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Effect of Poverty on our Students.

Poverty has a devastating effect on students. I have had more than one student drop out in my career because of poverty. As much as we would like to believe any child with the will to finish high school can do so, the truth is far different. There are numerous situations I have observed as a teacher where I too would have dropped out of school to take care of a family member, and I might add, it would be the honorable thing to do. Many students work 40 hours a week and attempt, in a state of exhaustion, to go to school. They are often times supporting little brothers and sisters and a single mom to help pay the rent and avoid being homeless.  Try being homeless and doing homework. Yes, there are homeless students living in shelters. Every teacher should spend a few nights in a shelter, grade some papers while they are there, do some college homework, then try to shower get dressed and catch a bus to school. Your former perspective of the student that is struggling might change wh
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Formative assesment

Sometimes we do not think of using a movie for a formative assessment, but students today have often times been exposed to far more videos than they have books. When I utilize videos in the classroom I like to do so for a purpose. If the only purpose is entertainment, then it will not take long for students to expect that every time. They will be bored and non-compliant with videos that are educational. This movie on Caesar Chavez is part of a short unit. These students had prior knowledge about Caesar Chavez before the movie. They were introduced to him in a variety of ways. This movie is simply another assessment I am taking advantage of. You will notice I stop the movie and state the facts I want them to know. The movie simply serves as a visual aid. As I walk around the room, I am observing the students papers making sure they are writing down facts many of which they were already exposed too. You will even notice that one or more student is a little irritated. This occurs becaus
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Unprofessional Behavior

Unprofessional behavior happens in every profession including education. One thing I have noticed over the years is how much gossip has escalated. Teachers began to be scrutinized more and held accountable for more of society’s problems.   I am so old that my first evaluations were “how’s it going George? Great job, good to see you, keep up the good work.” I found myself 25 years later sitting in something called PLC’s and going over AIMS test data with an administrator. If the data turned out in your favor, you had bragging rights and a chance to ‘gossip’. You could massage your ego, and point out to everyone who would listen that the other unreliable moron down the hall didn’t have a clue compared to you. Of course, if you are the teacher with the data that did not turn out as grand as your colleague, you too can ‘gossip’. You can point out to everyone that the teacher with the high test scores (who the principal loves) is really a moron and just teaches to a test. The way you avoi
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Bullying

Bullying is never tolerated in the school I am in, but you do have to be creative in solving that problem. If you teach ED&BD students, you have to come to grips with the fact that much of what we consider bullying has to do with the environment the child was exposed to growing up. This in no way condones the behavior, but a child who is the product of domestic violence compared to a child who is the product of two loving parents is most likely going to result in different outcomes. If the parents or adults surrounding a child approved of a bully-like attitude, then it should be expected that the child will pick up on this attitude. Many of the students I deal with on a daily basis miss-perceive everything as an attack on them until they can form some kind of trust with you. For this reason, depending on the level of the bullying, the first step is to try to get the bully to recognize their behavior as being inappropriate and harmful to another human being. As easy as it is fo
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Teaching Goals this Semester

   I probably have too many teaching goals this semester. That old saying that you bite off more than you can chew often rings true with me. Since I work with emotionally disturbed and behavioral disorder students, one of my goals is to improve the physical environment of the classroom. I want the classroom to produce a sense of comfort, security and well-being rather than being perceived as cold and non-caring. In addition to having a physical environment that promotes security and comfort, there is the added benefit of being able to engage students in social skills. Students, for example, learn how to conduct their self at a table designated for eating or how to behave in a living room. Another physical goal on my wish list is to start a garden and to improve the kitchen. As far as educational goals, my number one priority is getting better at transitions to independent living for my students. One student of mine (with an ankle bracelet) came to me, and in the most serious tone
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Meeting the Needs of Students

Since the students I work with have emotional problems, it is important to meet those needs first and foremost. It is difficult for anyone to learn new things while dealing with emotional issues. We learn and remember best when we are relaxed and in a low stress environment. It is important to understand something about what upsets each student in an E. D. class and to have solutions for those emotional issues. For example, you are not going to teach to a student having a panic attack (a common problem with emotionally disturbed students). You must first calm the student and provide the necessary atmosphere for learning. Students do not learn in the midst of chaos. A quiet calm, reassuring voice is often called for, and at other times a stern warning has to be given to restore order. Each day, each hour and each moment require constant adjustment. One of the keys in keeping these types of students calm so learning can take place is to make sure the assignment is tailored to their i
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Assesments

My idea of assessment has evolved over the years to the point where I have one primary focus on assessment. That focus is to make sure the student (a human being) understands that an assessment does not define who they are. Too often a young impressionable teenager translates an assessment as a validation of being inadequate in some way. For that matter, adults are often hurt and discouraged over assessments of any kind.  Assessments should tell as where someone needs help and open a door for building them up rather than criticizing and rebuking them for being inadequate in some area. At some point everyone will fail in math, everyone will fail in science and PE and so on, but every child has a gift, every human being has a gift. Yes, assessments should point out a weakness, but it does not define us. One weakness is another’s strength. One child is an exceptional artist and another excels at math, but every child has a gift. Assessments should be tempered with kindness and encourag
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