Sometimes I have to write concerning general educational topics. Sometimes I have to write about my professional experiences. For what it’s worth, make yourself at home in my mind. The most recent entries are at the top.
Mr. Hoggatt’s Educational Pet Peeves
November 7, 2009: The Case Against Gold Stars
This is another article about praising students by Alfie Kohn:
Note: this article was originally published in Parents magazine in October of 1993
Call it the “gold-star syndrome.” Sometimes we paste stars on a chart. At other times we offer toys or extra TV, candy or cash, pizza or special privileges. We reward kids for doing what we want instead of punishing them for disobeying.
Pull out a child-care book at random — or just watch a typical parent at home — and you’ll notice that the emphasis is on “positive reinforcement.” It is so pervasive that few of us pause to question its effects.
The bad news, according to a growing body of research, is that bribery — which is what rewards amount to — is not much of an improvement over punishing children. In fact, I strongly believe that rewards and punishments really aren’t opposites at all. They are two sides of the same coin, and the coin doesn’t buy very much.
“Rewards work!” many parents insist. But work to do what? And at what cost? The answer to the first question is that rewards, like punishments, are extremely effective at getting us one thing and one thing only: temporary obedience. What they can never do, however, is help children become responsible, ethical, decent people.
Studies conclude that rewards are ineffective. In the process of writing a book on the subject, I’ve found hundreds of studies showing that rewards are strikingly ineffective at producing lasting change in attitudes or behaviors. Once the rewards run out, people go right back to acting the way they did. And no wonder. Rewards don’t create an enduring commitment to any value or action; they merely change what we do.
Consider the questions that children may ask themselves. Threaten a punishment and a child will come to ask, “What am I supposed to do, and what will happen to me if I don’t do it?” Bribe him by dangling a reward and he’ll wonder, “What am I supposed to do, and what will I get for doing it?” Notice how similar these two questions are, and how different from what we want children to ask: “What kind of person do I want to be?” Good values have to be grown from the inside out; bribes and threats at best change children’s behavior only for a while.
But isn’t temporary compliance sometimes good enough? Clearly it is tempting to use any means at our disposal to stop a four-year old from making a fuss at the store, to get an eight year-old out the door on time, or to get a ten-year-old to settle down and finish her homework. In the short term, a sufficiently appealing carrot will usually work. But the long-term costs are considerable.
Rewards simply control through seduction rather than force, according to University of Rochester psychologists Edward Deci, Ph.D., and Richard Ryan, Ph.D., and all techniques that rely on control ultimately undermine what children need in order to make good decisions and take responsibility for their actions. At least two studies have shown, for example, that kids whose parents reward them frequently are less generous than their peers.
Surprising? It shouldn’t be. A child promised a treat or praised extravagantly for helping people has learned that the only reason to act that way is that he’ll get something for it. No reward, no reason to care.
Other research shows that the more students are led to focus on getting good grades, the less interested they will be in what they are studying, the less creative their thinking will be, and the more they will try to take the easy way out. Again, it makes sense: The more children see the “A” as the goal, the more they will come to see the learning itself as something to be gotten over with. The practice of paying kids for top grades — offering, in effect, a reward for a reward — doubles the damage.
At the University of Illinois, researchers introduced some preschoolers to a beverage called kefir. Some were just asked to drink it; others were praised lavishly or promised treats for drinking. Did the rewarded kids slurp down more kefir? You bet. But a week later they wanted nothing to do with the stuff, whereas the children offered no reward liked it just as much as, if not more than, before.
Substitute reading, doing math, or acting responsibly for drinking kefir, and you begin to glimpse the destructive power of rewards. In fact, a good general rule is that the more we want our children to want to do something, the more counterproductive it will be to reward them for doing it.
It’s not the reward itself that’s objectionable — it’s the practice of using something as a reward that causes the problem: “Do this and you’ll get that.” This feels controlling, causes dependence, and may spoil our relationship with our children. We risk coming to be seen as goody dispensers who have to be pleased rather than as loving and caring allies.
What’s the alternative? Even praise, if the emphasis is on doing what we want and what makes us happy, can be counterproductive. There is, however, nothing wrong with positive comments that acknowledge and encourage what children have done — and leave them feeling proud of themselves. Such comments are nice but if our long-term goal is more ambitious than getting kids to obey mindlessly, then we’ll have to take the extra step of bringing them in on the process of making decisions.
You might say to your seven year-old, “I’ve noticed that lately it’s taking you a long time to get dressed in the morning, honey. What do you think we can do to solve that?” And we have to reconsider some of our requests instead of just forcing compliance. For example, rather than fall back on bribes to get a four-year-old to sit through a long dinner, we might reflect on whether that expectation is age-appropriate.
Giving up anything that we’re used to is a challenge. But the evidence is clear: Rewards may be effective at training a pet, but raising good kids means working with them rather than doing things to them.
Copyright © 1993 by Alfie Kohn
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October 27, 2009: Five Reasons to Stop Saying “Good Job!”
I tend to agree with much of this article by Alfie Kohn. It makes some insightful points.
NOTE: An abridged version of this article was published in Parents magazine in May 2000 with the title “Hooked on Praise.” For a more detailed look at the issues discussed here — as well as a comprehensive list of citations to relevant research — please see the books Punished by Rewards and Unconditional Parenting.
Hang out at a playground, visit a school, or show up at a child’s birthday party, and there’s one phrase you can count on hearing repeatedly: “Good job!” Even tiny infants are praised for smacking their hands together (”Good clapping!”). Many of us blurt out these judgments of our children to the point that it has become almost a verbal tic.
Plenty of books and articles advise us against relying on punishment, from spanking to forcible isolation (”time out”). Occasionally someone will even ask us to rethink the practice of bribing children with stickers or food. But you’ll have to look awfully hard to find a discouraging word about what is euphemistically called positive reinforcement.
Lest there be any misunderstanding, the point here is not to call into question the importance of supporting and encouraging children, the need to love them and hug them and help them feel good about themselves. Praise, however, is a different story entirely. Here’s why.
1. Manipulating children. Suppose you offer a verbal reward to reinforce the behavior of a two-year-old who eats without spilling, or a five-year-old who cleans up her art supplies. Who benefits from this? Is it possible that telling kids they’ve done a good job may have less to do with their emotional needs than with our convenience?
Rheta DeVries, a professor of education at the University of Northern Iowa, refers to this as “sugar-coated control.” Very much like tangible rewards – or, for that matter, punishments – it’s a way of doing something to children to get them to comply with our wishes. It may be effective at producing this result (at least for a while), but it’s very different from working with kids – for example, by engaging them in conversation about what makes a classroom (or family) function smoothly, or how other people are affected by what we have done — or failed to do. The latter approach is not only more respectful but more likely to help kids become thoughtful people.
The reason praise can work in the short run is that young children are hungry for our approval. But we have a responsibility not to exploit that dependence for our own convenience. A “Good job!” to reinforce something that makes our lives a little easier can be an example of taking advantage of children’s dependence. Kids may also come to feel manipulated by this, even if they can’t quite explain why.
2. Creating praise junkies. To be sure, not every use of praise is a calculated tactic to control children’s behavior. Sometimes we compliment kids just because we’re genuinely pleased by what they’ve done. Even then, however, it’s worth looking more closely. Rather than bolstering a child’s self-esteem, praise may increase kids’ dependence on us. The more we say, “I like the way you….” or “Good ______ing,” the more kids come to rely on our evaluations, our decisions about what’s good and bad, rather than learning to form their own judgments. It leads them to measure their worth in terms of what will lead us to smile and dole out some more approval.
Mary Budd Rowe, a researcher at the University of Florida, discovered that students who were praised lavishly by their teachers were more tentative in their responses, more apt to answer in a questioning tone of voice (”Um, seven?”). They tended to back off from an idea they had proposed as soon as an adult disagreed with them. And they were less likely to persist with difficult tasks or share their ideas with other students.
In short, “Good job!” doesn’t reassure children; ultimately, it makes them feel less secure. It may even create a vicious circle such that the more we slather on the praise, the more kids seem to need it, so we praise them some more. Sadly, some of these kids will grow into adults who continue to need someone else to pat them on the head and tell them whether what they did was OK. Surely this is not what we want for our daughters and sons.
3. Stealing a child’s pleasure. Apart from the issue of dependence, a child deserves to take delight in her accomplishments, to feel pride in what she’s learned how to do. She also deserves to decide when to feel that way. Every time we say, “Good job!”, though, we’re telling a child how to feel.
To be sure, there are times when our evaluations are appropriate and our guidance is necessary — especially with toddlers and preschoolers. But a constant stream of value judgments is neither necessary nor useful for children’s development. Unfortunately, we may not have realized that “Good job!” is just as much an evaluation as “Bad job!” The most notable feature of a positive judgment isn’t that it’s positive, but that it’s a judgment. And people, including kids, don’t like being judged.
I cherish the occasions when my daughter manages to do something for the first time, or does something better than she’s ever done it before. But I try to resist the knee-jerk tendency to say, “Good job!” because I don’t want to dilute her joy. I want her to share her pleasure with me, not look to me for a verdict. I want her to exclaim, “I did it!” (which she often does) instead of asking me uncertainly, “Was that good?”
4. Losing interest. “Good painting!” may get children to keep painting for as long as we keep watching and praising. But, warns Lilian Katz, one of the country’s leading authorities on early childhood education, “once attention is withdrawn, many kids won’t touch the activity again.” Indeed, an impressive body of scientific research has shown that the more we reward people for doing something, the more they tend to lose interest in whatever they had to do to get the reward. Now the point isn’t to draw, to read, to think, to create – the point is to get the goody, whether it’s an ice cream, a sticker, or a “Good job!”
In a troubling study conducted by Joan Grusec at the University of Toronto, young children who were frequently praised for displays of generosity tended to be slightly less generous on an everyday basis than other children were. Every time they had heard “Good sharing!” or “I’m so proud of you for helping,” they became a little less interested in sharing or helping. Those actions came to be seen not as something valuable in their own right but as something they had to do to get that reaction again from an adult. Generosity became a means to an end.
Does praise motivate kids? Sure. It motivates kids to get praise. Alas, that’s often at the expense of commitment to whatever they were doing that prompted the praise.
5. Reducing achievement. As if it weren’t bad enough that “Good job!” can undermine independence, pleasure, and interest, it can also interfere with how good a job children actually do. Researchers keep finding that kids who are praised for doing well at a creative task tend to stumble at the next task – and they don’t do as well as children who weren’t praised to begin with.
Why does this happen? Partly because the praise creates pressure to “keep up the good work” that gets in the way of doing so. Partly because their interest in what they’re doing may have declined. Partly because they become less likely to take risks – a prerequisite for creativity – once they start thinking about how to keep those positive comments coming.
More generally, “Good job!” is a remnant of an approach to psychology that reduces all of human life to behaviors that can be seen and measured. Unfortunately, this ignores the thoughts, feelings, and values that lie behind behaviors. For example, a child may share a snack with a friend as a way of attracting praise, or as a way of making sure the other child has enough to eat. Praise for sharing ignores these different motives. Worse, it actually promotes the less desirable motive by making children more likely to fish for praise in the future.
Once you start to see praise for what it is – and what it does – these constant little evaluative eruptions from adults start to produce the same effect as fingernails being dragged down a blackboard. You begin to root for a child to give his teachers or parents a taste of their own treacle by turning around to them and saying (in the same saccharine tone of voice), “Good praising!”
Still, it’s not an easy habit to break. It can seem strange, at least at first, to stop praising; it can feel as though you’re being chilly or withholding something. But that, it soon becomes clear, suggests that we praise more because we need to say it than because children need to hear it. Whenever that’s true, it’s time to rethink what we’re doing.
What kids do need is unconditional support, love with no strings attached. That’s not just different from praise – it’s the opposite of praise. “Good job!” is conditional. It means we’re offering attention and acknowledgement and approval for jumping through our hoops, for doing things that please us.
This point, you’ll notice, is very different from a criticism that some people offer to the effect that we give kids too much approval, or give it too easily. They recommend that we become more miserly with our praise and demand that kids “earn” it. But the real problem isn’t that children expect to be praised for everything they do these days. It’s that we’re tempted to take shortcuts, to manipulate kids with rewards instead of explaining and helping them to develop needed skills and good values.
So what’s the alternative? That depends on the situation, but whatever we decide to say instead has to be offered in the context of genuine affection and love for who kids are rather than for what they’ve done. When unconditional support is present, “Good job!” isn’t necessary; when it’s absent, “Good job!” won’t help.
If we’re praising positive actions as a way of discouraging misbehavior, this is unlikely to be effective for long. Even when it works, we can’t really say the child is now “behaving himself”; it would be more accurate to say the praise is behaving him. The alternative is to work with the child, to figure out the reasons he’s acting that way. We may have to reconsider our own requests rather than just looking for a way to get kids to obey. (Instead of using “Good job!” to get a four-year-old to sit quietly through a long class meeting or family dinner, perhaps we should ask whether it’s reasonable to expect a child to do so.)
We also need to bring kids in on the process of making decisions. If a child is doing something that disturbs others, then sitting down with her later and asking, “What do you think we can do to solve this problem?” will likely be more effective than bribes or threats. It also helps a child learn how to solve problems and teaches that her ideas and feelings are important. Of course, this process takes time and talent, care and courage. Tossing off a “Good job!” when the child acts in the way we deem appropriate takes none of those things, which helps to explain why “doing to” strategies are a lot more popular than “working with” strategies.
And what can we say when kids just do something impressive? Consider three possible responses:
* Say nothing. Some people insist a helpful act must be “reinforced” because, secretly or unconsciously, they believe it was a fluke. If children are basically evil, then they have to be given an artificial reason for being nice (namely, to get a verbal reward). But if that cynicism is unfounded – and a lot of research suggests that it is – then praise may not be necessary.
* Say what you saw. A simple, evaluation-free statement (”You put your shoes on by yourself” or even just “You did it”) tells your child that you noticed. It also lets her take pride in what she did. In other cases, a more elaborate description may make sense. If your child draws a picture, you might provide feedback – not judgment – about what you noticed: “This mountain is huge!” “Boy, you sure used a lot of purple today!”
If a child does something caring or generous, you might gently draw his attention to the effect of his action on the other person: “Look at Abigail’s face! She seems pretty happy now that you gave her some of your snack.” This is completely different from praise, where the emphasis is on how you feel about her sharing
* Talk less, ask more. Even better than descriptions are questions. Why tell him what part of his drawing impressed you when you can ask him what he likes best about it? Asking “What was the hardest part to draw?” or “How did you figure out how to make the feet the right size?” is likely to nourish his interest in drawing. Saying “Good job!”, as we’ve seen, may have exactly the opposite effect.
This doesn’t mean that all compliments, all thank-you’s, all expressions of delight are harmful. We need to consider our motives for what we say (a genuine expression of enthusiasm is better than a desire to manipulate the child’s future behavior) as well as the actual effects of doing so. Are our reactions helping the child to feel a sense of control over her life — or to constantly look to us for approval? Are they helping her to become more excited about what she’s doing in its own right – or turning it into something she just wants to get through in order to receive a pat on the head
It’s not a matter of memorizing a new script, but of keeping in mind our long-term goals for our children and watching for the effects of what we say. The bad news is that the use of positive reinforcement really isn’t so positive. The good news is that you don’t have to evaluate in order to encourage.
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October 22, 2009: “Specials”
After all these years, a term has settled at our school. The term is refers to Art, P.E., and Music classes as “specials”. I tend to call these classes Art, P.E., and Music instead. These classes are called “special” while the room where we learn Math, Reading, Science, etc., is called the “regular” classroom? Doesn’t that seem to stress that those subjects are more important than the core subjects? Those subtleties can affect people’s perceptions.
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October 8, 2009: Cramming for the Test
How are things out there in Educationland? Can you see the real world from there?
Reality may actually be getting lost in our educational bubble these days. Blame No Child Left Behind (NCLB), Standards-Based Lessons if you want. Blame the federal mandates, the state requirements, or the local answers to such if you would like. The reality is this: the art of education seems to be losing to the science of education.
These days, if you aren’t following the latest extreme trends of constant data collection and evaluation, you are considered to be a quality teacher – but where is the consideration of the chemistry and overall morale of the classroom? Where is the consideration that every class is not created equal? Those things should still make a difference in America.
While we get trapped in the thoughts of we must compete with the international community, we lose sight that we are already the freest, most advanced nation in the world. We lose sight of the idea that some other nations track their students into mandatory trades at early ages, that they have higher suicide rates, that poverty rates are higher within their borders. Something about America works when there is supervision, but local control. By that I mean education seems to work better in our area when the federal government keeps its distance (Missouri was headed in the right direction before NCLB.); it is more effective when the state gives local districts more control over the way they spend money; and it is more competitive and beneficial when the district considers that every school needs to be treated differently. I suppose this idea can even be considered at the classroom level – that the professional educator inside the classroom is the best judge of methodology and material for his or her students in most cases.
That doesn’t mean there is no supervision at any level – just more trust and respect for the soldiers in the trenches. Educationland could be swallowed, chewed, and spit out a soggy lumpy mess across this country if someone with authority doesn’t finally stand up among the masses and say we’ve had enough. Everything about education doesn’t need to be fixed 100% of the time. It’s time our elected officials stand back, take a microscopic survey of the requirements and the responses to those requirements, and make an honest assessment of all of it. Teachers and students, the soldiers on the front lines, are usually professional and conscientious enough to make the kind of adjustments needed without being force-fed and choked out at the same time.
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October 1, 2009: Media Award
Monday evening, I received the 2009 Missouri State Teachers Association (MSTA) Media Award for our classroom website. The presentation was made at a regional event for MSTA members. It was preceded by a special dinner and followed by a motivational speaker.
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September 17, 2009: “Sharing Out”
It’s interesting how little phrases tend to get on my nerves. A quick look at my pet peeves will demonstrate this pretty effectively. The newest phrase to get my goat is one being used by meeting leaders. It is the phrase “sharing out”.
“If you have anything to add, please share out with the whole group.”
“Sharing out will help us all to understand your position better.”
“Why don’t we all share out our thoughts on the topic?”
What is that? When did it become sharing out? What a waste of verbage when all one needs to say is sharing. Somehow the phrase seems grammatically incorrect, and for that reason I am boycotting it all together. I will continue to share, but I’m not comfortable with sharing out.
I just thought I’d share that out with you!
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September 11, 2009: Times Change
I had a chuckle watching our superintendent and his daughter recently. Dr. Huff was dropping off his daughter in a classroom down the hall when they saw a classmate, her mom, and her little sister. The girl had a stuffed duck. Dr. Huff crouched down to talk to the preschooler, and he asked, “What does a duck say?” The little girl didn’t miss a beat: she promptly reached down and squeezed the duck’s foot to trigger its song.
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September 8, 2009: Presidential Dilemma
While I would normally welcome the president of our nation into my classroom, our current president seems to draw fire from critics who believe something sinister is at the heart of everything he does. His speech to be delivered earlier today was no different. At the heart of the speech (which could be pre-read online) were the concepts that children should stay in school, persevere, and graduate with a heart of service to mankind. The speech had a good message at its core (even if it was a little self-involved on President Obama’s part).
I chose not to air the speech in our classroom, assuming that the speech would be replayed and picked apart in the media. Parents who wanted their children to hear the president’s speech are welcome to look it up on YouTube or watch it in the media.
As the parent of an elementary-age child myself, I want to retain the power of choice when it comes to issues that have the possibility of swaying the mind and opinion of my daughter. Don’t get this wrong: I believe in dissention (and you may certainly disagree with me in return), and we consider differing viewpoints in my family and in our classroom. A 5-year-old (or 10-year-old for that matter) needs parental guidance when issues are presented.
As a teacher, I want my students to be good citizens (and do all the things that were outlined in the president’s prepared manuscript), but I also have a hard time keeping quiet about areas in which I might agree or disagree politically. I know other teachers have the same problem – the dilemma of when and when not to use their powers of persuasion. Whether it be religious or political issues, I want to be the one who guides my child, and would rather the teachers keep quiet.
The controversy with this speech actually came from the federal Department of Education, who, prior to the release of the speech text, had placed on its website suggestions for teachers (for followup lessons to the speech) the idea that classes could brainstorm ways to support the president. This, along with the recent exposure of the “I Pledge Allegiance to the President” celebrity video in support of the president, caused some to believe that Obama was overstepping and overreaching. One response to the video on YouTube was that the president takes a vow support the American people and not vice versa. That is true to a point, but is a difficult wire to balance on with elementary-aged children. Show the speech or not show the speech? Either way, folks are going to be upset. I choose to allow parents to have the crux of the power in this case.
That being said, I also recognize that controversial issues will come up in upper grades, and I would encourage my daughter to take part in the discussions and critical thinking exercises that sprout. Hopefully, by then, she will be able to think for herself, based on the values our family instills in her, and not be easily swayed by an eloquent and smooth instructor who may believe otherwise.
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September 4, 2009: Crisis Team
In the case of crisis, I get to be the person who tells the media “no comment”. When Mrs. Edman mentioned the job, several of my peers automatically looked to me. I am really pleased that some recognize that I might have a skill in public relations or public speaking.
I am torn between this possibility and the idea that I’ve been close to a crisis during the Oklahoma City bombing of 1995. I reacted in that situation as best I could have, and I remain proud of the decisions I made in a situation where I was responsible as the leader of our school. I hope I never have to use those skills ever again.
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August 27, 2009: A Rough Start
For some reason, the year is off to a rougher start than I would prefer. With recent changes in the schedule, the hours of school, arrival and dismissal procedures, administrators, duties, and after school obligations by the district, many teachers have been pushed way past comfort levels. New requirements have forced teachers to do more and more necessary work – planning, preparing, grading, and recording – outside of the contract day, and it is taking a toll.
Of course, changes come with the job. Changes happen every year. And most of the time, changes run along a steady line of progress. This year the steadiness of the changes has steadily become unsteady. In fact, there has been more of a surge. It has been difficult to keep up with everything.
Having said that, there are some who listen to my passion for this profession, my weird sense of sarcastic humor (a coping mechanism), and my suggestions for improvement and translate it as negativity. Others see my unique attitude for what it is – a constant call for individuality and a yearning for professional recognition and treatment. I plea for the same individualized consideration that we are asked to give our students.
Anyway, with the rough start and all the calls for collaboration, let us not lose our unique personalities – the very things that allow us to positively affect students.
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August 20, 2009: Cecil Floyd
The centennial anniversary of the birth of our school’s namesake was August 14. On the first day of school, yesterday, we had an assembly to honor Cecil Milton Floyd. Gary Shaw, mayor of Joplin, read the following proclamation, and I gave a synopsis of Mr. Floyd’s manifold achievements. Students were provided with bookmarks as a keepsake of the event. There is a possibility that the PTO will offer Centennial t-shirts in the coming months.
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August 15, 2009: Last Night…
…was the last night for staying up late for the summer. I’m the guy who likes to work until early morning and then sleep until 10am, but now summer is effectively over for the teachers. Wow, it blazed by faster than usual with little down time.
I don’t know if I’m completely ready to face new students. In fact, I’m feeling a little like the guy who is packed for a big trip, but can’t think of the one thing he forgot. The trouble is, getting the room and the first day plans ready for this year has been easier than the previous 19 years. What have I forgotten?
Monday is Opening Day for the staff. In the past years, we have been greeted by administrators, presented with a hokey skit and a speech by the Teacher of the Year, and entertained by the high school marching band and cheerleaders. I’m sure much of those things will be the same for this year, but when I asked Assistant Superintendent Steve Doerr, he indicated that there are going to be some significant changes, as well. I know which things I would change; we’ll see if they are different.
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August 13, 2009: The New MacBooks Are Here
There were several teachers in the first the first fully-implemented year of Joplin’s Technology Leadership Academy, three years ago. Today, our iBook G4 laptop computers were replaced by new MacBooks. We spent a couple of hours, this morning, backing up files, music, movies, and photos, and transferring them to our new computers. I look forward to exploring the new features and upgraded applications.
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August 12, 2009: A Slap for Success
For years, I have been involved in welcoming the new teachers to our district on behalf of the Joplin Teachers Association (local affiliate of the Missouri State Teachers Association). I have spent the last five weekdays greeting the teachers, some new to teaching and all new to the district. While sitting in the hallway outside the Teacher Orientation Program for Success, I have also had the opportunity to greet our administrators and a couple of our school board members.
This morning, just before Assistant Superintendent Doerr’s presentation about professionalism, I was invited to partake in some breakfast leftovers from the breakfast that was provided to the new hires. When I reached for a biscuit, I suddenly felt a playful slap on my hand. When I turned around, Dr. Doerr was standing there.
It’s not everybody that gets struck by his administrator. With laughter, we greeted each other and teased each other some more. It is still nice to know that we can tease so comfortably in our district and not always be so serious about everything. This is one way that our district theme will remain true for the 2009/10 school year: TOGETHER: Growing, Leading Succeeding.
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July 9, 2009: Tech du Jour?
We were just dismissed from this morning’s technology workshop about social networking. I know there are teachers out there using Facebook, Twitter, and other social sites with students and for professional development contacts, but I tend to think that a lot of these “tools” are just the tech fad of the moment.
I signed up for today’s training because I wanted to know if there was something I’m not seeing, but have yet to see why I need a new “tool” to do some of the things I already do. I was honest when the presenter asked what I was thinking and I told her that I already have things set up to do many of the activities that Twitter and Facebook address.
For instance, we have discussion groups on our class website. Students may ask me to sign them up on the Hoggatteer Forums, and they may post remarks. This is safe for students and I still have control over them. We are also on Gaggle so students may email, blog, and chat in a safe environment, and again, I retain control over the conversations and posts. These are all great tools and can achieve all the things that I can see as useful on Twitter and Facebook.
As for professional development applications, that’s just not how I’m wired. I don’t like to sort through what someone else suggests is useful; I’d rather find my own materials and ideas. Besides, I don’t need to follow anyone and I don’t want to be followed – That just seems weird! – and I don’t need to know every mundane detail about someone.
Many of the teachers now have Facebook pages, and the crazy things about it is that they talk about what they see or read on each other’s Facebook. I sit and listen to a point, until I finally get frustrated; I made a rule at the end of the school year that if it’s on Facebook then it must stay on Facebook, but if they want to communicate with human beings, they can talk to each other. Rather than post on a site for people to read, they can just talk to those people – especially if those are the things they’re talking about anyway.
They tell me it’s a great way to keep in touch with people from their pasts, but I’ll tell you, there may be a reason why those people are in your past. I don’t need to be in touch with most of the people from high school. If they were close friends, I could have kept in touch with them through the years. It’s not that I’m not interested; it’s just that I would rather focus my attention on the people I’m closer to now. Remember what Pumba said in The Lion King: “Keep your behind in the past!”
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June 15, 2009: Drums and Gums
Today’s summer workshop was spent with webquests. It was a reminder to me of how easily distracted I can get as a student. I would find it easier to search for these great tools sometime after midnight. In my basement. After everyone else has gone to bed.
This morning, however, I was distracted by every little thing. Someone around me was chewing gum. This person was not smacking the gum or blowing bubbles; instead it was the fruity smell that got to me.
A little later and we were being entertained by the percussion section of the high school marching band. They were just outside our door, practicing their cadences. Repeatedly.
After lunch, there were at least two people in our group who chewed gum. This time it wasn’t the smell - and believe it or not it wasn’t the sound – it was the movement that distracted me.
What a strange day. At one point music played in the background of our work time, and later we had silence in the background. Neither was conducive for my study.
So I have decided that I can be distracted by smells, sounds, sights, and even silence. Sometimes it’s hard to be a student. Several years ago, in Oklahoma City, I was in a workshop that reminded me through its title that Kids Have Underwear, Too! (Well, at least most of them do.). I know I must continue to consider the stress, comfort, and distractability levels in my classroom – both the ones that I instigate and the things that my students bring with them from home.
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June 11, 2009: Podcasting
It was fun to sit next to fifth grade teachers Mrs. Ashley and Mrs. Dillow during an all-day workshop about podcasting. We had already done some podcasting in our class (at the beginning of the 2008/9 year), so I had discovered most of the methods that were presented and I was able to help my peers. Podcasting is still an emerging tool in education, and I have yet to see many made by teachers and students that were much more than kids reading into a microphone, but I know more can be done. I’m still wrapping my mind around it to try to get ideas.
I’ll be taking some other technology training, this summer, including Google tools, social networking, Gaggle. These aren’t difficult to understand or use, but I need to get a feel for how to use them in education. I’m not one to sign up for the latest trends and the newest flashy dashy gadgets just because they’re new and flashy dashy, but if they are useful I want to be in first in line.
Webquests (another workshop I’ll attend in a few days) are another subject altogether. They are easy to understand, but can be complicated to use. That’s not to mention that webquests can be very involved for a teacher to create. I’ve dabbled and have even used parts of webquests in the classroom. They can be large projects for students, and I tend to have high expectations from them, so I must create them with caution.
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June 4, 2009: Staff Changes
Some of the faces in our school will look different next year as some of our colleagues are moving or retiring. Mr. Palmersheim has decided to vacate his second grade position at our school to depart for worlds unknown. Mr. Gregory is retiring after spending the last four years as our English teacher for foreign language students. Mrs. Ludwig and Miss Springer are leaving their special education posts.
We make friends in this profession, but sometimes they make personal decisions that affect the rest of us. I did so myself some 14 years ago, when I moved to Joplin from Oklahoma City. It was a difficult choice in many ways, but it has also been quite the adventure. I wish great adventures for all of our friends as they begin new chapters in their lives.
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May 23, 2009: Deaths in the Family
Our school family has suffered three deaths in the past week. Mrs. Chavez and Mrs. Williams (5th Grade) each lost a parent or parent-in-law, and Mr. McAllister, a humble custodian, lost his wife following a long illness.
One hardly knows what to say to a person who has lost a loved one. I’m horrible at these things, and can only pray for the families.
Cecil Floyd has experienced many emotions, this year: several pregnancies and births, los of family members, and everything in between. We must often deal with such emotions as they come to us. We can only hope and pray that, when faced with adversity or joy, we handle things with humility and dignity.
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May 7, 2009: Golden Apple Finalists
Our school boasts three Golden Apple Award finalists for 2009. We were rooting for our candidates for the award which is sponsored and organized by the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce. In recent years, we have brought home four of the awards after a long dry spell. Anyway, we are very happy to have given the winners some competition once again.
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April 9, 2009: Teacher of the Year
As a former Teacher of the Year for our district, I had the opportunity to weigh in on the applications of this year’s candidates. On Tuesday, I swung over to the Roi Wood Administration Building to read 14 applications. Three of the (presented with names omitted) narratives really stood out as having a “back story” that could be developed into intriguing biographies and philosophies. Two others also had potential. I was thrilled that my top five were agreed upon by the other members of our committee. A sixth was also added to the mix.
Teacher of the Year interviews will be conducted in May and a recipient will be named shortly.
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March 27, 2009: eMINTS
I submitted a letter, today, to apply to become an eMINTS classroom. Our district has been a leader in the area of technology for the past few years with its iTEK program which often follows the eMINTS model. eMints is a program that began in Missouri and has spread across the country and even into Australia. It puts technology and extensive technology training into the classroom.
If accepted, we will have a different look to our classroom, next year (in time for the second semester). There would be a computer for every two students, complete with a large monitor, a printer/scanner, and more.
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March 24, 2009: Golden Eagles
Congratulations to Liz Sternes and Julie Woolever, voted by peers as Cecil Floyd’s 2009 recipients of the Joplin Schools Golden Eagle Award.
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March 19, 2009: Principal Interviews II
Mrs. Hatfield and I represented Cecil Floyd, today, at the administration building. We sat on a panel of eight people and interviewed seven candidates for the principal positions at Cecil Floyd and Stapleton. After the interviews, our panel discussed each candidate fairly and candidly, and I am convinced that our two schools will be led competently next year.
This kind of change is always met with apprehension, but I am reminded that in my 19 years, I have had 11 principals. I’m starting to wonder if it’s me!
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March 11, 2009: Principal Interviews
Next Thursday, during Spring Break, I will have the opportunity to represent our school in the interviews for our new principal. Several qualified candidates will be available to be interviewed for the position at Cecil Floyd and another position at Stapleton.
Yesterday, two of our assistant superintendents sat down with our staff to ask what we expect from our new principal. I am anxious to find out who the candidates are and how they answer questions that are specific to Cecil Floyd.
As is the standard rule, I will be encouraged to keep information about the interviews to myself.
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February 14, 2009: Scholarship Proposal
One morning this last week, I awoke with an idea sitting on my brain. It was just sitting there, waiting for me to reach in, grab it by the throat, and wrestle with it in the wee hours. Not being a morning person, the idea had to sit for a little longer than it wanted before I was willing to put out all that effort. Frankly, it was probably getting a little cold there with so little dressing. When I finally reached for it, it detached easily and came along willingly into my conscious thoughts.
The thought was simple: why doesn’t our PTO sponsor a scholarship for a graduating senior, each year? I mean, the PTO is just sitting on tens of thousands of dollars with few ideas to spend it all on, so why not allow a thousand dollars a year to benefit a high school senior. Cecil Floyd would be the only elementary I know of with its name on such an award.
I realize there would have to be some criteria to such an award, but I don’t think it would be difficult to create such criteria. Just off the top of my head, I would recommend that only students who attended our elementary school from K through 5th grade would be allowed to apply. From there, a committee could choose from the applicants using a pre-established checklist. There may even be some years that no one would qualify or apply.
It’s a wonderful idea if I do say so myself. It lends itself well to our mission in Jopin to “invest in the future by inspiring students to pursue excellence”. Plus, it puts our money to good use and supports one of our own. I am really hopeful that this idea may come to fruition.
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January 17, 2009: Questions to Inspire Excellence in Teaching
Carole wrote to Andy Andrews (author, comedian, motivator). She asked him what he would say to a team of elementary teachers to inspire them to excel. Here is his response:
“Carole…
The quality of your answers can always be determined by the quality of your questions. We want good answers…so lets ask good questions!
When you were most excited about teaching, what were you reading?
What is the greatest success you have had as a teacher?
What is the greatest success a teacher can have?
Who was the greatest teacher you ever had and how did they challenge you or change your thinking?
If you could have any wish come true in your classroom tomorrow, what would it be?
How do you want your slowest student to remember you?
If you could wave a magic wand and impart one thing to your class during the next five months that they would remember for the rest of their lives, what would it be?
Now, Carole…you add five more questions and go for it! The teachers are fortunate to have you in their lives!
Yours,
Andy”
© 2008, Andy Andrews. Used by Permission. Originally posted at andyandrews.com/blog.
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December 26, 2008: Over-My-Head Thinking
It may be beyond my pay-grade, but I like to dream of ideal things in our district and our school. Lately, I’ve really wanted some changes that are outside of my power to make. I will bullet a list below:
- I would like the nature trail behind our school to be cleaned up and maintained. We need to re-clear the pathways, identify pockets of poison ivy, make signage to identify the land as ours, and even fence the area. The area could have a pond installed and maintained, as well. I can envision a teaching area (kind of a mini-amphitheater for as many as 50 kids) where lessons can be taught in the outdoor setting and small “shows” could even be presented. Our wireless internet could be extended to include this area, and students could use laptop computers in their studies. Other schools could be invited to use the area, too. Wow!
- I would like a paid work day for teachers – a day for teachers to catch up on paperwork without students. Perhaps a teacher could earn such a day where the district would pay for a substitute for a day during the school year, but the teacher would still be required to work in the building, doing bulletin boards, grading papers, etc.
- I would like a perfect attendance benefit for teachers. A teacher with perfect attendance would receive an incentive for not using sick leave. Perhaps a day’s pay or a gift card to a local business could be presented for this achievement. As much as we like to encourage students to attend, we could do the same for employees who require replacements upon their absences.
- I would like less testing. While we need data to drive our instruction, it would be nice to have the opportunity to teach in between the assessments we administer. Between DRA2, the Acuity tests, and MAP testing, some students are assessed 13 times or more – and that doesn’t count any tests given by the teacher! In 36 weeks, that’s one of these assessments every three weeks, on average, taking at least a half-hour for each event. It adds up.
- I would like access to a teaching theater. I’ve had this thought for quite some time. In our effort to be innovative in Joplin, I can dream can’t I? How about the school district and the local university teaming up to build a teaching theater? What is that, you ask? Well, undoubtedly, you’ve seen surgical theaters on TV (One famous Seinfeld episode has a Junior Mint being dropped into a patient from the upper level of a surgical theater.). Master teachers could bring in their classes to teach in a lower area while college students and observers could watch on through one-way glass on the upper level. A teacher below could both talk to her class and point out techniques to those apprentice teachers at the same time. The whole thing would be videotaped, broadcast through internet protocol, and supported by all the supplies of a regular school room. Cool!
- I would like a permanent, themed school venue. With the closing of South Middle School on the horizon, how about allowing teachers to theme rooms in the building for the availability of the entire district. Wouldn’t it be spiffy to be about to bus kids for a day of working in a room that looks like a pirate ship, an Indian village, a winter wonderland, a science laboratory, a forest, or an earthquake zone? To set such things up each year in a regular classroom places limitations on the lessons taught, while keeping things set up would allow a lot of freedom for a teacher. Lessons in such venues could really be rich!
- I would like to revamp the district’s professional development. I’ve written much about the topic on my Educational Pet Peeves page, about how teachers are expected to accommodate students of many learning styles, but that teachers are not trained with the same expectations. Some of us need different training than others. I would like to be in a position to develop a method by which teachers could be “surgically” trained in areas of need and not in a one-size-fits-all method.
- I would like Joplin history, school district history, and educational history to be emphasized more, perhaps with the “National Museum of Education History”. A floor of Memorial Middle School could be used to fulfill this dream with displays from around the nation, perhaps with some help from the Smithsonian Institute. Joplin would be an excellent place for this, with our central location. Plus, our school’s namesake made his own stamp on national education methods. At the same time, I am still undertaking the monumental task of developing the online displays (and eventually some static displays) to highlight Cecil Floyd, the man. This is going to be a long process, but hopefully many people will appreciate the result.
- I would like a one-room schoolhouse. To this end, I wonder if one of the small schoolhouses in which Cecil Floyd taught or attended still stands. If so, how cool would it be to have it moved, restored, and made available on our school’s property. It would be neat to be able to meet with my class in the old room with the old furniture and stove, just like in the old days.
- I would like to foster an atmosphere of servitude in my students, in my peers, and in my community. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to develop a giving, compassionate attitude in our neighborhood? How much better would all of our lives be if we all practiced such? It is truly better to give than to receive!
