Thursday, August 11, 2005
back to school, part one
It's time to start another school year, new beginnings, and all that blah blah blah. . .
Every year, for some reason that I'm sure sounds great to a bunch of central office administrators, the school district finds it necessary to bring all of the teachers together for some big important training on This Year's Great New Education Best Practice to Improve Student Learning Idea or Initiative. Like before, blah blah blah. . . The thousands of teachers in the district divide by grade level and subject area and travel across town to whatever campus to gather with others of their ilk.
Sounds like a great idea, right?
Um. . . yeah. . .
I have dutifully attended these gatherings for the beginning of the past thirteen school years. Each gathering has been a tremendous waste of my time and energy and provided zero useful information for me to use. It is a tremendous waste of time and energy because none if it ever applies to me or my students.
You see, my dear reader, when it comes right down to it the educational system as a whole really doesn't give a rat's ass about the population of students I serve. They don't care all that much about kids with multiple significant physical and cognitive disabilities because those kids cannot be tested using the standardized tests. Those that can even hold a number two pencil are just as likely to try to stab you with it as to try to mark on a piece of paper.
Because they are not tested they are not included in the current methods that assess schools for performance. Not being included in the assessments means they are not included in the spanks and the handslaps schools receive for not having enough kids pass the standardized tests. So quite honestly, the majority of principals don't care as long as the special kids stay quiet and out of the way and don't disrupt the other kids who do have to take the stupid standardized tests.
Sad but true.
It is my avid opinion that the population of kids I serve, those kids with the most serious physical and cognitive multiple disabilities are still very much left behind.
Some may say that they are not, some may say that the education system cares about all children, but as I have stated, this has not been my experience. Outside of a small group of hardcore pathologically dedicated people such as myself and my coworkers, others in education typically come across in kind of a condescending "ooh, isn't that cute" or "how special for them" way.
Color me cynical, but this is what I have learned.
This point is further illustrated by the fact that when my large urban district with over 100 campuses publishes the lists to instruct teachers which campuses they are to go to for the big district wide bruhahahs, my campus is never included on the lists.
While further making myself and my fellow teachers feel like the bastard red-headed stepchildren it does afford us a degree of freedom.
We can pick where we want to go. Since none if it ever applies ever it really doesn't matter where I go, as long I go somewhere.
I go somewhere because it is a requirement and they have sign-in sheets which go back to Important Administration Types to make sure you show up. Then they break us down into small enough groups to make it obvious if someone gets up and leaves.
The bastards.
This morning, I chose the high school campus nearest my home. Simple geography. I did not even know the subject area until I arrived.
Well, as it turns out, I picked the campus where all the secondary level math teachers were meeting.
Math teachers meaning, of course, math teachers. Secondary meaning not elementary, grades 6 12.
They had all the teachers assigned to classrooms based on their grade level and campus. Since my campus is never on the lists I picked a classroom where the 6th grade teachers were meeting. I picked 6th grade because that's as low as I could go. My students mostly don't even know what a number is.
Yes, this kinda makes it hard to work on lots of math, but I do what I can.
So first thing this morning I found myself sitting in a room with about 3o 6th grade math teachers.
And what did I learn about?
That's a damn fine question, and I tell ya the answer, sort of.
I learned about this (according to the first slide in the Powerpoint presentation):
I'm joshing you negative. That was the title of today's important mandatory professional development training session.
Just what the hell is that? Fuck if I know.
I had that same question this morning. I sat through it for about six hours until I couldn't take it anymore and opted not to return from a 10 minute break.
I still have the same question.
Mostly I just sat quietly with my best faux attentive look wondering about the guy with an eye patch wearing a Hawaiian shirt (like if Jimmy Buffet turned pirate) on my right and watching the probable former sorority girl turned elementary school teacher on my left draw little hearts in pink hi-lighter on her handouts while people babbled incessantly about such weighty issues as (again, according to the Powerpoint, I only wish I could be making this shit up):
It's going to be a great year.
|
Every year, for some reason that I'm sure sounds great to a bunch of central office administrators, the school district finds it necessary to bring all of the teachers together for some big important training on This Year's Great New Education Best Practice to Improve Student Learning Idea or Initiative. Like before, blah blah blah. . . The thousands of teachers in the district divide by grade level and subject area and travel across town to whatever campus to gather with others of their ilk.
Sounds like a great idea, right?
Um. . . yeah. . .
I have dutifully attended these gatherings for the beginning of the past thirteen school years. Each gathering has been a tremendous waste of my time and energy and provided zero useful information for me to use. It is a tremendous waste of time and energy because none if it ever applies to me or my students.
You see, my dear reader, when it comes right down to it the educational system as a whole really doesn't give a rat's ass about the population of students I serve. They don't care all that much about kids with multiple significant physical and cognitive disabilities because those kids cannot be tested using the standardized tests. Those that can even hold a number two pencil are just as likely to try to stab you with it as to try to mark on a piece of paper.
Because they are not tested they are not included in the current methods that assess schools for performance. Not being included in the assessments means they are not included in the spanks and the handslaps schools receive for not having enough kids pass the standardized tests. So quite honestly, the majority of principals don't care as long as the special kids stay quiet and out of the way and don't disrupt the other kids who do have to take the stupid standardized tests.
Sad but true.
It is my avid opinion that the population of kids I serve, those kids with the most serious physical and cognitive multiple disabilities are still very much left behind.
Some may say that they are not, some may say that the education system cares about all children, but as I have stated, this has not been my experience. Outside of a small group of hardcore pathologically dedicated people such as myself and my coworkers, others in education typically come across in kind of a condescending "ooh, isn't that cute" or "how special for them" way.
Color me cynical, but this is what I have learned.
This point is further illustrated by the fact that when my large urban district with over 100 campuses publishes the lists to instruct teachers which campuses they are to go to for the big district wide bruhahahs, my campus is never included on the lists.
While further making myself and my fellow teachers feel like the bastard red-headed stepchildren it does afford us a degree of freedom.
We can pick where we want to go. Since none if it ever applies ever it really doesn't matter where I go, as long I go somewhere.
I go somewhere because it is a requirement and they have sign-in sheets which go back to Important Administration Types to make sure you show up. Then they break us down into small enough groups to make it obvious if someone gets up and leaves.
The bastards.
This morning, I chose the high school campus nearest my home. Simple geography. I did not even know the subject area until I arrived.
Well, as it turns out, I picked the campus where all the secondary level math teachers were meeting.
Math teachers meaning, of course, math teachers. Secondary meaning not elementary, grades 6 12.
They had all the teachers assigned to classrooms based on their grade level and campus. Since my campus is never on the lists I picked a classroom where the 6th grade teachers were meeting. I picked 6th grade because that's as low as I could go. My students mostly don't even know what a number is.
Yes, this kinda makes it hard to work on lots of math, but I do what I can.
So first thing this morning I found myself sitting in a room with about 3o 6th grade math teachers.
And what did I learn about?
That's a damn fine question, and I tell ya the answer, sort of.
I learned about this (according to the first slide in the Powerpoint presentation):
Organizing for Coherence In & Across Curriculum, Assessment, and Professional Development Ensuring Equal Access to a Rigorous Curriculum for All Students To Support The Success of EVERY StudentSeriously.
I'm joshing you negative. That was the title of today's important mandatory professional development training session.
Just what the hell is that? Fuck if I know.
I had that same question this morning. I sat through it for about six hours until I couldn't take it anymore and opted not to return from a 10 minute break.
I still have the same question.
Mostly I just sat quietly with my best faux attentive look wondering about the guy with an eye patch wearing a Hawaiian shirt (like if Jimmy Buffet turned pirate) on my right and watching the probable former sorority girl turned elementary school teacher on my left draw little hearts in pink hi-lighter on her handouts while people babbled incessantly about such weighty issues as (again, according to the Powerpoint, I only wish I could be making this shit up):
The Guiding Questions in the Conceptual Overviews Build High Level Thinking Demand by Cognitive effort that requires students to engage with conceptual ideas that support procedures in order to successfully complete the task and develop understanding.Whatever.
It's going to be a great year.
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