Mirror, Mirror: Why Self-Reflection Matters

I resolved at the beginning of the school year to post a weekly blog that reviews my classroom activities from the week before. The idea was to share with fellow educators for accountability, and to share with students for input. 

The good news is, nine weeks in and it's still getting posted!

The not-so-good news is that I've heard no feedback from educators or teachers. 

The great news is, I've realized that's really not the point, anyway. 

It's about my own reflections. My own critiques and praises of what I've tried, successes and failures. 

Format

I follow a simple format:  Good, Not-so-good, Bad, Grade, and Goals. Good addresses successes and addresses failures. The stuff that found me taking the easy road or failures I was aware of but students didn't see is on the not-so-good. Grade is determined by strength of good over depth of the other two, with an explanation of why I see it that way. Goals are things I want to do the next week. 

Evolution

When I started, I found myself talking about behind the scenes stuff- planning, scheduling, organization. But those are things that I'm aware of and actively work on anyway. So I shifted the focus to the types of lessons, and the instructional strategies I use. These are things students see and experience, and thus the things I most need to sharpen and evaluate. I've also made the observations shorter- less words on the page because I sort things out in my head. 

Why?

Sure, if you want to start reflection, you should start with "why" you need to do it. But as a speech teacher, I know the last thing you hear is what you most likely remember, so the most important thing goes last. 

Why reflect?  Because EVERYONE can get better. 

Our District, and my campus specifically is taking strong charge at coaching in the classroom because we want our teachers to develop reflection. Just like an athlete watches film to correct the small things that hinder success, teachers need to look at the small things that hinder learning- or keep the students from going a level deeper in their search for knowledge. 

I stumbled on this concept personally when a majority of my students failed a test last year. I tried to see what I did wrong- and I thought, "Why not ask the students what I could do better?"  

Apparently, this is not a normal teacher thought, because when I told others about it, I got looks of awe and lots of "Wow, that's brave"s.  

But I needed that reflection, to ask them and to ask myself the tough questions.

 I want to continue to strengthen my abilities. I need to evaluate what practices and strategies work. If you watch football, and a coach runs the same play three times and each time it fails- you yell at the TV that he's "an idiot because it didn't work the first two times, why would it a third?"

Yet how often do we do the same instructional strategies and lessons and get the same results/complaints?

They may not yell it, but you better believe your students are thinking what you yelled about that coach. 

The Mirror

Self-reflection and feedback from colleagues and students are the mirror we must continually look at to keep ourselves on track. So ask for feedback- "attaboys" and "have you thought about...." are equally important. But if you fear feedback from others, write your thoughts, fears and concerns down somewhere. Ask yourself those questions. A great one is "Would I like this if I was a student in this class?" 

Private reflection is still a great tool for teachers to sharpen their skills. Reflection with a trusted peer is better. When you feel you can, public reflection and freely asking for input is best. A fellow teacher of mine recently said "We get better because of each other."- Molly Sandrers. 

That's what reflection is all about. 

Student Reflections from Poverty Simulation

Some fellow teachers asked me to get some feedback on the Poverty Simulation.  Students wrote on Post-It notes then posted their responses on the wall.  I'll put pictures of some of them up here, then quote some others.  The following are some good ones I felt I should share.

Basic Observations:

"Through the simulation we learned how to manage money and how hard it is for families in poverty to come up with funds for everyday needs"


"Having to decide whether or whether not to get cell phone service, not having unlimited amounts of food to give."

"Most people in poverty have to give up things to save/help their family."

"I found it was hard to survive on only a few hundred dollars a month and especially with a big 'family.'"

"Adults have more responsibility than we think."

"It was challenging having to sacrifice certain things in order to keep our money and stay alive."

"We realize that we have to learn to be smart with money and it showed that it's hard to live off of minimum wage."

Digging a Little Deeper

Interesting possible adjustment- have slightly different levels of pay. 

There you go parents, no thanks necessary. :)

More variables (more sick kids, repairs, etc) would be an excellent adaptation if time allows.

Hopefully most students were able to realize how good they have it.  And those in poverty now know that their classmates have a small idea of what its like.

The "It Won't Improve Your Grade, But It Will Get You on the Blog" File

And the "I'm Just Going to Leave This Here and Walk Away" File

Educators Who Matter to Me

Our district is having a Twitter challenge this month, and today we were challenged to name someone who had made a difference for us.  I named my wife Kristin, because as a Special Education teacher, she demonstrates kindness and compassion with her students, their parents, and her fellow educators.  Her attitude is contagious, and aside from being an awesome wife and mother, she's an awesome teacher.  When I wanted to become a teacher, she was the kind of teacher I wanted to be.

But she is not the only educator who matters to me.  A couple years ago, I ended my first year of teaching by writing a blog called It Takes A Team.  In it, I talked about how in my first year, it was the collective work of my fellow faculty and the support of my administration that made the year successful for our school and for me.

As I read the challenge, and confounded by the 140 characters, I knew I could not do the challenge justice in a tweet.  So, here are some of the educators who made/make a difference to me.

My Mom
She taught at pretty much all levels of education, but spent most of her time as an elementary PE teacher.  She was mine, and yes, I still called her Mrs. Lehrmann.  She strove to find ways for all students to be successful in her class, even those lacking in the physical prowess.  That said, she also challenged the students, and years later, they still fondly remember and sometimes post it to Social Media how much they loved our Mickey Mousercize warm-ups each day.

My Dad
After retiring from the Highway Department, my Dad worked at a Junior High as an Instructional Aide in  what is now called an Adaptive Behavior class.  He had some kids that everyone else had written off, but he somehow connected with them.  When he passed away unexpectedly, these kids who had shunned much of their other teachers and fellow students came to his funeral.  He reached those that others could not.  This became a goal for my life.

My Uncle
Yeah, teaching is in the blood.  My Uncle Darrell, like me, came to teaching after a career in another field.  He went on to coach the softball team at my High School to great success.  He retired from coaching a couple years ago and teaching this past year.  But he still keeps the grounds of the softball field that bears his name.  It bears his name not because he won a lot of games, it bears his name because he won a lot of hearts.  His students and players and fellow educators love, respect and admire his character and work ethic.  I'll never have a field named after me, maybe a Speech team's podium or something, but he's an example to me.

Jo Ellen Dunlap
My Kindergarten teacher knew I loved Davy Crockett, so she wrote a Kindergarten graduation play for me to play him.  She taught me at 6 that finding a student's passion and stoking it, no matter how young they are, has lasting effect.

Jack Nims
My AP English teacher gave me my first failing major grade.  And in doing so, he taught me its not the grade that matters, its the journey and the questions I had to ask that matter.  He made me think, and to this day, the questions I ask my students are a little Nimsonian.

Casey Akin, Cindy Knapek and Caleb Phillips
I've worked with folks for the last year on Student Council.  They love their students, and want to see them succeed not just in the projects they plan today, but the people and citizens they will be tomorrow.  We work hard, and we laugh just as hard.  It is a lot of long hours we spent/spend together, and they are friends and inspirations.

Aaron Hogan and Jeremy Stewart
Aaron I have known for a couple years now, and Jeremy I've never met outside of Twitter.  But these guys have a vision for College Station ISD to join together on Tuesday nights to Twitter chat about all manner of educational topics.  They have inspired me to engage in class Twitter chats (that blog is STILL coming, I promise), and to challenge my fellow educators to join up.  They have helped to bring our district closer together digitally, and by extension, personally.

Chris KovacsChris was one of the teachers who interviewed me for my current position.  He kinda scared me.  I observed him teaching after hearing LOTS of cool talk, and he intimidated me with his skills.  Somewhere along the way, we ended up getting lunch.  Now we are staff development day lunch buddies.  I've learned a lot from his educational strategies and style, even if he thinks its cool to use a SWIVL training session I was conducting as a chance to call me out as a Zombie while he is practicing with the tech tool.  :)

Heather Strawn
My co-conspirator in all things Speech and Debate.  Aside from making sure our team has their hair properly combed and clothes proper for competition, she challenges our students to "go there" in their competitions.  She pushes them to their best, and models for them good sportsmanship and integrity.  She helps students find their voice with ease.

Mike Martindale, Justin Grimes, Tiffany Parkerson, Julia Mishler, Matthew Quick, Kim Rodgers, Laura Richter, Marla Ramirez
I promise I am not trying to kiss up to these guys- my current (and some former) principals/APs.
They trusted me.  As a new instructional aide and then teacher, they allowed me room to grow, and to take on challenges that I was willing to try.  They are not just "bosses," they are educational motivators and creative risk takers.  Those attitudes inspire me to strive for those roles, and I see in our campus today, and the campus I started at, that the teachers they work with are inspired, too.  They have consistently given me chances to grow as a teacher and a leader, and been voices of encouragement all along the way.

If you are a teacher, I hope you've got someone- or lots of someone's- who inspire you, challenge you, and make you grow and laugh at the same time. I am who I am because of these people, and I hope that I can inspire them in equal measure to what they have given to me.

So if you've got an educator whose made a difference in your life, let them know!

Reflections on a Class Poverty Simulation

Last week, my High School Sociology classes took part in a poverty simulation.  Now, there are lots of versions of these out there, but for our 50 minute class, I had to tweak and combine and cut and mold a new one.  It is by no means perfect, but here is my design and my reflections on the activity.

Design
Students go through a month in about 40 minutes.  They are in groups of 4-6, and are given an amount of money roughly equal to a household of their number at the poverty level.  We do round to the nearest multiple of five to keep the time consuming math at a minimum for them and me.  I found the data at the HHS website, and I then took out taxes and Affordable Care Act Health contributions.  I then cut up "bills" of paper with the monetary amounts of 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 dollars to pass out.  Each house has two adults aged 25, and all the rest are kids under 5.

Students must pay rent (1st week), utilities (1st week--water, electric and gas; and can choose cell phone and internet if they want), car payments (2nd week), and car insurance (final week) once a month.  Groceries and gas for the car are weekly expenses.  I did a Google search for average amounts for all these things in our area, so you could do likewise for your area and this included cost of eating out fast food and entertainment options.  Groceries were the one exception- for that I used the USDA website for a chart that showed 4 different meal rates for all ages.

The 'weeks' are not timed, they are just long enough for me to collect what they owe, and them to figure out adjustments.

Along the way, stuff happens.

The kids need clothes- $10-20 each kid.  The car breaks down- $100.  The kids get sick- $20 doctor visit per kid.

And students must choose.

Choices
-Apartments:Students can choose living arrangements:  number of bedrooms and location.  They can also choose if they want HUD housing for a little bit cheaper rate.

-Grocery plans:  Do you take the Liberal plan and eat well?  Or take the Thrifty plan and tempt hunger?

-Car or bus?:  Students begin with a car, but can sell it and buy a couple bus passes.

-Honesty:  Do they tell me, the bill collector the truth?  Or do they cut corners and cheat fate and the law?

What they did
Pretty much all the groups made the choice to sell the car before the simulation ended.  They got $500 for it, minus the $50 for the bus pass.  In one class, without selling the car, only one group would have stretched their money for the whole month.

Some students took the more expensive route with apartments and groceries.  They learned very quickly their error- they sold their car in the first week.  Grocery plans were most easily amended as we went along.  I observed a couple groups who made the choice for the parents to take the thrifty plan so that the kids could eat more.  This was cool.

At least one group chose to cut groceries out completely for a week here or there for some of the adults.

When the money ran out- they panicked.  To sell the car or not?  It was really the only option to get more money, so they took it. Some got really frustrated when the car they hung onto broke down and cost them unexpected money.

Another group kept trying to sell their kids clothes.

I had a couple students who had come in late from finishing assignments in another class.  So, they became "unexpected twins" to a family who was struggling.  They couldn't understand why getting more kids didn't equal getting more money.

One group decided to take the kids to McDonalds.  There wasn't enough money for for the whole family, so the parents went without so the kids could have something.  THEY learned something for sure.

What I think
I asked the students, "Would you have made the same choices if this were real?"  Their answers ranged from "YEAH!" to "Probably not."  They would not have been able to skimp so much on food, they would definitely choose the cheaper apartment.

When asked "COULD you have done this in real life?"  most said, "No."

My classes have a pretty wide range of socioeconomic stati.  For some, this was all too real.  For others, who fit into the Upper class of Sociology Class Structure, it was sobering.  Realizing that people actually do have to live like this made them take stock.

Some students took this very seriously, but all students seemed to have fun.  But was fun the point?  I think the fun was necessary for them to be able to take in what they were experiencing.  If it had been as miserable and as harsh as the reality of poverty often is, they would have shut down.

My students found a way to 'survive.'  They made hard choices- sometimes choices that we with the luxury of social position would call unethical.  But in the end, I truly believe my students see a part of the world that many had not encountered with fresh eyes, and open hearts.

See, I love teaching classes like this, because not only do I get to teach theories, I get to challenge my students to act as better people, to learn morality.  To learn how to care for others.

I think I would do Theodore Roosevelt proud with this lesson, as he once said:

"To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society."

My hope is that my students are in no danger of being menaces, but they are in danger of being compassionate.

Risk: There's a Train A'coming

If there is a buzzword around my school district this year, it is, without a doubt, "risk."

We've talked about it in trainings, I'm going to be taking part in a Twitter chat in just a little bit all about it and it is the centerpiece of a district Leadership Academy I am fortunate to be a part of. 

But why is is such a big deal?  Why should we as educators take risks?  In my district, at my school, where I've heard fellow teachers say- truthfully- "We've got a really good thing going here"- why take a risk?

I shared this quote with my classes yesterday, and I believe it answers my query very well:  

Life is progress. Education is apart of life. Thus, Education is progress. 

I have never feared taking a risk. I run to the edge of the Grand Canyon, I take my young children hiking up 14,000 foot mountains, I still do flips on a trampoline at 35, I started a church in a bar when I was 28 with no financial support, I ask my classes controversial questions about current events and sit back and watch them work out their opinions. 

Many educators do fear risk. They look at the track beneath their feet and think, "This is taking me where I want to go."  And they are right- but they do not hear the train of students who learn differently, new technologies that shape the classroom environment, and fellow educators desiring to lay the throttle down and get to that destination faster. 

My district and my campus have more than their share of risk-takers. But what if you are at a school that thinks risks are just too...risky?  How can you affect change and bring them along, too?

Here is my problem:  For me, risk is only worth taking if it is costly. I'm a bit of an adrenaline junkie. I get a rush from the danger of failure looming ahead and fighting with the throttle to stay on the track. 

So, I often find  myself wanting to take bigger risks than those around me. I do not ever want to force someone to take a risk they are not willing to take, so I must work to convince and offer security to take the risk I believe is worth it. Here is what I try to convince my fellow risk-takers of:

The risk is necessary. 

Maybe it is expected of us to "go big or go home."  Maybe there is a population of students that need us to dangle on the precipice of greatness and failure. Maybe there is a wound in the culture around our school that appears to be "just a flesh wound" but without the risk it can become gangrenous.  

I do not take- or attempt to persuade others to take- risks for the sake of risk. I take risks in my personal life because I need to test myself physically and mentally. I take risks professionally because I see and hear that train barreling down the tracks and gaining on me. 

The risk is worth it. 

The change a risk can bring must be worth the danger of its failure. If the cost is greater than the benefit, it is vanity and pride that drive the risk. And even if it succeeds, it fails because the change is not profound. 

The risk is indicative of leadership. 

If we are in a position of leadership, we are in a position that requires risk. Great leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr., Ghandi, Jesus, and Davy Crockett took risks.   

Crockett, when looking at the situation in Texas during fight for independence from Mexico, asked for help from his fellow U.S. Congressmen.  He wanted to aide the Texans because he believed it was for their benefit and the benefit of the U.S.  Their silence infuriated him, and he took a tremendous risk with the words, "You may all go to Hell, and I will go to Texas."

Crockett died there, but his leadership, along with the rest of the San Antonio martyrs inspired the phrase, "Remember the Alamo!"  Oh, and victory. 

We must lead, we must take the risk that others fear to take, because by our taking it, the fearful may be given courage. 

The train is coming. 

Here's the thing:  we all know things are progressing in this world very quickly. New tech appears by the seasons, and sometimes the month. Students have new learning styles. New teachers arrive every year, hungry to try new things, but afraid to fail. They need mentors, examples, symbols, of what teachers who take calculated risks look like. They are on the right track, let us be the train with them, so none of us get run over for just sitting there. 

Resolved: Classroom Debates are Vital to Education

I sat back in wonder and watched as the student walked through the info graphic she had drawn on the whiteboard defending her teams side in the classroom debate. There was logic, critical thought, refutation, and an easy to follow line of reasoning. 

All because I gave the class the challenge to debate two sides of an argument in History class. 

Now, I teach Debate, but I've used classroom debates to challenge students to think deeper than regurgitation and be prepared to take a stand in my History classes. I know some teachers get a little nervous and squirmy when you mention debate, because it has the potential to go off the tracks and get into controversial subjects. This is true, but I also believe it has the power, even with those risks, to be a powerful tool in the educator's arsenal. 

Debate Teaches Listening Skills

You've got to listen to your opponent's views carefully to understand where they are coming from. Students who engage in classroom debates critically analyze the arguments made in an effort to answer the questions they raise. Students must listen for nuance and shades of ambiguity. All this leads to the next critical skill. 

Debate Teaches Organized Thought

If you are going to make a case, it's got to make sense. And step one is to organize an argument that is easy to follow. Now, the student in the opening illustration had her whiteboard, but that was just an image of the organization she and her team used to craft a compelling argument. They answered the points of their opponent clinically, and then made their own points clearly. These skills are handy to have in debate- but also important for communication skills throughout life. 

Debate Teaches Communication Skills

Not only do students need organized thought, they need to be able to speak. 

To people. 

In this age of Twitter and texting, face-to-face communication can get left behind. Students need to be able to give literal "voice" to their ideas. Debate allows students to find their voice and develop confidence. It can also give them an interest in addressing other issues close to their heart. 

Debate Teaches Responsible Discourse

Students are going to find issues to be passionate about. Students are then going to argue those points. A look at Twitter or comment sections on the internet reveals the sad state of rational debate. Name calling and hollow, evidence-lacking claims are the norm. 

This is not debate, they are temper tantrums. 

As educators who encourage classroom debate, we have the opportunity- and the responsibility- to help students learn the way to argue with passion and courtesy. We are able to give students the freedom to speak their minds in a safe place where we can guide them to better ways to share their hearts. We are able to step in if the debate gets a little too heated or personal and remind students that we can disagree and still get along. Our students have strong convictions, and a passion to defend them- but they need to know HOW. 

Getting Started

It's not tough to get students to debate. A discussion of character's action in a Lit class, questions over ethics in Science, actions from the past in History, or current events related to subject matter. You can divide students up (I like to have students argue the opposite opinion of the one they actually hold because it stretches them.), you can let them choose, or you can simply put a list of topics on the board and work through them. You just moderate and watch out for tangents. 

At the end of the day, like all strategies we use, sometimes it flops. So you learn from it, along with your students. 

But other times you get brilliance on a whiteboard. 

And that is why it's worth it. 

Week 2 Review

BMy weekly personal evaluation of what's going on in and around my classes. 

The Good:  

Preparation:  I managed to get ahead on planning, as per my goal. I also got ahead on tests and quizzes. 

Class Discussion:  We shifted into more classroom discussion and less me talking. Still want more student involvement, but this week was much better. Our Comm Apps current events discussion on Friday was great- students really took ownership and ran with it. Sociology classes had excellent debate on what values are strongest in America and we moved to an impact point of "What values do you want to be the strongest?" This was inspiring!  Debate class had our first speeches and cross examinations- great questions from the students. 

The Not-So-Good

Color Coded Schedule:  Yeah. This didn't happen. Grading by colors happened, but that necessary desk calendar is still blank. And on August. 

Names:  Did great! Until I totally forgot half the names in one class. While taking roll. Out loud. 

The Bad

Misjudgment.:  I spent a couple days concerned that a student was going to try to start an argument with me over a topic they wanted to cover in our current events discussion. Turns out, they were just posing a question for advice from the class on how to approach answering the subject the student brought. But I allowed my concern to affect, in small ways, how I viewed this student. They weren't trying to cause trouble, they were seeking support. I cannot let that happen again. 

The Grade

Good to great class discussions, but still struggling with names, schedule and a misjudgment of student intent drops the grade to  a B-, in my opinion. 

The Goals 

Names: Get them down. 

Schedule:  Write it down. Stay ahead. 

Gauging Student Intent:  Give students the benefit of the doubt, while being prepared for potential class disrupting/distracting comments. Also, figure out how to do this.