Michelle Rhee – Excellent Teaching

A teacher asked me last week if our focus on data, and our use of objective measures of students’ academic growth, means that we want to standardize teaching to one teaching style. Absolutely not. Such a practice would be a disservice to children and it would be a surefire way to strip the joy from teaching and lower student achievement levels. 

Excellent teachers do have things in common, some best practices that help teachers to advance student achievement in their classrooms. For example, excellent teachers clearly and consistently communicate high expectations to their students, and they are very clear about what students can do to meet and exceed these expectations.

The excellent teachers I have met believe that all of their children can learn, and they make it clear to students that the greatest factor in their success will be how hard they work, not “how smart they are.” Excellent teachers know how to manage their classrooms well, and they are consistent in sticking to the guidelines (often created with students) that promote learning. They respect their students and it shows. They are relentless in their pursuit of excellence, and they have the skills in their subject area and multiple successful teaching strategies to hold all their students to high standards for excellence.

This does not mean that all excellent teaching looks the same. Excellent teaching comes in as many styles as there are student needs, and it is truly inspiring to see the different ways that different excellent teaching styles can all resonate with students and challenge them toward success.

For example, we have a veteran teacher at one school who teaches 8th grade boys, and she is strict! Every student walking into her classroom knows he is there to learn, and that she is the one in charge of guiding them toward that result. On the day we saw her teaching, every child was not only listening to her with rapt attention, but every child was actively engaged, responding excitedly to her rapid fire questions that challenged them to respond with high energy in a lesson on fact vs. opinion. Throughout the lesson, they clearly knew what to expect from her, and the routines she had established clearly had taken much time and practice to develop.

Watching another teacher, “strict” and “discipline” were not the first words that came to mind. This teacher communicated the same high expectations as the first teacher did, but in a very different way. His voice did not boom as hers did, and it didn’t need to. His questions were challenging, but he smiled more, facilitated, mediated, was patient as he encouraged students to think before they spoke, and respected the silence it took to do so. Their responses showed the thoughtfulness and critical thinking he encouraged.

Based on what students produced in both classes, it was clear that both of these teachers had approaches that yielded results in student learning and motivation.

* I agree that Excellent teaching comes in many forms. My teaching style is more strict and focused. I teach all of the students in my school including special education computer skills. They have learned microsoft word, powerpoint, excel and we are currently starting to delve into movie maker. The students practice math and language arts skills so that they will learn more in the their regular classes and when you partner technology with  reinforcing foundation skills most children are very excited about learning.

Excellent Teaching: Does it all look the same?

Arne Duncan- Can he save Urban Education?

WATCH THE SECOND VIDEO FIRST!!!!!!

While the world had me looking at Michelle Rhee and Linda Darling Hammonds as possible  candidates for the top job in Education, here comes Arne Duncan. Without me being too sarcastic, I hope that the only reason that our President elect did not pick one of these two very talented women is because they don’t play basketball…lol

In 2007, only 17 percent of eighth graders tested at or above grade level in reading in Chicago Public Schools – the school system administered by Arne Duncan since 2001. 

President-elect Barack Obama on Tuesday tapped Duncan to become secretary of education in the upcoming administration. 

Duncan, hailed by Obama as a reformer, said he would like to take the lessons he learned in Chicago with him when he moves to Washington. “I’m also eager to apply some of the lessons we have learned here in Chicago to help school districts all across our country,” Duncan said after Obama formally named him to the job in Chicago.

I agree with David Boaz who states “ In seven years running the Chicago public schools, this longtime friend of Obama was apparently not able to produce a single public school that Obama considered good enough for his own children.”

 

I am anxious to see what programs Mr. Duncan has in store for schools around the country.  Because he has experience leading an urban school system, I hope that he will introduce policies that will be a win-win-win for students, parents and educators.

Chicago Students Plan First- Day Boycott

Posted Aug 13th 2008 6:00AM by Carmen Dixon
Filed under: BlackSpin, Education

Chicago State Senator James Meeks (D-Chicago) has proposed a rather radical action to protest the underfunding of Chicago’s inner city schools.

Meeks has issued a call for all school kids in Chicago’s poorest districts to boycott the first day at their assigned school and instead head to resource rich predominately white schools and attempt to register there.

Meeks plan has supporters and detractors. …

It’s no secret that schools in predominately poor urban and rural communities just do not provide the educational opportunities to be had in solidly middle class or affluent communities. But what to do about it? Republicans and others favor various forms of “school choice” or voucher programs where children stuck in a lousy school would have the option to move to one with stronger academic options.

Others simply want state and federal government to allocate more dollars to improving under-performing schools. ‘No Child Left Behind’ is an example of a recent government initiative meant to insure that all students have some basic, uniform standard of achievement.

From the Chicago Tribune:

Nearly 50 ministers on Monday embraced plans for students to boycott at least the first day of Chicago Public Schools classes, a move aimed at ramping up pressure on state officials to address widespread inequities in education funding.

The church leaders from the city’s West and South Sides pledged their support as lawmakers return to Springfield on Tuesday to meet in a special session Gov. Rod Blagojevich called to consider the funding issue that has vexed lawmakers for decades.

The ministers said they would urge their congregations and communities to participate in the first-day boycott Sept. 2 and attempt to enroll Chicago students in New Trier Township High School District in north suburban Winnetka.

“We refuse to continue to allow the State of Illinois to orphan our educational system,” said Rev. Albert Tyson of St. Stephen AME Church.

Frankly, I do not accept that you can increase education funding by encouraging students to skip school.

“It’s counterproductive to urge kids not to attend school,” Gov. Blagojevich said at a separate event. “If a child misses a day of school, that child will miss an opportunity to learn. I think children should take advantage of every possible day they can to go to school.”

Further, he said, Chicago Public Schools would lose some state money if students skip because average daily attendance helps determine each school district’s overall funding.

New Trier District 203 Supt. Linda Yonke, bracing for Meeks’ attempt to enroll 1,000 students, labeled the ministers’ move a “political action” she hopes won’t be disruptive.

 

 

If this is not an example of Social Studies in action, I don’t know what is! If a teacher is not able to make a connection between this student centered event and various theories, laws and philosophies taught in Social Studies, then they are not a very effective teacher. Now on one hand we talk about how this current generation of students is this and they are that. But then we are afraid to have them participate in a volunatry peaceful protest. A protest that benefts them and their education. This is a perfect example of getting kids to buy into the type of education that they are receiving that will prepare them for the future. 

If you read my post about Mayors + Superintendents and look at that youtube channel that the episode that I posted originated from you will find the CEO of Chicago Public Schools. A CEO that just told a U.S. committee of politicians that his school district was on the rise. But we know that it all comes down to money! I wonder why our politicians in Washington D.C. are not pushing  for more money to fund education instead of slashing the education budget. Oh, I forgot they want to privatize education. I guess they didn’t get the newsflash from Edison Schools that privatization of public schools doesn’t necessarily work!

Give Chicago the money needed to improve their schools, reinstate the physical education, music, art, afterschool programs and psychological and Social Work staff needed to help students in these schools and enforce the NCLB standards and watch the students soar!