This week we started our after school program. Among the students in my group is Baby Face, my most challenging student. Throughout the day he seems unable to stay focused on the task whether it's class discussions on the rug or independent work at his desk. Whatever the situation, he is either talking to his neighbor or getting into some other mischief.
But that changes during after school. In the after school program he is much more focused, and much more productive. I still sense a lot of the same pent up energy I see throughout the day, and yes it's only two days into our program, but so far, he's practically a star of the class. Why is that?
The most obvious explanation is the class size. Only six kids showed up from my roster yesterday. Today there were seven. With fewer students around, there's fewer distractions for him. There's also fewer temptations, in the form of his buddies, to cause distractions. So, while there's still moments where he seems almost uncontrollably worked up, his work's been mostly exemplary.
The other theory I have - which doesn't negate the first - is based on another student in the group. This other boy has a lot of the same behaviors of Baby Face, but with an added attitude. I don't mind students who have trouble sitting still, paying attention or raising their hand to talk, because those are habits that can be worked on. A nasty attitude though...sigh. This boy also happens to be a close friend of Baby Face, which makes Baby Face's restraint all the more surprising. You would think the two would feed off each other, but (knock on wood) so far Baby Face hasn't joined in on the trouble making. Why is that?
I wonder if Baby Face sees this other boy causing problems, and taking the heat, and feels freed by it? Maybe part of the reason he acts out the way he does is because other students (and I?) expect him to. With another boy filling that role, he doesn't have to.
Whatever the reason, the smaller class size, psychology, or some combination of the two, I hope Baby Face's focus continues. More than that, I hope he can build on his success during after school, and extend it to the regular school hours.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Theories of Relativity
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Teacher Report Cards: My First Thoughts Revisited
My recent writing on the teacher report card issue has brought me back to my original writing on the topic when I received my first data report. I was a little surprised how my initial reaction echoed my feelings a year and a half later. Even though I've publicly advocated for the scores to be released, I still agree with my first assessment:
Rereading this old post, I was also struck my the conversation that followed in the comments. I think they're worth reading:
That said, the whole thing has to be taken with a grain of salt. As much as my job has been overwhelmed by testing, I refuse to judge my performance on test scores alone.Ultimately my job is to prepare my students for a life of learning and success. Tests that measure students' academic performance is [sic] one way to assess my own performance. But I'd like to believe that there are intangible aspects to my job - for example instilling a love of learning and proper work ethic - that can't possibly be measured quantitatively. I think any attempt to rate teachers without accounting in some way for these aspects of teaching will be fatally flawed.
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But when we open the door to this sort of evaluation, it will become in many cases the only evaluation.
There is nothing easier than picking a number out of a report.
Qualitative observation, qualitative evaluation, would take work.
Jonathan -
Ruben,
Would you be willing to share your report? If you've only been teaching for a year, it's very likely that the information is extremely unreliable -- i.e., your percentile location in the experience-adjusted distribution might be due to chance.
Aaron Pallas
skoolboy2@gmail.com - NYC HS History Teacher said...
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Many teachers say this, and I have to believe it will be true
"When they measure teacher performance on student test scores, every kid will get an A."
And really, does anyone believe the DOE would have an effective way of figuring out whether teachers are fudging grades or not. After all, high scores make them look better. Just look at the abortion the Regents exam has turned out to be. -
I don't remember the exact numbers but I believe my ELA percentile was 58 and my Math was 33. I already knew that math was a weak area for my last year though, and I expect this year's scores to reflect a big improvement. To NYC HS Teacher, I agree partly, but in the case of the ELA and Math scores, I don't assign them, so it's impossible to "give every student an A" to raise my grade. That doesn't mean however, that teaching to the test becomes the standard practice.
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Ruben,
One of the things that worries me about the teacher data reports is that teachers might focus on their percentile ranks -- 33 and 58 in this case -- without considering just how much uncertainty there is in the data that go into those percentile ranks. The report displays the range of percentiles which might be a teacher's "true" percentile rank, but we're drawn to the single number that is the best single estimate.
I think it's quite likely that estimates such as the 58th and 33rd percentiles represent broad ranges of possible values, to the point that the 58 and 33 are statistically indistinguishable. What appears as better performance in ELA than in math may simply be a matter of chance.
I don't know how useful these reports might be. Teachers who take their work seriously are going to be striving to improve regardless of what the teacher data report says. But if you find it useful, that's great.
If any other readers would be willing to share the information in their teacher data reports -- and anonymously is fine with me -- I'd very much like to see them.
Aaron Pallas
skoolboy2@gmail.com -
To be clear, I think the report cards are far from perfect, and yes, more than a little annoying. But I've always cared about grades, even if I'm had problems with the teacher or their grading system. Even in these cases, I'm the type who will strive for an A. So if nothing else good comes of this report card, at least maybe I will improve my practice to the point where all my students will achieve beyond the predictions of the system.
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But achieve what? Is your job limited to maximizing their scores on the state ELA and Math exams?
If you strive to increase your "grade" you will be working to master test prep. Is that the kind of teaching you want to learn to do? What would you be neglecting?
jd2718 - Unfortunately, I never responded to this final, and essential question. I want to do so now with a resounding refusal to let test prep dominate my practice. I understand the fear that the use of test score data will precipitate test prep centered teaching, and that's why I think it's essential we have a open dialogue on valid methods of quantitative and qualitative evaluations for teachers. It's imperative that this discussion includes teachers.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Teacher Data Reports: The Long Answer
Thursday I received a call from The New York Post, asking me if I was interested in writing about the teacher data reports. I've written a fair amount about my tormented relationship with my own teacher data report. In light of the battle over the release of the city's teacher data reports, The Post was looking for a teacher to come out in favor of publishing the scores. In spite of my feelings toward the Post and Newscorp in general, I was excited for a chance to share my perspective with a larger audience.
Unfortunately, the Post's word count constraints meant a large part of my argument was left out in favor of a stronger pro-release column. I understand the need to support their stance as simply as possible, but I want to use the space here to clarify my views and hopefully add some of the nuance that the Post wasn't interested in.
The truth is, I am in favor of releasing the scores, including my own "average" rating. But not without a serious effort by everyone involved to explain the flaws and shortcomings inherent in them. I believe parents and the public have a right to know how teachers are being rated.
The public should also know that the scores are based on a formula that produces wide variability. The margin of error for some scores was as high as 35 percent! So a teacher who belonged in the top quintile may have ended up in the third quintile, and vice versa. If scores are released, the DOE or the media have a responsibility to give limitations like this prominent coverage.
Ultimately, the UFT's decision to fight the release isn't unreasonable, but it seems like a losing battle, and one that once again puts the union and the teachers it's seeking to protect in an unfavorable light. I worry that the UFT is going to do more damage than good, and is missing an opportunity to control the conversation over the data reports and teacher effectiveness in general.
The main reason I favor the release of the scores is because of the conversation I hope it will spark. Recently, the discussion surrounding effective teaching has centered on student test scores. I hope (perhaps naively) that by looking at the limits of the teacher data reports, we can also talk honestly about the limits of test scores in general to judge teacher effectiveness and student performance.
The truth is, effective teaching is about much more than helping students score well on state tests. The best teachers I know act as role models and inspirations for their students. They teach their students how to respect one another, take pride in themselves, love learning, constantly question and search for answers. The teacher data reports will never be able to quantify this impact. If we're going to honestly discuss effective teaching we can start by recognizing this fact.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
My Data's Big Debut
Since the DOE started giving teachers report cards based on test score data, my feelings have been mixed. But, while I have questioned the extent to which these data reports are wholly valid and how they should be applied, I have never shied from putting myself and my disappointing data out there. While I know it's not easy, and the data is imperfect, I have felt these report cards have been a worthwhile tool to judge my performance and push myself harder.
It's hard not to feel differently though, knowing that soon my data won't just be out there for the relatively small community of Gothamschools readers and quantitatively tiny community of Bronxteach readers. As of Friday, my data will be available for the readers of The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, New York Post, Daily News, and NY1.
What is most terrifying about this is the fact that presumably amongst those readers are the parents of my students. I imagine that's the point of the DOE's decision to essentially go against their word to keep these reports private and release the scores to every major New York City media organization. That's fair enough. I won't argue that parents don't have a right to know the scores of their children's teachers.
However, I will argue that those scores need to be realized alongside a thoughtful and careful explanation of their meaning. In addition, the scores need to be accompanied by a responsible analysis that includes a critique of the value-added model they're predicated on. Unfortunately, I'm not hopeful we'll see either.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Sick Day Headaches
Yesterday, I took a much needed sick day. It's funny how my concept of health during the school year varies so much from the summer. My body's immune system operates on overdrive starting from the beginning of September all the way through June, and for the most part handles the stress pretty well. But yesterday, I knew I wasn't going in to work.
I used the day to sleep in, and catch up on paperwork (and my DVR). The extra day of rest was helpful, and I'm glad I treated myself to it. I felt much better this morning, but I knew that the day of rest would also yield some anxiety.
When
you enter the classroom the day after missing work it's like looking at a real life version of those spot the differences puzzles from Highlights for Children. You know the room is slightly out of sorts. Slowly you find the clues to the disruptions from the day before. Crumpled papers in the closet, missing stickers, misplaced magnets... Anything a kid could find valuable that's not secured, can (and often does) go missing. It's not unexpected, and it's nobody's fault but my own, but it's still frustrating.
I wonder if it's a function of poor classroom management on my part, or if it's simply inevitable. Experts often say that the ideal classroom is one where students are practically 100% independent, to the point where they can run the classroom without a teacher. I wonder if I've done enough to put the right rules, routines and procedures in place to guarantee that sort of organized productivity, even in my absence. If it's possible, I want to make it happen. Even if it doesn't erase the headaches from my rare sick days, it can certainly still help with the days I am in the classroom.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
A Pleasant Surprise
Something has been happening the past month without me realizing. My kids have been learning! When I met them in September I was shocked by what I saw as gaps in their knowledge and behavior. But I knew that was partly because I was juxtaposing them with my memory of my third graders in June, not September. Similarly, I was blinding myself to the slow and gradual progress they were making. Until today.
I have a tendency to jinx myself in these situations, but today was one of those almost-perfect days. I didn't feel rushed and I didn't feel completely frustrated. Looking around, I saw small clues of the growth my students and I have made since school started. The students and I made it through every lesson with minimal interruptions. When I needed to redirect a student, I didn't raise my voice, I lowered it. It's hard to see sometimes, but when I looked closely I realized even Baby Face has made strides in improving his behavior.
We ended the day with the classic baking soda and vinegar experiment to cap our introduction to the scientific method. The facts that we made it through the potential chaos of that experiment AND everyone participated AND everyone had hysterical fun are definitely positive signs. As I cleaned up during my final period prep I felt a mix of relaxation and pride.
It wasn't until I was getting ready to leave my room at the end of the day though that I fully realized what had been taking place in my room. I had stayed after school to complete the long overdue task of hanging up process charts from various lessons. Walking out the door I looked around the room and saw my posters on how to give a book talk, tools and units of measurement, how to tell time, personal narrative traits and many others. Who knew? We've learned a lot.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Introducing...Your Cast of Characters for 2010-2011!
In what's become a teaching tradition as venerable as my class meetings or ending my nights with scotch on the rocks, it's now time for me to introduce my classroom characters. With 28 students this year, there are plenty to meet, so forgive me if I do this in installments...
Baby Face: The true heir to ALP (originally AM), Maverick and Mastermind, Baby Face could fool any outside observer as a cute an innocent kid. This is fair I suppose, since he's only eight years old. That said, he is mischief incarnate and has found plenty of opportunities to cross the line from playfulness to outright bullying. He is of course, my biggest 
challenge, and tragically a giant vacuum of time and energy in my classroom community.
I don't resent him though. Nor do I wish he wasn't in my classroom. He embodies the non-academic challenges of teaching in a high need school. In his short life he has witnessed and experienced things I couldn't imagine. So, his behavior is an expected response. Some students can't read or write. Some students can't control their actions.
It's funny the way kids like Babyface can turn me into a pull-string doll. "Are you making a good decision right now? Are you doing your best? Can you show me what a 4 (best behavior) looks like?" And later, if my patience has run out, "There are 27 other students here, why should I be spending so much energy asking to stop talking and listen?" I know obviously, that the last question, rhetorical or otherwise, doesn't accomplish anything other than allowing me to vent, but repeating the same "positive redirects" to no avail get tiring.
So, what's the next step? I've placed him on an individual behavior chart (he reached this step in record time!) and set up regular counseling with the guidance counselor. His table earns extra tallies every time he scores a 3 or 4 on his behavior chart... So far, there's little improvement, but you can count on me to keep you posted.
The Scowler: I discussed this boy last week, but it's only fair he gets a proper introduction. In one on one situations he is incredibly sweet, but somewhat sheepish. Short, and a bit rotund, he seems a bit like a cartoon character or stuffed animal brought to life in my classroom. Unfortunately in a whole class setting his disposition is much different. On the rug, he wears a perpetual scowl. It takes considerable effort to even command his attention, and I still haven't cracked the puzzle of getting him to share his thoughts, even on trivial subjects. In addition his work ethic leaves something to be desired. By that I mean it's practically nonexistent. Minutes will pass before he's even considered putting pencil to paper. He needs practically one-on-one support to articulate his ideas and do his work, but clearly in a class of 28 that may be hard to pull off.
Woodstock: This boy doesn't take his name from the Peanuts character, but rather the 1969 
music festival. He really seems to occupy his own reality most of the time. It takes a lot of effort to bring him back down to earth and help him focus. He's the type of student (strangely there's always at least one) who will "lose" his pencil not realizing it's in his notebook or on the floor beneath him. I hope I'm not misinterpreting his personality by relying too much on stereotypes, but I do see him as a very imaginative type. I'm hoping I can find some ways to help him tap into this creativity in a productive way.
I'll have to introduce you to the other 25 students over the next few weeks. They are definitely sometimes aggravating, but always interesting. I've enjoyed getting to know them as the little, complex people that they are so far.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Waiting to Be Superman
Last Friday I went to see Waiting for Superman, a movie that showcases America's broken educational system. The movie takes its title from a story told by one of the protagonists, Geoffrey Canada. Canada, the founder of Harlem's Children Zone, explains that when he was growing up, he used to love comic books. He was so immersed in the world of comics, he truly believed that one day Superman would come and rescue everyone from the ghetto. The sad realization that Superman's omnipotence was fictitious and nobody was coming to save the day sparked Canada's journey to become his own real life Superman.
Canada's story resonated with me in a powerful way. When I was a kid I was also infatuated with comic books. While I didn't make-believe that superheros would come to rescue me (I was privileged enough to never need rescuing), I did imagine what it would be like to be a superhero. Eventually, like Canada, I outgrew my superhero fantasies too. But, also like Canada, I was drawn to education as a way to act out my dreams of saving the world.
The teacher-superhero parallel isn't solely my own invention. America has long cultivated this idea in movies like To Sir, With Love; Stand and Deliver, Mr. Holland's Opus and Freedom Writers. Our society has long perpetuated the idea that any individual can save kids from poverty, if only they care enough to try. Programs like Teach for America, NYC Teaching Fellows, and the media coverage of them, also take part in this myth-making as well.As a Cohort 14 Teaching Fellow I can tell you the program appealed to me largely through its "save the children" mystique.
Now, in my fourth year of teaching, I'm sad to say this narrative is as fictional as an alien refugee arriving on Earth and becoming the savior of truth, justice and the American way. But while our society doesn't expect anyone to leap tall buildings in a single bound, we do expect our teachers to perform equally miraculous feats.
I would never suggest teachers aren't heroes. Teachers can and often do perform acts on a small and large that change lives immeasurably. I can think upon my own biography and name numerous teachers whose impact on my life was heroic.
However, when I applied to New York City Teaching Fellows I believed that as a teacher I could be more than just a positive influence in my students' lives. I believed I would possess superhuman powers: I would teach faster than a speeding test prep curriculum, be more powerful than a lack of motivation in students, parents and peers, and leap vast learning gaps in a single year. I learned very quickly that I wasn't given such superpowers.
That is why it was reassuring to hear Geoffrey Canada discuss his personal experience with teaching in the film and admit it took him five years to become a great teacher. I can only hope I'm following a similar time line. But I can't help but feel impatient in the mean time.
Whether it is valid or not, I, along with countless idealistic teachers young and old, long to be the Supermen and Superwomen our children need. We may not have superpowers, but that doesn't change the stakes of the classroom. Throughout my teaching I have felt a life or death urgency in the struggles of my students. But I'm beginning to wonder if this way of thinking is even healthy, or if it only places impossible expectations on my shoulders.
The best answer, as usual, is probably a compromise. I will work to summon super strength to help my students succeed in the time I have. I will not accept failure or defeat. I will also recognize that there are limits to my powers, and that transforming the negative forces of poverty that afflict my students is not an individual effort, but a societal one. I hope that soon the mythmakers in media and policy come to the same realization.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
The Teaching Puzzle
The most aggravating and enjoyable part of teaching is the puzzle it represents. The classroom is a giant web of questions, some minor and some profound. The challenge of answering these questions is what makes teaching so frustrating and fun at the same time.
Where should I seat my students who don't speak English? When's the best time of day and what's the best procedure to check homework? How should I handle kids who keep chewing gum in class? When and how should kids sharpen their pencils?
Questions like these can pester a teacher. They seem insignificant, but they can affect the whole rhythm and flow of a classroom. When you figure out how to control the simple minute details of a classroom, you can help everything else run smoothly.
Then there are the questions that really weigh on me. I have a student who I'll name The Scowler, who refuses to answer even yes or no questions in class. He knows the language, so that's not what's holding him back. I know he's shy, and I've tried assuring him he has friends in the classroom and that no matter what he says, his responses are valid. I've tried warning him that I will be expecting him to share, then giving him time to think while others share.
In spite of all these efforts, when I come to him, he completely shuts down. His shoulders fall down and he refuses to even make eye contact or even nod. So much of our classroom learning revolves around whole class discussions. How can I teach a student who refuses to engage in them?
How do I reach The Scowler, differentiate for five non-speakers and about 20 other students who are below grade level, effectively and consistently engage all my students at all times? These are the questions that make teaching difficult and sometimes discouraging. But looking for the answers, and thankfully finding them, is exactly what makes teaching so uniquely exciting.
