TESTING--Educators and Ethics

In the great state of Georgia (which was founded as a place of refuge for dissenters and those who owed debts to the King) is in a tizzy about testing. Many schools and several school districts have been put in the spotlight for "excessive erasure marks". This means that the scanners that read the test recording sheets detected excessive erasing and many answers that were erased and then corrected. This saddens me as an educator for several reasons.

1. Teachers and administrators who are partially responsible for teaching the youth of America to be ethical and morally sound are falsifying information and tampering with results. This makes them hypocrital and criminal.

2. Teachers and administrators obviously do not feel that the children are learning and retaining the material that is supposed to covered through Georgia Performance Standards.

3. Passing tests seems to be more important than developing lifelong learners.

My Take on the Situation

As teachers, students should be our first priority. Teachers must prepare the engineers, lawyers, and even fast-food professionals for the real-world. Children are to learn the importance of timeliness, honesty, and professionalism at school. They are also to acquire the skills and knowledge that their teachers are required to teach them in each state. Obviously, some teachers are not able to do that and they have resorted to cheating. Cheating is deplorable and inexcusable, so why would trained professionals who are bound to a strict code of ethics sink to a new low?

Teachers are expected to be parents, counselors, confidantes, and more to each child. However, student behavior is getting worse in almost every school system since administrators fear paddling lawsuits and some parents don't parent. If a teacher has to keep a child in his/her class who is disruptive and disrespectful--the WHOLE CLASS SUFFERS!

Unrealistic expectations are common in the field of education. I have added up the time my school district expects my class to spend on the components of the eight-step process, balanced literacy (writing and reading), specials (music, p.e., etc.), and lunch and I have come to find that I only technically have an hour and a half to teach math, science, social studies, and English. Then, the school week is interrupted by various events such as speakers, awards ceremonies, and Fun Fridays. However, most teachers are so fearful of the Powers that Be (principals, superintendents, and "people from THE BOARD of education" that they continue to muddle onward without a word of complaint. If teachers and their representatives such as NEA were more vocal about their needs they would be confident when "THE TEST" arrives that they have effectively taught each student ALL of the standards. I fear, that if performance pay is enacted, there will be more cheating and also teachers who work in impoverished areas will feel the need to transfer to an environment that is more likely to breed successful students (i.e. the suburbs--where parents are more involved and children actually know how to read before they reach Kindergarten because Mommy has always read them bedtime stories).

As a nation, we need to get real. We are raising children to be test takers, crammers, and procrasinators--not fervent learners. We are also summing up a child and his teacher's ability by the performance on a nearly 15 hour test that is exhaustive to all involved (teachers, proctors, administrators, and students). Teachers should never cheat, but the government should delve further into the issues that cause students and schools to fail. Some children only eat during the school week, walk the streets at all hours of the night, and get involved with gangs and prostitution as early as elementary school. Then they are expected to come to school relaxed, focused, and ready to learn? Children in low-income areas need opportunities to participate in productive, character-building clubs (Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, etc.), mentorship (so they are actually accountable to someone), and more social-workers and counselors to help them deal with home stresses. There should also be more adult literacy and job-training programs available so parents can learn how to help their children and themselves.

Teachers who cheat are responsible for their actions, but the government is responsible for the pressure educators feel to win--even though the odds are oftentimes stacked against them and the students they dedicate themselves to.

Educational Hip-Hop

If you are a teacher in a school with limited resources--Flocabulary is for you! My children love rap music. They can rap all of the lyrics to "Ice Cream Paint Job" by Ludacris, but cannot seem to remember simple facts. As a teacher that "looped" with a group of students this year I was astounded at how much they conveniently forgot over the summer. Some of them clearly did not read or exert their minds at all last summer, unless you count playing video games as a mental exercise. :(
However, I purchased Flocabulary's Hip-Hop U.S. History and it made history come to life. My whole class seems to know most of the lyrics to "This Ain't Working" which details the colonists' interactions with the British soldiers and the events that led to the American Revolution. Flocabulary makes learning fun and interactive. Listening to a song and analyzing the lyrics is a lot more fun than completing the workbook the text came with, and it makes the information more memorable. It also appeals to several of Gardner's Multiple Intelligences: musical, bodily/kinesthetic, and linguistic learners. This leads to differentiation! Differentiation! Differentiation! Engage your students! If you aren't interested, how can you expect them to be?

Teachers Pay in Georgia Facing Cuts

For the school year 2009-2010, many teachers and educators in Georgia, like all state employees, have had their salaries cut by Governor Sonny Perdue and the state legislature. Because teachers are not really a politically vocal group, voters really aren't hearing an outcry from educators who feel de-valued by the state and the communities they serve. But, many are taking the cuts the heart-- reading them as a statement by the government that indicates, “You are expendable. You remain responsible for our kids' future, BUT you can be cut.”

It's a tough pill to swallow for the teachers and their families, who make daily physical and emotional sacrifices. In the most depressed communities, teachers and schools are the stabilizing force in the lives of some children. Their teachers hold them more accountable than even parents understand how to.

This school year many districts across the state chose to furlough educators on so-called teacher planning days. These planning days are when teachers strategize and prepare lesson plans to modify the coursework to meet the ever changing needs of their students. So, what do you think happens when they don't get that time to do that work? They really have two options: do the work from home (without pay) OR don't do the work at all. Neither option creates a situation in which educators can reasonably be held accountable for studen success. Therefore, the student suffers. Why? Because the cost is too great? Think about the impact of that.

Parents must take a vocal role in raising the expectations for the state and local school boards, so they can provide the resources and environment for students to excel. Teachers work with what they have, but they are not advocates for political positions or government budgets, nor are they magicians. During the presidential debate in the last election, then-candidate Joe Biden-- the husband of an educator-- said "Don't tell me what you value, show me your budget, and I'll tell you what you value.” There's probably some truth to that. With the state cutting education, are we sure that's the best way to balance the budget, or just the easiest?

The Whispering Reprimand

Oftentimes, there are many things going on the classroom. There may be learning stations and group work going on while you are conferring with a student or doing guided reading. Sometimes, someone may get out of order and you have to tell them to pull a discipline card, stick, etc. in front of the class. Then, the reprimanded student may choose to act worse if they are having a bad day or just plain want to show out. Politely, get up from your seat. Whisper in his/ her ear that the behavior won't be tolerated and tell him/ her what you need them to do immediately. You've corrected the student privately and you are more than likely to get your way. Score one, for the teacher!

The (Often Dreaded) Parent Conference

It is so hard to tell a parent that little Zachary cannot read well and he constantly makes paper fortune cookies instead of completing assignments. Parents are so defensive about their children because they are a part of them. They think--if something's wrong with my child--something must be wrong with me and/ or my parenting skills. How can you, as the teacher, keep parents updated, and not be viewed as one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse? Here's how:

• Greet the parent with a smile and a firm handshake (show that you're serious, but approachable)
• Begin by thanking him/ her for coming and telling them it is great to see such a concerned parent (even if you've been trying to reach them for three weeks and all of their phone numbers are disconnected or just plain WRONG)
• Tell the parent something positive about their child and how much potential little Zachary has (artistic, a leader, organizational skills, etc.)
  
• State you concerns in a calm, professional matter (avoid signs of anger/ frustration at all costs)
• Tell mom/dad that you want to come up with solutions together so that little Zachary can improve behaviorally, academically, or both
• Tell the parent it is important that Zachary knows that you and the parent are working together
  
• Thank him/her for their time
• Continue to keep them updated on little Zachary's progress, or lack thereof

Now that wasn't so bad--was it? You now have a parent on your side and little Zachary knows he has to get it together because mom has formed an alliance with the teacher. He's watched enough Survivor to know how that will end for him if he doesn't get with the program.

BTW--If the child has awful behavior be sure to tell the parent "I know you did not raise him that way. You're such a great parent! He's just making bad decisions".