I’ve told you people this over and over: kids need to run around during the school day. It’s good for their bodies, it’s good for their brains. Exercise gets their energy out so they can sit still long enough to learn. They learn better when their bodies are less amped. Do you all overstand yet? Stop decreasing recess and budget-cutting PE and athletic programs.

More scientific research to back me up on that comes from the British Medical Journal. A recent study shows that kids are miraculously more fit and trim when they are allowed to exercise during the school day. So. Dang. Weird.

An excerpt from the article:

One in three to five children in the Western world is overweight or obese. This epidemic is rapidly and constantly growing and affects all socioeconomic levels and ethnicities. Excessive weight is associated with increased cardiovascular risk, orthopaedic problems, and psychosocial constraints even before adulthood is reached. Life expectancy may be reduced by several years, as is work productivity, while costs are increasing enormously. A focus on early prevention is thus urgently needed.

The increase in physical inactivity over the past decades is one of the main causes of the increase in obesity. In adults, physical inactivity and low aerobic fitness are associated with higher mortality and a higher prevalence of chronic disease. In children, physical inactivity and lack of fitness are associated with increasing prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, even independent of body weight.

Further Reading:

Educational Psychology Can Save Recess (I Hope)
The Salubriousness of Recess

Posted by Alexa Harrington

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Below is an excerpt from President Obama’s State of the Union Address 2010. I’m not on board with his primary and secondary education reform plans, which may be smarter than Bush’s NCLB Act, but are also more evil.

However, so far his plans for higher education look to be an improvement. I’m especially liking the Pell Grant increases, the lessening of student loan malevolence, and the attempt to have colleges and universities knock it the hell off already with the insane tuition increases.

Still, in this economy, a high school diploma no longer guarantees a good job. That’s why I urge the Senate to follow the House and pass a bill that will revitalize our community colleges, which are a career pathway to the children of so many working families. (Applause.)

To make college more affordable, this bill will finally end the unwarranted taxpayer subsidies that go to banks for student loans. (Applause.) Instead, let’s take that money and give families a $10,000 tax credit for four years of college and increase Pell Grants. (Applause.) And let’s tell another one million students that when they graduate, they will be required to pay only 10 percent of their income on student loans, and all of their debt will be forgiven after 20 years — and forgiven after 10 years if they choose a career in public service, because in the United States of America, no one should go broke because they chose to go to college. (Applause.)

And by the way, it’s time for colleges and universities to get serious about cutting their own costs — (applause) — because they, too, have a responsibility to help solve this problem.

Posted by Alexa Harrington

My 2nd-grade daughter and I were out for dinner recently. In the booth behind ours, two educators were dining. From their loudly voiced conversation, the entire restaurant was able to put together the facts: The man was a local and was hosting the visiting female teacher, who was in town for some sort of work-related meeting or conference or something.

She was polite and did her best to maintain socially acceptable conversation at a tactful volume. He was a total pain in the ass. Teacher Man spent the better part of an hour spouting off about what’s wrong with public education today. While I didn’t enjoy trying to maintain my own conversation with my kid over his unnecessarily loud mouth, I was forced to admit that I agreed with most of his pronouncements.

And then he made just the worst wrong turn. As he and his acquaintance were paying up and juggling coats and take-out boxes, he told the story of an unpleasant parent/teacher conference he’d had. I saw my daughter stop her description of her latest invention as her ears practically turned backwards to better hear what the jackass behind us was going on about.

Basically, the mother of a particularly annoying student came in for her conference and immediately launched into an explanation of how bright and gifted her child was and wanted to know what Teacher Man planned to do about special learning opportunities for her son. Teacher man guffawed out loud(er), and as he walked past our table on his way to the door, he choked out: “That kid was as dumb as a post!”

My daughter, who worships all teachers, opened her eyes so wide I could watch the panic light her up inside. This was followed immediately by one of her little lights going out as disillusionment set in and an unfortunate deeper understanding of adults pushed its way into her heretofore fully-illusioned mind. Teachers were capable of mean thoughts and there was a chance they didn’t like her as much as they professed to. I closed my eyes and tried hard to convince myself that punching Teacher Man out in full view of my kid would be a worse moment for her to witness than that chucklehead’s words.

Not every kid is gifted or talented. I know it must suck to be an educator in this day and age, and having to deal with annoying-ass parents must blow. Everyone thinks their kid’s a genius and most kids are just normal. I have never shoved my kid down any teacher’s throat. I let the educators do their job and as long as my kid is happy and is obviously learning, I’m good. But my child, who loves people first and asks questions later, did not need to hear a teacher shout out what he really thought about a student’s intelligence. Unacceptable.

Everyone’s entitled to their opinion, and I would never assume that teachers are perfect and don’t have mean thoughts. Vent all you want, let it out. Being a teacher can’t be easy. But for the sake of all things holy, do not express your frustration loudly in a restaurant 20 inches from a kid.

I didn’t catch which elementary school Teacher Man works his magic in, so no angry letter can be sent and no surprise classroom visit can occur. But I remember what he looks like, and Seattle’s a smaller town than one might think…I promise I’ll only smack him down with words.

Posted by Alexa Harrington

It’s common knowledge that the first year of teaching for a newbie educator is awful. Having the fun and having the ability to calm the fight-or-flight response is out of the question for most. It’s really a question of survival until June, at which point the new teacher takes stock and decides whether to stay or run for the hills.

Joel over at So You Want To Teach has a list of ten interview questions he answered for a former student about his first year of teaching:

1. What discipline methods do you use? How do you get the students involved?

One of the most effective discipline techniques I have found is simply to talk less and play more. This prevents most of the misbehaviors that tend to spring up throughout the class period. Additionally, phone calls and parent contact have been invaluable tools. That also is helpful for encouraging student and parent involvement.

2. Was your first year positive? How?

The biggest positive of my first year was learning that the idealism of the university classroom is rarely the case of the reality of a struggling band program. My junior high band got straight 3s at UIL, and that was an improvement on the previous year. Classroom management was my weakest skills. I went into the year thinking that since I knew a lot about the various instruments, I would automatically be a good director.

I recorded myself teaching and would go home and listen to the recordings and be amazed at how badly the students behaved. There were times throughout my first two years that I seriously considered going back to teaching private lessons. The thing that really kept me going throughout was support and contact with some of my mentors who encouraged me that I was actually a pretty good teacher and who helped me to deal with some of the classroom management struggles I went through.

3. What have you learned that will help you in the future?

How to get students quiet and keep them quiet. I was a “good kid” and so relating to the “bad kids” was a challenge for me initially. I spent the last half of my fourth semester of teaching going through trial and error finding out how to do it.

4. How well did college prepare you for the classroom?

Pedagogically, it prepared me very well. Classroom management preparation was virtually nonexistent. I learned a whole lot more through teaching private lessons, teaching master classes, and observing a wide variety of band programs.

5. Give one piece of advice for a new graduate.

Two things. 1) You don’t know everything. When you find one of the many things you don’t know how to do or how to handle, ask questions. Ask questions from anyone who will give you an answer. Some of the best stuff I picked up came from a science teacher down the hall from me my first two years. 2) Read How To Win Friends And Influence People by Dale Carnegie. More…

Further Reading:

The Teachers You Remember
Which Road Do the Quality Teachers Walk In On?
The Manly Art of Teaching
If You’re Pondering a Teaching Career
Teaching the Truth
Eph Teaching Diary
Education Degree Information

Posted by Alexa Harrington

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I think we all know how I feel about standardized testing and the No Child Left Behind profanation. If there remains any confusion as to my opinion regarding those particular atrocities (and if my hints haven’t been overt enough), there will be an opportunity to catch up on your reading below.

Standardized testing, while possibly necessary in that there currently exists no practical way to collect student-achievement data from every public school in America, is still evil and has crushed an already handicapped education system into a non-functioning machine that has time and money only for teaching to the test. It has failed utterly and I work at maintaining some level of optimism that my kiddos will somehow manage to escape its evil clutches.

Bad news for me and my innocent progeny: New and exciting standards in science and math for public school kids are being implemented now, with the new assessments to begin in 2011 for math, and 2012 for science. The fabulous-er dog and pony show requires that students pass the exams in order to graduate. Were educators not teaching to the test enough already?

On the bright side, State Superintendent Randy Dorn is trying to convince the powers that be that the time between implementation and assessment is too speedy for the first wave of kids to be tested. People should pay attention when a politician uses the word “fair.”

Dorn said students and schools will need more time with new math and science learning standards that are now being implemented around the state. The new standards won’t be assessed until 2011 for math and 2012 for science. That doesn’t provide ample opportunity for the class of 2013, current ninth graders and the first class required to pass four state exams, to learn the standards, or teachers and schools to align curriculum and materials to them, he added.

“It doesn’t take a mathematician to see that we have a big problem in our state. Less than 50 percent of our 10th graders are passing the math and science exams,” said Dorn, who noted 10th graders’ passing rate on the reading and writing exams is more than 80 percent. “We need to be fair to our students and give them time to learn the new standards. It’s simply a matter of doing what’s right.”

This fiasco is happening in several other states as well. The only choices eye-rolling, head-shaking, utterances-of-disgust-making parents have are (a) suck it up and hope for the best, (b) private school, (c) home school, or (d) give the offspring a handbasket each and wish them well on their subterranean journey.

Further Reading:

Supt. Dorn Calls for Changes to Math, Science Graduation Requirements
Be Realistic About Standards
A Washington State Fight, a Nationwide Debate
Strong Words in Washington: Don’t Punt on Math Requirements

Previous Posts:

Accountability
Obama’s Race to the Top
It’s Not on the Test
Looking Good Only on Paper
No Child Left Behind Is Ruining Our Education System

Posted by Alexa Harrington

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Tim Stahmer at AssortedStuff wrote an excellent take on a recent post by Seth Godin. Mr. Godin’s post looks at the way we humans tend to attack problems with the same tools every time, regardless of the situation, the economy, etc.

The tools an individual or a business will habitually grab are the tools already available in their toolbox. Which means that if chainsaws are the only tool in a given toolbox, the solution to that toolbox owner’s problem will always be to cut the crap out of it and proclaim it solved. If there are only hammers in the box, then every problem looks like a nail, and hammering that sucker home will always be the solution.

Mr. Stahmer looked at Godin’s post from the standpoint of someone in the education trenches, and wonders eloquently how technology in the classroom could be improved upon if the folks in charge began noticing how the world is changing and started using something besides a hammer.

Posted by Alexa Harrington

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While writing the previous post, I went searching in the archives for relevant previous posts. I found entirely too many to tack onto the end of an already-lengthy post. Here they are, including some Education Reform posts proving I’m not always in disagreement with President Obama.

Teaching and Teachers:

The Teachers You Remember
Which Road Do the Quality Teachers Walk In On?
“Don’t Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?”
The Knowledge of Educators
Teaching the Truth

Education Reform:

Obama’s Wacky Ideas: Teamwork, Responsibility, Working Hard, and Learning Stuff
Obama’s Race to the Top
“What’s Wrong With Merit Pay”
Teacher Compensation Reform
President Obama’s Plan for Education
First Lady Michelle Obama Speaks to the Dept. of Education
Obama Girls to Attend Private School
Nicely Put
Education Advice for the Next President
Sen. Obama’s Education Reform Speech
Obama Chooses Arne Duncan for Secretary of Education
It’s Not On the Test
Accountability

Education:

The Future of Education
Moxie
Kindergarten Readiness
11th-Grade Activities
21st Century Learners
“Bursting the AP Bubble”
The Salubriousness of Recess
Play-Doh Smeared Credentials

Schools:

Detroit Public Schools: Photoessay
More Upheaval For Detroit Public Schools
Find Your Happy Place
Virtual Schools
How Charter Schools Affect Student Outcomes
Home-Schooling Grows
‘H’ Is For ‘Half-Measure Haggis’

Posted by Alexa Harrington

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I’m running out of productive things to say about the education system in the U.S. Mostly I just want to slap everyone involved and ask them what the f**k is going on. Is the answer to why our public schools are struggling so hard to put out decently educated students so obvious that no one can see it? It’s funding, people.

The other countries we’re “competing” against manage to educate their kids just fine. The documentary Two Million Minutes did a stunning job of freaking competitive Americans out. Really? That’s our main concern? That China and India make us look like a country of opportunity-having losers who cannot figure out how to teach our kids and so we will be losing our current status of World-Leading Awesomeness soon?

I agree with us, we are losers. In addition, I think any country with its priorities so far out of whack (us again) that its schools have been shafted for decades while it remains at the top of the war game, deserves to fall off the We’re #1! pedestal for a while. My phones will be tapped 70 seconds after this post is published, but whatever. I love America, I do—it’s my home. But pathologically honest me has to admit that we suck at teaching K-12.

There have been several American moments that have made me wince, shake my head, and avoid traveling outside the American gates. The longest-running example has been our blatantly obvious choice to always put war before education. We spend a lot of damn money on being the country with the biggest guns (if you know what I mean…). We are a country of dumb kids with shiny weaponry. I’m real proud.

Americans are like the family whose children have inadequate clothing, insufficient food, and don’t get what they need from the adults in their lives, but their living room wall is host to the biggest flat-screen t.v. within a fifty-mile radius. (We win!)

Chalking the suck-fest that is the American Education System up to a wicked cash-flow problem is realistic. I’m sure there are a few crappy educators out there, and by all means do away with those ones. But knock it off with the competition thing; making kids take tests in order to prove their teachers’ worth, or making teachers (who already do more than should be reasonably expected with scant fundage) compete with one another for federal grant money is unforgivable and also kind of evil.

Man. Up. Care for your young.

Posted by Alexa Harrington

Kids who grow up with no television in their homes either (a) make friends quick with a kid whose family worships the ‘mote, or (b) they read a lot. My utter lack of pop culture references from the mid-seventies through the mid-nineties should do all the explaining as to which path I took.

The outcome being, I ended up with a stellar vocabulary, full of words I’d only ever seen in print and therefore usually couldn’t pronounce correctly. Whatever. At least I knew what they meant.

And there were some I knew how to say. (With feeling). When I was eight my 18-year-old babysitter burned the chicken pot pies that were to be our dinner. My mother never bought us crappy processed food, which meant my brother and I were infatuated with all sugary, well-preserved, and insanely processed foodstuffs.

I was understandably pissed when the sitter burned my only shot at packaged food for the month and filled the kitchen with smoke. To vent my anger I hollered, “What are you trying to do, asphyxiate us?!” She had no idea what that meant, and almost sent me to my room because she thought I’d called her something so horrible, not even teenager her had ever heard that particular obscenity before.

There is also the common problem, among adults and too-smart-for-their-own-good children, of only ever hearing a word or a phrase and never figuring out the correct spelling. There are so many words that sound alike but are spelled differently, and each version of the stupidly exact-sounding word means something completely different. I’ve got their, there, and they’re down cold, but it took a while for me to get affect and effect straight. The English language, in my bitchy opinion, has some definite asinine qualities.

Or perhaps I should ask more questions. Until I was in college and saw this phrase written on the board as a common mistake college sophomores made when writing papers for the professor, I had always thought “For all intents and purposes” was “For all intensive purposes.”

According to Paul Brians, author of Common Errors in English Usage, I’m not the only native English-speaker to screw that phrase up. Which made me feel better for about point seven seconds until I saw the bit where he describes the phrase as “Another example of the oral transformation of language by people who don’t read much.” Ouch, Professor Brians. That was totally uncalled for.

I read plenty, thank you. The books I read (fine literature and lots of science-y non-fiction) just haven’t ever contained that exact phrase. I am still very smart and am an excellent reader. And clearly I have nary a hang-up about the whole intents/intensive blunder.

Further Reading:

Common Errors in English Usage
Confusing Words
Grammar and Punctuation Resources

Posted by Alexa Harrington

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What path makes for a better teacher? Does having a degree in education or child psychology or early childhood development make someone more adept at getting through to the kids? Is raw enthusiasm enough? Is it a natural talent thing, and you either have it or you don’t? Should the inexperienced but gung-ho Teach for America and The New Teacher Project people be thrown into the public school lion’s den? Clearly, those folks have made their choice to sink or swim, but are the parents, the students and the other degreed-up teachers going to be pleased with the inexperienced newbies?

I have no idea. The exact thing that makes a bright, shining star of an educator is probably some elusive logarithm of innate skill, empathy, and ass kickery combined with smarts, traditional and non-traditional learning, personality, the ability to look ahead while being fully in the moment with a kid you’re about to have a breakthrough with on long division, training, lack of training, real life experience, and the awesome talent of being able to withstand the trial by fire that absolutely is the first year of teaching (regardless of one’s level of training or higher education).

Fully educated teachers are capable of have crappy teaching careers, and the same can be said for wet-behind-the-ears whippersnappers who’ve had little or no learning about the teaching. And the untrained twenty-somethings can be in possession of that confounding logarithm which enables them to bring inspired brilliance to the classroom, as can the teachers who’ve collected several pertinent degrees in educating the children.

My own personal theory is similar to the Spaghetti Test. It’s highly scientific, of course (do I ever do anything not well-tested and science-y?). Much like the Spaghetti Test, it involves pulling a few strands/prospective teachers out of the pot and flinging them against the wall/into a public school. Whatever sticks is good to go.

Further Reading:

More Teachers Take Nontraditional Path to Class
The Knowledge of Educators
Local Heroes
“The Curse of the Class of 2009”
Teach For America Attracts More College Grads
If You’re Pondering a Teaching Career
The Manly Art of Teaching
“Altruism Meets a Weak Job Market”

Posted by Alexa Harrington

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