So
yeah, I'm on Facebook now, too, like 90 million other people (no--seriously--it's
up to 90 million). And it sure is fun hearing about how everyone is cleaning
their garage, hiring a babysitter, or getting a fat-free
caramel latte (venti).
I admit to succumbing to a couple of those quizzy things--Fifteen Albums that
Defined My Life, What is Your Stripper Name?--but only the good ones. Frankly,
I don't care where your cell phone is (in one word).
There
are things I really would like to
know about people, however--and not always the twenty-five "random" things they
choose. Since most people who visit the Strange Land are teacher types, I have
hereby created Twenty Questions for Educators. I invite you to delete my answers and post
your own TQ. If you do, please link back, so I can find you and read your
answers. Only number one is demographic--and the rest might require some
thinking. Thinking is good
1.
Teaching assignments, how long?
2.
Favorite Class Taught and Why?
3.
Worst Class Taught and Why?
4.
Favorite Class Taken?
5.
Favorite Education Book?
6. Best Teacher Buddy? Lots of choices here: Daryl Bean, my music-sharing
friend--or Kirk Taylor, Most Thoughtful English Teacher Ever--or Janelle
Horrocks-Boehmer, the person who taught my personal children sex ed with
no-nonsense humor. And many more.
7.
Best Administrator? Tom Sparrow. Only my principal one year, but he was the
ultimate progressive booster, willing to try any reasonable new idea, and
genuinely crazy about the kids.
8.
Most Disappointing Experience? Staff meetings. Every one of them. The boredom,
the boredom.
9.
Most Thrilling Moment? The first time my high school band took top ratings at a
festival. I was a young director and went in thinking we were a third-rate
group--it was my first year, our instruments were crappy and the music I had
chosen was too hard. I had giant holes in any number of sections and only one french horn. But the kids played
their hearts out. I knew, 30 seconds into the performance, that we were OK--and
then we came away with the coveted first division. I also won some teaching
awards, further along in my career, but that day was pure exhilaration.
10.
Funniest Incident in Your Classroom? I once had a kid pee into a trumpet mute,
after I said he could wait three minutes until the bell rang to use the
restroom. It wasn't funny at the time. Not to me, anyway.
11.
Most memorable student? This is a sad one. I had a brilliant 8th grade
trombonist who wrote, spoke and thought like a wry but cynical adult. Like
having an adolescent Jack Kerouac in class. I swear he was an old soul. There
were problems at home. When he was in 9th grade, he took his own life, via
self-immolation. That was a dozen years ago , and I'm still haunted.
12.
What about unions? Essential but usually unimaginative. To have such power and
resources, then regularly squander them on petty, predictable scripts. I see hopeful glimmers that Next Gen teachers will change that.
13.
What about charter schools? World-class idea--the devil is in the execution.
14.
What about merit pay? Thoughtful pay for performance plans: a hearty yes.
Bonuses for raising test scores: dreadful idea.
15.
What does "21st century learning" mean? Finally getting some ideas
that have been around forever into practice: collaboration, global awareness,
innovation, design. 21st century learning is not simply adding more technology or
extra math and science. Nor is it incompatible with mastering a strong
knowledge base. It's a real thing, however.
16.
What makes a teacher "effective?" Ability to engender learning in
context--a unique combination of factors that students instantly recognize, and
policymakers have trouble quantifying.
17.
Most overrated "reform?" Teach for America, or any other program that
positions teaching as something anyone can do for two years before moving on to their real careers, rather
than a complex professional occupation.
18.
Best professional development? National Board Certification. Hands down.
19.
Personal education hero? Terry Dozier.
20.
Priorities, if you could spend $5 billion on education? Better teachers in high-needs schools;
innovation grants for creating new kinds of schools; serious teacher
development--content knowledge, leadership, instructional improvement; a policy
academy where practicing educators and policymakers jointly investigated
research and creative options for problem-solving.
"Twenty Questions for Educators" this is very creative. I am a young teacher, only have tought for 5 years. Facebook is popular with many of my friends, but I have found that it is usually a time waster. I will admit that I enjoy reading some of the quizzes and even doing some, the TQ has been one of my favorite now! I look forward to reading your blog entries!
Posted by: Nicole DeFries | February 28, 2009 at 11:04 AM
Hey, Nicole--and welcome to Teacher in a Strange Land. Thanks for your nice words.
You're most welcome to post your own "Twenty Answers" in the comment section here.
Posted by: Nancy Flanagan | February 28, 2009 at 11:30 AM
Love the Q&A...think I'll do it, too! Hey, BTW, I'm giving away an actual PRIZE for Sx3 today...come play along!
Posted by: Melissa B. | March 01, 2009 at 12:56 PM
Teaching assignments, how long? 5th grade (10 yrs); 6th grade (3); 2nd grade (4); and 1st grade (4. I’m in year 4 now.)
2. Favorite Class Taught and Why? 6th grade social studies (basically world history covering 0-1600 AD/CE the world over: Rome, Africa, China, Europe. It was really fun!) I think the kids liked it so much because I was so comfortable with the material and enjoyed all of the wonderful integration I could do with literature. But then, moved downstairs to teach the little ones and I have to say, there’s a lot of fun to be had there too. My sense of humor had to take a different turn.
4. Favorite Class Taken: A week-long summer course looking at student work with Gene Thompson-Grove and Terri Schrader, CFG Coaching and Facilitating. It sounds so simple: teachers talking about student work and fine-tuning curriculum: it’s amazing to me that it isn’t a requirement built into our school day.
5. Favorite Education Book: Too many to list here. I can’t decide on just one. If an education book is good for me, it’s kind of like a NASCAR car pull-off to the side moment: you tune up the engine, change the tires, add a can of oil (or two) and pull out again to re-join the race. A good education book revs you up again. Right now I’m reading Sally Shaywitz: Overcoming Dyslexia, a must-read for all lower elementary teachers – oops, strike that – all teachers, even high school. Shaywitz and colleagues’ research on learning and brain function is breath-taking.
6. Best Teacher Buddy? Emily Gaberman, eight years working together as 5th grade colleague, friend, mentor. I learned what collaboration was by doing it with her.
9. Most Thrilling Moment? One year a little boy dropped into my 2nd grade around November with many issues, some emotional, some behavioral (he curled up in a fetal position and cried for the first six weeks anytime I’d ask him to read, write, compute or speak.). In May the class wrote, illustrated and recorded stories in the computer lab. His was by far the most original and detailed. The entire class of 2nd graders listened in awe - I don’t think they could believe it either - as he read his story and broke into applause. I felt like he had won an Oscar and I was his proud parent.
10. Funniest Incident in Your Classroom Probably the day the anoles (a kind of salamander) escaped from their tanks. They jump so high and so quickly, it seems like they are flying. It’s a little bit difficult to get a group of 2nd graders back after they’ve screamed incessantly while flying amphibians careen around the room for a life time – or 15? maybe more – minutes
13. What about charter schools? Not going away.
14. What about merit pay? What will success look like? Who will decide? We better get smart about this fast. Again, this discussion is not going to disappear.
15. What does "21st century learning" mean? It’s the difference between teaching students to find and assess the value of information vs. teaching to remember and recount.
16. What makes a teacher "effective”? I use this analogy with trepidation: an effective teacher , like a musical conductor, has to be able to assess who in the orchestra plays on or off-key, in/off time, needs to practice more, whose instrument needs tuning, and have a repertoire of tools and moves to bring it all together for a final performance. I’ve come to believe it’s all about how well you can work with what you’ve got and pull/push each child forward in a loving but forceful manner. One old sage called the sum of teaching “poke and stroke.”
17. Most overrated "reform?" I’m with you on TFA. After two years, you’re just beginning to get the hang of it. I mentor a 2nd/3rd year Teacher CFG and all of us, every month, are trying to make sense of what’s happening in our classrooms, reflecting, evaluating, re-thinking and re-working our practices in response to our students’ needs. I guess two years can give you a snapshot, but it scarcely makes for a decision-making constituency.
18. Best professional development? I keep thinking about the National Board Certification and have even fished around on their website. Not having done it, I’d have to say that my ongoing work and training as a CFG coach and my work on 2nd/3rd year mentoring is right up there.
19. Personal education hero? Gene Thompson-Grove
20. Priorities, if you could spend $5 billion on education? Money for low-income SES K-1 students and classrooms during the school day, as well as after-school programs with enrichment, field trips, language development, healthcare, and tutoring and parent involvement.
Posted by: Deanne Dixon | March 02, 2009 at 02:07 PM
Sorry, Nancy, I must be as technologically astute as I thought. I really didn't want everyone in the world to see my 20 things about me. Feel free to delete!
Posted by: Deanne Dixon | March 02, 2009 at 02:41 PM
Hi Nancy,
20 Questions for educators on Facebook. I'll post mine there.
Posted by: Peter | March 03, 2009 at 06:31 PM
Hey, everyone. Thanks for posting. Deanne, I did a quick edit on yours. Some of your answers are SO wonderful--love the leapin' lizards or, er, salamanders! --they should be read. Anyone with the depth and breadth of experience that you have should be sharing. When teachers share their practice-based observations, we get better policy.
Posted by: Nancy Flanagan | March 05, 2009 at 01:36 PM
You can find my answers (those that I was able to answer) at my blogspot:http://walkingtoschool.blogspot.com/
That was a tough homework assignment!
Posted by: Mary Tedrow | March 08, 2009 at 12:25 PM
It seems that you are really an expert in this field. Thanks for sharing your tips for music teachers.
htttp://www.musicteachershelper.com/blog/
Posted by: music teacher | April 23, 2009 at 10:24 AM
It seems that you are really an expert in this field. Thanks for sharing your tips for music teachers.
http://www.musicteachershelper.com/blog/
Posted by: music teacher | April 23, 2009 at 10:25 AM
A valuable post for music teachers. Thanks for sharing your considerable experience with us.
Posted by: Music Teacher | October 21, 2009 at 10:21 PM