Homestead - Ready to Rise to Rigor! =0)

I knew I would have a great day in Homestead (a community right outside metropolitan Miami) when the student who escorted me to the media center shared how he felt about his school, Homestead High. "It's a good school. I don't know why they say it's bad," he told me. "We're a "zone" school, and I guess we don't do real well on tests."

Well, he was right. Florida's DOE reports only 12% of Homestead's 10th graders passed the reading section of the FCAT last year. The term "zone" refers to schools that have been targeted by Dade County as failing - the school day is longer for students who did not pass the test.

HOWEVER, despite what you might think about the "stats", my observation of Homestead (during a school day, no less) was that of an orderly, clean, happy place (great murals and no trash). My FAVORITE Homestead High memory has to be when we were in the middle of a heavy vocabulary strategy and over the intercom we hear, "Ernesto Gonzalez, you are skipping. Please report to the front office immediately. Ernesto Gonzalez." (Yes, the names have been changed.) You've got to love those surveillance systems!

The students were happy to see their former middle and elementary teachers in the workshop, and as I watched a student rush into the library to steal a hug from his former teacher, I sensed these educators (like educators in their same position all over the country) want very much to turn it around for these kids. There's no lack of dedication in Homestead, and they are already working to meet the needs of their diverse population. A large challenge, it seemed, was the overall communication: district to school, administration to teacher, etc. I think that's been a typical finding for me, and I am continually frustrated by its implications.

Two middle level administrators attended this workshop, and I was so glad they came. We throw around the "rigor and relevance" jargon, but what does it look like? What does it SOUND like? It is administrators who drive the climate of expectation in a school, so their participation was an added bonus.

The highlight of the day was when one of the high school teachers allowed me to use her class to model a literature analysis lesson for the teachers. Thirty-plus ninth graders (levels 1 through 3) filed into the library, unaware of why they were there or what I would ask of them. I took them through the finer points of SIFT - Symbolism, Imagery, Figurative Language, and Theme, using a piece from "The Plum Plum Pickers", a third-person short story about a one-man-rebellion against oppression. The piece could not have been more perfect (enough cursing in Spanish that I couldn't pronounce to keep the kids' COMPLETE attention =0)).

Seriously, those kids stepped up completely. They were right with me - using the high-level terms, competing to have the right answer, asking for clarification of the more difficult conclusions: "So THIS is the theme?" one young man asked. I invaded personal space, called them to the carpet when they cheated, warned them I would call on them to speak next, "Be ready.", and gave them NO CHOICE regarding participation. I'll never forget the look on one young man's face when he shared his answer. I had asked for a one sentence example of imagery. While he had the right answer, I cut him off after repeating the need for a "one sentence response" (he had answered with two). I could sense he was getting my unspoken message as everyone at his table tried to help him correct his mistake, "This is the ninth grade kid, and you should already know what a complete sentence looks and sounds like."

I could not have asked for a better group, yet their teacher reported later that one of the most involved students was a level one, ninth grade repeater. I'll never forget my favorite male teacher participant, Dave (okay, he was the ONLY male participant), comment after, "We were just talking about how you hammered that kid, and yet he kept raising his hand, wanting to participate." You want to know something else about that same student? His answers were always RIGHT!

EXACTLY! Those kids possess what we all do: a desire to succeed. They want to feel smart, and they will step up to the plate if you will show them where the bases are! In our country, we are so guilty of watering the lesson DOWN when we should be going in the exact opposite direction. I could teach sentence structure till I'm blue in the face, but unless those kids FEEL that they should pay attention to their own sentences, they'll continue to write run ons and fragments without even knowing it.

I hope those students know how much I appreciate what they did for our group. I had the chance to teach an English class in Japan in 2004, but the fulfillment of that experience was not even in the same universe as this. Those students showed all of us what I cannot teach (only preach): RAISE THE BAR!

I'm going to do what I can to keep in contact with the teachers who participated, and one of the high school teachers is going to include her students in my class's blog on the novel 'Speak'. I hope to hear that changes are being made to help those students rise above circumstance, because I know they have the teachers and administration who can make it happen!

Thank you Homestead! I think we'll see each other again some day!

Florida Reading Association Conference - "Boys Behaving Badly" a Hit!

This weekend was a BUSY one! I drove down to Orlando Friday night and presented "Boys Behaving Badly - A Model for Literacy Centers in Middle School" Saturday morning at the Wyndam. At the last minute, we decided it was a great opportunity to spend some quality time with the family, since I had to fly out of Orlando to Miami on Sunday - my husband could just drive the kids back Sunday afternoon (after swimming, Goofy Golf, Ben and Jerry's, and Gatorland all day Saturday). Monday, I present to the Homestead High feeder pattern for more English Vertical Teaming.

The FRA Conference experience was AWESOME! In my haste to get everything together and do a good job, I forgot to invite the teachers to the blog. Nor did I leave my email address (except to those who asked while I was throwing everything in a bag to get out of the way of the next presentation). Age is taking its toll! The room was filled, and everyone clapped. I figure that's good. Those of you who know me know how I need that positive reinforcement =0).

Here's the idea. My level one readers (for non-Florida folks, that's low) were very difficult to motivate. I approached the issue from a "top-down" mentality. Choose a title that's over their heads, Lord of the Flies, and design literacy centers with catchy names based on a common theme, Boys Behaving Badly; Disabilities, Diseases, and Other Labels that Make Us Crazy; Heroes and Zeroes, etc.

I enlisted the help of my friends at Barnes and Nobles (seriously, Kathy and Jim are like family to me now). We rounded up every teen, young adult, and picture book title that could fit the theme. We came up with The Outsiders, Touching Spirit Bear, Mr. Was, Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key, The Janitor's Boy, Surviving the Applewhites, Dear Mrs. LaRue, The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig, Two Bad Ants, No, David!, A Creature Was Stirring, The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash, and my favorite, Walter the Farting Dog.

For each title, I created a literacy center that focused on one element of reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary, and literature: sentence structure, organizational patterns, characterization, vocabulary in context, etc. You could use literacy centers as a culminating activity (I like to see if my students can apply what they know about subordinate clauses) or you can hit those "hard to teach" areas - main idea and author's purpose are ALWAYS big bears.

As I said at the conference (and what I say EVERYWHERE), teach UP! If the focus is tone, somehow infuse a higher concept for scaffolding (irony). In the case of Dear Mrs. LaRue, the participants were asked to use tone words and phrases (warden, hardship, and "barren wasteland") in a sentence before introducing the book. Using the tone of those words, the reader is EXPECTING a story that will have a dark tone. Dear Mrs. LaRue (ALL PARENTS MUST READ THIS BOOK TO THEIR CHILDREN!) is hardly what they anticipated, yet all of those words are used in the story - irony, irony, irony.

I took the teachers through the finer points of the Boys Behaving Badly model. For instance, don't be afraid to use a book as inspiration for non-fiction topics that will address the 'Reference and Research' skills (i.e. - Walter the Farting Dog INSPIRES research on the origins of flatulence!). High interest for all!

As I enter this post, I am genuinely sad that I did not invite those participants to the blog. I love to hear what teachers do with my ideas. I have always hated when a presenter leaves fabulous ideas and no follow-up. The most difficult factor for literacy centers (and teaching in general) is management. I have to move about the room continuously, and though it's a great opportunity to work one-on-one with students on particular skills, it's TIRING! I am nothing if not honest.

Average Students Passing Advanced Placement Classes

Jay Matthews, Education Columnist for the Washington Post, recently published a piece regarding the ability of average students in AP classes. It's an issue that is near and dear to my heart, and I want to make it clear, I am VERY passionate about this subject!

Basically, a teacher at TC Williams High in Alexandria, Virginia is a guest columnist for the Post. Though Matthews obviously respects the teacher, (Patrick Welsh - an ENGLISH teacher, no less!) he disagrees with Welsh's assertion that average kids are being PUSHED into classes that they do not have the ability to pass.

WHOA! Is that a commentary on our country's education system or what??? Only the best. Only the finest. Only the brightest should take AP and be ALLOWED to take the exam???

Recently, I presented the idea of vertical teaming to my own district. If we raise the bar in the younger grades, we can start to increase the numbers of students who take (and hopefully pass) AP exams. Let's get the middle school teachers in here and show them what AP exams look like; let's start articulating what kids at the highest levels of learning should know in each grade. The teachers were very receptive, even though I knew they had the same thoughts that every other group in their shoes is thinking, "What about my passs/fail rates?" That information is published, and in most hallways of most schools it DEFINES you as a good teacher or some wash-out who will be shunned as "that" guy (or girl) who can't get the job done. I feel their pain, and I know it's a tough place to be.

I recently spoke with a parent who asked me why his daughter's English teacher asked her not to take the Language exam. He told me it devastated her - she made A's and B's all year. That teacher didn't have to say a word about what she believed the student was capable of acheiving - her actions spoke louder than anything she could have ever said. I've spoken with teachers who will straight up and down tell you, "My students can't do that stuff. It's too hard." I have to ask, "Is it too hard for you to believe in them?"

I guess it comes down to the basics. Can we raise the rigor to the younger grades? Are we willing to work hard to provide the challenges that ALL students should get in school? Is it "rigor and relevance" we want, or is it "indifference and mediocrity"? I can tell you, as a kid who has clawed and scraped my way past lousy teaching and out-of-control learning environments to finish high school and college, there are kids in EVERY school who want, who CRAVE the challenge. Please do not write kids off because you are afraid of how they will make you look. Model excellence and show them the possibilites.

Mike Grill, the AP coordinator at Wakefield High School in Virginia says it pretty well, "Good teaching (like good anything) is hard work. It is the teachers' responsibility to adapt their instruction to their students while maintaining the rigor/standards of the course. Motivated, talented, PROFESSIONAL teachers can do this. "

But, Prevatte, seriously? Don't you know about their parents, their neighborhoods, the media, the lack of money - blah, blah, blah. Yep, and I think all of that is awful - I hate that kids are held back by elements of life that are out of their control. Do I think lowering the bar will make their problems better? I can argue that making it easier will, in fact, hurt them.

I know that "far more students are capable of taking AP courses than actually do so." Being "capable" is an expectation my friends - if you expect nothing, that is precisely what you will get.

You can read the rest of the article at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2003/08/26/AR2005032304303.html

Intimidation in the Classroom - Who is in charge?

When I first began teaching, I was horrified by the numbers of students who would yell out, challenge authority, or (worst of all) verbally abuse their teachers and each other. When I talked to my "non-teacher" friends, I think they believed it was something that happens in 'bad' schools - how lucky they were that that kind of behavior goes on "somewhere else".

I am so fortunate to have had the opportunity to talk with teachers from around the country. Participating in the Fulbright to Japan probably allowed me to learn more about the American education system than the Japanese schools, and more recently, consulting for College Board has offered many opportunities to have real-world discussions on the topic. I've discovered that the problem is rampant.

The National Center for Education Statistics released their 'Indicators of School Crime and Safety' report last year. Among the laundry list of bad behaviors, it says that, "19 percent of public schools reported weekly student acts of disrespect for teachers, 13 percent reported student verbal abuse of teachers, 3 percent reported student racial tensions, and 3 percent reported widespread disorder in classrooms."

How funny. I'm sure it would be nearly impossible to get a clear picture of the real numbers, but in my best estimations, those statistics are VERY low. "Acts of disrespect" are going on all of the time, every day. The more I speak with teachers about the issue, the more I understand teacher burnout and indifference. We could send home a Harry Wong video for teachers to study. I'm sure THAT would solve the problem.

All I can say is that classroom management has GOT to be in place for learning to take place. Chaos breeds confusion, and nobody wins in such an environment. Teachers who allow themselves to be intimidated must learn to control a classroom. Kids smell fear, and they will run you over if you allow them. Teachers who scream - well, they're ignored. Yelling becomes white noise to a kid who hears it every day.

So, let's talk turkey! What do you do when a kid is (as many of the participants in my workshops have said) "all up in your face"? Obviously, if I had THE answer, this would be an easy problem to fix. However, I have found some answers that might help make life easier.

To begin with, it's important to have STRUCTURE. Students must follow a procedure: complete a bellringer activity, copy the word of the day, or have materials posted that should be on the desk that day. Kids should know what to expect, daily. I encourage teachers to stand at the door, say "Good Morning.", and make positive affirmations about anything and everything you can find, "Cool hat John!" or "Megan, where did you get those shoes?" It takes time, and yes, they will look at you funny at the beginning of the year; however, kids (especially inner city kids) are willing to give you respect if they sense you care about them.

When the door closes and class begins, begin promptly and make good eye contact. Kids should sense that it's time for business. I cannot stress to you the value of your voice. When a kid is challenging you, do exactly the opposite of what nature is probably begging you to do. LOWER your voice, remain calm, and respond to the student in a firm, controlled tone. I can think of a thousand times when I didn't follow my own rule, and almost every single time, I ended up in a power struggle. The problem with power struggles: you lose time, peace, and the respect of the other students.

Now, don't get me wrong. Patrick Swayze in Roadhouse may have summed it up best, "Be nice-until it's time not to be nice". This isn't about beating kids up. It's about taking care of the situation fairly, quickly, and with as little disruption to the rest of the class as possible. If you've kept your voice low the other 99% of the time, you can use voice level to make an impression (try to keep it short and to the point), "I need you to sit - immediately!" If that takes care of the situation, make SURE you follow-up before that student leaves the class that day. Ask him/her to stay for a minute when you dismiss the rest of the class. "I was not happy with the way you behaved today. Is this going to be an ongoing problem, or do you think you can get it under control?"

Try not to LECTURE! Going on and on about disrespect and bad behavior will only result in more time being wasted. Never, NEVER allow a disrespectful student to be the center of attention - you're giving him/her exactly what he/she wants.

Classroom management is EXHAUSTING, and in the end, all of your best efforts may not work. The kid you are SURE you have reached may come to class in a bad mood and tell you he doesn't give a ________ what you think. That's just what you wanted to hear, huh? This may sound mean, and trust me, I don't intend it that way. Classroom mangement isn't about "saving" kids. It's about creating an environment where learning can take place. You can't take the defiance and disrespect personally. You just can't. Like I said: no easy answers.

Miami Central - An Infectious Enthusiasm!

As I have this spare HOUR between flights, I want to go ahead and get my thoughts down about today's training. Every time I leave a school district, I feel badly for not giving the teachers a voice for follow-up concerns and issues. Yeah, sure, when Prevatte stands before you, you are certain every idea she shares will work, right??? Well, that's what I'd like to know =0)

After a dicey beginning (ummm . . . it's not real fun to be lost in Miami), Lisa LoConte-Allen (the Math Vertical Teams trainer) and I finally made our way to Miami Central High School. Waiting for us were teachers from various subject areas, and as they introduced each other, I kept thinking, "These teachers are SO enthusiastic!" For those of you who don't know, Miami Central serves approximately 2,500 high school students - a school that as the Dade County district web page put it has been "under state scrutiny for “F” accountability grades". You would hardly know the dark cloud that hangs over these teachers heads when you work with them for six hours on a Saturday (a day NO teacher wants to be "inspired"!).

After some spirited introductions of teachers who obviously have great respect for one another, these teachers got right to work - never once did someone tell me, "Prevatte, this stuff is TOO hard for my students." Honestly, Miami Central is exactly why I travel for College Board. Sure, they're sick of negative school grades, frustrated by the numbers of students who can't imagine an education as a benefit to their lives, and often defeated by the stresses that go with working in an inner-city environment. But, and it's a strong but, they maintain a sense of humor, dedication, and pride for their jobs and their students. I believe in those teachers, and I left feeling like the opportunities for success were great.

What did we cover? Remember proximity. If you allow a low-performing student to choose a seat, it will be in the back of the room. Move around the class, and create opportunities for discussion about HOW they learn as well as what they are learning. Model the behavior you want from your students, and create an atmosphere that is safe for sharing (try those discussion techniques!). Time is your friend - use timers to set limits and challenge your students to recognize what rigor FEELS like - it could be as simple as wanting another chance to create a better answer than their first try or using a famous line of literature as a model for their own writing.

Now, I'm forwarding 'The Split Infinitive' webpage to my new buddies at Central. I hope they will honor me with their take on the whole situation. Remember, the hope here is that teachers have a place to bring their concerns to the table about Vertical Teams and, well, teaching in general. So, ROCKETS and RATTLERS (there was a large showing of the FAMU alumni) tell me what's up! Was it worth it? Are you ready to take this on? Is it worth it? (Did I already say that?)

From here out, I will be posting issues and topics that are important to teachers: classroom management, parent communication, legislation. Feel free to ask questions, make comments, or ask for a discussion.

I just want to wrap up by saying that I will be in Homestead next week (after the FRA Conference in Orlando). I just hope that crowd will be nearly as accepting and open-minded as 'The Rockets' of 95th Street! I am proud to know you, and I hope we have the opportunity to be together again! Please keep in touch!