FCAT...A Eulogy

It is with great sorrow and a heavy heart that I am here today to speak in remembrance of a wonderful and esteemed examination, the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.  FCAT, since 1998, you have graciously provided a fair and effective method for measuring our student’s mastery of the NGSSS standards.  Students, parents, and teachers from every corner of the state have adored you for many years, and their sadness in your passing has been overwhelming. 

Okay…who am I kidding here? Let’s be real.  FCAT, I believe that I can speak for every parent, every student, and every school staff member in the great state of Florida when I say…GOOD RIDDANCE, HALLELUJAH, and IT’S ABOUT TIME! I don’t know whether I should perform an interpretive dance to “Celebration” by Kool & The Gang while adorning my classroom with balloons and streamers, or sing songs of happiness in the school parking lot as I wave a sign back and forth expressing what I really think about you.  The thought that I never have to utter your name again to my poor, unfortunate students fills me with such joy that it’s impossible for me to express with words.  I know that you will most likely be replaced with a test that is equally if not more smothering than you are, but let’s just focus on the present right now…you are officially gone.  On a more serious note, the purpose of this eulogy is not to make jokes, or to list your many accomplishments and achievements (are there any?).  The purpose of this eulogy is to remember and reflect upon the definitive and lasting impression that you’ve made on myself, and on us all.   

Where do I even begin? One of the things that you will be remembered most for is placing fear, stress, and disdain into the hearts and minds of our children.  The fact that a third grader knows that their grade advancement depends on their performance on one test, on one day, is so disheartening.  We should be teaching our children to love and cherish learning, and you have done a wonderful job of smashing that belief into a million pieces like broken glass.  I know that all of the state leaders, and politicians somehow decided that you were the right choice to measure student performance, which blows my mind considering that the majority of them haven’t stepped foot in a public classroom since high school, but they aren’t the ones who’ve had to stand there year after year watching the frustrated and defeated looks on their kid’s faces when they realize they hadn’t passed…again.  They aren’t the ones who have waded through grueling practice tests with students as they try to answer questions that encourage you to find the “best answer,” and not the “right answer.”  You’re such a jokester, FCAT! You’ll always be remembered for your many, many questions that didn’t make any sense and were designed to purposefully trick kids into choosing the wrong answer.  Kudos to you!

Man, FCAT, you really know how to go out with a bang! The past three years were by far your most disorganized, stressful years yet.  Not only have we been forced to endure the pressure and accountability already associated with your madness, but then those lovely politicians in the Education Department decided to pay a big-wig company, who will remain nameless, to put you ONLINE.  It’s so wonderful that this version of yourself is the one that we will have ingrained in our memories for all of eternity.  My school was utter chaos the last two weeks, and I know we aren’t alone.  I’m not sure if people were actually aware of the impact you had in real classrooms state wide.  As if our students weren’t stressed out enough, they had to deal with the CBT (Computer Based Test) kicking them off every few minutes.  Our ESE students are the ones who have the most pressure on them.  Many of them haven’t passed yet, and they have several accommodations that require extra time, silence, and additional technology.  A group of our ESE students at one point had five adults in the room trying to fix technical issues, and due to the interruptions, many of them were misbehaving since their tests kept malfunctioning.  They were re-started multiple times, and call me crazy, but I’ll bet my paycheck that those kids don’t pass…again.  How can we expect them to?  Nobody could concentrate in conditions like those, and the worst part is that this was happening all over the state.  Don’t worry FCAT, your scores will still be counted towards school grades, will still determine whether a kid moves to fourth grade or graduates high school, and will still be tied to teacher performance.  It’s totally fair and accurate.  In my opinion, every test score from this year that was administered on the computer should be invalidated.  There is no way humanly possible that they can be counted as an accurate representation of what our students are capable of.  Way to drop the ball.

FCAT, for so long you have been the very core of education in the state of Florida.  Every lesson, every activity, and every assignment before April were created with you in mind.  You have to be proud of yourself for coining the phrase, “teaching to the test.” I honestly don’t know what we are going to do now that you are gone! Will we finally be able to create engaging lessons that center around what the students NEED to learn versus what the test says they HAVE to learn?  Will we finally be able to let our students read text that interests them and makes them love reading again instead of bore them to tears?  The sad part is that the answer to these questions is no.  I’m sure that you will simply be replaced with yet another test, created by yet another corporate company instead of actual educators, that keeps the educational system centered on politics and a false sense of reality regarding student performance.  The truth is, FCAT, you were never a true representation of student performance.  I think it’s absolutely ludicrous that we base a student or school’s performance on one single test.  There has to be a better way.  You know what, there IS a better way, and I’m not going to stop trying until I do everything in my power to find a more efficient, and fair method to measuring how children perform in school.  That may not be a whole lot at first, but it starts with one person, and now that you have been eliminated, I am one step closer. 

This week, all across the state of Florida, students will be breathing deep sighs of relief.  They will feel at ease knowing that they have conquered you one last and final time.  We don’t even need to tell them that another brainwashing test will come along next year to continue to try to mold them into anxious, depressed little versions of themselves.  We’ll let them revel in the fact that despite your many attempts to knock them down each year, they once again prevailed, and they can say goodbye to you for good.  Teachers all across the state will be rejoicing in your passing, and will no longer have to live in fear of you taking our jobs for one simple little paperwork mistake.  You know, teachers are suspended and lose their jobs because of you every year, yet they can get arrested for drunk driving, and come right back to work on Monday.  The most celebrated time of the year is the month of May, because we can FINALLY TEACH! For one glorious month, we can teach meaningful, creative, and engaging lessons that educate our kids on events related to the world around them.  We can use technology freely, and read NOVELS. (Gasp!) Sometimes I feel that my students LEARN more in that one month than they do all year….because they LOVE what they are learning about. 

FCAT, as my eulogy comes to a close, I can honestly say that you have taken the joy of learning right out of our children.  Sucked it right out of them like a vacuum.  I have beautiful, bright, intelligent students sitting in my classroom every day.  Every day, they put 110% of themselves into their academic work.  They try as hard as they know how, and yet still…you determine their fate.   One test.  One day.  FCAT, you can feel at ease knowing you will leave a lasting legacy behind.  A legacy that one day, our state education department will realize what it’s doing to the youth of our country.  One day, they will realize it’s time to give the power to the teachers.  It’s time to create a measure of student performance that actually highlights our children’s strengths over time, and that makes them want to take ownership over their performance, and be proud of it. 

I look at it this way, FCAT, maybe you weren’t such a waste after all.  We can look at you as a learning experience.  A sixteen-year experiment that went horribly wrong, but that we can grow from.  A lesson on what’s truly wrong at the heart of education in this country, and how we can move forward so that our youth isn’t a bunch of lazy, brainwashed zombies, but instead, independent, self-advocating, higher-level thinkers.  They’ve had it in them all along, but you have kept it hidden. 

It’s time for you to go, and time for them to finally shine.   

I Can't Do It Alone...

It's the week before FCAT.  Let's take a peek inside a middle school classroom...

The bell rings and some of the class begins their Do Now for the day.  The class is working on connotative and denotative meanings of words.  It's a review.  There was a unit previously taught covering this concept in both reading and language arts.  There are four students who immediately grab their notebooks, and begin working as the last chime of the bell is fading away.  One of them looks extremely frustrated as he is trying to concentrate, but is distracted by the student next to him yelling for a pencil.  Another of these "on task" students is already finished with the Do Now within a minute and is now sitting at his desk with a bored expression on his face.   Furthermore, there are three students who do not have a pencil despite the fact that it's the last period of the day.  Two of them are up walking around the room trying to find a pencil rather than ask the teacher.  The other one doesn't even bother to mention that he needs a pencil, and he just continues to sit at his desk without said pencil, without a notebook, and without a backpack, and he eventually falls asleep.  Meanwhile, as one of the teachers in the room tries to round up some pencils, and take attendance at the same time, the other teacher is trying to settle down a very visibly angry young lady who is screaming "Shut Up" across the room because someone asked her if she was okay.  One young man with permanent marker all up and down his arms is attempting to hide the cane of a visually impaired student as she puts her head down on her desk because she feels defeated.  Now that one of the teachers has finished attendance, she is asking a student with his nose in a Pokemon book...again...to put his book away and begin working.  He whines loudly as he is obsessed with Pokemon, and claims that he has no idea what connotation even means anyways.  Eventually, the teachers manage to get every student somewhat on the same page, and they can begin their review.  It's probably important to mention that all of this has happened within the first five minutes of class.  

This is the struggle that I go through with my sixth grade, co-teach language arts class every single day.  It's my reality.  It's my frustration.  It's my passion.  It's my reason for this blog post today.

Today, I am speaking up.  I am speaking up to change our educational system.  I want my voice to be heard in every school, in every county, in every state.  I'm not naive.  I know that the chances of me actually changing our country's educational system by myself are slim to none. 

But...quoting the brilliant Malala Yousafzai, "One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world."

I have hope.

There are teachers who speak out and "complain" about the system every day.  It's in the newspapers, and it's all over social media.  They protest performance pay, and they advocate for teacher's rights.  Don't get me wrong, I wish we got paid more.  Who doesn't? Guys, it's more than that.  To me, it's not about the teachers.  

What about the students?
Who is speaking up for them?

Right now, our educational framework is failing our students.  I honestly hate to be negative, but it's the truth.  I see it every single day.  I have students in my basic sixth grade classroom who literally can't read.  They can't write a complete sentence, and they can't tell me the difference between a noun and a verb.  Unfortunately, these students are the ones with behavior issues.  They act out in class because they literally have no idea how to do the work that I am giving them.  They can't spell three-letter words, yet we are reading Chapter 1 of Treasure Island to prepare for FCAT.  Can I blame them?  

The one thing I keep asking myself over and over is, "How in the name of Hogwarts have some of these students been passed on grade after grade without basic reading skills?"

I'll tell you how...it's a combination of No Child Left Behind, standardized testing, politics, and placement and services offered for ESE or Non-ESE students.  Our off-track students are LITERALLY FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS right before our eyes.  The system is failing them.  Both literally and figuratively.

Trust me,  I understand how support facilitation and inclusion are SUPPOSED to work.  I understand how differentiation is SUPPOSED to work.  The problem is they aren't being used properly.  Support facilitation and inclusion only work if there is a proper ratio of ESE students to non-ESE students.  They tell us that the higher level students will help bring up the lower level students.  That's all fine and dandy, but it's not reality.  In my ONE co-teach class alone, I have students labeled SLD, Autistic, Visually Impaired, EBD, OHI, and all of them are of varying abilities and levels.  This is combined with 3 or 4 higher level students, and some non-ESE students still sitting with Level 1's on FCAT reading.  It just IS NOT POSSIBLE to differentiate to meet the needs of all those students.  Someone is always left behind.  Someone is always slipping through our fingers.  

This week, as I am completing last minute FCAT reviews with my classes, the detriment to these students is becoming apparent to me more than ever.  I am reading poems and passages with them that were written in the 1800's, and that use language that they've never even heard before.  They shut down immediately because they don't have the stamina needed to get through a tough reading passage.  They shut down because they have no idea what "alliteration" or "antagonist" even mean, much less be able to connect those words to the text.  It's not that they aren't trying.  They just can't do it.

I'm just going to say it...many of my lowest students can't pass the FCAT this year.  It won't happen.  

At this point, they are too behind.  And instead of placing them in a setting where they can somewhat catch up, they are simply passed on year after year.  The distance between their ability levels and the difficulty of the content they are being asked to process is getting greater and greater.  With Common Core, it will only get worse. Unless we do something about it.  I'm not trying to be a pessimist, and you might be thinking, "What kind of a teacher is this, saying the dreaded word CAN'T, and that her students won't succeed." 

I'm the kind of teacher that calls it like it is.  I'm realistic.  I'm not going to keep quiet any longer.  I realize the problem we have in our schools, and I realize the magnitude of it.  It's time for me to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!  I want to be the voice that my students don't have.  They don't know any better.  Something has to change.  I can't look at their faces any longer when we are reviewing FCAT passages and questions and they have very clear realization that they aren't going to pass.  Again.  My kids aren't stupid.  They have just given up.  We, as educators, can't let that happen.  I had a young lady ask me, "Mrs. Ebert, why can't I read stories on my reading level in class?  I can answer questions about Magic Tree House, but I have no idea what happened just now when we read "Eleven" (by Sandra Cisneros)."  How am I supposed to look at that student, and tell them it's because the state standardized test that is the very center of your educational universe says you can't?  It's like a continuous game of catch up, or like a hamster on a wheel.  These poor kids aren't getting anywhere.  They can't analyze the use of personification in a text because they don't know the meaning of personification, and they can't read the lines of text indicated without one on one assistance.  

We need to take a good hard look at the placement of our at risk kids, and the big question that needs to be answered is...

"Is it the needs that drive placement, or the label?"

I can't tell you how many times I've had a student in my classroom that simply does not belong there, whether it be in regards to academics or behavior.  Their needs aren't being met, and the needs of the kids around them aren't being met if they have behavior issues.  We're always told that unless they have a certain label, our classrooms are the only place they can be.  This is just ridiculous.  Deferring to labels is completely political, and we are ignoring the true needs of the student.  Maybe a teacher in the past didn't bring them up to be labeled with a disability, or maybe the paperwork takes a million years to process.  Meanwhile, they are not being successful in a basic education setting, and again...falling through the cracks.  How can you have a student who's been in a self-contained environment with no more than 8 students in their classroom, and 2 teachers, for all of their school life, and then the second they get to middle school...BAM.  They are now in a class of 25 students with 1 teacher, and are expected to be successful because "there isn't anywhere else for them to go." Tell me how that makes sense?  

For so long, politics have run our educational systems.  What's the root of why so many students aren't passing standardized tests?...politics.  What's the root of the process for placing students in the proper classroom setting?...politics.  What's the root of passing kids on grade after grade even though they don't have the skills necessary to thrive?...politics.  

As the adults in the classroom with these kids every single day, we need to let our voices be heard!  As the ones who struggle through every sentence of a reading passage, every math problem, every behavior outburst, every tear, every laugh, every success, every failure, with our kids...we need to speak up! Speak up for every child that you have seen pass through your door with grimaces of defeat on their little faces, and words of "It's just too hard" ringing in your ears.  

We are teachers! We have the power to make a difference in the way our schools are run.  We have the power to create changes, and to move our students towards TRULY becoming global, passionate, proud, twenty-first century learners.  Let the teachers create the tests, let the teachers decide the placement of students that they work with every day, let the teachers decide if a student is ready to move on to the next grade.  

Let the teachers teach.

I don't care about how much money I get paid.  I'm not in this profession to be rich.  The problem isn't about tying my pay to my students test scores.  I'm actually okay with that.  The problem is the test itself.  I care about my kids. PERIOD.  Things have got to change.  I want to walk into my co-teach class every day and know that there is true learning being done.  FOR ALL STUDENTS in the room.  

I might have the kids that don't bring a pencil to school, the kids who fall asleep every day, the kids who refuse to do work, or the kids who scream "shut up" across the classroom.  They might make me want to pull my hair out somedays or make have to vent for hours to my husband after work a time or two...or three.  

But they are my kids.  I love them.  I will stand up for their right to a fair education.  I will not give up on them.  I will fight if I feel they are not having their needs met.  I will be the voice that they don't know how to be.

But Guys...I. Can't. Do. It. Alone. 

The Common Core Conundrum

If you're a teacher, you probably know the new Common Core standards so well by now that you can recite them in your sleep.  If you're a parent, you're probably familiar with the Common Core shifts that are happening in schools all over the country, and have established your own opinion of them.  These standards are designed to help get our children college, career and life ready. It's a fact that our curriculum hasn't been challenging enough, and that our children haven't been prepared when they get to college.  The number of students that have to take remedial classes as freshman is growing every year.  Common Core is designed to fix that.  It's current, it's controversial, it's happening whether we like it or not.  

I want to make it clear that this blog post is my personal opinion, and it's a result of some very real and very strong feelings as I prepare to make the shift from NGSSS to Common Core this next year.

Don't get me wrong, I completely see the benefit in these new standards, and I understand why almost all of the 50 states have adopted them.  I 100% believe that our kids have not been prepared for college or careers.  The bottom line is that we have to step up our game.  We need to make sure that our children are GLOBAL LEARNERS, and that they have a challenging curriculum that forces them to think on a much higher level.  I have jumped on the "Common Core Train," and I fully support that my state and county have as well.  I understand that we have to implement and embed the common core shifts into our daily curriculum in order to prepare our kids for this transfer.  

But.
I have some concerns.
Who wouldn't?
It's only natural.
Am I allowed to?

It's going to take time to switch our mindset and teaching to Common Core.  I get that.  It's not going to happen over night.  Recently, however, I've had a few "a-ha" moments with Common Core and complex text in particular that have raised some red flags.  

Last week, I was doing a brainstorming activity to introduce my new unit theme of "Good vs. Evil."  My students had to work as a group to write down on a posterboard whatever came to their mind about the words "good" and "evil."  As I was walking around the classroom, I happened to glance down at a group's brainstorm cluster, and I saw that someone had written, "Common Core" on the evil side of the poster.  I was both shocked and impressed at the same time.  I immediately looked at the group and asked who had written those words.  They pointed out a particular young man, and my shock grew even more.  This was a boy who has an F average in my class, he never participates, it takes him a long time to process things, and he has a learning disability.  When I asked him why he had written "common core" on the evil side, he told me this: "School is hard enough for me, but now with this, I don't even want to try anymore because I'll never get it."  I honestly didn't even know what to say! His words stuck with me for days, and I couldn't stop thinking about them.  I don't know what was more difficult for me to deal with; the fact that a sixth grader understood what Common Core was all about, or the small chance that he might have a point.  How much harder is it going to be to implement these shifts like text complexity and text based answers with our lowest ESE students?  I hate to even use a negative phrase like this but, are we setting them up for failure?

Today, I got super frustrated while my PLC was going over our Discovery Education Test 3 results.  This is a reading test that our students are taking this year, and it's based on Common Core standards.  They take it four times, and this is being implemented across the state of Florida.  We found that our scores had dropped drastically from Test 2 to Test 3, and we were looking at the test questions to figure out where the breakdown was happening.  What we discovered, however, was not that there was a problem with the questions being asked, but instead, we had a BIG problem with the passages that were chosen.  

Here is an excerpt from a different chapter of the text that our students had to read for the test (Daniel Boone: The Pioneer of Kentucky published in 1872):

"The smoke which had hitherto concealed Higgins now cleared away, and he resolved, if possible, to retreat. To follow the track of Burgess was most expedient. It would, however, endanger his friend. He determined, therefore, to venture boldly forward and, if discovered, to secure his own safety by the rapidity of his flight. On leaving a small thicket in which he had sought refuge, he discovered a tall, portly savage near by, and two others in the direction between him and the fort.

Let's be real.  I'm not sure that I would be able to get through this without mentally shutting down, much less a TWELVE YEAR OLD.  Is this what "complex text" means?  One of the stories I read with my students, "Eleven" by Sandra Cisneros, is one of the Common Core exemplar texts, and is listed as a 6-8 complex text.  When I compare that story to this text about Daniel Boone, I am speechless.  How complex is complex text supposed to be?  Where do we draw the line? How is a student with a learning disability supposed to sit down and read this text, and moreover, how are they supposed to pass a standardized test with passages like this?  I know, I know, we are supposed to help them get there by modeling, and teaching reading strategies.  The problem I'm having with this "Common Core Complex Text" is that it is taking away my student's love of reading.  I see it everyday. They shut down, they hate it, they moan and groan when I put difficult text in front of them.  Not because they don't want to do the work, but because of how hard it is for them to get through.  

Where do we, as teachers, as parents, as a state, find that delicate balance?  How can we expose our children to complex text, and get them college, career, and life ready while at the same time, not destroy their self confidence, make them feel defeated, and completely destroy their love for reading?  

Is there any "complex text" out there that is AGE APPROPRIATE, and doesn't make you feel as if you're watching paint dry while reading it?  As an English major, I appreciate the classics just as much as anyone, but I also know that there are very few middle school students that actually enjoy reading them.  

WHAT IF...

Let's go into fantasy land for a few minutes.  What if we based our standardized texts on literature and informational text that our students actually are INTERESTED IN, and WANT to read?  How much of these low scores are attributed to the fact that the students don't have the skills necessary to answer the questions, and how much is attributed to the fact that they tune out while reading because it's too hard, and they don't like it?  Imagine a state standardized test with excerpts from Harry Potter, and with articles about the harms of social media?  

On that note, let's continue our journey into the land of our imaginations, and think about an even bigger "what if."  What if REAL teachers actually made these tests.  What if we gathered a group of current teachers from all different schools, grades, and subjects, and had them sit down to create standardized tests based on the Common Core.  I know that these test companies say they have teachers contribute to the test making process, but we've all seen the tests.  Let's be real, I don't know if I believe that.  WE know our kids. WE work with them everyday.  WE know how to challenge them.  WE KNOW WHAT THEY NEED.  

The bottom line is this: Common Core is our future.  We have to learn to accept it, we need to embrace it, and we need to get our students ready for it.  Nothing is perfect, there are kinks to work out with anything new that you try to implement.  I guess it's only natural that I have some reservations about this new style of teaching and learning that's making its way into our schools.  I just see the looks of frustration on my student's faces every day, it makes me sad, and I want to give them the best education that I can.  I wish there was a simple answer, but there isn't.  

We need to continue to do what we do everyday.  We need to guide our kids, give them hope, and show them how to figure it out when they don't understand.  I truly believe in my heart that we are headed in the right direction with Common Core, but I wish there was more we could do to get our kids ready for it.  It will be much easier with the students who haven't even started kindergarten yet, but how can we make it easier for the ones that are being asked to transform their way of learning and thinking.  

I like to compare this Common Core shift to my transition from eating junk food all the time to eating clean.  It was hard.  I wanted to quit.  I didn't see success in my future.  I was failing at first.  But...as time went on, it became less challenging.  I found myself making gains.  I realized that even though it was harder, I was becoming healthier and stronger.  I still craved a greasy cheeseburger every now and again, but I realized more than ever that clean eating was better for me in the long run.

I don't think this so-called Common Core Conundrum will ever be rectified. There will always be issues, and there will always be pros and cons.  Someone will always have a problem with it, and there will be bumps along the road.  

And that's okay. 

I just want to make sure that my kids aren't left behind, and that their voices are heard to. 

"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...

 

 

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.    

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.  

Can One Person Change the World?

Sometimes, one of my students does something so powerful that I have to share it with the world.  This week has been very draining mentally for me, and I needed a wake up call.  I needed a reminder to stop complaining, stop focusing on the negative, and most importantly, a reminder of why I get up and come to work every day.  Sometimes you have to take one for the team, you have to step up to the plate, you have to do something you don't want to do, in order to help the greater good...sometimes you have to do these things to try and change the world.

The past few weeks, my students have been learning about Malala Yousafzai as a part of our unit on heroes.  We read the text of her United Nations Speech as we watched video footage of Malala actually giving the speech.  We then had a very deep class discussion about Malala's words and how they impact us as individuals.  

For those of you who don't know, Malala Yousafzai is a teenage from Pakistan who was shot by the Taliban in 2012 simply because she fought for her right to an education.  Malala is an inspirational activist, and she has never given up on her dream for all women and children in her country, and world-wide, to receive the gift of knowledge through a valuable education.  Her grit is infectious.  I felt it deeply, and I wanted my students to feel it as well.  

My classes discussed the fact that Americans take their educations for granted.  We complain about having to study for a test, or take notes, or grade papers, or sit through a meeting.  When, if you think about it, Malala literally took a bullet to her head for the chance to study for a test, take notes, or do homework.  The conversations I had with my students were simply incredible, and I am so thankful to have had that experience with them.  Whether or not the conversations linger with my kids, I can only hope they had a lasting effect.  

As a reflection on our experience learning about Malala and her story, I had my gifted/advanced students write letters to her.  I wanted them to think about what we discussed, as well as how Malala affected them on a personal level.  

I absolutely had to share this one with all of you.  

This student is a very special one to me, and she might be one of the most talented writers I've ever come across.  Keep in mind, this is an assignment she did in just 30 minutes, and she did not have time for revisions or editing.  It literally makes me giddy when I am so frustrated with all the "naughty" students, but then I see through an assignment like this, that some of them really do get it.  They really do care.  

This letter sums up why I come to work everyday.  This letter was the perfect relief this week during a very stressful time.  It's a breath of fresh air, and it's a reminder that our students and children do listen, they do learn, and they do want to make something of themselves some day.  

Now it's just our job to help them get there.  

To quote Malala, "One teacher, one child, one pen, and one book, can change the world."  Let's not let her down...

Dear Malala,

        I have absolutely no idea where to begin. Maybe thank you for the inspiration. Your story makes me feel powerful and full of hope. Because of you, I have decided that I need to help an issue too. I'm still contemplating what one small person in this world can do, but you're living proof that one person can change the world and turn it upside down. I'll bet you never thought that you would create the impact that you did. It's an incredible thing to comprehend, I suppose. I, J.U., a twelve-year-old girl, can change the way things are. What an odd thought.

        I am hugely blessed to live in a country like the USA. We have the freedom to go to school. A good percentage of us live a life of first world problems, and I'm grateful every day for that fact. When I learned that not all countries in the world are just like us, it like hitting a brick wall (or being a Muggle trying to get past Platform 9 3/4, if you're into Harry Potter). I applaud the bravery of you and your family to continue running your father's school despite the Taliban's orders.  I've read a few of your blog entries and have began reading your autobiography, and I must say that 1.) You certainly have a gift for writing and the ability to paint a picture of words to create the authentic emotions of what you went through. 2.) I have no idea how you do it. I have a heart attack when the toaster pops, I seriously doubt I would've been able to stand up to the Taliban. Many children in the US truly despise school and homework, and going to school is the most awful thing imaginable. There are some days when even I would rather take a twenty-four hour power nap instead of school. When these thoughts come to me, I quickly remind myself of the children in your country that don't have the choice of education. I've heard it said that worst things come to the best of people. You are a beautiful and exquisite person who has severely impacted the world for the better. Being shot by the Taliban was such an awful thing to happen to such a lovely person.  One of my favorite things that you have said was in your United Nations speech. You say how being shot only made you a stronger and fearless person. The fact the you keep fighting despite what you've been through is such an inspiring thing, it brings determination and persistence to an entirely new level.

        Personally, one of my favorite things to study is the Civil Rights Movement, when African-Americans were segregated and treated less than human in the southern states of America during the 1950's and 60's. For me, a stand out segment about the Civil Rights is the non-violent approach of Martin Luther King, Jr., and many other leaders. You mention MLK and Ghandi in your UN speech. Another brilliant point brought up in your United Nations speech was that you said that even if you had the chance to shoot the Talib man who shot you, you would not, that you still love him even after what he did to you. That you feel compassion towards him because he is not educated. To be honest, I don't know if I possess that level of self-control and love. I thank you for standing up for the women and children of Pakistan. It's sometimes hard, as an American, to watch suffering that the Middle East  experiences. I can only imagine what an actual resident must feel. Bullying and bystanding is a huge issues all over the world. In America, it is primarily kid-on-kid in schools and extra-curricular activities. In a way, the Taliban are the bullies of Pakistan and under their rule is the victim as well as bystander. You stood up for your country even though you knew the cost would most likely be awful, which it was. It's so inspirational and beautiful. I want to be you when I grow up, and I'm sure I'm not alone in that.

        In the above paragraph, I compare the Taliban to bullying. I think we can help the women and children of Pakistan like we deal with bullying. It all starts with that first domino to fall, that first single voice to speak up. In this case, you. Next, we need a bigger group, a gathered nation to help. The bully begins to feel intimidated, but not enough to back down just yet. The nation expands to a world, a world where everyone is fighting together for the same because they want change for the better, then it stops. The bully stops torturing. The victim/s stop living in fear and crying. The world stops fighting because they know they've won. We have our nation mostly gathered, all we need now is the world. I know the situation is much more intricate and complex than my format, but it is a start nonetheless.

        You are definitely one of my heroes.

        So many of your qualities are that of what most consider a hero. You're courageous, intelligent, compassionate, and determined. I once heard that the difference between brave and courageous is that brave is when you unintentionally run into danger and face it then and there, courageous is when you know full well what you're doing, but you do it anyway because you know that's what's right. If that happens to be true, you certainly fall under the courageous category. You knew how cruel and ruthless the Taliban are, yet you ran head first into it because there was a change you needed to see happen. As I mentioned before, you said in your UN speech that you feel compassion towards the Talib man who shot you. That's such a wonderful trait to have. I'm notorious for holding grudges, and only forgiving when I feel they've proved themselves. You forgave because you know it's pointless to hold grudges. That's another valuable lesson I've learned from you. Also previously brought up, your determination and can-do, never-gonna-give-up attitude is amazing. You literally almost died, and yet you still continued the campaign that leaded you to that state. Remarkable, just truly remarkable.

        Once again, I cannot thank you enough for the fire you've ignited not only to the world, but within me as well. I feel as though I  can do anything because I constantly remind myself of your courage. I even use you to push me through the day. J, if Malala can stand up to the Taliban, you can get out of bed. Jor, if Malala can change the world, you can stay awake in class. You are beautiful and wonderful, please don't ever change that. God bless you and your family. Best wishes!

                                                                                                                                                            With Deep Love and Admiration,

J.U.