Who’s Really In Charge?

 

When I was a kid, there was no doubt that teachers were in charge of the classrooms because that’s who gave me my grades and sent notes home or made phone calls. Principals were the real bosses in school although I don’t remember having much contact with them, other then when I broke seats with a piano…and when I knocked over a row of typewriters when wrestling. As to superintendents and school boards, I don’t remember them at all.

If we fast forward to the last five to ten years, I don’t know if school personnel are in charge anymore. For a variety of reasons, roles have changed with teachers, administrators, and school boards being challenged for what seems to be every action they take. Every district I know has lawyers on retainer. Parents and/or their children struggle for control over everything from dress codes and playground rules to field trip choices and what books are read aloud. Government involvement at all levels extends into the classroom, not only in regards to standardized testing, but also daily curriculum, teacher evaluation, the content of textbooks, etc. Who is in control of our schools? Who should be?

Tales From My Classroom…

A colleague of mine had a student whose parent sent her a seating chart detailing the desks arrangement and where each child in the class should sit. The note, which I read, wasn’t simply offering a suggestion- it was more of a “directive”.

I had a rule in my class that if a student did poorly on a spelling test, I would have them practice their words for five minutes at the start of recess. One parent complained to the principal about this so we had a meeting. A compromise was reached where the student would write the words that were missed ten times each for homework, each night, during the week until the next test.

During the last few years I was in the classroom, more and more standardized testing was added to the elementary grades. Students obviously didn’t want them and teachers didn’t see the need or believe in the value of them. Many lawmakers and companies that produced these tests supported them, and one result was that additional testing was accompanied by additional spending on test preparation materials.

I was a principal in a school that allowed parents to request their child’s teacher for the following year. I wasn’t allowed to eliminate this practice, but I gave three requirements. First, the request had to be in writing. Second, it had to be handed in by a deadline that was announced. Third, it had to be written with the same courtesy that was expected from teachers. One parent who had a long history of writing nasty notes with the word “sucks”  wrote her first pleasant note ever! By the way, it was made clear that the final decision in placing students would be made by school personnel.

Educators always say that they want parents to be more involved with their child’s education. What does this mean? What areas, if any, should parents control?

What should be the involvement of government? Should lawmakers determine curriculum? How about teacher evaluation?

Who really should be in charge of our schools?

Holiday Gifts For The Teacher

Ok, I admit it. I like getting gifts and that includes the many gifts I received from students during my teaching years. I think it started when I was growing up, when I’d sit down with the big toy catalogues and make up my list. As to whether I still put together a “wish list”…no comment.

Unless there is a district wide or school wide policy, classroom teachers make a decision this time of year regarding a number of holiday customs and practices. One of them is whether to do some type of gift exchange between students, but also whether they will accept gifts from the children in their class. Most kids really seem to enjoy giving a gift to their teacher- they often choose the gift themselves and base it on what they know their teacher likes. For example, I received a number of “moose themed” items over the years because I like moose. I also received a hand made Harry Potter wand for the same reason. Other gifts are more generic in nature, such as mugs, candles, and gift certificates, while still others are more extreme- some are quite expensive while others much less so. All are appreciated, regardless of monetary value.

Most important are the lessons to be taught here. Opening gifts in front of your students is a wonderful opportunity to show thanks, humility, and appreciation for the time spent together each day and the gift they were kind enough to present to you. It was also a time to model how you appreciated the opportunity to be their teacher whether there was a gift…or not.

Tales From My Classroom…

There is nothing I enjoy more this time of year than being reminded of former students when I hang Christmas ornaments or display other items that were gifts from kids. Some still have their names on them and, by the way, some of my former students are approaching forty years old.

One little girl came up to me after we returned to school in early January with a present of a chalk board eraser that had “A+ Teacher” on it. She was embarrassed because it was after Christmas and because of the gift itself. I still have it and I saw it as an opportunity- see paragraph 3 above.

One 5th grade student gave me a Christmas tie. It was made by her Mom and I wore it every year on the last day of school before Christmas. That “little girl” has a child of her own now, is a teacher, and joined me for breakfast several months ago.

“Cheaters Never Prosper”

I remember hearing this saying as a kid and although I don’t think I ever said it in the classroom, I was pretty strict when it came to my students doing their own work. Being dishonest with me, such as in lying or cheating, was a “pet peeve” mentioned the first day of school. It was reinforced often, and included encouraging my kids to simply do their best. I also reminded them that they wouldn’t really learn anything if they cheated, and that no one would trust them, etc. Regardless, it could be a difficult battle.

Cheating in school comes in many forms, including copying answers from a classmate’s paper, not doing your fair share when working in a group, turning in someone else’s work, etc. There are two aspects related to cheating that make it a difficult area to address. First, teachers have to impress upon students that cheating is wrong even though kids witness cheating on a daily basis in areas as diverse as sports and politics. Second, teachers are often faced with the dilemma of suspecting a student of cheating, but not being positive as to what actually occurred.

Tales From My Classroom…

One student in third grade tried to hide the spelling words under her leg during the Friday test. That’s also happened with students having a book open in their desk during a test.

One of our projects in third grade was building a castle while we were studying Europe. When the project was due, each student would show their castle to the class and explain how they built it, what materials they used, etc. One student stood up and announced that she didn’t know anything about her castle because her Dad had told her to go out and play while he worked on the castle.

Once in a while, a student would turn in homework that had obviously been written by someone else, most likely a parent. Treading softly was very important in that case!

Did you ever cheat in school, and, if so, were you caught? What happened?

How do you react as a parent if a teacher contacts you about your child cheating?

Teachers, have you had students who cheated? How did you handle the situation?

Classroom Discipline and Disruptive Students

Classroom discipline may be the most talked about topic there is when it comes to schools. It’s a topic that encourages immediate reactions by the parties involved- students, teachers, and parents- and may be the number one misunderstood topic by those who do not work in a school setting.

I write this after a recent incident occurred in a South Carolina school where a high school student was dragged out of her chair and out of the classroom by a school resource officer. Although this may have been an extreme case, student disruptions in classrooms are, to a degree, commonplace. So, when a student disrupts a class, whether by refusing to follow classroom rules or the teacher’s directions, engaging in a physical altercation, etc. what should the teacher do? Let’s look at some popular suggestions and strategies:

• Simply ignore the student and continue with the lesson.
• Assign the class something to do while you make an attempt to speak with the student. Maybe a “private conversation” is what he/she wants. Show support, offer to send the student to a counselor, etc.
• Move the rest of the kids to a different space so they can continue to learn and you can continue to teach, assuming another adult is available to handle the situation with the child.
• Contact the student’s parent or guardian.
• Raise the stakes by making it clear that more severe consequences would be implemented.
• Use peer pressure to encourage the student to change their behavior.

Most teachers have had disruptive students and have probably tried each, or at least several, of the strategies listed. Each of these options could be effective in a classroom setting with a disruptive child, but on the other hand, each could have no effect. Teachers use a sort of “read and react” response to a given situation, similar in some ways, to parenting. As you employ a response to a disruptive child, you’re aware of how the other students in class will react. Will they view the offending behavior as leading to trouble they don’t desire or will they join in, adding to the problem in the classroom? Based on how the teacher handles the situation, will they respect the teacher more or less? As to the disruptive student, are they truly bothered by a personal problem, are they seeking attention, or do they feel strongly enough about a certain issue that they are willing to face the consequences for their actions?

Finally, what makes these situations in the classroom especially difficult is what I refer to as “the little things”. For those who don’t work in a classroom, there are many factors that may seem minor but can have a major impact. Just one example: It was suggested that, in the South Carolina incident, the teacher should have spoken with the young woman privately because it was stated that she was going through a very difficult time personally. This seems to be a common sense approach to the problem at hand. However, are they going to have a private conversation in the classroom with the other students present? If they step outside the room, what happens if an incident occurs inside and who is responsible? Is there another adult who can stay with the class? How do you contact that adult? Will the student even speak with the teacher? Is there a trusting relationship between teacher and student? Given society today, is it even appropriate that a teacher and student engage in a private conversation about a student’s personal life? The little things…

Tales From My Classroom…

I had a 5th grade student many years ago who had a very difficult time with the art teacher. The young man was always disruptive, and it took away from the class when he battled back and forth with the teacher, who would then send him to the principal, where he would often sit for 1-2 hours. Consequences didn’t matter to him. We changed his schedule around so he had his instrumental lesson during art. He’d come back to the classroom after his lesson and we’d then walk down to the art room- slowly.

A boy from another state moved to our school and was placed in the class next to mine with a first year teacher. He was in trouble constantly, hitting classmates, taking things, and breaking every rule there was. A meeting was scheduled and I was asked to attend, I thought because of my knowledge and past experiences as a special education teacher. Instead, he was  placed in my class for a few weeks until he was to be moved to a special education setting. I still remember walking with my class down the hall when the student in question jumped on the back of a classmate who kept walking while I peeled the young boy off him.

There was a third grade boy who had been disruptive in class for several years. His family life was very difficult, having been given up by his parents and living with relatives until they also moved away without him. I hadn’t seen him in quite a few years when this tall person with long shaggy hair and wearing a long coat came walking in my classroom near the end of the day. After the initial shock wore off, it was a wonderful surprise!

What are some situations you were in when a student became disruptive?

What did the teacher do to address the situation?

What worked and what didn’t?