Tuesday, February 18, 2014

"Happiness is the Truth"

It's no secret that I have been completely overwhelmed and stressed out lately.  Sometimes, I feel like I'm standing in a crowded room screaming at the top of my lungs, and nobody can hear me.  It seems that all I do is complain, rant, worry, and stress.

Today, I felt extreme frustration for a few different reasons, and I came home from work feeling defeated.  I sat down after coming home from the gym, and a thought immediately came to me.  It is so easy for me to focus on the negative.  The negative seeps into my everyday routine like an infectious disease, and it's even contagious.  It's bad enough that I'm letting the negative get the best of me, but I certainly don't want to pass it on to other people.  It's so easy to get caught up in the every day funk of life, that the positive is literally passing right by. 

So I have a lot of additional work to do tonight, so I busted my shin last night and couldn't do the full workout today, so my students weren't well behaved or on task today, so I typed out this entire blog post, and my computer deleted it, so there aren't enough hours in the day, so I have several yearbook spreads to proof.

The only word I see here is "SO." So. So. So. So.

You know what guys...So what?! There are things in life that we simply can't control, no matter how hard we try.  The only way you can ever get through the negative is by focusing on the positive.  I need to take a step back and realize that my life isn't even a FRACTION of horrible compared to what some people in this world have to deal with.  I believe that as a teacher, I have one of the most stress-inducing jobs out there.  I know several teacher friends who are struggling with the negative/positive balance just like I am.  Today, it clicked it my brain. 

Just. Be. Happy.

Happiness is something that our society overlooks, and often takes for granted.  We need to re-direct our focus.  We need to start living in the happy.  We need to use the happy, positive moments in our lives to help us deal with the bad, negative moments.  Throughout the years, I've learned that life is too short.  We don't have enough time left on this planet to let ourselves get caught up in what makes us sad, mad, stressed out, or frustrated. 

My challenge to myself is to be happy.  Smiling and laughing are good for your soul, and I can definitely use a little bit of that right about now. 

Here are 10 Things You Can Do Today to Bring Some Happiness Into Your Life...
 
1. Forget about calories and sugar, and just eat the cookie.  You know you want to.  Give in to the delicious, sweet temptation, and allow yourself this one indulgence today. 
 
2.  Sing your favorite song at the top of your lungs.  It doesn't matter if the person in the car is staring at you.  Unleash your inner Whitney or Bon Jovi, and just BELT IT!
 
3.  Spend ten minutes doing something just for yourself.  Forget about everyone else, and focus on something that truly makes you happy like painting your toenails, playing Candy Crush, or blogging (wink, wink).
 
4.  Give someone a compliment...and mean it.
 
5.  Spend thirty minutes watching your favorite guilty pleasure TV show or movie, or reading a few chapters in your favorite book.  Let your mind go blank, and just enjoy doing nothing.  Bonus happiness points if you do this in your PJs!
 
6.  Experience something beautiful.  This could be a sunset on your way home, a baby giggling uncontrollably, an elderly couple holding hands on their evening walk, or an Olympian winning a Gold Medal.  Beauty is not appreciated enough, and can instantly remind you of what's amazing in this world.
 
7.  Make a difference.  Today, after my naughty fourth period 8th grade class, I ran into one of my 6th grade girls in the hallway.  She ran up to me, gave me an enormous hug, and said, "We miss you so much, Mrs. Ebert.  I hope you're having a great day." Heart...melted.  Sometimes we don't realize the impact we have on other people's lives, no matter how small or large.  The knowledge that you created that impact is instant gratification.
 
8.  Doodle.  I don't know anyone that isn't instantly happy while creating fun doodles.  Your imagination is an awesome thing. Have fun with it!
 
9.  Spend time with someone you love.  Love is instantly connected to happiness, and sometimes, just a few minutes with that person is all you need to remind yourself that it's going to be alright.  
 
10.  Have a wild, hair-whipping, arms flailing, epic DANCE PARTY.  Dance like nobody is watching, and let every emotion, negative feeling, and stressor leave your body.  It's my personal opinion that spontaneous dance parties are the absolute best mood lifter known to man.  Bonus happiness points if you dance to this song... I DARE YOU to try not to bust a move to this one...
 
 

Thursday, February 6, 2014

The Story...

Last Night, I submitted 3rd quarter progress report grades into the online grade book.  Needless to say, I sadly shook my head at the overwhelming number of low grades.  It's utterly defeating as a teacher when so many students are not excelling academically.  

The first step is to look at the WHY.  Why are there so many low grades?  Is it me?  Is it my instruction?  Is it just my class?  Are grades low across the board?  Is it test grades?  Is it homework?  Are the kids genuinely not getting it, or do they not even care about getting it?  

I am continually trying to improve my teaching instruction.  No lesson is perfect, and no method always works.  There will always be students that get it, and students that don't.  It's my job to make my lessons engaging and rigorous while adjusting when needed for students that aren't getting it, or already have it.  I DEFINITELY don't consider myself a perfect teacher, but I would absolutely say that I am a good teacher.  Most of us are.  We are doing everything in our power to help these kids succeed.  We are giving them all the tools necessary to excel both behaviorally and academically.  So, where is the breakdown happening?  Why are these grades so low?

In my opinion, it's not the teachers, it's not the parents, and it's not the administrators, or school board.  I feel like we are directing and placing blame where it doesn't need to be.  We are becoming so obsessed with test scores, and observations, and the politics of teaching that we are forgetting all about the very center of education.  The kids.  

Many of my students are getting low grades in my class right now.  The reason is not because they don't have parental support at home, or because my class and the standards are too hard.  The reason is because they lack intrinsic motivation.  They don't know how to persevere when things get tough or hard.  They lack grit.  What do we do about this?

The number one cause for D's and F's in my class right now is missing homework and classwork assignments.  They just aren't completing the work.  They don't want to complete the work.  

I know some teachers who won't assign homework because the kids won't do it.  That way, their grades won't drop.  I refuse to do that.  What is that teaching my students?  Will they not have homework in high school or college?  I don't think so! I will not stop assigning homework, I will not hesitate to enter a "M" or "0" into the grade book if the work is not completed, and I will take off points if assignments are turned in late.  I will teach my students to be productive members of society.  Holding them to high standards will eventually teach them to be college, career, and life ready.  Instead of lowering the bar because I have so many low grades, I will keep the bar high, and help my kids reach it.

My focus the remainder of this quarter is going to be putting everything I have into trying to teach my students how to become motivated.  How to WANT to complete homework and assignments.  Not because I asked them to, or because their parents asked them to, but because THEY want to SUCCEED, and because THEY want good grades, and because THEY want to be proud of themselves.  Pride in themselves is way more important that the pride they receive from their teachers and parents.  

I might be crazy, I might not be able to turn some of them around, and it will not be easy.  But you know what?  Even if I can reach one student, just one, and help them improve, then it will be worth it.  

It's time to tell them The Story.  Every year, I wait for a time just like this where my students seem to be really struggling.  I take a few minutes in class, and tell them this true story about myself...

Guys, nobody is perfect.  Not even teachers.  When I was your age I decided to trade in my brains for my social life.  I started to become much more interested in my friends than my school work.  My previously straight-A average started to drop.  It wasn't that I wasn't capable of getting excellent grades, but that I wasn't trying.  As I entered high school, it got worse.  My parents were frustrated with me, they grounded me, and took away something else every time I brought home a bad report card.  Some of you know the feeling well.  I would get a sinking, empty feeling in the pit of my stomach when I knew I had to show my parents my grades.  Still though, it didn't sink into my brain what I was doing, and how it was affecting everyone around me.  I officially hit rock bottom my sophomore year of high school.  My lack of grit had caused me to literally fail Ecology for the semester.  This meant I was short a credit to move on to my Junior year.  Up until that point, I hadn't had a real consequence for my actions.  Teachers and my parents would tell me what was going to happen, but it wasn't happening at that moment, so in my head, I felt my bad grades weren't a big deal.  Now, I was starting my junior year in a sophomore homeroom which was HORRIBLY embarrassing.  I had to attend night school to make up the credit five days a week until 8pm with kids who did drugs, and skipped school.  I didn't belong there! How had I gotten myself to this point?  It took the humiliating and humbling experience of failing a class, and the true and utter disappointment I saw in my parents for me to realize what I had done.  To be honest, it wasn't my parents, my teachers, or my peers that finally made me turn around.  I just woke up one day and realized that I WANTED to be somebody someday, and that I WANTED to succeed.  For myself.  I was sick of hearing that I was headed to a future at McDonalds, and that I would never get into my dream school, The University of Florida.  I was so angry at myself, and I wanted to prove everyone wrong.  So, I did.  I never received below a B from that point forward.  I was always capable, I was just lacking grit, lacking tenacity.  I was able to recover my GPA enough that I got into USF, but that wasn't my goal.  I wanted to be a GATOR.  Unfortunately, my grades weren't high enough to get in, so I decided to attend St. Petersburg College for my first two years.  I literally worked my little determined butt off, and I graduated with an Associate's Degree with at 3.9 GPA.  I applied to UF as a transfer student, and I was accepted.  I will never forget the day I received my acceptance letter, and how amazing it felt knowing that I DESERVED it.  I made mistakes, but I realized how those mistakes were affecting my life, and I made the choice to change.  I proved everyone wrong who told me I wouldn't accomplish my goals.  Most importantly, I proved myself wrong when I started to believe those people.  The day I graduated from The University of Florida with a Bachelor's Degree in English was one of the most profound and important days of my life.  So you see, I've been there.  I know what it's like to struggle, but I also know what it's like to start from the bottom and work your way back up.  I can be the best teacher in the world, and give you all the tools you need to succeed, but in the end, it doesn't matter.  You have to WANT to get good grades, and set up a bright future for yourself.  So, I challenge you.  Turn it around now.  Bring those grades up before it's truly too late.  Set your goals, and accomplish them.  I know you can do it, but do you know you can do it?  

Every year that I tell this story to my students, I'm not sure if it makes a difference.  Some of my students take it to heart, and start to bring their grades up.  Some do not.  It might seem strange that I am willing to tell my students something so personal about myself, but I'm not ashamed.  I feel like I can take my mistakes I've made in the past, and use them as learning experiences for my students.  I would never take back my choices from the past, because I feel like they've made me a stronger person.  

As a society, we really need to start looking at the WHY.  Why are our kids not meeting standards, why are they not getting good grades, why are their test scores low?  The answer does not lie in how we can be better teachers, or better parents, but the answer lies in how can we help our kids be better people.  How can we motivate them to want to persevere?  How can we get them to WANT to do homework or to get a good grade on a test?   

We need to teach GRIT.  We need to teach TENACITY.  I'm pretty sure there isn't a test our kids can take to help them master these qualities.   Are these qualities even measurable?

Maybe my story will make a difference, maybe it won't.  But at least I can try.    


Monday, February 3, 2014

Say Something, I'm Giving Up on You...

Billy is the type of student that spends more time in the principal's office than in an actual classroom.  He doesn't complete work, he refuses to follow directions, he has low test scores, and he doesn't get along with his peers.  He often sits at his desk, with a brooding look on his face, and either falls asleep, or creates a paper gadget to throw across the room.  He has no motivation, no grit, no tenacity.

Billy lives at home with a single mom who has to work two jobs to make ends meet.  His father abandoned the family when Billy was seven years old.   Billy is responsible for taking care of his two younger siblings, and he doesn't have anyone to hold him accountable for the choices he makes at school, both academically and behaviorally.  

At school, Billy is on a team that has had two language arts teachers, and one math teacher quit in the middle of the current school year.  The school just keeps juggling subs between the two classes.  His other teachers are trying the best they can, but they are overwhelmed with trying to maintain a stable learning environment for their students in the absence of two core teachers.  

Billy has no adult to turn to.  He has no outlet for his anger and frustration other than to act out in class.  He doesn't have anyone to model appropriate behavior, or to help him figure out the difference between right and wrong.  

Billy has been abandoned by almost every adult figure in his life thus far.  His father moved out, his mother never has time for him, and three of his teachers have decided they were going to leave their classes.  

To Billy, it feels like everybody has given up on him.  Is it really a surprise that he's the kid that has secured a permanent seat outside the principal's office?

Sadly, this is a situation that happens all too often in our public schools today.  This situation especially occurs in Title I schools where the population has high poverty levels, and is know for "the rough kids."  I know this because I work at one of these schools.  

I see it in the grimaces on faces when I tell people what school I teach at.  I have been told by many that I am "insane" or that I should move to an affluent school where the kids and parents care more.  

My school has one of the highest teacher turn-over rates in our county.  Every year, we see as many as ten or twelve teachers leave their students in the middle of the year for various reasons.  Some have family or health issues, some  have chosen to make a career change, but the majority leave to go to another school because they can't "handle the kids anymore."  Once a teacher chooses to leave, it often takes weeks or even months to fill that position with a quality candidate.  In the meantime, subs take over the classes.  The fact is, no matter how great they are, most subs are just not equipped with the skills necessary to foster meaningful and effective learning in a classroom.  Our students are expected to maintain excellent behavior and grades while they are sitting in a class completing worksheets day after day while the sub tries to sustain control and babysit.  

Who are we kidding?  I know I couldn't learn in a situation like that, even if I wanted to.  How can we expect our kids to?  How can we be surprised when test scores drop, or when referral numbers skyrocket?  

Don't get me wrong, there are definitely situations in which a teacher leaving mid-year is justified.  Lack of administrative or teaching support can definitely be understandable factors.  However, the reality of the situation is that 85% of the time, it's not justified.  Are the kids really that bad that they couldn't stick it out until the end of the year?  Did they really use every resource and learning experience available to help maintain a better learning environment for their classroom?  

The fact is very simple.  We need the best teachers in our worst schools.  PERIOD.
Our "at risk" kids are the ones who need routine, they need structure, they need someone who does not give up on them.  
I don't have the magic answer of how to deal when times get rough in your classroom.  Of how to make it better so you don't have to abandon your students who need you so desperately. 
I personally feel that the relationships that we foster with these "difficult students"are the key to succeeding as a teacher at a Title I school.  Have conversations with your kids! You can usually figure out the source of their behavior if you simply sit down with them and find out what's on their mind.  They need to know you care.  And guys, you can't foster those relationships if you leave.  

 I have recently been asked to take over an 8th grade Language Arts class for one month to prepare them for the FCAT Writes Test at the end of February.  These students have had TWO language arts teachers leave them already this year, the most recent one left one month before the big test.  In addition, last year, many of them were on a 7th grade team, that at one point had THREE instructional vacancies because content area teachers left mid-year.  It's going to be difficult for me to juggle two groups of students, I'm taking over classes that have had limited writing instruction this year, and that are not the best behaviorally, and I am leaving my own students for eleven instructional days.  As hard as this is for me, I know that I am helping out my school for the greater good.  

Today was one of the hardest days I've faced as a teacher when I had to tell my students that I was leaving them for a month.  It was like taking a bullet.  I honestly didn't anticipate how difficult it would be for me to tell them since it's only for a few weeks, but their sad little faces broke me.  

It was in those moments today that I realized how much of an impact we make on our students every day.  I got a first hand look at the effect a teacher leaving can have on a child, and I'm only leaving for a short time.  I can't imagine ever leaving them permanently, no matter how tough things got.  

We can't possibly teach our kids how to have grit, and how to persevere and not quit when they most want to give up if we don't display those qualities ourselves.  I will never teach at an affluent school, because it's the kids in high poverty areas that need us the most.  We can make the most difference in their lives.  This is just my personal opinion, so take it as you will, but I believe wholeheartedly that my school needs good, quality teachers that will stick it out, and will provide our students with the quality education they deserve.  Until we achieve that, we can't expect much to improve.

We all have bad days, we all have times where we want to give up, and we all get frustrated and complain to the point where we literally don't think we can take it one more day.  The fact it, we need to suck it up.  Remember the ONE reason why we do what we do.  It's for the kids.   

Even the naughty, defiant, profane, violent, disrespectful, and lazy kids like Billy. 

Those kids, more than others, need teachers who won't give up on them.