Posts Tagged ‘Education’

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You Don’t Get Respect From Punishing Every Disorderly Act

October 23, 2012

The students involved would have got suspended in a less tolerant school. But this teacher shows up trigger-happy schools that suspend like it’s going out of fashion, when he decides to take a more thoughtful approach to reacting to a ruckus:

A Chicago magnet high school senior prank turned into an example of excellent school management when a dean took an unconventional approach to a feisty student’s challenging behavior last Tuesday.

In a video posted on YouTube and social news site Reddit, students on the second floor of Whitney M. Young High School in Illinois decide to stage a dance-battlesque senior prank.

Teens begin to bang on chairs and tables, and the students start hollering. One boy, with the loud support of his peers, runs up to a faculty member’s doorway and dances in front of a woman’s face.

The student then circles the space, looking for another challenger, when a man in a white shirt and tie catches his eye. The young man takes a flying leap, lands in front of the teacher’s nose and begins to dance furiously.

What happens next, however, is both hilarious and unexpected.

Clearly amused, the administrator, identified in the video as Dean of Students John Fanning, takes the boy’s hijinks in stride, breaking out into a dance of his own that looks an awful lot like a version of an Irish jig.

“Like any kid who grew up in [predominantly Irish Chicago neighborhood] Rogers Park, I was dragged to Irish dance classes,” Fanning told The Huffington Post.

The post on Reddit is titled “Teacher strikes back in the best way possible,” and many of the comments commended the teacher for his response. “No one got assaulted, no one got insulted, everything was awesome,” user “ppcpunk” wrote.

Why get angry? Fanning asked. “As senior pranks go, it’s pretty tame and innocuous,” he said.

Click on the link to read The Dog Eat Dog Style of Education

Click on the link to read Problem Kids, Suspensions and Revolving Doors

Click on the link to read Useful Resources to Assist in Behavioural Management

Click on the link to read When Something Doesn’t Work – Try Again Until it Does

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Posted in Classroom Management | 1 Comment »

The Innocence of Youth

October 22, 2012

A 7-year old girl writes a precious note that captures the innocence and simplicity of youth. It is just such a privilege to be working with young people. Their view of the world is refreshingly positive and uncomplicated and their tone lacks the sarcasm that adults often project.

 

Click on the link to read Kid’s Cute Note to the Tooth Fairy

Click on the link to read ‘Love’ as Defined by a 5-Year Old

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Posted in Child Development | Leave a Comment »

Teacher Allegedly Encourages Students to Spit on Classmate

October 22, 2012

 

This is yet another example of the failing of our teacher training program. All the theory in the world don’t prepare a teacher for managing the practical, everyday challenges of the classroom. Our young teachers need to be prepared for testing scenarios and need to deal with them with a greater presence of mind than is alleged in this incident:

A Shenandoah, Iowa elementary music teacher has been placed on administrative leave following an alleged incident in which the instructor encouraged her students to spit at a peer.

Alex Kindopp tells KETV that it all started when her 9-year-old son Jaxon did a “raspberry,” or sticking his tongue out and blubbering, at a classmate. Spotting him, the Shenandoah Elementary music teacher reportedly asked the boy how he would feel if others did the same to him.

“Everyone gathered around me and she said, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, spit away,’” Jaxon told KETV. The instruction prompted his classmates to surround him and spit on his face and shoulders, the boy said.

Worried that his classmates’ excretions would get in his mouth, Jaxon lowered and covered his head with his arms, he told KCRG. The teacher then reportedly asked, “Why are you covering your head? I thought you liked being spit on?”

Kindopp tells KETV that her son now has trust issues and according to the World-Herald News Service, has since become sick and was placed on an antibiotic. The family is also reportedly moving to Arizona.

“It’s degrading, humiliating, very unsanitary,” the mother told KETV. “If someone does this, what else are people capable of?”

 

Click on the link to read Should Teachers Be Allowed to go to the Beach?

Click on the link to read Student Takes the Fall for Teacher’s Incompetence

Click on the link to read Let’s Just Scrap ‘Teacher of the Year’ Awards

Click on the link to read Useful Resources to Assist in Behavioural Management

Click on the link to read When Something Doesn’t Work – Try Again Until it Does

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Posted in Professional Conduct | Leave a Comment »

Teachars Cant Spel

October 21, 2012

It seems like poor spelling doesn’t stop with the students:

TEACHERS are filling lessons, report cards and letters home with errors, including SMS-style spelling, grammatical mistakes and misspelt spelling lists, parents have claimed.

A survey of 480 people about the literacy skills of the nation’s teachers found half thought the quality was poor.

More than 40 per cent had noticed spelling or grammatical errors on letters sent home from school and 35 per cent had seen mistakes in report cards and marked assignments.

Other parents claimed their child’s teachers lacked passion and skill, taught incorrect information and provided misspelt word lists for children to learn from. Some had even noticed teachers using SMS-style spellings, like l8r (later) and coz (because).

The “must do better” grading comes as the federal government reveals current teachers will be given specialist training to make sure future educators get better mentoring.Current and ex-teachers who took the survey were among those who complained about substandard quality, saying it was depressing.

One teacher from a state high school said many graduate teachers lacked a basic understanding of grammar, spelling and punctuation through their own schooling.

“It’s those 20-somethings who just missed out and I’m scared that they’re going to be teaching my kids,” she said.

Click on the link to read Who Corrects Our Spelling Mistakes?

Click on the link to read This is What Happens When You Rely on Spell Check

Click on the link to read The 15 Most Commonly Misspelled Words in the English Language

Click on the link to read Who Said Grammar Isn’t Important?

Click on the link to read Why Spelling is Important

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Posted in Literacy | 4 Comments »

This Can Only Ever Happen in a Co-Ed School

October 20, 2012

The beauty of teaching in a co-ed school is that if done properly a mutual respect develops between the genders. It is the perfect forum for dispelling myths and forming respectful relationships between the sexes.

Take this above video for example. A young girl in Norway is teased by a cocky male classmate. He refuses to bend over to avoid her soccer kick. Instead, he remains standing, defiantly sending the message that since she is a girl she is incapable of kicking the ball with any real force.

As the video shows this tactic was not very wise.

I am not posting this video to belittle the boy. Instead I want to comment on the lessons he and his classmates may well have taken from the incident. This was a brilliant showcase for demonstrating the boundless capabilities of the opposite gender and how nobody deserves to be taken lightly in any sphere or circumstance.

Teaching in a co-education environment, we see examples of this every day. It does more to enhance the relationships between genders than any bogus speech delivered in parliament can ever achieve.

 

Click on the link to read Why do Boys Score Better than Girls at Maths?

Click on the link to read Should We Include Feminism in the Curriculum?

Click on the link to read Arguments For and Against Single-Sex Education

Click on the link to read The Perfect Example of Courage and Self-Respect

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Posted in Teaching boys | Leave a Comment »

Student Takes the Fall for Teacher’s Incompetence

October 19, 2012

This sounds extremely harsh to me:

Students from an Indiana middle school have been suspended after viewing a nearly nude photo of their teacher on a school-issued iPad that had synched with the woman’s iPhone.

Joshua Troutt, 13, and three other Highland Middle School students from Anderson, Ind., have been suspended after seeing a topless photo of their teacher, according to Fox 59.

“It just showed up of our teacher with a bra on, but most of her breast showing,” Troutt explained to Fox 59. “I never thought of seeing my teacher like that.”

The topless photo appeared on the iPad because the teacher’s iPhone reportedly synched to the tablet. “We couldn’t do anything not to look at it, if it just popped up when he pressed the button,” Troutt told RTV 6. “It was her fault that she had the photo on there. Her iPhone synched to it. She had to have pressed something to make all of her photos synch on there.”

Detective Joel Sandefur said that “since the material was not pornographic in nature and no other criminal violation could be gleaned from the evidence as presented, the matter was turned over to the school and the police investigation closed,” according to RTV 6.

Troutt claims that he and the other students asked for permission to use the school-issued iPad.

Assistant Superintendent Beth Clark said that the Indiana school has a handbook with guidelines on how to use school technology, and those guidelines were followed, KSDK reports. However, Troutt and the other students were suspended and face expulsion for seeing the nude photo.

 The boy’s mother, Nicole, said she thinks the repercussions are “very unfair” and alleges her son “never even touched [the iPad].”

Click on the link to read Should Teachers Be Allowed to go to the Beach?

Click on the link to read Let’s Just Scrap ‘Teacher of the Year’ Awards

Click on the link to read Useful Resources to Assist in Behavioural Management

Click on the link to read When Something Doesn’t Work – Try Again Until it Does

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Posted in Professional Conduct | 2 Comments »

Never Mistake Compassion with the Threat of a Lawsuit

October 19, 2012

 

This decision has nothing to do with protecting children and everything to do with protecting the school. Schools should embrace students with challenges, conditions and allergies not isolate or neglect them:

Colman Chadam, an 11-year-old California boy, has been ordered to transfer from his current school to another one miles away because of his genetic makeup. Now, his parents are taking the issue to court.

Colman carries the genetic mutations for cystic fibrosis, a noncontagious but incurable and life-threatening disease. Despite the gene’s presence, the Jordan Middle School student in Palo Alto doesn’t actually have the disease and doesn’t exhibit the typical symptoms of thick mucus that can clog and infect the lungs.

Cystic fibrosis is inherited from both parents and while not contagious, can pose a threat if two people with the disease are in close contact. In an effort to protect other students at the school who do have the disease, officials declared that Colman would have to transfer out to prevent cross contamination.

“I was sad but at the same time I was mad because I understood that I hadn’t done anything wrong,” Colman told TODAY. “It feels like I’m being bullied in a way that is not right.“

Colman’s parents argue that their son’s doctor has confirmed that the boy doesn’t have the disease, and therefore isn’t a risk to other students. They disclosed his condition on a medical form for the school at the beginning of the year as a precautionary measure, but never expected their son to be barred from the school, as his genetic makeup had not been an issue in the past at other schools with students who have cystic fibrosis.

“They made this decision without seeing one medical record on my son,” mother Jennifer Chadam told the San Francisco Chronicle. “Honestly if I felt Colman was a risk to others, I would move him. I don’t want anyone to get sick.”

Palo Alto Associate Superintendent Charles Young told NBC News that officials made the request to move Colman based on consultations with medical experts who said a transfer would be the “zero risk option.”

While the district’s attorney Lenore Silverman told the Chronicle that school officials are “not willing to risk a potentially life-threatening illness among kids,” Dr. Dennis Nielson says a child is “at absolutely no risk to the children that have classic cystic fibrosis” if he or she has a normal sweat test — which is the case for Colman. Nielson is the University of California, San Francisco’s chief of pediatric pulmonary medicine and head of its Cystic Fibrosis Clinic.

 

Click on the link to read Mum Taken to Court for Letting Son Miss School to Attend Her Wedding

Click on the link to read Truant Teachers

Click on the link to read How Do They Come Up With These Ideas?

Click on the link to read Potty Training at a Restaurant Table!

Click on the link to read Mother Shaves Numbers Into Quadruplets Heads So People Can Tell Them Apart

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Posted in School Rules | Leave a Comment »

5 Helpful Tips for a Better Parent-Teacher Conference

October 18, 2012

Five tips courtesy of Carl Azuz:

 

Do your homework

Talking to your child before the conference to find out if he has any questions or concerns of his own can give you ideas of what to address with the teacher.  A good next step:  having a physical list of questions.

The National PTA says that the “questions you ask during the conference can help you express your hopes for the student’s success in class and for the teacher.”

It’s an idea echoed by Ryan Koczot, an award-winning middle school teacher in North Carolina.  “Parents should come to the conference prepared (note pad, pen, list of questions) – just like teachers should be prepared (information on the child, progress report, questions for the parent).”  This will help get everyone on the same page.

Join forces

Several teachers have told us that the best results follow when parents and teachers work together.  According to Debbie Geiger of Scholastic.com, “The goal of both the teacher and the parent should be the success of the student, but sometimes parents have a hard time discussing tough issues.”

Geiger suggests starting off by complimenting the teacher on something that he or she seems to be doing right – a piece of advice echoed by the National PTA.  This can set a positive tone for the meeting and help foster cooperation later on.

If there’s a problem that has developed between your child and a particular subject or teacher, look for ways to address it together.  “Be a team player,” suggests New Jersey middle school teacher Donna Spoto.  “Let the teacher know that you are on his/her side.”

Open lines of communication

Divorce, remarriage, foreclosure, moving, a new baby:  These are just a few of the personal issues that can affect a student’s behavior and work on campus.

A 7th grade social studies teacher in Tennessee said that one area where parents fall short is letting teachers know of problems in a student’s life outside of school.  “When parents don’t tell us what’s happening, we can’t adjust accordingly.”

Spoto agrees that “stress and emotional issues definitely affect a student’s work.”  By informing the teacher of possible causes, you will help the teacher better understand the child and be more equipped to appropriately instruct him.

Aim for action

Coming up with an action plan to address academic or behavioral concerns can benefit the parent, the teacher and the student long after the conference is over.  The National PTA recommends establishing a series of steps that both you and the teacher agree on.  A couple ideas to consider:  what your short- and long-term plans are, and how you’ll measure progress.

One of first actions you can take after the conference is going over key points and discussion topics with your child.  “Depending on his age and maturity level, he may need help understanding what problems – and solutions – were covered.  Most kids also want to have a clear idea of what’s expected of the teacher, the parent(s), and, most importantly, from [them],” writes Kristin Stanberry of Greatschools.org.

Keep in touch

Once an action plan is in place, try to determine how you’ll follow up with the teacher in the weeks and months ahead.  Will it be through written notes, a phone call, or another conference?  Koczot says that an email or phone contact at school can help the parent “check in on their child weekly or in a couple of weeks to see how they are doing.”

And it’s not a bad idea to inform your child that you’re keeping in touch with her school.  “When a child knows parents and teachers are regularly working together, the child will see that education is a high priority requiring commitment and effort,” according to the National PTA.

 

Click on the link to read Schools Invite Kids to Parent-Teacher Meetings to Subdue Angry Parents

Click on the link to read Mother Films Her Kids Fighting and Posts it on Facebook

Click on the link to read It’s Not Spying on Your Children, It’s Called Parenting

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Posted in Dealing with Parents | Leave a Comment »

Teaching about Felix Baumgartner’s Jump in the Classroom

October 17, 2012

 

The following ideas for teachers in incorporating Felix Baumgartner’s Jump into the high school classroom comes courtesy of teq.com (Primary resources provided below):

1. Use Fluid Math to teach acceleration due to gravity.  The video below shows how FluidMath’s Animation feature allows you to write a function (such as ax= – 9.8t2) that describes an object’s motion, and then run a simulation of the movement along a path.

2. Use Algodoo to simulate the ascent and the descent. Algodoo is the fun 2D physics simulator which allows you to plot the speed of an object (Baumgartner) over time.  The video below shows how to plot a free falling object’s speed over time, and how to change Gravity and Air Resistance.  A trial version of Algodoo for education can be downloaded here.

3. Share Video of the Jump with your class. The videos are easy to find.  If you’re blocked from YouTube at your school, check out Convert.Files.  If you like the meme below, just drag it into SMART Notebook!

4. Simulations of Physical Phenomena related to Felix Baumgartner’s jump.  PhET, from the University of Colorado, has great interactive learning objects.  Here are some of the best (related to the jump):  gas properties, friction, gravity calculator.

5. Follow Bobak Ferdowski on Twiter. Ferdowski is a Systems Engineer at NASA. He’s brought a new level of cool to federal social media.  Follow him for the latest on NASA events, comments on space news, or if you want to know what to major in (Physics or Engineering) in college.

For related resources at primary level please follow this link.

 

Click on the link to read Teaching Children about the Curiosity Mars Landing

Click on the link to read Teaching Fractions: The Musical

Click on the link to read Six Tips For a Happy Classroom

Click on the link to read  Proposal to Adopt Shooting as Part of the Curriculum

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Posted in Education Matters | Leave a Comment »

Let’s Just Scrap ‘Teacher of the Year’ Awards

October 16, 2012

This time it’s a two-time winner of what should be a prestigious award, but is all too often won by the very worst teachers imaginable:

Raemon Matthews, a nationally regarded history teacher at Samuel Gompers High School in the Bronx, has been barred from the classroom for sexual wrongdoing involving students.

An investigation by the New York City Department of Education found that Matthews intimidated a 17-year-old female student into posing for explicit photos in a classroom cage that was used for storage. The educator was found to have engaged the teen in inappropriate activities, including fondling her breasts and private areas as well as posing for the photos under the pretense of “attract[ing] college recruiters and employers,” the New York Daily News reports. Matthews has pleaded guilty to sexual abuse.

The teen reportedly attempted to stop the sessions once, but was told, “no, bo-boo, we’re just getting started.” She didn’t pursue the issue because she was afraid “he would hurt or fail her.”

Matthews also encouraged the student to “look sexier,” and he had to “see more” of the scantily clad teen for the supposed college portfolio, the New York Post reports. The wrongdoings surfaced in late 2010 when a custodian found the photos on a CD.

“It was hard for me — it was like a big trauma,” the now-20-year-old told The Post. “I didn’t want anybody to know because I was embarrassed.”

News of the scandal come especially as a surprise as Matthews had been working in New York City schools since 2000, and was nationally known for his methods and effective teaching. Former U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige praised the educator during a visit to the school in 2002, resulting in a trip to the capital for Matthews to demonstrate his interdisciplinary lessons and use of multimedia in the classroom.

Matthews’ employment of brain exercises and memory tools has also received national acclaim. A 2008 Associated Press report points to the educator as an example for improving student performance through memorization techniques, as an overwhelming majority of Matthews’ students at the predominantly low-income, minority school regularly pass the global and history geography state exams.

He is also a two-time city-wide Teacher of the Year. And in a school where 90 percent of students are below average in math and reading, Matthews’ teaching of memory techniques have resulted in a 100 percent passing rate for the New York state academic skills test, while 85 percent of his students scored 90 or higher, according to Psychology Today.

Whilst this is only alleged at this stage, it surely puts into question the merit of these types of awards. I am happy for teachers to be recognised for the good work they do, but these awards seem phoney to me.

Click on the link to read Should Teachers Be Allowed to go to the Beach?

Click on the link to read Why Patience is a Key Quality for a Teacher

Click on the link to read Useful Resources to Assist in Behavioural Management

Click on the link to read When Something Doesn’t Work – Try Again Until it Does

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Posted in Professional Conduct | Leave a Comment »

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