January 5, 2009

New Teacher, New Year: Resolutions for 2009

Filed under: New Teacher Diaries by W.J. Levay @ 12:05 pm

[Editor's note: We asked our New Teacher Diaries contributors to share their 2009 classroom resolutions.]

Miss Brave, a second-year teacher in an elementary school in Queens:

This year I have only one New Year’s resolution for school. It’s frustratingly vague, and vaguely frustrating, but it’s really the only resolution I can make: to do what is best for my students, even if it means going outside the script we normally use in our school, even if it means buckling down when I would rather hang back. Do what is best for my students.

Ms. Flecha, a second-year teacher in an elementary school in Queens:

10. Improve my Word Wall, realizing my vision for one that kids would actually find useful.

9. Find the ways and tools for keeping my desk organized so I can actually see its top.

8. Get to know the mainstream third grade teachers better by offering them ideas to better reach their beginner/intermediate ESL kids.

(more…)

January 4, 2009

Tell Me What I Believe

Filed under: Education by Ron Isaac @ 1:32 pm

“Tell me what to believe and I will believe it sincerely.”

The pull to socially conform is a riptide that can alter individual perception and maybe even overwhelm a person’s conscience. (more…)

December 30, 2008

More Press For The Little Chorus That Could

Filed under: Education by W.J. Levay @ 11:44 am

PS 22 Chorus

The widely-praised PS 22 Chorus of Graniteville, Staten Island, was the subject of a Dec. 26 New York Times write-up.

If you’re not familiar with the elementary school chorus and their versions of songs by Coldplay, Tori Amos, Nina Simone, and Bjork, join the thousands of others who have watched their online videos and made YouTube stars out of these fifth-graders and their director, Gregg Breinberg.

The PS 22 Chorus blog chronicles the group’s activities, which recently included performing for Congressman-elect Michael McMahon’s unofficial swearing-in ceremony on Staten Island, and bringing holiday cheer to residents of a nursing home.

December 29, 2008

Times Backs Employee Free Choice Act

Filed under: Labor by W.J. Levay @ 12:34 pm

The New York Times editorial board today argues for the passage of the Employee Free Choice Act and praises Obama’s choice for labor secretary, Rep. Hilda Solis, while wondering whether Obama will give her the necessary clout to oversee a forceful labor agenda during a recession.

They strike a hopeful tone, noting that “Mr. Obama’s creation of a task force on middle-class issues, to be led by Vice President-elect Joseph Biden and including Ms. Solis and other high-ranking officials, is an encouraging sign that labor issues will not be given short shrift.” (more…)

December 25, 2008

The Gift Of Solidarity

Filed under: Education by Leo Casey @ 12:08 pm

At the AFL-CIO blog, the Reverend Nelson Johnson reflects on solidarity as the Christmas gift we give ourselves.

December 24, 2008

The Perfect Gift For Teacher

Filed under: New Teacher Diaries by They Call Me Teacher @ 11:48 am

[Editor's note: They Call Me Teacher is the pseudonym of a first-year teacher in an elementary school in the Bronx. She blogs at They Call Me Teacher where this post originally appeared.]

cupcake

Monday, as we walked our students out, a few of them started mentioning gifts and talking of the holiday party that would fill our afternoon on Tuesday, the last day before winter break. One boy, who engulfs so much of our energy and focus but somehow makes up for it by constantly making us laugh with his serious, yet silly comments, had decided he’d get my team teacher a chocolate chip cupcake.

One teacher down, and now to figure out the perfect gift for me. As we walked down the stairs he stopped and turned around.

“Whatchu want? A lamp?”

Tempting! But instead I told him a cupcake would make me happy too. Just the thought of this young man carrying a lamp for his teacher through the school was enough to make us laugh all the way back to the classroom.

December 23, 2008

No Civic Duty on Company Time

Filed under: Education by Ron Isaac @ 2:41 pm

When teachers are summoned for jury duty they should postpone their service until their vacation and take it then. That would demonstrate professionalism and save the taxpayers money. This proposal, which doesn’t even rise to the level of an April Fools’ Day joke, comes from the City Council, which has otherwise been on the right side on so many issues concerning teachers. (more…)

Attitude Adjustment

Filed under: Labor by W.J. Levay @ 11:08 am

From Bob Herbert’s New York Times column:

Teachers and autoworkers are two very different cornerstones of American society, but they are cornerstones nonetheless. Our attitudes toward them are a reflection of our attitudes toward working people in general. If we see teachers and autoworkers as our enemies, we are in serious need of an attitude adjustment.

December 22, 2008

C Is Not For Cookie

Filed under: New Teacher Diaries by miss brave @ 12:50 pm

[Editor’s note: miss brave is the pseudonym for a second-year elementary school teacher in Queens. She blogs at miss brave teaches nyc, where this post originally appeared.]

Recently my AP came to see me. I was wary, because I thought she was coming to switch around my reading groups, but it wasn’t that. Instead, it was worse: She came to ask me why some of my kids’ reading levels didn’t go up.

She was especially interested in my students who are still reading at level B, who are primarily non-English speakers. She kept asking if I was sure they weren’t ready for C, as if I wasn’t keeping track of their abilities and they had magically developed a robust sight word vocabulary and decoding skills overnight. (more…)

December 18, 2008

Value-Added Accountability Requires Context

Filed under: Accountability Education by Jackie Bennett @ 5:01 pm

For every human problem, there is a neat, simple solution; and it is always wrong.
H. L. Mencken

Before Obama’s announcement of Arne Duncan as his choice for Secretary of Education, newspapers and blogs were full of accusations that teacher unions obstruct “real” education reform. The most notable criticism came from David Brooks of the New York Times, but there were others as well. Scratch the surface of these criticisms and they generally boil down to one issue: whether or not administrations should be able to fire and reward teachers based on how well their students do on standardized tests. Education reductionists say they should. The rest of the education world (and not just unions by a long shot) says, “Great sound bite. Tempting. But not a good idea.”

So, why is that? (more…)

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