Grit In The Gap

Pick UP Your Pencils, Begin is a gigantic bell curve 28’ wide and 15’ tall about the impact of standardized testing on our educational system.

(via Harriete Estel Berman sculpture with pencils about Education)

I went to some of D.C.’s best schools. I was still unprepared for college. - The Washington Post

Why we need more black male teachers now

Why we need more black male teachers now

This is so timely. There are two hours at the end of my day that leave me wondering why on earth I am these kids’ teacher. It’s a bunch of 7th-grade African American boys with no father figures and major, major behavior problems—which, give me a school year and LOTS of back-up from a black male SOMEWHERE (which I had a lot of at my last school), and I can have them opening doors for me, asking for more homework, and accidentally calling me mom. But I’ve only had these children for 7 weeks, there is not a single person with cred enough to say, “Hey, Ms. Basye is cool. Listen to her.” Or “Hey, Ms. Basye is the boss. Or else.” And it feels a little hopeless because we only have two-ish months left. I don’t really know how far I can get with them, and it feels like I am babysitting or my classroom is a holding cell. I often end the days wishing for someone else to come do the job—not even like I want to escape, just like I know I am not the best person for this job.

www.rsc.org/images/BreadChemistry_tcm18-163980.pdf

Need this!

Why I did TFA, and why you shouldn't

lhuddles:

The 2011 corps is nearly 6,000, twelve times as big as the cohorts from the early 90s. Unfortunately, the landscape in education has changed a lot in the past twenty years. Instead of facing teacher shortages, we have teacher surpluses. There are regions where experienced teachers are being laid off to make room for incoming TFA corps members because the district has signed a contract with TFA, promising to hire their new people. In situations like this, it is hard to say with confidence that these under trained new teachers are really doing less harm than good.

If I were ‘America’ I would have this to say to TFA:  While I appreciate your offer to ‘teach’ for me, I’ve already got enough untrained teachers for my poorest kids.  And if teaching is just a stepping stone, for you, on the path to becoming an influential education ‘leader,’ thanks, but no thanks to that too.  I don’t need the kind of leaders you spawn — leaders who think education ‘reform’ is done by threats of school closings and teacher firings.  These leaders celebrate school closings rather than see them as their own failures to help them.  These leaders deny any proof that their reforms are failing and instead continue to use P.R. to inflate their own claims of success.  We’re having enough trouble swatting the number of that type of leader you’ve already given us.  If you want to think of a new way to harness the brain power and energy of the ‘best and brightest,’ please do, but if you’re just going to give us a scaled up version of the program that tries to fill a need that no longer exists, please go and teach for someone else.

Interesting food for thought.

Very, very interesting.

Could you be experiencing job burnout? Ask yourself the following questions:

• Have you become cynical or critical at work? 
• Do you drag yourself to work and have trouble getting started once you arrive? 
• Have you become irritable or impatient with co-workers, customers or clients? 
• Do you lack the energy to be consistently productive? 
• Do you lack satisfaction from your achievements? 
• Do you feel disillusioned about your job? 
• Are you using food, drugs or alcohol to feel better or to simply not feel? 
• Have your sleep habits or appetite changed? 
• Are you troubled by unexplained headaches, backaches or other physical complaints? 
• If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be experiencing job burnout. 

Be sure to consult your doctor or a mental health provider, however. Some of these symptoms can also indicate certain health conditions, such as a thyroid disorder or depression.

What causes job burnout? Job burnout can result from various factors, including:

• Lack of control. An inability to influence decisions that affect your job — such as your schedule, assignments or workload — could lead to job burnout. So could a lack of necessary resources to do your work. 
• Unclear job expectations. If you’re unclear about the degree of authority you have or what your supervisor or others expect from you, you’re not likely to feel comfortable at work. 
• Dysfunctional workplace dynamics. Perhaps you work with an office bully, you feel undermined by colleagues or your boss micromanages your work. These and related situations can contribute to job stress. 
• Mismatch in values. If your values differ from the way your employer does business or handles grievances, the mismatch may eventually take a toll. 
• Poor job fit. If your job doesn’t fit your interests and skills, it may become increasingly stressful over time. 
• Extremes of activity. When a job is always monotonous or chaotic, you need constant energy to remain focused — which can lead to fatigue and job burnout.

On Being an EBD Teacher « The Life That Chose Me

Student is in padded room, so I’ll read while he comes down…