Author Archives: Kimberly Moritz

What do you expect of yourself?

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I swear to you when my fourteen-year-old son hears me mentioning blogging, he covers his head with a pillow, his hands, anything he can get. Not that he’s adverse to the idea, he’s just sick of hearing about it.

This makes me think about fourteen year old children in general and the fact that I have 130 of them entering my building in another month. I wonder how often my son, and others just like him, will want to cover his head rather than hear something again and again in class. I wonder how much richer his learning experience would be if he had only those teachers who are passionate about learning and about students. And more important, teachers who fuel his passions and interests—those are the teachers our kids need.

I have mentioned before and continue to maintain that it is the teacher’s responsibility to make the class engaging in a meaningful way and more important, to make it relevant. I wonder why this is so difficult for some teachers to do. How is it that someone can stand in front of a room of disconnected learners, who are clearly and visibly disconnected, and keep doing the same things? If a teacher is dedicated enough to go to college and to achieve a Master’s degree in their chosen content, then they must be dedicated to teaching. Right? Or are some just dedicated to the content, to the idea of being a teacher, to the summers off and the ability to return home by 2:30 in the afternoon?

We need teachers who are dedicated to the students, each and every one of them. Teachers who realize they aren’t teaching Math, Science, English, Social Studies, or the encore subjects. They’re teaching children. All 130 students entering our ninth grade are different, with interests, passions, hopes and dreams. They also come to us from very different parents, backgrounds, and histories. I want teachers who care about every student who walks through the door, who understand it’s their responsibility to connect with each student, to give them their absolute best each and every day. You know what? Our kids zero in on those teachers who don’t care or don’t know what they’re doing faster than we do. And our kids don’t want to do anything for those teachers. So listen at your faculty meetings this year because those teachers complaining the most about students not doing anything often lack the ability to connect with all students and they therefore lack the ability to motivate. Kids won’t do anything for a teacher they hate and they generally hate a teacher more than anyone else who disrespects them or belittles them. Pay attention to the teachers who keep quiet during those discussions, because they’ve most likely figured out ways to engage and connect with students. In seventeen years in education, one thing I know for sure is that children will do anything in the classroom for a teacher who they know cares about them and expects the best of them.

I don’t want to hear about how hard the job is or how difficult it is to get everything done. Every job is hard in different ways. If this one is too hard, go find something else to do. Our kids deserve the very best, the most passionate teachers, and adults who care. I believe with all my heart that there is no job more important or more rewarding. How hard is it to love our kids and give them 100% each and every day? I plan to do just that on September 1 and throughout the school year and I can’t wait to see my teachers return, ready to do the same.

DOPA and education

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I’ve been reading Will Richardson’s posts on DOPA at weblogg-ed.com and thinking about the role of education for the public and the community at large. Generally, people don’t support what they don’t understand. It seems few ask questions and research before making a decision, thinking of the old adage “better safe than sorry”.  It’s disturbing to me, but not surprising, to think that our leaders would vote overwhelmingly to deny access to students without considering all of the ramifications.

So who is in the ear of the legislators? In the political game, we have to know what the rules are and to play by them to get things done. Who has a powerful voice and understands the political game?

As more teachers learn about the meaningful applications for students and professional growth, word of their success will reach the unions. The unfortunate point is that so few teachers, at least in our area, really know about blogging and social networking other than myspace. I think our teachers’ unions, nationally and locally, are a resource we should include in the discussion. Any ideas on their standpoint or involvement? I’ve tried to stay abreast of the issues through NYSUT and AFT publications, but can’t recall this as a discussion point.

If teachers contact their unions and if there’s enough interest, they may be an invaluable resource to protecting this access. I hope it’s an issue they are already aware of and working on. I also hope it won’t be too late.

Talking about connections. . .

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If you’ve read any of my previous posts, it’s clear that I’m appreciating the new blogging world as I’ve found it, especially the blogs and comments from other educators. I’m reading my CNN RSS feeds every day and staying better connected to the world news, something I’m apt to miss as I become immersed in the world of education.

Nothing prepared me for the connection made through a comment left on one of my posts today. Looks like my new friend Ilana and I will be emailing each other, as unfortunately, I can’t read the Hebrew that her blog is written in from Israel.

She writes “Hello,I am a new Israeli blogger & I must admit that I feel exactly like you.I wish you could read my blog…it is written in Hebrew.
I am responsible of an information center in a public library.
My 40 volunteers + me help citizens & try to solve their problems. Sometimes those problems follow me home…
My new blog is sort of therapy…especially now, that we struggle for our existence in Israel. It helps me share my thoughts, feelings & also is a working tool..I use it in order to empower the information center.
Thanks for your time. Ilana”

I’m blown away by this connection. Ilana just took the headlines from CNN, Mideast talks fail to reach cease-fire agreement and reminded me of the individuals living, working and blogging through the chaos in countries much more like my own than the headlines sometimes indicate.

How do we measure a man?

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I’ve tried to start this post at least ten times and stopped.  As a high school principal, I am immersed in data and Regents results, drop out prevention, our literacy issues, staff development plans, hiring, and problem solving one hundred other day to day questions. I spend much time thinking about our teachers, our students, our school climate, and our achievement. I try to learn new things and to plan for our future. And then I have a conversation, or two, that stop me in my tracks.

I have a student who came to see me right before Regents week because he expects to go to jail for a few months, and he was struggling with a decision. Seems he thought he had the choice between two months of jail time with 3 years of probation or four months of jail time with no probation. He had already convinced the judge to prolong his sentencing date until after his exams were over. He figured the four months were better because he’d never manage to stay out of trouble for three years, but he didn’t want to miss so much school. His decision was a tough one because he really wants to graduate. Well, that’s easy, because I really want him to graduate too. So I’m trying to work out the details with the county jail and keep him moving through his curriculum. Here’s a kid who really wants to graduate, who understands the importance of it, who can’t get out of his own way to make it happen.  Sometimes it feels as if the issues, the obstacles, the stuff keeping them from graduating are so much bigger than I am. 

This makes me strip away all that we do, each and every day, all that the State expects, all of the testing and the data and the reporting and the planning. It makes me remember that it’s all about a boy. And a girl. Times 474. If we don’t get to know each and every one of those students, to care about them, to let them know that they matter in G-Town, to form those relationships, then the rest doesn’t really matter. Not to me anyway. I now have a boy, who’s in county jail, who called me at least four times since that initial meeting to let me know how his case was progressing. A boy who came to see me on Tuesday, in lousy shape, to tell me he was going to jail on Friday. A boy who has my word that I’ll do whatever it takes to get him to a diploma when he gets home. A boy with whom I’ve now formed a relationship. A boy who desperately needs that diploma as he’s minutes away from becoming a man.

How will our teachers measure him when he returns? Will they see only the jokes to be told, the gossip, and the angst of getting him on track with the rest of his class? Will our teachers see an inconvenience, a derelict, a convict, a problem?

Or will they see the whole person, the boy inside? Will they help him to succeed? Will they care even more because they know he’s not cared about enough outside of our school? Will they do even more because that’s what he needs? Will they even think he deserves it?

I’ll see a boy, who needs our help to become a man. I’ll see all of him. His four months away will not define him. He’s the reason we do this job, not the test results.

Don’t underestimate the power of a teacher

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I spent the morning working with educators from two school districts and with representatives of the Seneca Nation regarding drop out prevention. The group was formed after an initial meeting with school superintendents and Seneca Nation representatives about the consideration of an alternative school on the Cattaraugus territory. The intent was to provide another opportunity, another way for our Native American students who are not succeeding in our public schools. 

I should mention that approximately 27% of our students are Native American and too many are lost to us before graduation. Not only is it of paramount interest to me as the principal, but also to our teachers, superintendent, BOE members, and community. It’s a fight we can’t afford to lose. 

At the initial meeting, there were those of us who said, “Wait a minute”. Before we consider the evolution of an alternative setting, let’s talk about how we’re currently serving our students. Or more to the point, let’s talk about how we may be falling down. My hope would be that we could be that alternative school, that place where all students can find success. And before we look for another way, let’s make sure that we’re getting it right for as many students as possible. 

This led us to the thought that we should form focus groups and listen to the students. While several studies have been conducted over the past ten years, not much ever seems to change as a result. What if we started to think differently? What if we ask our students questions directly about curriculum and instruction? Questions like what works for you in school; what is keeping you from doing well in class; which is the best way for you to learn; with which teachers do you do the best and what is it that they do that makes that happen; in what classes are you always willing to participate; what challenges you the most; what are the characteristics of the adults who matter most to you; do you feel emotionally safe in school–why or why not; what kinds of things would you like to do in the classroom?

So that’s how we’ll proceed. There are a lot of other details I haven’t mentioned like the group or individual interview formats chosen, the communication with parents and community members, the formulation of a meaningful action plan, and the students we’ll involve. But there’s something about the whole process that keeps playing over and over in my mind. They are all items that are within our realm of control and responsibility. I’m reminded again of the power of a teacher. The teacher is the variable in the classroom, he is the only person who can effectively change what happens based on what our students tell us. She has the incredible power to make a difference. If we only listen and endeavor to connect, to adapt and to constantly strive for engagement. 

We acknowledge that there may be circumstances in students’ lives that are overwhelming to any school experience we may provide. We know some of our students have huge obstacles to overcome. We also know we employ some of the best teachers in the state. I hope they come back in September rejuvenated, hopeful, and willing to assume responsibility for instruction. When they come back, I’ll be hopeful that they’re willing to listen and that we can get past any ideas that it’s “these kids and we’re doing the best we can with them”, ideas which only deflect responsibility. Because while I acknowledge that some of the needs seem insurmountable at times, “these kids” are entrusted to us, they need education, and we’re what they’re given. They deserve everything we’ve got and more.

 

 

 

Does blogging enhance or replace?

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I’ve been thinking about comments posted by Carol as a response to my previous post entitled “What’s education got to do with it?” She poses some interesting questions about the effects of technology on traditional pedagogy. Should it replace traditional instruction? Is it necessary to always stimulate the student? How can blogging be used effectively in the classroom?

I’m struck by the feeling of “in with the new, out with the old”. I would hope that no classroom teacher would ever feel it necessary to abandon effective, time proven strategies that engage students. I certainly remember the teaching experience of taking a lesson from a pen and paper exercise to a technology driven exercise, and realizing I’d spent much more time and students had gained nothing more. Every effective teacher I know switches things up in the classroom. And some of the best lessons I’ve observed have been student centered lectures where teachers effectively weave thought provoking questions and connections into the fabric of the lesson. That can be very good teaching.

So the question remains do we always have to stimulate the student? I answer with a resounding yes. Good instruction is meaningful, it makes connections, it engages students in the learning, it sparks curiosity, it stays with a student and it is the teacher’s responsibility. Why would engagement, or stimulation, be considered to be in conflict with academics?

How do I think blogging can be used effectively in the classroom? I think we allow students to research a passion or a content specific topic thoroughly, to consider the ideas of others, to respond in an intelligent, thoughtful manner in a blog, and to look forward to the comments received.  If students have real choice in what they want to study and to read critically about, especially in the subject area of ELA, and if they are allowed to write about that topic and to look for input from others who are experts, it will have more meaning than when they complete a project which is of interest to the teacher.

High school should be a place where students get something to say about what they’re studying. In New York State, much of that has been taken away through the requirements for graduation. Why not add blogging to the mix in teaching critical analysis with meaningful reading and writing?

Blogging as Professional Growth

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Here’s the amazing thing about blogging for me. When I go home to my family or talk to friends, noone really wants to talk about education, or my ideas, or drop out prevention, or student achievement. My standard response to “how was your day?” is “great” and that’s about it. But I still have my students, school and it’s challenges swirling around in my head a substantial percentage of the time. So now I find blogging and it’s an instant connection to others who are interested in the same thing.

My primary responsibility at work is to solve problems. Some small, some big. And I don’t have all of the answers. Some days I wonder if I have any of the answers. But I now have a place to post the questions and amazingly, answers come back to me. Thoughtful, helpful answers. How great is that?

With a minimal budget for my own professional growth, I now have an ongoing source for creative ideas and I don’t even have to leave school. Now if I can just think of ways to get my teachers hooked, building their own professional learning communities. And then if I can think of ways to get my students hooked, where they actually care about what they’re writing and get excited about the responses.

What’s education got to do with it?

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Let me get this straight. I spent three days learning about wikis, blogs, RSS feeds, and various websites that I found totally intriguing and NEW. It’s been a long, long time since I’ve been blown away by a new idea. Now I’ll admit, I usually don’t have time for those who will tell me why something won’t work. And there are plenty of people happy to see every change and new idea from that perspective. I’ve learned to at least listen to them, because they often help me to avoid some problems. But I’m not listening now. That’s right, I’m looking this whole fear issue, call it cautiousness if you like, and staring it down. Because that’s what it is when schools filter everything and avoid, it’s fear of the unknown, it’s ignorance, and it’s cowardice.

This technology was all new to me less than a week ago. Granted, it takes more to trouble me than some, but I’m a parent and a principal and I can’t think of a better way for our students to learn about the new opportunities on the web than from us. I’m honestly wondering why we’re not teaching kids in our computer apps classes exactly what I just learned from Will. Look, I’ve got a 14 year old son and a 19 year old daughter and I’m pretty sure they’re going to find out about the big bad blogging world one way or the other. I’d just rather it be openly and honestly from me with thoughtful discussion about what to do when confronted with what (if I’ve done a decent job at all) they’ll know they shouldn’t be looking at in the first place.

I hope we raise smart, curious kids who want to know what’s available, and who read and compose thoughtful blogs, sharing meaningful ideas with peers. I also hope this helps every high school student who feels like no one understands him (!) connect with someone out there who does, who shares her passion for horses or guitar or whatever, and can engage him in a thoughtful discussion. How many times does a student have a passion, an interest, a hobby that he learns to abandon in high school because his peers deem it uncool? Blogging provides a place to meet others with the same interests.

Will Richardson said –“The biggest shift is not the technology, not the practice, not even the implementation. It’s the cultural, social shift that moves us from the idea that we must prevent our kids from seeing and engaging with this “stuff” to the idea that says, look…it’s a different world…they’re going to find sex and porn and bad stuff and bad people no matter how hard we try to keep them from it, but when we weigh that fact against the incredible learning potential that the Web provides, we’re going to choose to educate rather try to block and filter it all.”

If schools say no way to all of this, if we block it, who are we kidding? It’s still there, kids are still curious (thank goodness) and we’re left out of the equation. Bring it on blogging world. If I have anything to say about it, G-Town will be open to it, will talk about it, will teach it. And our students will be better prepared for the workforce and better able to compete against all of the students coming out of the dark districts that forbid it. Education has everything to do with it. Keep teaching the teachers Will, it’s the only way we’re going to get there. Thank you for teaching me.

Huck Finn

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I’m wondering about the use of Huck Finn as a novel for tenth grade students. Our English teacher is committed to the use of the novel, spends approximately ten weeks teaching it, and has limited success. Approximately 32% of the students fail the class during this marking period, many refusing to participate for the duration of the unit. They HATE it. Honestly, he works hard and tries multiple methods to reach all students, feels it’s absolutely a necessary classic for this class. As the principal, I struggle with supporting the teacher’s right to make decisions about content and novels and rigor and the failure rate.

 Is this an appropriate novel? Are there other classics that are better suited to our more reluctant learners? Are the difficulties with literacy in our student population compounded on a novel such as Huck Finn? How do I respond to my teacher’s total commitment to this novel if it’s not the best choice? Do I just support him and continue to force the novel for all students? This tenth grade course literally becomes a stumbling block to graduation for a number of students. I clearly support the high expectations for our students, but am not sure Huck Finn is worth the fight.

Cell phones, etc. in schools

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Thinking about the students in our schools, their MP3 players, cell phones, and PSP’s that teachers are forever confiscating and turning into my office for “discipline”, I’m imagining there must be a better solution. Couple this question with the idea that my personal opinion on the subject is that students will always use the gadgets that they love and what’s wrong with that anyway? How do we reconcile the students’ desire to text and connect to friends 24/7 with the teachers’ need to engage the student? Maybe that’s the answer. If the students are engaged and interested in the learning, they won’t be more interested in the next text message. Is good teaching alone the answer? I think it certainly helps but why can’t we figure out a way to engage students using the technology that they are so comfortable with in a meaningful way that furthers our educational goals?

How do we embrace that which we cannot nor should not eliminate? How do we use it to our educational advantage in engaging students with our content?