Teaching for a Change

THIRD GRADE: A CRITICAL MILESTONE

2012-02-12T13:46:00.000-08:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #103 – February 12, 2012

As a high school teacher, I often wondered why so many of the students who were way behind in their learning skills got stuck at the third grade level, especially in reading and math. There is an enormous leap in what is expected of a third grader compared to what is expected of a second grader. Consider some of challenges facing the typical eight-year-old student.

Reading is a skill vigorously stressed in kindergarten through second grade. But in third grade, it takes on a much more demanding role. In reading, students move from merely learning to de-code and read with limited comprehension, to using reading in every aspect of learning. Reading suddenly becomes integral to every subject in school, and will be that way throughout college and beyond. Teachers expect third graders to read lessons and chapters in all subject areas on their own and to be ready to discuss them in class. Fluency is crucial, as the child needs to read most words without having to sound them out in order to understand or comprehend the text.

Each state adopts its own learning standards. However, here are the main abilities students who are working at the standard level should have at the beginning of third grade:

•Read with understanding and fluency

•Figure out unknown words in context

•Recognize word patterns (prefixes and suffixes)

•Communicate in written form

•Retell stories with accuracy

•Correct themselves while reading

•Identify and spell many words

•Recognize parts of a story

•Read for more than pleasure

•Utilize a larger sight vocabulary

At the end of third grade, students should have attained the following skills and knowledge:

•Read with understanding and fluency

•Understand the meaning of synonyms, homonyms, and antonyms

•Identify the meanings of compound words

•Use punctuation cues to add meaning to the text

•Use graphic organizers to aid comprehension

•Make reasonable predictions

•Identify the main ideas of passages

•Identify character traits

•Summarize what they have read

•Have a larger sight vocabulary

A strong learning partnership with parents can ensure a third-grader’s success. A good teacher teamed up with caring parents can help a third-grade student negotiate and conquer the many challenges he will be expected to meet. Considering all the expectations in the area of reading, I can’t wait to see what awaits the third-grader in mathematics! (Next Posting)

Terrific Teachers Talk Two Loves

2012-01-26T08:15:00.000-08:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora January 27, 2012 - Posting #102

The other day I was thinking about my first teaching job. I was initially hired as remedial reading teacher for ninth through twelfth grade students at a public high school in Los Angeles County. By the second year, I was teaching four classes of English and one class of Modern Dance. The dance class came about through the efforts of a few of my reading students. As I recalled the intensity and pure joy exhibited during most of our class workouts, the idea of a teacher’s “two loves” hit me.

Love What You Teach
One of a teacher’s loves has got to be her subject. Any student readily knows when a teacher is teaching something they love. Great teachers not only love their subject, but they love to share that joy with students.

When I was about to finish high school, a group of us who were planning to become teachers had a lively discussion at lunch one day. Since many of us had the same classes, someone asked: “Who was your favorite teacher?” After each student answered, this question followed: "What do they all have in common?" I immediately knew the answer, "They all loved what they were doing. They had great enthusiasm for teaching." All of my fellow graduating students nodded their heads in agreement. One of them, to punctuate the point, said "Exactly!"

I can’t tell you how much pleasure I had dancing and teaching my students the love I had for the most beautiful, pure art form ever; dance. The students picked up on the enthusiasm and had as much fun or maybe even more fun than I did during class. In the process they learned: discipline, technique, rhythm, music, choreography, performance skills, team work and much more.

If you love what you are doing you will be successful.
- Albert Schweitzer

Love Who You Teach
Terrific teachers love their students. They enjoy being with young people who are full of energy and always on the edge of discovery. These teachers have a special knack for connecting with students, and for helping them open their minds.

Good teachers are those who genuinely care about their students, not only in matters regarding education, but in other aspects outside of the classroom as well. Because of the devotion good teachers have to their students, they care about each student’s performance in school and are willing to spend a few minutes of their time to understand a struggling student’s circumstances.

Good teachers are not only teachers; they are mentors, friends and inspirations.
This is really the key component to teaching – love. Without a love of the subject and of the students, a teacher can never truly be successful.

Love is a better teacher than duty.
Albert Einstein

WANT TO RAISE YOUR CHILD'S GRADES? BE PROACTIVE

2012-01-17T07:43:00.000-08:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora
Posting #101 – January 17, 2012

In about two weeks, you’ll be receiving your child’s first semester grades. If you even suspect there may be problems, such as lower grades than you anticipated, now is the time to act. As soon as school reconvenes, call and schedule appointments with your child’s teachers.

Be proactive. Begin the meeting by thanking the teacher for all the hard work she has done with your child. Do your homework and be prepared with specific questions. These are some I recommend:

1. What are my child's strengths?
If the only news you return with is about your child's deficits weaknesses (i.e. attention span, engagement, effort), your child can be left with feelings of failure and inadequacy. A balanced report gives you, the parent, a good second perspective from an objective teacher's point of view. This question also gives you valuable information about how the teacher sees your child.
It can tell you much about the farsightedness or nearsightedness of the teacher. Does she see his strengths and is she capable of articulating them by providing specific examples? Or is she always looking at problems and limitations?

2. What are the major goals other than academics that are addressed in the classroom?
Is there a focus on something besides test scores, benchmarks and grades?
Other goals could include: higher level thinking, cooperation, leadership, responsibility, application, in-depth analysis and being able to see several sides of an issue. Are these skills being covered? Where is your child in regards to these areas?

3. How are my child's social skills?
Do people like him? Does he make and have friends or is he seen as a bully? How does she handle adversity and social conflict at school? Ask for specific examples of what the teacher is seeing, don't accept generalizations or judgmental labels. You want to know how the teacher really views your child when the grades are set aside.

4. Is my child working to the best of his ability?
How is progress measured? If my child is currently behind in any assignments, what are they, and how can he make them up? How can I monitor my child's completion of assignments on a daily basis?

5.What type of learner is my child (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, tactile)?
How does she accommodate differences in learning? How does she differentiate lessons to meet the needs of all learners?

6. What standardized tests will be administered this year?
How much class time will be devoted to preparing students for them?

7. How can I support your teaching program at home?
What can we do at home to support you? What does he need to work on and how can I help? Get specific feedback, such as "has difficulty combining sentences" or "has difficulty summarizing stories," as well as specific information about how you can tackle any issues.

8. How can we engage in timely communication?
What is the best way to keep in touch with the teacher (telephone, email)? Let the teacher know you are an important part of her team. Ensure the teacher you have a common purpose; to help your child realize his potential as a student and a productive member of society.

By being proactive and creating situations, you do not have to wait for the bad ones to come and force you to react.
Anonymous

LITTLE KNOW FACTS ABOUT THE AMERICAN TEACHER

2011-12-10T08:05:00.000-08:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #100 – December 10, 2011
Have you ever thought about becoming a teacher? I found it to be an extremely rewarding job, not so much financially, but spiritually. I believe becoming a teacher is definitely a “calling”. Unfortunately, it is more and more difficult these days to entice college students to pursue teaching careers and to retain the ones that began to teach, but just couldn’t continue.
Here are a few possible reasons for this dilemma:
• Teachers work an average of ten hours per day
• 46 percent of teachers quit before their fifth year of teaching.
• Teachers cannot afford to buy a home in 32 metropolitan areas
• Over 92 percent of American teachers spend their own money on their students or their classrooms each year.
• 62 percent of teachers have second jobs outside of the classroom

Most teachers I have worked with during my 25 + years as a teacher and principal in various public schools, work long hours for not enough pay. They sometimes neglect themselves and their own families in order to do the best they can for their students. Teachers cannot take a break or go out for lunch whenever they want. By the time students are walked out to the lunch area, teachers have about twenty minutes to guzzle down their food and get the classroom set up for the next activity for the students. When teachers are absent, classroom production decreases. And by the way, teachers are not paid for the two months of summer vacation. Teachers cannot afford to have a bad day; they always need to be "on." Not many jobs are this demanding in so many ways and on so many levels.

Is it possible for teachers to gain the respect, recognition and paycheck they deserve for arguably the most important job there is? If you have any ideas on this, I’d love to hear them.
Modern cynics and skeptics see no harm in paying those to whom they entrust the minds of their children a smaller wage than is paid to those to whom they entrust the care of their plumbing.
John F. Kennedy

YOUR SENTENCE: EXHILARATING OR DEATH INDUCING?

2011-11-05T10:06:00.000-07:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #99 – November 5, 2011

Have you ever been forced to listen to a monotone, boring, and oh so irritating instructor teach a class? I’m guessing most of you are nodding your head up and down. On the other hand, do you remember a teacher who was so interesting, you hung onto every word? You don't have to subject your students to cruel and unusual punishment. Here are seven principles for getting your students from a reclining and slouching position right up to the edge of their chairs.

If you don’t want to be guilty of this cruel and unusual punishment, here are a ew tips for teaching or presenting information to an audience.

1. Know Your Stuff

This one may sound obvious; but you’d be amazed how many times instructors attempt to “teach” a class simply by reading the slides to the class. Other instructors actually make slides from the textbook students have already been asked to read as homework and then do a “replay” during class.

It is very poor form to attempt to teach a subject about which you have minimal understanding. You must know your content well. It also enhances the learning experience for students if you have some real life, practical experiences and stories related to the subject, you can share with them. For example, if you teach American History, know more about why Lincoln wanted to end slavery than is in the textbook.

2. Let your students (or audience) in on the “Secret”

Tell your students what they are about to learn during this class period. Clue them in as to what it is they will be able to do as a result of the lesson. That’s right. Why on earth would you want to keep it a secret? For example, "Students, tomorrow you will be introduced to some of the latest scientific knowledge about space. Did you know, they found another solar system in the making? What does it mean? Do we now know how this earth came into being?"

3. Present a Clear Lesson Through Connections

Use directness, clarity and creativeness to get the main point of the lesson across with understanding and relevance. Try different methods throughout the year to keep it lively and interesting. For example, an economics teacher could split the class into groups of 3-4 students. Each group would be given a “virtual” check for $25,000. They would be told to research various stocks and bonds and then “purchase” $25,000 worth of their selections. The groups would be responsible for tracking their “investments” on a daily and weekly basis. At the end of six weeks, each group would share the investment outcome with the class.

4. Check for Understanding through Student Application

Have students practice the new skill they have just learned. Assign various problems for them to solve. Have them work with a partner to share and check each other’s work.

5. Work the Room

Standing in one spot doesn’t allow you to “hear” what’s going on. Walk around and listen to what the partners are saying to each other. Watch how they apply the newly learned skill to the problem at hand. Then you will know what they have actually understood and learned. You can also interact and connect with the students while working the room. Working the room is also good class management. More work happens in the group you are close to.

6. Lighten Up

Life is too short to not laugh a bit… so be sure to have some fun. Research shows that students need some sort of stimulation every 10 to 15 minutes, so do your best to keep them interested, smiling and wide awake. But never make any student, or yourself, the brunt of the humor. You will lose respect.

7. Conduct a Reflection Time at the End of Each Class

At the end of each lesson, take a few moments and have partners explain to each other what concept or skill they have learned and how they can apply it. Then ask for volunteers to share out to the whole class what either they or their partner has said.

Now, you as the teacher or presenter will know how well you did. Not only is this the perfect way to evaluate yourself as a teacher, it also enables your students to re-affirm and “take home” the new knowledge they have acquired.

Get ready for your newly awakened audience. They will look forward to learning something new each day, and gain confidence and pleasure when allowed to apply their knowledge.

STEVE JOBS TEACHES US

2011-10-08T08:26:00.000-07:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #98 – October 8, 2011

We lost a great teacher a few days ago. His name was Steve Jobs. Most of us know him as a young genius and creator of the Apple Dynasty. I was one of more than nine million who viewed his 2005 Stanford University Commencement Speech. I found his message to be a profound teaching tool. Mr. Jobs used three stories from his life as the means to deliver his wisdom.

1.Follow Your Heart

The first story was about “Connecting the Dots.” This is where each of us tries to make sense of a path we have taken, we are on, or we are about to embark upon. He described how after he had formally dropped out of Reed College, he informally “dropped in,” only this time he only attended classes that caught his interest. One of these happened to be a Calligraphy class. He learned all about typography, spacing and the art of hundreds of beautiful fonts. At the time, he figured none of this would have any practical application. As it turned out, this led to Apple being the pioneer computer company to include multiple typefaces with beautiful spacing and typography, for which they are so well known.

Mr. Jobs teaches us that “connecting the dots” can be done only by looking forward, not by looking backward. Somehow, he knew dropping out was not looked on as a very wise thing to do; and even though the “drop in” classes seemed impractical, they “called to him.” In his words:

Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your inner voice.

2.Be Courageous

The second story he told was about “Love and Loss.” This is where each of us loves something very much, loses it, and how we deal with this loss. Steve Jobs and a friend started The Apple Company in a garage when he was twenty years old. It soon became an enormous organization with several thousand employees. He had a falling out with someone who had a different vision of where Apple should go. The Board of Directors agreed with the other person, and Steve Jobs was fired at the age of thirty.

So, there he was, Jobs was jobless and had to start all over again. He believes this was the best thing that could have happened to him. He was forced to begin freshly and in a new time. This led him to conceive of and develop two new companies: NEXT and PIXAR; both of these became giant, new successful businesses. Eventually Apple bought NEXT, so he was working for Apple once again.

Steve’s message here is to be courageous, find what you love and to love what you do. He prods us to “never settle.” His exact quote was:

The only way to be truly satisfied is to do great work.
And the only way to do great work is to do what you love.

3.Live Each Day as Though It Is Your Last

His third and final story was: “Live each day as though it is your last.” Steve Jobs was faced with pancreatic cancer and faced death. Luckily, he survived. From that moment on he looked in the mirror each morning and asked himself if what he planned to do this day would be enough if it turned out this was his last day on earth. He advises us to follow our hearts and our intuition each day, and included this quote:

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life.

As teachers we must refrain from only giving answers to students. Instead, we should strive to give them examples in life so they can discover the answers themselves. Steve Jobs is one of those examples in the way he chose to live his life.

Steve Jobs’ attitude toward and actions taken in his life speak to students at the brink of finding their own calling. Many children have dreams of who or what they want to be one day. Steve Jobs was the embodiment of those dreams attained.

We don’t get a chance to do that many things,
and every one should be really excellent.
Steve Jobs

BE A GREAT TEACHER FOR YOUR CHILD

2011-09-24T15:46:00.000-07:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – September 24 – Posting #97

Parents have the privilege of sharing the richness this world has to offer with their children. This gives you the opportunity to be a great teacher for your child. Make talking with your child about life's everyday experiences a part of your normal routine. This will help each of you understand the others' viewpoints, values, dreams, and interests. Remember not only to talk, but also listen to your children.

Some parents consider activities such as going to museums, the zoo, or shows make up for lost time with their children. Actually, there is plenty of educational value in everyday activities, such as going to the post office, going to the bank, going grocery shopping, or doing a project at home. Parents just need to plan ahead a little to help their child discover the world.

Here are some ideas for activities to enjoy with your child:

•Watch news and documentaries on TV. (Discuss questions or interests aroused in your child)
•Rent or buy educational videos. (Encourage newly developed curiosity sparked by these videos)
•Visit natural history museums, science museums, art museums, children's museums, zoos, botanical gardens, and historical sites. (See what interests your child, and point out things that interest you)
•Experience national or state parks and forests. Sign up for a tour.
•Read articles in the newspaper, news, and magazines together.
•Go to the public library.
•Make vacations learning experiences.
•Plan "theme" parties that involve some research. For example, an American Revolution costume party, a play, or a display of inventions of the time.

The important thing for parents to remember is that they are the most important teachers in their child's life. Children are born eager learners, but parents need to help them channel that learning. Talking with children before, during, and after any activity helps them learn the steps involved in learning.

This conversation also will improve your communication and in turn, your relationship with your child. The more you talk with each other, the more rewarding your conversations will be, and the better you will get to know your child. Your child will reap the rewards of having a great teacher in you.

OH MY, IT'S THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!

2011-08-20T12:39:00.000-07:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #96 – August 20, 2011

Just how important is the first day of school anyway? It’s actually VERY important. It sets the tone for the entire year. It's been said, "You never get a second chance to make a first impression." It's another start of the school year and that means another opportunity to improve your teaching. What are your plans for the first day and the first week? If you're an experienced teacher, you probably try to establish the "class culture" each year. If that' s not started on the first day and established within the first week, it probably won’t be.

As a teacher, what are some of the most important things you should do at the very beginning of the school year? Below are some principles for creating your own class culture.

Make it Fresh
One thing every teacher should consider is trying something new; something you’ve never done before on the first day of school. That's the beauty of teaching; we get to start all over again each year. If you are an effective teacher you will undoubtedly start with a plan, a better and more reflective plan than the previous year. That change can begin the first day. Do something new that reflects the new plan. For example, change the way the seats are arranged, teach from the back and front of the class.

The ineffective teacher does the same thing year after year, which is why Einstein said,
"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, yet expecting different results."

Get Students' Buy-In Through Icebreakers
Although ice breakers can seem frivolous, they can be an important first step to getting student buy-in. Unless a student is emotionally connected to school, they will lack motivation to learn. Many teachers consider ice breakers as essential to building the comfort necessary when creating a “team” of learners. For example, have a game where everyone memorizes everyone else’s name and something about them.

Create Class Rules
Create classroom rules using student input. Ideally you should keep classroom rules down to a manageable limit of 3-6 rules. Include a tardy policy and a behavior contract. Elicit student agreement on the order of importance of each rule.

Use Warmups
Begin the routine of using meaningful daily warm-ups. The key word here is “meaningful.” Students are experts at identifying “busy work,” which is not what they should be doing. They should do work that will include real practice toward achieving important learning goals they have set for themselves. For example, if the day before you taught about US presidents, create a slideshow that has presidents pictures and something about each and then let students jot down which president they are.

Have a Positive Teacher Communication/Attitude
Most students are also wondering:
“Will the teacher treat me as a human being?” Everyone wants to be treated with respect, dignity, and love, whether that person is a teacher, administrator, or student. You will have about seven seconds to create that perception beginning with:

how you treat yourself with respect, dignity, and love,
how you greet your students at the door,
how you dress,
what signs are posted in your classroom,
the message on the chalkboard,
the obviousness that you are organized and ready,
that you are in control of the learning environment for the classroom, and
that you really care about each child’s success in your classroom

An ineffective teacher may be more concerned with doing "their thing" or “can't wait to start with a fun activity” so that he or she can be the student's friend or pal. The students are not looking for fun. They are looking for security, consistency, respect, dignity, and care and you can convey that message on the first day of school by conveying how well you are organized. Your effective management skills will demonstrate to the students if your class will be exciting or boring, and if you will light or extinguish their candle.

Get to Know Your Students
An important thing to accomplish during the first week of school is getting to know one personal thing about each of your students. You should learn all of their names in the first week and try to remember one personal interest, hobby or strength that helps to define them. You are going to be a mentor and guiding force in the months to come and your influence will be considerably stronger if you can relate to a personal aspect of each child in your class.

Elicit High Expectations
An effective teacher must have high expectations. Strive to raise the bar for your students. If you expect less effort you will receive less effort. You should work on an attitude that says you know students can achieve to your level of expectations. This will automatically give them a sense of confidence too. This is not to say that you should create unrealistic expectations. However, your expectations will be one of the key factors in helping students learn and achieve.

When you clearly explain and train your students in your expectations, they will know what to do and when to do it. This creates a well-disciplined class which in turn supports student learning. Challenging your students every day is a powerful tool which will motivate them to strive to do their very best and beyond. Although it takes a bit of work and time on your part at the beginning of the year, it is so well worth it!

Conclusion
Which of these is most important? For building a classroom culture, all of them are. Create your teaching plan for the first week and make sure to include all of these principles. If you do, you'll be on your way to creating a class culture that will result in excellent class management and student learning. Go for it!

NEVER GIVE UP

2011-08-13T08:29:00.000-07:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora
Posting #95 - August 13, 2011

As I teacher, “Never give up,” was my mantra. Time after time, the most unlikely students would wind up finding the genius within and become my “brightest star.” As a teacher, leader, mentor, boss, whatever, you can help others find their own” hidden genius.” I believe there is a way to find that special something in every student; and when you do, all I can say is “WOW!”

See if you can guess who each one of these supposed ne'er-do-well’s is: (answers at the bottom)

1.This person’s teachers said he was "too stupid to learn anything." He was fired from his first two jobs for being "non-productive." As an inventor, he made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at his invention until he finally succeeded.

2.This person failed and went broke five times before he succeeded.

3.This person failed sixth grade and was subsequently defeated in every election for public office until the age of 62. He later wrote, "Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never - in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never, Never, Never, Never give up." (his capitals, mind you)

4.This person did not speak until he was 4-years-old and did not read until he was 7. His parents thought he was "sub-normal," and one of his teachers described him as "mentally slow, unsociable, and adrift forever in foolish dreams." He was expelled from school .

One interesting anecdote, told by Otto Neugebauer, a historian of science, goes like this:

As he was a late talker, his parents were worried. At last, at the supper table one night, he broke his silence to say, "The soup is too hot."
Greatly relieved, his parents asked why he had never said a word before.
He replied, "Because up to now everything was in order."

5.This person was cut from his high school basketball team. He once observed, "I've failed over and over again in my life. That is why I succeed."

6.After his first audition, this person was told by the casting director, "Why don't you stop wasting people's time and go out and become a dishwasher or something?" It was at that moment, that he decided to devote his life to acting.

7.This person flunked out of college. He was described as both "unable and unwilling to learn." No doubt a slow developer.

8.was fired by a newspaper editor because "he lacked imagination and had no good ideas." He went bankrupt several times. The “bright idea” he proposed was rejected by the local city on the grounds that it would only attract riffraff.

1.Thomas Edison
2.Henry Ford
3.Winston Churchill
4.Albert Einstein
5.Michael Jordan
6.Sidney Portier
7. Leo Tolstoy
8. Walt Disney

Next time you are just about to give up on someone, I hope you will think about these examples. The “I CAN,” is there in everyone. Just find it.

PLANNING FOR THE COMING SCHOOL YEAR

2011-07-31T07:40:00.000-07:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #94 – July 31, 2011

Planning for the coming school year brings a lot of hope and some great expectations. It’s a perfect time to reflect upon what went really well during the previous school year and what things definitely need to be changed. Here are a few simple things to consider for starters:

Room Arrangement
What is the most effective positioning of student desks?
Where should my desk be located?
If you are planning to truly engage students, they will most likely participate in an abundance of cooperative learning activities. Desks joined in groups with students facing one another are most conducive for this. In most cases groups of four work well. The teacher’s desk should be located in an easily accessible spot where students can see the teacher and ask for help when needed.

Classroom Routines
What are the most important classroom routines?
• What are students expected to do as soon as they enter my classroom?
• What do I expect my kids to do once an assignment is completed?
• When can students use the bathrooms?
• Where do I want them to place various papers and supplies?
• What roles do each team member have?

Looking Ahead
Let students know right from the beginning what the purpose of the class is. Let them know what goals you expect them to reach by the end of the year. Be sure to explain these in a way that says:
“These are the things you will know, understand and be able to do by the end of the year.”

Remember Your Camera
Remember to take a photograph of each student during the first week of school. Have each student write what yearly goals they have set for themselves. I would suggest limiting this to three major goals. At the end of the year, take a new photograph of each student and have them look at their original goals and write how much progress was made toward each one. They can write about how each goal was almost met, totally accomplished, or even surpassed. Then place the beginning and ending pictures and statements side by side for comparison. Students will be amazed at how far they have come!

Your camera will come in handy to record unique and fun learning activities throughout the school year. Photos can be used in school newsletters and for an end-of-the-year Memory Book for your students. It’s true: “A picture is worth a thousand words.”

Have fun planning for a fantastic school year!

FOURTH OF JULY REFLECTION

2011-07-02T07:24:00.000-07:00

Fourth of July Reflection
Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #93

I have always thought the inscription on the Statue of Liberty incorporates the essence of what our forefathers had in mind. We still welcome people from all lands, seeking a better life under the brilliant torch of freedom. This is the poem from which that inscription was taken. I hope you enjoy it as you enjoy this Fourth of July and the many gifts we enjoy as Americans.

The New Colossus
By Emma Lazarus 1849–1887

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

Fourth of July Reflection
Wendy Ghiora

On this Fourth of July, I reflect as I stand,
On thankfulness for my birth in this land.
Some say, it’s not a perfect place,
But for me, it wields an awesome grace.
For nowhere else can one truly give,
With a freedom to think and a freedom to live.
On this Fourth of July, I reflect and stand,
So thankful I was born in this wonderful land.

WILL WE EVER LEARN?

2011-06-14T15:03:00.000-07:00

Will we ever learn?
Dr. Wendy Ghiora - Posting #92 - June 14, 2011

I found an interesting and entertaining analogy I would like to share with you:

Horse Story (an analogy)

Unknown Source

Common advice from knowledgeable horse trainers includes the adage, "If the horse you're riding dies, get off."

Seems simple enough doesn't it? Yet in education we don't always follow that advice. Instead, we often choose from an array of other alternatives which include:

1.Buying a stronger whip

2.Trying a new bit or bridle

3.Switching riders

4.Moving the horse to a new location

5.Riding the horse for longer periods of time

6.Saying things like, "This is the way we've always ridden this horse

7.Appointing a committee to study the horse

8.Arranging to visit other sites where they ride dead horses more efficiently

9.Increasing the standards for riding dead horses

10.Creating a test for measuring our riding ability

11.Comparing how we're riding now with how we did ten or twenty years ago

12.Complaining about the state of horse these days

13.Coming up with new styles of riding

14.Blaming the horse's parents. The problem is often in the breeding.

15.Tightening the cinch

Will we ever learn?

DANCE DELIVERS

2011-06-04T05:38:00.000-07:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #91 – June 4, 2011

I happened to see an interview on TV today with Jacques d’Amboise. He is the former principal dancer with the New York City Ballet. When asked how he got into ballet, he said, his mom wanted to keep him from getting in trouble with the “street kids,” so she made him join her and his sister at his sister’s ballet class. In order not to make it a complete waste of his time, he used to make “fart” noises and do other stunts to disrupt his sister’s class. The teacher (a very wise lady), responded by asking:
“Young man, why don’t you come here and see if you can jump as high as the girls?” He was hooked.

After a brilliant career with the New York City Ballet, as dancer and choreographer, Mr. d’Amboise founded the National Dance Institute (NDI). This institute was founded in the belief that the arts have a unique power to engage children and motivate them toward excellence. NDI strives to reach every child, transcending barriers of language, culture, and physical challenges. This group has impacted the lives of over 2 million children.

Year after year, NDI transforms the lives of over 35,000 New York City public school students, their parents, teachers and local communities through classes, residencies and performances. They work with mainstream, bilingual, and special education classes.

An education in the performing arts, endows children with the experience of social interaction and develops personal standards that become key aspects of their lives. Children who are fortunate to have an early exposure to elements of the performing arts, dance and music during their primary education develop confidence in achievement, self discipline, learning techniques, social interaction, and learn the importance of structured routines, and the ability to work together. These skills will serve them well through their academic careers and in their achievements as adults.

After the Jacques d’Amboise interview, Two small groups of New York City students gave a brief performance. One group did a sort of modern ballet, wearing tennis shoes. The second group did a highly spirited clogging dance. The brilliant performance, accompanied by the sheer joy and exuberance beaming from the faces of those children, was a powerful testament to the value of the arts in education. We need more like Jacques d’Amboise in this world!

Dancing is just discovery, discovery, discovery. ~Martha Graham

Alternative Schools, No Longer the "Siberia" of the School District

2011-05-13T21:33:00.000-07:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #90 – May 14, 2011

I taught for over twenty years at three different traditional public high schools in Southern California. During those years I didn’t know much about the “Alternative High Schools.” What I did know was two things. First, alternative schools were where students (usually juniors or seniors) were sent who were labeled, "at risk," meaning they were in danger of not finishing school because of a deficiency in course credits, pregnancy, or other reasons. Secondly, I knew that none of us teaching at our pristine “regular” high school would ever want to teach at the “Alternative” school. It would be akin to being sentenced to the harsh labor camps in the unwelcoming, frigid atmosphere of Siberia. We actually thought, teachers who taught in Alternative Schools, had been demoted for one reason or another. But, when I learned the truth about Alternative Schools, my eyes were delightfully opened. Here's how that happened.

In more recent years I was appointed to serve on several WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges) committees. This is the team that visits and observes at various high schools and determines whether or not to grant State Accreditation to that school and for what period of time. Many of these visits were to “Alternative” high schools.

One realization I had right off the bat was these schools were literally the student’s last chance to get a high school education and earn a diploma. That part I pretty much guessed. But I was not aware that alternative school students actually take advantage of the opportunity and work extremely hard to prove they can be successful.

Many adults assume the students enrolled in Alternative High Schools are the trouble makers, the lazy students or slow learners who have failure written all over their faces. On the contrary, some of these kids are among the brightest I’ve ever met. They simply “march to the tune of a different drum.” Many of them just want a place to learn, where they are respected and accepted for who they are, and the abilities they possess. Alternative schools can be just the place to do that.

Alternative School staff understands when a child is accepted and wanted, great things can happen. And they also understand that acceptance must not only come from the staff; (vertically), it must also come from fellow students (horizontally). In other words, in order for students to feel part of the group, both teachers and students must provide that validation. So Alternative Schools work hard to make that happen by creating a climate for success.

Students do well in these schools because they feel respected by everyone there. There are no cliques like there are in traditional high schools. Everyone talks to everyone else. Students never feel they are being judged by their appearance. Teachers also are non-judgmental. If a student is behind in a subject, they ask for help because they know the teachers won’t make them feel stupid just because they never learned something they probably should have learned a long time ago.

Alternative Schools, as effective as they are, still have challenges. High school students are still young. They have adult thoughts, and do adult things, but they need adult guidance. Students bring problems to school that affect their ability to perform on any given day. These problems need to be acknowledged and treated before the student is ready to learn. Some of these students are virtually homeless and must work in order to survive. Through experience and training, the staff learns to listen to students and watch for signs that indicate present or potential distractions. Then they deal with them right away.

In a recent study on Alternative Schools for the Oregon Department of Education, conducted by Cliff Brush and Bob Jones, they collected the following student statements regarding the care given them by staff at their school:

“They really watch out for us here. After all, we’re still children. Well, we’re really teenagers, but we still need people to take care of us.”

“My teachers notice if I’m having a problem. I don’t even have to say anything. They can tell just by looking at me. They know right away.”

“Sometimes I come in feeling bad. My teachers make me feel better. They make me laugh.”

“If I have a problem and try to hide it, other students can see it and they ask me if I’m all right. After a while you stop saying, ‘Yes,’ and you talk about your problem.”

“I saw a movie on animal rights and mistreatment of animals that really upset me, and the teacher let me stay and talk about it until I was calmed down. I missed the next class, but that was all right with everybody.”

“Teachers don’t just help us with academics. They help us find money for college. They don’t just send application forms home with us. The sit with us and help us fill them out.”

When asked, “Do you have a better idea of what you want to do after high school than you did before,” the vast majority answered, “Yes.” A typical response, “I thought of myself as a dropout. I was comfortable with that. Now, I plan to go to college.”

“This school helps you figure out who you are and what you’re good at.
It makes you think about what you’re going to do with your education.”

[Staff comment] “We’re not teaching them how to be high school students. We’re teaching them to be successful people.”

We know that students learn in different ways and at different speeds. They need staff that are patient with their style and pace of learning and will persevere with the student until learning has occurred. Not every student catches on to what is taught the first time it is presented. This is true for students in traditional schools as well as for students in alternative schools. The difference the alternative school makes, according to students, is that teachers will stick with them until they understand the material.

These final comments from students summarize, in their minds, why the alternative school program is working for them:

“We are like a family at this school. We have family time activities every week.”

“When I come here in the morning, every adult says Hi to me.”

“In my old school, no one noticed me. Here I have a place and I count for something.”

“In other schools it’s like, do this, do it our way. You have no power.”

“We’re all here because we want to be.”

“If I couldn’t go to this school, I’d probably just drop out.”

I can attest to the fact these same ideas and feelings were expressed by students I met within California alternative schools and likely encompass the same reasons these schools are enabling “at risk” high school students throughout our country to achieve the knowledge, the success and the future they almost lost. Perhaps the so called “regular” or “traditional” high schools could learn a thing or two by taking a trip to “Siberia,” and instead of a rigid frozen environment, discover one full of warmth, light and real hope.

Our greatest natural resource is the minds of our children. Walt Disney

RESPECT: THE COMMON THREAD

2011-04-23T13:30:00.000-07:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #89 – April 23, 2011

In my capacity as a teacher and school principal, I have noticed a common thread connecting all great teachers and leaders. That common thread is respect.

According to the online dictionary, respect is:
1. To feel or show deferential regard for; esteem.
2. To avoid violation of or interference with: respect the speed limit.
3. A feeling of appreciative, often deferential regard; esteem.
4. The state of being regarded with honor or esteem.
5. Willingness to show consideration or appreciation.

Respect is, a bit difficult to grasp in finite terms, as it is subjective. If one insists on an absolute definition, I would say the closest absolute definition of respect would be:

total acceptance; not a hint of resistance to what another does

Short of this, respect is simply an accepting of what another does, whether you agree with it or not.

For me, respect is, at minimum, one person's condoning what another does as socially acceptable. At the higher end, it is admiration for doing something good or beneficial to society.

Many teachers and great leaders demonstrate this brand of respect by their actions. They are consistent in granting respect and set the example for all to follow. When one is shown respect the great feeling accompanying this gesture promotes the desire to give the same respect back. Once this is accomplished, the team you are leading will gain the confidence needed to achieve far beyond their own expectations and yours.

The common thread that runs through successful teachers and leaders is respect for others including children. Belief that students can achieve more than they thought possible is a part of that respect. It is also a respect for the process of teaching itself. Christa McAuliffe said it best: "We are in a position to touch the future. It's what we do."

Why We Revere Revere

2011-04-08T10:39:00.000-07:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – April 9, 2011 – Posting #88
Paul Revere Revere’s Ride
Listen my children and you shall hear,
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere...

One of the enduring legends of the American colonists' fight for independence was Paul Revere's heroic ride from Boston to Lexington, Massachusetts on April 18, 1775. It foiled British plans to arrest American revolutionaries Samuel Adams and John Hancock. Although Revere was arrested after delivering his warning, he was released in time to witness the ensuing Battle of Lexington and Concord, the first skirmish of the Revolutionary War in 1860.

Considered by many Americans to be one of the greatest and most famous American patriots, a near mystique has gathered around Paul Revere. With his active involvement in the American Revolutionary War, Revere's heroic actions helped establish his own legend. Here are some facts about our beloved hero:

Silversmith
Paul Revere earned his living as silversmith, one of the most respected and admired tradesmen in Boston. His company produced tea sets, silverware and special engravings. Revere Ware is still sold today in some of our finest cookware stores.

Boston Tea Party
As a member of the Sons of Liberty, an underground organization that favored revolting against the British, Revere participated in the famed Boston Tea Party in 1773.

The Midnight Ride
Paul Revere remains best known for his involvement in the Midnight Ride, where he rode on horseback in April 1775 from Boston to Lexington, alerting colonists of approaching British troops. The battle that followed marked the start of the American Revolutionary War. Here we have a man who had everything to live for, but was willing to give his life for a cause very dear to his heart; freedom.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
In 1861, more than 40 years after his death, Paul Revere's Midnight Ride became immortalized when the famed poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote the classic American poem, Paul Revere's Ride.

The landlord of the Wayside Inn orally tells the fictionalized story of Paul Revere. In the poem, Revere tells a friend to prepare signal lanterns in the Old North Church to inform him if the British will attack by land or sea. He would await the signal across the river in Charlestown and be ready to spread the alarm throughout Middlesex County, Massachusetts. The unnamed friend climbs up the steeple and soon sets up two signal lanterns, informing Revere that the British are coming by sea. Revere rides his horse through Medford, Lexington, and Concord to warn the patriots.

Longfellow was inspired to write the poem after visiting the Old North Church and climbing its tower on April 5, 1860. The following morning he began writing the poem. The poem served as the first in a series of 22 narratives bundled as a collection, similar to Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, which was published in three installments over 10 years. When written in 1860, America was on the verge of Civil War. The poem was published in the January, 1861, issue of The Atlantic Magazine on December 20, 1860, just as South Carolina became the first state to secede from the United States. Paul Revere's Ride was meant to appeal to Northerners' sense of urgency and, as a call for action, noted that history favors the courageous.

Longfellow, who often used poetry to remind readers of cultural and moral values, warns at the end of the poem of a coming "hour of darkness and peril and need", implying the breakup of the Union, and suggests that the "people will waken and listen to hear" the midnight message again. By emphasizing common history, he was attempting to dissolve social tensions. Unfortunately, his ploy did not work.

The poem waffles between past and present tense, sometimes in the same sentence, symbolically pulling the actions of the Revolution into modern times and displaying an event with timeless sympathies.

Poetic License
Longfellow's poem is not historically accurate but his "mistakes" were deliberate. He researched the historical event, using works like George Bancroft's History of the United States, but he manipulated the facts for poetic effect. He was purposely trying to create American legends, much as he did with works like The Song of Hiawatha(1855) and The Courtship of Miles Standish(1858).

The poem depicts the lantern signal in the Old North Church as meant for Revere and not from him, as was actually the case. The historical Paul Revere did not receive the lantern signal, but actually was the one who ordered it to be set up. The poem also depicts Revere rowing himself across the Charles River when, in reality, he was rowed over by others. He also never reached Concord. Longfellow gave sole credit to Revere for the collective achievements of three riders. In fact, Revere and William Dawes rode from Boston to Lexington to warn John Hancock and Samuel Adams that British soldiers were marching from Boston to Lexington to arrest Hancock and Adams and seize the weapons stores in Concord. Revere and Dawes then rode toward Concord, where the militia's arsenal was hidden. They were joined by Samuel Prescott, a doctor who happened to be in Lexington. Revere, Dawes, and Prescott were stopped by British troops in Lincoln on the road to nearby Concord. Prescott and Dawes escaped, but Revere was detained and questioned and then escorted at gunpoint by three British officers back to Lexington. Of the three riders, only Prescott arrived at Concord in time to warn the militia there.

What a great specimen to use as an example for your students. Discuss the use of poetic license by the author. Ask small groups of students to decide if poetic license is merited and to explain why or why not. Even today, this poem brings home the overwhelming feeling of the pride we feel for heroes then and now, those willing to give their lives for our freedom.

Paul Revere’s Ride
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Listen my children and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.
He said to his friend,
"If the British march By land or sea
from the town to-night,
Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch
Of the North Church tower as a signal light,--
One if by land, and two if by sea;
And I on the opposite shore will be,
Ready to ride and spread the alarm
Through every Middlesex village and farm,
For the country folk to be up and to arm."
Then he said "Good-night!"
and with muffled oar Silently rowed to the Charlestown shore,
Just as the moon rose over the bay,
Where swinging wide at her moorings lay The Somerset,
British man-of-war; A phantom ship,
with each mast and spar Across the moon like a prison bar,
And a huge black hulk, that was magnified By its own reflection in the tide. Meanwhile, his friend through alley and street
Wanders and watches, with eager ears,
Till in the silence around him he hears
The muster of men at the barrack door,
The sound of arms, and the tramp of feet,
And the measured tread of the grenadiers,
Marching down to their boats on the shore.
Then he climbed the tower of the Old North Church,
By the wooden stairs, with stealthy tread,
To the belfry chamber overhead,
And startled the pigeons from their perch
On the sombre rafters, that round him made Masses
and moving shapes of shade,--
By the trembling ladder, steep and tall,
To the highest window in the wall,
Where he paused to listen and look down
A moment on the roofs of the town
And the moonlight flowing over all.
Beneath, in the churchyard, lay the dead,
In their night encampment on the hill,
Wrapped in silence so deep and still
That he could hear, like a sentinel's tread,
The watchful night-wind, as it went
Creeping along from tent to tent,
And seeming to whisper, "All is well!"
A moment only he feels the spell Of the place and the hour,
and the secret dread Of the lonely belfry and the dead;
For suddenly all his thoughts are bent
On a shadowy something far away,
Where the river widens to meet the bay,--
A line of black that bends and floats
On the rising tide like a bridge of boats.
Meanwhile, impatient to mount and ride,
Booted and spurred, with a heavy stride
On the opposite shore walked Paul Revere.
Now he patted his horse's side,
Now he gazed at the landscape far and near,
Then, impetuous, stamped the earth,
And turned and tightened his saddle girth;
But mostly he watched with eager search
The belfry tower of the Old North Church,
As it rose above the graves on the hill,
Lonely and spectral and sombre and still.
And lo! as he looks, on the belfry's height
A glimmer, and then a gleam of light!
He springs to the saddle, the bridle he turns,
But lingers and gazes, till full on his sight
A second lamp in the belfry burns.
A hurry of hoofs in a village street,
A shape in the moonlight, a bulk in the dark,
And beneath, from the pebbles, in passing, a spark
Struck out by a steed flying fearless and fleet;
That was all! And yet, through the gloom and the light,
The fate of a nation was riding that night;
And the spark struck out by that steed, in his flight,
Kindled the land into flame with its heat.
He has left the village and mounted the steep,
And beneath him, tranquil and broad and deep,
Is the Mystic, meeting the ocean tides;
And under the alders that skirt its edge,
Now soft on the sand, now loud on the ledge,
Is heard the tramp of his steed as he rides. It was twelve by the village clock When he crossed the bridge into Medford town.
He heard the crowing of the cock,
And the barking of the farmer's dog,
And felt the damp of the river fog,
That rises after the sun goes down.
It was one by the village clock,
When he galloped into Lexington.
He saw the gilded weathercock Swim in the moonlight as he passed,
And the meeting-house windows, black and bare,
Gaze at him with a spectral glare,
As if they already stood aghast At the bloody work they would look upon.
It was two by the village clock,
When he came to the bridge in Concord town.
He heard the bleating of the flock,
And the twitter of birds among the trees,
And felt the breath of the morning breeze
Blowing over the meadow brown.
And one was safe and asleep in his bed
Who at the bridge would be first to fall,
Who that day would be lying dead,
Pierced by a British musket ball. You know the rest.
In the books you have read
How the British Regulars fired and fled,---
How the farmers gave them ball for ball,
From behind each fence and farmyard wall,
Chasing the redcoats down the lane,
Then crossing the fields to emerge again
Under the trees at the turn of the road,
And only pausing to fire and load.
So through the night rode Paul Revere;
And so through the night went his cry of alarm
To every Middlesex village and farm,---
A cry of defiance, and not of fear,
A voice in the darkness, a knock at the door,
And a word that shall echo for evermore!
For, borne on the night-wind of the Past,
Through all our history, to the last,
In the hour of darkness and peril and need,
The people will waken and listen to hear
The hurrying hoof-beats of that steed,
And the midnight message of Paul Revere.

SOUP DU JOUR

2011-04-03T10:44:00.000-07:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora-Posting #87-April 3, 2011 Compliments are one of the most extraordinary ingredients of that all-encompassing soup we call our classroom. If offered in the right way, they create so much positive energy; they make things happen almost as if by magic. When a praiseworthy situation is noticed, this awareness needs to be spoken. In other words, the compliment needs to be put forth into the world in spoken form. When we deliver praise, our students benefit from being the objects of compliments. Recipients feel great, knowing that we notice and value them. In this respect, compliments are powerful tools in motivating continued efforts. Compliments are little gifts of love. But they are effective only when they are sincere reflections of what we think and if they are given freely and not coerced. Compliments backfire if they are not genuine. In his landmark 1996 book, Punished by Rewards, Alfie Kohn makes four solid points about giving compliments and praise: a. "Don't praise people, only what people do. It's less likely that there will be a gap between what someone hears and what he thinks about himself if we don't make sweeping comments about what he is like as a person." b. "Make praise as specific as possible. Even better than 'That's a really nice story' is 'That's neat at the end when you leave the main character a little confused about what happened to him.'" c. "Avoid phony praise. . . . One symptom of phony praise is a squeaky, saccharine voice that slides up and down the scale and bears little resemblance to the way we converse with our friends. A four-year-old can usually tell the difference between a genuine expression of pleasure and phony praise, between a sincere smile and one that is manufactured and timed for best effect." d. "Avoid praise that sets up competition. Phrases like 'You're the best in the class (or for adults, in this department)," whose "most pernicious effects . . . encourage a view of others as rivals rather than as potential collaborators. What's more, they lead people to see their own worth in terms of whether they have beaten everyone else - a recipe for perpetual insecurity." Kohn supports each of these points with solid research. The reality is that there is always something a student does that we can make a compliment about. There is no harm in doing so and when done genuinely it can not only help the student feel good, but create motivation to continue their efforts. I know each school day is a busy one, and many teachers have 35 or more students in each class. However, I am convinced, if done sincerely and with meaning, the investment of time and energy to render a compliment, can result in significant benefits for the student. Here’s a suggestion; divide the number of students in your class by the number of days in the week you meet with them. For example, if you have 35 students and see them 5 days a week, you would divide 35 by 5, which gives you 7. List the names of 7 students for each day of the week. These will be the students you will give a compliment to on that day. Of course, don’t hold back those compliments you know you want to give to the group as a whole (I’m just saying). Stir the soup gently and thoroughly, sit back and taste the powerful changes you will see in your classroom. Enjoy!

TIPS FOR TOP TEST-TAKING PERFORMANCE

2011-03-26T07:54:00.000-07:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #86 – March 19, 2011

It’s that time of year again—the time teachers, students, and principals have dreaded for a while. Why do we see grimacing when annual standardized assessments arrive? Even the most prepared teachers and students have some fear of tests, in some cases not so much because of the information needed to pass, but simply a fear of the test itself. This fear is a unique phobia and, yes, it’s called, “testaphobia.“ If a student hasn’t studied for the test, there’s not much that can be done but, if he or she simply has a fear of tests, here are some tips that just might get students a few more correct answers, they would not have gotten before.

Relaxing
When students are about to start the test, it sometimes helps to take a deep breath to relax. Anxiety may reduce confidence and be an obstacle to doing one's best. Take in a deep breath and re-affirm one's certainty and confidence.

Directions
Read and listen to all instructions given. It is imperative to really understand what is expected in each section of the test. Students should ask their instructor to explain any instructions they don’t understand.

Budgeting Your Time
It is not uncommon for students to leave unanswered questions because they run out of time. To avoid this, they should budget their time by taking the total amount of time given for each section, subtracting two minutes (for review), and then dividing the remaining time by the number of problems or questions. This will tell them approximately how much time they have for each question.

Managing Multiple Choice Questions
Did you know research reveals, on multiple choice questions, 3 out of 4 times, the first choice was the correct answer. So students should start out a multiple choice section by answering all the questions they know the answers to. (If they don’t know the answer immediately, put a mark next to it and skip it.) Then, go back over those not known. When finished, unless there is a very good reason for changing an answer, don’t.

Passing the Reading Passages
Success for answering questions related to passages increases when students read the questions prior to the passage. Doing so helps one hone in on relevant points. After reading the questions, students can highlight key words, phrases and ideas relevant to the questions, as clues to support the answers. Use text features such as: captions, graphs, charts and illustrations. They enhance the text and present relevant details.

Scoring on Math Questions
Students are required to show work and to write legibly. Even if the answer is wrong, they may receive partial credit if their work can be read and evaluated. A math question may have more than one part and, therefore, more than one answer. Be sure to answer all of the parts.

Reviewing Your Work
Here’s a way for students to get another correct answer or two. If they have time, they should go back and check all of their work. They should re-check as many answers as time permits. From my experience, they are bound to find something and correct it. But they should only correct things when they are absolutely sure.

By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.
Benjamin Franklin

Good luck to all of you!

TO CHEAT OR NOT TO CHEAT?

2011-03-12T08:47:00.000-08:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #85 - March 12, 2011

The results of standardized tests are the driving force behind most public education institutions in the United States. It’s rather a sad note that performance on this one test determines major financial and political consequences for the staff and can result in less than a quality education for the students in our public schools today.

Scoring below grade level can mean a student is placed in additional hours of reading or math and is not permitted to take elective courses such as music or art. These students may have P.E. eliminated from their schedule. Many students are also subjected to being “taught to the test” for the entire school year. . Worse than that, this pressure has caused some teachers and even school principals to cheat on these pivotal tests. Is there an alternative to cheating?

Back in pre-historic times, when I attended school, there was no big deal made out of the yearly standardized tests. Why? Because our teachers had done their job; they had taught us what we were supposed to know as second, third or whatever graders we were. We took these tests each spring and never thought much about what they meant. That’s the way it should be.

USA Today (3/10, Upton) reports, "The standardized tests required by the federal No Child Left Behind law have become one of the most important - and controversial - ways to measure a student's progress, a teacher's competence, a school's success and a state's commitment to education." USA Today adds, "Teachers cheat sometimes and so do principals, according to academic studies. .. In an investigation of standardized testing in six states and the District of Columbia, USA TODAY found that an infraction such as casually coaching one student can carry nearly the same punishment as deliberately changing answers for a whole class."

Investigation Exposes Cheating At Michigan School. USA Today /Detroit Free Press (3/10, Dawsey) reports, "The teachers and principal at George Washington Carver Academy, a charter school" in Highland Park, MI, "have learned firsthand what happens when an official probe concludes that the staff cheated on a standardized test. Monitors sent by the Michigan Department of Education have watched over teachers here for the past two years as state tests have been administered." According to USA Today, "Educators at Carver cheated on the tests in many ways, stopping just short of giving students the answers, the state investigation found."

If schools in the very poorest of neighborhoods can “make the grade” without cheating, surely more fortunate schools should be able to follow suit. In New York City, most schools don't know if their students are progressing until the 3rd grade test. That just doesn't cut it. At the Harlem Success School, they test when students enter school to know children’s starting points. They test using both internal curriculum assessments and nationally-normed tests. The internal curriculum assessments allow school staff to target academic interventions in real-time, track trends in student learning, make curriculum enhancements, and provide useful feedback to teachers and parents. The nationally-normed tests allow the teachers to see how they match up to schools across the country.

Here are the results from this school that uses a culture of planning, goals, continuous evaluation, and teamwork, frequent communication with parents and relentless teaching and nurturing instead of cheating:

100% of Harlem Success 3rd graders passed the math exam, with 71% achieving the top score of "4," ranking the school #1 out of all public charters in the state.
• 95% of Harlem Success 3rd graders passed the English Language Arts exam, with nearly a quarter achieving the top score of "4," ranking the school #2 out of all public charters in the state.
• Harlem Success Academy ranks #32 out of all 3500 public schools in New York.
• No public school in the state scored higher than Harlem Success on the math exam.
• Harlem Success outperformed its school district by nearly 25 percentage points in English Language Arts. The percentage of students "advanced proficient" in math surpasses even the affluent Upper East Side of Manhattan by nearly 35%.

When teachers ’and principals’ jobs are threatened, some feel the only alternative is to cheat. However, teaching kids what they are supposed to know and understand in the first place is so much easier, don’t you think? As with any endeavor, the progress has to be watched carefully with vigilance and changes and improvements made the moment an insufficiency is noticed. This is basic to achieving any sort of a goal or end product in any field, including education. Let’s try it in our schools, shall we?

~ I would prefer even to fail with honor than to win by cheating ~ Sophocles

INSPIRE!

2011-02-27T13:35:00.000-08:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #84 – February 27, 2011

Please take your seats ladies and gentlemen. We are about to embark on a four-part journey, beginning with the “I” for “Inspire,” in the acronym “I C A N.”

The theatre was totally quiet. All eyes were focused on Brandon. I noticed he was wearing a child-like striped T-shirt. I waited, not knowing what, if anything was about to take place. Brandon was getting into “the zone” of becoming his character. Suddenly, he looked directly out at the audience and said,

"I think lunchtime is about the worst time of day for me, always having to sit here alone."

I think some of the students squirmed because they thought those were Brandon’s words. Actually, this is the first line of Charlie Brown’s famous monologue about the love of his life, The Little Red-Haired Girl. The quality of the voice, the tone, the emotion, the poise were simply amazing. I looked around and saw most of my students’ jaws hit their knees. When Brandon delivered the last line,

"Whew! She's not looking at me! I wonder why she never looks at me? Oh well, another lunch hour over with...only 2,863 to go,"

there was a pause, and then the entire class stood up to give Brandon a well-deserved standing ovation. He was all smiles and glowing from head to toe. After dabbing my eyes and discretely shoving the Kleenex back in my pocket, I walked over to the stage as the boys lifted Brandon and wheelchair down.

“Brandon,” I said, “You are quite the actor. That was amazing!” He smiled and said, “Thank you.” The boys all lined up to give Brandon high fives.

Brandon had joined my drama class about a month earlier. He wasn’t a regular student at the high school. He was confined to a wheelchair and had partial control of his upper body movements. He was also a patient at the “Behavioral Clinic” across the freeway from our school. (I never quite figured this one out, as he never demonstrated any behavioral problems in my class). He had expressed the desire to be in a drama class and the counselor that wheeled him into my classroom asked if this would be possible. He had already checked with the principal who said the decision would be mine. I got down and met Brandon’s gaze at eye level. I introduced myself as did he. Then I asked,
“Brandon, do you want to be in this drama class?” His face broke into one big smile and replied,
“Yes, I love acting and would really like it a lot!”
So, of course, I couldn’t say no.

Within the next few days, students began working on their first major assignment, which was to present a monolog. I didn’t notice Brandon working on anything in particular, but he assured me he would be ready with the assignment on time. On the first day the presentations began, Brandon was absent. When he showed up the second day, I really didn’t know what, if anything to expect. After the first couple of students completed their monologue performances, Brandon raised his hand and volunteered to take the stage. As you can imagine, his performance had quite an impact on the entire class.

One side effect of Brandon’s performance was, from that moment on, I didn’t get any excuses as to why some students couldn’t do the assignment. All of us learned different lessons from Brandon. For me it was admiration for the great capacity and willpower each human being is endowed with. I was humbled by this student’s determination and bravery, and most of all, his talent.

Sometimes we complain about our lot in life or our job; complaining doesn’t really accomplish anything. If we look at each day as an opportunity to create something new, or something good; or to help others produce something they can be proud of, sometimes we are lucky enough to receive a gift like Brandon.

Something inspired Brandon to get up and perform. I’d like to think I had something to do with that. Each one of us has the ability to care for and to help others. For some of us, such as teachers, coaches and leaders, we also hope to be the one that can inspire others.

The dictionary defines Inspire as: To stimulate to action; to motivate.
I always like to delve even more deeply and find out the original derivation of a word. Inspire is from Latin meaning: To breathe life into. When I read this, I smiled. It was the perfect description. How often has a teacher, a coach or any leader looked at his personnel and wondered, “What can I do to really breathe some life into this group?”

The “I” in I C A N is for “inspire.” There are so many ways students can be inspired, and they can be grouped into two categories: by modeling and by love. A teacher’s enthusiasm for the subject is contagious. Setting high expectations is enthusiasm’s complement. I have found the most common and perhaps the most profound way to inspire is when teachers just instinctively model their own sense of purpose and enthusiasm for their work, caring for their students and the delightful habit of always going beyond what is expected of them.

Teaching probably has more randomity than any other profession. This is what keeps the job exciting and interesting. In fact, one never knows what the source of the “inspiration” might be. In the case of Brandon, I merely set the stage. It was he that inspired his fellow classmates. His gift to our class was more powerful than any book or lecture I could have offered.

A teacher who is attempting to teach without inspiring the pupil with a desire to learn is hammering on cold iron. Horace Mann

This story is taken from the book, Unleashing The Student’s “I Can,” now available at Amazon.com

WHY MORE NON-FICTION?

2011-02-19T07:06:00.000-08:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #83 – February 19, 2011

“Educators say non-fiction is more difficult than fiction for students to comprehend. It requires more factual knowledge, beyond fiction’s simple truths of love, hate, passion and remorse. So we have a pathetic cycle. Students don’t know enough about the real world because they don’t read non-fiction and they can’t read non-fiction because they don’t know enough about the real world, “claims Jay Mathews, a writer for the Washington Post.

I say, it’s all in the presentation. Start presenting non-fiction at an early age, use materials you know will catch their interest, and you just might hook a student and have him or her begging for more. Since 80-90% of what we read and write is non-fiction, I would affirm reading more non-fiction is an important piece of today’s education.

Reading interesting non-fiction articles during Read Aloud time, will give kids experience in listening for information, which is the purpose of this genre. Teachers consider it a challenge to find lessons including non-fiction. Adding non-fiction to reading lessons, marks a shift after years in which they put most or all of their energy into getting students excited about storytelling and reading fiction.

Children deserve more exposure to non-fiction, as most of their adult world will consist of this type of reading and writing. Kids deserve to be exposed to a variety of nonfiction books - texts in different formats, about different topics, and written by different authors. Read aloud is a perfect time for students to fall in love with nonfiction. Some of the non-fiction topics I have found that spark an interest with children include:

Animals, Heroes, Amazing & Weird True Stories (on practically any topic), Biographies/Autobiographies, Sports, Music Legends and Dinosaurs. One of the best sources I have found for interesting non-fiction articles is Kids National Geographic (online). Imagine asking your students, “Have you heard about the tattooed mummy found buried with the gigantic war clubs of a warrior? And to everyone’s surprise, it turned out to be the body of a woman in her early 20’s?”

When you think about it, from the minute you wake up in the morning, browse through the morning newspaper, follow the road signs to work, listen to the local news and weather report on your radio, grab the mail from your inbox, it is predominantly a non-fiction world. Let’s make it interesting, fun and compelling for our kids to learn and use all things non-fiction.

Oh, just in case you had a little spark of interest in finding out more about the tattooed mummy, here’s the link: http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/stories/history/tattooed-mummy/

The Father of American Education

2011-02-13T09:20:00.000-08:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #83 – February 12, 2011

As Americans, we are so fortunate to have a free education. According to UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization), even in today’s highly technological world, one billion, (approximately 26 percent) of the world's adult population is illiterate. Women make up two-thirds of all non-literates. Most of us take this privilege for granted. Let’s take a moment to recognize the man responsible for our good fortune.

Mann’s Beginnings
Horace Mann is known as The Father of American Education. Horace was born in Franklin, Massachusetts, May 4, 1796. As a boy, he lived in poverty and hardship on the family farm. His schooling was limited to about three months of instruction during each year, due to his duties helping family on the farm.

Mann studied hard in his spare time and after receiving some private tutoring, qualified for the sophomore class at Brown. When he graduated, he studied law and was admitted to the Bar in 1823.

Early Careers
Horace Mann had a brilliant career, first as a State Representative and then as a Senator, in the Massachusetts Legislature. In 1837 he accepted the position of First Secretary of the State Board of Education in Massachusetts. His humanitarian impulses led him to abandon a highly promising career in politics in favor of education. He took office at a time when glaring weaknesses existed in public education in Massachusetts. Here are some of Mann’s achievements during his twelve years as First Secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Education:

Achievements for Education
a. Campaigned for Education. Realizing the need for public support and public awareness of the educational problems of poor teaching, substandard materials, inferior school committees and pupil absences, Mann campaigned throughout the State. This campaign was eminently successful. The schools were improved everywhere in the State.

b. Established Schools For Teacher Training. The first Normal School for Teachers was established in Lexington, Massachusetts, in 1839 through the efforts of Mann.

c. Established School District Libraries. Horace Mann improved education by successfully advocating for the establishment of free libraries.

d. Won Financial Backing for Public Education. Mann knew the importance of money in making educational progress. Through his efforts, the wages of teachers were more than doubled, supervision of teaching improved with compensated school committees, fifty new secondary schools were built, State aid to education doubled, and textbooks and educational equipment improved.

e. Horace Mann edited the "Common School Journal" and wrote twelve Annual Reports which became famous.

Famous “Annual Reports:”
Due to Mann’s tireless efforts to improve our free educational system, many of his ideas spread and were implemented across this great nation. Here are some of his most important Annual Reports:

(1) Fifth Annual Report (1841). Mann argued successfully that economic wealth would increase through an educated public. It was therefore in the self-interest of business to pay the taxation for public education.

(2) Seventh Annual Report (1843). Horace Mann inspected and appraised favorably the Prussian school system. This report led to widespread improvement .of education through the educational theories of Pestalozzi, Herbart and eventually Froebel.

(3) Tenth Annual Report (1846). Mann asserted that education was a natural right for every child. It is a necessary responsibility of the State to insure that education was provided for every child. This report led to the adoption of the first State law requiring compulsory attendance in school in 1852.

(4) Twelfth Annual Report (1848). He presented a rationale for the support of public education through taxation. Society improves as a result of an educated p public. He argued for non-sectarian schools, so the taxpayer would not be in the position of supporting any established religion with which he might disagree in conscience.

(5.) LAST YEARS. Horace Mann resigned in 1848 to take a seat vacated in the United States Congress. In 1853 he assumed the Presidency of Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio. He became President to implement his educational ideas in higher education. This college was coeducational and non-sectarian. The labor of raising funds for Antioch College weakened his health. He died August 2, 1859.

Final Remarks
Horace Mann had the insight to understand the importance of providing free public education for all Americans. He persevered and was a fierce champion in this effort. I for one am so glad he did!

Education is the transmission of civilization.
Will Durant

PARENTS ALLOWING KIDS TO SKIP SCHOOL NOW A CRIME IN CALIFORNIA

2011-02-05T06:33:00.000-08:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #82 – February 5, 2011

Is it okay to let kids miss school? When students miss school, they miss lectures, notes, class discussions, assignments, quizzes, and tests. It doesn't matter how conscientious students are about making up their work, they can never make up all of what they miss, even when they're absent for only a day or two. It’s hard enough to catch up after a legitimate absence, such as illness, let alone an illegitimate reason.

I have worked in schools where parents sometimes take their kids out of school for two to three weeks for a family vacation. Excuse me, but did they ever think of using the eight weeks they have off during the summer for this purpose? Then, when the children can’t catch up and receive low or even failing grades, the parents complain that it’s the school’s fault. There are also parents, believe it or not, that condone their children missing one or two days of school every single week!

Parents who allow their children to miss school when they aren't ill, not only hurt their children's education, they also send a message school isn't really that important. If your child doesn't want to go to school, or if you're seeing a pattern of excuses to miss school, talk to your child or to your child's teacher or school counselor and handle whatever the problem is.

Recently, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed SB 1317, a new statewide anti-truancy bill that officials hope will curb chronic absenteeism in elementary and middle school students. The new law will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2011, and allow state officials to prosecute parents when their kids don’t show up to school.

The initiative was pushed by California attorney general hopeful Kamala Harris, Harris has smartly tied crime rates with dropout rates; the correlation between kids’ educational achievement and the rate of their criminal convictions is direct. And yet the solutions are alarmingly punitive.

Parents whose kids miss any more than 10 percent of their classes can be charged with a misdemeanor and slammed with a $2,000 fine or a yearlong jail sentence if, after being offered state support and counseling, their kids still fail to improve their attendance. Before SB 1317, parents could be prosecuted under a child endangerment statute. Now kids’ absenteeism has become a crime all its own. The state labels a student as truant if they have more than three unexcused absences in one school year on their record.

On the lighter side, if you think that today's students aren't learning all they should, check out some of the writing by their moms and dads. The following are actual excuse notes received by teachers:
(I left all grammar and spelling in the original format and boy was my Spellcheck going nuts!)

Dear School:
"Please eckuse John being absent on Jan. 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, and also 33. "

"Please excuse Mary for being absent," wrote a parent. "She was sick
and I had her shot."

"Please excuse Gloria from Jim today. She is administrating."

"Carlos was absent yesterday because he was playing football. He was
hurt in the growing part. "

"Chris will not be in school cus he has an acre in his side. "

"Please excuse Ray Friday from school. He has very loose vowels."

"Please excuse Tom for being absent yesterday. He had diarrhea and his
boots leak."

"Please excuse Harriet for missing school yesterday. We forget to
get the Sunday paper off the porch. and when we found it Monday,
we thought it was Sunday."

"Please excuse my son's tardiness. I forgot to wake him up and I did not
find him till I started making the beds. "

"Sally won't be in school a week from Friday. We have to attend a
funeral."

"My daughter was absent yesterday because she was tired. She spent the
weekend with the Marine's."

"Gloria was absent yesterday as she was having a gangover."

"Maryann was absent December 11-16, because she had a fever, sore throat,
headache, and upset stomach. Her sister was also sick, fever and sore
throat, her brother had a low grade fever and ached all over. I wasn't
the berst either, sore throat and fever. There must be the flu going
around school, her father even got hot last night. "

Isn’t it absurd to have to go so far as possibly arresting parents to get a point across? What are these parents thinking? Children need good role models to say, “I know it’s a beautiful sunny day, but you can’t go to the beach; today is a school day.” Children must go to school the same way parents must go to work. By allowing children to decide when they will or will not go to school, you are setting them up for failure in the real world. This is what life is about, making the responsible decisions and choosing the right path.

To know what is right and not do it is the worst cowardice. ~Confucius

MANNERS MATTER?

2011-01-30T15:39:00.000-08:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #81 – January 29, 2011

Should we bother to teach our children good manners? Well, let me ask you this; have you ever had a child come up to you and say, “Your hair really looks stupid” or point at someone when shopping in the mall and yell, “Look at that fat man”?
As an adult, would you think of these two scenarios:
A man comes up to you and says, “Hey lady, let me see your watch.”
A man comes up to you and says, “Excuse me, can you please tell me what time it is?”

Seeing Is Believing
A lot of the teaching of good manners comes from how you treat a child. Ordering a child what to say and how to act is not respectful. It is not the kind of manners you want her to learn. Thanking her when she is being helpful or being kind and generous towards others, should really be the heart of your teaching tools. Children really do assimilate what they see, hear and experience around them.
The key words used by people with good manners are still “please” and “thank you”. Encourage your children to greet their friends politely, to say "thank you for coming" when their guests depart, and "thanks for having me over" when they leave a playmate's house. If you model using these words consistently, your children will get the idea and be well on their way to practicing good manners wherever they go.

The Golden Rule
Between the ages of 2 and 5, your preschool child is most receptive to learning the rules of polite conduct. "When children are very young," says Linda Altman, a Georgia-based counselor and educator, "they want to do anything you ask. Grab the opportunity to teach appropriate behavior."

The key from the beginning, according to Marianne Drew-Pennington, executive director of West Side Family Place, a Vancouver parent-resource center, is to treat your children with the same respect you expect from them. "Children learn primarily by example," she says. "You can't be rude to them and then expect them to be polite to other people."

Take “in the moment” opportunities to teach good manners. For example, when I saw Jason shove another student and shout, "Move!" After the incident, I asked Jason, "Could you have said that more politely?" The child thought for a moment and then said, "Move please?" Hmmm. "That's a little bit better, but how about saying 'excuse me?' "To which the child replied, "Why should I say that? I didn't burp." "He honestly didn't know." "They can't know if you don't teach them."

Drew-Pennington advises us to take every opportunity to praise polite behavior. Comments like "It sounds so nice when you remember to say 'please' and 'thank you,' "or "I think it made Aunt Mary feel good when you told her you liked her present." Let your child know that his efforts make a real difference. With good role modeling and praise for appropriate behavior, your children will “learn” good manners as a natural matter of course.

Good manners is the art of making those people easy with whom we converse. Whoever makes the fewest people uneasy is the best bred in the room.
Jonathan Swift

Are Pen Pals Passe'?

2011-01-21T17:35:00.000-08:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #80 - January 22, 2011

Anyone remember writing letters to Pen Pals? Once upon a time, in many cities and towns in this great nation, children got excited about writing letters and receiving correspondence back from children their own age. Many times the “Pen Pal” was from a different state or even a different country. The cool thing was we were all connected by a common language, English.
Due to the extent of the British Empire, countries all over the globe have English speaking inhabitants. And, get this, many of their children, who are not fluent in English, want to correspond with American children in order to improve their English language skills. By the same token, many of our children are interested in learning what kids of their age group do for fun in their countries.

Exchanging letters or emails with a pen pal can offer learning experiences about life in other parts of the country or around the world. Your child may be surprised that children of similar ages do things very differently in other places. If your child is lucky enough to have an international pen pal, a further learning experience about foreign customs, traditions, and even language is possible.

Having a pen pal can also teach them about different sports, hobbies, and other interests. It is a great learning experience to be able to share an interest with another person. Pen pals can ignite the imagination and encourage your child to try new things. Having a pen pal or two can open up a whole world of experiences and education for your child. Not only can it help with writing skills, it can also teach them about different parts of the country or the world, and how life is the same in some ways and different in others.

Parents and teachers, this is a win-win situation. It’s a way to get your children excited about reading and writing and actually enjoy doing it! Of course, you will need to take the proper precautions since this does take place on the Internet. Make sure your child doesn’t give out his or her home address to anyone without your approval.

There are a myriad of websites to help you start on this new adventure. Here’s one that offers a variety of websites for prospective email Pen Pals. Bon Voyage!
http://www.pcfl.net/channels/kidszone/penpals.htm

A Closer Look At ADHD

2011-01-15T07:24:00.000-08:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #79 – January 15, 2011

Three-quarters of ADHD Diagnoses are Wrong
Before you immediately accept a diagnosis of ADHD given your child, consider this. ABC News Online (Australia) reports that diagnoses labeling children as AD/HD are wrong up to 75% of the time. This discrepancy was discovered after careful examination of labeled students by a team specializing in ADHD. New studies published in the Journal of Health Economics suggest that nearly 1 million children are mistakenly diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Todd Elder, Michigan State University Economist, would be in support of these findings. He suggests that about 900,000 children diagnosed with ADHD in the United States may not have the disorder at all. Often the suggestion of ADHD comes first from a school or daycare provider, and their completely subjective feedback can be instrumental in whether a pediatrician ultimately makes the diagnosis of ADHD and subsequently prescribes stimulant medication. ADHD is being treated as a “disease.”

Is ADHD Really a Disease “On The Rise?”
The article states, although 5% to 10% of American children are diagnosed with ADHD, other countries are not as quick to do so. For example, in England, well under one percent of children carry the diagnosis. In countries like France and Italy, many if not most doctors do not believe the condition exists. Are American children more hyperactive and distracted than those in other countries or is there something else going on?

Children are active, imaginative, and sometimes hyper individuals by nature. They are supposed to move around continuously, jump on things, often not listen to what they are told to do, and go off in their own world and daydream a little. If they weren’t doing those things then they wouldn’t be acting like normal kids. So why then, are children who are acting in normal child-like fashion, being quickly diagnosed as having ADHD? Why are doctors telling parents that to fight childhood obesity we need to keep our kids steadily active, and then almost in the same breath telling parents that something is wrong with their child if they happen to be overly active? What makes society want to put a label on children who are simply just being kids?

Follow The Money
The production of the stimulant medications Adderall and Dexedrine (commonly prescribed drugs for ADHD), has increased by 4,516% between 1993 and 2003. At the same time, the production of Ritalin has also increased by 375%. Drug companies spend 20 to 30 thousand dollars per American physician on things like junkets, free meals, trips, trainings, free samples, and cash rewards to high-prescribers. It is almost impossible to find a researcher who would advocate the use of stimulants for ADHD that is not on the drug company’s payroll.

In Understanding ADHD and the Creative Child, Colette Bouchez reports that ADHD students and gifted, creative children frequently share some traits. People who don’t understand intelligence and giftedness and creativity think that if you’re smart you ought to know how to behave, and if you don’t behave you’re not smart – or you have something wrong with you – but “that couldn’t be further from the truth,” says Minnesota child psychologist Deborah Ruff, PhD, National Gifted Children’s Coordinator for American Mensa and author of the book, Losing Our Minds: Gifted Children Left Behind. In addition, it is understandable that a gifted or intelligent child would be the one to finish the assignment early and then get in trouble out of boredom. Children probably are over diagnosed. If we look at the diagnosis cycle, we find that parents commonly get their first recommendation from their child’s teacher. The parent then takes the child to the family practitioner or their pediatrician where diagnosis is made in short order – twenty minutes of interview time. Pediatricians and family practitioners are typically not specialists in ADHD, but they wield the authority to prescribe medication. As for ADHD being a real “disease,” according to Dr. Ron Receveur, ADHD expert, ADHD remains merely a clinical diagnosis, meaning that there is no scientific test for ADHD only an interpretation of symptoms.

What’s A Parent To Do?
Parents should be slow to make a decisionon whether to medicate their child. Until recently, the most important question concerning Ritalin or amphetamine administration has not been asked. Do these drugs make a difference in the long-term outcome? A comprehensive examination of this subject carried out at the Montreal Children's Hospital discovered a startling fact. At the end of five years, hyperactive children who received Ritalin did not differ significantly from children who had not received. Although it appeared that hyperactive kids treated with Ritalin were initially more manageable, the degree of improvement and emotional adjustment was essentially identical at the end of five years to that seen in a group of kids who had received no medication at all.

There are side effects to the ADHD medications. If you’re still undecided about medicating your child, here are the side effects of the most commonly used medications (as listed in the Physician’s Desk Reference):

Common Side Effects
•Addiction
•Nervousness including agitation, anxiety and irritability
•Trouble sleeping (insomnia)
•Decreased appetite
•Headache
•Stomach ache
•Nausea
•Dizziness
•Heart palpitations

Other Serious Side Effects Include
-Slowing of growth (height and weight) in children
-Slowing of growth of body organs (including the brain)
-Seizures, mainly in patients with a history of seizures
-Eyesight changes or blurred vision

How Can I Help My Child Focus Better in School?
If you have an active child that has a challenge keeping focused during school, here are some suggestions that have proven to be of help. Research suggests that a good breakfast helps a child do better in school. For example, a 1998 study published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, showed that children who ate breakfast regularly had higher reading and math scores, lower levels of depression, anxiety, and hyperactivity, better school attendance, improved attention spans, and fewer behavior problems.

For children with ADHD, the menu matters, too. In a 1983 study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, researchers at George Washington University tested three breakfast types (high-carbohydrate, high-protein, and no breakfast at all) on 39 children with ADHD and 44 kids without the condition. For the hyperactive children, performance on several tests, including a test for attention, was significantly worse with the high-carbohydrate breakfast, as compared with the scores of the children who ate the high-protein breakfast.

As a former school principal, I can testify that eating a breakfast high in protein resulted in a major improvement in children who previously had problems focusing during class time. I tested this and had great results. Believe me, I know, as a working parent, it’s much easier to let your kids just grab a bowl of cereal. However, giving them anything they like that has protein, such as eggs, bacon, peanut butter, string cheese, etc. will help them immensely. Why risk harmful side effects, especially when the effectiveness of the drugs are suspect? Spending the extra time to give your child a nutritious breakfast can help prepare them mentally and physically for a successful day at school.

“A child in the crowd calls out that the Emperor is wearing nothing at all and the cry is taken up by others. “

SHOULD CHILDREN BE ACTIVE VOLUNTEERS?

2011-01-08T12:27:00.000-08:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #78 – January 8, 2010

Have you ever noticed when you are busily working on something at home, like washing the car, or cleaning the windows, many times your child will eagerly come up and ask, “Can I help?”? Perhaps your child has even seen you actively participating in a volunteer capacity such as: cleaning up the local park, bringing cards or gifts to a local senior citizen’s center or dropping off toys during the Toys for Tots Campaign. Children innately like to help.

As a high school teacher, one year I decided to involve my eleventh grade students in a Service Learning Project. This is a project where students volunteer and help their community in some capacity. From personal experience I can tell you, it’s not that easy to find places that will allow unsupervised volunteers under the age of 18. I was lucky to find two local elementary schools that allowed my students to visit their first grade classes and become a “Reading Buddies” to some classes of first graders. The experience was an incredible “win-win” for all.

Many of my students wrote comments in their journals indicating they actually felt they had received more than they had given. As they watched the joy and exuberance displayed by their “buddy”each visit and noted the increased enthusiasm the child had toward reading, they felt pride in the important gift they were able to impart to that child.

Upon recalling this tremendous experience, I was wondering how it would be possible for even younger children to volunteer. After a bit of research, I found the following activities children can do as volunteers:

-Collect canned food and other necessities for people in shelters
-Devise ways to raise money for a charity of their choice (car washes, bake sales, etc.)
-If your child is in a musical group (choir, band, etc.) they can perform at a nursing home
-Drop off baked goods or reading materials at a home or shelter for the needy
-Send letters or greeting cards to our troops overseas
-If your child likes animals, the Humane Society offers programs where children can help care for the animals (with parental supervision)

Here are a few websites that encourage and offer volunteer opportunities for kids and youth:
Volunteerkids.gov, Dosomething.org, Blossom International.org/children.htm, Volunteermatch.com, Artistshelpingchildren.org/wayschildrencanhelp.htm.

The fact is, the significance of children volunteering cannot be easily measured, but its worth is inestimable. When kids volunteer, their self-esteem increases as they build confidence in their ability to assist others. Volunteering also enables children to view themselves as essential to the world as they become aware of the fact they can truly make a difference. Even the youngest children can bring joy to others when they volunteer. Next time a child asks, “Can I help?” realize the full potential of the question. Should children be active volunteers? What do you think?

“To do more for the world than the world does for you - that is success." Henry Ford

HOW TO HELP STUDENTS MAKE NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS

2010-12-31T05:32:00.000-08:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #77 – December 31, 2010

According to Wikipedia,
A New Year's resolution is a commitment that an individual makes to a project or the reforming of a habit, often a lifestyle change that is generally interpreted as advantageous. The name comes from the fact that these commitments normally go into effect on New Year's Day.

We are almost halfway through the school year. This is a good time for teachers and students to reflect upon what they have achieved so far, and make plans to meet, or exceed, set goals by the end of the school year.

In the spirit of the New Year, why not give your students the opportunity to make some resolutions? Welcome your students back to class. Review all they have accomplished thus far. Ask them to take a moment to think about some things they would like to change in order to become even more successful in your class than they already are. Ask them to write one very specific New Year’s Resolution they want to achieve and are willing to work toward. Then model this by writing one of your own on the board. Once they have written a resolution they are happy with, have them write down what they can do to ensure their goal is met.

Here are some examples of New Year’s Resolutions actually written by teachers in this manner:
I resolve to emphasize respect among peers.
I resolve to prepare students for the State Writing Test.
I resolve to post more student work on the walls of the classroom.
I resolve to keep records in order. It’s important to know when a student was absent. It’s also essential to keep up with grading before it gets out of control.
I resolve to Be realistic: I will not make unachievable goals for my students. I will explain my expectations to my students, and keep them accountable.
I resolve to use more Cooperative Learning strategies to engage my students in my lessons.
I resolve to model to my students:
how to encourage and support each other
how to assume responsibility for their own and each other's learning
how to self-evaluate their progress.
I resolve to help others: I will provide support for other teachers in my school or district. I will not be a teacher who conceals all of their best projects or ideas from everyone. I will share, even with those who are stingy. Also, I will motivate my students to share their time by volunteering in our community.
I resolve to make a calendar for the entire semester to hand out when they get back from Winter break. I usually make unit calendars (about a month long), but maybe making this change will be a reality check about what we have to get accomplished this spring and help them be a little more motivated and organized.
I resolve to stop letting little things student's say hurt my feelings. Just like in real life, we tend to let the negative things (that guy cut me off!) stick with us more than the acts of kindness (someone letting you merge over). I will consciously focus on the positive things they say which will make me a happier, more patient and therefore better teacher.

The Positive Results of New Year's Resolutions
A New Year’s Resolution can help a child focus on a goal she believes she can achieve or on a behavior she believes she really can change for the better. The teacher can check students’ progress toward these resolutions at the end of each month. It is okay to tweak the resolution and the method by which the student has indicated he will make it a reality. This teaches the child the value of goal setting and constant follow-up until the goal is achieved.

A resolution is like a promise one makes to oneself. When the child keeps this promise, it makes her feel very good about herself. This teaches self-respect. When the goal is met and the child knows she is learning more and doing better, she has learned self-improvement is most definitely possible. A New Year’s Resolution can lead to a more productive and satisfying year.

I wish you all a very bright and happy New Year!

When you are through changing, you are through. ~Bruce Barton

WHAT CAN I GIVE MY CHILD THAT WILL LAST?

2010-12-26T17:51:00.000-08:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora - December 26, 2010

That Barbie or Xbox are temporary, but what gifts last forever? I believe they are the gifts and lessons our children not only learn, but actually apply to their lives. Lessons learned can hopefully become guideposts of their lives.

There are so many important ideas and lessons we want our children to have. I came up with ten I thought would be helpful to most children. I’m sure I left some out. So please let me know some of your thoughts on this.

Ten Important Ideas to Share with Your Kids:
1.Treat others the way you wish to be treated. (no explanation necessary)

2.Find something outside of yourself that will give your life meaning so that, when your life is over, the world is a little better place because you were here.

3..Never compare yourself with anyone who seems to have it better than you. Remember there’s always someone worse off than you are. If you must compare, compare how you are a better person today, than you were last month.

4.Every child should learn to believe in himself; know he is important and he is loved.

5.Find ways to help others without expecting anything in return. Random acts of kindness should be innate to you.

6.Self control- Learn to control yourself – your emotions, attitudes and behaviors in the face of adversity and you will be a very powerful person .

7.Do what is right, not because of a rule or out of fear of being punished, do what is right simply because you know it is the right thing to do. What you say and do matters, even if no one is watching. Most of the happiness you have, you create yourself by making choices that reflect the real you – even if no one is looking.

8.Life isn’t fair, so don’t expect it to be. When you have something really tough to live through, look for the lessons in every experience – and apply them in the future.

9.Teach your kids to set goals (Have a vision) –At least once a year, (New Years is a great time), sit down with your kids and have them each set a goal for the year.

10.Teach kids the love of books and learning.
If a man empties his purse into his head, no one can take it from him. Benjamin Franklin

Wishing all of you the happiest of holidays!

HOW TO FIND GREAT BOOKS FOR YOUR KIDS

2010-12-18T07:01:00.000-08:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #75 – December 18, 2010

A few years ago, I had the privilege of coaching a team of fourth-grade teachers in a public school setting. I was constantly looking for cool resources to help spark students’ interest in reading. It was during this quest I came upon the California Young Reader Medal.

Each year, schools across the state are asked to send in nominations of the best book they’ve read during the year. The nominees are sorted and counted and narrowed down to the top five (in the primary category) and the top three in the other age group categories. Teachers at each school that would like to participate, read all three books to the class and then the students vote for their favorite book. The ballots are sent in and in this way, the winner of the medal is actually chosen by the students themselves!

Here are some more details about the contest:

NOMINATE!
Children, young adults, educators, librarians, parents, or anyone who works with young people and books may recommend titles. This recommendation process may take place in the classroom or may reflect work with children and young adults in a library. California Young

Reader Medal recommended titles must reflect what young people like to read.
Grade level categories are:

* Primary (K-2nd grades)
* Intermediate (3rd-5th grades)
* Middle School/Junior High (6th-8th grades)
* Young Adult (9th-12th grades)
* Picture Books for Older Readers (All Ages)

Criteria for Nomination:
* Must have strong appeal for the age group for which the recommendation is made.
* Often read or requested by children and young adults.
* Published within the previous four years and still in print.
* Written by an author who is still living.
* An original work of fiction available in the English language.

I found this to be an excellent way to find really good books for children of all ages to read. Here are this year’s nominees for all grade levels except Young Adult (high school).( I personally could not recommend the books in the Young Adult category due to the subject matter of one or all of them). Feel free to check out the California Young Reader Medal website to see these nominations and also the nominations of past years. In my humble opinion, over 90% of all the nominated books are excellent reads!

http://californiayoungreadermedal.org/

Primary Category
A Visitor for Bear by Bonnie Becker. Candlewick Press, 2008.
Pete and Pickles by Berkeley Breathed. Philomel, 2008.
Duck by Randy Cecil. Candlewick Press, 2008.
Martina the Beautiful Cockroach by Carmen Deedy. Peachtree Publications, 2008.
Thelonius Monster's Sky-High Fly Pie by Judy Sierra. Knopf, 2006.

Intermediate Category
Igraine the Brave by Cornelia Funke. The Chicken House, 2007.
Greetings from Planet Earth by Barbara Kerley. Scholastic Press, 2007.
Zorgamazoo by Robert Paul Weston. Razorbill, 2008

Middle School Category
Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis. Scholastic, 2007.
Cracker: the Best Dog in Vietnam by Cynthia Kadohota. Atheneum, 2007.
Skulduggery Pleasant: Scepter of the Ancients, Book 1 by Derek Landy. The Bowen Press, 2007.

Picture Book for Older Readers
Moon Over Star by Diana Aston. Dial, 2008.
John Paul George & Ben by Lane Smith. Hyperion Books, 2006.
Four Feet, Two Sandals by Karen Williams. Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2007.

You can also “Google” the book by title and find a short summary to learn the basic content of the story. Books are excellent gifts for any occasion. Happy hunting and Happy Holidays to you all!

The things I want to know are in books. My best friend is the man who’ll get me a book I haven’t read. Abraham Lincoln

COOL MEMORY TRICKS

2010-12-04T11:05:00.000-08:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #74 – December 4, 2010

I’ve been thinking about the various devices I have used at one time or another to remember things. One of the methods is mnemonics, which can include rhyme, acronyms and various other wordplay devices.

Mnemonics in Music
When I was learning to play the violin, we learned the names of the notes by these catch phrases:
The notes directly on the lines are GBDFA:
Good Boys Do Fine, Always.
The notes represented by the spaces between the lines are:
A, C, E, G:
All Cows Eat Grass.

Mnemonics in Astronomy
Another use of mnemonics was in memorizing the order of planets in average distance from the Sun:
(Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto)
My Very Easy Method: Just Set Up Nine Planets.

Mnemonics in Spelling
In learning how to spell, most of us remember this helpful rhyme:
I before E, except after C, or when sounded "A" as in neighbor and weigh.
There are some exceptions to this rule, but it works most of the time.

More Mnemonics
The following mnemonic is used by pilots.
If temperature or pressure drops, you will be lower (in altitude) than the aircraft's instruments suggest if they are left uncorrected. On the other hand, a rise in temperature or pressure will result in the opposite effect.
High to Low; look out below.
Low to High; clear blue sky.

Here are a couple more tricks some students have used in art and biology classes:
Acronyms
Order of colors in the rainbow, or visual spectrum:
(Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet)
Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain.

Order of taxonomy in biology:
(Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species)
Kids Prefer Cheese Over Fried Green Spinach.

Do you know some more fun ways of remembering? If so, please share and I’ll include your contributions in next week’s posting.

What we learn with pleasure we never forget.
Alfred Mercier

Seriously, what can one Seven-Year Old Do?

2010-11-27T07:29:00.000-08:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora-Posting #73-November 27, 2010

As he approached his car, Jim spotted something lodged under his windshield wiper. It was a piece of paper but, as he got closer, he noticed a bill was attached to it. When he arrived at his car, it was clear; it was a note, written in a child’s handwriting, with a dollar bill on top of it. The note said, "This is a dollar I earned doing my chores today. I wanted to do something special with it, so I am giving it to you. God Bless You. I am seven years old and my name is Josh."

Jim’s car was parked in front of the Waukesha, Wisconsin YMCA. What was he going to do with that note and bill? He could just slip the dollar into his pocket and toss the note. Many would have done that. But the thought never crossed Jim’s mind. Instead, he was greatly moved by the words scrawled in the seven-year-old child’s handwriting. He must have thought it was some kind of sign or at least a good omen. Whatever the case, he was certain this was not an accident. He knew he had to do something. But what? He figured, if a little kid could make him feel that way with one selfless act, why not add to it?

So, instead of getting into his car, Jim walked the note and the dollar into the YMCA and approached the front desk. He added $10 of his own as a donation. He then suggested to the person in charge, this child’s kind gesture be used as a model for a program they were running called, “Strong Kids Campaign.” This effort enables children who cannot afford to participate in YMCA activities to do so without cost.

Somehow the word got out, and within days, more and more people started contributing to the fund. Good feelings began to spread, turning the child's original endeavor into a snowball effect. Before long, over $3,000 had been raised for the YMCA fund.

What if we, somehow, were able to communicate to children and adults that the charitable act of one person can make a huge difference? In this world where so many people have become cynical, it’s nice to know, sometimes good things, like Acts of Kindness, can be contagious.

CREATING A SUCCESSFUL PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCE

2010-11-19T13:22:00.000-08:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #72 – November 20, 2010

As a parent and a teacher, I can fully appreciate both sides of the Parent-Teacher Conference. As a parent I was anxiously interested in the progress my children were making in school and wanted to know, from the teacher, how I could help my child at home. As a teacher, I can see things from the parents' perspective and treat the meeting much like I would a “family” meeting, where all members of the team are on the same page: wanting to create a successful and enjoyable learning experience for the child. Following are some recommendations, based on my experience, to help make the parent-teacher conference accomplish just that.

The Greeting
It is a good idea to greet parents at the door, lead them to the table where you’d like them to sit and then sit right next to them (rather than across from them). Thank them sincerely for showing such a keen interest in their child’s education.

Getting Comfortable
Start with some positive remarks about the child. Identify a strength and ask the parent to embellish upon one also. This will make the parent feel more at ease and sense that you really are there to work together.

The Appraisal
Continue by discussing the child’s performance in each subject, using assessment data and student work to show the parent both strengths and weaknesses their child is demonstrating. Always try to end with some of the student’s strengths both academically and socially.

Homework for Parents
At this point, most parents want to know what they can do to help their child improve in the areas of difficulty. Have prepared lists on hand of helpful websites with practical exercises and specific activities for parents to do with their children in each area of study. If necessary, present references for tutors (both private and free).

Q and A
At the end of the conference, answer any questions the parent has. Close by reviewing the important information covered. For example: “It was a pleasure meeting with you today. I really enjoy having Jeremy in my class. You are going to work with him nightly on his math homework and contact a tutor if you feel one is needed. His goal for this quarter is to raise his math grade. I am confident we can accomplish this as a team. “

Follow Up
Keep the communication open with all parents throughout the year. Let them know you are there working with their child at school and you are counting on their help at home to give the child whatever it takes to make him a confident, successful student.

"Teacher : The child's third parent." - Hyman Berston

WHICH TYPE ARE YOU?

2010-11-13T08:11:00.000-08:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #71- November 13, 2010

It’s that time of year. Many parents are attending their first parent-teacher conference. I had originally planned to write about Parent-Teacher Conferences this week, however, while researching I came upon an interesting website. This website includes many helpful tips for both parents and teachers.

One of the entries under the subject of Parent-Teacher Conferences that caught my eye was a chart, presumably describing three parent “types.” The chart describes the three parent types and then goes on to give ten examples of how each type handles different situations with their child.

Here are the three types with the ten given examples, along with a few of my thoughts:

Over Protective:
This parent hovers over their children and rescues them from the hostile world in which they live.
1. Provides messages of weakness and low personal worth.
2. Makes excuses for their child, but complains about mishandled responsibilities. The child can do no wrong. It's always the teacher's (or somebody else’s) fault.
3. “Takes on” the responsibilities of their child.
4. Protects the child from any possible negative feelings.
5. Makes virtually all decisions for the child.
6. Provides no structure, but complains, “After all I’ve done for you…”
7. Whines and uses guilt: “When will you ever learn. I always have to clean up after you.”
8. Gripes about having an irresponsible child who causes “me” more work and responsibility.
9. Uses lots of words and actions that rescue or indicate that the child is incapable.
10. Protects the child from natural consequences, i.e. if you are mean to someone, they will probably be mean back to you.

Many of us have seen this “hovering” parent, who undoubtedly feels she is doing the right thing by making sure her child never has to experience anything negative while she’s there to surround the child with a buffer of protection. Has this parent thought of how the child will learn to deal with obstacles and make decisions on his own, when Mom or Dad isn’t around? Is this parent really doing their child a service or actually making their child more vulnerable and less self-sufficient?

The Dictator:
This parent commands and directs the lives of their children.
1. Provides messages of low personal worth and resistance.
2. Makes lots of demands and has lots of expectations about responsibility.
3. Tells their children how they should handle responsibility.
4. Tells their child how they should feel.
5. Deals out absolutes: “This is the decision you should make!”
6. Demands that jobs be done now.
7. Issues orders and threats. “You get that room cleaned up or else…”
8. Takes over ownership of the problem using threats and orders to solve the problem.
9. Uses lots of harsh words and very few actions.
10. Uses punishment; pain and humiliation serve as the teacher.

This is the parent we sometimes see and then understand why people living in a dictatorship are willing to do practically anything to escape. This parent doesn’t understand that by taking away the child’s willingness to do “what is expected,” he is taking away the child’s interest as well. When this happens, the child’s spirit is broken and the parent may have an obedient slave, but he will not have a child that respects his parent. Only when the child understands why, certain behaviors and decisions are best, is he able to make good decisions on his own.

The Guide:
This can also be called, "The Love and Logic Parent." The Love and Logic parent provides guidance for their children.
1. Provides and communicates messages of personal worth and strength to their children.
2. Very seldom is required to mention responsibilities.
3. Demonstrates by example how to take care of self and be responsible.
4. Shares personal feelings about their own performance and responsibilities.
5. Provides and helps their children explore alternatives and then allows them to make their own decisions.
6. Provides “time frames” in which child may complete responsibilities.
7. Models (and can also verbalize)doing a good job, finishing, cleaning up, feeling good about it.
8. Often asks self, “Who owns the problem?” Helps the child explore solutions to the problem.
9. Uses lots of actions, but few words. (“Actions speak louder than words.”)
10. Allows child to experience life’s natural consequences and allows them to serve as the teacher.

This is the type of parent that understands the importance of talking the talk and walking the walk. Through verbal encouragement and living examples of being responsible and making good decisions, the child learns. The child feels loved and wants to create the same great results he sees his parents enjoying. The child feels empowered and trusted to make his own decisions and has the opportunity to blossom into a productive member of society.

In most cases, a parent may possess qualities from each of the three examples given. However, one of these types usually tends to be dominant. Which type do you think is the most beneficial to the child?
- - - - - - -

The material for the Three Types of Parents is taken directly from the website: loveandlogic.com. This is the website mentioned that also provides numerous tips for parents and teachers.

2010-11-06T09:58:00.000-07:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #70 - November 6, 2010

When I read this true account of the Thanksgiving Story, it gave the holiday a whole new meaning for me. Albeit, I will personally still consider the holiday as a day of thanks, I thought it only right to share this new knowledge I have encountered with you:

The Real Story Behind Thanksgiving
Paul Schmidt
Did you know that the first [Plymouth Colony Pilgrim's] Thanksgiving was a celebration of the triumph of private property and individual initiative?
William Bradford was the governor of the original Pilgrim colony, founded at Plymouth in 1621. The colony was first organized on a communal basis, as their financiers required. Land was owned in common. The Pilgrims farmed communally, too, following the "from each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs" precept.
The results were disastrous. Communism didn't work any better 400 years ago than it does today. By 1623, the colony had suffered serious losses. Starvation was imminent.
Bradford realized that the communal system encouraged and rewarded waste and laziness and inefficiency, and destroyed individual initiative. Desperate, he abolished it. He distributed private plots of land among the surviving Pilgrims, encouraging them to plant early and farm as individuals, not collectively.
The results: a bountiful early harvest that saved the colonies. After the harvest, the Pilgrims celebrated with a day of Thanksgiving -- on August 9th.
Unfortunately, William Bradford's diaries -- in which he recorded the failure of the collectivist system and the triumph of private enterprise -- were lost for many years. When Thanksgiving was later made a national holiday, the present November date was chosen. And the lesson the Pilgrims so painfully learned was, alas, not made a part of the holiday.
Happily, Bradford's diaries were later rediscovered. They're available today in paperback. They tell the real story of Thanksgiving -- how private property and individual initiative saved the Pilgrims.
- - - - -
What a great true story to share with your own children or with your students at this time of the year! In a classroom setting, this story would lend itself well to a group discussion about the message of this hard, true lesson learned. It would also be interesting to have partners or small groups of students come up with ways they can apply the knowledge learned here to their own lives and/or to the lives of others.

It sounds like the story is saying, in most cases, when individuals are responsible for putting their own bread on the table, and know they can personally reap the benefits of their own effort (large or small); they step up, and do so with a lot more resolve and enthusiasm.
Much is being said today about the direction our country is headed. When you look at this example with students, they can make up their own minds about government intervention vs. free enterprize.

The purpose of history is to avoid repeating the same mistakes and to emulate great successes of the past. Has this story of our forefathers suggested any possible applications to you?

Convincing Students Not To Cheat

2010-10-30T08:58:00.000-07:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #69 – October 30, 2010

A recent study shows that 95 percent of high school students have cheated. Unbelievable! This makes it all the more imperative, we teach students why cheating is never the right path to choose.

Why Do Students Cheat?
Some of the reasons students give for cheating include: laziness, fear of failure, and the pressures of school. Some even believe, cheating is an acceptable method for succeeding in school. The truth is, cheating is a crime.

Some students cheat because they have no role models to demonstrate honesty on a daily basis in their lives. Another roadblock to deterring this crime is the teachers who simply turn a blind eye to dishonesty. Some cheating may be inadvertent, such as plagiarizing information off the internet. Students need to be taught how to properly use the resources available online.

How do Students Cheat?
According to the new national survey of 2,000 middle and high school students, 35 percent of teens with cell phones say they've used a cell phone at least once to cheat during a test and over half (52 percent) say they've used the Internet to cheat. I’ve heard some teachers have already wised-up to this, and collect cell phones at the door on test day. Anyone caught with a cell phone during the test (whether it is being used or not) automatically fails the exam. Wow! Look how far technology has brought us. I thought it was bad enough when a student turned in his final Senior Term Paper to me. He had downloaded it from the Internet and hadn’t even bothered to remove the original author’s name from the title page. Naturally, his parents were outraged that this actually did affect his final grade in the class. It’s a good thing I had all the students and parents sign an Honesty Policy at the beginning of the year. Oops! Oh yeah. The parents squirmed in their seats as they stared, wide-eyed at their signatures on the aforementioned document.

How do We Stop the Cheating?
What can we as teachers and parents do to encourage students to take the more difficult path, which includes their own critical thinking and organizational skills, rather than copying information word for word authored by someone else and freely available on the Internet? One way is for teachers to make the assignment as interesting and useful to the student as possible. Allow students to choose from a variety of topics, so they will want to use their own voice as they begin to compose.

It may also help to give the students an example of why the “quick and easy” route may not always be the best solution. Ask them to imagine they have been diagnosed with a fatal illness and that their only chance for survival is a very delicate surgery. Ask them how they would feel; if they discovered the doctor about to perform the surgery had cheated all the way through medical school. There will always be a time in life where one is held accountable and responsible for his actions.

Lastly, let your students know, you expect nothing but the best from them. You expect them to improve their critical thinking skills, writing and organizing skills and improve with each piece of work they turn in. You want each of them to acquire all the tools and skills necessary to make it on their own in college or in the career of their choice. They alone will know if they have put in the hard work and effort it takes to achieve this goal. Knowing this alone, will give them the confidence to make their dreams a reality.

Character is higher than intellect. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

WHAT TO DO WITH STARFISH

2010-10-09T09:06:00.000-07:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #68 – October 9, 2010

If you’ve ever been given a gift that changed your life, you will understand what I’m about to say. Have you ever had someone help you out? Make a difference in your life? Show you or teach you something that changed your world? Someone once gave me something that had such a significant impact on my thinking as a teacher, I felt compelled to pass it on to others. This is why I am giving you the gift now.

When I was a principal, I gave this gift to my teachers, every year. To do so, I gathered all of them in a room and sat them around a large table. I noticed how full of energy they were, anticipating the work that awaited them. There was Mark; he had a way of making even the most downtrodden child smile and feel good about something they had done. I remember Marie getting down on the pavement of the parking lot trying to calm one of our “special” students who was intent on remaining underneath his mom’s car. I waited until their conversations died down. I welcomed them to the fresh start of our school year, smiled and proceeded to read them this story:

The Starfish Story
(adapted from The Star Thrower by Loren Eiseley 1907 – 1977)
While walking down the beach, a man saw someone in the distance leaning down, picking something up and throwing it in the ocean.
As he came closer, he saw thousands of starfish the tide had thrown onto the beach. Unable to return to the ocean during low tide, the starfish were dying. He observed a young boy picking up the starfish one by one and throwing them back into the ocean.
After watching the seemingly futile effort, the observer said, "There must be thousands of starfish on this beach. It would be impossible for you to save all of them. There are simply too many. You can't possibly save enough to make a difference."
The young boy smiled as he picked up another starfish and tossed it back into the ocean.
"It made a difference to that one," he replied.
--------------------
After reading the story, I waited a few seconds, and allowed this awesome truth to sink in. I noticed wide open eyes and nodding heads. When the time was right, I asked, “So, what are you thinking?”

Each one of them had different thoughts about how this story applied to their job as a teacher. Each one internally made it a personal story. This is exactly what I wanted to happen. How much better is it when someone creates their own meaning, from which they can then build their own goals and dreams? Then, I gave each teacher a starfish pin to wear, in hopes that wearing the pin and seeing this symbol would keep the burning purpose of making a difference, alive throughout the year.

On one of our “Back to School Nights,” one of my teachers told this story to the parents as “his own.” He promised the parents not to leave even one “starfish” behind in the sand. He said the children would be safe with him and he would help guide them toward the kind of learning that would lead them beyond mere survival and onto a life where they would use their own abilities to thrive.

It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can only do little - do what you can. ~Sydney Smith

If you know someone who you would like to give the gift of this story to as well as the starfish pin, here is the website I order them from. ( I am not connected to this website in any way):
http://www.masterteacher.com/product/detail.cfm?MT_Item_Number=240101

Find the Time for the Rhyme

2010-09-25T15:45:00.000-07:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #67 – September 25, 2010

Why do kids love nursery rhymes? Could it be because they are sprinkled with adventure, or that they spark a child’s imagination? Is it that children innately enjoy the sound and the feel of rhyme and rhythm? Do nursery rhymes fill them with wonder? Is it because rhymes are teaching tools (oops, let’s keep that our little secret)? Or is it because nursery rhymes are just plain fun? Whatever the reason, we do know, nursery rhymes fill children with curiosity and therefore, with a desire to learn that will continue for a lifetime.

Tony Stead, senior national literacy consultant for Mondo Publishing in New York, in response to research that showed, in 1945, the average elementary school student had a vocabulary of 10,000 words, while today’s child has only 2,500, said:

"That is disastrous," Mr. Stead said. "So many parents are not reading to their children anymore." A lot of problems,” he added, “come from children not memorizing rhymes, the bread-and-butter of traditional early children's literature. Listening comprehension precedes reading comprehension," Mr. Stead said. "In order for a child to understand what they are reading, they have to be able to hear the language first. A lot of the traditional rhymes, such as 'Jack and Jill' and 'Humpty Dumpty,' were repetitious and allowed us to memorize basic structures and patterns in the English language, and then put it together. It's important that young children learn to memorize through verse. This is a powerful time to teach them to be readers and writers "Rhyme is important in developing phonemic [hearing] awareness in children," he said.

A typical nursery rhyme has simple vocabulary and a catchy rhyme:
Little Jack Horner sat in the corner
Eating his Christmas pie,
He put in his thumb and pulled out a plum
And said, “What a good boy I am!”

Some nursery rhymes are also songs. Children can quickly learn to sing along with a nursery rhyme, while at the same time increasing their vocabulary. Since counting is often integrated into a nursery rhyme (i.e. Five Little Ducks) as well, children can also start to learn to count using nursery rhymes. In addition, when a child learns a nursery rhyme, he or she can also learn to follow it on the page, and many children learn the fundamentals of reading this way.

Nursery rhymes have been used in early childhood education for years because it provides young children with a fun and exciting way to learn about math, letters, opposites, position words and other important concepts. But there are other reasons we should do nursery rhyme activities with our children. Here are a few reasons why.

Nursery rhymes encourage parent reading out loud
One of the most important reasons for doing nursery rhyme activities with your children is that they encourage you to read to them which in turn will show them how enjoyable reading is. But nursery rhyme activities are also good to help children read later on in life. They do this because they teach children about words that rhyme and silly words. Through hearing the sounds of the words your children will become enthralled with nursery rhymes.

Nursery rhymes teach memorization
Because nursery rhymes are read again and again, the activity teaches memorization through repetition. Memorization is a skill that will come in handy in just about every subject in school. Most nursery rhyme activities require you to say the nursery rhyme over and over again which will help your child memorize those words and if you are reading them from a piece of paper your child will soon learn to recognize certain words by sight, and they will be ahead of their class once they get started in school.

Quality time with your children
This reason has nothing directly to do with learning. However, it may be the best reason to do nursery rhyme activities. It allows you to spend time with your children and by spending time with your children you are showing them that they are important to you. Today’s world has become so fast paced that spending time with our children has stopped being a priority. It used to be that every child knew their nursery rhymes before they went to school because their parents spent time teaching them to their children. But now, for various reasons, many parents leave all the teaching up to other people. By doing nursery rhyme activities with your child you will be showing them they are the most important part of your life!

Children seem naturally drawn to poetry - it's some combination of the rhyme, rhythm, and the words themselves.
Jack Prelutsky

P.E. or no P.E?

2010-09-18T10:07:00.000-07:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #66 – September 18, 2010

Some of us may have enjoyed Physical Education Class during our school years, others maybe not so much. One thing I think we can all agree on is, P.E. can be fun (if you have a well-trained teacher) and as a bonus, it is good for our physical health and mental alertness.

Due to ongoing school budget cuts, many schools are forced to prioritize. When this happens, physical education, music, art and other “extracurricular” courses are the first ones on the chopping block. Despite Michelle Obama's gung-ho "Let's Move" campaign, which encourages schools and communities to combat childhood obesity, the results of the American Heart Association and the National Association for Sport and Physical Education's Shape of the Nation 2010 report does not bear good news.

According to the report, 32 states make it easy for students to swap P.E. for other extracurricular classes. Even though there has been a 17 percent increase in the number of states that require P.E. over the past few years, only five require P.E. from kindergarten through twelfth grade, and just one (Alabama) requires the American Heart Association's recommended time allotment: 150 minutes per week for elementary school students and 225 for middle and high school.

So, when School Boards make these decisions, do they actually think it’s good for the kids to keep them in their seats all day long at school? A creatively designed P.E. program would not only include running around the track or playing baseball, P.E. could (and does, in some cases) include instruction on nutrition and healthy lifestyle habits, as well as other forms of movement, like dance, improvisation games, or academically-integrated activities. The rise in childhood obesity should act as a red flag. In contrast to the negative side of inactivity, research shows kids are more apt to be mentally alert for other subjects if they get a chance to move around. Any kindergarten teacher can tell you this.

Data indicates nearly 10 million children and adolescents in the United States ages 6–19 are considered overweight. The prevalence of being overweight in adolescents has quadrupled from 4 percent in 1971-74 to 17 percent in 2003-06. Increasing physical activity can prevent obesity. Schools can help in the effort by offering quality, daily physical education and other opportunities to recreate. Physical education not only gives children an opportunity to be active but it teaches them the skills they need to be active throughout their lifetime.

Unfortunately, very few states require daily physical education in grades K-12. In an era when increasing obesity and rising healthcare costs are threatening our competitive advantage and national security, we are cutting the very programs that could help reverse this trend. Schools should develop standards for student learning in physical education that reflect national and state standards and should require that physical education be taught by certified/licensed physical education teachers.

At the end of the day no healthy diet exists for a sedentary lifestyle. Encourage your children, friends and family to schedule physical activity into their daily lives. Be proactive by letting your local educators and school board members know that physical education is a priority. You can also contact your local congressman. Yes, it’s that important!

“Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it.” ~Plato

SMART 'N SASSY SCHOOL SNACKS

2010-09-11T13:23:00.000-07:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #65 – September 11, 2010

During “Nutrition” period at many schools, the most common snacks I see children eating are: hot chips, cookies and candy bars. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m sure all of these treats are quite tasty. However, how will they add to a child’s mental and physical capacity?

Recently, the focus on children's health and well-being has shifted to poor eating habits accompanied by inactive lifestyles and the overwhelming increase in childhood obesity. A recent article in the academic journal, Appetites stated, "Children who replace proper breakfast with chocolate bars and carbonated drinks have the reaction levels of a 70 year old by the end of the morning."

Poor nutrition affects all walks of life
Research has shown that a child's behavior, learning capacity, cognitive performance and school attendance are negatively impacted by inadequate nutrition. When a child's body has no food, their brain lacks the fuel necessary to start their day off on the right track, alert and ready to concentrate at school.

A healthy lifestyle begins with a proper diet. Healthy eating is important in children for the proper formation of bones, teeth, muscle and a healthy heart. Diet can affect growth and development in small children as well as teens. As we all know by now, childhood obesity is on the rise. If we, the adults, promote a healthy diet, our children can maintain a healthy weight be more mentally alert, and stay healthy as they grow into young adults.

Things to Keep in Mind

The important thing is to provide children with nutritious snacks that don't undermine the primary goal of keeping them healthy and fit. We can do this by avoiding foods that are fried, processed, too oily or too salty; and, definitely keep sugar to a minimum. If your child eats healthy snacks from the start, they'll likely continue to make good food choices throughout their lives.

As for serving sizes, young children don't need large portions. Many experts agree that servings should equal about one tablespoon of food for each year of a child's age. Enjoy serving them those small portions now, because your grocery bills will increase dramatically as they get older!

A few Do's and Don'ts
Many common snacks that children “go to” include chips, baked cheese crackers, a variety of cookies and chewy fruit snacks. While these snacks may be marketed as healthy and low fat, often times they are made from refined grains and are high in sugar and sodium. These components pose a variety of health risks as noted in “The Dangers of Unhealthy Ingredients in Packaged Foods,” dated April 28, 2009 and found on the Wellsphere website.

Dont's

•Refined grains- cause insulin resistance and high blood pressure.
•Sodium- salt helps to regulate blood pressure and maintains the balance of body fluids. Too much salt can cause blood pressure to go up.
•Sugar- sugars are rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream which causes a rise in insulin. Insulin acts to clear sugar and fat from the blood and stores it in tissues for future use. This causes weight gain.

Do's
Smart parents can really “out-do” the hot chips and candy bars by sending kids off to school with snacks that will very likely start a trend among your child's friends of healthier eating during nutrition period.

Healthier Snack Ideas:
Crunchy vegetable sticks (carrots, celery, jicama, sugar snap peas)
(with peanut butter or any nut spread, or ranch dressing).
Ants on a Log: Peanut butter on celery with raisins
Whole-wheat crackers or whole-wheat tortilla with cheese
String cheese
Sliced apples, oranges, berries (any kind)
Mixed raisins (or other dried fruit) with nuts, sunflower seeds, soy nuts
Hummus and pita wedges

Many of these can be mixed & matched. Here you have a fairly easy way to make an important impact and really help your children function better mentally and physically. These “smart ‘n sassy snacks,” will keep their faces smiling and their engines burning mightily.

"The wise man should consider that health is the greatest of human blessings. Let food be your medicine."
- Hippocrates

Ready For Middle School?

2010-09-04T09:34:00.000-07:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #64 - September 4, 2010

Getting your five-year-old ready for the first day of Kindergarten is quite a memorable experience. However, another equally challenging day, especially for the child, is going from elementary to middle school. Here are a few suggestions to help you and your child prepare for and feel confident on that day.

Early Visit to School: Take your student to her new school ahead of time so she can familiarize herself with the new territory. If she already has her class schedule, she can even walk around the campus and see exactly where each of her classes will meet. Other places to visit are: restrooms, cafeteria, auditorium or multi-media room and the main office.

School Supply List: One of the most difficult tasks for children is getting and staying organized. Most office supply stores such as Office Depot and Staples have a generic “School Supply List.” Generally speaking, your child should go to school on the first day with a pen, pencil and some kind of planner/notebook. That way, when the teachers send home their own “supply lists” during the first week of school, you won’t have to make two trips to the office supply store.

School Website: If you haven’t received any mail from your child’s middle school by the middle of August, look for the schools’ website or call the school to find out when the school orientation will be held.

Proper Place for Homework: Another way to help your child get organized is to set up a specific spot for homework, a quiet place with proper lighting, and few distractions. Make a supply box with extra pencils, pens; paper a three-hole punch and things like extra calculator, rulers, and compasses. A homemade one-page, six or nine week calendar is a good idea to mark project due dates and special test dates.

Proper Time for Homework: You and your child should agree on a specific time each day for homework and stick to it. Also, get your child used to placing finished homework directly into a folder inside their backpack. That way, they never have to worry they’ve forgotten the homework and left it at home.

The Binder: I suggest their main notebook (a zippered three ring binder) for school has two pockets for loose papers. One pocket should be only for things going home for parents (and things returned from parents to school). The other pocket is for any papers they get that they may not have time to organize at school.

Communication/Monitoring: As a parent of a middle school child, you will need to maintain constant communication and connection with your child. Keep in mind that while your child may need more space and independence to discover new interests and build skills and knowledge, he or she will also need your continued support and guidance throughout the middle school years.

How Can I Help My Child Move From Elementary To Middle School?
Other ways to help your child through this transition include:
•Attending open house at the middle school
•Meeting with your child’s teachers
•Helping your child get organized.

It is important to encourage your child to do his or her best in school and in any outside activities. As a parent you can do this by:
•Showing love. Provide support and encourage your child to develop his or her interests.
•Teaching responsibility. Encourage your child to be responsible for chores, completing homework assignments, taking on community activities, and acknowledging good decisions that he or she has made.
•Being a role model. Show that you value education and exhibit the values and behavior you hope your child will develop.
•Providing and encouraging your child to try a range of experiences in sports, music, volunteer activities, travel, etc. This will allow your child to discover and develop his or her strengths.
•Talking to your child. Be aware of what your child is doing. Talk to your child about his or her day, activities, school work, friends, and interests.

Stay Involved In Your Child's School And Other Activities. So many parents show up at elementary school activities. It always shocks me to see that only a handful of parents attend middle school activities. Your child may need more independence in his or her early teens, but it is still important for you to remain involved and interested in your child’s school and after-school activities.

You can keep on top of how your child is doing by:
•Keeping in touch with your child’s school
•Attending school events and volunteering in your child’s school
•Being aware of your child’s homework and school demands
•Monitoring your child’s progress

Even though your child may protest outwardly, deep inside, your child knows you are keeping an eye on him because you love him and really care about his future.

“I have found the best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want and then advise them to do it.” Harry S Truman

Interesting Findings in Recent Gallup Poll About Education

2010-08-27T09:09:00.001-07:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #63 – August 27, 2010

I belong to Phi Delta Kappa, a national professional educators’ association. Each year, PDK solicits the Gallup Organization to conduct a poll concerning the public’s opinion regarding a myriad of educational issues. Here are three major issues addressed in the recently published poll I would like to share with you:

1.The Importance of Professional Development and Training
The annual poll, administered for the Phi Delta Kappa professional association by the Gallup organization, indicates that parents view teacher learning as a critical factor in improving outcomes for students.
"The findings of the PDK/Gallup poll demonstrate that the public recognizes professional development is key to offering quality teaching and improving student performance," said Stephanie Hirsh, Executive Director of the National Staff Development Council.
"Education stakeholders from classroom teachers to superintendents and elected officials can use these findings as incentives to shift professional development from an occasional event to a cycle of continuous improvement that is grounded in research, addresses student performance data and is incorporated seamlessly into every school day," Hirsh added.
Nearly half of the respondents – 44 percent – ranked "having teachers spend more time learning new ways to teach" as the tactic that would have the greatest impact on improving student learning. Respondents also routinely selected "improving teacher quality" as the single most important need for our nation's schools.

I totally concur with the above finding. Not only is it research based, but I have witnessed firsthand on many campuses the positive impact correct teacher training can have on student learning and achievement. This is the area where school districts can really get the “most bang for their buck!”

2. Performance-based Pay
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The large majority of parents with children in the public K-12 school system would like to see teacher pay revolve around teacher performance, not the standard scale of pay. Seventy-two percent of public school parents say teachers' salaries should be tied to the quality of their work. Additionally, 75% say teachers' salaries should be somewhat or very closely tied to their own students' academic achievement.

In theory, this sounds good. However, I would want to see this proposal include a way to measure actual improvement from baseline data in September up to the end of the school year in May. It’s not as difficult for children of college educated parents, living comfortably with three meals a day to do well in school as it is for students living below the poverty level, with virtually no parental supervision or support.

3.What About Charter Schools?
The annual PDK/Gallup poll on public education shows a significant jump in public support for public charter schools—from 51 percent in 2008 to 64 percent this year. While almost two out of three Americans support public charter schools, they continue to admit confusion about whether they are public schools and whether they can charge tuition, teach religion, or select their own students.

To answer the three confusions above: no, no, and no. Charter Schools are public schools, supported by our tax dollars, so “No” they can’t and don’t charge tuition. “No,” as a public school they can’t teach religion. Finally, “no,” they can’t select their own students. Every student that applies will be accepted, except in cases where the charter school cannot offer specific services for the child. For example, if a student is severely autistic, and the school can’t afford and doesn’t have a special teacher to meet that student’s needs, the child may have to attend a different school. In addition, since most charter schools have a fairly tight budget, they tend to have fewer non-essential personnel, such as nurse, school psychologist, etc. Nonetheless, parents don’t seem to mind. Go figure.

“Education is a better safeguard of liberty than a standing army.” ~Edward Everett

Please read this book of true, inspirational stories about "my kids."

http://www.publishamerica.net/product89724.html

What About Charter Schools?

2010-08-21T07:17:00.000-07:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora

Posting #62 – August 21, 2010

After a long career as a public school teacher and principal, I decided to leave the “traditional” school system in 2004 and join a public Charter School. Many former colleagues joked and said, “Oh, so you’re going over to the dark side?” I took this in good humor.

Joining a charter school was the best career decision I ever made. As an educator and school principal, it was like a breath of fresh air. I saw school leaders working together with their teachers not to find the easiest, fastest way to raise State Test Scores, but to find the best methods to really get through to the kids so they could understand and use the tools and the information being taught. After retiring, I continue to work in the education arena as an author and consultant.

Currently, I am keeping my eye on the nation-wide growth of the Charter School Movement. As an educator I attend numerous professional events. As I do so, I notice a lot of “bad mouthing” of Charter Schools by administrators and teachers employed by traditional schools. One example I hear a lot is: “Charter Schools steal the cream of the crop students from our schools.” I have to hold myself back from laughing out loud when I hear this one. I know for a fact that most charter schools are besieged with parents wanting to enroll their children, who have been suspended or even expelled from the traditional school system. Although most folks wouldn’t consider these kids the “cream of the crop,” they seem to thrive in charter schools and become some of the best students you could ever want to meet.

I attended the 2009 National Annual Meeting of the NEA (National Education Association) in San Diego, California. It was difficult for me to believe that so many of the resolutions being voted on had virtually nothing to do with education. It was also quite disconcerting to discover several “anti-charter school” resolutions being voted on and passed. Being the idealist that I am, I assumed all teachers and teacher organizations would want “what is best for the student,” and support those endeavors unconditionally. It was a rude awakening to realize, the NEA (which, by the way, is the largest labor union in the country) does not like charter schools for the simple fact that charter schools do not mandate their teachers to belong to the teacher’s unions and pay annual dues. Could it be? No, that’s impossible. Is the NEA trying everything possible to stop the Charter School Movement and try to insult the integrity of teachers and staff of charter schools solely for political and financial reasons? Aw, come on.

That said, I recently encountered the following article I would like to share with you:

Charter schools don't work? Results say differently
By: Gregory Kane
Examiner Staff Writer
June 21, 2010
There's bad news on the charter school front. All 107 seniors at Chicago's Urban Prep Charter Academy have been accepted to college.
That's only bad news for opponents of charter schools who've been railing against them for years, claiming that such schools "don't work."
In mid-May, I attended a symposium sponsored by the Institute for Advanced Journalism Studies, which is located on the campus of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University in Greensboro. The subject was the racial achievement gap in education and what can be done to eliminate it.
(Full disclosure: I'm a fellow at the institute, which has sent me on several assignments over the years. The most recent: a visit to Canada in mid-March to investigate and write about Toronto's achievement gap.)

Attending the symposium were Mary Frances Berry, former head of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, former National Association for the Advancement of Colored People President Kweisi Mfume and National Action Network chief Al Sharpton, among others. Even after IFAJS founder and Director DeWayne Wickham urged those attending to "think outside the box" when it came to solutions to close the achievement gap, I still heard the same refrain:
Charter schools don't work.

The implication is that because charter schools don't work, then we shouldn't have them. What the charter school bashers don't realize is that if this logic applies to charter schools, then it applies to failing public schools that aren't charter schools as well. They clearly aren't working; that's why proponents of charter schools support charter schools in the first place.

It would be more accurate to say "not all charter schools work." Chicago's Urban Prep Charter Academy is clearly one that does.
Its students have eight-hour school days, not six-hour days. They wear uniforms that consist of tan slacks, white shirts, red ties and dark blue blazers. When a senior is accepted to college, he then sports a tie that's red with gold stripes.
And that "he" is, in this case, gender-specific: The Urban Prep Charter Academy is all-male. Students are selected by lottery and most of them are black, reflecting the Chicago neighborhood where the school is located. When Tim King founded the school in 2006, news reports say, only 4 percent of the current graduating class was able to read at grade level.
Chicago's Urban Prep Charter Academy isn't just working, it's absolutely rocking. Geoffrey Canada's Promise Academy charter school in Harlem isn't doing too badly either.

Canada is the guy who started the Harlem Children's Zone as a way to combat poverty and poor education. Promise Academy is the middle school in the HCZ. According to several news reports, students there have shown fantastic gains. One study showed that the achievement gap in math separating Promise Academy's students and white students in New York has been eliminated.

Lesser known than Canada's Promise Academy or Chicago's Urban Prep Charter Academy is Baltimore's KIPP Ujima Village Academy, a charter school for students in grades five through eight. In the 2008-2009 school year, KIPP had 343 students: 334 black, three white, three Asian, two Hispanic and one American Indian.

It's a predominantly black school in a poor, crime-ridden section of Baltimore. But in 2009, 78.6 percent of KIPP's students scored at the advanced or proficient level in math on state assessments. That compares to 63.5 percent for Baltimore City and 77.9 percent for the state. (In reading, 83.2 percent of KIPP's students were advanced or proficient, compared to 72.4 percent for the city and 84.4 percent for the state.)

When will critics of charter schools just be honest and admit that they just don't want them to work?

In my opinion, many of these critics have been fed distorted data or outright lies by supporters of the traditional public school system. Don’t’ get me wrong, there is a myriad of great traditional schools with awesome teachers working their assets off to give their students the best education they can. However, there are also “traditionalists” who are afraid that if charter schools start outshining traditional schools, some of the gravy train of funding which mostly goes to traditional schools will be re-examined, and a portion of it will go to charter schools; not that money has anything to do with decision-making about children’s’ futures . . .

Charter Schools and Traditional Schools both offer free education. Both are capable of getting outstanding results, but many don’t. Isn’t it fair to allow parents to have alternatives and choices in the type of education their children receive? Couldn’t the Charter School Movement be viewed as the impetus to get traditional schools to try whatever it is that is working in Charter Schools instead of as the villain, luring teachers and students over to the "Dark Side"?

Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what's right. ~Isaac Asimov

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO SELF-CONTROL?

2010-08-14T08:55:00.000-07:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #61 August 14, 2010

"Steven Slater, JetBlue Flight Attendant, Curses Passengers, Jumps Down Emergency Chute, Becomes Folk Hero" and "Rage at McDonalds Drive Thru over Lack of McNuggets".
How can we expect our children to exhibit self-control, when adults (who will probably soon be appearing on the Jay Leno Show), aren’t modeling civility as illustrated in the recent news headlines above.

We can only hope there are enough adults to serve as good role models out there to far outnumber the poor role models. As every good parent and pre-school teacher knows, teaching a child self-control involves helping them to:

• Think before acting
• Control impulses
• Weigh consequences
• Make safe and acceptable choices

It is important to be a good model of self-control for your child. Controlling the urge to yell when in a frustrating situation will show your child it can be done. Considering consequences by thinking aloud will give your child a living example of thinking before acting. Your everyday display of kindness, patience, consideration, tolerance, and thoughtfulness will go farther than anything else!
How many times have I seen an adult, with a teen in the passenger seat, driving a car like a wild person, yelling at the car ahead of them? Not exactly the best example setter.

Letting children know that everyone loses control sometimes allows them to view themselves and others with compassion. Frustrations and disappointments are universal experiences. We can encourage self-control by pointing out the times and ways our children are successful at demonstrating good manners and self-control. This will encourage them as they grow older and face new challenges. As children become more able to exercise self-control, they develop confidence in their ability to make good choices, an awareness of what is fair and right, and a working knowledge of how to use their personal power appropriately. Helping your child learn self-control is not an easy job, but may be the greatest gift you have to offer. I wonder what role models Steve Slater and the McDonald’s customer learned from.

Here are a few ways all adults can demonstrate good manners and self-control for children.

1. When the child hands you something, say “thank you.”
2. Rather than yank an item from the child, politely ask for it.
3. If you don't get your way in any situation, let your child see a mature, respectful manner rather than ranting. He will also be less likely to misbehave when he doesn't get his way.
4. When your child shows respect and good manners, praise him by telling him. Mention the specific good behavior he exhibited.
5. If he appears to have forgotten what he's supposed to do, gently and discreetly remind him in a way that won't embarrass him in front of peers or family. By doing this, you'll be showing respect for his feelings, which should be another example of how to handle uncomfortable situations.
6. If he is calm, allow him to return to the setting to show that he can use good manners.

When a toddler is angry he lashes out. When the adult is angry, she realizes that if she lashes out she may suffer undesirable consequences. As a result, she controls her impulse, sacrificing immediate gratification in the interest of a more satisfactory long-term solution. The mature person has a sense of the future, and thinks in terms of it as well as the present. Rational control of our emotions and impulses depends on the ability to wait and see. We must be able to take into account all of the likely consequences of our actions for us and for others.

Mature adults seeking to promote and continue our civilized way of life, usually have an internal sort of check list they follow when confronted with a very annoying and possibly explosive situation. It may include some of the following:

1.Take a personal time out.
2.Put the shoe on the other foot. Chances are you don't have all the facts.
3.Look before you leap. Consider the consequences. Will you have regret?
4.He who plans to take revenge could have to dig two graves.
5.Make your decision a win-win.

Well, Mr. Slater may or may not be a Folk Hero. He did wind up having a ballad written for him by Jimmy Fallon. Perhaps the next time one is “as mad as hell and not going to take it anymore,” rather than blurting out profanities on the speaker system, grabbing some beers and then exiting the scene on the Emergency Slide, one can try one of the above to help revive some self-control. I’m just sayin’.

Our actions and reactions to people and situations are the true tale of our maturity and ability to behave and be successful in a civilized society. We all have our daily challenges, some which are extremely difficult and aggravating. Ultimately, it is our choice to handle these challenges in a way that sets a bad example or a good example. What will your choice be?

He who conquers himself is the mightiest warrior. Confucius

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES: FOUR AREAS OF ENGAGEMENT

2010-08-07T09:26:00.000-07:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #60 – August 7, 2010

Last week I introduced a growing movement in the educational arena known as, “Professional Learning Communities” (PLC). As a seasoned educator, I am wary of new “improvement methods,” as I have witnessed so many of them come in with a myriad of promises and then go down in flames. Therefore, I am studying this one closely and value your feedback.

In Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work, DuFour, R., Eaker, R., & Many (2006), begins by examining four areas of engagement for the Professional Learning Teams, school staff teams that unite to provide solutions to help their school turn around.

1. Collective Inquiry Into Best Practice and Current Reality
2. Action Orientation: Learning by Doing
3. A Commitment to Continuous Improvement
4. Results Orientation

Collective Inquiry Into Best Practice and Current Reality

Professional Learning Teams engage in collaborative inquiry into both best practices in teaching and in learning. They are avid learners full of curiosity and openness to new possibilities. Gradually, a heightened awareness through collective inquiry and success as new strategies are tested (learning by doing). This transforms into fundamental shifts in attitudes, beliefs, and habits which, gradually transform the culture of the school.
“Working together to build shared knowledge on the best way to achieve goals and meet the needs of clients is exactly what professionals in any field are expected to do, whether it is curing the patient, winning the lawsuit, or helping all students learn. Members of a professional learning community are expected to work and learn together.” R. DuFour

Action Orientation: Learning by Doing

Professional Learning Community team members understand that the most powerful learning always occurs in a context of taking action. They understand the value of engagement and experience as the most effective teachers. “Members of PLCs recognize that learning by doing develops a deeper and more profound knowledge and greater commitment than learning by reading, listening, planning, or thinking. “ R. DuFour

Traditional schools often use a variety of strategies to resist taking meaningful actions, preferring the comfort of the familiar. Professional learning communities recognize that until members of the organization "do" things differently, there is no reason to expect different results. (PLC's take schools out of their comfort zones to show them the possibilities.)

A Commitment to Continuous Improvement

Learning Teams are continually evolving organisms, always reaching for excellence and searching for a better way. They believe anything can be improved. Here is the systematic process used to ensure continuous improvement:

1. Gathering evidence of current levels of student learning
2. Developing strategies and ideas to build on strengths and address weaknesses in that learning
3. Implementing those strategies and ideas
4. Analyzing the impact of the changes to discover what was effective and what was not
5. Applying new knowledge in the next cycle of continuous improvement

This is where PLCs differ from most traditional Professional Development methods used in schools. “The goal is not simply to learn a new strategy, but instead to create conditions for perpetual learning—an environment in which innovation and experimentation are viewed not as tasks to be accomplished or projects to be completed but as ways of conducting day-to-day business—forever. In other words, the goal is to change the culture into a learning community where everyone is involved in the process of improvement. Participation in this process is not reserved for those designated as leaders; rather, it is a responsibility of every member of the organization.”

Last week, I mentioned that according to Richard DuFour, pioneer of PLCs, the answer to this question is what separates learning communities from traditional schools:

Accountability for results

Because the school develops its own plans for improvement, it takes full responsibility for the results. To create a professional learning community, focus on learning rather than teaching, work collaboratively, and hold yourself accountable for results.

As stated in the previous paragraph, “participation in this process is not reserved for those designated as leaders; rather, it is a responsibility of every member of the organization. The willingness, indeed the zeal of all members of the PLC to participate, put in the extra time and effort it takes to create the conditions for perpetual learning, is what separates PLCs from traditional schools. No action = no results.

Results Orientation

Members of a PLC realize the culmination of their efforts in these areas—a focus on learning, collaborative teams, collective inquiry, action orientation, and continuous improvement—must be assessed on the basis of results rather than intentions. Assessments must be done on the basis of tangible results, otherwise they represent random floundering in the dark rather than purposeful improvement. As Peter Senge and colleagues conclude, "The rationale for any strategy for building a learning organization revolves around the premise that such organizations will produce dramatically improved results."

Measurable improvement goals that are aligned to school and district goals for learning are vital to knowing true results are occurring. Teams are eager to create a series of common formative assessments that are administered to students multiple times throughout the year to gather ongoing evidence of student learning.

Team members review the results from these assessments in an effort to identify and address program concerns (areas of learning where many students are experiencing difficulty). They also examine the results to discover strengths and weaknesses in their individual teaching in order to learn from one another. Most importantly, the assessments are used to identify students who need additional time and support for learning. Frequent common formative assessments represent one of the most powerful tools in the PLC arsenal.

Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results. Andrew Carnegie

What Is A 'Professional Learning Community?'

2010-07-29T13:24:00.000-07:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #59 – July 30, 2010

What is a “Professional Learning Community?” Is this yet another fad de jour someone has come up with to wreak havoc on school administrators and teachers? Or is it a research-based workable solution to the downward spiral that seems to be submerging many of our schools beyond the point of no return?
A professional learning community (PLC) is an extended learning opportunity to foster collaborative learning among colleagues within a particular work environment or field. It is often used in schools as a way to organize teachers into working groups. (Web definition)

The three components of a Professional Learning Community are:
1. A Focus on student learning rather than teaching: You haven't taught until the students have learned.
2. Collaborative grade and subject-alike problem solving: With supervision and direction given by a knowledgeable facilitator, teachers work together to plan solutions to problems that hinder student success. This includes creating uniform lesson plans that all teachers then use, test, and provide feedback about. Collaborative problem solving is also called, "Continuous Improvement."
3. Accountability for results. Because the school develops its own plans for improvement, it takes full responsibility for the results. To create a professional learning community, focus on learning rather than teaching, work collaboratively, and hold yourself accountable for results.

Richard DuFour, one of the pioneers of PLC’s advises:

As the school moves forward as a Professional Learning Community every professional in the building must engage with colleagues in the ongoing exploration of three crucial questions that drive the work of those within a professional learning community:
What do we want each student to learn?
How will we know when each student has learned it?
How will we respond when a student experiences difficulty in learning?
The answer to the third question separates learning communities from traditional schools.

In the weeks to come, we will investigate exactly how “the answer to the third question separates learning communities from traditional schools.” Anyone care to conjecture?

Today, I’d like to share this Success Story with you from a middle school right here in Orange County, California.

Pioneer Middle School
May 29, 2007
By: Mike Mattos, principal (Tustin, CA)
In his book Good to Great, Jim Collins asks, “Why try for greatness? If you’re doing something you care that much about, and you believe in its purpose deeply enough, then it is impossible to imagine not trying to make it great. It’s just a given. Greatness is not a function of circumstance….it is largely a matter of conscious choice, and discipline.” Three years ago, the staff of Pioneer Middle School faced this very choice…would we settle for being a good school for most students, or would we be a great school for all students? With an unquestionable passion for our students and learning, our staff’s decision was “a given”.

Collectively, we worked with the Pioneer community to create our current mission: To maximize every student’s academic potential and personal responsibility. This singular purpose is firmly grounded in our fundamental belief that all students can learn at high levels. We believe it is not merely our job to teach; instead, it is our steadfast responsibility to ensure that all students learn. While our mission is quite simple in concept, its creation and implementation has proven to be powerful and dynamic.

To ensure high levels of learning for all students, we work collaboratively as a professional learning community to identify essential standards, share best instructional practices, create common assessments, and analyze student assessment data. Failure is not an option, so we have developed a “Pyramid of Interventions” to provide additional time and support for all students. We meet weekly with at-risk students to monitor progress and to provide additional help if needed. Because our mission is to maximize every student’s academic potential, our focus extends beyond assuring grade-level proficiency, and challenges students to master more rigorous curriculum. Over half of our students take accelerated level coursework, including honors language arts, geometry, foreign language, and science. At Pioneer, it is “cool” to be smart, to help others, and to take pride in your school. Last semester, almost half our students received Principal’s Honor Roll (3.5 GPA or higher) and over 900 students were recognized for their school achievement.

While academic success is important, we also believe that middle school should be a place for all students to explore new disciplines, to experience new opportunities, and to have fun learning. To this end, all students set quarterly, “REAL Wildcat” goals for academic achievement, extra-curricular involvement, exploration, leadership, and service. Currently over 100 students participate in student government, over 700 students in our fine arts programs (band, orchestra, chorus, art), over 800 students in our sports programs, and over 1000 students in academic competitions. Grade-level programs transition our students from the nurturing attributes of elementary school to the flexible and age-appropriate expectations of future high school students. Eighth grade mentors meet weekly with our sixth grade students to teach them the “Wildcat Way”, helping to prepare them for success at Pioneer, in high school, and beyond.

Steadily, we are making our mission a reality. Over the past two years, Pioneer’s state test scores rank in the top three middle schools in Orange County and top 2% in the state. Recently, Pioneer was named a 2007 California Distinguished School. While our staff is honored by these recognitions, what we most celebrate is the knowledge that we are ensuring the learning and future success of our students.

I am anxious to receive feedback on what you think of Professional Learning Communities so far. I’ll have more on this for you in the weeks to come.

No member of a crew is praised for the rugged individuality of his rowing. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

A Lifetime of Influence

2010-07-24T09:53:00.000-07:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #58 July 24, 2010

This morning, when I went out to jog, I randomly grabbed a T-shirt from the drawer. I didn’t notice which one it was until I saw it in the mirror. I remembered receiving it while teaching high school. In fact, many other teachers have also been given this very same T-shirt. Who knows, you might have one too. The printing is lined up like an addition problem, and reads:

2 teach is
2 touch lives
______
4 ever
On each side of the equation is a picture of an apple.

I began pondering this statement, and decided that for me, it was definitely true. My combination 2nd and 3rd grade teacher indeed “touched” my life forever. In fact, she is the one that made me want to become a teacher myself. But, is this statement true for you?

To help you as you consider this question, I did a bit of research to learn about how teachers impact our lives. Of all the articles read, I would like to present some highlights from this one, primarily because it is in the words of the students themselves.

The Learning Network posted the following question:
“Who Is the Best Teacher You Ever Had? Why?”
Here are a few of the answers received:

1. My best teachers (both in the United States and the Philippines) have given me not just book knowledge but the strength and passion to pursue my career in chemistry. The best teachers are the ones who instill discipline, patience, critical thinking, and inspiration. No amount of money in the world can do that.
— Maybelle
2. My favorite teacher was when I was in 9th grade–45 years ago. She taught both English and World History and she was tough and demanding. But at the same time she had the ability to instill a genuine interest in the topics she taught. Believe me, even the “class jokers” never gave her any problems. I should know, because I was one of them. She made me WORK and I have had a lifelong love of history and Shakespeare because of her.
— Donald
3. My best teacher was Mr. Smith. He was not my favorite teacher. However, he insisted that we become independent learners. The capacity for lifelong learning outweighs any facts, details, theories I’ve been exposed to since.
— Andrew
4. My favorite teacher was my 4th grade teacher. She was the person who actually made me care about school and my future. Without her, I don’t know where I would be right now.
— Abram
5. There is no need to complicate the issue with learning standards and rubrics. It simply comes down to competence and caring. Does your teacher know the subject matter and do they have a sincere desire to share that knowledge with others? My favorite teacher had both in the field of musical theater, and though I didn’t know it at the time, it was what helped me decide to go into education. They are the ones who care enough to spend the time, and find a way to engage each and every student in the fun/challenge of a memorable experience. That is what you remember, and that’s what counts.
— Greg
So, what do you think? Can a teacher have an impact so great, it touches one’s life forever?

Conclusion
My best teacher taught me to be courteous, curious and committed. Like great teachers have done for centuries, she used class assignments to teach about life. She used realistic simulations in our classroom. She encouraged us and gave each student a daily dose of confidence and love. The work of a teacher sometimes seems thankless and exhausting. Yet even now as the school year has come to an end, the presence of my greatest teachers linger. Although I left their classrooms long ago, their teachings never left me.

The advent of new technology has brought many new opportunities. I know this because I have recently been contacted by several former students. How wonderful it is to discover where life has lead each one of them. If there is a teacher you always wanted to thank, it is likely they can be located on Face Book or similar site on the Internet. Give it a try. What have you got to lose? And what a great gift your contact can bring to that “special” teacher

This or That?

2010-07-17T08:08:00.000-07:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #57 – July 17, 2010

Why is education the “foster child” when it comes to funding? Why do schools have to slash their budgets by hundreds of millions of dollars year after year? Do our legislators really think so little of education? And here’s the clincher: Why do state legislators support spending more money on criminals than on the education of our children?

The message herein is based on the premise that education is not only important, but also essential to every human being. In fact, it is not an exaggeration to say that the existence of human beings is virtually fruitless without education. A person with an education has the ability to change the world. Such a person is brimming with confidence and equipped with the tools to navigate through and create a successful life. This entire article could be spent touting the importance of education. Instead, since that is not the main goal, here are but a few reasons education is a highly valued commodity. Do we want this?, “this” being a sound education. If so, here is some of what we'll get:

Good Citizens
1. Education makes a worthy contribution to our lives, by making us responsible citizens. We get to know our history and culture through education and adopt those values. History teaches us what to do and what not to do. We learn from history.

Fundamental Knowledge
2. One who receives good education is more likely to have a secure future. Acquiring new skills and talents through education increases our productivity.

New Horizons
3. Education has the unique ability to open new vistas for us. Education broadens our mental landscape and is the way to greater enlightenment - the ultimate goal of most human beings in life.

Critical Thinking
4. Decision making is an integral part of our life. Education is significant, because it gives us many tools, which enable us to make the right decisions.

Confidence
5. An educated person is a confident person. When you understand how things work, and are able to systematically solve problems, you are imbued with self-confidence. Education fosters a positive outlook and allows us to believe in ourselves.

Or do we want "that?"

The Uneducated
What does it feel like to be a child that can’t read? According to Mona McNee, (founder of the Reading Reform Foundation, in the U.K),
“ They do not FEEL stupid but come to the conclusion that they must be (even if they are not) because they see other children learning, but not them.” To make matters worse, she adds, “School becomes a 12-year prison sentence of failure, humiliation, frustration. . . desperation.” The overwhelming majority of inmates are not educated. They are deficient in the five attributes of a good education mentioned above.

Education or Crime?
The most frequent response to the question given by the Gallup Poll, “What is the biggest problem schools face?” named on an unaided basis by almost a quarter of Americans (23%) is “lack of funding.” This figure is up from last year, when 15% offered “lack of funding,” as the biggest problem. And yet, the budgets for schools continue on the decline while budgets for prisons are on the incline.

In an article by Maya Harris (Vice President for Peace & Social Justice at the Ford Foundation), the following is noted:

“It has been projected that over the next five years, the state’s budget for locking up people will rise by 9 % annually, compared with its spending on higher education, which will rise only by 5 %. She goes on to say, “Yet, despite the historic increase in prison funding, leading legislators – including Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger agrees that this is simply throwing good money after bad, given the rank mismanagement plaguing California’s corrections system.”

James Sterngold, Staff Writer for The Chronicle, when discussing the California State Prison system, comments, “the most common companions for those who have failed to find a place in the legitimate world are illiteracy and stunted educational backgrounds. More than half of California’s 173,000 inmates read below a seventh-grade level, making them functionally illiterate, unable to read and follow complex written directions.”

Nationwide, nearly 70 percent of all people entering state prisons have not completed high school. According to the report, “Literacy Behind Prison Walls,” 70 percent of all prison inmates read below a fourth-grade level.

Research indicates inmates who have obtained an education while serving behind bars have a much easier time finding and holding a job when they are released. In addition, there are few relapses once they have escaped illiteracy.

So, do we want, This or do we wantThat?

The research I’ve read seems very clear. There is a definite correlation between lack of education and the clientele of our prison systems. The average level of education of those in prison is significantly lower than those out of prison. The solution is obvious. If we support our educational systems and make certain children are learning, as they should; this means not letting any of them fall between the cracks, we will not only have less crime, but more happy and productive people. Education greatly decreases the chance our children will wind up behind bars. Instead, it empowers them to achieve their goals and dreams in life.

What is your choice, this or that?

"Upon the subject of education, not presuming to dictate any plan or system respecting it, I can only say that I view it as the most important subject which we as a people may be engaged in." -- Abraham Lincoln

What Can Kids Learn From Playing Chess?

2010-07-10T09:55:00.000-07:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #56 – July 10, 2010

Did you know that over thirty nations, including Brazil, China, Italy, Israel, Greece and Russia, incorporate chess into their scholastic curriculum? Just as athletics are woven into our schools in the United States, chess is an accepted part of the school program in many nations abroad. Wouldn’t it be great to “steal” this idea and include the best of both worlds (athletics and chess) here in America?

According to Susan Polgar, 4-time World Chess Champion, research indicates Test scores improved by 17.3% for students regularly engaged in chess classes, compared with only 4.6% for children participating in other forms of enrichment activities.

Chess is an intellectually stimulating and fun game to play! So what can kids learn from playing chess? What is the “magic” chess can bestow?

Here are just a few of the benefits chess can provide:

1. Chess makes kids feel smart.
2. Chess helps parents to understand that their children are capable learners.
3. Chess improves math and reading skills.
4. Chess teaches kids to look not only at the present but at the “end game.”
5. Chess can be a powerful motivator to develop good habits of discipline, respect, good manners and focus.
6. Chess develops problem-solving skills.
7. Chess builds self-esteem and confidence.
8. Chess teaches how to deal with stress.
9. Chess teaches not to give up.
10. Chess is accessible to students at every academic level.
11. Chess improves grades.
12. Chess is international - it is a universal language.
13. Chess brings people with dis-similar backgrounds together.
14. Chess is compatible with many other interests - from math & music to sports.
15. Chess is fun!

Conclusion
Countless research studies have demonstrated that over the years chess can foster mental clarity, fortitude and stability. Please see the studies listed below for more details on the extent to which this game encompasses such a wealth of applications and possibilities.

With the current budget cuts at hand, a few smart schools and school leaders are delighted to find chess an inexpensive yet phenomenal means of helping kids grow intellectually. If you have children in school, or just want to help a school out, why not suggest an after-school (or even during school) chess program? Wouldn’t that be grand!

“The chessboard is the world, the pieces are the phenomena of theUniverse, the rules of the game are what we call the laws of Nature and the player on the other side is hidden from us”(Thomas Huxley)

Here is a website with more information on engaging children in the wonderful world of chess:

http://www.chessopolis.com/tutorials.htm

Available Chess Information and Research
There is a wealth of research and information available on the game of Chess and its benefits. Listed below are examples of websites and research studies that provide information.Websites

US Chess Federation - uschess.org

Research papers

Chess and Standardized Test Scores (1997) by James M. Liptrap

The Effect of Chess on Reading Scores (1991) by Stuart Margulies

Chess as a Way to Teach Thinking (1987) by Dianne Horgan

Developing Critical and Creative Thinking through Chess (1983) by Robert Ferguson

Chess and Cognitive Development (1976) by Johan Christiansen

CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE TEACHERS

2010-07-03T10:33:00.000-07:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #55 – July 3, 2010

Researching “Characteristics of Effective Teachers,” produces over 21,700,000 articles via Google. Many of these articles contain familiar commonalities. Following, is one set of twelve principles presented by Susan Thompson, John G. Greer and Bonnie B. Greer of the University of Memphis that seem to be common to most of the sites on the subject. With that degree of agreement, it would be safe to say, most educators would consider these to be foundational.

1. Fairness Effective teachers know how to be fair and just and try their very best not to have “pets,” or students that are given unfair advantages over other students.
2. Positive Attitude Good teachers are happy to be teaching. They share their positive attitude by praising and recognizing effort and success in their students. This “positive” influence is contagious.
3. Preparedness Some teachers still don’t realize, students can tell when the teacher is not prepared and is just trying to “wing it.” Great teachers are always prepared.
4. Personal Touch Students have fond memories of teachers who connected with them in a personal way. Some teachers do this just by asking students individually, how they are doing. Others intertwine personal stories and experiences with the day’s lesson.
5. Sense of Humor It is nice when a teacher can effectively deliver one-liners that give everyone a chuckle. It’s a bit trickier to have the quick ability to react with good humor and diffuse difficult situations. This is a truly admirable skill of a great teacher.
6. Creativity Students will often remember unusual assignments, use of props, decorations or costumes that inspired them to really think “outside the box.” Such is the calling card of the effective teacher. It could also be a saying such as, “A stitch in time saves nine.” (Benjamin Franklin).
7. Willingness to Admit Mistakes An outstanding teacher will recognize when they have made a mistake and apologize for it. A simple act, yet a rarity among many teachers. It demonstrates the profound power of humility.
8. Forgiving Students too often think of those teachers that would never give them a second chance. Fortunately, a few students had highly effective teachers who let students know, each day, each student started with a clean slate.
9. Respect Since teachers expect to receive respect from their students, it only makes sense students expect the same from teachers. For example, Students appreciate teachers who keep grades confidential. They are also grateful when teachers speak privately to them about behavior issues. Teachers practicing this quality rarely have discipline issues.
10. High Expectations Having high expectations affects the way a teacher teaches and the way the teacher interacts with students. Great teachers express that they believe in their students’ abilities. Such teachers energize and encourage students to reach new heights. They monitor those expectations and never give up on students.
11. Compassion Effective teachers understand the importance of nurturing students in a safe environment. These are the teachers that notice when children are left out of games or other activities and take action to remedy this. Students remember these teachers.
12. Sense of Belonging Students feel like “they belong,” in the classroom of a great teacher. This teacher gives the class a feeling of family. They work cooperatively on mutual goals and with mutual caring. This may be the most important one.

Conclusion: Blog postings are great for gathering information and I’m truly hoping this one helped you. But, the best learning is done when one studies independently. With that in mind, my suggestion is: Take these twelve principles, compare them with your own experience as well as what you find in your own study, and come up with your own list. And when you do, don’t you dare forget to share that list with me.

“Teaching is the highest form of understanding.” Aristotle

The Teacher

2010-06-26T09:15:00.000-07:00

Wendy Ghiora – Posting #54 – June 26, 2010

I am so sad, angry and disappointed when I hear of anyone who has engaged in any type of mis-conduct with a child. This is especially true when it involves a teacher.

Therefore, I would like to give some equal time to those teachers who not only “do the right thing,” but also go beyond what is called for and really make a difference in kids’ lives. I want to share this one with you. I hope each of you has a really nice memory of a teacher that did something special that you will always remember . . .

The Teacher
This story was passed along to me on the Internet. I believe that it has been circulating for a while and I think that the full story may be in the original Chicken Soup for the Soul. I hope you enjoy it and are inspired!

One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name.Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down. It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers.That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that individual.

On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling. "Really?" she heard whispered. "I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!" and, "I didn't know others liked me so much." were most of the comments.No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose.The students were happy with themselves and one another.That group of students moved on.

Several years later, one of the students was killed in Vietnam and his teacher attended the funeral of that special student.She had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. He looked so handsome, so mature. The church was packed! with his friends. One by one those who loved him took a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the last one to bless the coffin.

As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to her.
Were you Mark's math teacher?" he asked. She nodded: "yes."
Then he said: "Mark talked about you a lot."

After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates went together to a luncheon. Mark's mother and father were there, obviously waiting to speak with his teacher.

"We want to show you something," his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket.
"They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it."
Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. The teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him.

"Thank you so much for doing that," Mark's mother said. "As you can see, Mark treasured it."
All of Mark's former classmates started to gather around.
Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, "I still have my list It's in the top drawer of my desk at home."
Chuck's wife said, "Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album.
"I have mine too," Marilyn said. "It's in my diary."
Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. "I carry this with me at all times, " Vicki said and without batting an eyelash, she continued: "I think we all saved our lists."

That's when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again.The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that life will end one day. And we don't know when that one day will be.Remember, you reap what you sow, what you put into the lives of others comes back into your own.
_______________
And so my friends, in teaching and in life, even if you can make just one or two people feel good about themselves, it will make a big difference, for you and for them!

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS?

2010-06-19T06:55:00.000-07:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #53 – June 19, 2010

"Are there any questions?" If you think this fosters a “question-rich” environment for your students, keep reading. So much pressure exists for students NOT to ask questions that it takes a lot more effort as a teacher to create a “question-rich” environment.

It may sound like a simple statement, but the fact is, the only way a student can learn how to ask questions is by asking questions. To help facilitate this important skill, you must encourage questions constantly, using a variety of techniques.

Why is questioning important?
Questioning is what drives thinking. Thinking is not driven by answers but by questions. Had no questions been asked by those who laid the foundation for a field — for example, Technology or Biology — the field would never have been developed in the first place. Every field stays alive and grows only to the extent that fresh questions are asked and taken seriously as the driving force in a process of thinking. To think through or rethink anything, one must ask questions that stimulate thought.

How to Encourage Questions
The most important technique that you can use to encourage questions is to always answer questions kindly. Even if you have answered the same question three times already, the fourth answer should be friendly, and should include a new example. The student may have been copying something down, or may have been daydreaming. But normally questions occur multiple times because students sometimes cannot understand the language you are speaking. I can answer questions all day about "the influence of Shakespeare on the positioning of sub-plots within the play." But until the students understand the vocabulary, all of those answers will be completely meaningless. A student asking a question for the fourth time has just come to understand the vocabulary him/herself, and only then can understand the answer when you give it.

More ways to promote questions:
Reward students for asking a question. Try saying, "That's a great question" for every new question you get (no matter how many times the same question has been asked).
Do not insult students, even subtly, when answering a question. Take a tape recorder to class one day, and then play it back and listen to how you answer questions. How do you come across? Would you like to be talked to in that way? Put yourself in your students' shoes. Also listen to the answers you give - do you answer the questions?

Other uses for questioning:

1. Ask your students to write down one thing that they don't understand from that day's class. Then go over those questions at the beginning of the next class. Once students realize that everyone has questions, they will be more inclined to ask questions vocally during class.

2. Give homework assignments that force students to think about and question the material, and make time available in class to answer homework questions. If a homework assignment generates no questions, then it is probably useless.

3. Use tests to find out where you have been unclear, and where questions remain. A well-designed and well-graded test tells you as much about your teaching as it does about your students.

4. Start each class by briefly reviewing the material from the previous class.
Introduce a difficult concept for 5 minutes at the end of class. Then cover the concept fully during the next class. Students will have a day or two to become familiar with the concept, and will be more inclined to ask questions when they see it again.

Good Questions Generate More Questions
Only when an answer generates a further question does thought continue. This is why it is true that only students who have questions are really thinking and learning. In fact, it’s possible to give students an examination on any subject by just asking them to list all of the questions they have about a subject. Unfortunately, most students ask virtually no thought-stimulating types of questions. They tend to stick to dead questions like, "Is this going to be on the test?" These questions imply the desire not to think. If we want thinking we must stimulate it with questions that lead students to further questions. We must overcome what previous schooling has done to the thinking of students. We must awaken minds that are largely dead when we receive them. We must refresh and revive our students with “questioning resuscitation.”

Conclusion
Think of the potential knowledge and life experience that is in that single room. If only I could find a way to harness it! I want students to be fully engaged, talking to one another, grappling with interesting questions, and exploring any and all resources to find answers (and more questions). I want them to really get a strong sense of the importance of what we discuss in class and the significance of their participation. I want them to expand their understanding not only in the traditional sense, but also in the ability to “think outside the box.” Above all, I want them to recognize their own worth, thinking capacity and ability in helping to contribute to the society in which they live.

Next time you stand in front of your class at the end of a lesson, before asking, "Are there any questions?" take a moment to re-think your purpose as a teacher.
A good question-asking environment is a fragile and delicate thing. It must be nurtured every day. Once a good environment is created however, it can make a significant contribution to the quality of your class.

WHY ON EARTH DO YOU WANT TO BE A TEACHER?

2010-05-29T11:23:00.000-07:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #52 – May 29, 2010

Many people have asked me the question, “Why on earth would you want to be a teacher?” I smile, and my immediate response is, “Why on earth would anyone not want to be a teacher?” Have you ever taken a moment to consider the enormity a teacher’s role encompasses? To be able to touch a child’s life in so many important ways is truly an honor and a gift. It is a calling from deep within that, for me, was simply unstoppable. Here’s why I teach.

It's a Calling
First of all, I rejoice in being equipped with the ability and the desire to serve others; but especially to serve children. What could be more rewarding than to be the person that lifts a child’s spirit, and lets them know, I know they can accomplish anything they set their mind to? How uplifting is it for me to let them know, no matter what anyone else has told them, I believe in them and will never give up on them? I yearn to enable the beauty, the power and the courage inside each one of them, to be revealed, so they can see themselves the way I see them.

It's A Safe Haven of Creativity
Another reason I teach is, I can create a classroom where questioning and discovery are the norm, not a fluke. My classroom is a safe, nurturing home, from which children will leave with more self-confidence, curiosity, compassion, and enthusiasm for life and learning than when they entered.

It's Passing It Forward
I want my students to exude a spirit of “being the best they can be,” in every aspect of their lives now and forever. They will not only be successful but will help others to achieve success. They will reach out and share love and joy with others because of the love and joy they have experienced in my classroom and grown within themselves.

For me, teaching is an extremely challenging and difficult job. However, the outcomes are more profound, far reaching and exhilarating than anything else I know. So I ask again,
“Why on earth would anyone not want to be a teacher?

Note: I will be overseas on vacation through June 18 and will resume blogging upon my return. In the meantime, I think you would enjoy my book. It’s full of inspirational and true stories:

http://www.publishamerica.net/product89724.html

Treat Teachers The Way You Want Them To Treat Students

2010-05-22T08:26:00.000-07:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #51 – May 22, 2010

Want a simple way to show your teachers you care on their very first day of school? Try the easy and fun technique of putting a Teacher’s Survival Kit in each teacher’s mailbox. You can put the ingredients in a fancy colorful small bag, or in a simple brown paper bag. After all, “it’s what’s inside that counts!”

There are many versions of this available on the Internet. I chose this one; because of its similarity to the one I received as a new teacher. As principal, you are the instructional leader of your school. This is a great way to model the type of care you would like to see from your teachers toward their students.I still remember the great feeling it gave me and the smile it put on my face; all the armor I needed to begin the first day of what was to become a lifetime career.

Teacher's Survival Kit
Contents: to help you survive teaching
Toothpick - to help you "pick" out the good qualities in others and yourself
Crayon - to color your day bright and cheerful
Hugs and Kisses - for when you need either
Candle – for when you're up late grading papers
Eraser - to remind you everyone makes mistakes
Rubberband - to remind you to be flexible and try to work on "win-win" situations
String - to tie things together when everything falls apart
Pencil - to "write your wrongs"
Marbles - to replace the ones you've lost (we enclosed extra, you'll need them later)
Lifesaver candy - you are a lifesaver to so many of your students
Paperclip - to hold it all together
Jewel - because you are as valuable as any precious stone
and a Prayer for you to say at the start of each day

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. - John Quincy Adams

For more inspirational stories, I invite you to purchase my book:

Unleashing The Student's "I Can!" http://www.publishamerica.net/product89724.html

HOW TO IMPROVE TEACHER RETENTION

2010-05-15T06:34:00.000-07:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #50 – May 15, 2010

Each year in California, over 18,000 teachers quit the profession. This poses a serious threat to the quality of education.provided for our children. A survey by The National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) revealed, one of the main reasons for teachers not quitting was, in spite of all the difficulties, they had the support of the administration.

Many college graduates enter the teaching profession with hopes of being challenged and making a difference in the lives of children. However, somewhere during their first year, they face reality. They consistently feel defeated and systemically undervalued and under-appreciated. How can principals inspire teachers to want to stay in the profession?

Even new teachers enjoy intrinsic rewards from the job, but all teachers yearn for some extrinsic reassurance they are doing a good job. Principals should make it a priority to recognize teachers’ efforts by offering positive feedback, both publicly and privately. Memos, e-mails and staff meetings are all great forums for recognizing special contributions teachers are making.

Here are a few suggestions to keep your teachers encouraged and motivated:

Principal Observation
Principals should make a point of observing every teacher at least twice a month. These should preferably be unscheduled visits. The principal should make at least one or two positive comments, write them on a post it, and leave it on the teacher’s desk on the way out. If there is a specific problem noticed, the principal can set up a meeting to discuss that at a separate time.

Professional Development
Good principals should encourage their teachers to attend professional development and workshops. Principals should work with other principals to arrange collaboration and professional learning communities among their schools. Principals should be the Instructional Leaders of their schools. They should be willing to roll up their sleeves and show their teachers how it’s done. Encouraging professional development contributes to teachers’ sense of self-actualization and is extremely rewarding.

The Mission Statement
Work with your staff to create a mission statement for your school. Make sure it is meaningful, genuine and something the entire group believes in. Then, as teachers contribute to progress toward the mission, you can specifically praise individual teachers or the entire team as they complete targets and goals toward achieving the mission statement.

Provide Positive Feedback
People are far better motivated by the use of positive feedback. Rather than focusing on weaknesses, focus on strengths and praise them whenever praise is deserved. School leaders who identify the specific reasons for success when they present positive results at staff meetings, and who are able to temper success with the recognition that there will always be challenges ahead, can inspire the faculty to continue working to improve their practice. When mistakes or poor performance happen, harsh criticism may result in an inhibition of motivation and growth. Instead, use constructive criticism, and modeling with the intent of helping the teacher to improve. Let teachers know you are confident in their ability to improve and let them know they are valued. Principals must offer support, tangible help and guidance for their teachers.

The simple act of recognition by a principal is often just enough to keep a teacher motivated to continue and not become a NCES statistic. There are several ideas listed above but please continue to come up with your own. For example, school leaders can also demonstrate care by giving recognition for a job well done in a card or an announcement in the weekly bulletin. It also won’t “break the bank” to provide a nice breakfast each quarter for your teachers, just to show how much you care.

Author Pearl Buck said it well:

Only the Brave Should Teach
Pearl Buck
Only the brave should teach.
Only those who love the young should teach.
Teaching is a vocation.
It is as sacred as the priesthood;
as innate a desire,
as inescapable as the genius which compels a great artist.
If he has not the concern for humanity,
The love of living creatures,
The vision of the priest and the artist,
He must not teach.

Exciting News!

2010-05-08T08:54:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,
I’m very excited to announce the release of my first published book just released Monday, April 26. It’s a non-fiction compilation of true stories of some really cool adventures I’ve had with students at various schools where I taught. The title is: Unleashing The Student’s “I Can!” It is meant as an inspirational book with the message: Never give up on a child. There’s always a way. You just have to find each child’s gift or talent waiting to be “unleashed.” The book can be purchased through the publisher at:
http://www.publishamerica.net/product89724.html

Best wishes always!
Wendy-- Wendy Ghiora, Ed.D

IS MUSIC THAT IMPORTANT?

2010-05-08T08:38:00.000-07:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #49 – May 8, 2010

Have you ever thought about what your life would be like if music simply did not exist? From the time we are born many of us are lucky enough to be lulled to sleep by the soothing sounds of our mom singing. As we grow up, we learn so many delightful childhood rhymes and games set to animated music. What would it be like to watch a movie with no music to set the mood or introduce a melody one will remember always? What glorious sound would accompany those precision parade participants, students striding proudly into their graduation ceremony or a bride as she gracefully walks down the aisle? What could possibly replace Handel’s Messiah, Mancini’s The Pink Panther or Queen’s We Will Rock You? There are so many events and occasions, or even just for one’s own pleasure, where a musical tune is simply irreplaceable.

In a good music class, students learn about the historical events that were taking place when the music they play was written. They learn what the music was typically used for (was it sung? was it an opera? dancing music? for royal families or poorer ones?). So much of our culture is absorbed in music and has been for centuries.

Studying music also helps students with math and science. Students learn to count, keep a steady rhythm, and how to multiply and divide (to figure out how long each note is). Students also use science to help them discover what sounds good together and what doesn't. As they learn, they use prior knowledge to figure out what else might sound good together, which can lead to composing. Students also need science to understand something called the "overtone series," which Pythagoras came up with back around Medieval times. This theory is how music is produced by vibration and why.

Good music teachers also make sure their students learn a lot about languages. Many choral songs are written in other languages, including ancient ones. Students must learn to translate these works to understand what they are singing about. Some songs are famous literary poems or short works set to music; so students are exposed to that. Also, the markings in music (how fast, how loud, what style) are typically written in Italian. Students learn to understand a little bit of Italian in order to interpret the markings in their music.

Students learn an incredible amount of coordination through music -- it isn't unlike being an athlete. Students must use fine and gross motor skills in order to play an instrument. Singers and wind players must learn breath control and be in good shape to play.

Music education also brings higher thinking to our children. It allows them to think about complex patterns (where does my part fit into the whole? How can I make my part sound better? What are some tiny adjustments I can make to adjust tone or intonation? How does this music and these different parts fit together?). Students have to be absolutely aware of what every other musician does at all times. In that way, it fosters cooperation, as well. Music students learn teamwork and cooperation. No musician is independent of the whole, and yet each musician is a part of that whole, with a unique part and sound that leads to the brilliant sound of the entire ensemble.

As one can see, music is very important in our lives. It is frequently underestimated and thought of as "easy" or "play time;" not true.. Students frequently appear to be having fun while they are making music because music IS fun (though not easy). Music can portray any mood, and it takes a special, interested person in order to make it good. Music can lift one's spirits or calm one after a stressful day. These are just a few reasons why music is very important.

For those of you craving some research-based evidence, here are some facts and figures:
1. Students in high-quality school music programs score higher on standardized tests compared to students in schools with deficient music education programs, regardless of the socioeconomic level of the school or school district.
2. Students in top-quality music programs scored 22% better in English and 20% better in math than students in deficient music programs.
3. Students in top-quality instrumental programs scored 19% higher in English than students in schools without a music program.
4. Students in top quality instrumental programs scored 17% higher in Math than children in schools without a music program.
5. Students at schools with excellent music programs had higher English and Math test scores across the country than students in schools with low-quality music programs.
6. Students in all regions with lower-quality instrumental programs scored higher in English and Math than students who had no music at all.

MENC (Music Educators National Conference) Journal of Research in Music Education, Winter 2006, vol. 54, No. 4, pgs. 293- 307; “Examination of Relationship between Participation in School Music Programs of Differing Quality and Standardized Test Results” Christopher M. Johnson and Jenny E. Memmott, University of Kansas

So, what do you think? Should we continue to allow school districts to simply cut all music programs? Or is music that important?

WHO SAID HISTORY AND ENGLISH ARE BORING?

2010-05-01T01:58:00.000-07:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #48 – May 1, 2010

Have you ever wondered where many of the “sayings” in English come from? There are some that just don’t seem to make any sense. Try asking your students if they know where a saying like: “It’s raining cats and dogs,” came from. If they don’t know, I’m sure they will invent some very creative answers. As they say, “truth is stranger than fiction.”

Present the following information to your students, and then challenge them to get the real scoop on other famous sayings and nuances. It could even be fun to see which group finds the most unusual, gross or entertaining tidbits. The kids will really plow into this one.

Next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be. Here are some facts about the 1500s:

Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor.Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children - last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water."Houses had thatched roofs - thick straw, piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the dogs, cats and other small animals (mice, rats, and bugs) lived in the roof.When it rained it became slippery, and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof, hence the saying, "It's raining cats and dogs."There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could really mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt, hence the saying "dirt poor." The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (the straw left over after threshing grain) on the floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they kept adding more and more thresh until when you opened the door it would all start slipping outside. To prevent this, a piece of wood was placed in the entrance way - hence a "thresh hold."They cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes the stew had food in it that had been there for quite awhile, -- hence the rhyme, "peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old." Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man "could bring home the bacon." They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and "chew the fat."Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with a high acid content caused some of the lead to leach on to the food, causing lead poisoning and death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.Most people did not have pewter plates, but had trenchers (a piece of wood with the middle scooped out like a bowl). Often trenchers were made from stale bread that was so old and hard that they could use them for quite some time. Trenchers were never washed and a lot of times worms and mold got into the wood and old bread. After eating off wormy, moldy trenchers, one would get "trench mouth." Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, "the upper crust. "Lead cups were used to drink ale or whiskey. The combination would sometimes knock them out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up hence, the custom of holding a "wake." England is old and small and they started out running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a "bone-house" and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, one out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they thought they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the "graveyard shift") to listen for the bell. Thus, someone could be "saved by the bell" or was considered "a dead ringer." And that's the truth.

Who said History and English are Boring?

IS YOUR SCHOOL ACCREDITED?

2010-04-24T11:10:00.000-07:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #47 – April 24, 2010

I just returned from serving on a WASC team, which evaluated a local high school in Los Angeles County. The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) is one of six regional accrediting associations in the United States. The Commission provides assistance to schools located in California, Hawaii, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and East Asia. WASC is the official agency that has the authority to grant accreditation to schools and colleges.

The following description is taken from the WASC Website:
Accreditation is a term that originally meant trustworthiness in its middle French, Old Italian usage. The original purpose of accreditation in the United States was designed to encourage the standardization of secondary school programs, primarily to ensure for the benefit of colleges and universities that graduating students had mastered a particular body of knowledge. However, today the process developed by the Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), involves a dual purpose that continues the expectation that schools must be worthy of the trust placed in them to provide high quality learning opportunities, but with the added requirement that they clearly demonstrate that they are about the critical business of continual self-improvement.

Ultimately, the accreditation process is all about fostering excellence in the elementary, secondary, adult, postsecondary and supplementary education programs we accredit. Our fundamental cause involves helping schools meaningfully create the highest quality learning experience they can envision for all students. It is WASC's consistent purpose to professionally support schools in creating for themselves a clear vision of what they desire their students to know and be able to do and then to ensure that efficient and relevant systems are in place that predictably result in the fulfillment of those expectations for every child.

The capacity of any organization to improve is directly related to its ability to recognize, acknowledge, and act on its identified strengths and limitations. The accreditation process is a vehicle that enables schools to improve student learning and school performance based on an analysis of those strengths and limitations. Participating schools must meet rigorous, research-based standards that reflect the essential elements of a quality and effective school, but again, must also be able to demonstrate engagement in as well as capacity to provide continuous school improvement.

The school I visited was an alternative high school. I would like to make two recommendations to my readers:

1. Volunteer to serve on a WASC Committee; or if you live in a different state, join the accreditation committee that serves your area. It is the very best, free professional development you could ask for. I learn so much from each school I observe as well as from the other members of the team. You are given the opportunity to help improve the education of both the students and staff of a school as well as receiving new knowledge and ideas you may not have been able to acquire anywhere else.

2. Thank someone you know who works in an alternative high school. The teachers in these schools are largely unnoticed for the enormous service they are doing for our society and for our country. They use their patience, care and of course their teaching skills to make sure these students (who couldn’t make it in a “traditional high school,”) succeed. If it were not for the dedicated staff at these schools, most of the kids would not graduate and lead successful lives. Instead, they would probably be dead or in jail. The students and parents of the school expressed gratitude for the help and guidance given their students. I, for one commend these schools and their dedicated staff.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I am very excited to announce the release of my first published book: Unleashing the Student's "I Can!" It is a compilation of true stories of some very cool adventures I've had with students while teaching at various schools. The message is to never give up on a child. There's always a way. Just find the gift or talent each student has that is just waiting to be "unleashed." Hopefully, it will inspire.
You can purchase the book through the publisher at this link: http://www.publishamerica.net/product89724.html

EVALUATING STUDENT LEARNING

2010-04-17T12:25:00.000-07:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #46 – April 17, 2010

Many educators view assessment of student learning as a comprehensive task. However, evaluating a student’s performance can actually be done in a formative and/or a summative way.

Formative evaluation is a process of ongoing feedback on performance. The purposes are to identify aspects of performance that need to improve and to offer corrective suggestions. The formative version of learning assessment, deals with the different ways teachers can evaluate students based on the material presented in class. The students themselves get to see where they need to concentrate more efforts on then use the information collected from this type of assessment. The teachers can also use the results to focus in on the areas where extra time should be spent on instruction.

Summative evaluation is a process of identifying larger patterns and trends in performance and judging these summary statements against criteria to obtain performance ratings. You must rely upon your evidence and perceptions to justify ratings. The summative version of assessment of learning gives teachers the opportunity to grade work that evaluates the quality of the student’s work through different assignments. Not only is this data graded for accuracy but also how well the student translates their knowledge of the subject matter at hand.

The bottom line is that assessment of learning is what many educators do to determine whether a student is ready to pass to the next level of study. It is not always at the end of the year before grade promotions. In fact, it can and should happen frequently throughout the year and should incorporate more than just grades but also level of competency in other areas of learning as well.

Evaluation lies at the heart of improving teaching and learning. However you look at it, change only comes about when you determine to make a change. In order to come to that determination, you must first consider your current practice, and come to the conclusion that change is necessary. If you don't want to change your practice, or to improve your practice, if you don't want to improve the learning experience of your students, then there is no need to evaluate their learning experience or the learning environment you have created for them. However, if you are eager to improve the learning experience of your students, then it is important for you to consider where change can best be effected. It is quite valuable to begin by evaluating that experience. Appropriate and effective evaluation can lead to appropriate and effective change and development. Indeed, evaluation should not be seen as something additional to your teaching. It should be seen as an integral part of the design and delivery of a program of teaching for high quality student learning.

An educator serious about effecting positive change in their teaching should be able to do the following:
· Identify and describe the learning outcomes you are trying to achieve for your students
· Distinguish between the different kinds of outcomes commonly achieved in education
· Study some of the most common evaluation systems used in education
· Evaluate these systems and determine those that are suitable for your purposes
· Identify how you can build evaluation into your own teaching as a normal part of your design and development practice
· Determine how to design and use student self-assessment as part of your evaluation process
· Identify and describe how to create meaningful rubrics to measure student progress in several different subject areas
· Design a “Teacher Evaluation” to be completed by your students for the purpose of letting you know what changes they need and what they consider is working well for them in your class

. 'teachers who respond to their children's message, and not to their mistakes, appeared to help their children more.' John Smith Warwick Elley New Zealand Educators

About Student Trust

2010-04-10T10:49:00.000-07:00

About Student Trust
Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Blog Posting #45 – April 10, 2010

Have you ever thought about the importance of student trust? Does it really matter if your students trust you? Let’s look at what trust really means:

Trust: Noun. Middle English, probably of Scandinavian origin: akin to Old Norse traust trust; akin to Old English treowe faithful.
1. a: assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something b: one in which confidence is placed.

Wow! This is such a small word, with such a powerful definition. Accordingly, in order to step into the shoes of one who is worthy of trust, one would exude the qualities of assured reliance on their own character, ability, strength and/or truth and be someone in whom confidence is placed. It takes a very special, caring and ethical person to fill these shoes and walk in them daily.

Effective teachers know the importance of building trust with their students. It may not be written in the official job description, but teaching without gaining a student’s trust, is like trying to sail a ship without any sails.

Trust building begins on day one and requires consistency as the year progresses. Students who come to trust you will not be classroom management problems: to the contrary, they will help you achieve your goals and they will help other students see you in the best possible light.

One of the best ways to gain student trust is to show that really do care and you are genuinely interested in your students' lives.

Let Your Students Know They Are Important

Step 1- Greeting
Say hi. As your students enter your classroom, greet them with a smile and a simple hello. You don't have to engage them in a lengthy conversation; just talk to them. This shows them that you recognize their existence and that you are glad to see them. This means the world to many students, since they might come from families where their parents aren't glad to see them.

Step 2- Caring Conversation
When you have some time after class or if you see one of your students in the hallway, take a moment to ask how their day went or ask what their plans are for the weekend. Be careful not to be too intense with the questioning; some students would rather not talk to their teachers about their lives, and this is fine. Find something nice to say to the student. As long as your statements or compliments are genuine, they will be well received. Many of your students will welcome the interest you show in them, and this will help them to feel that you are trustworthy.

Step 3- Inclusive Instruction
Include your students in your lessons (always in a positive manner). One of the surest ways to attract the attention of your students is to use them in your teaching. If you are giving an example of something, then use your student's names in the example. If you need some volunteers to demonstrate a concept, ask some of your students to help you. The more student involvement, the more they learn and feel at ease in your class. This not only helps students want to be involved in your lesson, but it also helps the other students pay attention better, as they naturally do when they hear or see their own peers in your lesson.

Step 4-Building and Creating Emotional Safety
Consistently let students know that you are someone who they can come to with any question or concern. Questions like “How are you doing?” or “Is something bothering you?” or “Is there anything I can do to help?” signal that you care. Beginning of the year confusion, intimidation, inconsistency and threats may create short-term compliance, but you put genuine trust at risk. Over time, students will come to you with their concerns trusting that you will listen and that you care about them. Students, like most people, just want to be in the presence of someone who cares. The most effective and trusted teachers are the ones who take time to ask students how they are doing. They reassure them that if they had any questions about the new school they should come to them. An example is a teacher that did this by making sure that students knew how to unlock their hall lockers. Middle school was the first time many of them had ever used a combination lock. Because she took the time to care about their “locker anxiety,” she helped them feel more safe and started earning their trust.

Step-5 Consistency and Reliability
There are 180 school days in most academic years. A teacher can gain the trust of students by making every day, every week and every unit as structured, yet as interesting as possible. Students should know exactly what the goals of the lesson are, and what they are expected to know and be able to do at lesson’s end. Many students lack consistency and reliability in their own lives. Once the trusting starts, some of your students will begin to make up reasons to stay after school. On Fridays, some will even tell you that they cannot wait for Monday. They know that, for at least five days, someone whom they trust will be there for them, care about their learning progress and keep them safe. Your face should bring a sense of joy to their hearts and they should smile when they see you.

Whom Do You Trust?
You trust people who anticipate your needs.
You trust people who demonstrate that they care about you.
You trust people who are reliable and consistent
You trust people who correct your mistakes and help you learn.
You trust people who help you to feel competent and successful.

Guess what? Students will trust you for the same reasons. They will come to trust you if they feel safe physically, socially and emotionally in your classroom. Students who know you care about them will trust you. Students who know you are reliable and consistent will trust you. Students who get academic and personal help when they make mistakes will trust you. Students, who feel competent and successful because of you, will give you much of the credit for their achievements. The teacher worthy of trust is the teacher you always want to thank in person.

Conclusion
To earn a student’s trust is as essential to teaching as the knowledge you have of your subject. Trust is the power given to you by your students enabling you together, to muster the wind needed to set sail. Bon voyage!

"To reach a port, we must sail - sail, not tie at anchor - sail, not drift. "--Franklin D. Roosevelt

Shakespeare-A Possible Tool For Coaches?

2010-03-15T20:27:00.000-07:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #44 – March 15, 2010

St. Crispen's Day Speech
Shakespeare's HENRY V-1599
A Possible Tool for Coaches?

(Adapted from the essay by Brian R. Price)
Shakespeare authored this work nearly two hundred years after the Battle of Agincourt (1415), and yet, it remains the finest dramatic interpretation of what leadership meant to the men in the Middle Ages.

Could someone in a position of leadership today, effectively rally their men to victory using similar tactics? Someone, for example like a coach before “the BIG game?”

This was the situation then:
The French, aware of Henry's troops weakening condition because of their distance from England and the attacks of Dysentery that had plagued the dwindling band, moved between King Henry and Calais, the port he needed to reach in order to return to England. The French troops followed Henry's band along the rivers, preventing their crossing and daring them to a battle in which they were certain of victory.

The English knights fought on foot. Archers were to be used in support, the English and Welsh longbows having established their credentials both at Crecy (1347) and at Poiters (1356). But here the French seemed to have sufficient numbers to deal with even this threat, and they refused to allow Henry to pass, angered by the English seizure of their cities.

Morale among the English troops as they looked upon the overwhelming force of heavily armored, highly skilled French knights must have been extremely low. The English were far outnumbered and outranked. King Henry, rising to the occasion, spoke words of encouragement that rallied the English troops and carried them to a victory. As a result of the victory the French Princess Catherine was betrothed to Henry V, and France and England were at peace for the remainder of Henry's short life.

Although the speech below is a work of fiction, it is evocative of the spirit with which Henry--and all strong medieval kings—ruled, through the strength of their convictions and by force of their personality. Are these similar attributes of our great coaches today?

St. Crispen's Day Speech
William Shakespeare, 1599

Enter the KING
WESTMORELAND: O that we now had here. But one ten thousand of those men in England. That do no work to-day!

Westmoreland, King Henry’s cousin says he sure wishes they had more men to back them up.

This would be like a player telling the coach he sure wishes Joe Blow wasn’t on the injured list for the “Big Game.” “How can we possibly win without him?” asks the apprehensive player.

KING. What's he that wishes so? My cousin Westmoreland? No, my fair cousin; If we are mark'd to die, we are enow To do our country loss; and if to live, The fewer men, the greater share of honour.

Henry tells his cousin to forget about it. There are enough of us here. He says, the fewer men the better. That way, when they win there will be fewer men to share the glory of the victory.

The coach could tell the players, “We have all the men we need right here, right now. We will be the ones to share the glory of our victory.”

God's will! I pray thee, wish not one man more. By Jove, I am not covetous for gold, Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost; It yearns me not if men my garments wear; Such outward things dwell not in my desires. But if it be a sin to covet honour, I am the most offending soul alive. No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from England. God's peace! I would not lose so great an honour As one man more methinks would share from me For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more! Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host, That he which hath no stomach to this fight, Let him depart; his passport shall be made, And crowns for convoy put into his purse; We would not die in that man's company That fears his fellowship to die with us.

Henry goes on to say. In fact, let any man who is afraid to stay and fight with us leave right now. I will even give them money and safe passage to get home with. I don’t want anyone who is afraid to die with us to remain here.

The coach could tell the team, “any one here who doesn’t believe we will win this game and doesn’t want to go all the way to victory in this game, give 110% of himself, any one who even has a doubt that we will win, can leave right now and you will not be penalized. These are players that are not worthy to call themselves a member of this team today, and they shouldn’t have the privilege to be a part of this great day.”

This day is call'd the feast of Crispian. He that outlives this day, and comes safe home, Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam'd, And rouse him at the name of Crispian. He that shall live this day, and see old age, Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours, And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian.' Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars, And say 'These wounds I had on Crispian's day.'

Henry then announces to all that everyone of them that survives this day, which happens to fall on the holiday of St. Crispian, will stand taller and prouder than any other man. Even in his old age, on this day he will have a feast. He will brag about what he endured and what he accomplished on that day to all his neighbors. He will strip off the sleeve of his shirt and show his battle scars and say, “These are the wounds I got on Crispian’s Day.”

The coach tells his players: “Men, each one of us will have memories if this day and what we accomplished. Each of us will be able to tell our friends and neighbors for years to come what part he played in this great upset. Some of us may tell of utter exhaustion or other very tough challenges. But all of us will proudly proclaim: “This is what I did, this is what our team did, the day we won “the BIG game.”

Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot, But he'll remember, with advantages, What feats he did that day. Then shall our names, Familiar in his mouth as household words- Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter, Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester- Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb'red. This story shall the good man teach his son; And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by, From this day to the ending of the world, But we in it shall be remembered-

King Henry tells the men how all of their individual names will become household words. Good fathers will repeat the story of their valiant victory for all time.

Every player here will remember this day, this game and what each one of us did today. Our names will be remembered for years to come. The story of how we won this game will be told by fathers to their sons- and will never be forgotten. It will be a victory for the ages.

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he to-day that sheds his blood with me Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile, This day shall gentle his condition; And gentlemen in England now-a-bed Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here, And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

Henry says that today, all of them are brothers. Those that were not among us will curse the fact they weren't. Even the poorest most common man is his equal, his brother, as if he had the same royal blood in him as Henry. All of them are of the class of “gentlemen,” none of them have any prior deeds to be ashamed of. For on this day, they are the best of men anywhere. None can claim a higher status than those that fought as brothers on this Saint Crispin’s Day.

The coach tells his players they are all brothers today. They are a family; each one of the players is contributing equally toward the approaching contest they will win. None of their prior weaknesses or mistakes will be present today. All who were not a part of this great team will forever be envious. Today, these players are the best of men. No one will ever equal this forthcoming, amazing accomplishment on the field of battle today. "All right men, let’s do it!"

What do you think? Any coaches out there?

THE POWER OF A TEACHER'S SMILE

2010-03-13T07:10:00.000-08:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #43 – March 13, 2010

A teacher’s smile is important on so many levels in the quest to reach students. Let’s face it, if you can’t reach your students, the learning just won’t happen. But how can something as simple as a smile help?

Feeling free to ask questions:
In his article about the power of a teacher’s smile, Mr.Harekrushna Behera, Unchahar shares how a teacher touches the heart of a student through the magnetic touch of smile. He adds that a smile creates confidence & love among the children. ‘Unless the children love the teacher, how can they love the subject?' The smiling face of the teacher says “love and caring,” and creates a positive vibration among the children who become fearless to express everything. They begin to ask questions. ‘Freedom automatically happens when smile exists in the classroom'. Asking questions then empowers their capacity to learn.

Feeling safe, so learning can take place
Remember how frightened some of us felt on the first day of school? It’s even more difficult today with so many “social expectations,” to live up to, especially for high school students. When you see a little lost soul roaming the hallway with class schedule in hand, your smile will instantly re-affirm your true caring nature. When you approach a child with a smile on your face, you have automatically melted down any barrier or defense mechanism that would adversly affect your communication with the child. A smile is the easiest thing a teacher can do to put their students at ease and welcome them to class. The simple power of a smile lets them know they are in a safe and caring environment. Once that is evident, learning can and will take place. Isn’t one of the reasons we teach to create a happy and nurturing environment where learning can be fun? Your smile will say all that and more!

Change their mood and your own as well…
Research shows that when we smile, even when we aren’t really in the best of moods, we actually begin to feel better. Our internal system equates certain expressions with certain feelings. We can feel good and smile; but we can also smile and feel good. As teachers, when we smile, we will definitely feel better. But that’s not all. Our smile is then reflected back to us by our students, who also feel better. Now, we have created a happy and positive environment for learning. What a great way to start your class!

An Important Responsibility
Teachers should consider it their responsibility to say or express something encouraging to their students each and every day. A smile alone, says it all. No matter how bad you are feeling, by smiling you are modeling a positive and productive attitude that will be mimicked by your students. Your smile sends them off with a happy feeling to begin their day. This may be the first (and possibly the only) act of kindness the students will experience during their day.

Conclusion
You’ve probably heard the saying, “Smile and the whole world smiles with you.”
Well, this saying is actually grounded in fact. When you smile, it sends off a triggering effect that elicits smiles in those around you. Even in non-optimum situations, a smile can easily brighten up everybody’s mood. A smile can work wonders in a classroom full of anxious children. Use your beautiful smile daily. Shower your students in smiles and watch them blossom!

Dale Carnegie said: “The expression one wears on one’s face is far more important than the clothes one wears on one’s back.”

REFLECTION-WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED ABOUT GREAT TEACHING?

2010-03-06T07:35:00.000-08:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #42 – March 6, 2010

For the past four weeks we have looked at each of four candidates nominated for the prestigious National Teacher of the Year Award. Our mission was to identify specific qualities great teachers have that good teachers haven't quite met. The purpose of this short study was to find at least some of the connecting threads that seem to weave into the material that comprises truly special individuals that are a cut above the rest. Hopefully, this will motivate us to take our teaching up to the next level.

Working backwards, our fourth candidate, Cynthia Cole Rigsbee-North Carolina Teacher of the Year, is a sixth through eighth-grade reading teacher who has shown us the importance of looking at teachers as opinion leaders and as cornerstones of the community. Because of her statements, we thought about the question: Should teachers openly convey an attitude of bitterness and inability to cope when out and about in their community? As Mary Engelbreit said, “If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it. “ Teachers must promote themselves and their career as one of hard-working professionals full of hope and with a large dose of optimism. They alone have been given the wonderful opportunity to change the future for the better by molding one student at a time into the very best he or she can be. Only when teachers behaving like professionals will they get the respect they deserve. Only then will legislators take teachers seriously and become advocates for public education. "People seem not to see that their opinion of the world is also a confession of character." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Worship," The Conduct of Life, 1860

Our third candidate, Anthony Mullen—2009 Connecticut Teacher of the Year, is

a ninth through twelfth-grade special education teacher at ARCH School in Greenwich, Connecticut. Mr. Mullen really got us thinking about the school’s role as the greatest agent “for social change,” and the teacher as “the greatest instrument of change.” These are two all encompassing and crucial components of our society, educators are responsible for. Indeed, schools and teachers everywhere, every day, take on this challenge. Anthony reminds us that most of the knowledge used to create all the technological, scientific and artistic marvels throughout time has been the direct or indirect result of great teachers. Those of you able to read this and think about it right now, undoubtedly have a teacher to thank for that gift. I applaud Mr. Mullen’s advocacy of the teaching profession. It is because of teachers with his strength and vision, great things are still happening in our American free educational system for all.

"In a completely rational society, the best of us would be teachers and the rest of us would have to settle for something else." — Lee Iacocca

Our second candidate, Susan Elliott—2009 Colorado Teacher of the Year is a ninth through twelfth grade English and social studies teacher at Highlands Ranch High School in Highland Ranch, Colorado. Ms. Elliot pointed out the importance of continued and relevant professional development for teachers. There are always new techniques and ideas to learn about that can make a huge difference in one’s teaching; and thus in the impact one will have on students. Susan also reminded us of the value of each instructional minute. Each minute is important as the total minutes used wisely add up to many hours of important learning for our students, while wasted minutes add up to a huge disservice to them. By making cross-curricular connections, not only is she able to cover more than one subject area at a time, she is also showing students in real-time that in real life, many courses of study interact as we deal with them in our daily lives. Gaining support from the media and policymakers is critical. We need some powerful forces such as Ms. Elliot to contact local media and “tell the story” of great things going on in the classroom. Susan is right in her statement, “ Well-prepared teachers are the most valuable resource we can provide young people.” She personally wants to give the very best she can in order to empower her students to be successful in life.

Our first finalist is Alex Kajitani—2009 California Teacher of the Year, an eighth grade mathematics teacher at Mission Middle School in Escondido, California. This middle school math teacher is connecting the classroom with the world as it is. He embodies dedication, caring and determination, qualities many of his students will assimilate from his example. He is telling his students, they are the ones that can change the world and he inspires them to eventually believe him. To equip them, he invokes pride and confidence, shows them the door and says, "I'm expecting great things from you. Go out there an do something great."

To summarize here are the main threads I found these fine teachers weaving into their mission as teachers:

If you expect to be supported and treated as a professional, act like one at all times and in all places.
Recognize the power that has been entrusted to your hands as “the greatest instrument of change.” Don’t waste the important opportunity you have; use it by empowering your students with the knowledge and skills they need to make their dreams come true.
Use every instructional minute wisely. By making cross-curricular connections, not only can you cover more than one subject area at a time, you also show students in real-time that in real life, many courses of study interact as we deal with them in our daily lives.
Continue learning through relevant Professional Development. Don’t just attend these learning opportunities; try implementing what you have learned. After all, if you expect your students to be open to change and new ideas, you should exemplify this. New strategies could make a huge difference in the progress your students make.
Hold genuine high expectations of your students and don’t accept anything less. Inspire them, believe in them, and they will go out into the world and make a difference.
Be proactive. Contact local media and legislators. Let them know of the little miracles you are fostering each and every day in the microcosm of our world; your classroom.

If you decide to add even one of these attributes as you weave your plans for the rest of the school year, you will definitely see positive changes and know you are taking your personal practice up to a higher level. I wish you the best of luck!

WHAT MAKES A GOOD TEACHER GREAT? Part 4

2010-02-26T22:43:00.000-08:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #41 – February 27, 2010

This week we will read about our fourth and final candidate for National Teacher of the Year. Let’s continue our quest to find qualities great teachers have that mediocre teachers don't. What are the unique attributes that make these teachers truly outstanding? It is my hope that as we learn from “the best of the best,” we will find at least some of the connecting threads, binding certain qualities and beliefs into something that will clarify our understanding of what makes these individuals truly special and a cut above. Ideally, as we discover these threads, we will be motivated to take our teaching up to a higher level.

Our final candidate is Cynthia Cole Rigsbee.

Cynthia Cole Rigsbee-2009 North Carolina Teacher of the Year
Rigsbee is a sixth through eighth-grade reading teacher at Gravelly Hill Middle School in Efland, North Carolina. She has been an educator at Gravelly Hill, a school of 470 students, for the past three of her 21 years serving as a teacher.

"Teachers are professionals and our citizens need to be aware of the tremendous effort and purposeful thought that go into our jobs daily. And teachers need to better understand how to market themselves and their schools. Sure, attire is important for the "look" of a professional. But what we say when we are in the grocery store and around the neighborhood pool has a great deal of impact on how the public perceives us. Any negativity must stop at the schoolhouse door and be remedied in the important collaboration that occurs in Professional Learning Communities. And as we shift the thinking of others about what we do, eventually we'll influence the thinking of legislators and others who impact education policy."

Ms. Cole is a true professional and she urges all teachers to behave in like manner. Many teachers forget the fact their role in the community is similar to that of a preacher or even a city council member. Indeed, many parents and neighbors view teachers as opinion leaders and as cornerstones of the community. When teachers complain in public or make off-handed remarks about the “horrible kids” they have to deal with everyday, what message does that send to the neighbors? When teachers complain about the stupidity of their boss (the principal) or of the lack of equipment and the poor facilities they have to work with, what is the interpretation going on in the minds of those listening? Should teachers openly convey an attitude of bitterness and inability to cope? As Mary Engelbreit said, “If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it. “ Teachers must promote themselves and their career as one of hard-working professionals full of hope and with a large dose of optimism. They alone have been given the wonderful opportunity to change the future for the better by molding one student at a time into the very best he or she can be. Only when teachers stop publicly behaving like disgruntled street urchins, and start behaving like professionals will they get the respect they deserve. Only then will legislators take teachers seriously and become advocates for public education. "People seem not to see that their opinion of the world is also a confession of character." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Worship," The Conduct of Life, 1860

Teacher of the Year Candidate #3

2010-02-19T22:17:00.000-08:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #40 – February 20, 2010

Welcome to week three of our review of nominees for National Teacher of the Year. With our attention focused on those attributes great teachers seem to wield that good teachers don't. I am pleased to introduce our next candidate for this prestigious honor.

Please meet Anthony Mullen, the third finalist for 2009. The quoted italicized text includes excerpts from the finalist’s applications for National Teacher of the Year.

Anthony Mullen—2009 Connecticut Teacher of the Year
Mullen is a ninth through twelfth-grade special education teacher at ARCH School in Greenwich, Connecticut. He has taught at this school of 35 students for six of his seven years in the education profession.

"The greatest institution for social change is the school and the greatest instrument of change is the teacher. Schools are the catalyst for human progress because the dissemination of knowledge has created the world in which we live. Everything you see is the direct result of teachers spreading knowledge to vast amounts of people. The building you presently inhabit is a masterpiece of acquired knowledge: architecture, engineering, physics, chemistry, and the sum of skills and technologies taught in our schools. Your ability to read and write can be traced back to your first grade teacher and, no doubt, your professional success is equal in measure to the number of years spent in a classroom. Great societies have always valued education and understood the critical role schools and teachers play in the success or failure of its people."

Mr. Mullen’s statements are packed to the brim with powerful and thought-provoking words. How many of us have actually thought about the school’s role as the greatest agent “for social change,” and the teacher as “the greatest instrument of change?” These are two all encompassing and crucial components of our society, educators are responsible for. Yet, schools and teachers everywhere, every day, take on this challenge. Anthony takes us on a journey back in time, not only our own lifetime, but through the evolution of the great cultures and civilizations of our entire world. He reminds us that most of the knowledge used to create all the technological, scientific and artistic marvels throughout time have been the direct or indirect result of great teachers. Those of you able to read this and think about it right now, undoubtedly have a teacher to thank for that gift. How much greater could our community, our society at large, our country be, if our leaders recognized and supported the significant role teachers play in “the success or failure of its people?” I applaud Mr. Mullen’s advocacy of the teaching profession. It is because of teachers with his strength and vision, great things are still happening in our American free educational system for all.

"In a completely rational society, the best of us would be teachers and the rest of us would have to settle for something else." — Lee Iacocca

WHAT MAKES A GOOD TEACHER GREAT? Part II

2010-02-13T07:12:00.000-08:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #39 – February 13, 2010

As promised last week, we will continue our investigation as to what great teachers do that good teachers don't do. We will look at what sets these outstanding teachers apart from the rest.

This week we’ll be learning about our second candidate for the honor of receiving the "National Teacher of the Year" award. Let us continue to focus on the connecting threads binding certain qualities and beliefs into something that will clarify our understanding of what makes these individuals truly special and a cut above. Once again, it is my hope, as you discover these threads, you will be motivated to take your teaching up a level.

I am pleased to introduce the second finalist for 2009. The quoted italicized text includes excerpts from the finalist’s applications for National Teacher of the Year.

Susan Elliott—2009 Colorado Teacher of the Year. Ms. Elliott is a ninth through twelfth grade English and social studies teacher at Highlands Ranch High School in Highland Ranch, Colorado. She has taught for 31 years, the last six at Highlands Ranch High School, which has 1,690 students.

"To meet students’ needs, teachers must seize every opportunity to continue their professional development, maximize our students' time, and cover the essentials of a guaranteed and viable curriculum. To do this we must make cross-curricular connections, use integrated technology, and protect our instructional time. We are on the front lines; we touch the future everyday in our classrooms. We must secure support from the media and policymakers at every level to create strong learning communities. Well-prepared teachers are the most valuable resource we can provide young people. Teachers have the power to positively influence student achievement in schools organized for success regardless of income, background or ethnic identity."

Ms. Elliot knows the significance continued and relevant professional development has for teachers. There are always new techniques and ideas to learn about that can make a huge difference in one’s teaching; and thus in the impact one will have on students. Susan demonstrates how much she values protecting each instructional minute. Each minute is important as the total minutes used wisely add up to many hours of important learning for our students, while wasted minutes add up to a huge disservice to them. By making cross-curricular connections, not only is she able to cover more than one subject area at a time, she is also showing students in real-time that in real life, many courses of study interact as we deal with them in our daily lives. Using integrated technology is a must in today’s cyber-world. Students must be proficient in computer skills, and using the Internet in any career path they wish to pursue. Gaining support from the media and policymakers is critical. We need some powerful forces such as Ms. Elliot to contact local media and “tell the story” of great things going on in the classroom. Susan is right in her statement, “ Well-prepared teachers are the most valuable resource we can provide young people.” She personally wants to give the very best she can in order to empower her students to be successful in life.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD TEACHER GREAT?

2010-02-06T07:57:00.000-08:00

What Makes A Good Teacher Great?

What do great teachers do that good teachers don't do? What are the unique attributes that make them truly outstanding? Each week, for the next four weeks, we’re going to examine one recipient of the "National Teacher of the Year" award. As we do, I believe you will find the connecting threads binding certain qualities and beliefs into something that will clarify our understanding of what makes these individuals truly special and a cut above. It is my hope, as you discover these threads, you will be motivated to take your teaching up a level.

I am pleased to introduce the first finalist for 2009. The quoted italicized text includes excerpts from the finalist’s applications for National Teacher of the Year.

Alex Kajitani—2009 California Teacher of the Year
Kajitani is an eighth grade mathematics teacher at Mission Middle School in Escondido, California. He has taught a total of nine years and been an educator at Mission, a school of 1,021 students, for four years.

"Teaching is not just what we do; it is what we are. We are a group of dedicated, passionate professionals who enter our classrooms each morning not only to teach our students about the world as it is, but for the world as it can be. We live on a planet shaped by war, hunger, disease, and the destruction of our environment. Yet we also live in a world in which we, as educators, can invoke in our students the determination and knowledge to create peace, equity, and compassion. As educators, we are not accomplishing this alone in our classrooms, standing in front of students and desks. By being teachers, and embodying the commitment that is inherent to living and working as teachers, we are inspiring, creating, and invoking in our students the pride and confidence to make this world a better place. Above all, we are doing it together."

This middle school math teacher is connecting the classroom with the world as it is. He embodies dedication, caring and determination, qualities many of his students will assimilate from his example. He is telling his students, they are the ones that can change it and he inspires them to eventually believe him. To equip them, he invokes pride and confidence, shows them the door and says, "I'm expecting great things from you. Go out there an do something great."

I’m going to continue digesting his powerful words and look forward to the additional insights we will review from the remaining three candidates.

I would love to receive your thoughts on each candidate.

TURN READING INTO MAGIC WITH "READERS' THEATER"

2010-01-24T17:41:00.000-08:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora - Posting #37 - January 24, 2010

What exactly is Readers’ Theater, you ask? It is an activity where students, while reading directly from scripts, can tell a story in a very entertaining form, without props, costumes, or sets. Students are not asked to memorize their lines; since they read from a text. They are definitely encouraged to “ham it up,” and use vocal expression, intonation, facial expression and gestures appropriate to their characters and their characters’ words. The performance that ensues becomes a “magical moment.”

Is Readers’ Theater a waste of time or is it productive; will it help students learn? Following are some arguments for the latter.

1.Fluency: Readers Theater provides repeated reading practice- an important factor in building fluency (prosody, word attack, comprehension and accuracy) Repeated reading practice also improves students’ confidence in, and enthusiasm for reading. Students are so thrilled at their newfound skill; they ask to perform for the younger students.

2.Self-Esteem: Readers’ Theater provides a wonderful opportunity for children who are used to feelings of failure, to provide outstanding entertainment for others.

3.Variety: The use of Readers Theatre can offer a different context in which students are exposed to texts focusing on poetry, science, social studies, or other content-related topics.

4.Comprehension: Readers Theatre is another way to enhance comprehension of text, as well as to create interest in and enthusiasm for learning. When text is read orally, within the context of an actual performance, meaning and understanding come alive in a new and “magical” way.

Here are some simple steps to use in order to bring the Magic of Readers’ Theater to your students:

Reader's Theater: A Quick Guide
Here is a suggested weekly plan to roll out your Readers Theater Program from Dr. Tim Rasinski, Professor of Reading at Kent State University

The Week Before: Before the week begins, choose a script or prepare one based on a text. Make copies for the group, two for each member.
Monday: On Monday, discuss the purpose and procedures for Reader’s Theater with the class/group. Assign students parts by having them volunteer or audition. Practice needs to be done aloud and also silently.
Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday: On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, have students practice their parts in class, on their own, in their groups and at home. This activity can also been done during center time or as part of an anchor activity.
Friday: Friday is performance day. Students can read/perform their scripts for an audience of classmates, parents, or even the principal. Remember, this is not a performance based on memorization. They are reading the script they have practiced over the week.

The Power of Reader's Theater
How can you magically make dramatic changes in kids' fluency, writing, listening, and social skills?
As you observe very young children at play, you’ll notice quite naturally, they invent characters, scenes, and stories, infusing their creations with expressive voices and invented dialogue. Settings are developed; dramatic conflicts arise and are solved. “Readers’ Theater” provides a similar experience.

Drama, as many teachers are discovering, is not only fun and natural for children, it also promotes self-confidence, motivation, and engagement. One form of drama, known as Reader's Theater, has been found to be particularly effective in building reading fluency. Called simply "RT" by many advocates, Reader's Theater can also boost listening and speaking skills and magically transform reluctant readers into book lovers.

Tim Rasinski, a professor at Kent State University, in Kent, Ohio, points out that "research has demonstrated that practiced reading or repeated reading does lead to significant gains in fluency, which is a key element in effective reading programs."

Building fluency is one of the five major dictates set up in Reading First, part of the No Child Left Behind Act. Put Reading First, a booklet published by the U.S. Department of Education et al (2001), states that "Readers' theatre provides readers with a legitimate reason to reread text and to practice fluency. [RT] also promotes cooperative interaction with peers and makes the reading task appealing."

How to get started
The best news about Reader's Theater is it does not require extensive preparation, fancy costumes, props, sets, or memorization. While staged plays might be limited by a school's budget or supplies, RT is limited only by one’s imagination, and determination to “make magic” happen in the classroom. It's also especially nice for the shy student or teacher, because you have a script in front of you — kind of nice to hide behind — and that gives you a sense of security.
Since kids need to understand and become comfortable with the format of a script, using a prepared script is the best way to start. Finding one is easy — there are numerous free scripts available online and in books. It’s best to start with short scripts — no more than two or three pages.

Most teachers find that even the most resistant readers practice their RT scripts as if they were doing a full-time job — and one that they love. "Most children have a desire to perform and express themselves orally," says Rasinski. RT gives them the opportunity to do so.

Mack Lewis, a third- and fourth-grade teacher from Central Point, Oregon, writes "Because we've inadvertently trained kids that books should only be read once...few second graders will read Stellaluna more than once or twice. Give kids a script and schedule a public performance, however, and they'll be more than happy to read and reread it 20 to 30 times. Twenty to 30 times!" Lewis, who has won national attention for his method of using drama to meet the standards in reading and history, explains that plays are the perfect format to teach repetitive reading. Kids don't resist it because they don't see it as a chore. Before they even know it, they gain mastery over the text. And their confidence grows immeasurably. He’s using the “magic” of Readers’ Theater to teach fluency.

Performing
The simplest way to perform Reader's Theater, explains teacher, Rick Swallow, is for the teacher to "assign parts and simply have the students stand in a straight line at the front of the room, facing the audience, parts in hand to read when it is their time." Some teachers like kids to stand as they read their parts. Music stands can be a nice addition, leaving kids' hands free to turn pages and gesticulate.

Once you have your makeshift stage set up, kids take turns reading their lines with as much creative expression as they can. It's that simple. However, kids need to be aware of one another and to listen respectfully.

RT and Emotional Needs
Another boon of RT is its ability to promote and develop interpersonal, social, and collaborative skills. Sometimes overcoming shyness and mastering reading can come together in one magical confluence. Another teacher, Ms. Stern remembers the moment it happened for one emotionally disturbed third grader, a nonreader who "would always sit on the periphery when the rest of the class did scripts on stage. He absolutely refused to participate."

By the next year, she recalls, the child had "edged in slightly toward the stage. He'd started to pay attention." Edging in closer all the while, the child finally reached fifth grade and, almost overnight, became "a full and active participant in the theater activities." More important, he had suddenly become a reader.

"This child looked up at me with a smile," recalls Stern. "He knew what he'd done, and he was so proud. He had broken the code to reading. Truly, this child had blossomed forth from nothing."

Conclusion
Students become excited and enthusiastic about reading when they are presented with the opportunity to participate in Readers Theatre. This activity affords students the opportunity to develop fluency and further enhance comprehension of what they are reading. It makes the reading experience “magical.”

Much of the data in this posting was culled from an article by Jennifer O. Prescott the managing editor of Instructor. The article was originally published in the January/February 2003 issue.

TURN YOUR TEACHING INTO MAGIC PART 2

2010-01-16T07:04:00.000-08:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #36 – January 16, 2010

In the previous posting we looked at the value of adding a bit of magic to your teaching repertoire. The example given was a card trick, (used to teach a simple Algebraic formula), which is a sure fire way to grab anyone’s attention, especially a classroom full of curious children. When you have students focused, magic becomes an excellent vehicle that can be used to teach a wide variety of subjects. This week, I would like to feature a gentleman whose use of magic, sparks great enthusiasm and interest in learning science.

Alan McCormack, a San Diego State University professor teaches the principles of convection currents, static electricity, basic chemistry and engineering to elementary school science classes using magic, and has mentored student teachers in his methods.

Recently, Professor McCormack watched as three elementary school students poured vials of colored liquid labeled “stink of a thousand frogs,” “kisses of a princess giant,” and “tears of a unicorn” into a black caldron. Then, McCormack himself added the final ingredient – a pinch of “ground dragon’s bones.”

Next, McCormack covered the caldron with a plate, turned it upside down and set it on top of a student’s head. When he slid out the plate, the caldron was empty.
“We made a nothing potion,” the professor told 75 third, fourth and fifth graders, seated on mats on the floor of the school auditorium. (The magic used in this trick will be explained at the end)…

McCormack calls his presentation, “Science of the Magic from Hogwart’s Academy,” cleverly based on the Harry Potter novels. He gives these performances at schools and science fairs both locally and nationally.

The Professor has been honing his sleight-of-hand skills for several decades. As a former junior high teacher, he tried everything to engage his students, including playing the banjo, singing and drama. He makes many of his own props. He is happy to have finally discovered what he considers to be perhaps the greatest “hook,” magic.

Many kids think science is kind of boring. When the Harry Potter phenomenon entered the scene, McCormack blended its story into his show. McCormack’s techniques enhance the joy of learning about science both for students and teachers.

At the end of his magic and science show, McCormack explains that the powder he sprinkled into the caldron was actually sodium polyacrylate, a substance used in disposable diapers, which sucked up the liquid and adhered to the inside of the caldron.

Just think of all the other scientific principles that can be taught with such “charm.” Once you have the students’ attention totally focused on you, the possibilities of what they can learn are endless. Try using a little magic in your classroom. It will open new windows of wonder for your students.

“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” Roald Dahl - Author

TURN YOUR TEACHING INTO MAGIC

2010-01-02T08:32:00.000-08:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #35 – January 2, 2010

Let’s start the New Year right by making magic in your classroom. The other day, it occurred to me, there is a definite similarity between being a magician and teaching. I know what you’re thinking. “Yeah, you have to be a magician to get kids to learn anything these days!” And you would be correct in a way.

What is one of the big differences between a great teacher and a mediocre teacher? Actually, it’s the same as the difference between a great magician and a mediocre magician. Most teachers have the same basic knowledge to present to students in a similar way that all magicians have the same basic illusions to demonstrate. The thing that makes a magician great is how the illusion is presented. The same is true in teaching.

Take a moment right now and recall the last time you watched a magic trick being performed. Many of us have seen live magic shows or the ones now shown on TV. As the anticipation grows, so does our interest. Our eyes are glued to the performer as we try to see how the trick is really done. Then, when the magic happens, we think, “How did he do that?”

A good lesson is like a good magic trick. Great magicians begin enticing their audience well before the illusion is performed. They use riddles, magical sounding words, and speak as though they are talking to you as a member of the audience, personally. Basically, they build up the interest and anticipation, thus gaining the audience’s complete attention. This is called “The Hook,” and can be applied similarly to a teaching lesson.

In teaching, a “hook” can be an interesting story, a joke, a riddle, or a video clip. The key is that it grabs the students’ attention and is somehow linked to the lesson at hand.

Once the “hook” takes hold, you can launch into your magical teaching presentation. Magic can be used in several teaching disciplines. Here is one example. Tell your math class they are about to see how an Algebraic Formula can be used to perform a magic trick.

Magic Card Trick
1.
Hand your friend a stack of twenty-one playing cards. Instruct them to pick one out, without showing or telling you which card they chose, and to place the card back into the stack at random.
2.
Deal the cards out face-up in three columns, working row-by-row (1st column-2nd column-3rd column, 1-2-3, 1-2-3, etc). You should have three columns of seven cards in front of you. Have your friend tell you which pile contains their card (without telling you which card it is, of course).
3.
Gather the three columns into one stack of cards again. This time, be sure to put the pile that holds their card in the middle of the three piles. For example, if the first pile contained their card, then you could pick up the third pile first, then the first pile (containing the card) and then the second pile—or the second pile, then the first, then the third. It is very important that the pile containing their card goes into the middle.
4.
Repeat the past two steps two more times. When done, you will have dealt the cards out a total of 3 times. If you have done the card trick correctly their card with be the 11th card in the pile of cards. Do not flip the deck over at the end, or else you won't be correct.

Your amazed students may ask you how you did this. You can tell them, "it was magic;" or, you could explain the simple math that makes it work. Each time you deal out the cards, you are dividing the placement of the card. By the third time, you have gotten the card into the middle of the pile. Thus, you are able to tell where their card will be every time.

The formula is Y=(X + 1)/2, where X is the number of cards and Y is the placement of the card in the pile after the 3rd deal. In this case, since X is 21, Y = 22/2 = 11.
To add to the lesson, before revealing the “magic” formula, divide the class up into groups and see which group can figure out how the trick works. It’s up to you, which clues you give them to get them started.

The magic “trick” is just one example. Magic comes in many forms. Tune in next week for more ways magic can be used as an enchanting learning and teaching tool.

A lesson presented the right way, like a magic trick performed well, leaves your students with a sense of wonder. Teachers, use your great and enchanting presentation skills, and create some magic in your classroom!

A Special Gift

2009-12-26T06:48:00.000-08:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #34 – December 26, 2009

Since we have just experienced the season of giving, I’d like to ask you to ponder for a moment a very special gift. It is the gift of teaching. There is nothing I can think of that compares with this very special gift. If you are fortunate enough to have been blessed with the gift of teaching, you have most likely discovered it is all but impossible not to share it abundantly.

In fact, the feelings good teachers have about teaching haven’t changed much over the years. Here is a portion of an article I found in Time Magazine, dated May 5, 1947:

Considering a teacher's lot and a teacher's pay, why should anybody want to be a teacher? Well, there are reasons. In the National Education Association's monthly Journal, Wisconsin Teacher Dorothy McCuskey recalled a couple of her own: "The day you help Johnny discover that multiplication is really a short form of adding, the day a whole class cooperates to write a poem which expresses the fresh new beauty of a child's world, you know why teaching holds people. . . . All farmers and even tenders of city ivy pots know the fascination of watching things grow. But for the teacher it is not things—it's people."

Added California Schoolmarm Kathryn H. Martin, in the educational magazine Clearing House: "People who are too smart rarely make good teachers because they can't understand why other people make so many mistakes. . . . If I didn't remember how I felt about long division, I'd go berserk some day when I see 'there' and 'their' mixed up for the one-millionth time. . . . The most interesting thing about teaching is not what-you already know, but how much you learn and need to learn. A teacher who 'knew it all' would be nothing but a sad automaton, but I've never met one. Most of us don't know very much, but we keep on trying because the children insist. . . ."

You see, the more things change, the more they stay the same. The best teachers are there to learn as much as they are there to teach. They guide and nurture children and revel as they see their students grow. That part is included with the gift wrapping.

Yes, teaching is a unique gift, one that can be used to change lives in so many wonderful ways. Teaching is not really a choice, but rather a “calling.” If you are one of the few who has this gift, use it wisely; its power can illuminate the future of our world with bright smiles and caring young men and women who show thanks to their teachers, through their many accomplishments. This is definitely one gift you won’t want to “return.”

So, during this season of giving, be thankful for the teachers who have made a difference in your life, but be even more thankful if you have received the special ability to teach others. It really is “the gift that keeps on giving!”

Wishing you a brilliant New Year!

Is Teaching 'Respect' Important?

2009-12-19T07:51:00.000-08:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #33 – December 19

As good teachers know, it’s not about the lesson plan; it’s all about the student. We also know, it is imperative we teach the “whole” student. Possibly, one of the most important things we can teach our students is respect.

Please note that respect is not the same as obedience. The difference is, a student (or child) might obey because they are afraid. When a student respects you, they obey because they know you really care and want what’s best for them.

Like it or not, when we sign up as a “teacher,” we sign up for being a role model who, by example, has powerful influence on students, over the course of a semester or year. The period of time we spend with our students is enough to, by example, gain the respect of the student. How does a teacher receive respect? By showing it. That said, the best way to teach respect is by example and demonstration. When a student experiences respect, they know what it feels like and can begin to understand its importance. Just keep in mind the golden rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Respect is a learned attitude. It is a part of one’s behavior that will greatly help a student succeed in life. If children don’t have respect for peers, adults, or themselves, it will be almost impossible for them to attain success at anything.

Would you like some tips on how to not only “talk the talk,” but also “walk the walk?” That old saying is still true, “Actions speak louder than words.” These pointers should get you off to a great start as a good role model of respect for your students.

How can we best model respect as a teacher or parent?

Be polite- Say the magic words, “please” and “thank you.” Say “excuse me,” when you must speak to someone who is otherwise engaged in a conversation.
Be fair- Listen to the child’s side of the story and get all the facts before reaching a conclusion. “Let me see if I heard you correctly. You said,…….?”
Be honest- If you do something wrong, openly (yes, in front of the whole class) admit it and apologize. “Class, I am so terribly sorry I led you astray. I was wrong about that. Here’s the correct answer. You learn something every day.”
Be a good listener- Give the student your full attention. Do not interrupt until they have completed their communication. You may well be the only adult they can talk to.
Be positive- Don’t ever get close to embarrass, insult or make fun of a student; encourage them and compliment their progress and success. Think hard before saying something about a student in front of the others. Actually, comments made to a student in front of their peers should only be positive ones.
Avoid poor role models- When you see examples of disrespect, discuss them. “Students, did you notice how the boy in the film just grabbed Johnny’s toy without even asking permission to touch it? What do you think about that?”
Be reliable- Keep promises. Show students you mean what you say and that they can count on you. If you promise to be there at 6:00 A.M. for the pancake breakfast, be there!
Be caring- Demonstrate your concern for people, animals and the environment.

Important steps

It is vital to place much emphasis on teaching students to respect themselves. Self-respect is indeed one of the most important kinds of respect. Once children respect themselves, it is easier for them to respect others.

If a student makes a mistake, or breaks a rule, remind them you still care for them and turn the mistake or transgression into a learning opportunity, where the child can still make amends and feel like a winner.

Help your students set and achieve personal goals. Watch their self-respect skyrocket as they see themselves achieving those goals!

Encourage honesty frequently. Let your students know they may be able to fool some people, but they can’t fool themselves. There is no pride in stealing, cheating or lying; for they will only be hurting themselves and holding their own abilities down.

Your opinion means the world to your students. If you believe in them, voice that belief in them and in their success and they will believe it too. It is also important to show you care. It’s okay to say, “I really care about you,” “I know you can do it!” If appropriate, give hugs or encouraging pats on the shoulder.

Is teaching respect important? What do you think?

A youth is to be regarded with respect. How do you know that his future will not be equal to our present? Confucius

BUILDING CONFIDENCE IN YOUR STUDENTS

2009-12-12T08:20:00.000-08:00

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #32 – December 12, 2009

The dictionary defines confidence as: freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities, the quality or state of being certain. How does one gain confidence? Let’s take a look at something you personally feel very confident about being able to do. For example, if you are a good, accurate typist, you know with certainty you can complete typing a full-page document fairly quickly with a minimal amount of correction needed. How did you acquire this confidence? Through practice, practice and more practice.

Confidence and mastery are inextricably linked in a continuous cycle, each helping the other to grow. Once mastery is gained, confidence is its shining glory. Unfortunately, many kids give up when tasks become challenging because they lack self-esteem and need encouragement from another (like you, their teacher, parent or coach). This is the missing ingredient necessary for these children to tackle new learning enthusiastically.

Without self-assurance, kids won’t reach their full capability. Their failure to achieve goals will reinforce their low sense of self worth, and a different kind of cycle will occur. How can you keep this from happening to the kids you work with and care about? Here are some suggestions that have shown great success:

Provide Opportunities
Get kids involved in tasks that are slightly above their current level of functioning. Anything less is too easy, anything too steep may be frustrating. Helping kids to stretch a bit gives them experience accompanied by appropriate challenges. Varying the types of tasks given, helps keep interest levels high.

Model Positive Thinking
Exhibiting a negative attitude can easily rub off on kids. They look to us for examples of how to respond to challenging situations. Let them observe you eagerly tackling challenges while verbalizing self-assurance. For example, if you opened up a kit containing a new teaching tool to put on display in the classroom, and you were having a difficult time assembling it; instead of getting upset, making nasty comments (or worse, yelling obscenities), calmly talk through the situation, making positive remarks, take it one step at a time and work the problem into a solution.

Model Problem Solving
Many kids are often uncomfortable when things don’t come easy because they don’t have the skills to manage roadblocks. If a pattern of giving up when things get tough has been established, help them work through it by changing their thought processes. Help normalize the process of challenge: when you hit obstacles, explain how you think your way around them. When you feel frustrated, verbalize your feelings, but keep going in spite of it. When you need help, ask for it. Kids often have trouble with this skill, too.

Don’t Rescue
Avoid the urge to jump in at the first sign of frustration. Kids need to develop the ability to work through this often difficult emotion. It’s a balancing act: you don’t want frustration levels to get too high, either. You might need to restructure the task so that mastery is possible. Or better yet, have kids verbalize ideas about what would help make the situation less frustrating.

Use Praise Properly
Don’t waste praise on simple or effortless tasks. Kids can see through the smoke. Plus, praising them for something that didn’t require any work on their part sends them the message that you don’t think they’re capable of more. It can lead to frustration or playing the helpless victim. Instead, make your words count. Save your accolades for accomplishments that require true effort, and thus help kids reinforce their own successes.

Setting an example is not the main means of influencing another, it is the only means.
Albert Einstein