A Balanced Education

Remember those commercials we used to watch for cereal when we were kids. The sugary cereal would be bookended by bran toast, a glass of orange juice, a glass of milk, and a bowl of granola topped with a sliced banana. "Sugar Cereal X is a part of this nutritionally balanced breakfast!" the announcer would inform us.

I would never consider the arts as superfluous to a child's education as sugar cereal to a breakfast, but I wonder if others due. Recently I posted a project on DonorsChoose requesting support for a project that will give my kids pastels, charcoal, water colors and picture frames. I posted the proposal on this blog, and I got this comment from "Mad Jack":

The thought that occurs to me is that time in school would be better spent teaching your budding Picasso to read, write and speak English rather than fine art. But perhaps that's an invalid opinion, since I'm not a certified school teacher.

Mad Jack pointed out that in my proposal I stated almost all of my students are below level in reading and math. With that in mind, does he have a point? I think a lot of us from "touchy-feely" backgrounds certainly embrace the role of the arts in education, but do my students have time for them when some of them are reading at a kindergarten level or can't subtract basic minuends?

I want to say emphatically to Mad Jack, who I hope isn't serving as too much of a straw man, YES. I am certain there's research to support my claim, but for the purpose of this post, I'm going to speak from personal experience.

As part of a year long inquiry project, my class and a second grade self-contained Special Education class are using visual arts as a gateway to literacy. Our theme is "Artists as Storytellers". Our most recent field trip paints the clearest picture (pardon the pun) of how the arts are helping my students.

Last Friday students from my class and my colleague's went to the International Center of Photography (ICP). We looked at artwork from a Chinese photographer Wang Qingsong whose photo's play on classic Chinese images to critique globalization's impact on Chinese culture. We also looked at photos by Alonzo Jordan, a barber who took up photography in the Jim Crow era to give a realistic depiction of the black community in Jasper, Texas.

Before the visit to the ICP, we discussed Wang's photos as fantasy-like, connected them to fiction writing, discussed elements of culture, and compared the "artist's purpose" of (a play on author's purpose) Wang's artwork to Edward Hopper's. We also discussed the history of segregation in the South, compared Jordan's photos to personal narrative writing, and discussed the tone of his photos.

During the visit, my students learned new vocabulary like documentary, stereotype, globalization, and portrait. We discussed the importance of Buddha to Chinese culture. Our discussions about the photos required my students to engage in a lot of critical thinking.

Afterward, my students chose American symbols to "play with" like Wang Qingsong. Some of my students' artwork included a Statue of Liberty on top of a Coca-Cola bottle and a holding a shopping bag. Next, my students will use our class's new digital camera to create portraits of our community similar to Alonzo Jordan's.

In short, art is allowing my students to engage in critical thinking that many of them can't or won't when it comes to reading, writing and math. Many of my students are still learning to read, so they can't engage critically with texts independently. With art, every single student in my class can add their opinions. And they're eager to do so!

So, would my students' time be better spent if I was teaching them reading and math? I think my students' experience this year speaks for itself.

The Next Picasso Is In My Classroom!

I have posted another project on DonorsChoose. I hope you'll take a look and feel free to pass it along to anyone interested in helping out.

The Met. The MoMa. The Whitney. Our classroom. My students have been visiting museums to see world famous art and now with your help we're ready to create our own.

My students are a group of energetic and enthusiastic learners. We have been visiting museums all year and studying different ways that artists tell stories. Each trip is accompanied by an art project as well. My students love these trips and the opportunities to create their own artwork.

At the same time, my students are overcoming many challenges. Almost all of my students qualify for free lunch. Most of my students do not speak English at home, and almost all of my students are below grade level in reading and math. In addition, our classroom doesn't have a lot of art resources that would allow my students to experiment with different artistic media.

My Project: So far my students have had a chance to use ordinary classroom materials like pencils, crayons, and markers to create their own artwork. The pastels, watercolors, charcoal and frames will allow my students to create and display an amazing variety of artwork. The sense of excitement and pride these materials will generate is immeasurable.

Your support will transform my students' experience with art. They already love their trips to museums and every chance they have to draw and color. These supplies will allow my students to explore, experiment and grow as artists and people. This journey of discovery can only happen with your help.

"What If I Get It Wrong?"

My students were taking their midline math assessments when I noticed that The Scowler, a struggling special needs student of mine, had answers remarkably similar to his neighbor. I've been known to lose my temper over copying, but it's been a goal of mine lately to make interventions as quiet and personal as possible. A hard-line approach with this student in particular would only cause him to shut down.

I knelt down, and in a whisper I asked, "Are those your answers, or are those your neighbor's?"

"Oh!" He looked surprised. In his disarmingly sweet way, he replied, "Their his."

"Well, I need to see your answers, so I know what you need help with."

"But, what if I get it wrong?"

It was one of those so simple it's heartbreaking type questions that come so naturally to nine-year-olds. His voice was overwhelming with self-doubt and anxiety. But while my first impulse was sadness, I also admired The Scowler's straightforwardness.

I explained to him, like I have many times before, that there is nothing wrong with wrong answers. In fact, my students have been known to shout out, "Mr. Brosbe loves wrong answers!" when another student is shy or struggling with an answer. Still, I needed to remind The Scowler of that fact. I wouldn't be mad. He wouldn't be in trouble. It was fine for him to get it wrong, as long as it was his best work.

Later, I looked over his midline. Half the answers were blank, and my first reaction was utter frustration. But, I reminded myself, this was a true representation of what he understood. It wasn't pretty, but it was honest, and that was encouraging.

"Separate, but Equal" in 2011

"Overall, a third of all black and Latino children sit every day in classrooms that are 90 to 100 percent black and Latino."

This is one of the most powerful statistics included in Dana Goldstein's excellent MLK Day post on segregated schools. My first three years of teaching I did not have a single student who was not black or brown. This year I have a few students of Southeast Asian descent, so I suppose this could qualify for diversity, but it doesn't change the statistic above.

The continuation of segregation in America's schools is one of this nation's greatest embarrassments, and greatest disservices to the legacy of Dr. King and the civil rights fight in general. Unfortunately, this fact is largely left out of discussions on education reform. I don't find this terribly surprising. I wouldn't expect the right-wing to mention segregation for any reason, and the left is too busy trying to use pro-market sounding language to sell any and all social reforms. Still, with another anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr's birthday behind us, I think it's sad that the civil rights argument has been airbrushed out of the education reform debate.

Yes, it's true our schools are being outperformed by Finland and China and numerous nations in between. Yes, it's true our nation's future economic well being depends on having a well educated work force. These facts and similar arguments for education reform are legitimate and may be the best way to sell education reform to centrists, libertarians or whomever. But I think it makes for a rather soulless call to action.

I would never try to imagine what Dr. King would say about education reform today. But the fact that millions of the country's poorest children are attending modern day versions of schools that are "separate, but equal," is an injustice he would surely speak out against. In his stead, it's up to today's policymakers and educators to make a strident call for the cause of a quality education for every child, regardless of race, color or creed.

Why I Joined Educators 4 Excellence

Until recently, I didn't know anything about E4E. I had read GothamSchools' profile in April, joined their Facebook group, and that was the extent of my "membership". Right after my column on teacher data reports appeared in The New York Post, several commenters mentioned E4E, assuming I had some deeper affiliation. I didn't, but ironically, these comments stoked my curiosity in the organization.

A week or so later, I attended an education policy panel featuring Diane Ravitch, Shael Polakow-Suransky and... Educator 4 Excellence's co-founder Evan Stone. When the panel was over, I introduced myself to Evan and E4E's Outreach Coordinator, Ryan Black. Soon after I sat down with Ryan, Evan and E4E's other co-founder, Sydney Morris, to talk about how I could be a part of E4E.

But, I realize how I got involved with E4E is much less important than why I got involved. The truth is since I started teaching, I have looked for ways to connect with other teachers who were not only passionate about our work as educators, but viewed it as part of a broader fight for social justice.

My closest peers in teaching were those who shared my passion for education, and my belief that our work was inextricable from the larger conversation developing on education reform. We constantly shared challenges in our classrooms and our school, and we often discussed how that work was affected by local and federal policies. We also talked about how we might do things differently, or what we might say if we ever had the chance to talk to Chancellor Klein or Mayor Bloomberg.

At it's core, this is what E4E represents. It is a group of teachers who believe in the importance of their work, who believe that education can and must be better, and believe that they have an important voice to lend to the discussion of how to make this change occur. If you read E4E's declaration of principles there are definitely points that would draw fire from some teachers. E4E is not meant to represent all teachers, but, the principles are generally intended to invite as broad a spectrum of educators as possible.

There is a lot of room for discussion within those principles. How to create a "holistic and equitable system" for evaluating teachers is a debate I'm a part of as a member of E4E's Teacher Evaluation Policy Team. Over the past month a half that the team has worked on developing a system there has been plenty of disagreement. This has only made our work stronger. However within this group of 16 diverse educators, there's a unity of opinion that the current system is inadequate, and a better one must be created.

If you believe that the current U/S rating system is best for teachers and values their work, you will probably disagree with E4E's platform. If you believe that Last In, First Out is the best policy for teachers and students, that three years of service is a reasonable amount of time to earn tenure, or that the current pay structure is fair, you'll disagree with E4E's platform.

You're free to disagree with these points, or any others included in the E4E declaration of principles. But to discount E4E's members as puppets, or to base arguments on vitriol instead of facts, does a disservice to our profession. The more teachers that take an active role in the education debate, the better, because whatever our differences, we all share a common commitment to our students.

Segregated Schools Live On

I'll have to keep this brief for now, but I wanted to share this post from Dana Goldstein. For those of us teaching in the Bronx and poor communities around the country, there's no need for a reminder that segregation is alive and well. But many Americans are blind to it's continued existence. It's a tragedy that should be included in any discussion of true education reform.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The Snaux Day

A feeling of anticipation had been building since Monday's weather report. But when I checked the news this morning, I learned there was to be no snow day today. I felt like a kid who woke up on Christmas morning with no presents. As a Jew I should have been better prepared for this feeling, but I wasn't.

I wasn't sure how reliable the subways would be, so I rushed out the door. Lo and behold, I got to school in record time, and walked up to my building about 40 minutes earlier than usual. I would have a little time to breathe and settle in for once before picking up the kids, I thought. But inside, it was all hands on deck.

Most of the teachers in my school commute from Jersey, Long Island or Westchester, so we had 36 teachers absent. I wasn't surprised, but at the same time the number was mind-boggling. The list of classes in need of coverage, usually three or four names long, was three columns long.

If it hadn't been for the low turnout of students our school would have been in an even bigger state of chaos. My class had 14 of 28 in attendance, but this was one of the highest in the school. Most of the grades were grouped in one classroom.

It was a little stressful at first, but at the same time the school pulled together really nicely. Preps were moved around, lunch times were aggregated and the after school program was canceled, all without incident. Throughout the experience, my principal was visibly involved with the process of making the day run smoothly, even helping out with lunch duty. Coffee and doughnuts were provided for teachers and she made a thank you announcement over the loud speaker. I felt incredibly grateful to have a principal who didn't pass the buck today.

Meanwhile in the classroom, the kids were ecstatic to have so much extra breathing room and attention. I used the opportunity to focus on some fundamentals that needed review. We practiced summarizing non-fiction texts, writing a paragraph with a topic sentence and supporting details, and using arrays (made of Skittles as a little reward for making it to school) to model division.

It's hard to say with all the absences and chaos that must've taken place across the city whether school should have been canceled or not. But I feel like a lot of teachers were surprised by the way the day turned out. I know plenty of us even felt like today was still pretty relaxing even though we were at work. In any case spending a day teaching a group of students who really want to be there is about as good as it gets.

An Unfortunate Tradition

Today I had my first vomiting incident of the year! I didn't realize when I signed up for Teaching Fellows that this would be at least a yearly occurrence, but I've sure accepted that fact now. There are few experiences that can rival the mix of sympathy and horror when a student interrupts a conference or raises their hand on the rug. With a contorted look on their face and a telltale tone, they say, "I don't feel so good." I wonder why it's always those exact words...

And yet, while classroom vomit stories are pretty much equally horrifying, I was able to look at this one as a small, but gratifying symbol of progress. This year I managed to get the student to the nurse as soon as he told me he wasn't feeling well. When he came back because the nurse couldn't get his mom on the phone, I sat him down with a plastic bag. By the time things erupted, the damage was minimal.

Contrast this with my first year of teaching. I was only a few weeks into it when one of my problem kids let loose all over his table. The classroom was sweltering, and the mess didn't get cleaned up until after the kids went home. Back then, I was still proud I managed to teach (or what I considered teaching) despite the vomit. I think I would've been shocked to see how differently I handled it today (no vomit on the desks!). It's amazing all the random things you learn to handle differently with just a little extra experience.

If Kids Are Barometers...

In my first year of teaching, I discussed how kids respond to the weather in subtle, but noticeable ways. Well, if kids are figuratively barometers, today I learned a lot of teachers are literally aspiring meteorologists. Did you know New York City is supposed to get between six inches and a foot of snow starting late Tuesday night and well into Wednesday? You would if you were in my school today. In fact the severe weather warning was probably the most popular topic in the school today. Just don't let the students find out that their teachers want a snow day even more badly than they do...

Musical Chairs

It took three tries, but I finally rearranged my seating chart. It's amazing how the seemingly simplest tasks can require so much thought. The goal is basic enough. I need to somehow seat 28 students in a way that they can all do their best work. The actual process is more complex.

A seating chart accounts for several factors. First, who are the top performing students? I try to spread them out so they can act as helpers at each table. Next, who are the behavioral problems? I try to spread them out too. Depending on your perspective, I do this to surround them with positive role models, or just to minimize their damage. Finally, who are the students who get along and who are the students who do not get along?

Once I've weighed each of these factors, I'm ready to create a seating chart. But, wait, did I make sure to put the students who don't speak English near other students who will be helpful? Did I make sure I'll be able to keep an eye on a student who is easily distracted while I'm doing guided reading? Did I do a decent job mixing girls and boys together?

In the end, it's practically a miracle it only took me three tries to put my seating chart together. Then again, this was all theoretical. Tomorrow it will be really interesting when I get to see how the arrangements work out in real life.

More Classroom Characters

When I run into friends I haven't seen in a while, one of the first questions is, "How are the kids?" There are a lot of appropriate answers to this question, but usually I say, "They're pretty good. I have a lot of characters this year though." Whatever that means is open to interpretation, but with 28 kids this year, it's certainly true. I introduced a few in October, which means more introductions are long overdue.

Ernest: This boy began the year as Baby Face's partner in crime. Over time, Baby Face's bullying compulsion effectively destroyed their alliance. Once I realized that Ernest found Baby Face's behavior as annoying as I did, I began to see him in a different light. His persistent inability to raise his hand before sharing an answer, and the fact that he needs directions repeated three to four times before he (maybe) gets to work are...vexing. Still beneath the constant need for reminders, there's an enthusiasm about learning and funny, disarming earnestness. If we could get the restlessness under control, he could be a star student.

El Molestador: This nickname sounds a lot worse than it is... Blame my shamefully limited Spanish for this one, but he gets his pseudonym based on one of the most common commands I give him, "Deja molestando los otros estudiantes." I can't begin to fathom how difficult it is to move to a new country to start a new life. This boy is hardly the only student to move from the Dominican Republic in my class, but that doesn't make the change from Santo Domingo to the Bronx any easier. Still, I don't understand his insistence on poking, pushing and generally bothering his classmates. He has several friends, and most of the students are all too willing to speak with him in Spanish. So, "isolation" doesn't quite cut it as an explanation. I want to help him with his transition into his new life as much as possible, but four months later it feels like half of our interactions are based on someone complaining that he's harrassing them.

Don Juan: This boy is a hopeless romantic. Thankfully he hasn't made an effort to act on his emotions with any of the girls in the class. Still, his dreamy, starry-eyed demeanor is evident in all sorts of discussions. Ask him for a retell of a story, observations on a piece of art, or feedback on a classmate's writing, and the L word appears invariably. It can be disheartening when it's clear he's totally misunderstood or ignored the question, but it's often hard to contain a smile at the same time.

So what do I mean when I say my classroom is full of characters? It depends on each student. So far I've introduced six of them. I'll try to get to the other 22 before June.