Connected?

Ruminations of my life as a teacher

Month: January 2016

I participated in…democracy!

Today I decided to participate in democracy!  I composed a letter and sent it to the school board members in the district in which I live and teach.  In my mind, being connected equals participation.  The thoughts I’ve expressed in my letter are the same ones that have been floating around my head for years.  This exercise has inspired me to create another letter for local legislators.  Of course, I have no idea what impact this communication will have, but, in some way, I feel I will be fulfilling part of my responsibility as an educator and parent.  In the letter, I’ve avoided complaining about specific policies, and focused on what I would expect good leaders to do as school board members.

This exercise has also reminded me that connecting is not just seeking new ideas and inspirations, but sharing informed experiences and ideas.  For me, connecting in writing forces me to search for the best way to articulate things most accurately, and it helps me think through and test my own ideas and opinions.  This way, I am able to type something, and then sit back and ask, “Is this how I really feel?” or “Have I explained this accurately?”  Writing also allows me time to remember that I am communicating with intelligent, thoughtful fellow human beings who deserve respect and the benefit of the doubt.  The letter is below…

Dear Central Bucks School District Board Members,

I write to you as a person who was educated in the Central Bucks School District, a father of three Central Bucks educated children, and a teacher in the district.  As an employee of the district, I’ve often contemplated if it would be considered appropriate to communicate directly with the board.  Alas, you are now reading the result of my many years of consideration!  I would like to congratulate the newly elected board members and extend my appreciation to all for taking up the task of being the citizen-representatives of our community in our school system.

Please keep in mind that my comments represent only my views, but come from experience as a parent and professional in the district.  I will acknowledge, as I hope you do, that one can never know all of the facts, history, and experience that influence people and events.  Therefore, I will do my best to eliminate any bias from my comments.  They are offered in a spirit of helpfulness, but I will leave that for you to determine.

I believe that good leaders seek information.  I have often heard board members say that they have been contacted by few members of the community on certain issues.  It is true that, in a democracy, members of the community have an obligation to make their voices heard.  It is also true that, for many reasons, that doesn’t always happen, and we shouldn’t expect it to.  Please seek out the opinions of others and don’t simply wait.  Part of the decision making process involves responsible parties educating themselves.  I’m sure you all would feel more comfortable making decisions if you felt fully informed on the issues.  Please find ways to insure that happens.

Last school year board president Stephen Corr visited the school in which I work.  It is the first time in 18 years I’ve had a board president standing in front of me at school.  In fact, in 18 years I’ve seen three board members in the school in which I work.  Mr. Corr allowed for the staff to ask questions in a faculty meeting environment, which was much appreciated.  This should not be a once in 18 year event.  Additionally, please also consider that many people will not ask a question or give an opinion with 30 other people watching.  Please endeavor to speak with individual teachers whose opinion you don’t already know.  Please visit the teachers in the schools you represent and speak with them directly.  Be leaders that hear as many sides of the issues as possible so that you may be educated and make decisions that build confidence among teachers, parents, and students.

As people who are not trained and experienced in the field of education, please make sure you trust those who have been hired because of their training and experience in education.  I believe good organizations hire good professionals and then let them do their jobs.  I believe that this board and the current administration all have the same overarching goals.  Parents, teachers, and employees deserve a board and administration that maintain a positive working relationship by acquiring as much information as possible and then working together to make good decisions.  Preconceived notions, grudges, and uninformed decisions will destroy trust in our community and a good working environment for teachers, parents, and students.

If after careful research, you disagree with national and state policies and laws, work to inform the public, and work with PSEA and other organizations to inform and put pressure on politicians to effect positive change.

I sincerely appreciate the time you devote to your role as a school board member and to reading and considering the thoughts expressed here.

Sincerely,

Robert Sidelinker

Find 5 Friday #1

  1. Katie Salen is with Connected Learning Research Center videos, DePaul University, and Institute of Play.  She discusses connecting kids to things they’re interested in.  Connect them to other people in their school and they begin to see themselves as mentors and experts for their peers.  Since I believe nothing is more important than engagement in education, I found her comments about kids following their interests refreshing and very anti-common core!  But in a way…pro common core.  If our goal is to promote reading, writing, communication, research skills, etc., why do we fall to consider the interests of students when creating curriculum?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnHnDeq0BYA&index=2&list=PL0ELr5eRiluzx5DlCveU_ieL0y6x3rfRN

  1. This is part of a blog for teachers based in Canada. I like the author’s simple, yet practical approach to keeping math real.  I like that he states that his students often see math as abstract, when it really is anything but.  We/I often teach it as though there is no practical use, when nothing could be further from the truth!

http://learnteachlead.ca/real-world-math-the-garden-stone-problem/

 

  1. I’m going to try to make at least one of my connections each week something to do with educational policy. Something teachers have little time for is staying connected to policy, policy decisions, and those making the decisions (often people with little to no educational training or experience!).  Diane Ravitch is a historian of education and a policy analyst.  She has written several books on educational policy.  I follow her on Twitter and try to “visit” her several times throughout the years.  I am often shocked and dismayed at the information she collects and presents.  It is stunning how little the public knows about the field of education.  I believe teachers need to find some time to stay updated on what’s happening.  I will be the first to admit, I am not connected enough in this regard.

http://dianeravitch.net/2016/01/24/michigan-the-pathetic-failure-of-the-education-achievement-authority/

  1. Adam Grant is an organizational psychologist and Wharton professor. He wrote a book called Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success.  You can find him speaking on Youtube and other venues.  This is a particularly interesting and well-done interview by Krista Tippett on the NPR show On Being.  What I like best about Adam Grant are his views on the importance of how we interact with other professionals in our work place.  The model of “give and take” is important to remember when considering the gifts we have a responsibility to share with our colleagues.  I have learned so much from other teachers, some with little experience and some with a lot of experience.  This is an outstanding interview.

http://www.onbeing.org/program/adam-grant-successful-givers-toxic-takers-and-the-life-we-spend-at-work/8058

  1. This is a thought provoking blog post with some attached research on the subject of homework. Like the author, I’ve gone through an evolution on my thinking.  As an elementary school teacher, I ask my students to work very hard during the day, trying my best to have them take advantage of every minute of every day.  My students get home between 4:10 and 4:30 in the afternoon.  At this time, most kids need a break or have other activities planned.  I’m not sure 10 more math problems is the best use of their time.  I do think reading is important, but beyond that, I’m not a fan of a lot of homework.  I do assign it because my district requires this, but I have backed off what expect kids to do once they leave the classroom at the end of the day.

http://leadingmotivatedlearners.blogspot.com/2016/01/what-can-i-say.html

Dark Ages Meets the Wider World

I refer to my youth, in a very sheltered family environment, as the “Dark Ages.”  I was a very average 11th grade student of the German language at my high school.  Still, I was proud of learning the language of my ancestors.  My great-grandparents came from Germany and I was fascinated thinking about the fact that I could have been growing up in another, far-off country.  I was somewhat interested in history, both my family’s and the world’s.  Up until this point in school, I earned an “A” in giving half-effort.  As a result, most of my other grades were lower.  For the most part, I felt like a drifter with no serious interests and it stunned me whenever I heard a friend or acquaintance profess a strong desire to pursue a specific profession or vocation.

My family history is one of apathy, lethargy, and little money.  When the opportunity to be part of an exchange program with a German high school came up, the answer from my parents was a bewildered, “No.”  When the exchange students arrived at our school, I was fascinated.  I’m not sure I had even left Pennsylvania at that point and the thought that these kids my own age, sitting in front of me, were from Germany, 4,000 miles away was amazing to me.  Over the three weeks they were around, I developed an ache in my body that told me I was missing something.  Up until then, I had never seriously considered that anything mattered outside America, or even outside of myself!  Watching and occasionally interacting with these kids made me yearn to be part of the world community.  I felt the weight of my “Dark Age” youth and I knew that the world offered unlimited possibility, if I was only brave enough to make a move.

One of the exchange students rode my school bus home to a neighboring housing development.  She was an incredibly nice person who always had a smile on her face.  As a sixteen year old boy, I was not in the habit of approaching foreign girls I barely knew.  As the ache inside me rose again, I knew I had to act.  Before it was too late, I asked Angelika if we could be “pen pals.”  She immediately agreed and we have been corresponding for over 30 years.  My wife and I have visited her in Germany twice and she has also visited.  This was one of the first experiences when I felt connected to the wider world.  Knowing and communicating with someone from Europe gave me a different perspective on both the small and larger things in life.  This small event has impacted my life in so many ways that changed me from the person I was.   Finding the courage to talk to Angie that day had a profound impact on my life and who I am.

I don’t think, to this day, she realizes what an important thing our relationship has been for me.  I am quite sure I got the better of the deal.  She was already more worldly, educated, empathetic, and compassionate than I.  As I reflect on what it means to be “connected,” my mind drifts back to my feelings about striking up this relationship.  When I made the connection with Angie, I instantly felt part of something larger than myself.  I felt as though I had access to things I never would have had otherwise.  I felt part of the world community in a way I never thought possible and it was magic.

As a professional, as the years tick by, it can sometimes seem as though I’m entering a new dark age.  But something always happens to snap me out of it.  Attending a conference, working with younger, more energetic teachers, or taking a course jolts my senses and the excitement returns.  I want to be a part of this current teaching profession.  The one that’s happening right now.  What are energetic, excited, engaging teachers doing right now?  I really want to know.  I want to be part of it.

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