend as there are currently over 1000 schools throughout the United States that are currently operating on some type of extended schedule. The article notes that “student testing, teacher evaluations, charter schools and voucher programs join longer school days on the list of reforms that have been put forward with varying degrees of success.”

As usual the focus of this program will be on improving math and science skills, two critical areas that American students have fallen behind many of their world wide peers.

The research on this topic is extensive and there have been divergent outcomes. Programs like the KIPP Academies (http://www.kipp.org/) have proven that extended time in class and additional days in school do make a difference in student performance.  But on the other side of this issue, researchers report that in our high tech, computer, Smartphone, etc. society, the attention span of students has dwindled so that additional time on task in the classroom may not be productive.

Secretary Duncan has expressed his interest in extending the school year into the summer as well as having school open six days a week.

c.j. Margolis 2012

Does Teacher Training Matter?

What kind of training should a teacher have? How many years of college should be required? How much contact time with students in an actual classroom setting. What are the most appropriate assessments to determine whether a teacher candidate is ready to enter the profession? These are questions that have baffled colleges of education for years. As the teaching profession comes under more public scrutiny and demands more accountability, the issues surrounding teacher preparation have again surfaced. Most traditional colleges of education divide their pedagogy into several sections- Theoretical and practical. In the theoretical domain, students are exposed to how children learn. They investigate theories of learning, stages of learning and review of learning disabilities.  Everything thing from John Dewey to Daniel Golman is often included. The practical aspects to teacher preparation include site visits and observations of actual classrooms or in campus experimental classrooms, teaching sample lessons to peers that are videotaped and culminating in clinical practice, also known as student teaching. Teacher candidates are expected to prepare lesson plans and develop teaching strategies that will encompass all learners the classroom. In many colleges and universities, graduates who wish to teach in middle or high school setting must also be deemed highly qualified (using federal NCLB guidelines) in the subject that they teach. This often means completing a separate undergraduate degree in the specific content area, e.g. English, Mathematics, Social Studies, etc.

But the question remains which type of preparation best serves the candidate and ultimately the school and its students? When we take a look at the current research, the new norm for teacher evaluation is how the students perform on state or national standardized tests. So what becomes more critical, how to teach (pedagogy) or what to teach (content)? How does a teacher address the various learning styles so that all of the students (or a majority) can pass the test? A teacher should complete needs assessments of the students at the beginning of get academic year and monitor their progress as the year continues. Since most assessment tests are administered in the early spring, it is imperative that teachers ramp up their efforts after the Christmas vacation. By that time teachers should identify who is in need of remedial help, who can grasp concepts orally, visually or hands on. This might tend to favor the theoretical plank of the academic curriculum. There are too many videos on YouTube where students stare blankly at reporters and cannot answer the most rudimentary questions like how many Supreme Court Justices are there and how many Muslim nations there are.

Readers here  might want to  read some of the recent books by Linda Darling Hammond( From Inequality to Quality due out in April 2013 and Surpassing Shanghai  c.2011)

c.J. margolis 2012

Holocuast Resources for Teachers

Florida’s Teaching Trunk Program

I was recently in St. Petersburg, Florida and had the opportunity to the visit the Florida Holocaust Museum. The displays tell in a graphic manner the horrific story of the Holocaust in a uniquely understandable way. They were a number of interactive sites as well as artifacts and video testimony of Holocaust survivors. The third floor of the museum is home to a comprehensive resources center with many books and materials. This museum has been accredited by the American Association of Museums, which is quite an accomplishment.

But perhaps the most creative and unique program at the museum was the “Teaching Trunks” initiative. In response to the statewide mandate to teach Holocaust education in the public schools in Florida, the museum, in cooperation with the Florida Department of Education and the Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and Historical Resources has developed portable self contained trunks with age appropriate videos, picture books and reading material for students for all grade levels. Essentially the trunk contains a pre-packed teaching unit with all of the materials suitable for classroom use.

Here is the focus of each grade level.

Grades 1-2  Different and the Same. Materials include a video series with related literature on awareness, fairness, understanding, respect and tolerance education.

Grades 3-4   Creating Community.  Students examine the issues of immigration, prejudice, family, community and cultural identity.

Grade 5  Beginning Holocaust Studies.  At this grade level students learn the importance of learning from history including the socio-political and historical context. Material includes the books: The Night Crossing, Talking Walls, Jacob’s Rescue and Immigrant Kids.

Middle School- Investigating Human Behavior. The focus at this level is the choices that individuals made during the Holocaust. It looks at the bystander, perpetrator, victim and rescuer and how their lives and the lives of others were affected.

High School- Historical Perspectives of the Holocaust. Literature, posters and a focused study of the historical impact of the Holocaust.

For more information about the Teaching Trunk Program and how to obtain one for your classroom, you should contact Mr. Charles Jaynes, Teaching Trunk Coordinator at (727)-820-0100 ext 249.

You may also wish to access the museum’s web site at www.flholocaustmuseum.org

If your school or state has a similar program, please let us know.

c.2012 J. Margolis

Identifying Students with Depression

According to a report issued by the United States Department of Education approximately 20% of all young women between the ages of 14-17 have suffered from some degree of depression. The rate for males is somewhat less. The study defined depression as “a period of at least 2 weeks where a person experiences a depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities.” Middle to late adolescence has been identified as the most common age for the symptoms of depression first appear.

Teachers are in a unique situation to be on the front line of identifying students with depression. Sometimes, parents are too close to a situation and don’t realize what is happening. Peers may be more willing to commiserate with their friends feelings and able to understand that help may be needed.

Below is a list of some of the warning signs for adolescent depression:

·         Insomnia

·         Yo-yoing of weight

·         Poor self esteem

·         Difficulty in focusing on tasks

·         Chronic absenteeism

·         Talking or writing  about death or suicide

·         Running away from home

·         Drug or alcohol abuse

School districts should have a process in place to deal with students who have been identified with having symptoms of depression.  Many schools have guidance counselors, school psychologists or social workers who are trained to deal with students who exhibit symptoms of depression. Parents may also want to consult with their family physician or social service agencies that have counselors available to assist troubled teens. Additionally, many hospitals have psychologists on staff to deal with depression and crisis issues that they see when adolescents are brought to the ER.

Unfortunately, many of these symptoms begin to manifest themselves during the holidays. At this time of year teachers should be especially alert and sensitive to students who may be exhibiting some of the symptoms listed above.

This link to an article from the National Institute of Health may be another useful resource.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001518.htm

As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome.

Copyright  2012. J. Margolis

Is it Time for the Core Knowledge Program?

Two recent items came across my desk that had me pause and reflect on the Core Knowledge program. The program is an offshoot of the research and writings Professor E.D. Hirsch. Hirsch, author of Cultural Literacy and The Cultural Literacy Dictionary, believed that American students have fallen behind their peers in other countries sin part by what was being taught in the school,. He devised a list, a quite controversial list, of 5000 items that every American should know. Included in Hirsch’s list were items in science, math, literature, music, geography and history. From this list and ongoing research, the Core Knowledge Foundation evolved, founded by Hirsch. What the members of the organization did was to break down the list by grade level. This brought about the publication of What Every First Grader Should Know and so on up to the end of elementary school.  Hirsch also authored The Knowledge Deficit: Closing the Shocking Education Gap for American Children .In this book Hirsch makes the case for exposing students to a broad spectrum of knowledge as a route to more effective reading comprehension skills for students.

Hirsch was not alone in his sentiment. In a recent interview on CBS’ 60 Minutes, noted author and historian David McCullough observed that American students, even at the college level, were “historically illiterate.” Apparently some groups are taking these allegations seriously and are doing something about it. Recently in Naples, Florida, a group has obtained permission from the county superintendent of schools to operate a charter school whose academic foundation will be based in part on the Core Knowledge Curriculum.

An in depth article appeared in the fall 2012 issue of American Educator Magazine published  by the American Federation of Teachers. The article focused on an elementary school classroom in Queens, New York. In all, ten school s participated in a pilot project in language arts utilizing the Core Knowledge concepts. Students who participated in this program outscored their peers on reading comprehension tests. The results are encouraging and are certainly worthy of further exploration. The article, More than Words, written by Jennifer Dubin, can be found on pages 34-40 of the magazine. The article also has a list of endnotes with references to other research and articles about the Core Knowledge program.

You can obtain more information about the project at www.sft.otg/pdfs/smericaneducator/winter2022/CommonCorte.pdf.

The web site for the Core Knowledge Foundation can be found at http://www.coreknowledge.org/

Teachers can obtain lesson plans and project ideas and learn more about the foundation and its goals from the site. If you  believe that content is important and are interested in trying  new ways to motivate and stimulate your students, take a look at the Core Knowledge Program.

Copyright 2012 - J. Margolis

New Jersey Teachers Cancel Convention

For the first time in 158 years, the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) Annual Convention has been cancelled due to the devastation caused by Super Storm Sandy. The convention traditionally held in Atlantic City, New Jersey every November has drawn as many as 50,000 members to participate in lectures, discussions and professional development programs. It also provided visitors opportunity to network with fellow educators as well as to meet representatives from textbook companies and other education supply vendors. With much of coastal New Jersey in tatters, it was the appropriate thing to do. People are without power. Many have lost their homes and all of their possessions. The storm has caused over 100 fatalities to date. It is also unfortunate that there will be a lot of lost revenue to hotels, restaurants, taxis and such.

The executives of NJEA have asked its members to assist on the cleanup efforts and to volunteer their time if they can. Donations are desperately needed for affected families not just in New Jersey but elsewhere up and down the east coast. Teachers and their students can help other teachers and students in a region that has been devastated.  Contributions can be made to the American Red Cross. To donate, visit RedCross.org, call 1-800-HELPNOW or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Other institutions are also pitching in. The faculty and students of Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey have initiated clothing drives and requests for donations. Teaching has been known as one of the “helping” professions. This would be a great time to pitch in and help your peers in need and to provide comfort to students and their families.

Our prayers and thoughts go out to our colleagues in need.

Copyright- J. Margolis 2012

Are you drowning in paperwork?

If you are a first year teacher , at this  point in the school year  you may already be overwhelmed and exasperated  by the volume of paperwork that crosses your desk. You may also have come to the realization that it is extremely important to be organized. Paperwork management may have been something that was not taught or even discussed in your teacher preparation program in college. So now you need to take the initiative to unclutter your desk, create files and complete your fall cleaning.

You may wish to separate your work into these categories.

1)      Student Work. It is important to return papers to students in a timely manner. They need to receive feedback as soon as possible to learn how they performed on assignments and tests.  If you are saving certain papers for parent conferences or student work samples for their folders, etc. be sure to file them in a manner that will be easily retrievable.

2)      Professional Development. This may be a file of articles from professional magazines or notes from workshops and conferences. If you work in a state has a professional development requirement for promotions or pay increments, be sure to keep an accurate account of hours completed or keep transcripts from any graduate courses you may have taken.

3)      Committees. As a new teacher (or even a veteran educator) you will be most likely be assigned to serve on several committees. You may have also volunteered to serve as a club sponsor or coach. It is important to keep accurate notes and records of these projects so that you can refer to them and create action plans for those items you need to address.

4)      Letters from parents or guardians. Be sure to keep these in a safe place should you need to refer to them or to follow up on parents requests. Accurate communication with parents is a crucial trait for any successful teacher.

5)      Teacher observations and evaluations.  These are very important documents. You will need to refer to them so it is important to have them readily available and secure.

I am sure that that I did not think of every category but at least this is a start. Be certain to secure personal student information files and IEPs of your special needs students. You should keep these documents in a locked filing cabinet. I hope that these suggestions help to clear your desk.

c. J. Margolis

Malala Yousufazai- Teacher and Heroine

 How far would you go to defend your right to an education? What would you be willing to do so that you would not be threatened for reading a book or attend school? A fourteen year old girl in Pakistan was willing to risk her life to be able to learn. Malala Yousufazai was the victim of assassination attempt by the Taliban in Peshawar Province in Pakistan. She was shot in the head last week while on a school bus for the crime of trying to teach other Pakistani girls. Her father is a former school administrator whose school had been shut down by the Taliban. Malala had been running a blog under a false identity. Yousufazai was airlifted to a hospital in Birmingham, England for long term treatment for her head injury.

You may recall the efforts of Greg Mortinsen to educate young girls in the region in his bestselling books, Three Cups of Tea and Stones into Schools. It has been difficult to effect a change in the thinking of the role of women and their desire to obtain an education. In additional to the cultural issues that have prevented many Muslim women from going to school, there is the political desire of the Taliban to maintain their stronghold by keeping the female population subservient and in the dark.

This is a current events news items with a message. While the American education system in not perfect and it can often be prone to politicization, all 50 states and the District of Columbia have compulsory education laws and they apply to both girls as well as boys. While the issue of the glass ceiling for women executives has been a presidential debate topic, American women are not denied the opportunity to achieve in the classroom and in the business world. The role of educated women is critical to success of a democracy and thus we as a nation must continue to encourage young women to further their education, become entrepreneurs, engage in the political process, and encourage other women to do the same. The courage of Malala has become a teachable moment where you point out to your students that in the USA the role of women is far different than the roles of women in Pakistan or other Muslim countries.  We continue to hope for her recovery and to encourage her and others like her to raise their voices to extol the virtues of an education for women and how it can serve to help their country.

c .J. Margolis 2012

The Middle East- Rhetoric and Reality

The Middle East- Rhetoric and Reality

When I first started teaching, it was during the height of the Vietnam War. Many of my students had relatives in the army and they were complaining about the war and were taking notice of the growing anti- war movement. Looking for a teachable moment one day I pulled down the wall map of the world and asked students to show me where Vietnam was. None of them could find it.

If you are a teacher of social studies, current events, or geography, the current environment regarding the Middle East is a vast teachable moment for a wide variety of reasons.

One obvious reason is the upcoming presidential election. Both candidates are trying to position themselves as Pro- Israel and strong on combating terrorism. Even though the final debate on foreign policy is more than a week away, you can access each candidate’s position from their web sites.  (Although their views may change during the campaign.)

Other hot issues ripe for discussion include whether Iran is on the verge of developing nuclear weapons capability and whether or not they would use it. With regards to Israel, it seems that many nations are deferring to either the US or Israel (or both) to “handle” the Iranian crisis. It should be noted that the Israeli government has never acknowledged whether they in fact have nuclear weaponry but most governments believe that they do. Read this document from George Washington University regarding the Dimona nuclear site.(http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/israel/documents/reveal/index.html)

Another front and center issue is Syria. Assad is waging a civil war to maintain power and it looks like the “Arab Spring” has not been as successful there as it has been in Egypt.

Of course there is the ongoing war in Afghanistan and  the  US military presence in Iraq.

For divergent media coverage of Middle Eastern affairs, have your student view the Jerusalem Post (www.jpost.com) and AL Jazeera (www.Aljazeera.com).

The Council on Foreign Relations also often covers items pertinent to Middle Eastern events ( www.cfr.org). Recent articles include a story about Turkish- Syrian Relations and a piece by Foreign Minister Salehi about Iranian foreign relations.

The library of the University of Chicago has excellent lesson plans and activities for high school teachers looking for resources about the Middle East.

(http://teachmiddleeast.lib.uchicago.edu/foundations/middle-east-exporter-of-religion/classroom-connections/MiddleEastReligion-Lesson-01.pdf)

The Best of History web site, prepared by Canadian educators, also has useful materials. (http://www.besthistorysites.net/index.php/modern-history/middle-east-conflict)

The web site of the United Nation may also, from time to time, have material to aid in the student’s exploration about the current conflicts throughout the Middle East. http://www.un.org/en/

Please do not hesitate to recommend other relevant web sites to  this blog and your colleagues.

c. 2012 j. margolis

Is a College Education Worth it?

When the “Greatest Generation” returned home from World War II, the federal government offered veterans the opportunity to attend college under the GI Bill. Many of these returning soldiers, sailors, and pilots were sons of immigrant parents and this bill gave them the opportunity to attend universities that had heretofore been out of their financial reach. This paradigm shift created an educated and skilled workforce that catapulted the American economy and led to significant advances in science, medicine and technology. The children of these veterans were forever to become known as the “Baby Boomers.” For many of them, going to college was a foregone conclusion. For this group too, the undergraduate degree was the golden ticket that created the path to a job (or an entire career) and the security and advancement opportunities that went along with it.  We now fast forward to the twenty-first century, where this nation has been mired in a major recession with high unemployment. The golden ticket has become a bit tarnished as a college education is no longer a guarantee at all for a job upon graduation. And for those students saddled with astronomical college loans that require payment commencing with graduation, the college education does not look like a good investment at by any means.

According to an Associated Press analysis of data from 2011, 53.6 percent of college graduates under the age of 25 were unemployed or, if they were lucky, merely underemployed, which means they were in jobs for which their degrees weren’t necessary.

So what message are you going to give your students? In years past have you found yourself chiding your students that “you’re going to need this for college?” The new message has a bit of a twist. "Going to college and getting a bachelor's degree is important, but the major that you take is more important than that," Anthony Carnevale, director of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, remarked to ABC News recently. "If what they are interested in is money, they should go directly to engineering, computer science, the hard sciences or business."  Where does that leave the English major, the theatre major, or the liberal arts major? College is not merely something you do after high school. As educators we need to share today’s realities with our students. We cannot predict how this will all play out and what the future will hold. We encourage students to maximize their potential and encourage them to pursue their dreams and aspirations. But we are also obliged to provide the requisite dose of reality.

c.J. Margolis 2012

The Homework Debate- Reinforcement or Busy Work?

Every school year it seems that studies regarding the importance and significance of homework get reported in the media. Is homework a good idea or has it outlived its usefulness?

One the one hand we hear that homework reinforces the material that is being taught in the classroom. It provides parents with an opportunity to see what their children are learning in school and can allow them to participate in both reinforcement and the learning process itself.  It further provides an opportunity for a student to work independently in a comfortable environment and prepare them for the next day’s lessons. It can aid in improving achievement. As the student progresses through the grades, there may be more homework and it begins to take on additional significance. In high school for example, if a student is given a long term assignment, like a research paper, homework allows time for student to do the research and gather and organize the information to produce a quality assignment. In 2006, Professor Harris Cooper of Duke University completed research and wrote a paper about the impact of homework. He found that homework was important especially in grades 7-12, though not as important in the elementary grades. Copper and his team felt that homework could help a student succeed as l long as there wasn’t too much. (You can read a synopsis of this research at http://today.duke.edu/2006/03/homework.html)

There is another side to the homework dilemma. According to Alfie Kohn, a long time educator and author, (including, The Homework Myth), there appears to be no significance evidence that homework assignments improve learning achievement and has little benefit. Kohn stated that …” not a single study has ever supported the folk wisdom that homework teaches good work habits or develops positive character traits such as self discipline, responsibility or independence.” (You can read the entire article by Kohn, The Case against Homework, in the October, 2012 issue of Family Circle Magazine) Many parents seems to agree with Kohn’s philosophy that students spend enough time on task in the classroom ( approximately seven hours a day) and that after school as well as weekend time should be devoted to sports, hobbies, and quality time with family.

Some school districts have decided to eliminate homework altogether and focus on learning in the classroom. The verdict is still out as to whether this is a good move or not. However, as we continually read how American school children are falling behind their peers in other developed nations, it might pay to take yet another look at homework as a learning tool.

For further Reading:

The Homework Myth, Alfie Kohn( c.2006 DaCapo Press)

Seven Steps to Homework Success: A Family Guide for Solving Common Homework Problems by Sydney S. Zentall, Ph.D. and Sam Goldstein, Ph.D. (c.1999, Specialty Press, Inc.)

c. 2012 J. Margolis

What Can We Learn from the Chicago Teachers Strike?

This week, the Chicago Teachers union voted to suspends their strike, in America’s third largest city. The rank and file members of the union wanted time to digest the tentative agreement that had been reached between city and the union leadership. This strike was unusual in several respects. In other states, like Wisconsin, New Jersey and Ohio, the attacks against tenure and teacher assessment were initiated by Republican governors who are often seen as anti-union. In Chicago, the city is lead by a Democratic mayor, Rahm Emanuel, who not coincidentally was the chief of staff in the Obama White House. In several previous blogs I have mentioned that one of problems of American public education is that it has become politicized and until we can divorce the politics from the true needs of our students, true and meaningful reform cannot occur.

The other big issue that was brought to forefront during this current strike is that of teacher assessment. How do you measure in a meaningful way, how successful a classroom teacher is and what impact has he or she had on the students in the class? One of the “management” parameters is to measure how students perform on the state wide assessment tests. School officials feel that this is the best way to quantify with solid data, that a student’s performance on a one day, one time test, can somehow determine who is an effective teacher. Most of us in the profession know that there are too many variables for this to be a 100% effective measure. What about students who have not been on the class all year or what about students with limited English comprehension? What about students with learning disabilities who are required to take the test? The list goes on. We cannot leave out the fact that once these parameters are in place, teachers spend an inordinate amount of time prepping the students for the test to the detriment of other learning.

When I first started teaching, teacher evaluations were very subjective. The school principal or assistant principal came into the class, perhaps three times a year, and observed the class. He or she then wrote up an observation of the lesson and had a meeting with the teacher pointing out the strengths and weakness. The teacher had the opportunity to rebut, in writing any disagreements to the observation.

Today’s evaluations are more complex and by necessity, must be more thorough. While student assessment is an integral piece of the evaluation puzzle, it should not be the only statistic used to determine if a teacher should be eligible for tenure or deserve a pay raise. Just as there is no statistical evidence to support the notion that obtaining an advanced degree makes one a better teacher, neither does getting students to perform on a standardized test.

c. J. Margolis 2012

Falsifying Teaching Credentials

With the job market as difficult as it is in general, teachers too are struggling find positions as states cut their education budgets. It might seem tempting to acquire an advanced degree to give a candidate an advantage in the formal application process. However as you will read below, falsifying documents  for employment is a felony in several states and it goes without saying that conviction for such a crime may end hopes of ever obtaining a teaching position.

While it behooves school districts to check an applicant’s credentials and references thoroughly, in today’s high tech world, it is easy to fake degrees, transcripts and letters of recommendation. If you are about hire someone and entrust them with the education and well being of young children, it is imperative to find teacher candidates of the highest moral character.

A number of years ago, a student came to my office with an on-line education degree from an accredited college. The student asked why she was not able to obtain a state teaching certificate. Upon reviewing the transcript I observed that the degree had no provision for clinical practice (student teaching) which is a requirement for licensure in many states. If you are going to opt for the on- line route to obtain a degree, be sure that the institution is accredited in your state and that credits from that institution will be valid for obtaining teacher certification.

Diploma mills. There are numerous bogus colleges on the Internet that for a fee will send an official looking diploma and transcripts. You can even order a class ring!

The Higher Education Opportunity Act defines a diploma mill as follows (from US Dept of Ed.web site)

DIPLOMA MILL- The term `diploma mill' means an entity that--
(A)(i) offers, for a fee, degrees, diplomas, or certificates, that may be used to represent to the general public that the individual possessing such a degree, diploma, or certificate has completed a program of post secondary education or training; and (ii) requires such individual to complete little or no education or coursework to obtain such degree, diploma, or certificate; and
(B) lacks accreditation by an accrediting agency or association that is recognized as an accrediting agency or association of institutions of higher education . The US Department of Education has a link on its web site that provides information and caveats about diploma mills. mills.http://www2.ed.gov/students/prep/college/diplomamills/index.html

Statutory law

At least 11 states (Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, North

Dakota, Oregon, Texas, and Washington) have currently enacted laws that make

misrepresentation of employment qualifications a criminal offense. Five states—Kentucky, New

Jersey, North Dakota, Oregon, and Washington—have classified this practice as a felony

punishable by several years in prison. The remaining states consider résumé fraud to be a

misdemeanor.  In a number of states it is illegal to commit résumé fraud only if the job seeker (1) is claiming an Educational credential from a “diploma mill,” a bogus institution and (2) is using the résumé in a state that has enacted legislation to discourage the activities of these schools. However, an employer may be within its legal rights to terminate an employment relationship based upon misrepresentation of qualifications, depending upon the state and the nature of the falsification.

 Be prudent when making career plans. If you find yourself out of a teaching job, you may wish to volunteer working with children in after school programs, Boys and Girls Clubs, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, scouts or youth programs at your local church or synagogue. Helping these organizations can also help your resume when looking for your next job. A bogus degree or certificate may seem like a short term solution but could turn out to be a costly career ending mistake.

Copyright. J. Margolis 2012

Teaching About 9/11

(courtersy of US National Park Service)

It is hard to believe that eleven years have passed since what may be considered the darkest day in the history of our country. This year the commemoration for the September 11^th terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and The Pentagon will include memorial services, television programs, and many speeches.

An article in USA Today noted that September 11^th “was a memory for teachers but for students, its history.” Many elementary students had not yet been born in 2001 and even high school seniors were only eight or nine years old on the day of the attacks. Students need to know what happened and why. The question is – how to teach it. For most teachers and students, September 11 is at the beginning of the school year and a heavy and somber topic to address right at the beginning of the semester.  Since history is often best told in stories, students should be given the opportunity to read, see and hear about survivors, first responders, and families of victims.

There have been a considerable number of books published in recent years that deal with all of the above aspects of 9/11. CBS News has released a book and DVD entitled “What we Saw; The Events of September 11, 2001 In Words, Pictures, and Video.”  (Simon and Schuster ISBN 9781454626667)Another noteworthy book is “Angel in the Rubble: The Miraculous Rescue of 9/11’s Last Survivor.” (Howard Pub. ISBN 9481451635201).  Also take a look at “After the Fall: New Yorkers Remember September 2001 and the Years that Followed (New Press. ISBN 9781595586476) Check with your school and well as your local public library to see what is available and what might age appropriate for your students.

For a more uplifting story, I recommend Jim Defede’s book,” The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland. Published in 2003 by Harper Paperbacks, this book chronicles the generosity and kindness of the townspeople of Gander, Newfoundland, who went out of their way to accommodate and befriend over 6000 travelers who made an unexpected stop on September 11, 2001.

For those teachers who are seeking an interdisciplinary approach to teaching about September 11th, please take a look at “The GUYS”, a play written by Anne Nelson. It deals with a NYC fire captain who has to deal with the grief of losing his men and having to prepare eulogies for their funerals. “The Guys” was made into a movie starring Sigourney Weaver and Anthony LaPaglia.

Finally there are dozens of web sites with teacher’s materials, photo and lesson plans suggestions for classroom teachers.  As educators we have an obligation to keep September 11 in the public conscience. Students should learn more about the events as they mature and can understand more.

You can find 9/11 material at the web addresses below.

www.tributewtc.org/program/toolkit.html

www.library.columbia.edu/indiv/ccoh/new_propjects/9-11.html

www.onlinelearningexchange.com/content/products/remembering911.html

http://www.learnabout9-11.org/

http://www.youngheroesofhistory.com/sept11links.htm

http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/31/teaching-911-ideas-and-projects-from-teachers/

Lastly, the September 11 Memorial in New York City is now open to the public. You can obtain information by visiting their web site at http://www.911memorial.org/.

 Copyright 2012 Jeffrey A. Margolis

Educatorpartners welcomes " Carrots for Charlie"

Children will learn, be entertained

and find a positive message in

CARROTS FOR CHARLIE:

A Tale of Health, Fitness and Happiness

·         “Carrots for Charlie” is a delightful and whimsical children’s book with a serious message about the importance of nutrition and exercise for children and pets

·         This beautifully illustrated book is for children ages 4 and up. 

·         The positive message about nutrition and fitness will appeal to parents, grandparents, guardians, teachers, healthcare professionals and pet lovers

·         Special features include

Ø  an extensive list of websites about nutrition,

   physical activity, and prevention of obesity

Ø  discussion questions  and  recipes

BRIEF SYNOPSIS

“Carrots for Charlie” is a story about a loveable dog, Charlie, adopted by Max who enjoys taking Charlie with him on a variety of outdoor activities in his beautiful hometown of Naples, Florida.  Max, a music lover, enjoys making up songs for his new best friend Charlie. Max gets busy and Charlie is left home alone for much of the day. With the help of his neighbors and the vet, Max realizes that Charlie’s health has been negatively affected by not getting enough exercise and by eating too many sweet treats instead of healthy food such as carrots. Fortunately all problems are resolved in a positive manner as these two best friends work toward fitness and good health.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Rhonda Brazina has been an elementary teacher and reading specialist in Columbus, Ohio. She wrote materials for teachers on thematic teaching for Creative Teaching Press and worked for them as a workshop presenter and trainer. As a member of Toastmasters International, Brazina has achieved the level of “Competent Communicator.”

Ida Margolis has been a high school and college educator and supervisor in New Jersey.  She has had a number of articles published in professional journals. Margolis has been a presenter at state and regional programs for educators, has received numerous awards for her contributions to education and has implemented innovative children’s programs.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

Virginia Mulford is an artist, art teacher and art enthusiast who has encouraged countless students to enter art contests, pursue art careers and appreciate art.  She has received numerous community awards and has coordinated a variety of art shows and art exhibits. Her art work can be seen in public areas in Ocean City, NJ.

For information about this book, free children’s programs, supplementary materials, book readings and book signings e-mail us at carrotsforcharlie@gmail.com 

Visit CarrotsforCharlie on Facebook   and www.carrotsforcharlie.com

Books and e-books are available from Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and Books –a-Million

A Benjamin Rush Retrospective

Thank you Dr. Rush

For those of you who don’t know your colonial American history, you should learn about Dr. Benjamin Rush. He was a physician who lived in Philadelphia and was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. A graduate of Princeton and the University of Edinburgh, Rush was concerned about the education of the inhabitants of the newly formed United States of America.  In 1786, Benjamin Rush produced a plan of education that he hoped would meet the needs of our fledgling democracy.  He wrote an essay, "Thoughts Upon the Mode of Education Proper in a Republic,” which consisted of 20 main points.

Some of the included points are:

• Education must take place in the United States.  (rather than in a foreign country).“A general, uniform system of education needs to be established that would be adequate for all of the essential purposes of citizenship.”
• He believed that it was important for women to be educated.
• Rush noted that the  more traditional and classical education, prevalent at the time, was not appropriate  for a new country with new  and progressive ideals.

Interestingly enough, as critical and timely Dr. Rush’s observations were, nothing was written into the Constitution of the United States regarding the education of Americans.  No mention of years of education required, or what subjects were to be taught. Also missing was information about competencies and teacher preparation. (It should be pointed out that the only job requirements specifically mentioned in the Constitution are for the position of President and members of Congress. Even here there is no mention of education required for the job!). Consequently under the Tenth Amendment, public education became the province of the individual states. Thus today we have 50 state departments of education, 50 sets of requirements for teacher certification and 50 official state curriculum specifying what is to be taught in each academic subject at each grade level. ( 51 including Washington, DC).

So here we are, 236 years later still wringing our hands and debating the importance and relevance of education. What should every American Citizen know? How much education should a person have? Should education be compulsory? Where should the money come from to fund public education? And so on. Dr. Rush got the conversation started and his message is still extremely important today. We are continuously bombarded with magazine and newspaper stories about students who graduate from college with majors that are totally unsuited to find a job in this current market. We are exposed to prolific documents showing how far American school children have fallen behind their peers in other countries. We need to return to Dr. Rush’s original treatise and define how we as a nation education our children so that the democracy that Rush’s countrymen fought for will continue to prosper.

Copyright J. Margolis 2012

Revisiting the Paper Clips Project

Revisiting Whitwell, Tennessee 2012

Whitwell, Tennessee is a rural community of about 1600 people about 25 miles from Chattanooga. If the name doesn’t mean anything to you, it should. For it was here that the ambitious and fantastically successful “Paper Clips Project” was launched by teacher Sandra Roberts and her students at the Whitwell Middle School. The project was designed to teach her students (who all volunteered for this after school program) about the Holocaust. The story gained national attention when investigative reporters Peter Schroeder and Dagmar Schroeder- Hildebrand were able to get the students story on the NBC Nightly News and in the Washington Post.  Roberts’ students were on a mission to collect 6 million paper clips to symbolize all of the Jews who were slaughtered during the Holocaust. The students were inundated with paper clips, memorabilia, and letters from around the world.  Over 11 million paper clips were collected. But the project did not end there. The Schroeders were able to go to Germany and convince a German Railroad club to sell them a cattle car that was used to transport victims of the Holocaust to their deaths at concentration camps.  In September, 2001 the box car was shipped from Bergen to Baltimore. Upon arrival, the car was loaded on a CSX rail freight car and was shipped free of charge. Thus was born the Children’s Holocaust Memorial at Whitwell Middle School. I am leaving a great deal of information out. You need to get the DVD,"Paper Clips" or the book “Six Million Paper Clips” written by the Schroeders.

I had the opportunity to visit Whitwell this summer. Since I had used the DVD in my college class to teach future teachers about engaging students, parents and community in a critical project, I had always wanted to visit the place. A great deal had changed since 1999. Whitwell has a new middle school and a wonderful permanent site for the rail car. The school also created a resource center with hundreds of books about the Holocaust, donated artifacts and pictures, as well as computers to access information.

Our tour guides were former middles school students, now at Whitwell High School. They were quite knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the project. They were quite proud of the Box Car and all of the attention the project had garnered. Admission to the site is free. All that students and staff wish is you buy a post card, book, pin, or other items from the school office. Incidentally, if the school is closed and the box car is locked, you can pick up a key from city hall or the police station and tour yourself.

As you begin the new school year, there are two things that I wish you to gain from this post. One- as appropriate to your students’ grade level, it is imperative to teach them about the Holocaust. Hatred and prejudice should never be allowed to triumph. Second. The “Paper Clips” project is a classic example of how to bring your students, their parents and the community together into something meaningful.

Useful websites:

www.whitwellmiddleschool.org

http://oneclipatatime.org/