Thoughts?

Thoughts on this? 

I guess I've never really thought about it on a holistic level, but what DOES make a great teacher? 

What qualities do all great teachers posess? 

Thoughts?

Thoughts on Algebra II gaining momentum?

I think the research is weak - does Algebra II really make you more successful, or is there something inherent that makes you successful so then you take Algebra II?

We're forgetting the secondary variable, people.

Like psych 101 - Crimes go up in the summer, so does ice cream consumption.  So ice cream consumption causes crimes?  Any intro to psych student can tell you that correlation does not equal causation. 

See kids.

See kids.  Even though you were dealt a shitty hand, you can overcome. 

This kiddo did. 

And now he gets to go to an Ivy. 

I want my students to realize that sometimes, life is hard.  But education can help you overcome it. 

Cognitive neuroblabber

So, I've always been vaguely interested in cognitive neuroscience and the way the brain works. I took classes on it in college, and have a general idea of ways the brain works and does some tasks.

I read brain-based research all of the time. This is one of my favorite books. I saw him speak at my school and love love love what he says. I got an email from my principal over break about this exciting book that she thought I would be interested in. I can't wait to read it.

But then, the WaPo publishes this rebuttal to the previous book and makes some very interesting claims.

I will sum up the claims like I should sum up my years of undergraduate work and basically, any research about real people:
We don't really know how everything interacts and why people do the way they do. It has something to do with the brain, human interaction, social situation, culture, economics...the list could go on. But basically, we don't know.

Oy. It seems like cognitive neuroblabber to me.

Setting us back. Tons and tons.

Dear Washington Post,

I understand that you want to publish opinion pieces and become controversial, but really, please STOP publishing stuff like this.

It hurts me. It pains me that a professor would EVER say that math is not important.

Okay, fine. I don't know differential calculus.

But damn, do I know how to solve almost ALL math problems. And yes, math is important. You need math. You need to learn how to solve problems, all TYPES of problems. And you learn problem solving IN MATH CLASS.

Wow

Where's she going to go?

Brilliant

This article is brilliant.

And true.

Read. Discuss. Start recruiting top people to be teachers. Start paying them more. Make it a career people want to have.

Don't forget, there is not a "prestigious careers that pay way to much money to do less work than that of a teacher" gap. There is an achievement gap. Let's close that. Immediately.

LADY I WANT TO WORK FOR YOU

My expert news reader (Sidenote- I love it that he sends me more articles now than I send him. Our roles have reversed. Joy.) sent me an interesting piece about teacher firings in Washington, D.C. It looks like the AP Press release that yahoo got a hold of.

But since I have such a penchant for Washington, D.C. right now, of course I have WaPo bookmarked and read it on a weekly basis. (What? Only once a week? A girl cannot stray from her NY Times love. It's been cultivated for too many years to switch papers...weekly is all I can do with another one.) So they wrote a more detailed piece about the D.C. firings.

What can I say about this brilliant woman? She may be harsh and she may have a great deal of people who hate her because her leadership style is different than the educational system has seen....but all I want to do is work for her.

HELLO? Getting and keeping effective teachers in the classroom. Paying teachers a great salary. Holding teachers accountable for student growth based on student performance.

Please, please, Michelle Rhee, keep your job so I can work for you.

Bring on the explosions

I love it.

I think I should live in DC if I am so in love with their editorial staff, columnists, and educational policy makers.

Let's get to the point, here. Ed Hirsch, brilliant, brilliant man who created the Core Knowledge Series, writes about how to teach kids how to read.

YES YES YES. Listen to this one: "Several studies show that “poor” readers suddenly look quite strong when reading on subjects they know a lot about, and “strong” readers who have weak subject knowledge, suddenly look quite weak."

TEACH THE KIDS STUFF, and then they can read. Build. Background. Knowledge. Teach the subject, read about the subject, immerse yourself into the subject and BUILD good readers.

What this boils down to:
Whatever I teach next year, we're turning into scientists and historians. And we're going to blow stuff up.

My role model

Just got her way in DC. You go, Michelle Rhee. I love your outspoken nature, how you don't take crap from anyone, AND you can get teachers' unions to (semi) listen to you.

Let's discuss how brilliant Rhee is in raising teacher salaries. Thank you, Rhee, thank you.

You go, Dems!

You go, Dems.

Way to fight Arne Duncan.

Dear Arne, don't try to take money away from programs that work. Seriously. What's the point in making TFA fight for money every year when it is a proven path that leads to student achievement?