End of the year

Shake off the dirt.  The last bell rang and the year from hell officially ended.  Sharp budget cuts, administrative inadequacies, faculty morale and student failings have sent the past school year into a never ending downward spiral.  The disenchanged teacher msut look to the future to find solace and revigorate anew.

First the determined teacher must reflect and grieve the perceived misgivings of the eyar.  Take the appropriate responsibility and let go of the need for fruitless blame.  Teaching is largely a profession of personalities and inherently some will clash.  Own whatever you need to avoid making the same kinds of errors in the future.  The same way we expect students to know themselves as learners, we too,must understand strengths and weaknesses so we can provide  adequate safeguards and provisions to make ensuing years more successful.

Trying to prepare for the future is helpful, but the experienced teacher knows that promises are made to be broken and despite given assignments at teh close of school years, excessive preparation could lead to extreme frustrations when the discover of change is upon the uncontrolling teacher.  Remember that flexibility is key for survival, no matter how many years you've been educating.

Staying positive is essential.  Old gripes and issues must be relinquished to truly start fresh the next year.  Problems will occur... expect them, deal with them and move on.

Sad state of affairs in education - a rant or musing, take your pick

Teaching is challenging always, but well worthwhile when fruits of an educator's labors are realized in the success of one his/her students or a simple "thank you" from one of those same students is given.  Inherently, most teachers are called to the profession to inspire and invigorate young minds with the opportunity to share the passions they possess for the content area they work with.  Unfortunately, often in spite of that desire, other realities contribute to a negative tone that mutilate even the most well-meaninged professional.

This year, NYC has experienced budget cuts and financial attrocities that have taken the focus off of what should be our main concern as educators: the children.  We have been subjected to new regulations and the kids have suffered test after test to assure they aren't left behind only to find themselves being dragged from the beaurocratic bulldozer.  Administrations are working hard to insure numbers and the status quo is the appearance of high expectations supported by a void of real learning.

We, as a public school system, have spent more times creating acronyms and fancy jargon that is subject to change at any time (i.e. Objective, Aim, Learning Target, Focus Question, etc), than we really have focused on fostering an intrinsic love of learning.  Kids are obsessed with grades rather than the joy of synthesizing and critically thinking.  The number represents nothing, yet it is the carrot that they all reach for. 

Tauting my own idealism and real high expectations, set with a foundation of skills and solid, consistent boundaries and rules that are the same for all, I scratch my head at the end of a year like this one.  I feel disenchanted with my profession and question my effectiveness daily,  worrying that worst is still yet to come.  Students have oft complained that I give too much work (and in my estimation, never enough) and I wonder what justice we are doing these children by allowing them to get away with so much.  My end goal, is to have adaptive students who can think creatively, welcome a challenge and can appreciate the subject matter if not develop a healthy respect if they can't have a true passion for good literature/writing.  I will continue to persist the way I have, demanding every students' possible best.

Attraction to fire - January 17, 2010

Wonder,
a strange phenomonon
of awe and confusion
curiosity and want
devastatingly possible
credible cause
for action
and further excavation
depth digging
competent comprehension
of the uncaptured why?

Dominant
lady-like taunting
feet dangling by danger
desperately yearning
to set the ripple forth
contaminate the innocent
planting eager possibility
unfolding truth
with inquisition
the what if...
not knowing
needing knowing
just out of reach
propelling

The crossroads - -
a moment
right or right
unsure
nervous
excited by maybe
pleading and pushing
not dwelling
in can't
but marrying must
siezing breath
on the inhalation
gasping for hope

Grabbing at
an unanchored rope
twittering tantrums
linger languidly
anticipating answers
hinged on teh wonder
like a child
discovering hot
for the first time
shiny fire
glows in his eyes
tips to the flame
that moment
before the yelp
desire before consequence

Approaching the yellow
ready to gun green
blow red
to freedom
incapable of arresting fate
the uncompromising humanness
that makes us all
universally wonder
whatever it is worth...

25 Random Things

1. However cliché as it may sound becoming a mother profoundly changed the way I perceived life. I never really wanted to be a mom, but can now never imagine life without being one. I have a whole new respect for my mom and her strength. I’m sorry mom for everything!

2. “That’s cause why” should clearly replace “because…” it makes more sense. Logan has many sayings that seem to be truer than the difficult idiomatic phrases we attach to meaningful things.

3. Although I’ve questioned my decision to teach countless times, after my first month at FRHS, I never questioned my ability to help kids on some level. I know that I’ve made a good decision about what to do when I grow up. I get better at my craft every day even with any set backs.

4. When I grow up (part two) I’d like to be a photojournalist who idealistically seeks and conveys truth through images and poetry to anyone who will listen.

5. My mom is my hero and my dad my soul.

6. I’m obsessively early for everything. If my alarm is set for 5, I’m at 4:45 in a panic. I get to work at or before 6 am daily.

7. My perfectionism will probably kill me (rather than the failure I fear).

8. My dad always says that my family puts the “fun” in dysfunctional and man is he right. But I’d never want to be a part of any other family.

9. I admire and envy my brother’s charm and humor. He claims that if we were born with my eyes, he would’ve been perfect. If that’s all he needs, he’s a lot further along than me!

10. I thank god every day for Logan. He gave me back the childhood I never had. I have the opportunity to see life the way he does, through fresh eyes and I never cease to be amazed.

11. I wish I could have been in the diner while they were shooting the orgasm scene from “When Harry Met Sally;” It is completely inspiring.

12. I cry every time I was the following movies: Forrest Gump, Juno, August Rush, Catch and Release, Beaches, Remember the Titans and others! I am far more sensitive than I seem. Such a hard exterior, I’m not used to letting others see me vulnerable. But I am very vulnerable.

13. Large crowds terrify me; I am terribly shy.

14. I’m envious of Ron’s Sprout alarm clock. “the time is now, 9:45” (in a little boy’s voice)

15. I love driving fast with the windows down listening to loud music. Time in my car either alone or with quiet company doesn’t get any better. I feel most a piece taking random road trips with no destination in mind.

16. I pierced my belly button the first time when I was 18 in Tucson, Arizona. It got horribly infected and hurt like hell. I took it out when I was 5 months pregnant and recently got it repierced only to find out that it was done incorrectly the first time, which explains the pain and infection. Thank god I didn’t need to sleep with cold soda cans in my pants this time around.

17. I question the status quo every day on some level, doing my best to march to my own beat unafraid of society’s opinion. I do what I know to be “right” as I have to live with the decisions I make.

18. I resented being pretty growing up because I never felt like people took me seriously. I just wanted to be known for what I had to say, not for what I looked like.

19. The biggest scar on my body is Logan’s portal into this world… the next largest is the one I got sliding down a tree bark when I was a kid. I am proud of all my scars.

20. My cat Huxley is my puppy and anyone who has ever thought that cats aren’t affectionate, they’ve never met my cats. I’m definitely a cat person… Independent.

21. I hope to publish my book Mei Shai, but would settle for becoming an educational innovator.

22. I sometimes sleep in my clothes to save time in the morning.

23. I don’t sleep very much but when I do, I’m a ridiculously light sleeper. I hear people breathing in other rooms

24. I’ve been lucky enough to experience love on a plethora of different levels.

25. I am learning to love cooking because Logan loves to watch me. He sits on the counter and likes to help me. He makes me want to be in a kitchen more.

second variation on the same - Facebook

Becoming transparent does not have to mean see-through: Teaching in a social media dominated world

(Teaching in a social media world where transparency changes a teacher’s PG rating to R)

As a younger teacher, I’m comfortable using whatever technology I can to increase my “cool factor” with the students. Any way we can connect and I can demystify myself is appreciated. At the end of each day, I don’t unroll my cot and take up sanctuary in my classroom void of a personal life. This is vastly different from a generation ago when what happened outside of school was never fodder for discussion on either end of the conversation; students didn’t want teachers to know about their “other” life and teachers certainly didn’t find it appropriate for students to understand they were human.

However, with this new connectedness, teachers are online with students all day and sometimes all night long. There is Facebook, Twitter, My Space, Blogger, Nings, and email which make a teacher readily accessible for questions and conversation. There is a constant question that tares at me while I talk to my students: How much is too much?
Facebook has allowed me into the lives of my students in a way that the classroom never has. The four walls created clear, impenetrable boundaries and likewise students can now see me as a whole person instead of the 1-dimensional squawk box that flits before them.

Students weigh in

Some students believe that “friending” teachers on Facebook is not a good idea. Senior, Raymond Arroyo at World Journalism Preparatory School (WJPS) said, “No, I don’t friend my teachers because it’s not professional. Relationships between teachers and students should stay in school.”

“Students shouldn’t be ‘friends’ with their teachers until they graduate because pictures people post can be inappropriate,” said Erica Castagliola, senior at WJPS.

Other students think that is okay for teachers and students to communicate outside of school in this fashion. “Yes, being a friend [of a teacher] is okay, but teachers should keep some stuff private as should students. Plus it offers students a chance to quell their curiosity about teachers’ lives outside of school,” said Marlyn Sanchez, senior at WJPS.

“It’s not a problem for teachers and students to be friends, but privacy is an issue. There should be limitations to what is shared from both sides,” said Fernando Echeverri, senior at WJPS. He also said that a person’s reputation can be at stake.

Parents weigh in
Parents think that it can be both good and potentially harmful. “My children and I all looked on Facebook this summer to find their teachers. Most were private however there were some that we had access to. It was really nice to see the teachers and their photos of their families and friends. It shows the kids that teachers are “normal people” just like everyone else. My daughters’ teacher shared her page and she came home and told me that she loved looking at pictures of her teachers’ son. It brings them together,” said Ann Whyte, parent and biller for New York Digital Print Center, Inc.

Nancy Cicciariello, Bayside, NY community parent said, “Social media can help or hurt [a professional] relationship. As a parent there is a constant connection which can aid the student or can be a nagging experience for a teacher. The social media allows one another to see how a person’s life outside of work is about which then can lead to passing judgment. As long as websites are used positively and lightly it should be a useful tool.”

Although there is an upside to the social media, there seems to be some trepidation about the sharing of information. Mrs. Whyte said, “Unfortunately, I think with the venues the way they are, it could hurt both the child and teacher if not used properly. Some people become “delusional” about the statements and pix they put on their sites. It is much easier to be stupid on a computer screen to a lot of people than it is in person. I think people would use much more discretion if they realized the impact of what they put on these sites.”

Teachers weigh in

Alejandro Sosa, high school social studies teacher believes that students have a strong desire to actually know their teachers and feel accepted by them. “Students yearn to know that their teachers are human beings and go through the same problems that they go through. There's also the curiosity factor - many students want to know what might be in store for them. I believe the third and probably most important factor is that teenagers want more importantly than anything else to have friends and be accepted and respected by others. Friendship with a teacher through any social media site or in person is a powerful form of acceptance.”

For teachers, though Sosa thinks it is a personal decision. “I think that varies from teacher to teacher. Personally I'm uncomfortable with letting students know too much as I think the barrier in the teacher/student relationship is critical for getting students (especially more difficult ones) to learn and work hard. But many times, allowing that barrier to be too rigid can have the opposite effect and dehumanize the teacher to the point where students want nothing to do with them. Each teacher really needs to decide how comfortable they are in unveiling their personal lives.”

Many teachers surveyed on the national JEA listserv have various social media accounts, but don’t include students until they have graduated or moved away. Most journalism teachers who do allow students, are extremely selective and use the medium as another way to contact their staff at the last minute. It is the consensus however, that giving students too much access to a teacher’s personal life can offer more harm than good while the student is still in the school. According to many of those teachers, keeping things uncomplicated by not permitting students into their outside world just is the best way to avoid controversy.

Administrators weigh in

Administrators have more apprehension about the practice and believe that school wide protocols would greatly help. Principal Cynthia Schneider of WJPS says that protecting teachers is her main concern. “I’m always worried about the call from the superintendant with an allegation of ‘inappropriate’ emotional contact.” Schneider also stated that technology and social media is the way the world is moving and as educators it is our responsibility to teach students how to use these mediums responsibly. Teachers need to be the role models.

The danger is real and administrators have expressed concern. There has been no Supreme Court test case around this yet the way there are distinctive rulings on other free speech topics. Schneider called attention to walking this fine line in addition to the possibility of misinterpretation. She said, “the room for error grow exponentially because tone is hard to read online.” Students have a hard time reading tone when it feels obvious to adults, so the lack of personal attention where the reaction can be gauged creates more room for problems in the minds of administrators.

So far there are no standards set nationally for “good practices” on this matter. It varies from state to state, district to district, school to school, teacher to teacher and student to student.
Sidebar:

Tips for using privacy settings on Facebook effectively –
• Make sure you create lists within your friends (sorting is often easier if you place the people in the list as you friend them. Otherwise, you can go back through the friends list and select all people you’d like on the list)
• Create a “limited” profile list where teachers/students are listed –
• Go through to manage privacy settings
           o Status updates – make sure to put your limited list as blocked (you can also add individuals that you don’t want to see)
           o Repeat this for wall posts, videos and personal information (and any other “questionable” information)
• Photo albums can be made private on an album by album basis
• Don’t post anything that you may regret later – a good question to ask is, “How would my parents feel about seeing this? My future children?”

Teacher role models struggle in a social media world

Working in New York City a teacher can turn to the Post on almost any day and read about the exploits of teacher/student affairs in horror. Always wondering “how” or “why” do these things happen? Knowing the students I work with closely, I can understand, but don’t condone the blurring of the lines in this delicate relationship.

Traditionally, teachers conveyed knowledge to students for them to learn keeping their own lives as far from the table as possible. Personal lives and situations were definitely not fodder for classroom discussion. However, in a world where we’ve moved online and share our intimate thoughts as status updates on Facebook and Twitter, how does a teacher still maintain the boundary?

I have over 1200 “friends” on Facebook. Many of them are current students and former students as well as parents and colleagues. I eagerly accept friend requests while sorting them neatly into my specialized limited groups. Students know that if I do accept them as a friend (particularly current high school students) they are not seeing “all of me,” but rather just enough.

Students have told me that Facebook has demystified teachers and somehow made them more human. Knowing that their teachers are “real” people when they leave school has made us more relatable in the classroom and also gives us a common ground for connection. For example when I’m teaching my students about context in my English classroom, I explain that I am a different person with different people. I’m not a hypocrite though, I’m merely asserting the need to establish and create boundaries with a variety of people which is an important skill in my life as a working adult. I use my Facebook friend status as a new tool for teaching by modeling. Sure, I’ve posted things that I wish I hadn’t, but I learn from it and I don’t make the mistake again. I show my students how to self-correct and readily apologize for my errors in judgment that as a human being I am likely to make. We are all human and flawed.

Not all educators however, embrace the new technology. Many of my colleagues and administrators worry about the implications of students knowing too much. Many say it is not what they post as that is controllable, but what others in their lives may post. Some older teachers don’t want students to know about what they do in their own lives saying that a student only needs to see them in this one professional role. My principal says that she “fears the phone call from the superintendent stating that line of appropriateness has been crossed.”

Where each of us stands as an educator on this subject is likely to ebb and flow as the technology becomes more a part of the lives of our students. It is clear that we can’t ignore where the world is moving, but need to better educate the students on how to be responsible with how they use these tools. How they represent themselves in the cyber-world will NOT go away even long after they grow out of whatever phase they are in now. Becoming a role model for how to manipulate these mediums for their benefit, may be the route we all need to go by keeping ourselves safe as examples for how it should be done.

Positives and Negatives of Social Media in and out of the classroom (sidebar)
• Students get to see that their teachers are real and therefore more relatable
• The teacher is demystified and more approachable
• The teacher can “watch out” for students at risk
• The teacher sees the students in more than one dimension
• Teachers need to be careful of what they post knowing that it can be misconstrued – tone is hard to read online
• Certain private activities should be kept private on both sides: teachers don’t need to know about student sexual activity or drug use and students don’t need to know about teachers doing these activities either
• Teachers are mandated reporters of abuse of any kind and being aware of students outside the classroom makes a teacher more liable and responsible
• Administrators need to set school wide protocols for dealing with social media so that all teachers send the same message
• Parents believe that being more accessible to students, teachers can help their children almost immediately.
These are just a few of the thoughts that came out of my research for this sidebar… I will get some art work to go with this as per your request. Thanks.

It’s worth the hair loss at deadline - featured in Advisor Update Fall issue

It’s worth the hair loss at deadline

Creating a newspaper program on scrap to publication:

Scholastic print journalism and its continued importance in a convergence society

Daunting. Overwhelming. Hectic. Crazy. These are perhaps the first words that come to mind when asked to advise or teach newspaper, the seemingly dying branch of scholastic journalism, to budding high school reporters. It’s time consuming and sometimes demotivating but completely worthwhile despite the growing discussion of convergence and the expiration of many major professional newspapers. Despite this grim reality, there is something completely gratifying about teaching students how to write well, design eye catching pages, work as a team and then the pride involved with sharing a newspaper (regardless of the ink latent fingertips) for an authentic audience.

When I arrived at World Journalism Preparatory School, it was evident that this school was not like other schools I had taught at before. It had only been open for one year prior to my arrival and already it had a reputation for greatness that was unsurpassed by other places. The teachers enjoyed working there and the administration was remarkably supportive. It was the best case scenario for starting a newspaper: open press, no prior review and complete student responsibility and ownership. I was told right away that I was there to help them grow as journalists, not to do it for them. (Honestly it was a relief because the last school I had taught in was literally the complete opposite… principal had to see every issue before it went out and the kids couldn’t say anything that was even slightly off putting about the school. It was stifling to say the least.)

Where to begin, though? I spun my wheels for a little bit taking what I know about writing for and running a paper and trying to translate it into a class that would produce a paper.

The First Try – our biggest failures are often the impetus for our greatest successes
Things didn’t start off as well as I had hoped they would. Getting the students to write was a challenge despite the fact that they attended a school that centers itself around writing. Breaking them out of the mold they were accustomed to writing in was the next challenge and then teaching them InDesign was surely going to lead me to early retirement. My first year was a bit of a learning experience for everyone. We were able to get out three issues, none longer than eight pages and although there was improvement, there was still much work to be done.

Round two: Learning from my mistakes – leading by example
After what I considered a less than successful start (as I hold myself and my students to extremely high standards), I knew a new approach was necessary. So I took a deep breath and started at square one again, mission statement. What is it that we want to represent? What kind of editorial policy should we have? Whose voices should we represent? What is our purpose for being? The students broke up into groups and read an anonymously published editorial from the prior year and a letter to the editor that the parent coordinator had written in response to the editorial. This was the first necessary step. Without purpose and parameters, there would be no way to gage our growth; we needed to be deliberate in our actions and from the first step, the students needed to be the ones to decide. Ownership needed to clearly be theirs.

The class was asked to search the mission statements and editorial policies of other school and professional newspapers and to post what they had found on our class blog. We then came together as a class and created what we felt was a good composite of what we saw. The students felt strongly about not allowing “unprofessional language” into the paper. They wanted to be taken seriously. The tone was already different from the year before and it was clear we all meant business. I knew that they would work harder than they had ever worked before in an English class, but the rewards would be greater than anything they had experienced before as well. “My impression of our class was that it we were going to learn about how to write in a newspaper and by the end of the year I learned InDesign and how to write different types of articles,” said Eirene Skocos, sophomore. “I wasn’t expecting the class to be so hard. I thought we were going to learn how to write articles and then there was so much other work like the Blazer [the school paper].” Many of the students felt the way Eirene did and many of them asked to be transferred out of the class complaining that it should have been listed as an Advanced Placement (AP) because of the amount of work. Motivation was going to be an issue and continued to be (for all of us).

Writing boot camp
The hallmark of any good paper is good writing. So we put design on hold for the first few issues until the students were writing up to par. Mini lesson after mini lesson, we would work entirely as a publication. Everyone learned news writing first and tenets of it. We had long class discussions about what legitimate news was and the kind of material we wanted to run in our news section. We talked about timeliness, proximity, importance, audience. We examined newspapers with ongoing current events assignments where they looked at author’s craft reflecting on the writer’s ability to stick to the inverted pyramid and determine how engaging the style of lead was. How could they use what they were seeing in their own writing? What could they improve?

Learning news writing is difficult, particularly when accustomed to writing essays, so the students were having a hard time conceptually. They revised and revised tirelessly as I sent them back to the drawing board to cite sources and check facts and get more quotes, shorten paragraphs. We conferenced daily to address the individual needs of the students and just when they started getting their footing about themselves, the layering began. And so began the three ring circus. If we were going to run a proper paper, we needed more than just a news section. The class was promptly split into sections and now in addition to writing the news the whole class was writing, each section was responsible for learning the new writing and creating a piece for that. The students decided what went in and by November, we had our first issue coming in at 16 pages which was longer than almost all of the previous year put together. We were on a roll and the students were exhausted.

Every time we satisfactorily finished a type of writing as a class, we started a new one and the students were still responsible for keeping up with their section work as well. If we happened to be working in their section, then they needed to produce two articles for the next issue. We continued to conference daily and my section leaders checked in with me daily as well. A reference library was created for students who needed more modeling or more reading time and the students began using it as often as they used me and each other to improve their writing. Before long, we were really functioning as a paper.

Feature writing, investigative feature, editorial/opinion, sports writing and entertainment found their way into everyone’s thoughts. We talked about proper interviewing technique, reviewing notes and citing appropriately. Continued discussion of content and writing were ongoing and abundant, but the conversations moved away from my direction and into their hands. After having taken the Poynter’s boot camp last summer, it had been suggested to allow the students to make and learn from their own mistakes without my shielding them too much. This piece of advice got me through this year and I think all of them are better journalists for it.

Selecting the first editors as the leaders emerge
I had my clear talent and my clear leaders in the room. Struggling with how democratic the process should be, I worked alone for this first selection process. Seeing as I knew them as students and writers now, I knew who needed pushing and who needed more time. My editors in chief were an unlikely pair: a natural leader with people skills, but with less than stellar writing and an impeccable writer who was longing to be set free from her shell. They turned out to be a great pair; both eager from the get go to please me and do a good job. The section leaders were standouts too, comfortable commanding several peers and capable of maintaining quality from their respective sections even when motivation was at an all time low. Those who didn’t think themselves capable, rose to the occasion because of my confidence that they could do it and others began to meet deadlines and help out despite not having the role officially assigned to them.

Progress… and the beat goes on and on and on…
The year went on and we managed to get out five issues, each one gaining in complexity and thoughtfulness of writing as well as design. InDesign proved to be the bane of many a students’ existence, but all of them showed proficiency in the end. We even called in a professional to teach a full day class to the teachers and students and then turn-keyed the information to the other students. It was remarkably helpful in getting the students engaged in wanting a more dynamic publication as well as getting more teachers to use the program in their instruction in our continued effort to further the journalism theme throughout content areas in our school.

The students continued to question the importance of everything that went in and tackled hard issues like the school’s grading policies and teacher involvement in student lives. There was a particularly good opinion piece written about teacher contact with parents that came from one of my other feeder classes. (I also taught a foundations in journalism class to my freshmen). They expanded their ideas of important to world news and managed to keep it interesting for a middle and high school audiences alike. With each paper that came out, the readership grew and by our final 60 page issue, there were few better sights than walking by all the classrooms after delivery and seeing the students flipping through the pages that we had created.

With the newspaper world crashing around, a newspaper teacher has to ask if this is a dying skill to teach now. For a high school such as ours, it is hard to say that we will ever give up the print form of reporting news. We have Nings and broadcasts and podcasts galore, but the authenticity of real newsprint will never go out of style. Despite the dirty fingers, the students wouldn’t readily run to the school’s website for the same information. In secondary education, the health of the school can be determined by their newspaper and for that reason, we must continue teaching this way. Having something to hold and look at and be proud of is irreplaceable and I’ve watched several kids become reporters this year that never thought they’d want to be them.

Helpful texts and websites when first starting out
Inside Reporting: A Practical Guide to the Craft of Journalism by Tim Harrower
Associated Press 2009 Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law, 44th ed. Darrell Christian, Sally Jacobsen and David Minthorn, editors
Sports Writing: A Beginner’s Guide -Steve Craig
Scholastic Newspaper Fundamentals, 3rd ed. – Helen Smith
Newsu.org
www.studentpress.org